Looters was always about giving the players as many opportunities to cooperate and interact with the environment as possible. Since the very beginning of the project, our programming team has been acquiring new Tech Goblins, each with their own strengths and technical skills. For instance, Guy, our Technical Director, is responsible for the core mechanics and the game menus. Émile, our Creative Director, is more focused on the looting and interaction systems as well as the sound integration. Léo, our Encounter Designer, is the one behind the design and behavior programming of the Cultists, the Bag and the Big Rats roaming around the manor. Timothée and Kobi are both in charge of programming the interactable elements of the game, such as the many doors, levers and the elevator you can find through the mystical Cultist’s manor. In this blog, we’ll tell you a little bit more about what our Tech Goblins have been working on lately to make Looters even more magical!
The Prog team, from left to right, top to bottom: Guy (Technical Director), Léo (Encounter Designer), Émile (Creative Director & Programmer), Timothée (Programmer) and Kobi (Artist & Programmer)
In Looters’ universe, Goblins are pretty small creatures. So small they can barely look out the window! In order to reach higher places and get more precious loot, they must climb on top of each other. While they transition towards this stacked state, the split-screen becomes one. Yes, both players become ONE. Acting together as this newly formed entity, you can put on a red cape to hide among the Cultists. As long as you keep the cape, no Cultists shall see you for what you really are (Goblins, that is). But, reveal yourself, and you’ll face the wrath of the Cult! 👁️
In Looters, the Goblins can stack on top of each other and put on a red cape to hide among the Cult
As Émile, our Creative Director, once said...
‘’The stacking and the cape mechanics were first inspired by the famous ‘goblins in a trenchcoat’ trope and is, to this day, one of the most loved aspects of the game among players.’’
— Émile (Looters Creative Director)
Émile (Creative Director) explaining the stacked goblins mechanic to one of the artists in charge of the characters and their animations
At first, Émile describes, one player could freely decide to climb onto the other, which felt a bit hindering to the bottom player, now slowed down by his friend’s weight. The programming team eventually decided to change it: now, when a player presses the input for stacking, his avatar takes the other goblin on his shoulders rather than climbing on him. This way, the animations look way smoother and both players feel like they have more agency, which is what we want in the end!
Just three Cultists standing in a row… as you can see 🕵️
Early on in the project, Tech Goblins Guy and Timothée created tools made specifically for the level designers. With these tools, the designers were able to fully express their creativity and make their ideas come to life. The challenge, from the programmers’ perspective, mostly came from understanding precisely which parameters should be made available for the designers to play with considering their specific needs. In the case of the moving stairs, Guy made a tool allowing the designers to link each moving stair to a specific book, as well as to decide its rotation angle, direction and movement speed.
In the Library, the Goblins can activate magical floating books connected to moving stairs in order to progress through the level, solve puzzles and find more worthy loot
When the players unlock the Kitchen level, they learn a new mechanic: the Throw. The Throw was programmed and implemented by Guy and went through multiple iterations following player feedback. As of right now, while the trigger is held, the Throw’s prediction curve appears on screen to let the player aim where they intend to. When the trigger is released, the item is thrown in the corresponding direction. Now that you know this, loot Goblins, it’s up to you to embrace the Throw and discover the many ways you can use it! Have you ever tried throwing something on a Cultist’s head or adding a weird ingredient to the boiling cauldron throwing in the Kitchen?… 🤔
In the Kitchen level, the Goblins learn how to throw items. They can use this mechanic to do many things such as adding ingredients to a giant cauldron, unlocking doors, stunning Cultists on the spot and more
The Greenhouse, the very last level of Looters (which is still a work in progress) **comes with yet another mechanic : the Watering Can. Implemented by Timothée, this object, unique to the Greenhouse level, allows the players to water crops and magical flower pots. When watered, the plants grow rapidly to form bridges and/or platforms for the Goblins to reach higher areas. Our Goblins must be careful though ; the Watering Can is a breakable item and it will be disintegrated on the spot if thrown on the ground! …But please, don’t panic hehe… there are respawn points!🌱💧
In the Greenhouse level, the Goblins can use the Watering Can to grow flowers that serve as platforms and bridges between key zones located at different heights
Looters is not only about Goblins looting stuff, it’s also about the ambient chaos these mischievous creatures can cause. In order to enhance the chaotic aspect of the game, we wanted the manor’s environment to offer a lot of potential interactions for the players. Someone like Kobi, who is both an artist and a programmer, was the perfect person to implement new fun interactions with the 3D props in Looters different levels. For example, the multiple globes located around the Library can be messed with by the fidgeting Goblin waiting for his friend. Any curious Goblin can also interact with the bellows to start a fire in the Kitchen’s giant oven, which might reveal treasures… or burn them. Finally, our dear Goblins are not above roasting lambs on a stick if they feel the desire to do so. Globes can be spun by the Goblin who interacts with it
It is possible to start a fire in the oven by interacting with the bellows in the Kitchen
The Big Rat is an artificial intelligence that is introduced in the Library level. It is quite sneaky and will try to steal the precious loot from your Bag. Léo, our Encounter Designer, programmed the Rat’s behavior so that the more stolen loot it eats, the bigger it becomes. If a player catches the Rat in the act of stealing, it will flee and throw its hands in the air to appear innocent. Ultimately, Goblins will be able to pick up the Rat and shake it (by smashing buttons) until it drops the stolen loot. The Goblins should keep an eye on the Bag if they don’t want to face the curse of the Big Rats! 🐀
The Big Rat can steal loot directly from the Bag. The more loot it eats, the bigger it becomes
At the end of the day, we’re all very grateful for all the hard work our Tech Goblins put into the game. Looters would not be nearly close to what it is now without their contribution - and their nerdy brains. Each day that goes by, programmers help us master new aspects of the game engine and have a more anchored, concrete view of the mechanics and features we’re working on.
Kobi (Artist & Programmer), putting to use his multidisciplinary skills in both 3D art and programming to produce more items with fun interactions in Looters
Stay tuned for next week, heisters, as a big reveal is coming!
And as always...