Sorry for the late update! We’ve been working hard on some new game features, fixes and iterations for the upcoming public demo we’re running next weekend. Thus, we’ve neglected the dev blog a little and we apologies!
Full notes
Full Nation Breakers: Steam Arena update
Read the full published notes in a cleaner layout. The original post stays linked below.
What changed
0 fixes2 additions4 changes0 removals
Gameplay
UI and audio
Events
addedSorry for the late update! We’ve been working hard on some new game features, fixes and iterations for the upcoming public demo we’re running next weekend. Thus, we’ve neglected the dev blog a little and we apologies! Here’s a sneak-peek at something to make up for it ;)
addedSnails with jetpacks or undead pets? Damien and Zach met to discuss a potential partnership. It was still unclear what was going to come of the meeting as both of them had their own project in mind. After some discussion about the skills each could provide, it was decided that it was best to focus on a single project. Damien had come with a more fleshed out project, with already a couple of years of iteration on his platform brawler, so was the ideal launching point for the new partnership. While Damien had a mechanically sound prototype, it lacked any creative flair.
changedZach requested that the magical ninja theme be scrapped. Like zombies and wizards, ninjas are a traditional video game theme and wouldn’t make their game stand out in an ever crowded gaming scene. This presented the challenge of picking a theme for the game to drive the visual narrative. It had to be something that would carry its own weight without the mechanics attached, just as the mechanics had its own strength despite a lacking theme.
changedThe first early theme idea had the characters as snails with jetpacks- a comical juxtaposition between the naturally slow animal with the intense movement granted by the jetpacks. This idea led to “what if the characters were not fighting for themselves, but controlled by someone else, like a more action focused Pokemon battle?”. The exact details are lost on scraps of paper and backs of napkins, but this somehow led to gothic children necromancing their long dead pets to fight each other. Damien enjoyed making bone’s jiggle but ultimately this theme was considered too morbid and the skeletal animals did allow for much room to move in character design.
changedThe third iteration of world design proposed was for a steampunk like world - mechanical creations of some description blowing each other to bits. This theme had the flexibility to meet the mechanics already in place, and perhaps just as importantly, would allow for interesting variations in character design and weapon types. Zach and Damien researched different robot types and styles, leaning towards non-humanoid forms like tanks and creatures, partly Inspired by Robot Wars.
changedZach sketched up the first 4 character ideas (which haven't changed since!), and the vision for the game fell quickly into place. The restriction of a grid-based platform game, and the simplicity granted by non-humanoid robot design allowed for quirky characters to come to life quickly.
Nation Breakers: Steam Arena changes
addedSorry for the late update! We’ve been working hard on some new game features, fixes and iterations for the upcoming public demo we’re running next weekend. Thus, we’ve neglected the dev blog a little and we apologies! Here’s a sneak-peek at something to make up for it ;)
addedSnails with jetpacks or undead pets? Damien and Zach met to discuss a potential partnership. It was still unclear what was going to come of the meeting as both of them had their own project in mind. After some discussion about the skills each could provide, it was decided that it was best to focus on a single project. Damien had come with a more fleshed out project, with already a couple of years of iteration on his platform brawler, so was the ideal launching point for the new partnership. While Damien had a mechanically sound prototype, it lacked any creative flair.
changedZach requested that the magical ninja theme be scrapped. Like zombies and wizards, ninjas are a traditional video game theme and wouldn’t make their game stand out in an ever crowded gaming scene. This presented the challenge of picking a theme for the game to drive the visual narrative. It had to be something that would carry its own weight without the mechanics attached, just as the mechanics had its own strength despite a lacking theme.
changedThe first early theme idea had the characters as snails with jetpacks- a comical juxtaposition between the naturally slow animal with the intense movement granted by the jetpacks. This idea led to “what if the characters were not fighting for themselves, but controlled by someone else, like a more action focused Pokemon battle?”. The exact details are lost on scraps of paper and backs of napkins, but this somehow led to gothic children necromancing their long dead pets to fight each other. Damien enjoyed making bone’s jiggle but ultimately this theme was considered too morbid and the skeletal animals did allow for much room to move in character design.
changedThe third iteration of world design proposed was for a steampunk like world - mechanical creations of some description blowing each other to bits. This theme had the flexibility to meet the mechanics already in place, and perhaps just as importantly, would allow for interesting variations in character design and weapon types. Zach and Damien researched different robot types and styles, leaning towards non-humanoid forms like tanks and creatures, partly Inspired by Robot Wars.
Sorry for the late update! We’ve been working hard on some new game features, fixes and iterations for the upcoming public demo we’re running next weekend. Thus, we’ve neglected the dev blog a little and we apologies! Here’s a sneak-peek at something to make up for it ;)
Snails with jetpacks or undead pets? Damien and Zach met to discuss a potential partnership. It was still unclear what was going to come of the meeting as both of them had their own project in mind. After some discussion about the skills each could provide, it was decided that it was best to focus on a single project. Damien had come with a more fleshed out project, with already a couple of years of iteration on his platform brawler, so was the ideal launching point for the new partnership. While Damien had a mechanically sound prototype, it lacked any creative flair.
Zach requested that the magical ninja theme be scrapped. Like zombies and wizards, ninjas are a traditional video game theme and wouldn’t make their game stand out in an ever crowded gaming scene. This presented the challenge of picking a theme for the game to drive the visual narrative. It had to be something that would carry its own weight without the mechanics attached, just as the mechanics had its own strength despite a lacking theme.
The criteria for the theme for Zach was that the visual narrative would help translate mechanics into “in-world” elements, instead of being game mechanics just sitting atop of a stylistic background. It also had to be specific enough that it offered boundaries and was distinguishable as opposed to vague and open which ran the risk of becoming thin, Ie; A fantasy theme would of been to broad and allowed us to create anything with little narrative.
The first early theme idea had the characters as snails with jetpacks- a comical juxtaposition between the naturally slow animal with the intense movement granted by the jetpacks. This idea led to “what if the characters were not fighting for themselves, but controlled by someone else, like a more action focused Pokemon battle?”. The exact details are lost on scraps of paper and backs of napkins, but this somehow led to gothic children necromancing their long dead pets to fight each other. Damien enjoyed making bone’s jiggle but ultimately this theme was considered too morbid and the skeletal animals did allow for much room to move in character design.
The third iteration of world design proposed was for a steampunk like world - mechanical creations of some description blowing each other to bits. This theme had the flexibility to meet the mechanics already in place, and perhaps just as importantly, would allow for interesting variations in character design and weapon types. Zach and Damien researched different robot types and styles, leaning towards non-humanoid forms like tanks and creatures, partly Inspired by Robot Wars.
Zach sketched up the first 4 character ideas (which haven't changed since!), and the vision for the game fell quickly into place. The restriction of a grid-based platform game, and the simplicity granted by non-humanoid robot design allowed for quirky characters to come to life quickly.
Read more about how the mechanics and world building come together in part 3 of this blog series.
