PPD2- Characters dev cont'd

In terms of the characters within the game and how they will play, i have listed a selection of animations and movements that will be achievable to create within the next 3 months of the development cycle.

· Walk
· Run
· Combat Roll/ dash (forward, sideways)
· Jump (all directions)
· Attack (melee)
· Attack (magic)
· Defend/ guard
· Idle animation
· Primary weapon draw (back)
· Secondary weapon draw (hip)
· Aim/ target
· Change weapon
· Change inventory item
· Climbing? (ladder, obstacles, up and down movement)
· Use (environment interaction)
· Sustain Damage
· Stunned
· Critical health
· Die 

These will form the basis for the control system. though the testing will probably be done using a keyboard configeration (w,a,s,d- forwards, left backwards, right), i hope we can optimise the game to be used with a microsoft controller. i see the button configeration as such.

1. Guard/Block, parry
2. Target locking (release to lock)
3. Attack/pressure sensitive
4. Weapon selection
5. Character Movement –including push in to crouch (hold to crawl)
6.  D pad Item pouch (quick select) (Up/Down) red health potion /blue mana potion (left right) quick travel to town/ food (energy)
7. X cast magic, menu navigation/confirmation, Y Talk,  B Environmental interaction/pick up item, A jump
8.  Map/options menu
9. Game Pause
10.  Quick dodge/ dash, combat roll

PPD2- character development

Looking at the research and the visual stylings prefered by those who i asked,  i generated a selection of characters. My main idea for the story of the character would be a classic tail of redemption. The male character-
Damius is a somewhat unwilling hero. Brooding and grumpy, he has been forced to give a self destructive life of  drinking, womanising, and fighting for a new found apprenticeship with a man that he hadn't seen since receiving the news of his fathers demise. In truth, Damius is a tragic character, living with the trauma of losing his wife and child due to the warrior way of his race. For that reason, he wasn’t their to protect his family because of his honour bound duty to answer the challenge of a duel. Wracked with guilt, Damius will try to give up his unscrupulous life style to fulfil his destiny. 

 In addition to Damius, i wanted to create a female character for the game that mirrors Damius' agenda and character.

Leeta is also apprenticed to become an elite guard, but her alliance is with Devian, a darker figure than Rutger, that charges her to sabotage Damius’ training and improve her chances of attaining the prestigious accolade of Elite. She is street smart, very fast , and athletic though not as strong as Damius.

Her sister Tashira ( whom trained under Damius’ father) is a high ranking military officer, that taught her at a young age how to fight and survive. However when she was orphaned while still a child, she was taken to a home for foundlings, and sold on to mercenary group. 

I also wanted an aspect of scale, where the villains are much larger than the player characters. Main player characters Damius and Leeta in alternate costumes from what i had originally conceived for the proposal doc i gave to everyone involved, as well as non player characters. Master Rutger is wearing his military uniform, this was suggested to me by someone involved in the game development and so i did and am happy with the result (he does have 2 hands really, just forgot to finish it).

The new faces are Amadorn (far right) who is an Elite guard like Rutger. He was apprentised to Salaxus, and has seen his own apprentise, Nomad become an Elite as well. Scarius (far left) is husband to Anya Garrasus (Rutgers daughter) and once Damius' best friend. However through the course of the trials to be an Elite guard, Scarius and Damius have become rivals for the accolade and Anyas affections...

PPD2- GAME DOCUMENT CONTINUED

I intend to put the idea of creating the game forward to students i have worked with during the final year of my university course. With the project commencing over the summer to create demo of the game, similar to a 3 month period in which we created a game for the university module- game design. With this in mind i will focus on what i want to specialize in, character design (concepts, and 3d modelling.) I expect that the other artists involved will want to put there own creative stamp on the project, and so will focus on the characters primarily in this document, and simply outline the props, weapons and environments.

I asked other students and friends what they want to see in a character for this genre of game. the results were in conclusive.

I printed out this image with some established game characters on it for guidance as to the preferred player character they would like to see. I also added that they should not look at the character in relation to the game it comes from, but the concept alone. The resounding choices of male characters were primarily the Japanese role playing game style character with 8 votes, as well as the mysterious hooded assassin. Male protagonists were much more popular than females, however the scantily clad mature female character was a favourite among the 5 females.

Target Audience

After my initial research period was over, we had to find out more about our target audience’s taste for third person and first person action adventure games.  More in depth questionnaires were produced and the responses collected from the 25 persons asked in the previous questionaire.

40% of the respondents preferred a Japanese anime style to their games visual style but also another 40% liked a main character to be mysterious . With such high percentages within both areas this will be the main theme and style running through Apocalypse fantasia where each of the characters are not who they first seem to be.

