Interactive Prototype #2

This prototype has been designed as an extension of my original Interactive Prototype. This new prototype builds on the original game and adds a new method of controlling the Pacmen. When designing the controller I tried to think of something fun but also functional. I also knew I wanted it to be simple, as anything too complex would simply be too difficult to use. My original design was supposed to include pads for your feet. These would be used to propel the player forward. After building an early prototype of this though, I quickly realised that this was not going to work well. I found that when running on the spot really fast it was not unusual to have at least one foot on the ground at all times. Since the game was predicated on the necessity of alternating steps, this simply couldn't work.

After the failure of this setup, I thought about changing the foot setup to something like bicycle pedals, but couldn't think of a sturdy way to try this out. In the end I opted to remove the foot propulsion system entirely and I think it's made the game a lot more playable. Now the players are propelled forward by a fast timer and they merely have to control the turns. I was at first worried that it would make the game too easy to play. After several minutes of playing though it became clear that would not be the case. Because the players are moving quickly and there is only a very narrow window to turn left or right, timing is everything and it's very easy to get wrong, thus slowing you down.

In the end, I'm actually really glad the foot propulsion system didn't work out because the final design works really well and makes the game a lot more fun. Strategy becomes more important and because it's a multiplayer game, the game gets pretty intense. It's a good thing the setup can take a beating because it certainly cops some abuse when players miss a turn haha!