JE1 - Task 2 Group Idea Generation

Group Idea Generation 

I decided to participate in an group idea generation to gain insight and different views on both my potential game and the potential games of others.




The views expressed during the meeting helped structure the game by providing views.

JE1 - Task 1 Mind Map

Mind Map And Planning

I have been asked to create a video game suitable for 3 year olds by Tesla games, The first step in the process I have decided to undertake is creating a mind map -shown below-. It showcases the idea generation I have attempted for the game and takes into consideration ideas such as the health and safety of the player and style of the game.

I decided to make a mind map as it is an effective way to lay out all your ideas for comparison. I came to the conclusion the game should be a dungeon crawler with small likable characters that would appeal to children and there will be no blood and/or gore. The game will be randomly generated through piecing together multiple tilesets per level so no run will be exactly the same.

JE3 - Production Planning For A Video Game

Brief.

Development Timeline. (4 Months)

Costs.
Due to the size of the team and both participants handling the entire process a budget of £15,000 - £20,000 split evenly to cover living costs during development will be required, No new equipment or software will be required either.  

Minutes of Meetings.

Alternate Plans. (Contingency plans)

Revisions.
Due to the simplicity of the game no huge differences have occurred during development 

Risk Assessment. 
 Each person who plays the game has their own mindset and view on things therefor, Ethical issues have been taken into consideration leading to the game being created in a way that does not offend ethnic groups or individuals belonging to a variety of religions and communities. Epilepsy being an ever present potential issue in video games has led to the appropriate tests being conducted to give the game a grade and a warning message to be displayed at the start of the game that informs players of the chance they may potentially have an epilepsy induced seizure if they are susceptible to them. All scenes within the game are suitable for the target audience (13+).

Art Work & Story Board: 

Items, Upgrades and HUD 

Characters. (Concept/Description)

The Warrior is a bulky melee character who uses a sword and shield or a great sword, He can take as much damage as he can deal and is the base class of the game. His gameplay style is easy to pick up giving new players a good entry point into a genre they may have not played before. His special ability battle-rage makes all damage taken increase health rather than decease it for a limited time.  

The Wizard is glass cannon capable of putting out very high damage but has low health and can be taken down in a few hits, His playstyle is for the more experienced players capable of working around his downsides, He spawns with an alchemy bottle that lets him save excess hearts when he bottle has 3 or more hearts in it when drunk it provides a damage boost as well as the standard health regen.

The Archer is the most versatile character of the three, When using a bow the longer an arrow is drawn the more damage it will do, Daggers are the fastest weapons in the game with a high knockback stat they can dominate enemies the drawback being the tide of battle can change quickly when you are in such close proximity to enemies. The Archers special ability poisons there weapon for the next hit leading to a strong DoT effect.

JE1 - Task 3 Legal and Ethical Documents

Legal And Ethical Documents

____________________________________________

Meeting Minutes – [1]

