Devlog 0: How visiting Scotland inspired my game
Hi, this is Daniel, the dev behind Vangaro Tactics.
Today I will share how I came up with the game :)
It was summer 2018 and I was finishing my final project for uni, a VR procedural maze "game" in Unity. I had already made most of the procedural maze generation earlier but couldn't make it in time for the VR part so I would be evaluated in September.
Screenshot from my VR final project
I didn't own any VR headset, but thanks to my uni I got some limited time with an Oculus headset with the Touch controllers (the latest version at that time). So I could implement the VR navigation and gameplay: shooting arrows, grabbing objects, slashing enemies, etc. The visuals would not be evaluated as it was for a Computer Engineering degree, so I made some minimal 3d models in blender but the focus was on the technical part.
Procedural maze from the air (golden rooms are locked)
A key to open those locked rooms
I couldn't take too long to make it work as I had to return the VR headset and some time later I would be travelling.
In early September I went on a family trip to Scotland, which would plant the seed for Vangaro Tactics. I was already somewhat into world war 2 before, but there it was present in bookshops, monuments and there were some cool planes in the National Museum too.
Scotland's national museum
I was so inspired I ended up getting a book about the Royal Air Force's innovations during its 100 years and a novel about British special forces that infiltrated behind enemy lines in the north of Africa (during ww2).
Trip to Stonehaven (Great War and WW2 memorial on the right)
Dunottar castle ruins in Stonehaven
Back home I read part of the novel and started sketching and thinking how I could make a game about infiltration. At one point I remembered I had played some Advance Wars when I was younger and that's when I though I could add my own spin on the idea with the Stealth Missions.
A few weeks later I presented my final project and the same afternoon started working on the pixel art prototype that would become Vangaro Tactics.
Vangaro Tactics prototype from late 2018 (notice the first design of Spitfire)
Thanks for reading!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2221530/Vangaro_Tactics/
Today I will share how I came up with the game :)
My final project
It was summer 2018 and I was finishing my final project for uni, a VR procedural maze "game" in Unity. I had already made most of the procedural maze generation earlier but couldn't make it in time for the VR part so I would be evaluated in September.
Screenshot from my VR final projectI didn't own any VR headset, but thanks to my uni I got some limited time with an Oculus headset with the Touch controllers (the latest version at that time). So I could implement the VR navigation and gameplay: shooting arrows, grabbing objects, slashing enemies, etc. The visuals would not be evaluated as it was for a Computer Engineering degree, so I made some minimal 3d models in blender but the focus was on the technical part.
Procedural maze from the air (golden rooms are locked)
A key to open those locked roomsI couldn't take too long to make it work as I had to return the VR headset and some time later I would be travelling.
The trip
In early September I went on a family trip to Scotland, which would plant the seed for Vangaro Tactics. I was already somewhat into world war 2 before, but there it was present in bookshops, monuments and there were some cool planes in the National Museum too.
Scotland's national museumI was so inspired I ended up getting a book about the Royal Air Force's innovations during its 100 years and a novel about British special forces that infiltrated behind enemy lines in the north of Africa (during ww2).
Trip to Stonehaven (Great War and WW2 memorial on the right)
Dunottar castle ruins in StonehavenComing back home
Back home I read part of the novel and started sketching and thinking how I could make a game about infiltration. At one point I remembered I had played some Advance Wars when I was younger and that's when I though I could add my own spin on the idea with the Stealth Missions.
A few weeks later I presented my final project and the same afternoon started working on the pixel art prototype that would become Vangaro Tactics.
Vangaro Tactics prototype from late 2018 (notice the first design of Spitfire) Thanks for reading!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2221530/Vangaro_Tactics/