Learning a new engine while also taking up the level design slot is probably one of the craziest things I’ve ever done. And that’s kind of funny to type considering I run parkour on the weekends.

 Going in, I wanted to learn Unity. I’m a narrative and gameplay designer by trade, but programming doesn’t come easily to me (or at all, honestly). I did recognize that my level design skills needed quite a bit of work, so I wanted to try and tackle this discipline. All of my level design skills are based in RPG Maker, so I misunderstood when all agreed on a paper aesthetic (2d characters, 3d environment) for our game. I built it like a top-down RPG, but when we started testing it, I realized that it should’ve been closer to a stage--everything important is in front of the camera. So, I started working on that. And I picked up a few key things while doing it.

    1). Stages can have depth. 

        This was a weird one until I realized how much space I had to work with in front of the camera. I watched a clip from an upcoming indie game called Anno: Mutationem, and it showcased how the character essentially stayed in front of the camera the entire time (as in, the camera only moved left, right, and forward). The important thing, though, was that the character was allowed to travel deeper into the stage, as if the stage itself was actually much larger than I’d thought. Interesting, right?

    2). Probuilder is a godsend.

        The fact that Unity has a tool that just helps you make prototype stages IN the engine is simply remarkable. No more having to switch between engines to make prototypes!    

 3). I need to fix my sleep schedule.

        Self-explanatory. No further comments.

    Overall? It was a fun jam! I had an amazing team to work with, and I’m looking forward to the next time I can work with them.