Completed a mission design for Prototype that was part of my package sent into Radical for a "Design Scripter" position

Project Goals

• Multiple paths
• Stealth gameplay
• End encounter boss fight

8 to 15 minute Experience
2 to 5 minute combat encounters and in-game cinematics

“Convoy” is a side mission intended to be a integrated into the current Prototype retail game. Cinematic intros, setups and exit will give an overview of the goals the player has to accomplish to complete the level.

Level Walk-Through

1. In-game cinematic setup(Passive)
a. Alex gets word that Blackwatch is transporting samples from the 1969 Hope, Idaho test site, overseas to a more secure Blackwatch owned facility. Alex’s contact believes that these samples could be used to find a cure for the recent “backlight” virus outbreak in NY.
b. Alex is told to be investigate a Blackwatch...

I have a upcoming interview for a World Builder position for a upcoming 2D MMO.

I'm collecting and burning through as much content as I can, to get ready for the interview. What games(I'm looking for 2D games) have you played where the level design really stood out. While games like Super Meat Boy are great 2D games, being that this is a casual MMO, I'm looking more along the lines of Maple Story or Neosaurs and not pixel perfect platformers (if something really stood out in this genre though, please list it)

Please post any game where the level design stood out to you, it could be from visuals, technical or both.

So my first job in the industry has come and gone: I worked on the now canceled Pirates: Armada of the Dammed. Lay offs are part of the industry so I guess its best to get used to them early in my career (Hopefully the "sting" will get less and less each time).

For me the worst part of working on a canceled game is after all the hard work and ALOT of late nights I legally can't show anything I worked on...

While at Prop, I was working so much(loved every moment) I didn't have time to work on anything for my portfolio.

So now that I have time, here is what I have been working on -

Kinect Trivia

Responsibilities:

• Created design proposal for trivia game using both the Microsoft Kinect and Zune marketplace
• Designed basic systems
• Evaluated feedback from industry professionals and iterated design

About: Kinect Trivia is a down-loadable game that uses both the Kinect and Zune Marketplace. Trivia questions...

Being the host city for the winter Olympics is badass. Also helps that their is zero snow and its in around 59f

Check out my pictures from downtown Vancouver - Here and more pictures here

PS - I would take me for ever to upload them all here

You can try out a early prototype of the Braking and "sweet spot" score mechanic - Here


(I have no clue how to embed a flash file so you will have to follow the link to deviantart)


- Billy

1. Current Score

2. Passenger Happiness/ Current Route Timer


3. Bus Stop

• Coming to a complete stop within the “blue” bus stop zone results in a score multiplier. The further the player stops from the “blue” stop, the fewer amount of points they receive and there is a drop in the happiness of the passengers.
• Consecutive “blue” bus stops add to the score multiplier.

4. Users Bus

• The bus travels with momentum (the faster you go, the faster it takes to stop). Players will have to gauge how much distance they need to stop within in upcoming stop zones.

5. Speedometer

6. “Next Stop” Ticker - Ticker flashes on screen before next bus stop comes into view.

- Billy

Since graduating from Vancouver Film School as a Game Designer, I have gone on a few interviews but no bites yet. So whats a game designer to be to do? Make games of course!

I have been working on "Bus Stop" for a few weeks now. It is a one button game being built in flash.

Here is the high concept and key features pulled from my design doc:


High Concept

Drive a bus picking up passengers. Finish your route in the fastest time and with the happiest customers.

Key Features

One Button Driving

• Press and hold “space bar” to stop the bus.
• Holding down the button will slowly stop the bus, allowing the bus to come to a stop to pick up passengers.
• The bus travels with momentum (the faster you go, the faster it takes to stop). Players will have to gauge how much distance they need to stop within in upcoming stop zones.

The Perfect Stop

• Coming to a complete

...

Over the past few months I have been posting blogs about my process of making a game, while in Game Design at Vancouver Film School. The game is in a beta state and would love for your feed back!


Play the Highmoon Express Beta!

Go here to play the game - Play

*Please read the Instructions 1st*

This is a beta so please write down in plan English - "What is happening"
and "what you think should happen" and either post in the comments here or email your findings to -

gd13billy@vfs.com or this email account (akcirca@gmail.com


*This is a non-commercial student game that 5 nerds are making. This is not trying to advertise our names/school/etc. We would just like feed back of what you think of our game so far*

- Stuttering Billy ( Designer, Animator, Art)

Last week I have been inking the base colors of the werewolf enemies :


"Troll" walk and attack animation




Werewolf pup run and attack animation



"Smoke" werewolf idle, walk and attack animation



- Billy (Designer, Art, Animator)

I have been very busy at school the last few weeks. Here are some images of what I have been working on -

Sudoku Showdown is a head to head sudoku game for the PC and PSP that I have been doing the animation and art for.


