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Tower

(Sparkypants Studios) When I read the short story Tower of Babylon by Ted Chiang I was inspired to model a tower of my own. In his story he described people living on the tower spending their entire lives ferrying food, bricks, and mortar up to the next level where it is passed along. This sparked the idea of a game where the player would gather resources and combine them into materials to race upward toward the heavens constructing their own tower. To add challenge we put in "enemies". Bugs and plagues that would slow or stop the player's progress. At the beginning it was just me concepting and building. Then I was joined by Pranas who coded everything and made it a playable game. Then the game gained some traction, more people jumped on the project and morphed into a tower defense on a tower.

A 3D concept I made of the tower and surrounding lands. The idea was a minimalist clean look. The TOWER would be like a sliver rising from the flat lands around it.

A 3D concept I made of the tower and surrounding lands. The idea was a minimalist clean look. The TOWER would be like a sliver rising from the flat lands around it.

I mocked this up as a way the game might start at the base of the tower.

I mocked this up as a way the game might start at the base of the tower.

Here I wanted to demonstrate that different buildings would be attached to the tower to defend it, construct it, feed it, and power it. RTS like.

Here I wanted to demonstrate that different buildings would be attached to the tower to defend it, construct it, feed it, and power it. RTS like.

Another massing I made of the tower top.

Another massing I made of the tower top.

Here I did a paintover of the tower top showing a lightning attack, one of the many perils faced by the builders.

Here I did a paintover of the tower top showing a lightning attack, one of the many perils faced by the builders.

I modeled some simple builders in 3DS Max so that we could understand scale and show some expressions, reactions and work.

I modeled some simple builders in 3DS Max so that we could understand scale and show some expressions, reactions and work.

This image shows how I kept the characters simple and low poly but with clear silhouettes to differentiate types.

This image shows how I kept the characters simple and low poly but with clear silhouettes to differentiate types.

Playing with potential material changes and customization of the tower.

Playing with potential material changes and customization of the tower.

I did this rough sketch to visualize some of the gameplay elements.

I did this rough sketch to visualize some of the gameplay elements.

I drew this sketch of a floating island, an idea for a resource the builder could encounter as the tower rose.

I drew this sketch of a floating island, an idea for a resource the builder could encounter as the tower rose.

Here I was exploring a Minecraft type look.

Here I was exploring a Minecraft type look.

This was to show a cuter friendlier vibe to the game.

This was to show a cuter friendlier vibe to the game.

I modeled these piece for use in our unity prototype. We really wanted to see the worker pushing the blocks up the tower and into place.

I modeled these piece for use in our unity prototype. We really wanted to see the worker pushing the blocks up the tower and into place.

A view of the tower getting bigger while "bugs" attack from the sky.

A view of the tower getting bigger while "bugs" attack from the sky.

This video shows the unity proto in a state where bugs attack from below and fly down to the base to destroy the tower. The enemy turrets on the tower are how the player defends their construction.

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