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+--- Thread: Xbox Wire - The Design Process Behind Story of a Gladiator, Available Now on Xbox One (/thread-92679.html)
Xbox Wire - The Design Process Behind Story of a Gladiator, Available Now on Xbox One - xSicKxBot - 12-07-2019
The Design Process Behind Story of a Gladiator, Available Now on Xbox One
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<h3>Summary</h3>
<ul>
<li>The very first idea of the game was to make a simple 1v1 icon game with some turn-based combat</li>
<li>We kept adding more characters and races in the arena, so it resembles more closely gladiatorial times in ancient Rome</li>
<li>The design process was long, and we had to change direction multiple times in order to deliver the final version</li>
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<p><strong><em><a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/story-of-a-gladiator/9mzll81ktdp6">Story of a Gladiator</a></em></strong> is an arena beat ’em up where you take the role of a man in search of his destiny, only to find it in the sands of the colosseum.</p>
<p>The very first idea of the game was to make a simple 1v1 icon game with some turn-based combat. It was a simple screen of two characters taking turns at attacking each other. After further thinking, we realized that the game would look a lot better if it had some real characters instead of icons — along with some background arena — which lead to the concept of a gladiator arena game.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/11/gladiator_concept_first.jpg?w=937" alt="Story of a Gladiator" class="wp-image-129462"></figure>
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<p>Once we had some characters and background it was easier to do some turn-based combat simulation. Each team would select a character to make an action and then it would carry on until all characters made an action before a turn was completed. </p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/11/gladiator_turnbased_combat.gif?w=940" alt="Story of a Gladiator" class="wp-image-129468"></figure>
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<p>A new arena concept was created again to better resemble the roman times with a single character, a crowd and the local magistrate watching.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/11/gladiator_turnbased_singlehero.jpg?w=940" alt="Story of a Gladiator" class="wp-image-129469"></figure>
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<p>The turn-based combat system was very basic, so we decided to improve it and add more skills and abilities for each character giving them more options each turn.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/11/gladiator_turnbased_advanced.jpg?w=940" alt="Story of a Gladiator" class="wp-image-129467"></figure>
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<p>We kept adding more characters and races in the arena, so it resembles more closely gladiatorial times in ancient Rome. However somewhere around there we realized that the characters felt a little strange not moving. It felt like they could so much more but instead they were stuck in this turn-based system.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/11/gladiator_2v2_greeks_afrikans.jpg?w=940" alt="Story of a Gladiator" class="wp-image-129460"></figure>
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<p>The arena only had a horizontal axis of movement. This meant that to if we were to make an action game out of it, it would have to be something like a 1v1 brawler. In a gladiator arena you would expect multiples gladiators fighting around so we decided to add a vertical axis instead that was a bit like the older beat ’em ups like <em>Double Dragon</em> and <em>Streets of Rage</em>. We made a quick test to see how this would play out.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/11/gladiator_firstAction_Test.jpg?w=940" alt="Story of a Gladiator" class="wp-image-129465"></figure>
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<p>It was quickly realized this was the way forward. The<br />
characters could finally use their legs and move around instead of being rooted<br />
in their turn-based positions. This also meant from controlling a group of turn<br />
based gladiators you are now controlling 1 gladiator. The game felt exciting, easier<br />
to play and more fluid even with just a simple hit and move combat system. It<br />
was exactly how you would want to fight as a gladiator in an arena.</p>
<p>Now that we had an arena with 2 axis, we needed to bring back some ideas from the previous concepts such as the crowd and the walls. We also decided to add a small battle intro where your gladiator would enter the arena from the left in the cheer of the crowd and sound of trumpets.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/11/gladiator_action_enterarena.jpg?w=940" alt="Story of a Gladiator" class="wp-image-129461"></figure>
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<p>We wanted a crowd from all directions including the bottom so that it feels like you in the center of attention. Some new things were also added like bazar feeling as this was a small arena in a province where the streets, market and arena were a bit mixed.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/11/gladiator_crowd_arena.jpg?w=940" alt="Story of a Gladiator" class="wp-image-129463"></figure>
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<p>We kept working on several revisions of the arena in order to give it a more natural look with better depth and angles and one of the last concepts was the following arena. </p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/11/gladiator_lastConceptArena.jpg?w=940" alt="Story of a Gladiator" class="wp-image-129466"></figure>
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<p>It lacked something that we couldn’t conceptualize at the time. We took a break from designing arenas and focused on creating more characters instead. That helped refresh as our mind as a few weeks later we came back and designed from scratch an entirely new arena which made it to the final version of the game.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/11/gladiator_finalArena_concept.jpg?w=940" alt="Story of a Gladiator" class="wp-image-129464"></figure>
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<p>At this stage the game direction seemed very clear as what<br />
the final version would be like like. We now had everything we needed to finish<br />
the game.</p>
<p>Overall, we are very pleased with how the game turned out.<br />
It is realistic, physical, tactical and has lots of action. It has all the<br />
elements you would expect from a gladiator arena game.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/11/IMG_0832.jpg?w=940" alt="Story of a Gladiator" class="wp-image-129470"></figure>
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<p>The design process was long, and we had to change direction<br />
multiple times in order to deliver the final version. Now pick up your sword<br />
and shield and enter the arena to become champion!</p>
<p>The arena awaits you, gladiator!</p>
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https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2019/11/27/the-design-process-behind-story-of-a-gladiator-available-now-on-xbox-one/