Should We Use Humorous Ragdoll Physics in Our Military Strategy Game?
Hello Commanders!
So let's talk ragdoll physics for a moment. When we were making Operation: Polygon Storm, we were constantly jumping between how our physics reacted.
The constant debate was do we go for something more realistic so as not to detract from the "military" feel or do we lean into the art style we have and keep it a bit more lighthearted.
Experimenting with Physics
As we started to implement the physics system, we encountered this dilemma right from the start. While the realistic physics provided a sense of “realism” to our game, it also felt, at times, a bit too boring and constrained. Troops would simply fall over when eliminated. Exploding vehicles didn’t rocket into the air etc.
The current balance of tweaked physics with one or two things able to really go into overide
So we started to experiment with more exaggerated, over-the-top physics. Often times we’d set it high to see the benchmark of what not to do. But we’d play this version and find we’re having more fun. Soldiers catapulting through the air after an explosion, tanks flipping dramatically etc. But we still thought, no we can’t do this. It will just make the game feel childish so we stubbornly kept telling ourselves we need to go more grounded.
The Great Physics Debate
But switching between realistic and exaggerated physics became a common occurrence in our development process. We’d even sometimes do it when we were bored and testing something else for the 100th time. In the end, seeing how everyone on the team was switching the physics on their own told us we might need to just accept this is the correct decision. Let's find a good level of “exaggerated” without it being to distracting and just roll with that.
This felt like too much. Where every explosion created sent the target rocketing into the air
We also told ourselves, that we’re matching the art style and letting the game feel collectively more lighthearted since at times the difficulty is already quite high. So maybe a feeling corpse or a massive explosion will help ease players' stress. XD
The Final Decision
The over-the-top physics not only matched our art style but also introduced an element of unpredictability and fun. Watching a meticulously planned strategy unfold with the occasional comedic twist made our game more engaging and memorable. It provided moments of levity in an otherwise serious genre, striking a balance that we believe players will appreciate.
This is technically based on real-world physics XD
Release Date When?
We’re currently finishing up the console versions of the game and trying to catch any last-minute critical bugs that we can fish out.
So that means we are slowly making our way to the release of the game and we will have an announcement for you about this next week!
Speak soon, commanders.
Over and out!