DDoS - Deep Dive

Topics Covered

Concept development
Building of game world and vision
Developing an aesthetic

Project Goals

Refine my level design skills
Gain proficiency working with the Unreal 5 engine

Concept Development

Building of Game World

Upgrading the Base

Mining bases would start out as basic facilities with only a few essential buildings, but would have the capacity to be expanded upon as the player grew in wealth and ambition. Such buildings could include mining infrastructure, crew quarters, power-generation facilities and so on, to allow the player to maintain their growing economy and upkeep.

Map Expansion

Instead of players only having one base each, they could eventually expand their operations to other areas of the moon. Each tile would have 5 variable qualities - making each one unique in terms of its usefulness. Players will need to invest time and resources into survey equipment in order to find the most viable mining sites, before actually setting them up.

Game Vision

Developing an Aesthetic

Moon Mine's aesthetic is gritty and minimalistic. The UI is diegetic, with the entire game taking place through the view of an administrative computer screen covered with tabs which display the controllable aspects of the players' mines. This interface, being purpose-built for the mining sites, makes no attempt to look ergonomic or 'pretty', instead taking a barebones approach where functionality is the only concern.

Comprehensive Economy

Other ways to generate income were considered based on the inclusion of a hypothetical power upkeep system. Players who specialise in power generation instead of mining, for example, could make their money by selling excess power to another player. 'Prospect Moon' could be a more fitting title if the game's economy were to expand beyond just mining.