Wordzards is a turn-based word RPG, with a unique combat system, featuring letter tile varieties and a timer-based turn system designed specifically for this game.
To read and discover about early versions of the game, read below:
As Academic Capstone
For my Capstone project at the School of ATEC at UT Dallas, I am creating a turn-based role-playing game named Word Wizards (now called Wordzards). The game’s combat system involves spelling English words from Letter Banks to perform actions. Each Letter Piece has a score associated with it. Spelling out a word tallies up each Letter Piece’s score and the action that any word is used toward is more effective with a higher word score.
I am dividing my creative process / implementation for this project into four phases. Each phase has an overview listed on this page. More detailed information and visuals can be found by clicking on each phase.
Phase One: Pre-Production/Design
In Phase 1, I provide a description of the game’s concept and mechanics as well as supply my design documentation in preparation for developing the game.
In Phase 2, I begin working on the combat system’s core functionality. In doing so, I walk through each mechanic’s implementation and progress step-by-step, while also discussing achievements and challenges faced within each step. Throughout each description, I provide screenshots and demo videos showcasing my progress.
In Phase 3, I finalize the functionality of my game’s combat system and add a few new elements to make the game feature-complete for the purposes of my Capstone course. Similar to the Alpha stage, I will outline the steps that I take in building the beta build for my game while showcasing screenshots and demo videos, which are used to communicate my progress.
In Phase 4, I add AI for the enemy wizards, make a few changes to how the game works, improve the art, add music, and add juice/extra polish.
Continued Work and Support
I have submitted my Capstone build of the project to my supervisor, and have received some helpful feedback for this game for future / professional development. Some feedback I received from my supervisor are:
- Add a shared/global letter bank that all hero units can access.
- Add progression system
- Add elemental effects for letter pieces
I have noted these points of feedback and will expand on my final capstone build for an eventual professional release. Up to that point, I will outline major milestones achieved for this game.
Added Action Effects
Now each action has a list of effects (i.e. poison, defense boost, etc). Upon each action cast, letter pieces and actions can spawn effects, which are objects/structs that hold data and logic, which pertain to a specific unit. Upon activation, poison effects can deduct health at the beginning of the affected unit’s team’s turn.
Plethora of Updates
Throughout my absence from posting updates on my website regarding Wordzards, I have accomplished so many milestones and achievements. The list of major updates to the game as of 7/12/21 are outlined below. Each update will be explained in detail:
- IMPROVED LETTER TYPE GENERATION SYSTEM: I replaced my static percent chance system with a more customizable weight system. Now, each individual speller has their own custom weight arrays with each weight syntax being: [LETTER TYPE, WEIGHT]. I did this to make the system more modular and to help distinguish each speller from one another. For example, Lang has more damage boosting tiles and Letta has more healing tiles. To expand on this system even further, I nested multiple letter weight arrays into a larger array in which each entry’s index in that larger array represents the letter weights available before and at the speller’s current level.
- ACTIONS NOW HAVE SCORING SYSTEMS: action scores tell the player exactly how effective an action will be upon spelling a word. There are two types of action scores: health points and letter tile amounts. The effectiveness of health point actions are equal to the speller’s total word score plus their starting action score and spell bonus. For example, Lang’s bolt action has a starting damage amount of 2 at Level 2 and has a spell bonus of 2 at Level 2. That means that word scores for a bolt action at Level 2 would be the action’s current word score + 4. Letter tile amount action scores are significantly more complex. These action’s current word scores will NOT be how many letter tiles are affected by this action if/when the spell is cast. How the game will keep track of these actions’ letter tile total is through recursive addition and subtraction. For the first iteration, the player will need a minimum word score of 3 to grant 1 letter tile to the action’s letter tile count. For each tile that is added, the remaining score will be subtracted by the minimum word score requirement and the minimum word score requirement will increase by its current value + 3. So, the minimum score requirement for 3 tiles is 3 + 6 + 9 = 18. In this example, if the player has a word score of 17, the letter tile count for its awaited action is 2.
- ACTIONS NOW HAVE DIFFERENT SCORE TEXT: this one is relatively simpler than the above update. This is simply a visual indicator to the player as to what type of action is anticipated to be cast. Attack actions now display: “_ DMG” and letter actions now display: “_ L.”
- UNITS NOW HAVE ANIMATION STATES: each unit now has animation states, such as blink, face camera, spell word, cast action, etc.
- STAGE SELECT SCREEN AND UI: the game now has a stage select screen, which contain stage buttons. Each stage button displays the stage number, highest score, and how many out of 3 stars you earned.
- STAR SYSTEM FOR STAGES: Stars will tell the player how well it did for the corresponding stage. The first star is earned for simply clearing the stage. The second star is earned if all party members survive the stage. The third and final star is earned for clearing the stage in a maximum time.
- SHOPS AND SHOP UI: shops and shop buttons are an addition to the stage select screen. Shops can be accessed to purchase items such as letter tiles & experience points.
- ADDED SUPPORT FOR MULTIPLE GAMES: Wordzards now supports multiple campaigns with their own stage layouts as well as progression systems for players/hero units.
- ADDED MORE LETTER TILE TYPES: I have added a few more tile types to create more variety for players. I added a dud letter tile, which simply makes its letter score 0. Then, I added a cut word letter tile, which takes away 1 letter from words that a speller can spell for the current turn. Finally, I added a metallic letter tile, which triples damage and knocks out a letter tile from the attack target’s available letter banks.
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