RAD: A 2D Top-Down Roguelite
Course Instructor
Daniel Cliburn
Abstract
For my senior project, I decided to develop a 2D top-down roguelite, and called it RAD. For this project I have decided that Godot engine and GDScript would help me achieve my goal. My overall vision for RAD is to create a repayable experience that helps the player as they progress, while more experienced and skilled players would be able to beat the game without the need of the permanent account buffs. Each run the player will start in 1 of 5 rooms that are randomly chosen so that the game always feels different providing a new experience for the player every game, in these rooms there are spike traps, obstacles and an array of enemies that spawn. The player must clear out the floor boss before moving onto the next chamber. After 5 chambers they can move on to beat the game by defeating the final boss. I designed the combat to combine both ranged and melee combat, giving players flexibility in how they approach each enemy. While the parry system I implemented for melee might seem like it gives an edge over the ranged option, ranged comes with the ability of staying at a safe distance from those larger or faster foes. During a run, players will experience enemy drops, these drops are powerups that give the player a temporary boost to their experience, ranging from a bomb that kills all enemies, a heal, more damage, more experience, and a speed boost, this all encourages the player to adapt their strategies on the fly. Beyond an individual's run the RAD includes permanent buffs that will enhance the players experience, although it is possible to beat the game without these buffs, it's more for the casual player who just wants to enjoy the game without the need for countless hours of practice. These upgrades include more damage, health, or even more coins at the end of each run to get more upgrades. These permanent upgrades provide a sense of growth for the player leading to an addicting replay ability factor. Throughout my experience developing RAD, I have been applying my programming and game design knowledge to build a complete experience for players, while also learning how to balance the difficulty, player engagement, rewards, helping me grow both technically and creatively as I work toward becoming a game developer in the future.
RAD: A 2D Top-Down Roguelite
For my senior project, I decided to develop a 2D top-down roguelite, and called it RAD. For this project I have decided that Godot engine and GDScript would help me achieve my goal. My overall vision for RAD is to create a repayable experience that helps the player as they progress, while more experienced and skilled players would be able to beat the game without the need of the permanent account buffs. Each run the player will start in 1 of 5 rooms that are randomly chosen so that the game always feels different providing a new experience for the player every game, in these rooms there are spike traps, obstacles and an array of enemies that spawn. The player must clear out the floor boss before moving onto the next chamber. After 5 chambers they can move on to beat the game by defeating the final boss. I designed the combat to combine both ranged and melee combat, giving players flexibility in how they approach each enemy. While the parry system I implemented for melee might seem like it gives an edge over the ranged option, ranged comes with the ability of staying at a safe distance from those larger or faster foes. During a run, players will experience enemy drops, these drops are powerups that give the player a temporary boost to their experience, ranging from a bomb that kills all enemies, a heal, more damage, more experience, and a speed boost, this all encourages the player to adapt their strategies on the fly. Beyond an individual's run the RAD includes permanent buffs that will enhance the players experience, although it is possible to beat the game without these buffs, it's more for the casual player who just wants to enjoy the game without the need for countless hours of practice. These upgrades include more damage, health, or even more coins at the end of each run to get more upgrades. These permanent upgrades provide a sense of growth for the player leading to an addicting replay ability factor. Throughout my experience developing RAD, I have been applying my programming and game design knowledge to build a complete experience for players, while also learning how to balance the difficulty, player engagement, rewards, helping me grow both technically and creatively as I work toward becoming a game developer in the future.
