Proposed Puzzles

After being tasked with making a few example puzzles, here are the puzzles that i have concocted as of now:

Easy Puzzles :-

This one is rather messy but the concept of it still kinda shows. The White line represents the path the player takes

Easy Puzzle 2

This one is much clearer and shows all of the steps at the same time. The white arrows represent the player’s movement. Here we can see clearly how the player traverses through the environment.

Easy Puzzle 3

These next images represent a step by step process: The Hero Enters the Area

Player places box onto the platform

Places light in order to set out shadows

Uses Shadows to beat Area

Easy Puzzle 4

Example of a puzzle not involving the player using lights, but using the ambient lights themselves. Along with the use of transforming.

Medium Puzzle :-

This is an example of how a medium puzzle will be formed. The player will have to interact with the stage and time movements in order to beat the area. A more detailed one may be provided later.

Finalized Colour Pallete

Finally, a colour pallete for our game. We decided more on a darker type of game and were rather impressed with the art provided by our Artist. Finally, here it is:

The Center strip is the actual light colours for the flares/light sources. The rest of it are the environmental and and shadows. We have been tasked with making different types of puzzles for the game, in hopes of creating adequate puzzles for the player to overcome.

Concept Art – Fighting the Shadow

An Example of how the shadows will be played with – this time showing the shadow of a teddy bear and a small spider suddenly become a monstrous threat.

Concept Art – VERY EARLY

Some Concept Art I put up about a few of the mechanics – Features small animals as monsters in the shadows.

The New Shadow: Possible Colour Pallete

his week we finally finalized our game and its core game mechanic. The details will be inscribed on the main wordpress blog itself. Each team member has been placed to do certain tasks but one that we have all been given is a color pallete. Each member is to give their own versions of the color pallet and then meet up and decide on which is best or mix and max.

The First is the Shadow Pallete:

The First row represents the normal shades the basic shades the shadows will take. Some will be noticeably darker than others while others will be rather light.

The Second and Third rows represent the shadows next to backgrounds, say a wall for example. As the player would be able to move into the shadow I figure that the path the player will be able to see will be darkened and match the wall. I went for a much duller color look, allowing the player to visibly see the different between the two modes and not get mixed up.

This is the Light Pallet:

Here I tried to go for full colors and depending on the actual locations of the character (confines of rooms and corridors, streets surrounded by buildings etc) the color pallet I figured would have to be much fuller than its shadow alternative.

These are my color pallets as of now, I have also been tasked with attempting an representation of the game. More on that in a later post

The Old Shadow

After an intense debate on ‘What is our game actually going to do’, we have devised an ‘upgraded’ version of our game plan and finally have found a core game mechanic. The Original Game concept I had was similar to this:

Although both screen are being shown, only one was to be shown at the same time. Just to make things easier, both screens are being shown. The Top one representing the light world and the bottom the dark world:

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A World of People and Shadows

First Update:

Although our start was slow, we’ve begun to start working on our actual game topic: One that involves the connection between one and their shadows. Here is the basic idea of the game:

What can a man do without its shadow? The Shadow is more than just a projected image but actually a part of the man itself. Without the shadow the man is no longer whole, the man no longer is himself nor does he know who he is. The shadow holds his memories and give him insight into the world. One man has been torn from his own shadow and seeks to reunite with it, unbeknowest that the shadow itself is also trying to find its master. A man trying to escape the city of his captors while trying to rediscover himself while the shadow fights through the dark machinations the city holds within.

To further make this even more simplistic, the game involves the hero who is trying to escape the city to reunite with his own shadow, who is simultaneously also trying to escape.

That is the basic story, although not finalized but in this week all of the team members have been assigned to do their own versions of the game mechanics as each member had a different view of how the game would work. In that regard, this update will be referring to my version of the game entirely:

Game:

Game will be divided essentially into two different modes : Light and Shadow

The Light mode will feature more of a puzzle solving game where the player will move objects onto platforms, press switches in the correct order and time their movements in order to get past safely. The light mode also is required to collect ‘memories’ which allow the shadow alternative to gain new abilities in order to get past certain areas.

