Design Document for:

Transcription

1 Design Document for: The space rts puzzle game Let s add some juice to space All work Copyright 2016 by Juicy Games Written by Jousef Gabro Version # 2.00 Monday, July 04, 2016

2 Table of Contents Design History This is a brief history to how the idea for Umbra came to be. As I was looking at games that successfully made a name for themselves on mobile platform I quickly realized that they didn t invent a new game. Instead they used a working version of a game and added a little twist to it. For instance, candy crush which took the concept of Bejeweled and added some constraints. I wanted to do the same and took inspiration from Angry Birds. In that game you drag a bird coupled to a sling shot and shoot down pigs of different kinds. Physics made the game more compelling and made every attempt different from the one before. I wanted to take this and apply it to space. Now of course, there has to be a different plot, and also some other mechanics. I played around with the idea and added a twist to it. Instead of killing monsters, the player needs to get to a certain target. This is the beginning of Umbra. Version 1 Created initial gmae design document. Added sections Game Overview, Common Questions, and Feature set Version 2 Added sprites Added game world section Added musical scores and sound effects section Added extra miscelaneous stuff section Adde story apendix sect Game Overview Philosophy Philosophical point #1 This game tries to create a mashup between an RTS and a puzzle game and apply it to a space-based setting. I am trying to add a feeling of depth as to why I as a player am doing the different tasks by adding a background story. Philosophical point #2 Focus for the platform of the game is handheld devices mainly because the controls work well on such devices and many players are already accustomed to similar controls. Philosophical point #3 The game should be free to play with payable dlcs 2

3 Common Questions What is the game? It is a top down real time strategy puzzle game set in space where humanity has expanded its horizon and you as a player are supposed to rescue ships from being completely stranded, alien and space pirate attacks. Why create this game? This game is created because creating games is something I really want to do. I want to explore the creative mind of a game designer and leave a mark in the world. I feel like there are too many space based games that are pretty much the same. It is a way to express some of my thoughts about the world. Where does the game take place? The game takes place in space where humanity has expanded and built an empire on many planets. This expansion has skyrocketed the human race. During this expansion, humanity has done what it does time and time again, it has driven away the natives which resulted in a retaliation. Many humans were left to die by the government. This in turn led the survivors to take matters into their own hands and many became pirates. Furthermore, the great distance between two destinations puts a strain on the fuel usage and many ships become stranded in space while dangers such as alien ships and pirates lurk in the vast darkness of space. The player will be tasked with saving these stranded ships What do I control? You, the player, control a ship that is led by the mechanic Umbra and can give commands to the ships in distress. The player needs to keep track of how much the different ships can move, represented by fuel. The ship controlled by Umbra (henceforth simply called Umbra) can fire two kinds of weapons, main and secondary as well as move in any direction. Some ships in distress can move, some can fire, some can do both and some can do neither. How many characters do I control? You control one ship and if the level allows it ships in distress. You can shoot at small and large obstacles and in doing so destroy and move them respectively. The player can also shoot down enemies. What is the main focus? Umbra is a simple mechanic trying to make a living for himself. However, one day his planet is attacked by the alien race and he is forced to flee to a nearby planet. Almost there he receives a distress call from a ship that has no more fuel and is afloat in space. Like the nice guy he is he makes a quick decision to save them. This is where the game starts and this is also the focus of the game. The player travels to different solar systems and saves ships in distress from pirates (trying to raid them) and from alien ships (which try to shoot them down). 3

4 What s different? Angy birds Similarities: Both are real time strategy puzzle games. Both 2D Differences: Different setting and background story Different view of the game world Focus is on saving ships in distress, not shooting down enemies. Frogger Similarities: Get players avatar from point A to B. Both make use of the different maps Differences: Different setting and background story Umbra can control the goal (the ships in distress) Eve Online Similarities: Both in space Both allow ship modifications Player controls a ship in both Both have pickups on the maps Similar background story (the expansion of humanity) Differences: Different genres, Eve Online is a MMORPG while Umbra is a RTS Puzzle Different views, Eve Online makes us of third person views, Umbra uses a top-down view Focus in Umbra is on saving ships, while in EVE Online the focus lies in its freedom to do as a player pleases (to explore, trade, mine and even piracy) Galaxy on fire 2D Similarities: Both in space Both allow ship modifications Player controls a ship in both Same platforms Differences Different views in game, third person vs top-down Different genres, Space combat and trading simulation vs RTS Puzzle. 4

