Devlog: Inspiration for the game

Hello there!

In today’s devlog, we want to share some insights about our inspiration for the game! Let’s jump right in!

Establishing our core

Many VR shooters focus on actions unique to the VR format, such as manually reloading weapons or physically utilizing coverage to evade enemy fire. From the very start, the intention was to make a game that benefits from the level of immersion that only VR can provide while staying true to the fast-paced, no-nonsense experience of conventional FPS classics.

Movement and Enemies

Our movement mechanics have gone through many iterations, and the way you play it now is almost nothing like the initial prototype version. Originally, you spent a lot more time airborne, meaning the levels had to be larger and more open. Dashing and wall sliding came later; initially, everything was done with the claw. Likewise, the enemies were also all flying and only used ranged attacks in an attempt to keep development complexity down. However, after experimenting with enemies walking on the ground and more close-quarter combat, it was clear that that was a much more satisfying direction to take the gameplay.

The first versions of these early walking enemies used a more traditional A* navmesh system for navigation, as is common for games of the genre. This proved somewhat unwieldy to work with for the kind of levels that were fun to actually move around in as a player, with heavy focus on elevation differences and isolated platforms. Instead, they now use a bespoke navigation system closer to a vector flow field. This system pre-calculates the optimal direction to move in and whether or not the enemy in question needs to jump from each possible position on a map to get to any other given position. This way, enemies don't have to perform any actual navigation calculations when the game is running.

Visual Identity

We are a two-person development team with no dedicated artist, and the art of Marrow Marrow is in many ways a reflection of that. We have chosen a look that relies heavily on shader effects, simple tileable materials, and very low-poly models to keep development realistic. After all, we have been juggling many other tasks simultaneously in order to make this game.

The enemy shader went through multiple iterations. The final version requires no texture work as material masking is done in the data of the 3D mesh itself, and all the colors come from simple reusable look-up gradients. It is intended to provide clear color separation to the environment, easily readable enemy silhouettes, and perform well on low-spec devices.

Likewise, visual effects are abstract and utilitarian, for the most part employing solid colors and steering clear of transparency. Our focus was on art that was expressive and evocative rather than high fidelity.

Vicious Vermin (Character Design)

The very first enemy that was implemented in the game was a futuristic flying drone equipped with cannons. The macabre theme for the enemies, along with their stylized look in terms of color, came a little later. The oldest enemy still in the game is the Acolyte, inspired by depictions of the Wendigo of North American folklore. This design informed the theme of skulls, contrasting colors, and bone highlights for enemies designed later. The decision to give all enemies horns in different shapes was initially an attempt to give each an easily recognizable silhouette, but it also became a way to express the personality of each creature. How impactful to the gameplay that actually turned out to be is debatable, but at least it looks kind of cool.

We hope you enjoyed today’s devlog and thank you for supporting Marrow Marrow.

~Marrow Marrow Team