the theme
AzTech is inspired by both Science Fiction in general and the Aztec culture. Back when the Aztecs were at the height of their power, they played a game called Ullamaliztli, a game so powerful in their culture the first thing they would build anytime they settled in a new area was a ball court. It was important for more than just entertainment: it had very deep ties in politics and religion.
AzTech is our science fiction interpretation of Ullamaliztli if the Aztecs hadn't died out, but instead became a highly advanced civilization. The beautiful part about putting the game in a science fiction setting is it lets us get away with whatever we want to expand on the game and make it even more exciting. |
the arena
We want AzTech to feel epic: while playing you're surrounded by the constant sound of the audience, heckling and cheering you on. You dodge traps and attack enemies all while being stared down by the giant robot Quetzalcoatl that has wrapped itself around the arena. Advertisements for the game and the products of the time line the walls. And as your opponent's score rises, the music gets more intense as you get closer and closer to your untimely fate.
It's that adrenaline rush we're after. When an environment feels real, the game feels real, and the more real we can get the game the better that rush will be. The most important step in getting that feel right is the arena itself: we can add crowds and ads, but if the arena itself doesn't feel rightly epic it's all just wasted effort. You can see our first pass at the Arena on the home page. |
The character
We wanted to go with a character that would look like she really belonged in the Arena, and the artists really wanted a female lead. So we did our research, examining athletic body types, traditional Aztec designs, and lots of science fiction. After seemingly endless iterations, we finally settled on this concept.
The Aztec warriors would traditionally dress themselves with a specific animal motif to try and absorb that animal's power. We figured the main character should therefore have an animal motif that would reflect the sport she was participating in. We ultimately went with an eagle: they're fast, fierce, and an our heroine would want to be able to jump really well - so an Eagle was about the closest animal we could pick that represented all the traits our character would need to survive. Eagles also have that epic factor: think the Bald Eagle or the Legend of Zelda logo. The wings just look good, and make it feel more like a theme than an animal. |
The Ads
We've just started working on the advertisements in game, but we already have several concepts up. Our goal is to use advertisements not only to show off the theme even more (every day dress and products) but also to help subtly tell the story of the world the character lives in, and the reason for the game she's staking her life on without needless dialog or RPG elements that both wouldn't make sense and are way out of the scope for our game. Along with the crowd, the advertising can really turn the game into a professional, real sport.
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The traps
A futuristic Aztec death sport wouldn't be much fun without a little danger. That's where the traps come in: their purpose is to not only require the players stay on their toes, but also provide the other player some area control. By stepping on switches littered through the arena, the players can rotate certain sections of the field: letting them cut other players off on their way to the goal. To that end our traps are focused on areas: Retracting spikes, moving saw blades, and rotating axes.
If a player comes into contact with any one trap, they'll drop the ball (if they have it) and take damage. Too many hits and you meet an early grave. |