5 Feature Set General Features 6 worlds with 8 levels each. Last level is a boss battle 2D graphics Marketplace Upgradable ship Enemies Physics Obstacles Multi-purpose weapons that can be used both offensively and defensively. Multiplayer Features N/A Editor N/A Gameplay Ships: General Make sound as they move Pirate and alien ships count as enemy ships Umbra Can shoot laser Can shoot missiles Can use warp drive to teleport a small distance Can move Can be customized 5

6 Pirate ships Move towards the ships in distress in order to loot it Can be shot down Can be disabled by EMP Cannot shoot Can change course to pick up opened pickup crates if closer to the pirate ship than ships in distress. Alien ships Shoot at the ships in distress in order to destroy it. Can shoot at the player if the player is closer than the target Can be shot down Can be disabled by EMP Can have shields effective against missiles. Cannot move 6

7 Ship in distress Type A Cannot move Cannot shoot laser Ship in distress Type B Can move Cannot shoot laser 7

8 Ship in distress Type C Cannot move Can shoot laser Ship in distress Type D Can shoot laser Can move 8

9 Weapons General Projectile based weapons (lase, missiles) have a random angle added when shooting. Increases the difficulty a bit but adds a bit of realism. Laser Default weapon Damages enemy ships Damages asteroids Large asteroids are moved instead of destroyed Infinite amount EMP Finite amount can be carried Takes fuel to use Takes out enemy ships in one go Must be bought / reloaded at base Affects an area (aoe) around Umbra 9

10 Missile Destroy asteroids (independent of size) Destroys non-shielded enemies Ineffective against shielded enemies Does damage over an area (aoe) damage Finite amount can be carried. 10

11 Shields Have HP Can be bought at base Can be destroyed by laser Make ship immune to missiles Warp drive Teleports the player a short distance. Player cannot exit the warp drive in close vicinity to the ships in distress as the energy release from such a travel would get it exploded Base Buy weapons Missile upgrade can be bought Adds missiles to Umbra EMP upgrade can be bought Adds EMP to Umbra Warp drive can be bought Adds warp drive to Umbra Upgrade Umbra Shield can be bought Shield health can be can be strengthened Shield radius can be increased Laser accuracy can be increased Lasers can be increased in numbers 11

12 Lasers can be be increased in width Lasers can be increased in speed Lasers can be increased in strength to be more effective Missile accuracy can be increased Missile speed can be increased Missile damage can be increased Missile area of effect can be increased Missile can be made homing Amount of missiles carried can be increased Amount of emp carried can be increased EMP aoe radius can be increased Range of Warp drive can be upgraded Increase the number of warp drives that can be used Reload weapons EMP can be bought and reloaded Missiles can be reloaded Pickup crates Loot creates in space can be picked up Can contain missiles Can contain fuel Can contain scrap metal used for upgrades Small chance of containing EMP which takes out enemies on level Need to be shot at in order for the player to pick it up Can be picked up by pirates Levels Different solar systems Different background images Different background music Increasing difficulty Increasing number of enemies Increasing number of ships in distress Increasing velocity of pirate shipes Less loot to pick up Loot crate percentages redistributed Increasing number of asteroids Obstacles Small asteroids can be destroyed by laser and missiles Large asteroids can be destroyed by missiles Large asteroids can be moved / displaced when shot at with laser Asteroids count as missiles when colloding with ships If shield exist on ship, the ship is displaced If shield does not exist on ship, it is destroyed along with the asteroid Celestial bodies (planats and stars) occlude parts of the space where the player can move Celestial bodies destroy objects when collided with Counts for enemy ships Counts for ship in distress 12