The Shadow mode will feature a more combative nature where the shadow has to fend off and destroy other shadow creatures that threaten to destroy it. Once a creature has been destroyed, the light character then gains a bit of enlightenment and has an epiphany – unlocking or revealing a new way to continue.

Both modes actually interact with each other but in significantly different ways:

The Light mode may move objects in their environment, which systematically moves the objects in the shadow realm as well. Should light be shining in the shadow realm’s world, the light hero can move a block over where the origin of the light is and block it out.

The shadow realm features more of an illusive and strange nature where gravity, weight, momentum and substance have a bendable reality. The Shadow hero can move past any object but cannot interact with anything but objects that appear as a shadow. The shadow is easily destroyed by strong light however the shadow is the more combative alternative. As the shadow destroys enemies they drop bits of light which the shadow needs to collect. These lights restore bits of the light character together and therefore ‘reveals’ to the light character what he really sees.

Collectables:

There are collectables on both sides; each aiding the opposite versions of themselves.

Light side unlocks new paths to the shadow by allowing more abilities to the shadow self. Etc : Shadow initially cannot pass through other shadows, gathering a memory unlocks this and unlocks the next path in doing so.

Shadow side is more of an simple collectable, simply unlocking the way for the light side to progress. A wall may be blocking the way of the light side, but the shadow side’s alternate world does not possess a wall. Defeating the enemy gives the shadow the ability to communicate to the light side, revealing that there is no wall at all. Etc unlocking the way.

Game Play:

The player will control both heroes with only two buttons – Jump and Interact.

The Light side literally jumps and depending on where he stands or if he is next to an object he can interact with it (etc button, block)

The Shadow Side can also jump, this also allows the shadow to pass through walls by jumping through them. The shadow side’s interaction however is all combat based. Combinations of jumping and interacting will make different moves etc

Castaway : Introduction to Game

This is my own-created poster for the game

Castaway: The Game

Robinson Crusoe and Castaway, both are stories of a man being stranded on an uncharted island and both leaving a clear message for those read or watch them, yet none have been made into a game. Castaway focused on tragic loss, appreciating everything you have, living each day as if it was your last and to a small degree, the effects of isolation. Robinson Crusoe focused more on discovery and return, discovering more about one’s self and returning from the journey whole. A core and clear message that both give to their viewers however is that life is precious and hope is never lost. Each story leave the viewers or readers feeling good and feel that they should get out and live life to their fullest, but none of these stories have inspired anyone to be made into a game.

The reason why though, is that in order to make a game about it – the story and the core message of both stories’ ‘essence’ has to be maintained. Both the book Robinson Crusoe and the movie Castaway was trying to give the message of appreciate everything you have, balance your life with work and life is precious. These messages need to be maintained in order to keep the essence of the film pure. This in a gaming format however would be rather difficult, especially if it was based on the film itself. Andrew Rollings described games as “One or more causally linked series of challenges in a simulated environment.” (Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design Chapter 7: Game-play 2003). Although the movie could have been made into a form of ‘arcade’ game with several mini-games for hunting, fishing or any similar tasks, it wouldn’t do the film justice. In both stories, the readers/viewers are supposed to feel sorry for the protagonist or want him to escape the island alive. This cannot be achieved in this manner, the message of both stories is completely lost but a game about just the story would not suffice either.

In both tales, the protagonist doesn’t have much of an adventure, as the story just deals with how the protagonists survived on their own on the island. Taking Joseph Campbell’s monomyth ‘The Hero’s Journey’(Hero with a Thousand Faces 1949) , the protagonist, in terms of the movie Castaway, doesn’t deal with much its content. This is because the ‘hero’ was a device in order to portray the book and film’s essence and message, rather than the personal journey of the hero itself. A game could be described as having “four of the fundamental game attributes … representation, interaction, conflict, and safety.” (The Art of Game Design 1982). Chris Crawford summarised that games, video games in particular, of all having these four fundamental attributes within each successful game in one way or another. If Castaway was to lack specifically in an area it would be conflict, which a vast majority of games have in one form or another. Although the conflict the protagonist faces is against nature, it isn’t enough as, in the story; the protagonist is almost the only character in the story with no real antagonist to challenge him.

