Dueling

Dueling is a core mechanic of the game, centered around winning as many consecutive duels as possible.

Duel Phases

Each duel is divided into several phases:

• Initial Phase – Begins as soon as the duel starts, allowing players to prepare.
• Draw Phase – A randomized timer determines when players are allowed to shoot. The timer is set individually for each duel, ranging between 3 to 6 seconds, creating tension and unpredictability.
• Shooting Phase – Players attempt to shoot each other as quickly and accurately as possible once the draw phase ends.

Randomized Elements

Two key randomized elements influence the duel:

• Draw Timer: The random timer during the draw phase prevents players from anticipating the exact moment to shoot.
• Crosshair Jiggling: During the shooting phase, the player's crosshair moves side to side to increase difficulty. The intensity of this jiggling is affected by the player's wound level - more wounds lead to stronger jiggling, making aiming more challenging.

Perks

Perks System

After each duel, the player may choose a perk that slightly changes the conditions of the next duel. There are six different perks available in the game, designed to make gameplay more diverse and engaging.

For example:

• One Hit – The next duel becomes a one-shot-only challenge. Instead of aiming accuracy, it tests the player's reflexes and reaction time.
• Survivor – Allows the player to survive an otherwise lethal hit. This perk can be extremely helpful if you're having an unlucky streak.

Perks were introduced to add variety and strategy between duels. While a few of them may still be slightly unbalanced, overall the system works as intended. Playtests show that players tend to use all of the perks at different times, depending on the situation, which indicates a healthy level of strategic diversity.

Brief description

The player interaction in this game is relatively simple, as the core game loop has been intentionally streamlined. There are essentially three main ways the player interacts with the game:

• Choosing a duelist skin – At the start of the game, the player selects the appearance of their duelist.
• Dueling – This includes aiming the crosshair and shooting at the right moment.
• Selecting perks – After each duel, the player makes a strategic decision on which perk to pick for the next round.

The goal behind the design was to create a fast-paced experience that can be played and understood in just a few minutes. Based on the current version, I believe this goal has been successfully achieved.

Interface revamp

The game was developed in a short timeframe - roughly two weeks - as part of a game development competition. Despite the limited time, I conducted a few playtests that significantly influenced the game's user interface.

During the first playtest, players were introduced to the interface. Based on their feedback, I made several improvements to make the in-game information clearer and more intuitive:

• Wound display: Originally shown as textboxes, wounds are now represented with images, making the system easier to read and more intuitive.

• Enemy ammo visibility: The enemy's remaining ammo is now shown on the interface, helping players better understand the duel status and make more informed decisions.

Overall, the interface remains simple but effectively communicates all necessary information: health, ammo, and wounds.

Perk system

The perk system was well received by players during playtests. The only major adjustments involved balancing a few of the perks.

• One example is the health-related perk. Initially, it simply granted extra health, but this was changed to the 'Survivor' perk, which allows the player to survive one otherwise lethal hit. This felt more rewarding and enjoyable than a flat health increase.

• Another change involved the increased ammo capacity perk. Originally, it gave the player 8 extra bullets, but in practice, players rarely used the full 16-bullet capacity. The perk was rebalanced to provide just 2 additional bullets instead, which made it more relevant and less excessive.

Other than these changes, the perk system was warmly welcomed and used frequently by players, adding a layer of strategic choice to each duel.