Creator’s Focus: MetaLab & Hangar Games (Trial 1)
A behind the scenes look into the creation of Dr. Bomkus’ Trials
Creator’s Focus is a six-part series focused on the game creation process of Dr. Bomkus’ Trials and its unique gameplay features. Check back here to check out more in the series as they’re released.
The Dr. Bomkus MetaLab
The Dr. Bomkus’ MetaLab acts as the social lobby of the Dr. Bomkus’ Trials event. This hub immerses players into the narrative built around Dr. Bomkus. This experience will remain open throughout the six weeks for users to meet their fellow competitors and explore the Dr. Bomkus universe. — Play in the MetaLab
- Light VFX
- Multiplayer Behavior
- Multiplayer equipment<
- Day/Night Cycle
- Video Stream
- Slide
- In-game Shop
Insights from the Level Design Team:
The initial idea was to create The brief for MetaLab was a secret underground laboratory. We took inspiration from Doc Brown’s laboratory in Back to The Future — a secret underground lab hidden inside a normal house.
At first, we decided against the usual 2x2 size for the hub, which, of course, led to the map seeming smaller than usual.
The second iteration was just an interior space with bridges over a huge chasm. But the 1x1 size, coupled with the fact that we were supposed to mainly use the Scientist faction assets, had us abandon this idea, too.
While we were considering the third iteration, a comment came in from the manager of the Level Design team saying that hubs are, almost always, an open forum of some sort.
With this in mind, we went back to the drawing board and looked at the assets we actually had. Most of them were orange/brown, with rust and dust, sand, and orange-ish rocks.
Then it hit me: we were going to do a hidden complex inside a huge canyon, and its height and length would be in such proportion that it was going to make the map feel way bigger than it was. I went about cutting tunnels inside the canyon to create interior spaces that made the map feel more extensive. But I didn’t want all that verticality to go to waste, so I made the interior spaces larger.
The main inspirations were Blade Runner, Mad Max, and Ready Player One. The one asset I insisted on was a huge set of cables spanning the entire width of the canyon.
The focal point was always going to be a large portal at the end of the canyon, as the purpose of the Bomkus hub has always been to host the portal to the weekly challenge.
Once the general landscape was done, I added a bar, a shop, a place for selfies, and, of course, the Meta Lab. I separated it into two parts: the lower part was the actual lab, and the second floor was a warehouse. I added a dance room to allow the players some self-expression (and a good place for selfies), and then I added a rooftop garden where our amazing artist created a scene with a crashed zeppelin — perhaps another one of Bomkus’ failed experiments.
The artist also decided to create a ‘hidden’ portion of the map, where defective robots go to hide from the players.
Our narrative team really went to town on this, as they fleshed out each area with NPCs and their stories, along with their reaction to the Bomkus trials and the world around them.
The end result is something I’m extremely proud of and am totally adding to my portfolio the second it goes live!
Hangar Games
The first of six trials, this thrilling multiplayer race is all about dominating your lane! — Play Hangar Games
- Light VFX
- Music Stream
- Slide
- Swim
- In-game Shop
- Day/Night Cycle
- Multiplayer Behavior
- Moving Platforms Multiplayer
Insights from the Level Design Team:
Hangar Games was originally designed to give players a multiplayer playground where they could compete against each other. With the arrival of the 0.8 version of the Game Maker, we decided to showcase most of the new features (Sliding, Swimming, Blinking Platforms) along with basic features (Jumping, Sprinting, and Climbing). There are several ways to play within the main parkour:
- Three-player race: One player in each of the three lanes.
- Up to 20 players racing together at the same time.
- One player tries to achieve the best time.
We added three solo quests to play while waiting for the next parkour start. Again, the focus was on learning new moves.
Finally, we added some of the new features, such as Lighting and Visual Effects. You may even find a podium where players can take photos with stunning pyrotechnics effects.
After Dr. Bomkus’ Trials conclude, you will be able to find the experience templates in the Game Maker. Make the trials your own, test out the new features, and publish your own challenges!
