New screenshot of the next level that is being worked on:
This is in PC mode, with the fancy reflective surfaces and shiny lights.
This is what it looks like so far on mobile. I have to find a way to get those nice looking reflections back in.
Arcus will have three minigames, each focusing seperate aspects of the main game: Sword combat, archery, and movement. This ballroom minigame focuses on movement, and was initially going to be a stealth segment but it wasn’t very exciting as the movement mechanics were created to service the archery gameplay and don’t hold up on their own. Instead of scrapping the idea, I reworked the context to move the focus onto the narrative and off the gameplay.
The protagonist has been invited to a ball that has is being thrown in her honor for successfully defending the city. Since lives alone, she does not do well in crowds. I wanted to really convey the anxiety she feels when around large groups of people using camera tricks, animation, and audio.
That being said, the gameplay is still the same. The objective of the minigame is to simply navigate to the goal while avoiding groups of people. The goal is a peacefully quiet balcony, and the ‘enemies’ are simply patrons of the ball walking around and having a good time, instead of patrolling guards looking to capture you.
This minigame is really turning into something that might be engaging, but it is also starting to feel ‘David Cage-y’ (if that makes any sense at all), and might have a clash of priorities when slotted in between regular archery missions.
As you can see in the screenshots, a new outfit has been worked on, as well! The 'Noble ’ outfit is what will be unlocked after completing this minigame, and has already been fully integrated into the wardrobe system:
https://s27.postimg.org/5vqb6r7o3/ellenoblegif.gif
I also made a timelapse of the creation process, so you can look at it and cringe at my terrible workflow!