F-Gravity was created for a tactical combat board game assignment. After being asked to clarify how F-Gravity met the genre requirements, I conducted a game analysis to prove F-Gravity was indeed a tactical combat game.
Introduction
When designing F-Gravity, I thought to create a small scale battle utilizing unconventional means of combat believing it would be one way of meeting the assignment's requirements. I opted to design a game that was simple in terms of having to calculate stats and dice rolls.
Features
In pursuit of a simple design, I designed a 1v1 scenario where small scale actions would be coupled with a larger purpose through the passage of turns and simulation.
- Players were given high movement rates (2 spaces was relatively high on a 8x4 board) to encourage traversal around the map.
- Players were also given multiple abilities (move, flip, portal) for which they had a limited amount of resources to use for (2 actions) to force tactical decisions. Both the movement rate and choice in abilities were intentionally designed/iterated upon to match the features that define tactical combat games
Unconventional Attack Methods
The mechanics utilized for attacking in F-Gravity are most likely the source of ambiguity when it comes to deciding whether the game is a tactical combat game or not. "Crates" in the game do not easily fit into any role found in a traditional tactical combat game. "Crates" serve the purpose of adding a layer to the level's architecture, impeding and redirecting player paths; but at the same time "Crates" also serve as a controllable force / long range weapon that can be shared by both players.
Through the use of a small action (portal, gravity flip), players cause a crate to move which will potentially eliminate the other player in future turns. I saw this as a way of causing players to weigh the value of the spaces they move to and/or the actions they take, which helps define F-Gravity as a tactical combat game.
Playtesting
From playtesting, it was clear that players were making tactical decisions every turn. Without thinking several steps ahead with each move, players would be easily defeated.
Playtesting also showed that iterations had to be made to the layout of the map.
Previous versions of the map featured many narrow passage ways, which gave player's fewer possibilities for tactical decisions to be made. After iterations, more of the board space was utilized, allowing more freedom of movement and also more opportunities for attack.
Conclusion
F-Gravity's primary gameplay is based on tactical decisions. The gameplay leaves little room for error and allows players to reap a victory for analyzing the field and employing the right tactics. And although obscured, "Crates" do act as a player's forces/weapons which further places F-Gravity in the tactical combat genre.