Rob Storm- Design
Austin Roush- Progammer http://www.AustinRoush.com
Jonathan Brewer- Art
Alan Horst- Programmer
Todd Choryan- Sound
Brian Marrant- Tech

Special Thanks to
Joe Linhoff and Scott Roberts...

...without them, this game would not have gotten off the ground.

Tim Coman of Day 1 Studios
Jim McGinnis of Activision Games

Goliath is a 2.5D platformer in which the player must scale and destroy massive walking battle tanks, known as "goliaths," using only a grappling hook.

Located all over the goliath are a number of different "weak points." If a player manages to get close enough to a weak point, he can shoot and destroy it using the grappling hook fire. Destroying weak points will blow off armor pieces from the goliath until it is destroyed.

The fun factor in Goliath comes from the deep grappling and physics system. Players can aim their grappling hook reticule using the mouse and can then fire it at different spots on the goliath (marked in red) in order to attach to it. Once attached, the player can swing back and forth and then release in order to make huge leaps.

It is important to note than when the player is standing on or grappled to the goliath, because of the physics implemented, he will gain momentum as the goliath moves its limbs or walks. This is where players can really experiment and try to push the game to its limits...

For example:

If the player were to attach to the foot of the goliath and then wait to start swinging until the goliath takes a step, he can accumulate a huge amount of momentum and then launch all the way to the other side of the beast. Because of this physics system, players can find new strategies to defeat the goliath based on how it moves. (see the beginning of the trailer for an example of this!)

Goliath was a senior capstone project for my bachelor's degree in computer game development at DePaul University.

It was developed on the OpenGL based QE, a platform created by Professor Joseph Linhoff of DePaul.

I was the designer and team leader for Goliath, but also had other roles and contributions. I programmed much of how the player moves and interacts with the goliath. This includes the physics system that allows the player play to gain momentum or keep inertia while standing on or grappling to the goliath. I also 3d modeled many of the armor pieces (while overseeing art design) and did the music for the game.

Goliath was a very special project to me because of its design. It is a game where aspects like the art and the physics have to truly be integrated and considerate of one another in order to make a fun gameplay experience. This is because the "level" the player is conquering is actually a walking creature. Therefore the design, visual look, and movement of that creature will greatly influence how the game is played.

Nothing in the design of Goliath is just "for show." As the team leader, it was important for me to communicate this idea to my team members to ensure that all the pieces of the puzzles fit. It saw hours of experimenting with each of our group members developing their own techniques (like armor riding) to win. In the end, I was very excited with how fun the final product really was.