This however doesn’t make a game based on both of these stories impossible, but rather the game has to focus on certain aspects of both stories rather than just the tale itself. Greg Costikyan, on the continuum between stories and games, claims that “…designers should use story elements to strengthen their games when appropriate – but should not be afraid to shy away from the story entirely, at times…” (Costikyan, G 2000). As both stories are portraying a lasting message, the story will be used as a mean on portraying that message. The story element that would enhance the game will be the psychological effects of isolation, in this way the message of both stories are able to be portrayed.  This allows the player to explore through their avatar’s life before the island and understand, to a degree, on what the avatar has lost and experienced.

The player, looking through the eyes of the character, will have to make the avatar do things in order to survive, such as hunting, fishing, foraging and making a safe camp. As the player searches for supplies, such as food or wood for a shelter, the avatar will reminiscence on all the things he had before and particular memories that he holds dear. This will allow the player to become more immersed into the game and in turn feel the avatar is the player him/herself (Bartle, R A 2003). The player will also have to ‘train’ their avatar in order to survive; eventually the avatar will gain skills which will allow access to better food, supplies and protection. The player will actually ‘train’ the avatar by achieving tasks such as fishing with a spear. The more the player fishes with a spear, the more better the avatar becomes at it and this will be visible throughout the game by making use of the fact that the player is looking through the avatar’s eyes. For example, in terms of fishing the player with nearly no experience at fishing would only see the avatar draw the spear and throw; however a player who has trained their avatar will see the avatar’s hand drawn in front of them to help in aiming. Becoming adept at certain activities will allow the player to achieve more impressive tasks, as in hunting for boars have the prerequisites of spearing and running. This will be the initial actions the player must undertake in order to achieve the immediate goal: surviving.

The game itself will be an open-world, allowing the player to explore wherever they will. However that would be unwise. This is due to the fact that the island will become more like a jungle the deeper the player explores, featuring all forms of wildlife including snakes, gorillas and panthers while the outskirts will be filled with crabs and sea-life. Exploring the island however is required for the player to progress through the avatar’s mind, each new thing the player encounters trigger is a new memory for the player to explore. The player can also do actions as befriending or farming animals like pigs and cats, some with their benefits and other without.  Also finding items from the crash will upgrade the avatar’s abilities in one area or unlock a new ability all together, for example if the player discovers a torch the player is capable to exploring deep caves and making camp in them.

This however comes hand in hand with the psychological effects of isolation and these effects will begin to warp those acquired memories, adding to the main feature of the game. The player will experience their avatar’s descent into madness and how they perceive the world in their own minds. This will dramatically change the game from a simple survival game into a horror-mystery as the player will begin to experience hallucinations and delusions that the avatar will experience, without the player’s knowledge. Things will begin to shift at the corner of the screen, objects the player had set up will suddenly become something else or not there all together. People will begin to appear, seemingly survivors of the crash, but only a figment of the avatar’s mind. This psychological effect will become a main game feature as it is how the player will begin to explore the avatar’s past.

This psychotic effect will also become a gateway for which the player visits the avatar’s memories and therefore progresses through the game. The avatar’s memories are actually the storyline, the gathering of materials/food/making equipment are just a means to access these memories.  The memories are actually the goal of the character, the reward and “You almost cannot reward the player enough” (Sid Meier, as in, Graft, K 2010, GDC: Sid Meier’s Lessons on Gamer Psychology). Eventually the memories to culminate onto the avatar’s point of ‘enlightenment’ and the reason his flight crashed. This mystery is the true goal of the game, as it deals directly with the concept of loss and enjoying life. Each memory however would be things that seem trivial to us, but so much more to the avatar such as shopping at the mall with his wife, complaining about going to a dinner party or even just sitting on a bus.

