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Game Info:
Objectives:
  1. Create a game that simulates a minimalist desktop environment with the use of Unity's UI system.
  2. Create a random ship and crew generator that can be saved and reloaded.
  3. Create a responsive and intuitive desktop with various applications.
General Info:
  • Title: Intergalactic Network Engineer
  • Platfrom: PC
  • Genre: Puzzle, Simulation, Casual
  • Programming Language: C#
  • Development Time: ~2 month
  • Engine: Unity
  • 2D Assets: Inkscape, GIMP
  • UI: Inkscape, GIMP
Description:

    Intergalactic Network Engineer is a game that was designed to emulate a desktop environment in which the player is working as a Network Engineer for a company that goes by the name of Intergalactic Internet Service Provider (IISP). The game doesn't explicitly explain everything to the player, and instead lures the player into exploring things further. INE is a puzzle game that requires players to be observant of their environment, and strategic in how they tackle problems.


Post Mortem:
What Went Right:
  • The majority of the interfaces I added to the game turned out nicely, even with the limitations that Unity's UI can put in the way of more advanced UI development (that is for the version of Unity I used to develop this game).

  • The subtleties that I added to the game to present more of the universe's backstory turned out well.

  • The random generation of ships, crews, and ship IDs came together nicely, and felt realistic in how names were chosen, and how layouts and IDs were generated.
What Went Wrong:
  • The learning curve for the game became too steep. I added too much player freedom right from the start, which brought confusion to their experience.

  • The pacing of the puzzles in the game were too quick. I try to solve this with a pause button which definitely helped, but there were still some issues with pacing in the end.

  • There wasn't enough motivation for player to continue solving puzzles. A store was in the works to help with player motivation, but I had trouble implementing it in a meaningful way while still keeping the game within scope.
What I Learned:
  • I learned more about interface design, along with various techniques in achieving various effects with Unity's UI.

  • I learned ways to generate layouts of levels procedurally, and how to save those levels without using an overabundance of disk space.

  • I learned ways of implementing AI path finding in procedurally generated levels where tile states can rapidly change between walkable and inaccessible.