Odds and Ends
Every one can come up with ideas. Not everyone can analyze these ideas and work to improve them further, even beyond a “finished” product. The ability to accept and generate thoughtful feedback from a variety of sources is the marker of a true designer.
In the following section I’ve created a variety of smaller, less complete ideas, formed from filling holes in other designs. One day they may get upgraded to the main document with more work.
Overwatch Hero Outlines
Blizzard Entertainment’s “Overwatch”, is a game with such a diverse and creative roster of characters that makes it difficult to create ideas that feel completely unique. Especially 42 characters in. This was a challenge I was willing to take. I love the world the writers and designers at blizzard have created and only seek to add to it. Especially with my favorite faction aesthetically, the Deadlock gang.
Goal: Create a support hero and a tank hero that fit into the deadlock gang’s aesthetics, while feeling unique to other hero’s, and not creating mountains of new code.
Notes: Creating the abilities and conceptualizing the visual design was far from hard once I had settled on a general motif for each of the characters. The tricky part came in the form of attempting to balance the characters while still keeping what makes them, them. Luckily the rest of the fanbase was willing to aid my design process by providing valuable feedback and notes that I have worked into the final design. Tweaking numbers, cutting concepts, combining ideas, adding new ideas, all came together to create two new hero ideas, with a third in progress.
Twisted Metal Game Mode Conceptualizations
Twisted metal is a simple classic. First created back on the original Playstation, this game series is one of the most interesting concepts for a game franchise. Combining elements of shooters, fighting games, and cart racers to create a adrenaline factory of a game best described as a super demolition derby. All tying into a fantastical world where some people will do anything to make one wish.
With Twisted Metal Black, Twisted Metal 2012, and most recently the TV show solidifying the look of the franchise, the games need to do more to keep new and returning players happy. Though some of the changes introduce in 2012 didn’t rub all fans the right way, and are likely a contributing factor to their being no more games since then (as of February 2025). What should be done to change that?
Goal: Conceptualize new game modes, story mode tweaks, and other additions to freshen up a preverbal 2025 game in the franchise without alienating old players.