[Prototype] Battle Arena Drones a.k.a. BAD

edited in Projects
This post has been changed to keep up with the project as it moves forward.

Project History
We built an early prototype for Battle Arena Drones in a few evenings. We then messed around with it for a while. We have decided to push forward with this title as we were enjoying playing the prototype and feel it has potential.

About http://battlearenadrones.com
Battle Arena Drones is a future sport where you pilot Drones remotely in arenas as a sport. The game is very heavily inspired by the Decent II PvP with a few twists.

Video


Become a Tester
We running an extended early beta test program with South African's that are interested in the game. If you want to be part of the test program please email info@celestial-games.com

Some features still to come.
  • Unlock-able drones each with a different power and game play style.
  • Customization of weapons, shields, generators and engines.
  • Customization of the Colours and Decals on each drone.
  • Team play modes.
  • Bots.
Screens
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Comments

  • Tuesday night as a distraction
    Now you're just showing off aren't you?
  • Now you're just showing off aren't you?
    Perhaps a little :p

    Well to be fair its a game I have planned for years and all the art was pre-built so not that much work. :). Oh and Unity multilayer is really easy although there was one silly bug that wasted a day.

  • Oh by the way its probably easier to test if you rope a friend into it.
  • @tbulford - definetely need a 2nd player to properly test. Had a weird bug, where my mouse aim would stop responding after I straifed left or right with "A" and "D". Restarted a match and it was fixed. Restarted again, and the bug returned. Is it something I am doing wrong. Also, do you have the missiles from the start? Right click did nada for me?
  • If the mouse aim "stopped responding" it's possible that your mouse pointer went off the game and you clicked. It's the usual mouse not locking to the game thing... Maybe.
  • @FanieG the mouse not responding sounds bad. Might be that it moved off screen will look into locking it when in game so that cant happen. You don't start off with any missiles they spawn around the level.
  • edited
    :( ok we have found a bug with network games although its done over the internet it wont hook up unless you on the same lan looking into it now.

    *EDIT* The issue is one with Unity's multiplayer API. The thread is here http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/81847-Receiving-NAT-punchthrough-attempt-from we looking at replacing it with uLink.
  • The multi player component has been stripped out and replaced with a new one. uLink. Server running behind an ADSL line so not perfect but will move it someplace a little better latter. At the same download link.
  • If there's one game I'd love to see an update of, it's Descent, and this reminds me of that game in spades. I didn't get a chance to play this in MP, but I like where it's going in terms of controls, handling, etc.

    Just one thing - I ran it windowed, and my cursor kept drifting out the window, just like with Tuism. Easy enough to lock in Unity, fortunately. :D
  • Gazza_N said:
    If there's one game I'd love to see an update of, it's Descent, and this reminds me of that game in spades. I didn't get a chance to play this in MP, but I like where it's going in terms of controls, handling, etc.
    Thanks its very much Decent inspired. We do want to take the game play further then the original but without a doubt it is the nostalgia of Decent 2 that has kept this game alive in my head for years. We played it fanatically at Celestial when it came out.
    Gazza_N said:

    Just one thing - I ran it windowed, and my cursor kept drifting out the window, just like with Tuism. Easy enough to lock in Unity, fortunately. :D
    Yes its an even worse issue when running it in the editor. That change is already in 0.0.4.
  • We have release a new build 0.0.5 the top entry has been updated.
  • Hey man - get your own prototype art! :-P

    Any chance of making an offline option - I tried to play it, but was blocked on my network (work).

    Cheers.
  • Hmm will get our own art this is fine for now :p honestly really quite happy to prototype with asset server stuff. That said there is movement on the drones front. Planning to build our own drones first then levels. Design session tomorrow night on how the drones are assembled and what players can choose and configure. Levels will take a bit longer since they more effort and we really need themes and moods to be right.

    Was thinking of putting a training driod option into the multiplayer so even with one player you would be able to experience the game. But now I realise the issue is bigger. Will need a full training mode without multiplayer. Ai for this is going to be really interesting to write.