13 User interface Counts for asteroids Counts for Umbra Celestial bodies have gravity They pull objects in Indicator out line shows the area in which gravitational pull will affect objects Color of the indicator shows the strength of the gravitational pull Gradient from blue ( low pull) to red (high pull) Celestial bodies can have asteroid belt (like saturn) Treated the same as asteroids. General: Main color for the ui is #6AACD4 Buttons look like this Selected selected buttons 13

14 Main menu Figure x: main menu with a rotating galaxy in the background. Play World selection screen is shown Settings Sub menu Audio On Off Reset game Confirmation popup shows up if pressed Reset Cancel About Sub menu 14

15 Exit Help Game elements are described Image showing how + textual description of game elements About the game developer Confirmation popup shows up if pressed Exit Keep playing Level Select screen Spinning galaxy with gizmos indicating solar systems that can be pressed. Solar systems represent a world (game difficulty) Pressing the gizmo shows information about that system. Number of planets Number of distress calls made from that sector of the galaxy (i.e number of levels) Difficulty level When a solar system is pressed a zoom-in effect takes us to the solar system and the player obtains a position in space represented by a gizmo Pressable Gizmos (targets) show where ships in distress are located. Amount of fuel lost while traveling there will be shown Once pressed the player is taken to that level. Solar system can be rotated for a more dynamic player experience Other ships in distress can be found when rotated. Swipable Every screen shows a solar system Base menu Buy weapons sub menu 3 buttons laid out in a 1-row-3-column fashion 1 back button in top left corner Popup confirmation screen when one of the 3 buttons is pressed Purchase and Cancel are the two options. Upgrade Weapons sub menu Buttons laid out in circle layout Laser Shield Warp drive Missiles EMP Laser sub menu Add attitional laser Increase size of laser Increase laser velocity Increase laser damage Increase laser accuracy Shield sub menu Buy shield Add shield durability Increase shield size 15

16 Missiles sub menu Increase missile speed Increase missile damage Increase missile explosion radius Upgrade missiles to homing missiles Increase Missile accuracy Increase number of missiles that can be carried EMP sub menu Increase amount of emp carried Increase emp radius Warp drive sub menu Increase range of warp drive Increase number of warp drives that can be used Reload weapons sub menu Reload EMP Restock missiles Reload Warp Drive Commanding ships When a ship is tapped a circle should be added to the ship indicating that it has been selected 16

17 Tapping on empty space after a ship has been selected creates target at that location and a dotted line, indicating that the ship selected has set its destination and is on its way. Tapping an enemy ship or an obstacle after a ship has been selected will shoot the main weapon on that target. The target-indicator will turn red 17

18 Secondary Weapon usage Display a circular menu in front of the ship Contents of circular menu should be the different weapons and the number of times it can be used. Animation of the circular menu should start totally transparent and quickly become more and more visible. Also, the position of the secondary weapons should be just in front of the ship and quickly translate outwards to their end position. In case the ship is at the edge of the screen and the menu does not fit in the front of it, it will be shown towards the center of the screen. Controls Moving Tap on the ship you want to move to select it Tap a location you want it to move to If there is no obstacle on its path it moves there, unless it runs out of fuel before arriving at the destination. Using main weapon Select the ship you want to shoot from Tap a shootable object ( obstacles, enemies) Using secondary weapons Press and hold Umbra to pull out the circular menu (weapons menu). Select one of the weapons Tap a location to used secondary weapon on 18

