I’m currently taking an interface design class and would like some feedback on a few of my interface concepts that I’ve been working on. The concept is for a game to be created for Xbox so all controls would be mapped to that controller. These are just concepts at the moment as I am not currently working on this game yet. These are just ideas for how the interface might be designed. Any feedback and thoughts on this concept would be greatly appreciated.
The game takes place on a planet called Talla. On this planet there is a group of people known as Seekers who are hunted because the belief is, the use of their abilities will drain the life force of the planet, leaving it desolate and uninhabitable.
The player will have a menu option in the start menu for customizing what the two attack buttons ( X and Y) do. These are universal among all three character choices available in the game. The player will eventually be able to work up to dual wielding. So the left and right trigger buttons will control attacks with the left and right weapons respectively. Dual wielding does not necessarily mean the player will be using only two of the same weapon type. There will be instances where a one-handed melee weapon will be used with a one-handed ranged weapon. When using melee weapons, the left and right bumpers are to block with that hand. When using ranged weapons, the bumpers are to reload.
There will be three character choices when starting out in the game. The first of the choices would be to use a seeker. The seeker is a character that uses the life force of the planet, contained in Sheilan crystals, to locate a person, place, item, or feeling. These characters may also be part of the Carderone soldiers (palace guards) or the hunters. In this capacity they will be undercover, infiltrating the military to gain a better chance for their people to escape detection from the military. The main goal of the seeker is to locate the second in command of the seeker council, and keep them safe from detection and/or capture. Otherwise they will be able to take part in side missions in order to help others around the planet since each seeker’s ability is unique. They are mainly melee based, using weapons such as sticks, swords, knives, etc. as well as mental abilities such as telepathy and telekinesis. But that is not to say that they cannot use ranged weapons. Any character choice will be able to use any weapon if they train in that weapon.
The second choice would be to play a Carderone soldier. These are the people who guard the king. Seeing that the seekers are hunted, the instances of threats against the king’s life are a very real possibility since he’s the one who initiated the hunt for seekers. However, other missions besides thwarting possible threats against the life of the king will definitely be something that the player will take part in.
The final choice would be to play a hunter. These are the ones who go out and track the seekers. When one is located, they are to be brought back to the palace and questioned about the location of their leader before being executed.
The Carderone soldiers and the hunters, while both being members of the planetary military group of characters will have some differences. The Carderone soldiers will be dressed in something resembling SWAT gear and will be trained extensively in ranged weapons, close quarters hand-to-hand combat skills, and interrogation tactics. The hunters on the other hand, will be dressed in tactical gear appropriate for tracking. They will be trained in ranged weapon and hand-to-hand combat as well, but their most prominent training will be in tracking, locating, and capturing seekers.
Another concept that I thought would be useful in this game design would be the idea of proficiency points. The proficiency points will be given for the amount of time the player uses an item. The longer the player uses a weapon, the more proficient they become with that weapon type and that specific weapon. If the player loses that weapon they still have proficiency with that weapon type, but when they gain a new one of the same type, they have to get a feel for that specific weapon again. For example, if a player mainly uses a two-handed sword, they will have proficiency with two-handed, bladed weapons, but will also gain proficiency with that specific weapon. If they lose their sword, they still have proficiency with two-handed, bladed weapons, but must gain back some of the proficiency with the new weapon.
These are a few of the concepts that I’ve come up with for the game design I had in mind. Again, any feedback, preferably positive, would be greatly appreciated.
