Creating a game is a challenging yet rewarding experience. It involves creativity, technical skills, and a significant amount of time. During my college years, I started developing a 3D adventure and investigation game that never reached completion. Meet Detective Bacon.
Concept
Detective Bacon was envisioned as a 3D adventure game where players would step into the shoes (or hooves) of a detective pig solving dynamic and interactive mysteries. The idea was to break away from the linear progression seen in many detective games. Instead, I wanted to create a game where player choices significantly impacted the storyline, leading to multiple possible outcomes for each mystery.
Gameplay and Mechanics
The gameplay was designed to be a mix of point-and-click mechanics and WASD controls, allowing for easy movement and interaction with the environment. The player would collect items, inspect them, and engage in dialogues with various characters, with every choice influencing the narrative. The game’s world was intended to be fully interactive, with a noir-inspired aesthetic complemented by toon shading, creating a unique visual style that echoed classic detective stories with a hint of humor.
Tools of the Trade
Developing Detective Bacon involved using a variety of tools:
- Unity: The game engine that powered the project, providing the backbone for all gameplay mechanics and world-building.
- Blender: Used for creating 3D models of characters, objects, and environments.
- Photoshop: Essential for creating textures and visual elements.
- Audacity: Used for editing sound effects, which played a crucial role in setting the game's mood and atmosphere.
Challenges and Learning Experiences
I can safely say that I gained valuable skills in game design, 3D modeling, texturing, and even sound design.
Despite the progress made, Detective Bacon was never completed. The main reason was the expanding scope of the game, which is a classic mistake in indie game development. Additionally, as I learned more about game development, I realized that the game I wanted to create required a level of expertise and a team that I simply didn't have at the time.
Conslusion
While Detective Bacon never saw the light of day as a finished game, the journey of developing it was invaluable. It taught me essential skills, provided a creative outlet, and gave me a deep appreciation for the complexities of game development.