CGD Week 1 – 2: Defining the Core: Basic & Combat Mechanics

 

In the first two weeks, I mainly worked on three key areas: defining the basic mechanism, combat mechanics, and map & environment design.

1.    Defining the Basic Mechanism

At the beginning, I worked with my teammates to finalize the core gameplay concept. Based on our team's past experience and the goal of maintaining high replayability, we decided to go with a PVP shooter game.

Considering our limited production time, we agreed on using a low-poly art style, which offers many compatible assets and is more feasible for rapid prototyping.

From these starting points, we brainstormed and refined the following key mechanics:

Game Mode:

• The game is divided into two teams, each with two players.
• The objective is to capture and hold a target object that initially spawns in the center of the map.
• While a team is holding the object, they gain points every 5 seconds.
• The first team to reach the target score wins the match.
• The player holding the object must stay within a certain central area of the map.
• If the player holding the object is eliminated, it will drop to the ground.

Respawn & Base Mechanics:

• When a player dies, they will respawn at their team’s base after a short delay.
• Each base has durability, and can be attacked and destroyed by the enemy.
• If a team's base is destroyed, they lose the ability to respawn.
• However, players can continue to fight with their remaining lives, and still win by capturing or holding the objective.
• If a team reaches the target score before being wiped out, they still win.
• But if they lose all team members before scoring enough points, they lose.

 

Design Reasoning:

We initially positioned our game as a fast-paced PVP experience, so we didn’t want each match to last too long — ideally between 8 to 15 minutes. Based on this, we decided to limit the total number of players to four.

Next, we discussed whether a 1v1v1v1 free-for-all or a 2v2 team mode would be more suitable. In a free-for-all mode, the objective must be something that a single player can fully manage, and most of the positive experience would come from instant feedback during combat. On the other hand, team-based gameplay allows for cooperation and coordination, which introduces a layer of strategic depth. We believe that this added strategic layer is key to making the gameplay more engaging, so we decided to go with a 2v2 team-based format. 

In a team mode, having multiple objectives is viable. Scoring and defending is a classic structure, but we felt these two should be tied to different win conditions: scoring relates more to winning or losing, while defending affects the duration of the game. This dual structure allows us to adjust the pacing and player experience more flexibly, and makes it easier to balance the game. That’s how we came up with the target object and respawn base mechanics.

2． Establishing the Core Combat System

Elemental combat mechanics

We didn’t want the combat to rely solely on gunplay — instead, we aimed to introduce elemental interactions, where different elements could combine and react with each other to influence the battlefield. This would add more strategic depth to the gameplay.

The system is built around three core elements: Fire, Water, and Wind, each corresponding to a distinct character type.

Each element has its own attack style and combat role:

• Fire focuses on long-range attacks,
• Wind is oriented around mid-range control,
• Water specializes in close-range combat.

When their attacks or abilities collide, they trigger elemental reactions such as steam, ice walls, or explosions. This allows different team compositions to create unique synergies and tactical combinations.

After finalizing this concept, we ensured that the required VFX assets were either readily available or easy to create, confirming the overall feasibility of the system.

3．Environment and Map Concept

Map & Environment

In my design, the environment itself can contain reactive elements. Based on this idea, we decided to avoid modern settings and instead use ancient ruins, floating islands, or mystical landscapes — environments that naturally incorporate elemental features and traps to enable player-environment interaction.

The map is symmetrical, since both teams share similar objectives. It also ensures flowing loops, offering three distinct paths at the start of each match. Players can choose to rush the objective, engage from a distance, or split up for a flanking strategy. At the same time, they must predict which paths the opponents might choose, creating opportunities for mind games and strategic decision-making.