After starting out last Saturday, at the game jam, with only the basic concept of music ("tracks") on a mixtape driving movement and visuals and emotion, this week we were able to figure out which direction we wanted to move in.

The environmental progression (where the character moves from the underground, through the streets, and to the rooftops) and character concepts were developed before the pitch, since we already knew the kind of style we wanted (borrowing inspiration from Splatoon and Jet Set Radio).

Another point that was brought up in feedback we received was that it might be challenging designing around direct player control over which track is playing. We're opting to keep control in the hands of the player, which helps reify that the music is diegetic and has direct influence over the game world. We considered 2 other options: levels having set tracks or tracks are chosen at the start of a level and levels are designed to be retraversable in the 3 different ways. The former option weakened the link between the music and the world, while the latter raised concerns of retraversal feeling repetitive and redundant design. In keeping this option, we decided we would need to design levels in terms of configurations of set pieces, where particular sections would have to be consciously designed to be traversible by a specific track or versatile in how the player wants to approach it and be mindful to clearly signpost if and which tracks/abilities were expected.

Early in design, we were waffling between whether it would be a fully 3-D Metroidvania (which are rare -- I can only think of the Metroid Prime series) or 2.5-D, where movement is primarily 2-D. The feedback we received warned us about the dangerously large scope a Metroidvania can entail, so we settled on 2.5-D to help us restrain the scope. Tight level design will also be important to consider, not just from a scope issue, but also to mesh with the flow of movement and music.

In developing the theming of the tracks, we based it around emotions as a convenient explanation and guideline for how the music would affect the world and player; however, we were facing some difficulty in getting the right vibe that communicated the emotion while also making you want to bob along to the beat. At the pitch, we received some feedback that confirmed the emotions we were starting out with didn't vibe well with our concept of movement and that the spectrum we mapped out could use more tweaking. We took it to heart and are trying to map out an emotional spectrum that makes more sense, while also meshing with the movement and emotional progression of the character. Failing that, we can also change the theming of the tracks and their progression around some other aspect of the character's development or something completely different.

All being said, it's still early in development, so our priority for the next 1-2 weeks will be making sure base movement feels good and plays nice with the switching mechanic, while also working on some base tracks, models, and levels.

I believe in us, but wish us luck anyway!
- Lia Cooke