Jetborn — Game Design

Game Design — Pillars. Concept. Ideas.

This means we need to rework the entire gameplay of Squad, which has been developed over the years.

1. Technical Limitations and Solutions

Squad is a game that does not feature airplanes in its maps due to level size restrictions (maximum 5x5 km).
The plane is fast—network replication shouldn't make the plane jerky or abrupt
Squad is a tactical team-based game that involves cooperation within and between squads
An airplane can see all positions from above and easily conduct reconnaissance if there are no obstructed areas.
Squad also features armored vehicles

Solutions:

The optimization solution was to create a location that wouldn’t be too taxing in terms of optimization for the pilot launch. We decided to use a desert location because of the sparse vegetation, which for the most part won’t create a significant load. And to address the size issue, we decided to remove the flight altitude cap that exists in Squad and

Airfields were created for the aircraft, which make their inclusion seem logical and add to the immersive experience of flying them. Reloading and refueling take place directly at the airfield.

To address the communication issue, it was decided to create a new JTAC role that would assist in guiding aircraft weapons and facilitate ground-to-air-to-ground communication.

To address the issue of heavy machinery and ensure an unobstructed view from above, the level design must combine open spaces with partially enclosed areas—those enclosed by walls but with an open sky—and fully enclosed and underground areas, allowing players to move safely and stealthily throughout the location, however, the exits from the underground passages will already be visible from above. The level design concept is also based on a multi-level structure, which ensures variability in player positions.