Dev Blog #1: Initial Design and Visual Style Direction

1. Project Introduction and Visual Goals

This week, our team started by brainstorming ideas around the theme of “multiplayer games.” We came up with a few key concepts: fun, fast-paced, and high interaction. After trying out different types—like traditional shooters and melee brawlers—we decided to make a 2v2 third-person mage combat game.

Here’s why we chose this direction:

    ① To avoid making something too generic, we introduced an elemental reaction system: different elements interact with each other, dealing extra damage or even changing the environment.

    ② The combination of mages in a medieval setting with a third-person combat style felt like a fresh mix that could offer new experiences.

Our goal is to create a game where players engage in short but intense battles, using strategy based on their roles and elemental factions.

Besides helping with gameplay design, I’m mainly responsible for the visual side of the game. Once we locked down the basic concept, I started planning how to handle the following areas visually:

    ① Character visual design

    ② UI layout planning

    ③ HUD structure design

Given the fast pace and heavy visual load of the game, we set the following art direction goals:

    ① Low-poly visual style: Ensures good performance and clear visuals during multiplayer matches

    ② Strong character identity: Helps players quickly recognize teams and elements in the heat of battle

    ③ Clear and functional UI layout: Allows players to access key info quickly under pressure, without clutter


2. How Gameplay Influenced Visual Design

The core mechanic of our game is built around a powerful item—the Crown, which spawns in the center of the map. Holding it gives your team points over time and buffs. But if the carrier leaves the center, the Crown drops. This keeps the match constantly shifting.

This led to several important visual needs:

    ① Characters need to be easy to tell apart by their shape and colors, so players can identify teams and elements quickly

    ② The Crown’s status must be clearly visible—glowing effects and a countdown UI help show which team is in control

    ③ Skill effects should look powerful but not overwhelm the screen, especially when four players are casting at once

So we came up with a basic rule: visuals should serve gameplay. Every design choice should focus on readability and clarity.


3. Elemental Factions and Visual Style

We finalized three elemental types for the game: Fire, Water, and Wind.
Instead of treating them like simple damage types, we gave each element its own background, visual theme, and combat role.
Here is my initial character design draft. I wanted to create a fun visual effect by using chibi-style characters with a three-heads-high proportion and allowing players to customize accessories. However, after reviewing it, my team members felt that full-proportioned characters would be more appropriate.

So I changed my ideals for each element:

  Fire

    Color: Warm tones like red, orange, and yellow

    Combat role: Long-range burst damage, with lower speed and fire rate for balance

  Water

    Color: Cool tones like blue and purple

    Combat role: Melee support and healer

  Wind

    Color theme: Green, cyan, and similar shades

    Combat role: High mobility and control-focused disruptor


4. Early UI Design Ideas

Based on the Crown control and team respawn mechanics, we came up with a rough plan for the in-game UI:

    Score and Crown ownership at the top center: So players can easily check who’s winning

    HUD for character status: Includes health, skill cooldowns, class icon, and ultimate charge

    Clean, symmetrical layout: Keeps info readable during fast combat and avoids distractions

I’m currently drafting the first version of the UI wireframes to discuss layout and structure with the team. The goal is to balance style and usability.


5. Current Progress and Next Steps

Completed so far:

    Finalized overall visual direction: Low-poly style with high-contrast color schemes

    Outlined the three elemental factions and linked them with gameplay

    Planned out the most important parts of the UI structure

What to do next:

    Create silhouette and pose sketches for the three factions

    Deliver the first version of the core HUD UI for team review

  Start working on a consistent visual style for skill icons and elemental markers

6. References

Riot Games. Valorant – Character silhouettes and readability

Nintendo. Breath of the Wild – Elemental visual expression

WhimWorld Fantasy Low Poly Character Pack – CGTrader

Jesse Schell. The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses

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