Developing a game prototype: A online battle arena game

Abstract

Battle arena is a cooperative team based online battle game for the PC. This thesis will look at the design process that went into creating a prototype for a new fighting system. Early design decisions on key game play elements will be discussed, as well as the influence those decisions will have on the remainder of the production process. This thesis will examine some of the design problems posed by these decisions, as well as how those challenges were addressed. In an multiplayer game, the majority of the design difficulties covered in this thesis focus around communicating game mechanics and essential game play information to the user. Furthermore, the benefits and drawbacks of iterative design in games will be explored, as well as the types of conflicts that might develop when different game ideas are merged into one. Finally, this thesis will describe the prototype development process, including play testing and iteration.