#prototype 3

I made another version of my PCB that uses BNO-Style PCBs (etc BNO085, 86 and 80. I used the official SlimeVR BNO layout for this, and wired up all of the connections myself. As this is compatible with both official SlimeVR BNO085 breakout boards and ones from Aliexpress.

Here is the extension, which sadly has to be 2 sided due to space constraints, which increases cost. It runs through a connector which I copied off of the official SlimeVR board.

After ordering and examining my design, I decided to swap around the extension connector and the IMU slot, as it increases the clearance for the battery JST connector.

This design ends up simplifying the traces too, so it's better overall. I also made a simple Extension board, inspired by the official SlimeVR extension board for BNO-Style slimes. It's a very simple design, designed with holes to fit in a case that I'd make if I had the time.

George helped me work in Fusion 360 a little to make a rounded screw insert in the bottom for use with trackstraps, which are leagues more comfortable from my experience than the cheap amazon straps I'm using currently. It was fairly easy to add the insert, as all I needed to do was make the bottom a face in Fusion, thicken it and then add how deep i wanted the insert. This took a while though and ended up frustrating both me and George.

Here is what the new case looks like on the bottom.

I also removed the wings, as I found them cumbersome when trying them with the new straps.

After taking some part schematics from other projects like I explained in the previous post, I got to making my own version of the PCB. The very first thing I did was make a new schematic, replacing the old AUX-IMU holes with a much cleaner 5 pin JST-ZH 1.5mm connector, which is the same connector the official SlimeVR trackers use to power, ground and receive information. This means that the cables are no longer hard soldered, increasing both reliability and repairability, as the cables can be immediately replaces and there is little to no chance of the soldering joint from coming off.

Here is a photo of my new schematic, I removed an optional jumper for skipping including diodes, as I believe charging protection is important and it was taking up valuable space ontop of the PCB.

When making the PCB, I wanted it to all be topside to use JLCPCB's economic part placement to save money, so I had to make all of the traces on the top side.

I first used EasyEDA's auto-routing to place down the traces, which finds the most efficient way to place all of the traces, but at cost to not placing them all.

Tt ended out like this for my first design, with the red lines being traces, grey being pads and blue lines are traces that need to be connected but are not.

I used inspiration from Alex for one of the connections and ran the other around the board for the resistor, which although not ideal, does not affect the signal of the connection, so it ends up fine. I ended up ordering that first design, and It has been a pleasure to build with since I got it, although I believe i may have made a mistake making this trace too close to the holes as there are charging issues on the current design, this is something that I can easily fix by moving the traces only slightly down.

I know utterly nothing about PCB design, so the first thing I did was look to see what software Alec Probst used, who is the person who made the PCB that was in prototype 2.

Alec used KiCAD, which is an open-source EDA (Electronic Design Automation software). It's main benefit is the customisability of being an open-source project. It ends up being a drawback too though, as KiCAD feels dated compared to some other EDA programs, and the UI is an utter mess. I struggled with KiCAD for a while, pretty much just staring at it until I could understand what is going on. The documentation wasn't much use at all, although I did read getting started in KiCad and a little into the schematic editor documentation.

Images of the KiCAD UI

Soon after just staring at Alec's design in KiCad and realising I am way out of my depth with the program, I started looking at an alternative, EasyEDA. Easy EDA is the software that the official SlimeVR team use, therefore I had a chance to look at their PCB designs and schematics as well as take some parts that I needed, as they are open-source. I found EasyEDA much easier to work with, as it comes with a long list of online schematics for parts that you don't need to manually import, and I had the chance to take a few designs from other people's open source SlimeVR projects, like the BNO-style connector on the official SlimeVR PCB, and Gorbit99's BMI-style connector for use on my project.

I spent alot of time staring at the schematic of Alec's PCB Before I decided to any edits to it, even importing it into EasyEDA as it has an option to import KiCAD projects.

Alec's PCB in EasyEDA

PCB design is separated into two parts, the schematic phase and the PCB building phase, both need eachother to work, as you can not design a PCB without them.

The schematic phase is laying out what components you need and how they connect onto a 2D surface. This is for the EDA to know what traces need to go to where. Here is an example of the official SlimeVR extension PCB schematic for example. It may look complicated, but all it's showing is that the named pins from the module connect to the connector (named CN2), with some going through C1 first before making their way to the module.

this is a picture of that same design in PCB form, which shows off how simple it really is. Red lines are on the top of the PCB, and blue lines are on the bottom, making this a 2 sided PCB.

Most EDA software has the ability to view the PCB in 3D, which shows what it would look like in person. Here is an example of that same PCB in 3D Looks like.

Prototype was the first game where I flat out started imagining and planning the plot for 3 since I knew it would never come out and I have to get the ideas out of my head after a full decade. This isn't all of it obviously, more the gameplay and basic storyline. I have way more ideas and go into more in-depth but I just want to get out the basics.

My idea for gameplay was instead of just having James Heller be the base form, instead bring back Alex Mercer and have them be stuck in the same body. Being the 'dominant' personalities, and have it that both of them focus on different aspects of the Blacklight virus. And then a third slot for the normal disguise.

