Snyder Thesis Project
I am working on a project tentatively named “Beyond the Screen: A Tactics RPG Across Mediums”. This project is a grid-based, tactical role playing game made in Unity that connects to a physical version via an Arduino. The idea is to give people who prefer more tactile experiences the chance to use their hands. While it is unlikely that I will be able to get moves full translate between the two versions, having one as a safe, planning area would likely be beneficial to players, as tactics RPG’s can be quite difficult when it comes to precise planning.
This game will be able to be played against the computer, or against another person on several maps. The physical board will be modular to reflect the designs of each map, as having a simple flat plane like in Chess would leave out some interesting opportunities for unit interactions. One set of pieces will be made from wood, and will likely be red or reddish brown in color, while the other will be made from pieces of acrylic, and may end up being black and red or blue and yellow. The two sides will be distinct not only in color, but also in the finish on the pieces. The different units will have different purposes, and to reflect this they will have different designs. While pieces of the same type will look distinctly similar, they will not be exactly the same, as the pieces are hand made.