Another question was asked to find out what players hated about FPS games this showed that 25% of respondents hated a short campaign mode followed by 14% saying they hated the lack of variety in levels.  These are two areas we will concentrate on so that our game has not only replay value but also each storyline will be a different experience.

The same question was asked about 3rd person games. 17% of people that replied said that they were too easy to complete.  We can address this by having the player come up against increasingly harder and harder opponents as well as having them swarm the playing in later levels.  Also we will include a harder than normal difficult mode that is unlocked once the game has been completed once.  Another high results was that 16% of people found camera angles annoying when playing a 3rd person game.  We will address this issue by having the camera directly under the players control.

A third question was posed to find out what people liked about FPS and 3rd person games.  16% of respondents said they really like them when these games have varied environments.  Next a surprising result for us was that 14% liked to see the games have a multiplayer online experience closely followed by 13% wanting co op play.  These two elements will be added to the game which will prolong its gameplay and increase its replay value.

PPD2- Game design document

Over the course of the last few years at college and university I have come to want to, more than anything, make/produce my own game. In previous posts i have looked at how/where to look for jobs in the established games industry, but my exit plan is solely focused on an independant project based on a favourite game genre of mine, the dungeon crawler. 

I have titled the project, Apocalypse Fantasia, it is simply the working title.

The concept of the game is for a single player game, where the player can choose between two between characters. A heavy hitting male tank, Damius or a quick agile female, Leeta. The mission primary giver will be a mentor character, Rutger.

Genre

Fantasy, Anime, Manga Style

Game Type

Top down, 3rd Person Action Adventure

Art Style and Visuals Themes

· Drawing references from Devil may cry, MGS series, Fable, Elder Scrolls

· Influences from Lord of the Rings,  Berserk,  Star Wars

· Tudor type architecture, walled town, fantasy castle, tavern interiors .

· Dungeon environments (Basements, sewers, tombs, vault, prison, demon womb).

Audience

8+ Males

Target Platform

Download– steam, ios

Key Features

Character Customisation with stat and Character altering effects.

Rich and varied environments with random encounters.

Character dependent storyline.

Multiple paths depending on player choices.

Secret and unlockable Characters.

Secret areas unlocked once the game is completed.

                               Game Overview

• Explore town, locate key figures, quest hubs, and mission locations
• Survive the first fight and acquire a sword and armour.
• Accidentally find entrance to sewers/ thieves hideout.
• Return to Mentor and learn new skills.
• Explore town, gather missions choose allegiances
• Missions will be offered by the local merchants, as well as the Town guards and Thieves guild. These will create karma style reactions from people.
• Several distinctive areas will each have boss characters supported by minions, as well as unique weapons, armour and magical items (housed on plinths or in shrines) with statistic boosting qualities.
• Primarily text based story that can be followed by player if they want or alternately instant action will allow solely mission based continuity
• Additional game play upon completing the main campaign.
• Game locations will be internal (within walled city, rooms, courtyards) due to modelling limitations.

 

Dungeon crawling

The game will be set within a contained area of a walled town centre with shops and characters that will have information on hidden areas or entire missions which involve exploring certain areas or simply retrieving a certain item. Game play will consist of statistic boosting role playing and may expand to involve elements of item crafting. Two player characters will be available allowing player to choose slower combatant (male) that does high damage, or faster combatant with multiple lighter attacks (female). This will also allow the player to continue if one PC perishes within the dungeon.

• The dungeon will have 5 entrance points, each will allow access to more difficult areas for higher level player characters.
• These will form as short cuts to each of 5 areas, covering 20+ levels.
• To proceed through the levels male PC will have to choose type of armour to become proficient in as well as weapon type from small, medium, and large swords, hammers, and axes.
• To proceed through the levels female PC will have to choose type of armour to become proficient in as well as weapon type from small, medium, and large swords, spears, and axes.
• The weapons can be upgraded with unique item sets, that can be collected from the various levels.  This will upgrade the Characters combat ability.
• Ending will vary on karma based choices throughout the game.

Initial story structure

 

Characters

Main

• · Damius– player character
• · Leeta– player character

Non player characters

• · Rutger– tutorial mentor/ skill master
• · Marsh– food/ drink + missions
• · Taros– Information/ items sell+ buy
• · Marius 2nd– weapons/ armour
• · Julius– Thieves guild master
• · Anya– Fighters guild master
• · Morgan– Magic/ potions

Town folk

• · Town guard
• · Male commoner
• · Lady aristocrats
• · Barmaids

Enemies

• · Thieves/ rogues
• · Giant rats
• · Spiders
• · Boss rogue
• Undead skeletons/zombies