Heller is the soldier, he's the combat guy, weapon guy. Having been trained as an actual soldier, he is better at full-on combat. The heavy hitter who's basically a juggernaut. He hits hard and his weapons do more damage at the cost of speed, but has more health and can use weapons better due to his training. Especially with his shields. He can actually make guns useful enough to use, and turn stuff into impromptu weapons, like tanks or helicopters. Lean into his juggernaut and have him have a special devastator where he upturns the ground with more tendrils and spikes than Alex ever could. Strength is his 'style' so to say.

Mercer on the other hand, is the scout, the people guy. He knows how to manipulate people, has spent months as other people and is perfect for stealth. He can wipe out an entire base without ever triggering the alarm, all though sneak attacks, consuming, patsies, and sabotages. That is to say he isn't defenceless, no he can output some heavy damage and still tear apart a tank, but he has less health and his attacks are faster. Lean into him knowing how to manipulate Tendrils even better than Heller could, and maybe bring back the Critical Pain devastator to emphasize precision for him. Precision is what his 'style' is.

Now you may think, "How is that possible? Heller killed and consumed Mercer and the rest of the virus at the end of 2?”

Simple!

PARIAH is still out there, and is said to be the 'Virus Incarnate', i.e he can do things no one else can. My thought was to have the prologue of the game be Heller investigating a abandoned Blackwatch base a few years in the future while having Dana as his mission control, with maybe even a small cameo by Maya who hacks into the comms to display that Dana's been teaching her some tricks to have her in the story.

Then PARIAH strikes, ambushing Heller and manipulating the virus in him to transform him into a mutated cocoon to take him out of commission, maybe declaring he wasn't 'ready' yet to make it more ominus and to establish how powerful he is.

Then after they both wake up, having a mental fight since obviously they hate each other but now have to work together and go out to find that PARIAH has completely taken over, maybe expanding beyond Manhattan, and into the New York proper. Here you can have a timeskip- maybe a few weeks, but I was personally thinking a full year, just to establish the stakes and allow other players to find out what happens.

From this then the story goes as it is, new nests, infected, hives, etc.

I had an idea than Rook actually goes on to be the guy who becomes the guy who manages to stall PARIAH, with a surprise turn that Dana is helping him as a sort of 'enemy mine' situation, not actually apart of Blackwatch, and still hates them, but acknowledges without a Heller or Mercer around the virus is too dangerous. (This is a BIG 'maybe', more throwing the idea out there with how much Dana hates them, absolutely might have her be sabotaging both) A neutral third party basically compared to Blackwatch and the Infected. Maya could then be the one who takes on the mission control too, catching up the two and directing them.

My big plot twist however, was at the end of the 'first act' or just before the end of 1/3 of the game, was to have a 'third base form' come out.

Elizabeth Greene!

Have it that PARIAH messing with them in the cocoon caused Greene's latent and subjugated personality be freed by them and come to the surface as the final base form. It'd even finally let her have some development and characterization as anything than just a roadblock and vague villain that shows up for like two scenes in 1.

Have Greene be the 'summoner', the mother and creator of the infected, so she can control and make them unlike the other. She can infect people, turn super soldiers into Hunter's or infected, turn regular people into infected, and be the one who just brings in numbers compared to the others. She can still use weapons like the rest, and has strength, but she's the weakest physically and relies on her attacks applying a stacking infection marker than turns people and infected to her side. Her devastator can even be the Pack Leader type that both Alex and Heller have displayed before, summoning Hunters, Jugernauts, or even Hydras. Numbers is what her 'style' is.

Not to mention the comedy that can come from the three/two having to share a body. Alex and James constantly insulting each other, Greene talking about them like children despite looking like a teenager, and the psychotic conversation they can have mid battle due to all of them being very very very unhinged.

Also the drama! After all, all three are enemies. They hate each other, despite being very similar to each other, they've literally all killed each other before. The tension and drama of being forced to share both a mind and body would allow for some great interaction! Maybe as an idea even have multiple endings where you can pick at the end who becomes the main personality- or none and the virus dies for good.

I even had a cool idea for side to the Web of Intrigue by having PARIAH's interference with them caused other personalities to come to the surface of the people they've consumed. Maybe have them be forced to give closure the the families of the ones they consumed, fulfill a last wish, or even just kill someone that the person really really hated- who coincidentally has become a apex infected now. It'd be a fun side mission that could also be sad.

This is scratching the surface, I had way more ideas that include all other aspects like the Evolved, consuming mechanics, lore, combo attacks, other locations, factions etc. The relationships between the characters, like how Dana would react to Alex being back, Maya and James, Greene and PARIAH. The running them of family and genetic connection of DNA vs non-tangible love, etc.

Oh, and I absolutely would've made Heller and Greene's codenames be Hades and Rhea. Missed the mark on theme naming, it works so well.

I just wanted to get this out of my head after years of daydreaming.

Alex Mercer and James Heller swap roles in Prototype 2. Alex is the playable character once again while Heller is the final boss. After Mercer consumes Heller, it’s revealed that Pariah empowered James.

In Prototype 3, it’s Pariah as the final boss. After Alex consumes Pariah, Alex becomes the final purpose of life on earth, as such he is genetically perfect in every way and can control his own adaptations, evolution, and personal physical age at will.