You're All Gonna Get Clapped Up!

So as we all know when you are making guns for a futuristic world based video game (we've all been there, em' I right?) you end making a lot of different versions in the process. And we are all very anal retentive about the designs and need to redo them countless times over and over until you end up hating the very game you are making (double em' I right).

I wanted to show you fine ass folks out there... oh... especially you, Katy. Hmmm... you are looking hecksa' fine tonight. What is that your'e wearing? Oh my...

Keep it in your pants, buddy!

Oh yes... I wanted to show you a small example of some of the different weapons and their evolution into the drilling/killing/burning/melting instruments they have become today. And I mean that quite literally. I made these final versions today because James (the programmer, not the homeless man sleeping on my couch whom I am too afraid to tell to move out) is ready to implement them into the game. Me being me...

Aren't you always "you"?

1 Machine Gun 2 Flamethrower 3 Sound Drill 4 Spewer 5 Grenade Launcher 6 Missile Launcher

I had to redo them and give them what i touted as an "HD" remake. I just had to remake them before they get thrown into the game. I'll go over the ones that I especially hated. 

1 Another is the original machine gun. It was a standard looking turret gun. Look at that stupid thing. 

2 The old flamethrower is a tiny little unscary thing. Had to go. 

3 The sound drill went through a change to make it look more like a construction tool instead of a standard laser weapon.

4 The spewer went through a big change also. I wanted it look like a futuristic Super Soaker.

5 The most interesting one is the original grenade launcher. It was going to be permanently attached to the other side of the EDU. I decided against that because it made the EDU way too bulky. 

6 The rocket launcher was my hubris. I still don't think I like it. 

Soon I will get to shoot these at helpless tiles. MWAH HA HA!!!

A Real Gut Buster

So what you see above is just a small tech demo. It shows an example of how destroying certain tiles might look in the final game. These tiles are intestinal tracts, so when they burst it sends blood, bile, and entrails everywhere. The final game won't have you using a Windows cursor to perform biopsies like above. You will have a plethora of high power tools to rip open your patients the Earth.

We want the digging in the game to feel rewarding to the player -- to give a visual indication that you are tearing apart something tangible. Particle effects are one way video games convey this message. Whether you're smashing barrels or breaking pots, actually watching the object explode is often more rewarding than the items you find inside. Why else do we destroy these harmless decorations?

Indeed they do, Tinky. Indeed they do.

But the tiles in Into This World are not just for decoration. They are the very structure of the environment you navigate. So your tools and weapons need to feel powerful -- and what better way to show this power than through interpretive dance particle explosions!

That's all I've got at the moment. There's lots of secret stuff going on behind the scenes. Stuff not ready for mortal eyes. When the time comes, you shall be summoned.

Space Bending Level Design

Hey, I'm James -- Lead programmer and secondary artist for ITW. As you may know, Into This World is a story about a woman named Drea digging through the planet to find her missing brother. For now, that's all you need to know. No spoilers for you!


Stay focused, because this post is about navigating your way through This World. (See what I did there?)

Different Styles of Map Making change how space is perceived. Bending space has never been so fun!

Here I have referred to them as Type A and Type B. How the rooms relate to each other doesn't really change gameplay, but greatly changes how the player will perceive their position in the 2D space. For example, both maps above represent the same exact environment. Notice the Orange room in Type A spans the length of 4 gird cells -- that's a room 4 screens long. In Type B, this room doesn't exist. Green Room A connects directly to Gray Room C, thus bypassing this space.

This is often seen in RPGs, in which entering a small house takes you to a room that is much larger on the inside than it appears on the outside. I call this the Wonderland Effect, and it can be seen in many games across time. Bending space like this allows for some trippy level design.

Into This World will be using this (Type B) style of level design to its fullest effect, which is different from conventional Metroidvania kinds of games. And if everything goes as planned, we'll be releasing a level editor to allow players to make their own challenge rooms. (Separate from the main story line)

So brush up on your relativistic physics, because this'll be a mind (and space) bending experience.

"Hey everyone! Bannon, here. Before my associate goes ahead and promises space bending experiences, please familiarize yourself with Heim's Theory of manipulating space. Here's a quick example... Ya know baryons and all...