Future Gameplay Development

So we've completed the development of our prototype, where should we go now? Well, we had a range of gameplay mechanics and concepts which had been floating around for some time, but simply didn't have the time to implement or seriously develop. Here's some of our favourites:

Money

The premise:

As we mentioned in our feedback devlog, our team was toying with the idea of a money system. Our basic premise was that the player would earn money for every enemy they eliminated, and would be penalised for damaging precious artefacts on display inside the level by losing money. The money earned would then be used to purchase new weaponry between levels.

Our vision:

We think this will add another layer of complexity to the gameplay, and will incentivise the player to pay closer attention to the level and their surroundings.

For example, if you are blindly firing the fire extinguisher down a hallway, you might accidentally smash one of the vases on a pedestal. There might be handy chokepoints in the level where enemies can be more easily dealt with, but there's a densely-packed arrangement of paintings or displays in the same area! Depending on how much money they have currently, players will need to weigh up the risks of missing their shots and losing money versus the benefits of defending a convenient area and having a better chance of winning the level. This would ideally reward both highly-skilled players with good accuracy, and players who take advantage of the preparation phase to study the layout of the level and become aware of the hazards.

We weren't sure how players would respond to this mechanic, or if players even desired more gameplay complexity. So, we decided to include some questions about this in our test questionnaire, with a majority of players indicating a desire for more complex gameplay, and general support for this money earning/losing mechanic.

Waves

The premise:

This is an old idea that goes all the way back to our original concept document. Originally, we had intended for enemies to trickle in over the course of the game, with large waves of enemies spawning at predetermined times. This gave the player something to prepare for, and offered a good challenge.

Our vision:

If implemented alongside larger and more complex levels designs, we think enemy waves would increase the strategic depth of the game, with the player having to conserve ammunition for the right moment, or possibly time a dash for the cleaning cart to resupply just in time before engaging with the enemies.

At the moment, the prototype only shows off two fairly straightforward and short levels. Enemy waves in these levels might not be a great idea, as the player could either be too overwhelmed too quickly, or perhaps the enemies could be eliminated with little effort using a well-placed water puddle. This was one reason why we decided to develop other areas of the game first, rather than jumping to include a mechanic which might be reliant on more complex (and thus more demanding) designs.

Environmental Features

The premise:

In our original concept document, there was much more of a focus on the environmental aspects of the game, with features like glass doors and new enemy entrances being mentioned. These could have been great features to implement in our prototype, but were cut due to time constraints.

Our vision:

As mentioned, we wanted the levels and environment to play a larger role in the gameplay initially. One way to implement this will be with the addition of glass doors, which can be sealed to prevent enemies from moving through that area. These doors are not permanent however, and can be smashed open by robbers who wield crowbars.

This adds an interesting strategic choice to the game, as the player can only seal the door once - and if it's broken, you can't use it again. This will prompt the player to pick the right moment to seal the door, such as before a wave or when desperately low on ammunition. Since crowbar-wielding robbers would be the only type of enemy capable of smashing the doors, players will have to prioritise targeting them in order to make the most of the door.

Additionally, enemy entrances will not be static - more entrances will open up as the level progresses! This will keep the player on their toes, and again reinforce the importance of studying the layout of the level during the preparation phase - getting caught out by a newly-opened entrance could be disastrous. Just like the wave mechanic, the opening of a new entrance will be signposted ahead of time, most likely with an icon visible on the progress bar. This way players will have to plan ahead and focus their efforts only in areas of the level where enemies are coming from.