Star Wars Victory is a starship combat game that I led in several areas, giving us a chance to prototype, experiment, and have fun. We built a successful visual prototype, then began the foundation for what would have been its full run had it gone into production. We produced an innovative and fun experience along with an unique visual style in a very short time frame, and fun doing it!
Star Ship Dice Prototype
Visual Prototype
I really sunk my teeth into producing this rendered prototype. I brought the team together to collaborate what this new game could be, ultimately writing the script along with design, developing the art direction, working out the production schedule, and making the entire video hands on. I wanted the experience to be like an emotional roller coaster, where the player felt an intense range - the initial high, a crushing blow, then the 'hail mary' come from behind with a perfect roll to deliver a stunning VICTORY!
Interactive Dice Rolling Prototype
Playable Prototype
I led the development of the dice rolling prototype, working with an engineer to build the types of physics and controls needed, then with the UI artist to craft the user experience. The dice can be tilted, faces selected, picked up, and thrown at varying speeds. The VFX simulate a force field that the dice sit upon and bounce off from, as if one was playing a dice game in a Star Wars bar.
Combat Resolution Teaser
Combat Turns
We wanted the ability to have close up action, so we experimented with ways to make combat resolution exciting without disorienting players on mobile devices. Through simple animatics, we discovered that keeping the camera locked to one major element with minimal camera movement would work well. This was a fun render to get the team excited, with all the new stylized VFX mixed in as well.
VFX
Shields and Trails
Explosions
VFX Bombing Run
VFX Concepts
I wanted a very rich, although simplified set of combat VFX that would break the bounds of looking simple yet read well on device, even in quick instances. I worked with the VFX artist to nuance the dimensionality, timing, and color for an arresting take on the usual Star Wars effects.
Development Work
A sampling of the art bibles and concept art development behind the work. While the prototype had a lot of work left in front of it, the foundation was strong and clear, and our iteration process yielded improvements end over end.