As the game progresses however, the memories become less trivial and much more personal. The avatar will begin to go into depression, his memories becoming more of what he lost and more to why he was on that flight. As he descends into madness, so does his memories begin to change. At first they are colourful and happy memories but as the game progresses they begin to darken, become grayer. The island, in the eyes of the avatar, will become visibly less colourful and darker. Eventually the avatar will begin to see things and perceive them as something else, such as large rocks as cupboards and trees as light posts, as he becomes more and more driven by despair and madness.

The player will originally perceive the player as a tragic figure, having lost his family and friends due to the crash but this however is changed as the game progresses. Eventually the player will begin to witness a great deal of the ‘appalling’ things the hero has done and how those actions brought him on the plane in the first place. The people that the avatar imagines that exists are revealed to be ‘ghosts’ of the avatar’s past evils. Ultimately, the memories will reveal how the avatar was the cause of the plane’s crash and will finally see the avatar fall into despair wishes for redemption. This however will be decided on how the player treated each memory and actions within the island, such as befriending feral cats to catch rats to hunting the mother pig or their young.

In order to maintain the message that Castaway and Robinson Crusoe were trying to portray while still making the game interesting enough for a player to explore, this kind of treatment is necessary. By exploring the extremes of the psychological effects of forced isolation, the player will then gain from the avatar’s experiences their loss and despair. As the player views the world through the avatar’s life and his struggle to survive, the player will see the message of the game as well as the stories. In this way, the essences of both tales are given form within a gaming format.

References:

Crawford, C 1982, The Art of Computer Game Design

Rollings, A and Adams, E 2003, Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design, Chapter 7: Gameplay

Campbell, J 1949, The Hero with a thousand face, United States

Daniel, D 1719, Robinson Crusoe, England

Cast Away 2000 , Film, Robert Zemeckis, USA

Costikyan, G 2000, Where stories end and games begin
Retrieved from http://www.costik.com/gamnstry.html

Bartle, R A 2003, A Self of Sense
Retrieved from http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/selfware.htm

Graft, K 2010, GDC: Sid Meier’s Lessons On Gamer Psychology
Retrieved from http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/27654/GDC_Sid_Meiers_Lessons_On_Gamer_Psychology.php

Bibliography:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solitude

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_deprivation

Castaway : The Game

Castaway

The Movie : Castaway – Book – Robinson Caruso

A movie/Book.
Theme: Taking everything for granted, psychological effects of isolation/Exploration

Presented: Focus entirely on main character’s life on the island/Autobiography of his travels

Plot: Life of person on island

Makes you think: Enjoy every luxury we have, friends are the best, treat every day as your last and when the going gets tough – suck it up.

Poster

The game I am proposing is called ‘Castaway’, which will be based both on the film of the same name ‘Castaway’ and the book Robinson Caruso.

The movie castaway revolved around a Fed-Ex worker whose plane crashes and lands on an undiscovered island, where he spends almost 10 years by himself trying to survive.

The book Robinson Caruso is based during the revolution where his ship shipwrecked on an island, where he lives by himself by farming sheep and fending off cannibals, eventually boarding a pirate ship to escape.

I intend to combine both of the stories together and add a bit a psychology into there:

The Main Game Mechanics:

Psychosis: The Player will become systematically insane and begin to hallucinate, this adds to the game play when things suddenly pop out or appear – memories of the avatar’s previous life are revealed and things on the island become something else in the avatar’s mind

Survival: The Player has to make the avatar survive – which includes hunting for pigs/fish, foraging for fruit, taming sheep etc. The player has to find objects to make a shelter (eventually evolving to a stage where the shelter cannot be blasted down by natural causes i.e a cave) The player has to defend themselves against the wildlife, the cannibalistic natives and their own minds.