19 Cannot tap on Umbra or ships in distress as this would select them and cancel the fireing sequence. Exiting level tap top left corner to bring out the menu tap exit level to return to level selection Replay level tap top left corner to bring out menu tap replay level to reload the level Settings tap top left corner to bring out menu tap Settings to get to the settings. The Game World Overview Humanity has obtained the ability to travel long distances in a short amount of time. This skyrocketed the human race into the space age. Because of this expansion humanity gained access to planets that were not accessable before. However, humanity is not the easiest species to unite and especially if money is part of what makes you someone important. Most of the people make money, follow laws and directions, raise children and are generally good citizens. However, some people like to bend the rules, don t like following or just simply have a hard time being part of socitey. So they turn to piracy. Furthermore, the human race does like it always does, finds new land and push the native species aside. Many of these natives are intelligent species and some choose to retaliate. Anything that is human is a target for them. One other problem that has arisen with this expansion is that the great distance puts great strain on the ships traveling the space. Fuel consumption, how manouvering ships through space and also enemy attacks are just some of the things a ship commander needs to keep in mind. Many commanders fail and are left floating through space, becoming an easy target for pirates to loot and an easy immobile target to shoot down by alien species. The game world consists of a galaxy which in turn consists of a number of solar systems with a number of planets. The player can navigate the galaxy to zoom in on specific solar systems with last known positions of ships that need to be rescued. The galaxy is a fictional galaxy with resemblence to real galaxies and real solar systems. World Feature #1: Strategy based real time action Each level comes with its own set of problems and obstacles. Every action has an impact on the game and every decision has its cost. The player has to consider multiple options to clear a level. World Feature #2: Intelligent enemies Intelligent enemies make decisions based on priority. Alien ships might attack players, pirate ships might loot pickup crates depending on what is worth most.. 19

20 World Feature #3: Increasing difficulty Every level builds on the previous one and every solar system introduces at least one new game mechanic. The player will find himself in a Boss Battle at the end of every solar sytem. World Feature #4: Upgradable gear In order to keep levels relatively easy and things interesting the player can upgrade his shield, primary as well as his secondary weapons. The Physical World Key Locations Brialis solar system The Brialis system is the first solar system which is presented to the player. It is in this solar system Umbra is born and grows up to be the man he is today. In this solar system there exist 9 planets (3 uninhabitable gas giants, 2 earthlike planets and 4 uninhabitable rock planets) and 14 ships in distress. In its center, there lies a star much like the sun around which earth is revolving. This also happens to be the first solar system that was inhabited by humans when they first started to expand. Level 1: player is introduced to moving Umbra to a stationary ship in distress. Level 2: player practices moving Umbra to a stationary ship in distress. Level 3: player is introduced to obstacles like asteroids Level 4: player practices moving while avoiding obstacles Level 5: player is introduced to firing main weapon Level 6: player is introduced to controlling ships in distress Level 7: player practices controlling ships and avoiding obstacles Level 8: Boss Battle: player is tested controlling ships and avoiding obstacles Tol kal solar system Tol kal is the second solar system that is presented to the player. This solar system is known to be a turbulent solar system due to a collision of two planets some earth years ago. The many asteroids that float around here are due to that collision. Because of its dangerous nature, youngsters like to play around in this solar system. As a result, many younger pilots lose their lives. If they are lucky, their ships get damaged and survive for as long as it is possible while waiting for rescue. However, in reality, many die anyway due to starvation or lack of air. This solar system includes 8 levels (8 stranded ships) Level 1: player is introduced to controlling ships and firing their main weapon Level 2: player practices controlling ships and firing their main weapon Level 3: Player is introduced to large asteroids (movable and non-destroyable with main weapon) Level 4: Player practices vs large asteroids Level 5: Player practices vs large asteroids Level 6: Player practices vs large asteroids and pirates Level 7: Player practices vs large asteroids and pirates Level 8: Boss Battle: Player is tested vs large asteroids 20