Meeting Information
Objective:		To discuss the courses of action on the project.
Date:		21/10/2015	Location:		Library
Time:		12:00	Meeting Type:		Discussion of product
Called By:		Afonso	Facilitator:		Afonso
Timekeeper:		Joe	Note Taker:		Afonso/Joe
Submitted by:		Afonso	Approved by:		Afonso
Attendees:		Afonso, Joe
Agenda Items				Presenter		Time Allotted
1	Discuss the idea for the product.			Joe/Afonso		10 minutes
2	Suggest themes, genres etc.			Afonso		10 minutes
3	Suggest controls and the gameplay			Joe		10 minutes
4
Decisions
1	Afonso and Joe decide the genre, theme and type for the final product
2	Afonso and Joe will start working for the final idea
3
New Action Items				Responsible		Due Date
1	Joe will work on sound			Joe		22/10/2015
2	Afonso will work on Design			Afonso
3	Afonso and Joe will work on Game Flow			Afonso/Joe
Other Notes & Information _________________________________________________________________________
Meeting Minutes – [2] Meeting Information Objective: To discuss where we are up to in the project. Date: 22/10/2015 Location: Library Time: 12:00 Meeting Type: Discussion of product  Called By: Afonso/Joe Facilitator: Afonso Timekeeper: Joe Note Taker: Afonso/Joe Submitted by: Joe Approved by: Afonso/Joe Attendees: Afonso, Joe Agenda Items Presenter Time Allotted 1 Suggest ideas for the flow of the game and its ambience. Joe/Afonso 10 minutes 2 Suggest and brainstorm ideas as to the style and graphics of the game. Afonso 10 minutes 3 Perform the risk assessment on the assessment brief. Joe 10 minutes 4 Decisions 1 Joe and Afonso will continue working on the tasks given. 2 3 New Action Items Responsible Due Date 1 Continue with assigned tasks. Joe/Afonso 22/10/2015 2 3 _______________________________________________________________________ Other Notes & Information The decision has been made that the game will be in the 8-bit style. Meeting Minutes – [3] Meeting Information Objective: To Discuss ideas for a video game Date: 22/10/2015 Location: Library Time: 12:05 Meeting Type: Report/Discussion Called By: Joe Facilitator: Joe Timekeeper: Afonso Note Taker: Joe/Afonso Submitted by: Joe Approved by: Joe Attendees: Joe, Afonso. Agenda Items Presenter Time Allotted 1 Make appropriate changes to completed work (Remove inconsistencies in text and unnecessary information)    Joe 10mins 2 Suggest small ideas for the final steps of production (Easter eggs etc.)  Afonso 10mins 3 4 Decisions 1 Afonso and Joe will both review and proof read there completed work. 2 Afonso and Joe will both complete any unfinished work. 3 New Action Items Responsible Due Date 1 Upload everything to blogger after finalizing each piece and proof reading. Joe/Afonso 2/11/2015 2 .  3   Other Notes & Information References and Assests used:

Summary

Dungeon Destroyer is an 8-bit rng driven dungeon crawler that is different every time you start a new game.

Gameplay

The game is a randomly generated dungeon crawler with a twist aimed at players aged 13 and up. The game has multiple currencies that you can either spend or save depending on what you want the outcome of the end level to be. The way you spend these currencies is in stores found around the levels that may or may not contain upgrades and/or usable items, The stores may even be a trap and contain an additional level boss so everything is down to luck.

Mindset

The mindset of the player should be that they feel vulnerable at the start of the game but everything they pick up or buy makes them stronger in some way be it health upgrades, Better weapons or more vague upgrades that may require some experimentation to deduce what they actually do.

Technical

Screens:

1. Title Screen – The main menu is a dungeon itself that has multiple doors labelled to get to each option. (Continue, New Game etc.)

1a. Options – Options include brightness audio levels SFX, Music, Subtitles etc.

2. Level Select – Each Dungeon is different so all you have to do is start.

3. Pause Menu – Resume, Options, Sound Bars, Quit.

4. Game – Hotbar above the player showing life, currency, inventory and power-ups.

5. Inventory – Shown Above on the hotbar, Shows amount of currency and items

6. Next Level – In game Teleporter after the level boss.

Controls – Movement: Up, Down, Left, Right (W,A,S,D) Analog Sticks.

Use items: Buttons X,Y,B,A/X, Square, Circle, Triangle. Spacebar Q, E.

Or player button/Key mapping/binding. Shooting: Mouse, Right Analog Stick or button mapping/Key binding.

           

Mechanics –

Trajectory of projectiles, Projectile weight, Light casting shadows on objects.
Every active object must have a shadow that moves relative to the objects movement this will be achieved by just animating the shadows under the enemies removing the need to render them, this is achievable and much easier due to the game being 8-bit.


Themes

Projectiles/Bomb blasts knocking enemies/objects back, This will be achieved by programming certain in game assets to react in certain ways to other assets/objects in game.

