Proof of Concept: Electro Adventure

This is the proof of concept I made for Project ProveIT, for GameLogix. They asked me to create a game based on the theory of electricity physics. After some research i came up with this game. You can also find the game Design document in my portfolio site.

Game Design Document: The station (with Gerd Jan van Hagen & Richard Pesh)

The Station

1.      The station

1.1.Overview

The station is a 2.5D horror game designed and developed as a school project. In 6 months, our team has to design and develop an entertainment game for whatever platform we choose.

Due to our past experiences, we have chosen to make our game using Actionscript 3/Flash.

The goal of the game is to escape from a zombie-filled space station. The twist is that there are no weapons in the game. The player can only run away from the zombies and gain time by closing doors behind him.

In order to find the exit, the player must take a look at the maps that can be found across the station. He has to memorize the path because there is no way you can take these maps along with you.

Grim colors and sounds should create a tense atmosphere which gives the player an exciting experience.

1.2.Vision Statement

The player should be delivered the following experiences:

·         An exciting experience – The player will be thrilled by the game.

·         Unique gameplay – There are no other games that play like this game

·         Freedom, you decide how you want to escape from the station.

1.3.Branding Choices

Our game should suggest that it is a dark unique horror-themed game. It should primarily appeal to gamers that are looking for a thrilling game.

2. Core Gameplay:

2.1.:  Character.        

The players character will be crew member of a space station. After a zombie attack he needs to find his way out of the station. The player can move around with the arrow keys, so he can move up, down, left or right. Besides the movement keys he will also have to use the spacebar to open or close doors. To open doors the player will have to unlock it by filling in a special code. This code will exist out of digits and letters, so the player will be using almost all of the keys from the keyboard. The player can use the F button to use the flashlight.

2.2: Enemies.

The Enemies are zombies that are taking over the space station. These zombies will have an artificial intelligence so that they will attack the player if they see him. They will hunt down the player until they get him.

2.3: Other Not Playing Characters.

On the spaceship you will find another crew member that is telling the player about what happened and what he should do. This other crew member won’t come with you because he will be attacked by zombies after he has told you the information.

2.4: Basic Controls.

Movement keys:
Left arrow key: Move left.
Right arrow key: Move right.
Up arrow key: Move up.
Down arrow key: Move down.

Other Keys:
Spacebar: The action bar, interacts with objects.
F: Flashlight on/off.

2.5: The player’s goal.

The player’s goal is to reach the escape pod without getting killed by the zombies. Because the player doesn’t have any weapon the only thing he can do is run. The player will find zombies on his way to the escape pod, so the player will have to think fast and play smart to survive. The player will be able to outsmart the zombies by closing doors, this won’t be easy though because the doors can only be closed by using a code. The player will see the code as he gets close to the door, the player won’t have much time to fill in the code because the zombies will be hunting for him.

2.6: Items.

During his search for the escape pod the player will be able to get a flashlight. The flashlight won’t be easy to find because it will be hidden in a room on the spaceship. This way only the players that will search each room will get the flashlight. The flashlight will provide you with more light, this way you can see the zombies a bit earlier. If you use the flashlight close to a zombie it will blind him for 2 seconds. If the zombies is blinded he won’t be able to follow you. The flashlight will have a battery that will drain if the player is using it. If the battery is empty the player won’t be able to use the flashlight again. The player can put the flashlight on and off by any given time by using the F button.

2.7: Fog of War.

The player will have a Fog Of War surrounding him. This Fog of War will make the whole level dark except for the place where the player is standing.  This way the player can only see the doors or zombies when he gets closer to them. The player can only see in a 5x5 tiles circle around himself. The rest is either dark or grayed out, depending on whether the player has explored those tiles or not.

3.      Environments

3.1. Components

3.1.1.        Doors

Doors are used to gain time while running away from zombies. In order to close a door, you need to use the action key at the console near the door. Each door has 2 consoles, one on each side.

When using the console, you get to see 3,4 or 5 digits/letters (depending on the level) which you have to press in order to close the door.

A closed door can keep the zombies busy for 15,10 or 5 seconds, depending on the level, after that, the door will break and the zombies will continue to follow you.

3.1.2.        Zombies

Zombies are your enemies in this game. They chase you around the station as the greedy scum they are. If a zombie touches the player, the player will have to restart the level.

Zombies come in various shapes and forms.

The relatively intact human-zombie will be the zombie the player will encounter the most. It is slightly faster than the player.

