Hey! Barkeep! Maggie McNamara Basic Information I ve filled this out as an example of a design doc. You can see towards the end how the questions in the doc have prompted me to further flesh out my mechanics. Still a work in progress, but this is close enough to pitch. Note that with the time frame, I ve tried to plan for modular development. Engine/Programming Language: Loom/LoomScript Project Length: 3 weeks, extendable Game Summary: You play as the bartender in a fantasy RPG / Dungeons and Dragons setting. It s a midsize town that gets good traffic from adventurers looking for fame and fortune in the surrounding wilderness. The shopkeepers love the influx of gold, but you prefer to deal in info and secrets. A good barkeep s gotta know his liquor and his town. Besides, the union sets the price of ale, so info s the best way you ve got to get ahead and upgrade your business. Gameplay: Tend to your bar by tapping on patrons to serve them ale and gather the gold they leave. As adventurers enter, you ll be able to talk with them and share information about the town and surrounding area. Just be sure to make sure you get your cut. Original Concept: Recettear meets Tapper with just a little LA Noire. J Pre-Production None. Team Analysis: All by myself Team Organization: I do all the things!
Game Design Answer the following questions about your proposed project: Game Sections: How many sections of the game will there be? What are these sections? Include user interface sections and other non-gameplay sections in your assessment. Menu (start/save/load) Game Bar area Conversation Screen Status screen Info tab scroll through information you know, highlight for details Bar status money, ale level, customer satisfaction Fail screen? What happens when bar is out of money and ale? Objectives: What are the high-level goals of each section of the game? Bar running: keep patrons drinking and paying Conversation: use information wisely by either gaining more information or money in return, whether up front or promised Controls: What control types will the game accept? What are the basic control mechanics? Click/tap to select options, serve ale, etc. Win Conditions: What are the specific goals of the player during gameplay? Main: keep the bar in the black Collect information from patrons Expand your business Game Mechanics: How does the player achieve the goals listed above? Serving customers demand ale, if served they pay and increase satisfaction level. If ignored, satisfaction level decreases. Conversation Can chat with patrons, both adventurers and locals Navigate dialogue options to Gain more information Ask for bribes for information Gain promise of cut of treasures Extension: What modules of the game will be designed later? (levels, powerups, characters...) Expansion of the bar Hiring other workers to tend to patrons Development: How is the game divided into development teams (mechanics, level editor, etc.)? Just me for now. May bring in some friends to help expand the project later. Priority is bar area and conversation mechanic
Challenges: What are the challenges and risks your team faces developing this project? Gotta learn the engine. Balancing (e.g., amount of gold received with costs of running the bar) Writing dialogue. Lots of dialogue.
Game Asset Requirements Answer the follow questions regarding the content needed for your game. Programming: are you using a pre-existing engine or coding everything from scratch? What else needs to be programmed? How will you do it? Loooooom Clicking/tapping on things Visual content: is the game 2D or 3D? How much 2D or 3D content will you need? How much content will you need for the user interface? 2D Bar area Eventually different character models Some menu buttons and such Audio content: does the game have music and sound? How many music tracks are needed? Roughly how many sound effects are needed? Sorta homey bar aesthetic, with a hint of adventure Clinking glasses and conversation in the background Sound effects of serving ale, collecting money, chatting with people Limited voice acting Game Units: how many game levels does the game contain? How will you produce them? Is any work required to implement the tools used to produce the game levels? Each day is going to play somewhat separate Levels are defined by the level of the bar, which can be purchased by the player The traffic to the bar will change Most of this is in writing, some differences in cash flow Writing: does the game have a story line / script? How much time will be needed to fully produce this? The adventurers and information bytes have to be scripted This is a core part of gameplay, so a good amount of time will be devoted to it However, a prototype can contain a limited script to start Conversation Mechanic Locals, if enjoying their ale/service, can offer simple information, generally quest starters. Sometimes have seen people around town. Adventurers are looking for information relevant to their quest or things that need to be done. May choose to bribe or intimidate for information Can offer cut of final findings (may or may not come back) Will often come back with better information if you were positive Needs some feedback of reputation (large-scale) and for individuals (smile, frown)
Borrow some ideas from LA Noire Choose to give info, ask a question, suggest a bribe Script Patrons quests offered I went into my cellar today, and what do you know! RATS! They re eating through all my stored grain. Not to mention they re gross. I just locked the door. Wish someone else would come take care of it. Everywhere they were just everywhere > What s up? Don t know where they came from. Looked like like corpses. All over the mine. > That s rough. Everyone get out? My my son s still in there. I couldn t find him. > Sorry man. I ll see if someone comes by who can help. > What mine? Omroth, bout five miles northwest of town. Adventurers What town is this? > Stock answer, cynical answer, can talk about quests I/We just got here. Anything needs doing? > Consult lists of overheard quests, can offer I m/we re looking for this man. [Description]. Seen him around? (Can use this to balance keeping secrets vs. telling who will pay more, who s in the right and does that even matter to you?) Quests Probability of each person walking in Give adventurer info they need If positive demeanor, probability of giving some coin. Can ask for bribe probability of success based on demeanor. Adventurer assigned a quest Probability of success (based on level? Eventually) Based on demeanor / previous agreement, can return with cut of treasure Extended Mechanics (for later) Eavesdropping If in earshot, can pick up more secret information.