Level Design

Each set of dungeons has a specific theme.

Collectible power ups change depending on which dungeon style you're in. 

Secret Rooms (Present in every dungeon level but hidden)

Mood: Quiet, Serene.

Objects:

Ambient – Bodies, Candles.

Interactive – Chests, Item Pedestals, Doors, Enemies.

Forest Rooms (Early Dungeons)

Mood: Upbeat, Foreboding.

Objects:

Ambient – Worms, Puddles, Rocks, Trees, Branches.

Interactive – Chests, Doors, Enemies, Shopkeepers, Trapdoors.

Cave Rooms (Early Dungeons)

Mood: Adventurous, Mysterious.

Objects:

Ambient – Rocks, Torch Sconces, Stalagmites.

Interactive – Chests, Doors, Gates, Enemies, Shopkeepers, Trapdoors,

Castle Rooms (Mid game Dungeons)

Mood: Dark, Strange.

Objects:

Ambient – Cages, Dim Lights (Candles, Beams of light), Hanging Chains, Skeletons, Suits of Armour.

Interactive – Chests, Doors, Enemies, Shopkeepers, Trapdoors, Cage doors.

Cellar Rooms (Mid game dungeons)

Mood: Dark Worrying.

Objects:

Ambient – Broken floorboards,

Interactive – Chests, Doors, Enemies, Shopkeepers, Trapdoors.

Space Rooms (End Game rooms)

Mood: Quaint, Interesting.

Objects:

Ambient –

Interactive – Chests, Doors, Enemies, Shopkeepers, Trapdoors.

Limbo Rooms (End Game Rooms)

Mood: Eerie, Unknown.

Objects:

Ambient – Spirits/Ghosts, Mist.

Interactive – Chests, Doors, Enemies, Trapdoors.

Game Flow  

1.     The Player starts in a room that’s used as the main menu top door is start a new dungeon run, right door is options.

2.      Inside the options room are moveable objects (rocks) These act as sliders for the various types of volumes.

3.     Using these rocks as sliders teaches the player how to use interactable objects and how to change the volume.

4.   Players progress through various rooms of Randomly selected enemies and items until they reach the boss when the boss is defeated an item drops with a chance of a secret room being revealed.

5.     Entering the top door starts a new randomly generated dungeon leaving the player to discover all the items and upgrades through trial and error giving them a sense of achievement when they remember said objects on there next run of the dungeon.

Development, Risk Assessment and S.W.O.T analysis.

Risk assessment

To avoid risks each persons work will be easily accessible by another member of the team in case they cannot work on the project for any reason.

S.W.O.T ANALYSIS

Strengths

·        One of the strengths of this game is there aren’t many modern dungeon crawling games the style has not been used for a while and it may be a good move to bring it back.

·        The game is very simplistic and easy to learn due to it being 8-bit and linear.

·        It has a lot of replay-ability due to the game using RNG.

Weaknesses

·        There is a high chance the game may not get the exposure it needs due to it being an indie title.

·        The game is not completely innovative.

Opportunities

·        The game gives an opportunity to bring back the dungeon crawler genre.

·        Old time fans of the genre will likely receive the game well.

Threats

·        A threat the game may present is that some people may lose interest or become frustrated due to the game using RNG to decide the flow of the game sometimes.

Development

Derived classes/ Component Compositions (Programming Development)

1.     Base Player

a.     Player: Default. (First Player to use)

b.     Player: Unlockable. (Unlockable players throughout the game)  

2.     Base Enemy

a.     EnemySoldier. (Normal soldiers)

b.     EnemyGuard. (Big armoured soldiers) (Guards of any room that contains a Boss Enemy.)

c.      EnemySniper. (Long range weak soldiers that swap to close combat when you get close)

d.      EnemyScout. (Faster and stronger Attacks but weak Defense)

e.      EnemyWerewolf. (Fast and weak attacks but lands multiple hits in quick succession)

3.     Base Object

a.     PickupKey (Opens locked doors and chests)

b.     PickupBomb

c.     PickupPowerUp

4.      BaseObstacles

a.     DoorClosed

b.     Rock  

5.     Base Intractable

a.     IntractableDoor (Open to pass next room)

b.     IntractableChest (Open chest to receive rewards)

c.     IntractableButton (Press to activate attached object)

Graphics

The palette of colours we are going to work with is a mixed palette of mainly Warm colours but we will use Cool colours for aliens or effects that require dark tones.

