Pokémon Zeta Emerald is a work-in-progress GBA mod, or rom hack, for Pokémon Emerald utilising the pret decompilation and RHH-Expansion code-bases. The project takes heavy inspiration from bethesda's open world approach, with a core focus on player agency and exploration. For example, Field Moves have been reworked into passive mechanics, as opposed to traditional lock and keys. Previously, players must obtain the HM item and respective gym badge to unlock field moves. Field Moves have been moved to a simple bit flag system, which allows a large variety of moves to share the same field effect, or individual moves to have multiple field effects. This caters to a greater freedom of playstyles, and adds an aditional layer of cost-benefit to move management. Additional field effects have been ported or implemented to increase the number of ways players can interact and traverse the world. This aims to give every player a slightly different experience depending on their chosen party. The world itself has been completely reworked to support this, including a large number of new maps, and a total art overhaul. A resource collecting system (and a crafting system in progress) has been added to incentivise interaction with the world. Field moves will also yield resources, further encouraging players to utilise their pokemon in the world. Since the game utilises dynamic level scaling, I plan to rework the obedience into a primary mechanic by tying it to friendship. Generally, friendship naturally scales with level through general gameplay, but this creates more incentive to bond with pokemon over endless battling. Field moves will again increase friendship, creates an even greater incentive for exploration and interaction. The end goal here being to increase the player's attachment to their pokemon, which should hopefully lead to a more emotive gameplay experience.
Inspired by the Lego Marvel video games, I created a community level that functions like a sandbox game. The level contains a hugely explorable New York City hub which, across the sea, also leads to the Atlantis and Savage Lands hubs. Also explorable is an expansive Nevada Desert Hub. I created everything you see in this trailer single handed - from the player skins (costumes), combat system, enemies, menus, environment and mechanics using basic materials and logic tools provided in the core game. The only content I did not create were a handful of costume and gun decals and the telekinesis mechanic which were all sourced from the community. The level features 90 playable characters (many with alternative forms), 7 enemy types (currently) and 2 player compatiability.
Inspired by the Lego Marvel video games, I created a community level that functions like a sandbox game. The level contains a hugely explorable New York City hub which, across the sea, also leads to the Atlantis and Savage Lands hubs. Also explorable is an expansive Nevada Desert Hub. I created everything you see in this trailer single handed - from the player skins (costumes), combat system, enemies, menus, environment and mechanics using basic materials and logic tools provided in the core game. The only content I did not create were a handful of costume and gun decals and the telekinesis mechanic which were all sourced from the community. The level features 90 playable characters (many with alternative forms), 7 enemy types (currently) and 2 player compatiability.
*Gameplay video and icons tentative
The UX system for Clairvoyant draws heavily on the games The Elder Scrolls VI: Skyrim (Betehsda Studios, 2011) and The Last of Us (Naughty Dog, 2013). The focus of the UX is to use diegetic elements wherever possible to avoid taking the player out of the game. The radial system was inspired by DC Universe Online (Daybreak Game Company, 2011) and allows swift navigation to specific menus. Like in The Last of Us, the game does not pause when browsing the inventory but will effectively pause when browsing the settings and powers menu. Whilst it wasn't possible to show in the demonstration, the character would have a compass fashioned to their wrist which would then be brought up to the player's view when the radial menu is opened. In first person, the radial menu helps to frame the compass whilst in third person, the compass is simply displayed in the HUD at the top of the screen. This system allows the player to move freely whilst the radial menu is open so that the compass can be accessed at will.
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This UX is designed to integrate with the game's mechanics, gameplay and animations. This can be seen in the player's limitted inventory space as well as the lack of health displays. Health would ideally be shown through diegetic animations as opposed to an external HUD element.