21 Glebo System This solar system is a solar system with only a four planets and in its center is a red dwarf star much like our sun. What this solar system lacks in the number of planets, it makes up with the content of those planets. They are full of minerals and have been exploited for a long time. The humans were not the first ones that came to these lands; an alien species known as simply the others was driven away from these mining grounds and is now part of the forces that attack human civilization. Once again this solar system includes 8 levels (8 stranded ships) Level 1: player is introduced to hostile enemy ships. Level 2: player practices vs hostile enemy ships. Level 3: player is introduced to shields Level 4: player practices vs shielded enemy ships Level 5: player practices vs shielded enemy ships Level 6: player practices vs shielded enemy ships and large asteroids Level 7: player practices vs shielded enemy ships and large asteroids Level 8: Boss Battle: Player is tested vs shielded enemy ships, pirates, and large asteroids Describe the key locations in the world here. Mafesto system The Mafesto solar system is a huge solar system with a slowly rotating binary star in the center (two stars circle around each other). Because of the sheer size of the system, using regular fuel consumption for travel does not suffice. Therefore they move using their warp drives and this is where the player is introduced to the warp drive secondary weapon. Once again this solar system includes 8 levels (8 stranded ships) Level 1: player is introduced to the warp drive Level 2: player practices to use the warp drive. Level 3: player practices to use the warp drive. Level 4: player is introduced to the warp drive as an offensive weapon vs enemies Level 5: player practices vs hostile enemies Level 6: player practices vs hostile enemies Level 7: player practices vs shielded enemy ships and large asteroids Level 8: Boss Battle: Player is tested vs shielded enemy ships, pirates, and large asteroids Shec solar system The Shec solar system is a quiet system when viewed in macro scale. In its center, there is a blue dwarf star and had it not been for the velocity of the 17 planets revolving around the star, they would have accelerated towards the star and become an entity long forgotten. Because of their speed around the sun, the planets the atmospheric effects (on those planets lucky enough to have an atmosphere), and the seasonal changes are catastrophic. Humanity has found that by using EMPs (Electromagnetic pulses) they can shield their ships from these effects for a short amount of time. This solar system includes 8 levels (8 stranded ships) Level 1: player is introduced to the EMP in order to shield himself from damage over time from environment Level 2: player practices to use the EMP Level 3: player practices to use the EMP 21

22 Level 4: player is introduced to the EMP as an offensive weapon vs enemies Level 5: player practices EMP vs hostile enemies Level 6: player practices EMP vs hostile enemies Level 7: player practices EMP for shielding against environment and vs shielded enemies Level 8: Boss Battle: Player is tested vs shielded enemy ships, environment and large asteroids Yokoka system The Yokoka system is known for its small planets with huge gravitational pull because of their concentrated mass. These planets have the size of the earth but a gravitational pull like the sun around which earth revolves. Because of this many pilots underestimate the fuel consumption that is needed and all too many pilots lose their lives to these planets. This introduces a timer-like mechanic to the game in conjunction with the fuel consumption mechanic. This solar system includes 8 levels (8 stranded ships) Level 1: Player is introduced to High Gravity Planets (HGPs) Level 2: player practices vs HGP Level 3: player practices vs HGPs Level 4: player practices vs HGPs and 1 hostile enemy Level 5: player practices vs HGPs and 2 hostile enemies Level 6: player practices vs HGPs, 3 hostile enemy (1 shielded, 2 non-shielded) Level 7: player practices vs HGPs, 2 hostile enemies and 1 pirate ship Level 8: Boss Battle: Player is tested vs 1 shielded enemy ship, large asteroids, 2 pirates and HGP. Travel Travelling between worlds as well as travelling to levels is done through point and click. First the world is selected through the world selection screen. The view can be rotated and the indications will rotate along with it. 22

23 Once a world is selected, the level can be selected indicated by a marker and a number beneath. Levels cannot be selected unless the previous level has been cleared. 23

24 Describe how the player moves characters around in the world. Rendering System 2D/3D Rendering The game will be rendered using a top down 2D view when playing a level, but the level and world selection screens will be in 3D. The top down view will be orthographic and the 3D view will be a projection based camera. Describe what sort of 2D/3D rendering engine will be used. Camera Camera Detail #1 The camera will be stationary when playing a level. It will be an orthographic camera with a size of 5. Camera Detail #2 The camera is movable in the world selection screen and the level selection screen. The player presses and drags his finger around for a rotation around the center of the galaxy and the solar system in question. The camera will be a projection based camera. The camera will sometimes move like this in this special circumstance. 24

