Flatworm (Avoid and Collect Game)
Aims and Objectives
This game is inspired by a kind of creature called flatworm, which has infrequent behaviours that can metaphor some topics regarding feminism and child borning. Species like them are hermaphroditic and have a mating behaviour called penis fencing. When doing this, they try to insert their extendable two-headed dagger-like stylets into each other’s bodies in order to pierce their epidermis and inject sperm. The one who loses at this fencing is forced to be the mother.
Processing
At first, I planned to make a single-player game and add some robot flatworms for the player to fight with. The player touches the other’s skin with his/her stylet and keeps it for half a second, to collect one point, and lose a life by getting inserted by the others.
But for the reason I mention below, by the end, the prototype is made suitable for two players and they can control each of the flatworms separately by inputting “A, W, S, D, Q, E” and “J, I, K, L, U, O”.
Playtest feedback
1) Players regarded this game more as a fighting game rather than a collect and avoid game; 2) The two control key parts on the keyboard are close to each other and one of the players may have to use the weak hand to play; 3) Players might want to change their situation as well as rotate at the same time, and it might be better if it’s designed for two hands; 4) While colliding with the frame, there might be unexpectable long-last spinning with fast speed which would make the flatworms lose control.
Besides, there was a huge bug: the control of the two flatworms was with different logic in moving. One could still move horizontal or vertical after turning its rotate, but for another one, if the player turned 45 degrees and press “L” to move right, the actual moving direction would be 45 + 90 = 135 degrees.
Reflection
This is my first digital game prototype. I spent too much time thinking about the visual style, which is not the thing I’m good at. After trying two to three styles on different objects, I finally found I was not satisfied with any of them and didn’t have more time for it. Thus I had to straightly put the different styles of objects together which made the final work a complete mess. Another problem is I hadn’t mastered the fluid-related applying method of Unity yet. The feeling of rigidity on what was supposed to be a soft flatworm made it badly shown.
Some of the functions planned for the prototype to simulate those in a complete game were abandoned. For e.g., flatworm stylets could be alternately set to exist and non-exist to achieve the floating effect of flatworms’ bodies. But none of those was realised for the same reason. These made me realize, for game design, more emphasis should be focused on the implementation and testing of the gameplay itself during the prototyping stage.
If I redo this prototype, I’ll consider making it in 3D, and collaborate with a fellow student who is adept at 3D animation, or after I myself have gained enough skills and aesthetic level in that area.