Devlog 1: Research & Prototype

Introduction

Imagine, if you'd be in stuck in the highest security prison in the known and unknown universe, right in the middle of space, serving time for let us say...stealing a lollipop from a 2 year old. What are you willing to do to get out...
If the answer is beating the absolute living hell out of your fellow prison mates and shooting them trough the skull in a space colloseum (Which would be a genuine suprise) I'd say welcome! Go out, shoot some mates, earn your freedom, and...if you could, entertain the crowd. Tho, beware, we a have a lot of sore losers up here, and they might have a trick up their sleeves...

Hey yall! This marks the official beginning of our devlog, yay! This is a project that we will guard with our lives over the coming 12 weeks. Our team consists of 3 coders called Sam, Dylan and Alessandro. And 2 artists, one of which a technical artist, Mathis, and a style artist, Laurens.

Troughout this dev-log we are gonna take you (And ourselves to be honest) on a little adventure that we can look back on once this is all wrapped up, so, welcome, and hopefully see you again at the end!

Research

This first devlog will mostly be focusing on initial research, fuck around and find out. See what works and what doesn't. Asking ourselves questions, and searching for the answers trough tests and prototypes. For you convenience it shall be split up in 2 parts, the artists part, and the technical part.

Art

STYLE

1. Camera angle and recognizability

Considering that we have a smash bros esque game, we should take the recognizability of our characters in mind, we had ourselves a gander and a think, at first coming up with 4 distinct characters, but decided after some re-considering of the time frame we have to pick 1 for now, and then re-color them. Between the 4 we had, a baseball player, An engineer, a skater-girl, and an astronaut, we ended up going with the astronaut, due to the space setting. Now, how do make clear who you are playing as? Cause 4 of the same astronaut can be wildly chaotic real quick, we decided for giving all the astronauts a theme color, that shows on their vests and smaller details. Makes them obvious from far away. Which is exactly what we need, will also be looking into different headgear, pure for funzies.

(Pictures will follow)

2. Color palettes and layers

Talking about recognizability. We need our characters to stick out, we are planning to divide our viewport into sections. 

The front, which holds The interactible enviroment, Clear shapes, and a color contrast towards the rest of the enviroment. With then our very poppy, highly saturated characters and RFX to make sure they really look like an open flame to the rest of the dark enviroment.

The middle, set to a darker, less saturated purple, showing of the prison.

The back, the outside, trough a hole in the wall we can see deep space, which we will just do using a png cause there is no need for anything more complicated then that to be fair.

(Pictures will follow)

Technical

Hey, Dylan here!

In this section, I’ll walk you through the technical aspects of our game, Brawlstorm—our working title for an action-packed, fast-paced 2.5D brawler. At its core, the concept is simple: Fighting! Punch your opponents, knock them out, blast them with weapons, or blow the ground right from under their feet.

We brainstormed various ideas, but the essence remains straightforward: high-energy combat with fluid gameplay.

Duringr the research and prototype phase one question popped up. How do we manage 3D elements in a 2D space while maintaining fast, smooth, and enjoyable gameplay?

To tackle this, we developed multiple prototypes focused on:

• Aiming a 3D character on a 360° 2D axis
• Ragdoll physics for player knockback and death
• Smooth player controls
• Multiplayer control systems
• Knockback mechanics
• Destructible arena physics
• Catching weapons or taking damage based on weapon velocity

This week we prototyped the aim, ragdoll, controls and catching weapons in both Unity as well as Unreal Engine. I'll skip the boring mumbo jumbo but simply put. Although Unity would have accelerated development, the prototypes made one thing clear—Unity games tend to have a distinct "Unity feel." The physics in Unreal Engine felt significantly more robust and customizable, offering the realism and gameplay feel we wanted.

Thus, Unreal Engine became our clear choice.

The Challenge Ahead: Unreal & C++

Unreal Engine, especially with C++, presents a steep learning curve. Indeed for this project we are not allowed to use Blueprints. Making this project an excellent opportunity to sharpen our Unreal skills. We do not shy away from a good technical challenge and we’re fully embracing the challenge and welcome any tips or guidance along the way!

Key Concerns & Considerations

A major challenge we anticipate is balancing 3D visuals within a 2D gameplay environment. With the added depth, shadows, and colors of 3D, clarity becomes crucial.

Can we keep the game visually intuitive so players always know what’s happening without sacrificing visual appeal?

This will remain a core focus throughout the design process. We plan extensive playtesting to ensure gameplay clarity and maintain a clean, enjoyable aesthetic.

How will we make the game fun?

Our goal is to design a game that strikes a balance between player competition and chaotic fun. We believe that unpredictability is key—what could be more entertaining than an underdog blasting their friends out of the arena with a massive blast gun?

To achieve this, we plan to introduce mechanics that maximize chaos while giving losing players opportunities to turn the tide. The focus is on ensuring that every match remains engaging and unpredictable.

Core Mechanics for Balancing Chaos & Competition:

• Card Selection System
  At the end of each round, the losing player will choose a card that influences gameplay. Cards may:
  • Alter the game mode or environment to favor the losing player or disadvantage opponents.
  • Provide personal buffs, increasing the player's strength or abilities.

  However, we recognize the need to present these choices thoughtfully. As one of our mentors advised, we must consider:

  • How many cards should be presented?
  • How do we accommodate different decision-making speeds without interrupting the fast-paced gameplay?
    Our goal is to ensure that these decisions feel impactful but don’t disrupt the game’s momentum—what can be worse than being stuck watching your friend chosing a card?

• Weapon Variety
  We plan to introduce a diverse range of weapons to amplify the chaos and ensure dynamic combat scenarios. Players should always feel each round as unique as possible.

• Point System
  Each round will contribute to a cumulative point system that determines the overall winner. To add further unpredictability, some cards might influence scoring—introducing strategic opportunities for players to manipulate point distribution.

• “Steal the Crown” Rounds
  To maintain balance, certain rounds will trigger a "Steal the Crown" event. The top player (visibly marked with a golden crown) becomes the prime target—defeating them rewards additional points. This mechanic encourages shifting alliances and keeps gameplay dynamic, ensuring no lead is ever completely secure.

• 3rd Place Boost
  We’re considering a mechanic that provides a minor boost to the player in 3rd place, offering them a chance to catch up and keeping the competition tight. This mechanic would help prevent early leads from snowballing into guaranteed victories.

• Who Should Choose the Cards?
  An ongoing design question:
  • Should the round loser choose the card, providing immediate comeback potential?
  • Or should the overall last-place player select the card to ensure longer-term balance?

Taking all this into account during our journey, we will need extensive playtesting to figure out the most engaging gameplay experience!

Closing Thoughts

Will we pull off a fun dynamic, fast-paced 2.5D brawler?

We’re confident we will. With robust physics, smooth controls, and relentless playtesting, we aim to deliver a game that not only feels great but also plays great.

Stay tuned! And see you next week where we will prototype some more and introduce the Art-Bible!