Escape: The Player’s ultimate goal is to escape the island, using whatever they can to send a signal or make a raft.

Game Style/Aesthetics: It will be an OpenWorld/Sandbox game – done in First Person or Third.

Game Attributes: At the start, the player is already stranded with what seems like a wrecked cruise ship beside them. The player has no idea who their avatar is, other than he was on the cruise ship and his name is Carl. As the game progresses and the avatar’s psychosis worsens, the player visits points in the avatar’s life which flash back at him – which the player then plays through.

Eventually the player’s memories become warped as the player’s psychosis worsens; the player’s house begins to progressively degrade and the avatar’s relatives begin to change – from a near perfect appearance to a more ragged and disturbing one.

This effect also affects the avatar’s view of the island and the player then has to struggle to get past a single day without dying.

–MORE LATER–

Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

This is actually the choice I am most keen on, as about now but first some basic info on the actual topic:

Sweeny Todd:
Type: Film
Genre: Musical
Story: Story revolves around a tale of tragic loss, the cost of revenge and how far people will go to achieve it. The main character is a man named Benjamin Barker who seems to possess the perfect life: loving, beautiful wife, a new-born daughter and a good business as a barber within London. All of this changes however when a powerful Judge, Judge Turpin, sees Barker’s wife and lusts for her – imprisoning Barker under false charges for more than 10 years.

Benjamin Barker returned, but he took on the name of Sweeny Todd – set on vengeance on Judge Turpin; for ruining his life, raping and causing the suicide of his wife and keeping his daughter as a ‘ward’ and future bride.

This is my set discussion on how a game made out of this will be done:

Game Type: Open-World Sandbox
Game Mechanics – Blend into society! Improve your fame! Murder the citizens of London in your quest for Revenge!
Game Aesthetics – 3D third-Person OR 2D Top-Down. Leaning more on the 3D – Dark. Gloomy, Industrial Age

Actual Gameplay Mechanics:

I would assume the player would arrive with nothing, and the very beginning of the game will start much like the musical. With a song about how he lost everything etc, when the premise has been fully explained thats when the player will begin to take on certain aspects of the game.

Fame: This would bet he ‘trading’ aspect of the game, directly modifying how often do people go to your barbershop/Mrs Lovett’s Pie Shop. As Fame rises, so does the amount of customers that you gain and so does the amount of ‘meat’ you can supply Mrs Lovett.

During each barber event will be a mini game probably in the form of a timed-button press (DDR) or (Legend of Zelda), with songs from the actual musical. Doing well gives the player more fame, doing poorly decreases your fame. High Score breakers get more songs, which are harder. When the player does well enough, the player is given the option to cut the throat of the customer.

Before each customer arrives, the player is given the option of making small-talk to learn about the customer. Randomly killing isn’t wise, as the person could be well known in London and killing him would be unwise whilst a hated or not well known traveler would be more of an suitable choice.

As the player’s fame rises, as does the storyline and events within the musical are played out directly to the player. This will eventually lead to more events, possibly people who actually recognize him who need to be disposed of – to impressing a baron to game more fame and money. All of this leading eventually, to the climax of the the story.

There would be changes to the story, but only slightly. The manner of certain major scenes of the musical will also appear in the game – however changed to suit game play. The beginning of the game – when he is still on the boat, will be the tutorial level – basic teachings of how to move, where to find your money etc. Taught by the Sailor.

Certain characters will play certain roles;

Ms Lovett: Will be able to tell you if certain events have occurred (Story-wise), also tells you if merchants who are passnig by London with perhaps more equipment, exotic perfumes etc
Toby: Will inform you of how much talk is around town (innocently of course) and if any talk as arisen. Prompting the player on whether or not they have taken moves too boldly or they’ve done just right. Can also be used to fetch things you run out of to help you ‘shave’
The Sailor: Side Missions that he may be trying to help save poor Johanna

–MORE TO BE COMPLETED LATER –