BOOTY BANDIT
(October – November 2008)
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THE GAME
BOOTY BANDIT is a 3D casual-action-game where the player must skillfully pilot a cannonball past obstacles, collect bonus points and score multipliers. The core gameplay dynamic lies in balancing your speed against the planet’s gravity. It is possible to stay aloft for extended periods by using unconventional trajectory paths. It’s not as easy as it sounds!
The game was created using the Java Monkey game engine in four weeks by a team of eight people including myself.
Check out the development blog at the official site…
SCREENSHOTS:
MY ROLE AND LESSONS LEARNED
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GAMEPLAY FOOTAGE
MY ROLE AND LESSONS LEARNED
On this project I was responsible for translating the concept artists’ designs into 3D and importing the various models successfully into the Java Monkey engine. This involved experimenting with a variety of different 3D model formats. Since the engine was quite limited in terms of graphical capability, my task was to find a quick and inexpensive solution to importing potentially hundreds of objects while allowing a fluid framerate for gameplay. Also, I investigated different ways of making the planet look attractive and fun, the most effective of which was implementing the cloud-layer above the planet’s atmosphere. Once all the models were correctly textured and in the 3D game-world, Dave and Luke (the game and level designers) could work on arranging them in a way that would afford a challenging and interesting game experience.
This was the first time I worked closely with programmers on a game and I quickly learned that maintaining clear and frequent communication with them was crucial. I discovered firsthand a taste of the complexity involved in creating a 3D game.
C R E D I T S
(in alphabetical order)
Brian Ford
Fouad Hafiz
Luke Johnson
Christine Jung
Liam Kelly
David Marhal
Ken Pratt
May Tang