    If you keen to give the multiplayer a spin just let me know. Nick and I will be playing tomorrow eve we can arrange a time.
  • @tbulford: I was just joking because I used the same package in steel echoes, and having looked at it for countless hours it just jumped out at me :-)

    can't you add a build just to fly around in without Ai and multiplayer - I'd love to check it out.
  • farsicon said:
    @tbulford: can't you add a build just to fly around in without Ai and multiplayer - I'd love to check it out.
    My todo list now has this

    [ ] Single player mode.
    [ ] Training drones.

    Of course short of blowing yourself up a LOT there is little to do there. Would be best to get something in there trying to kill you.
  • We have release a new build 0.0.6 the top entry has been updated.

    @farsicon no single player modes yet sorry, decals took most of Saturday.
  • edited
    Decals?? Stop arting when you're supposed to be prototyping :P It *already* looks good :)
  • Tuism said:
    Decals?? Stop arting when you're supposed to be prototyping :P It *already* looks good :)
    Thanks, decals engine determines some of the technical implementation stuff for latter 3D work, so I wanted to cover that ground. Guess its technical prototyping.
  • Been a while since we posted about this project. We have been toying with a few concepts and had a video put together for the one.

    There is a short blog here and the concept we toying with also the first change to see out new logo build for Celestial.

    http://blog.celestial-games.com/2014/05/bad-battle-arena-drones-concept-video.html#gpluscomments

    and a concept video here


  • Clicked on your link and:
    Sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist.
    Thanked by 1tbulford
  • Tuism said:
    Clicked on your link and:
    Sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist.
    Thanks thats fixed now :)


  • @tbulford: I get what you guys are going for and some of what I heard was pretty funny, but I just couldn't watch the whole video with those accents... Too cringe-inducing. Sorry! Maybe if it was more obvious who was talking and when (three announcers was pretty overwhelming, there's a reason most broadcast commentary is done with 2 commentators who have distinct voices) it might have been easier to follow.

    Also, looking at the BAD gameplay, I'm feeling like your whole 6 degrees of freedom movement stuff isn't being used very much. Like, why would you flip the drones into a non-intuitive map orientation ever? In X-wing vs Tie Fighter it made a ton of sense to rotate a Tie so that you'd only ever be "turning" by using pitch controls, that way your profile was always an H shape instead of turning into an easier-to-hit O as you turned. Or if your maps were more 3D oriented, you'd have reasons to flip around and come at stuff from confusing/different angles of attack - the map in the demo video has 1 primary axis, so you're going to want to maximise how much of that is on your monitor at all times, meaning it turns into a "horizontal" level. And finally, the controls don't offer much in terms of incentive to do neat maneuvers - maybe if specific power shots or effects were enabled by pulling off neat moves, you'd have some neat emergent gameplay... If spinning a full 2 rotations around your roll axis enabled a rail shot, then you'd have people spinning like crazy AND trying to make accurately targeted shots while rolling (that's hard! and fun!) - if the same move in a different ship activated a shield while rolling, then players would be trying to get away from enemies through a crazily spinning level, again: fun (extra fun if the spin shield enabled ramming!). Or moving backwards could activate a shield, or charge a big forward boost, or charge up a special explosive bomb shot and when you stopped moving backwards it exploded?

    Use the 3D. Don't just make a stand and bang deathmatch with extra controls nobody uses.
    Thanked by 1tbulford
  • dislekcia said:
    @tbulford: I get what you guys are going for and some of what I heard was pretty funny, but I just couldn't watch the whole video with those accents... Too cringe-inducing. Sorry! Maybe if it was more obvious who was talking and when (three announcers was pretty overwhelming, there's a reason most broadcast commentary is done with 2 commentators who have distinct voices) it might have been easier to follow.
    Yip that's all in line with some of the things we planning to change. The South African ascent does make South Africans cringe. I am not confidant how its accepted internationally but I dont plan to use one either way.2 presenters for sure. The point about very distinct voices is something I hadn't added to the list yet.
    dislekcia said:

