Game Concept: First Pass

Game Concept: First Pass

With the end of the semester looming overhead, it would be best to consider the outcomes of the current progress of this project and come to a conclusion of what should be carried through to the final project. To ground my current idea, and briefly state my overall intentions of my project, below you will find my learning agreement, stating my rationale and key reasons for research.

Learning Agreement:

In light of the events past, due to having to allow time for writing opposed to the practical design of the project I realised that the overall aesthetic and gameplay are somewhat diminished, so with this conclusion I am aware that timescale will need to be managed appropriately.

But all that being said, I have managed to create an intertwined system, where objects used within the world all respond with appropriate feedback in order for the player to know that their actions have been noticed by the game.

A few examples found in the video:

The use of switches that have corresponding operational objects (powered doors / retracting ladders), from the same book mentioned below it also states on Pg.22 - Player Empathy, that a good designer always has an idea of what is going on in the player's head, and by doing so we can anticipate what the player is going to do, similar to how I have laid out the switch particularly close to the ladder that activates it - and it is these sort of elements that go unnoticed but we use them to enhance the players ability to do things without neccessarily questioning the design , to enhance this further on Pg.23 - Feedback it goes onto mention that most interactions between a player and a game come down to cause and effect, the player or game does something an in effect something else happens - from player/enemy damage, collection of objects, scores or using levels objects to operate others.

It is also mentioned that the "answer" for these interactions can take many forms, but mainly is a combination of these select forms:

• Visual / Aural Feedback
• Positive / Negative Feedback

But there must be some feedback. Similar to my auto retracting ladders or self-opening doors. 

Minor use of UI elements that update depending on the state of object/goal located within the level (Pause Menu/ Objective/ Loading Screen) - my main reasons for choosing to create these basic subsystems where due to the book (Game Design: The Art and Business of Creating Games) that I highlighted in my First post (Link Below), where it goes onto state Pg.30 - Housekeeping that there a few activities that the player should be able to perform at any given time, and if done with enough grace, it goes unnoticed, but the player will subconsciously appreciate it, which in turn follows my newly revised learning agreement, that being to find the fundamental ways to create positive player engagement, be it in the form of creating systems for appreciation (UI menus), aesthetic (Levels), or purpose (ladders). 

https://awinbow.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/systems-ready

The pause menu for instance, if you are within the level hub you will actually fully quit the game, whereas within the sublevels you are pushed back into the level HUB.

Along with these systems, I have also managed to create a selection of assets that may create an overarching them for my project, currently a Tron-like concept, where the player will eventually go up against computer viruses, collect bytes as currency and have additional movement/level transition options (grind rails, teleport beacons, taxis, interface options or level streaming)
 

A few possible goals for the semester ahead:

Continue with the development of the rewards systems - with the intention creating a save system that will collect the player's progress throughout the game.

Create dynamic movement controls - in order to create dynamic level spaces for hiding collectables (such as crouch-able spaces, attacking states (shooting/throwing/environmental), swimmable volumes, simple climbing, flying?)

Create a set of unlockable levels - with dynamic level difficulty (in the form of larger levels, diverse puzzles and dynamic companion blueprints - doors & switches as an example) 

Possible Dynamic AI - That could respond to certain in level objectives/procedures (Merchant / Friendly NPC / Enemy NPC's with various skills and stats / Quest Giver?)

MUST DO's:

• Save / Load interface
• Help Interface
• Interlevel Communication - Collecting objects in levels, which can be turned into other objects within the HUB.
• Additional Hazards - Environmental / Traps / Alpha Enemies
• Level / World Boss    
• UI elements for collectable objects
• HUB level overall progress & Sub Level Progress