Terra Proof of Concept.

As I have been working on Carrom it has been a little while since I have really sat down to work on Terra. I am hoping to move back on to it primarily as Carroms programming side winds down. Below is a video showing of some of the core features outlined in my original terra pitch. It is very rough and the video capture is jittery but the early ideas of the game can be seen.

Carrom So Far.

This post is a culmination of my last few weeks of work on Carrom, the game I am currently working on for my final year games project.

For our final year game project my group and I are working on a 3D (iPhone) adaptation of a traditional table top game called Carrom. Carrom is similar to other table top games like billiards. You can read some more about it from wikipedia.

Our Carrom Board:

Ryan has recorded a video demonstrating some early gameplay, this includes setting your striker, aiming your striker, applying power, shooting, and piece collisions. This can be viewed below.

Since this demo we have added tweaks to the physics to make all the pieces on the table move a lot more naturally. This still needs further tweaking but is in a good enough state that you can play through the game and not notice it much at all. Counting of pieces remaining on the board have been added as well as scoring at the end of a round and game winning end conditions, with the addition of menus. A few of these features just need some minor tweaking and then we will record another video.

Concept Pitch.

Concept Statement

In Terra the player plays as an alien AI sent to terraform planetoids to support life. The player must outsmart the native flora and fauna of these planetoids to transform them into lush habitable environments. Terra is a third-person puzzle platformer.

Gameplay

The player restores the environment by simply walking over the barren terrain, growing lush grass from dirt. Causing a trail of life to always follow the player.

Being set on planetoids the player is able to run around the entire circumference of the planetoids. (a.k.a Super Mario Galaxy)

The player is able to utilize powerups that augment his default grass growing power, to further help terraform the planetoids.

Each powerup form will react differently to different terrains, enemy types and objects. These items will be limited.

Terra is a puzzle platformer however it is a casual relaxing game, part of the entertainment is watching the spectacle of the terraforming transformation.

A Gameplay Example

The planetoid before the player’s arrival.

This planetoid contains a fire creature.

Just by walking over the scorched earth the player is able to grow grass.

However with the close proximity of the fire creature it will seek the grass and burn it back.

If there is a constant trail of grass the creature will continue to follow.

The player is able to lead the fire creature straight into water.

Now cooled off the fire creature becomes a seed.

Plant the seed and restore the ground around it to grow a tree and completely renew the planetoid.

 

(Post Script: Sorry all the artwork was done on my iPhone as my tablet was playing up.)