WARSHIP JOLLY ROGER
Overview
Narrative & Setting: Jon Munro, a former officer searching for his family; Alisa Rinaldi, a rebellious mechanic; Nikolai Kowalski, a resourceful smuggler; and Trace, an imprisoned robotics prodigy, band together to escape a high-security prison. Their journey begins with seizing the galaxy's most formidable star cruiser, the Warship Jolly Roger, as they evade relentless galactic authorities in a gripping space opera adventure.
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Purpose & Goals
My goal for this game was to seamlessly integrate the comic's storyline into an action-packed experience that expands on Munro and his misfit crew's journey.
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Genre: Action Adventure | War
Team Size: 25
Duration: August 2024 - October 2024
Platform: PC | Add To Wishlist
Engine: Unreal Engine 5
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Role(s) & Responsibilities
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Narrative Design
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Gameplay & Systems Design
The Process
Research, References, & Key Takeaways
The game draws heavily from the existing comic’s IP, ensuring that its world, characters, and themes remain authentic while expanding on its narrative. Central elements, such as Monro’s thirst for revenge against the Galactic Federation and the complex dynamics of his misfit crew, are seamlessly integrated into gameplay and narrative design.
These are just some of the questions I ask when developing:
Q: What is the player fantasy?
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Players will step into the role of Munro, taking command of the mighty Jolly Roger.
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At key moments, they’ll switch perspectives to other crew members, each with unique abilities, to tackle objectives and pilot diverse spacecraft.
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Fueled by revenge, players will engage in thrilling battles against the Federation
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Q: What will it look like?
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Travel across diverse planets, facing off against various races and creatures.
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Gathering resources to upgrade weapons and spacecraft.
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Forge alliances by persuading factions to join your cause.
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Q: What is required to bring this world to life?
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Richly detailed planets with diverse environments, cultures, and inhabitants, each tied to the comic series' lore.
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Every planet will have its own history, conflicts, and mysteries.
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A multidisciplinary crew will travel with Monro, each contributing unique abilities, perspectives, and interactions.
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Q: How can you make conflict visible in the world?
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Dynamic NPC interactions, with some recognizing Monro's past and current alliances.
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Federation rule visually reflecting the tension.
Gameplay and Narrative Design
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Monro and His Crew
Monro, a skilled fighter adept in both melee and ranged combat, leads his crew through perilous missions. Alisa, who complements his fighting style with her own quick-draw pistol and hidden dagger, is not only a formidable combatant but also a talented pilot of the Jolly Roger, wielding its powerful weapons during intense space battles. Nikolai, the crew’s stealth expert, employs his smuggling background to stay hidden, making him ideal for stealth-based gameplay where bypassing enemies is just as crucial as fighting. Lastly, Trace, a quiet but capable teen, uses his telepathic bond to control his automaton owl, which helps him with reconnaissance and attacks, providing unique gameplay through surveillance and strategic advantages in combat.
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Space Combat & the Jolly Roger
As Monro and his crew evade the Galactic Federation and bounty hunters, the Jolly Roger becomes a focal point of combat. Players must defend the ship from relentless attacks, engaging in intense space battles using the ship's guns, missiles, and shields. There will be moments when the Jolly Roger will directly engage in combat, while at other times, the crew will need to deploy smaller space crafts for more agile fights. This dynamic adds depth to space combat, keeping the gameplay exciting and varied.​​​
Gameplay Flow & Planetary Exploration
Planet Tullanium: The game kicks off on Tullanium, a frozen wasteland that serves as a tutorial planet.
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Players learn basic mechanics such as movement, combat, and stealth.
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Players are introduced to the crew. The primary objective is to escape the prision.
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Players reach the boss battle providing a final test and sets the tone for the challenges ahead.
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Planet Woss: A war-torn planet where players will uncover the mystery of automatons.
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Players will face the remnants of a battle, navigating treacherous terrain and encountering hostile automatons.
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Players learn to defeat these automatons by targeting their weak points and using special weapons.
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Players will use Trace’s owl, Ook for quick time events.
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Players will battle Acrosakks by taking control of the Jolly Roger’s weaponry.
System Designs
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Faction-Based Control GDD (Galaxy War Concept)
A high-level description of how the faction-based control system fits into the gameplay loop.
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A dynamic faction system where player choices and missions permanently shift control of planets across a holographic galaxy map.
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Long-term reward structures and world persistence mechanics that impact NPC behavior, economy, and final game outcomes.
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Dynamic Event GDD (Persistent World Activity)
A high-level description of how dynamic events function within the game world. What are they, and why are they important?
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A system where random and scheduled events influence the world, with player decisions actively changing faction dominance.
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Integrated player notification system through holographic map for alerts and distress calls.
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Challenges
One of the main challenges was revising previously created storyboards and gameplay flowcharts, particularly in reducing the number of cutscenes that could potentially disrupt immersion and increase development scope. To address this, I reworked the flowcharts and storyboards to emphasize gameplay sequences, while also introducing interactive cutscenes and removing unnecessary ones. Another significant challenge involved refining the narrative to focus on "show, not tell," ensuring that the story was conveyed through environmental storytelling and subtle foreshadowing rather than explicit dialogue or cutscenes. To overcome this, I crafted cliffhanger dialogue and detailed character actions that would intrigue players, enticing them to continue playing to uncover more about the world and the characters.