The thesis project concept that I will be pursuing is a strategy RPG based in Unity, with a hex-based grid system. Alongside this, I will be creating a strategy board game that will be connecting to the Unity game, likely through an arduino. The idea is that there will be an idea for the two games to interact. Both will use the same rulesets, so the game will be the same. The game pieces will be hand-made by me, and the board will likely be made using a CNC machine. The board will have interchangeable tiles, to represent the different maps that will be available in the unity game. Additionally, the tiles will be able to arranged in a custom manner. This idea was inspired by my general appreciation of strategy games. I have been interested in making a strategy RPG since high school, but I never had anywhere near the technical know-how, or the knowledge of game design.  I have learned a lot since then, so this project is now feasible, even though there are still things that I need to learn in order for this to be possible. 

The entire concept of the project manages to tie together two things that I’m very interested in – game design and development, and woodworking.  I will be turning the physical game pieces on the lathe, and making the physical board with a CNC machine. The digital game portion will be designed and made in the Unity engine. This means  that I will need to be able to create and recreate designs on the lathe, in order to make pieces that are true to their design. This is something that I‘m not really used to doing, as I focus on creating unique designs every time. Additionally, the Unity game will require making UI and AI, two things that I’m not particularly good at, so this will be a good way for me to expand those skills. I have also never made a grid-based game in unity before, so it will be good for me to explore that unfamiliar territory.  

This project will be treading new ground because it’s a very different take on the toys-to-life genre that was popular a while ago. In a way, it will be the reverse of the genre. The board game will be based on the digital game. The two will interact via the arduino.  It will most use lights to show the position and ranges of the pieces on the board. The combination of these two different aspects will help the project stand out, and break some new ground.