The other zombies will be slower than the player and will mostly hinder the player in going into a certain direction. These zombies might be torn in two or lost a leg which denies them the ability to run.

It is impossible to ‘kill’ a zombie.

3.1.3.        Generators

Generators are used to activate the object the player needs to use in order to move to the next level. This could, for example, allow an elevator to be used or the blast doors to the escape pod to be opened.

Generators also allows the player to retrieve information about what caused the zombie outbreak.  This information can be found in the lab, the bridge or other notable locations.

It is not mandatory to retrieve this information, although it is entertaining to read.

3.1.4.        Batteries

Batteries are used to refuel the flashlight. Batteries can only be found in ‘unimportant’ rooms like living rooms. The player will have to decide either to take a detour and search for the batteries or to go on without extra light.

3.1.5.        Elevators.

Elevators are the portals to the next level, they can only be used when the generator on that level is activated.

3.1.6.        Escape Pod.

The last level doesn’t have an elevator but instead has the escape pod. Its function is the same, the only difference is that it’s the end of the game.

3.1.7.        Maps

Maps can be found in hallways. By pressing the action bar while facing the map, you will be shown a layout of the station. The game continues to run in the background, forcing the player to think quick else the zombies would reach the player.

4. Structure.

4.1 Levels.

The game will exist out of 3 levels, these levels are basically 3 floors in the spaceship. You will start on floor 3, the highest floor on the spaceship. And you will have to search your way down to floor 1 were the escape pods are. Each level will exist out of hallways with rooms attach to it. It’s the players choice to get into a room or not. Some rooms will help you a lot but sometimes you will find a zombie inside a room.  As you get further through the levels you will notice that it will be harder to survive. On floor 1 you will find more zombies then on floor 3 so it will be a real challenge to get to the escape pod. If you die for example in level 2 you will have to start over from the beginning of level 2. In each level you will have to search for the generator, if you have turned on the generator the player will be able to use the elevators and the escape pod. The elevators will bring you to the next level. The player can also search for the bridge to get more information about what happened. On the bridge you will find computers with in and out coming messages that will give you more information about the situation.

5. Audio

5.1.            Table of Sound Effects

Sound effect	Situation	Notes
Walk	Sound made when walking through the metallic halls.	An echoing *tang* *tang* you get from walking on metal.
Flashlight	Made when you turn the flashlight on/off.	*click*
Zombie grunt #1	Zombie grunts when he first spots you	Zombie grunt
Zombie grunt #2	Zombie grunts when he’s nearly reached you	A different grunt
Zombie grunt #3	Zombie grunts when walking against a door	Disappointed or Angry grunt
Screaming man	When the zombie has caught the player	Painful cries from a person
Sound of mechanical door opening/closing	When the door opens/closes	Mechanical sound
Sound of elevator	When an elevator is used
Generator humming	When the generator is activated	Humming sound
Zombies clawing against door	When zombies try to break through a door	Screeching sound and thumping sounds

Level Design

Level for a 3 vs 1 FPS western game (characters can be found under concept art)

level 1 for a zombie survivor game

Level 2 for a zombie survivor game

Level 3 for a zombie survivor game

3D Model: Room

Concept Art

 Character cast for a RPG

 New Mortal Kombar character

 New Mortal Kombat character: Enraged

 Character for hack & slash game.

 Character for adventure game.

 Cowboy 1 for 3vs 1 FPS game

 Cowboy 2 for 3vs1 fps game

 Cowboy 3 for 3vs1 fps game.

 Ninja for 3 vs 1 FPS game.

Western Town

Concept Design Document: Electro Defense

Concept Design Document | Alexander Chatzizacharias

1.1 Game concept

Our goal is to create a game which will make students interested in physics and show the how fun you can have while playing with electrical circuits and electrical devices. Our first concept is Electro Defense.

Electro Defense is a concept highly based on the successful tower defense games. Your goal is to protect your base by buying, building and using the power of electricity to defeat the incoming waves of enemies.

For towers the player uses electrical machines. Examples are an electrical tower or a spotlight. In the proof of concept we use 5 different towers, an energy absorber, a spotlight, an electricity tower, a laser beam and finally the electrical mat. The player has to use the shop to buy parts for the towers and then assemble them to create the tower he wants to create. In the following image you can see a raw sketch of the screen when the player is in game.

