Class-based upgrade systems
Project: MythForce
Engine: Unreal Editor 4
Feature: Player Abilities
For each of our twelve abilities, I designed and reached approval on three additional upgrades. These varied in scope, with the original intention that each upgrade must add a differentiator on the ability that is visible to players.
As we adjusted the scope and combat design constraints, I sought input from designers and programmers to realized shared goals in replacing the original set of 36 abilities.
Eventually, we reduced scope to implementing 24/36, and then 12/36, for Early Access Launch. However, we had 24 ready for a patch later in Spring thanks to our strategic design choices.
I scripted the front-end and participated in the UI design process for the initially shipped Loadout menu that allows selecting Ability Upgrades in Blueprint (background image, does not reflect current state). This included adding dynamic text that read attributes from the ability upgrade being referenced. When the player selected options from their Loadout, these dynamic texts fields provided marked up statistical and contextual information to help them make decisions. Our UI design also describes the upgrade cost of each ability, which is a later in Early Access feature; altered when the Constellation system was introduced.