    Also, looking at the BAD gameplay, I'm feeling like your whole 6 degrees of freedom movement stuff isn't being used very much........
    The current map was bought as is the game-play is still from my 2 day prototype so the levels were as they were. However you spot on with this criticism. We have a few levels plans including some that shift and rotate. Moving gravity center where objects will fall from the "floor" to the new floor. Twisting turning gates that you have to match orientation on of get jammed. They fact its a "sport" really opens us up to building anything we think is fun and not having to put it into a real world scenario.
    dislekcia said:
    Use the 3D. Don't just make a stand and bang deathmatch with extra controls nobody uses.
    *thumbs up*

    Also to comment on a previous issue you raised, we planning a some single player modes, mostly "training" drills to give players something to experience with or without a multilayer game on the go. Well not just something to do but a solo game show experience like the full multiplayer. With just them running a gauntlet.

    Thanks for the feedback.
  • Yeah I had the same kind of comments when I first spoke with Travis, the 3Dness isn't really being exploited here. Descent had these moments when opponents dropped from above like BATMAN and that was pant shanting, and that was facilitated by the level design.

    Speaking of playing with gravity, who remembers Blast Chamber? I LOVED that game. Some of the best use of gravity in a game. I think there's some inspiration that can be drawn from there :)

  • **cringes at voice overs**
  • Fengol said:
    **cringes at voice overs**
    But what specifically if you can identify it.
    Thanked by 1dislekcia
  • We updating the post with the new game shots and video.
  • Man this looks great! I can see the Descent 2 influence - love it. Those splosions are amazing too :)
  • Thanks @konman we still got a long way to go but the encouragement always helps.
  • So with BADSunday #6 about to start lets break down a few of the changes.

    We have added the WASP in all its unbalanced glory. Stealth versus Missiles.

    image

    Additionally you can now select between a few of the starting weapons. These don't persist on your account so you will have to make those changes each time you play.

    Credits!! So you are currently earning credits at 100 per kill. This will be adjusting latter but for now enjoy. The WASP costs 10000 credits but is at a 90% discount so 10 kills will unlock it on your account forever.

    There are a few other balancing and gameplay tweaks.

    For more details take a look at the trello board at https://trello.com/b/Bd3Jd5eI/battle-arena-drones

    We look forward to seeing some of you online.
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  • Been some time since we commented about BAD. I was unsure if we could overcome one of the issue we picked up testing the game last year at rAge so up until late this year we were not sure if we would pursue the project to completion.

    The issue we were struggling with was player burnout. People enjoyed playing but became tiered and after stopping were less motivated to return (there are other elements to this issue but for now just talking about the burnout). Even myself thought of the BAD Sundays as a chore sometimes. Knowing how tiered I would be after playing for just 2 hours.

    Leaving the game like that would be unacceptable but at the time is was not absolutely clear what to change to make the difference.

    After some research and some good advice from @EvanGreenwood regarding how the brain processes pleasure. We made some changes and tested them this year. The results are good and we happy to proceed with the game now. Still many hurdles to overcome especially being a multiplayer game.

    Primarily the changes at a high level are as follows.
    • Added ammunition in categories that need to be collected and managed.
    • Moved the ability to place mines from being one of the drones skills to a general pickup.
    • Removed the load out between deaths and replaced it with picking the drone only.
    • Weapon types are now collected in game and from dead players (Only the set they had equipped).
    • Swapping weapons in game between the ones you have collected.
    • Extended the differences between the drone models.
    We also added a new Drone and have the concept artwork for the next 5 designed and ready to start producing early next year.

    We have started replacing all the art assets placeholders with proper to spec assets now. We are aiming for a retro style almost like a futuristic play on 50's science fiction.

    Some concept work from Paul
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    Some of the parts in progress from Geoff
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