Emergent Systems

Summary

This prototype is largely inspired by Breath of the Wild.
I wanted to build an emergent system that would allow more organic behaviour in the effects of the world, and combining it with other mechanics to create puzzles. It is still in development.

Role: Game Designer & Product Owner
Date: May - June 2020
Time:  7 Weeks
Team Size:  10 People (2 Designers)

Genre : Action Adventure
Engine:  Unity
Version Control:  Perforce
Code Language:  C#

  • Engine
    Unreal 4

  • "Code Language"
    Blueprints

Implemented Elements

Blueprint Scripting
Character Movement
Weapon Effects
Material Graphs
Environmental Effects
Character Animations

Features

Pots

Pots are currently the only means of accessing the components you need to make use of the adaptive systems in this prototype. They can contain either oil or water, depending on the pot type, and when thrown or shot, break and spill their contents on the spot where the pot was broken.

Breaking an empty pot

Bow

To accompany the pots, and to make use of them, the prototype features a bow with elemental effects, such as fire and electricity. Fire arrows set fire to flammable objects, and the electricity arrows cause a surge of electricity to run through whatever medium can carry it.

Breaking an oil pot
Breaking a water pot

Spreading

The systems in this prototype are made to be able to spread if they are in contact with another medium that can carry the same effect.

Fire spreading across oil patches
Breaking and empty pot

Activators

To make use of the electrical current running through water, there are triggers that respond to the state of the water. When there is a current, they are activated, and when there isn't, they deactivate. There is also support for an object requiring two triggers to activate.

Single activator
Double activator

Burning obstacles

The oil from the pots are a child blueprint of a superclass called Burnable, which can be applied to any number of objects, currently there are oil puddles, vines and stacks of wooden boxes. The wooden boxes are obstacles that the player needs to burn to pass.

Obstacles burning

Destructible obstacles

Some obstacles are made of materials that aren't flammable, and for those you need something more... explosive. To fit that need, the prototype also features bombs, that blow up any object that is destructible.

Bomb blowing up rock

Variable materials

An unlockable ability was meant to be a gem that creates a field around it which can change the material of a nearby object, either altering its appearance, or revealing a hidden object.

Material Change
Material Reveal