THAT Coaster Game

Group members:

  • Tim Simecek
  • Helga Ludwig
  • Alexander Williams
  • Tobias Mesmer

Design Document

Game Idea Proposal

Interim Report


BBB Link: https://balancer.bbb.rbg.tum.de/playback/presentation/2.3/4f70bcf6ce5c1189f1a0fc3edecb234fbb1fd4da-1685264126266


Game Trailer

THAT_Coaster_Game_Trailer.mp4

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5 Kommentare

    1. I like the procedural generation of the grid. Changing tilesets and the probabilities for each tile being chosen can lead to very different boards being built. For a quick, more casual game it can make each round of play feel unique and have distinct challenges. I would suggest here having perhaps different setups for generating, for example mountainous or plains or islands, etc.
    2. The wind aspect of the game seems like it will be difficult for players to understand and parse quickly, especially if it changes depending on the level of elevation. It seems like this feature could be easily overdesigned if not handled with care. Personally I would try to keep it simple, maybe only one wind intensity per hexagon instead of multiple layers.
    3. One suggestion I can think of that could really increase the amount of complexity of the game (if that is even desirable) would be to allow the player to build multiple rollercoasters instead of only one. This could be done by, for example, allowing a rollercoaster start card to appear in the stack after a while or something like that. Then a rollercoaster would only count towards the score if it is completed. However, you would need to rethink some things like the win condition to account for this.
    1. Interesting game concept which would thrive with a good artstyle and informative visualizations. It combines the joy of building tilled game worlds (the coaster system) from classical board games with the excitement of "real time" elements (coaster proceeds on the tracks) 
    2. a) The game will IMO stand or fall with the UI or more specifically the selection tool for placing the tiles. Being fast in placing the right height, track etc. needs some kind of shortcuts, or intuitive selection; the game concept seems complicated enough
    3. b) I would add as a score selection something like Velocity / distanceRailRoadTravelled == average velocity; of the tracks to make the player optimize for speed (which is the goal of a roller coaster). Driven track length etc. get optimized too with this metric.
    4. a) Shortcuts (1,2,3) for a predefined sequentially structured building loop with shortcuts (like first select which height, secondly which element to place, third which orientation  (maybe with mouse direction, something like that) ) 
  1. Writing on behalf of Team Cicisoft:

    1. We think the puzzle-like roller coaster building idea is very cool. With the procedurally generated world and obstacles like wind system, fog of war, rewards form and cost of the roller coaster, the gameplay would be really engaging.
    2. In our experience, puzzle games can be challenging to create in a way that truly keeps players entertained. Additionally, while the wind simulation in this game is intriguing, I'm not entirely convinced that the amount of effort put into it will ultimately provide significant benefits for the game's overall design. It's possible that a simpler model could achieve similar results.
    3. To enhance the visualization of wind directions and intensity in the game, a possible solution could be to implement an icon (e.g. an Arrow) that appears near the tile where the player intends to build the track. An example of a similar approach can be seen in Roller Coaster Tycoon, where the image of the ride is displayed in a faded manner when the player is in the process of building it. In this case, a fading-in effect for the wind direction icon as the player hovers their cursor over the tile could help provide clear feedback, while fading it out when the cursor moves away would prevent visual clutter.
    1. I like the idea of the tiles, which makes the game easier to implement and visualy way more comprehensible for the player. It is a nice switch from those grid based building games.
    2. I could imagine the wind being a difficult mechanic to implement. I really like the idea of the wind manipulating the environment and influencing your building possibilities and the course of the roller coaster. At the same time I think it will be hard to find the right level of influence between non exsitent and frustrating.
    3. Maybe you could give the play the possibility to manipulate the wind. For example he could get some tiles with mountains on it which he can use to block the wind, or maybe he also has to get power from the wind and has to place the wind turbines in a smart way.
    1. The overall concept of the game is very interesting as it is similar to solving a puzzle with the given tools at hand.
    2. The random nature of getting parts from the stack can be frustrating and boring if not managed carefully.
    3. I suggest a way to reduce the randomness of getting parts from the stack such as using points to get a special part the player needs in case of an emergency.