The Graphics Style we want to introduce in the game is Pixelated style, 8-Bit style (Non-black outlines with limited tints/shades)

Graphics Needed

1.     Enemy Characters

a.     Soldier (Idle, Walk, Attack, Death Animation)

b.     Guard (Idle, Walk, Attack, Death Animation)

c.     Sniper (Idle, Camp, Shoot, Death Animation)

d.     Scout (Idle, Run, Shoot, Death Animation)

e.     Werewolf (Idle, Running, Attacking, Death Animation)

f.      Alien (Idle, Attacking, Running/walking, Death animation)

2.     Material/Pixel

a.     Grass

b.     Stone 

c.     Wood

d.     Water

e.     Brick

f.      Marble

3.     Ambient

a.     Tall Grass (Swaying, Burning)

b.     Branches (Intact, Snapped, Burnt)

c.     Dripping Water (Idle pool of water, Moving Droplets)

d.     Insects, Worms, Rats etc. (Scurrying, Idle,)

e.     Candles (Lit, Extinguished) 

f.      Toxic waste (stepping in this causes you to trail bright green footprints for a short time)

4.     Other

a.     Chests (Closed, Closed with lock, Open Empty, Open with reward.)

b.     Wooden Doors (Open, Closed)

c.     Button (Depressed, Untouched)

d.     Levers (Pulled, Pushed)

e.     Gates (Open, Closed)

f.      Trapdoor (Hidden under rocks, Open)

g.     Metal Door (Open, Closed, Blown Open)

h.     Secret Doors (Matches background, Must be blown open using a bomb or explosion)

Sound/Music

Sounds Needed

Effects

1.     Soft footsteps (Grass, Dirt,)

2.     Sharp footsteps (Stone floors, Stone stairs/steps)

3.     Squelching (Mud, Shallow Pools of water)

4.     Explosions (Bombs, Enemies, environment)

5.     Doors (Doors swinging open, Rattling locks)

6.     Weapon SFX: (High pitched lasers, Lower pitched plasma)

7.     Item pick up SFX 8-Bit sort sound

8.     Boss kill 8-bit Sound

9.     Dungeon transition sound – Teleportation effect (Sci-fi)

10.   Character death and damage SFX – Cries Yells etc.

11.   Health pick up “Gulp!” noise

12.   Boss attacks Yells, Screeches, Roars etc.

13.   Key pickup (Key dropping on the floor SFX)

14.   Purchase from shopkeeper (Pennies rattling SFX)

15.   Bringing up the pause menu (Page turning SFX)

Music Needed

Ambient Music:

Early dungeons – Forest, Caves. Upbeat adventurous track.

Boss music: Foreboding heavy track.

End boss music: Same as boss music only faster with more background noise.

Late game dungeons: Caverns, Space Sci-fi track dripping noise in the background.

Examples of styles of music wanted in game:

Ambient Music: Diptera Sonata – Ridiculon (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGrp7WwlWVo)

Store music: Old Future Fox Gang – Guided Meditation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UanV1ifs6tk

Menu Music: 999999 – Mike Morasky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keYvZU3xTzQ&list=PLhHcMbVmbwCcwvWVo-RJX_NOlRDarwJN6&index=3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGrp7WwlWVo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UanV1ifs6tk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keYvZU3xTzQ&list=PLhHcMbVmbwCcwvWVo-RJX_NOlRDarwJN6&index=3 Here is a checklist as to weather or not my game passes simple ethical guidelines.