ETERNAL TRENCH
Role
Level Designer - Economy Designer
Description
Eternal Trench is a fast-paced FPS boomer shooter set in an arena where the player can swap bodies and take possession of enemies.
Genre
First Person Shooter Arena
Platform
PC
Engine
Unity
Development Analysis
For this project, we participated in a 7-day game jam with the constraints of using only three colors and the theme “Role Exchange.”
Being my first group jam, we quickly realized that we had little time for brainstorming and pre-production. We had to settle on a concept and mechanics that fit the theme as soon as possible.
Eventually, we came up with the idea of re-imagining role switching with your enemies, so that the player could constantly switch roles in the arena by making it possible to swap between players.
The core mechanic revolves around survival and body swapping, where players can possess the bodies of their enemies to extend their life. As enemies are defeated, a possession meter gradually fills up, thus giving the player the chance to take over an enemy's body and utilize its unique benefits.
Early testing showed the mechanic was engaging but very unclear. Players didn't know when to shoot or swap. We added a few sound effects and visual feedback to make it better. All those additions really made the mechanics far more intuitive and satisfying.
For Level Design we chose a straightforward circular arena, intentionally structured to facilitate rapid movement and maintain an unbroken concentration on combat and the mechanics of body swapping. The absence of obstacles enabled players to focus exclusively on their survival and the refinement of the fundamental mechanic.
A significant challenge was the equilibrium between enemy health and damage output, especially during instances of body swapping. Initial playtests uncovered problems related to the preservation of damage or health values post-swap. For instance:
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Carrying over damage slowed the pace as players would avoid swapping into damaged enemies.
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Resetting health after swaps made gameplay more dynamic and aligned better with our fast-paced design goals.
This ensured that a smooth and enjoyable experience was experienced since the intended focus on strategy and fluidity was maintained.
This 7-day jam was fun and challenging in its own right, showing just how much depth a single core mechanic can allow for. It really made me solidify my belief in focusing on simple but powerful ideas, good playtesting, and quick iteration.
What I Did & What I Learned
Being a 7-day game jam project, roles were not strictly defined, and every team member contributed across various design departments as needed, fostering a highly collaborative environment.
My primary focus was on Gameplay and Economy Design, with the following key contributions:
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Managed and balanced enemy and player stats, including damage, health, and skills, ensuring engaging and fair gameplay dynamics.
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Prototyped mechanics directly in-engine during the early stages, offering the team a concrete vision to align on and iterate upon.
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Conceptualized and integrated new mechanics, such as body-swapping, ensuring they were both innovative and seamlessly tied into the overall game experience.
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Created and maintained detailed documentation to track design changes, which helped streamline communication and ensured consistency across the team.
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Collaborated closely with other team members to adapt quickly to challenges and refine the game’s core mechanics within the tight timeframe.
This project marked my first experience working on Economy Design within a team, where I had the opportunity to explore the intricacies of designing and balancing in-game systems.
Through this process, I discovered the complexity of balancing a game, which involves numerous iterative steps such as analyzing player progression, fine-tuning resources, and adjusting mechanics to create a seamless and engaging gameplay experience. This taught me the importance of adaptability and attention to detail in achieving the desired result at the gameplay level.