Title Screen:





Static gameplay screen with dynamic text fields for the programmer to fill in:





Static gameplay screen:





Looping animation of the player "idles" and "attack" animation. The attack animation plays where a player gets a combo.


...

Where the Wild Things Are

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NOkQ4dYVaM

Extract


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkWXWGPfhV4

Flame & Citron

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fA3AUsDeCw

Best of craigslist nominee for sure -

Get this scary clown out of my house! - $150 (New Westminster)

For sale: One scary scary antique toy.

The Goods: I have an authentic c. 1930's German Shuco "drummer" clown for sale that has been in the family forever... he has the early metal feet (So he can drum freely in hell!) There are a few little imperfections with him, but overall he's in good condition. His drum has little paint nicks from eerily drumming at night even though he has no key to wind him up... creepy.

Ok, he doesn't actually drum at night without being wound up. If he did randomly drum at night I would have most likely burnt him by now and moved far away.

It's been in the family forever, and I suppose most would keep him as a family heirloom or something... but my sister is deadly afraid of clowns and doesn't want him... and the fun of leaving him in random places around her house has worn off (I...

I started with our concept art





Then using references animations from Capcom fighting games and images of wolfs running in the wild, I can up with this. A loopable run and attack cycle


Starting with our concept images





Again, using references animations from Capcom fighting games and having my fellow classmates throw punches so I can see how their hands and arms move. I came up with this animation.


- Billy Lind (Designer, Animator)

Mobb Deep - Shook Ones Pt 2


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBxY1cAEvH4

Some classic NY hip hop

- Billy

Ol' Dirty Bastard - I Can't Wait

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FCsJ7Vd5Ls




The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx3m4e45bTo


- Billy

PRIMITIVE RADIO GODS - "Phonebooth"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LKVZ4NTfUc

The design challenge for this week is finalizing the boss character mechanics.


High Moon Express culminates in the turn eight last stand. The surviving heroes must combine their unique skills to defeat the general of the wolf army.


Our original concept for the final battle was simple: The boss would attack in four phases, each time mimicking the mechanic of a standard enemy. The intent was each hero would ‘answer’ one of the boss phases. If a hero was lost before turn 8 the player would have to overcome the loss through expert play to survive the corresponding phase. The desired effect was to highlight the unique value of each character.


After some preliminary brainstorming we came to see that binding each "Boss Phase" with a particular enemy would not achieve our desired effect. The four enemies in High Moon Express are not designed to underscore a specific character’s strength; rather their purpose is to expose...

New trailer up at the Official website. Hot damn this movie looks good.

- Billy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0r5rMMn9fw

- 2081 Trailer
I have a soft spot for media showing bleak futures.


http://www.gametrailers.com/player/52779.html


- Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
This game looks amazing! Reminds me of Metal slug with its super fluid animation.

- Billy

This morning my google reader directed me towards this: http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=24450



This week Courtney and I have been co-coordinating the sound and story collaborators, so the subject matter is fresh in my mind.



Denis Dyack has some interesting thoughts as always. I respect his work and his desire to expand the Game Development discourse. However, in this particular article I believe he undercuts himself. His argument hinges of the very equation which problemitized it.



For the purposes of my thoughts I’m assuming Dyack’s use of ‘narrative’ refers not only to the structure of a fiction but also the content of the story.



As mentioned before my concern is with Dyack’s equation.



“I have a theory: that engagement is greater than or equal to art plus story plus gameplay plus audio plus technology. It’s all of these things...

Yesterday I had a short meeting with our story collaborator Brandon. It was great to see someone outside the design team get excited about the project. Brandon loves games and is excited about adding something unique to his portfolio. His immediate comment was “You guys are trying to pull some Bioware type shit….cool.”



While, the comparison to Mass Effect was certainly flattering I had to clarify. Our goal is that the narrative structure should intersect, rather than run parallel, with the gameplay. The experience of High Moon Express should not be divided into “comic book” and “video game” sections.


The voice call-outs used in Left 4 Dead was an easy reference point. Our goal is to expand on the narrative structure established by Valve. Character dialogue will not only keep the player aware of the current game state but will make a novice player aware of the rewards and consequences of their choices.


This is of...