I've rather enjoyed a lot of aspects of working on mobile titles, but one thing about the platform that I do find frustrating is the rather ephemeral nature of game releases.
I've spoken a great deal about unreleased prototypes from my time at Phyken Media, but I never actually discussed the grander projects involving Wizards, since they were available to see on the various app stores when last I wrote.
While the mists of mobile gaming history may have enshrouded these martial mystics, their Youtube channel can yet be scried out, so let's take a look back.
I've spoken a great deal about unreleased prototypes from my time at Phyken Media, but I never actually discussed the grander projects involving Wizards, since they were available to see on the various app stores when last I wrote.
While the mists of mobile gaming history may have enshrouded these martial mystics, their Youtube channel can yet be scried out, so let's take a look back.
Here's a look back at what was intended as the first chapter in a grand tale of martial magecraft. We can see the levels from fairly early in development and their progress towards the final release.
When I'm able, I always like to get the gameplay on-screen and working with whatever is on hand so that we can begin iterating on the look and feel to make it as fun and engaging as possible.
However, even these early glimpses are not the first iteration of this title.
When I'm able, I always like to get the gameplay on-screen and working with whatever is on hand so that we can begin iterating on the look and feel to make it as fun and engaging as possible.
However, even these early glimpses are not the first iteration of this title.
The Mystery of Chapter Zero
Wizard Ops was born from a number of FIEA Alumni engaging in an idea-mapping exercise, which determined that there were a number of quirky connections between the idea of being a Wizard and being an armed Commando.
Mainly, the idea that both were ostensibly practitioners of well-guarded secret techniques, but also both were most likely to be portrayed in fiction as a lone man standing in the midst of a series of massive explosions.
This lead to the development of a prototype that I will call "Chapter Zero" in which the user controlled all four wizards in a side-scrolling mission.
The gameplay was a mix of turn-based and real-time action. It handled sort of like the Worms series mixed with the ever-popular Angry Birds, in which you would activate a character and have a limited degree of movement on a side-scrolling stage, at the end of which you would use one of your spells, causing all sorts of physics-driven mayhem.
The idea was that the Wizards would be charged with all sorts of fantasy-flavored tactical operations, like rescuing npcs or toppling castles, and the player would have to get creative with burning, freezing, and smashing the environment in order to accomplish them.
However, I struggled with optimizing the physics, and level designs proved difficult for the team to consistently envision. We needed an idea where we could prove the core gameplay was fun before venturing any further on this quest . . .
Mainly, the idea that both were ostensibly practitioners of well-guarded secret techniques, but also both were most likely to be portrayed in fiction as a lone man standing in the midst of a series of massive explosions.
This lead to the development of a prototype that I will call "Chapter Zero" in which the user controlled all four wizards in a side-scrolling mission.
The gameplay was a mix of turn-based and real-time action. It handled sort of like the Worms series mixed with the ever-popular Angry Birds, in which you would activate a character and have a limited degree of movement on a side-scrolling stage, at the end of which you would use one of your spells, causing all sorts of physics-driven mayhem.
The idea was that the Wizards would be charged with all sorts of fantasy-flavored tactical operations, like rescuing npcs or toppling castles, and the player would have to get creative with burning, freezing, and smashing the environment in order to accomplish them.
However, I struggled with optimizing the physics, and level designs proved difficult for the team to consistently envision. We needed an idea where we could prove the core gameplay was fun before venturing any further on this quest . . .
Pursuing the Core
For my part in this mechanical exploration, I turned to a wide variety of classic arcade games looking for ideas.
With the idea of whimsical special operations already on my mind, I looked back to one of the more obscure Konami four-man licensed arcade titles, one that tapped into some of my oldest childhood memories of imaginary military operations . . .
With the idea of whimsical special operations already on my mind, I looked back to one of the more obscure Konami four-man licensed arcade titles, one that tapped into some of my oldest childhood memories of imaginary military operations . . .
I had seen more traditional vertical and horizontal-scrolling shooters translated to the mobile platforms with ease with games like the Unity-driven Air Attack and a variety of ports of classic Cave shooters. However, I had yet to see a title take advantage of the 3D engine for this sort of behind-the-back shoot-em-up approach.
However, it still could be controlled simply by touching and moving in four directions, so as long as the player had enough screen space to see around their finger, it could work.
Since it's a simple matter to give a Wizard the ability to fly, it would be possible for some stages to follow the Konami G.I. Joe pattern of having a character move left and right and move a reticle vertically, while other stages could allow for more freedom of movement, similar to a title like Space Harrier.
Days later I had our Wizard marching forward and firing placeholder bullets, and it didn't take long to see that there was a fun core idea there.
However, when I looked back to another Konami commando for inspiration, and tried putting in a Contra-style 5-way spread gun, I quickly discovered that optimizing for low-end mobile devices would be its' own arduous quest . . .
. . . but then I learned about object pooling, so thankfully the 3 and 5-way fireball spread wands did make it into the final game.
However, it still could be controlled simply by touching and moving in four directions, so as long as the player had enough screen space to see around their finger, it could work.
Since it's a simple matter to give a Wizard the ability to fly, it would be possible for some stages to follow the Konami G.I. Joe pattern of having a character move left and right and move a reticle vertically, while other stages could allow for more freedom of movement, similar to a title like Space Harrier.
Days later I had our Wizard marching forward and firing placeholder bullets, and it didn't take long to see that there was a fun core idea there.
However, when I looked back to another Konami commando for inspiration, and tried putting in a Contra-style 5-way spread gun, I quickly discovered that optimizing for low-end mobile devices would be its' own arduous quest . . .
. . . but then I learned about object pooling, so thankfully the 3 and 5-way fireball spread wands did make it into the final game.
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