Jordan Brown - Game Design Documentation Samples
Bell Pilot Stat Progression - Poetry
Bell Pilot Stat Progression - Leadership
NPC Pilot Stat Progression - Training
Mech Stats Progression - Mech Upgrades
Unlocking Pilot Abilities - Action Mastery
In HoF, the focus of mechanical progression is twofold: to give players feedback that their actions in and outside of combat have tangible repercussions within the game world and on their overall experience and to provide an element of temporal dimensionality to combat in which players can develop their skill and strategies as they gain experience.
For the first function, mechanical progression occurs before and after combat through Mech Upgrades and Pilot Training that players can purchase using Currency and Recruitment Points and outside combat through Poetry word selections and the NPCs the player chooses during Downtime Phases. Furthermore, to ensure that players are aware that their actions carry weight through tangible consequences, Blind (stat changes not shown to the player) and Visible (changes shown to the player) stat changes should be evident to players; when a Pilot’s or Mech’s stats change, the change should be apparent through gameplay.
For the second function, as players play through the game while progressing the narrative and gaining experience and skill, their Pilot and Mech stats slowly change, and their Mechs gain new abilities per their actions. Gradual changes in stats and available Abilities, especially Visible changes purchased with Currency and Recruitment Points, allow players to customize their experience to their desires and needs over time while keeping combat feeling fresh and exciting. For example, if a player likes to play hyper-aggressive while sacrificing Mech Defense and Max HP and Mech Integrity, they may choose to purchase the corresponding upgrades. On the flip side, a player who likes conservative and defense-focused characters can purchase said upgrades while ignoring the Laser and Ballistic Attack upgrades. Additionally, allowing players to customize their Mechs and Pilots might encourage them to form stronger emotional connections with them over time as they become more personalized.
We can divide mechanical progression in HoF into sections based on the stat/stats being altered, the method the progress is made (either through a No-Cost, a Purchase in Currency or Recruitment Points), how explicit the game is in telling the player which stats have changed in the moment (Blind for no information and Visible for visible values), and the phase of the gameplay loop where the stats are changing.
Bell Pilot Stats - No Cost - Blind - Poetry Phase
NPC Pilot Stats - Purchase & No Cost - Blind & Invisible - AAR & Downtime
Mech Stats - Purchase - Visible - Combat Setup & Combat AAR
Unlocking Abilities - No Cost (uses Mech Levels Ordinance Appraisal) - Visible - Combat Setup & Combat AAR