On Deserts of Kharak I helped design and implement a whole new multiplayer game mode, unit abilities, in-depth units system, balanced vehicle movements, and created a wholly unique Line of Fire system and UX.
Multiplayer was a major focus for Deserts of Kharak. I helped design and implement all Multiplayer levels and objectives. Balanced units, speeds, weapons, and abilities.
ROLE
Senior Designer
GENRE
REAL TIME STRATEGY
MULTIPLAYER
CAMPAIGN
PLATFORM
PC
HOMEWORLD
DESERTS OF KHARAK
When we first started building the game we knew we wanted a climatic end to our multiplayer games. The Artifact win condition was used to create tension throughout the match and allow for a different way for players to win on top of the main win condition of annihilation.
The win condition was built around the idea of players needing to pickup an artifact and move it to a specific location. Once placed you you gain an artifact point. Once your team have collected 5 artifacts you win the match.
There was four main dilemmas for how to strategically engage the enemy team. Attack their resources, attack their artifact point, defend your resources, defend your artifact point.
Once we had tuned and balanced the mode and multiplayer maps to create equal opportunities for both an annihilation or artifact win the game mode created extremely intense matches that players really enjoyed.
Artifact Game Mode
With Homeworld Deserts of Kharak we had a large amount of ground vehicles that needed to be balanced not only for combat but for movement and personality.
Homeworld is know for it visceral and cinematic combat. So we knew each vehicle needed to tell you quickly how it moves and what it is. Similar to silhouetting for art of the model the movement needed to allow player to quickly identify vehicles based on movement as well as the model.
To do this we built archetypes of movement. One for each faction. The coalition are wheel and tread based and would spinout and power slide in the sand. The Gaalsien were hover technology based and can move move freely but had more momentum when trying to do quick turns.
Once we had the archetypes we could start building unit roles, compositions, and counters. With movement being the core of the units identity. Weapons, health, and sight would be tuned to craft a relationship between the different factions and unit roles.
Balance and
Vehicle Feel
