Initially, this construct was designed to fire a single powerful cannonball shot. Theoretically, this would combat the ranged Archerfish enemy and temporarily prevent flanking close-quarters enemies from attacking the player.

However, playtesting revealed that the ability's low damage and small size made it hard to justify using within a melee-focused combat toolset, especially considering its slow windup period. To remedy this, the ability's functionality and purpose were altered. I created a version of the cannon that fires a burst of three cannonballs straight into the air, eventually causing a delayed area-of-effect barrage. In this iteration, the cannon is used as a tool to keep nearby enemies from attacking and maximize total outgoing damage-per-second.

In all iterations, this construct acts as a substantially damaging heavy attack, offset by its slow windup and limited range of effect. This attack also causes most enemies to become immediately stunned, allowing for the player to momentarily follow up with a flurry of additional attacks without retribution. 

The final version of the hammer didn’t change too much from its earlier counterpart. However, in playtesting, we realized that the need for rapid and evasive movement during combat made the ability hard to aim. One of my peers on the project had already overcome a similar problem by creating an automatic lock-on rotation system for the player’s basic attacks. By working with him to adapt said logic to the Hammer, using the ability became much more consistent and satisfying. 

This construct allows the player to pull themselves to an enemy’s position and damage them on arrival. Initially, the hookshot was meant to mitigate the slower movement speed of Swarm Mode. However, once the project direction shifted, it was moved to be an exclusive tool of Solo Mode, for it was more effective at emphasizing the combat style's fantasy of being extremely mobile.

The process of creating the ideal control scheme for this ability was a persistent matter of trial and error. The hookshot was initially designed to automatically select a target. However, we wanted users to have more deliberate control over the ability. I added the logic for players to manually select a target if they held down the ability's command.

My initial implementation forced the player to awkwardly toggle between targets in an arbitrary list. After considering this design's issues, especially with a gamepad control scheme, I quickly worked on creating an improved version. The new system allows the player to directly aim their joystick or mouse towards a target, locking them in-place to prevent movement from interfering. A visual indicator above the currently designated target was also added to make this interaction clearer.

The shield was the single new construct added to the Swarm Mode's ability kit after the project's combat direction shifted, taking the place of Hookshot. (Another one of my peers took on the responsibility of developing the other two new constructs.)

In its earliest version, the shield construct was meant to be a "bubble-shield" defensive tool one could utilize to further play into the Swarm Mode's defensive nature. However, since Swarm Mode already granted the player temporary defenses, the shield had little practical usefulness. 

The final iteration of the construct was designed to fill a wholly unique niche while retaining a similar theme. The new shield offers the same protection as before but now releases a damaging sword counterattack on release, with the damage of the strike ramping up based on the amount of damage blocked. This new offensive capability not only added an enticing incentive to use the construct but also proved to be a particularly strong tool against hard-hitting enemies like the Shark and Swordfish. 

In addition to being a resource for summoning constructs, Krill Meter initially acted as an additional health supply for the player while in Swarm Mode. However, since playtesters often stated that this mechanic didn’t synergize well with gameplay in Swarm Mode, the interaction was removed. I further explored the concept of Swarm Mode having some means of additional protection by implementing the Passive Shield mechanic.

I assisted with the UI implementations of these systems, adding occasional aesthetic improvements, bug fixes, and new minor features throughout the project's lifecycle.

Inspired by features common to the character-action genre, I successfully pitched the idea to add a combo score meter to the project. In its first form, the combo meter directly effected combat gameplay. Upon reaching the maximum combo rank, named Overkrill, the player would enter a temporary frenzy with enhanced combat benefits. Afterwards, the player's combo would be completely reset.

We received feedback that this mechanic was too cumbersome and ineffective in standard play. Because of this, the concept of Overkrill was detached from the combo system and implemented as a standalone "rage-like" resource. In this updated version, Overkrill would generate progress that didn't deteriorate over time, allowing the player to freely activate it once fully built up by directly engaging in combat. This created a more standardized rhythm between traditional and overpowered combat that added significantly to the overall game experience. The combo system, in this revised form, became an arbitrary performance metric and source of flavor for the project.

I was partially responsible for implementing and maintaining the UI element functionality for both the combo system and Overkrill system. I created the initial prototype of the combo meter; my team eventually replaced this with a more aesthetically appealing and functionally stable counterpart.