25 Game Engine Game Engine Detail #1 The game engine will keep track of every scene object that is seen in a viewport. Anything outside of the viewport will Collision Detection This game has some collision detection. The parts that use collision detection are: Ship-Projectiles collisions Ship-obstacle collisions Ship-Ship collisions Ship-pickup collisions Vivid Sound effects and background music The game has sound effects for everything the player can touch and shoot at or crash into. 2D sprites Since the game will be a top down Lighting Models Lighting Model Detail #1 Level selection screen will have 1 point light representing the star light and one very toned down ambient light to represent the ambient light from the galaxy. Lighting Model Detail #2 Levels will have one directional light to light up the sprites. That is all. Lighting Model Detail #3 World selection screen will have a point light in its center and a number of self emitting shaders on different star particles 25

26 Musical Scores and Sound Effects Sound Design Background music for the world selection screen will be an eerie/horror-like sound playing a in a looping fashion. This sound will change when a world has been selected. Depending on what world is chosen, a different background music will play, also in a looping fashion. The music will however have the same kind of melodic slow trance. Shooting main weapon (laser) Laser-large asteroid collision sound Laser-ship collision sound Laser-shield collision sound Shield break sound Asteroid destroyed sound Ship explosion sound Missile travelling sound Missile impact sound Missile launch sound Using EMP sound Ship travelling sound Warp drive enter sound Warp drive exit sound Target selected sound Confirm sound used by menus and selection. Story In a future many years from now humanity has expanded its territory into space with the help of interstellar travelling technology. Many solar systems have been explored and even more planets have been exploited for its mining capabilities. Most of the planets have been desolate and uninhabited. However, there exist a number of worlds inhabited by an alien civilization which humanity has driven way. This alien civilization has been trying to get their land back and in doing so attack human ships time and time again. This in turn has led some humans into poverty. When the government turned its back on those humans they had enough and many resorted to piracy. While this expansion into space has been a fortunate feat for the human race, the distance a ship has to travel still poses an issue. Fuel consumption is still problem and if care is not taken and the traveling route is not perfectly planned, ships get stranded in the vastness of space. This is not uncommon and pirates know this. These stranded ships are easy targets for pirates as well as the alien race. The story follows an inventor and mechanic named Umbra which tries to live a decent life. Every day he repairs ships and technology until one day his shop is part of a battlefield where the natives of that planet stage an attack on the humans. Because of that, he is forced to escape with his ship loaded with only a small amount of materials and more than enough fuel to travel to a planet nearby. While closing in on the planet he intercepts a distress signal coming from a nearby location. Decent like the guy he is, Umbra checks his 26

27 fuel, sees that he has more than enough to make a small detour. He finds the ship and helps out the crew. The crew members tell him their story on their way to the planet and reward him for his valor. As it turns out, they were part of a larger group which was attacked by pirates. He realizes that he needs materials and sets off to save them. This is where the game starts and this is the main plot of the game. Hours of Gameplay Every level of the game on avarage should be possible to clear in one minute. However, the player will fail and drag this time out for another 5 minutes. 8 levels times 6 worlds means 48 min. Now 48 * 1 minute each is 48 minutes minimum and 5 min each would yield 48 * 5 means 240 min, i.e anywhere between 48 min to 4 h. Additional downloadable content will further this even more. Also, the player can always go back and play the levels time and time again, even after secondary weapons have been unlocked. Victory Conditions The player clears a level if all of the ships in distress on that level have been rescued, i.e. umbra touches the ships in distress, before the ship has been shot down, or raided by the pirates. Extra Miscellaneous Stuff Crazy ideas Crazy idea #1: Achievements Since a level can be played over and over, there is an opportunity to push in achievements. For instance, clear Level 4-3 without using main weapons, or kill every enemy on Level 5-3. Crazy idea #2: Actual players stranded I am thinking about this; why not having players actually stranded in space. A player has a fixed amount of fuel he can use to travel. If it is restricted, that would mean that players run out of fuel and if those people are seen by other players they could in turn be saved. A level would also be multiplayer based so both the stranded player and the saving player could cooperate. 27