[/p][p]You can also read this on our website!
Read the dev log[/p][p][/p]
Evoking feelings with design
[p]With the game we're making, we were being intentional about the lack of rotation initially, because we want the game to create a certain friction and feeling for the player, as they approach early mid game.Not only this, but we were leaning on the lack of camera rotation as part of the feeling of ... tightness. Of space feeling small. It was intentional that the game felt a little pressure so that you notice the narrative and mechanics intertwine, and in our play testing this was coming through well.[/p][p]Many players remarked on how, once you get to a certain research level, things felt really cramped and they had a strong desire to expand or explore the space more.[/p][p][/p]
But if it feels bad is it always good?
[p]This was kind of an interesting question to explore from a designer perspective. I don't think the game ever felt bad because of the lack of rotation, but it does become a point of friction that we can question whether it's helping or hurting the experience.[/p][p]Or, rather, if we can rotate the camera, does the space feel small still? Does the feeling still land? Given how the rest of the mechanics work, rotating the view doesn't really make it feel bigger... so why not allow it?[/p][p][/p]Content reasons...
[p]A lot of the buildings just don't have any detail in the back, as I was originally working on the premise that we'd never see em.This is easy to fix and many buildings have already been updated.[/p][p][/p]