1.2 Feature Set

The game will have multiple features that will make it appealing to the target audience. First off, tower defense games are extremely popular and relaxing. The player can jump in and play whenever he feels like too. Also the player does not need a lot of “skill” to defeat a tower defense game. Logical thinking and quick reaction should be enough to beat the game.

The key feature of the game is the building of towers. The player will have to build towers and strategically choose where to place the towers. The game world does not have fixed places where the towers can be build. The player has the freedom to choose where he wants a tower and place it there.

The enemies will come in waves. This means that between each wave the player has some time to think about his next move and where to place towers. Because there is no fixed path for the enemies the game will feature a path finding system which enables the enemies to avoid towers. Like this the waves will become unpredictable and more challenging.

The game will also have a shop. In the shop the player will be buying parts. Parts are needed in order to build towers. The shop will be the stop station between each wave. In this brief period of time the player will have to choose which parts he wants to buy and like which towers he wants to build and where. In the following sketch you can see how the shop and the tower menu could look like.

The game will also have a wiring system. That means that the player will have to buy multiple meters of wires to build a tower where he wants to. That means, the farther away he wants to build a tower from his base, the more meters of wire he has to buy.

The game will also feature a tower overloading system. This system will allow the player to empower a tower by sending more electricity to it. Overloading is a double edged sword though, send too much electricity and the tower will explode!

Finally the game has a serial and parallel circuit system. If the player puts the towers in serial circuit the towers will become stronger and the player will have to spend a lot less on wiring. If a tower overloads though in the serial circuit, the rest of the towers in the circuit will also collapse. If the player chooses to use a parallel circuit he will have to buy a lot more wiring and lose some damage but in the other hand he will not have the risk of losing multiple towers if one tower overloads.

In the following sketch you can see the concept of serial and parallel circuiting.

 

1.3 Genre

The game is a tower defense game. Tower defense games are an offspring off the original RTS (real time strategy) games but with a lot of limitations. The player does not have the freedom of building units and sending them out to attack. The player is stuck at building defensive towers to protect his own base from attacking waves of enemies.

1.4 Target audience

The target audience for this game are children that go to the 2^nd and 3^rd year of their high school. Our goal is to create a game which will show these children how much fun electrical engineering can be and showing them that choosing for the BETA side later in the 4^th year could really pay off.

1.5 Controls

The player plays the game with the mouse. He clicks the tower he wants to build or the part he wants to buy and then chooses where he wants to place the tower. The shop can be accessed through hotkeys or an in game tab.

1.6 Look and feel

The game will have a cartoonish style. Such a style is most appealing to our target audience. The enemies will be more comical than frightening and the towers will also look cartoonish. The interface will support this visual style by also being cartoonish with brightly colors. In the following images you can see some examples of the cartoonish style.

2.1 Gameplay

The objective of the game is to prevent the enemy waves from reaching your base. The player achieves that by building towers in the path of the enemy waves which damages/slows the enemy’s.

The game progresses fairly simple. Each wave has a set amount of enemies. After the enemies are defeated the player has a set period of time to choose which towers he wants to build and where. Each wave has an increased number of enemies and eventually new and stronger enemies will appear.

The challenge in the game is to keep up with the increasing difficulty of each wave. The player has to use strategic placing to change the path of the enemies and quick reactions to empower his towers and quickly eliminate the enemies who oppose the greatest threat. The game is very strategical and the player will have to use a lot of trial and error until he discovers the best strategy for each wave. Here are the major choices the player will have to make between each wave:

- How is my money flow?
- Which tower?
- Where?
- Parallel circuit or serial circuit?
- How much wiring do I need?
- How much power should I send to the tower?
If the right choices are made the player will progress to the next wave.

2.2 Mechanics

The mechanics of the game are pretty simple. In the next sketch you can see a chart of how everything is connected within the game. In the following pages the explanation will follow.

2.2.1 Physics

The game makes no use of physics. Because it is played from a top down view there is no need to use physics within the game.

2.2.2 Movement

There are 3 different sets of movements within the game.

 Firstly we have the mouse cursor which is controlled by the player. The player can freely navigate the cursor wherever he wants. While there is an ongoing wave the player cannot enter the shop. He can only build towers and send more power to the towers.

The second set of movements are the enemies. The enemies move from left to right to heading to the base. The enemies are controlled by a basic path finding AI. When an enemy unit walks up to a tower he goes left or right and avoids the tower.

The last set of movements are the towers and “bullets”. The towers can be drag and dropped to the specific location that the player whishes to place the towers. The towers (once placed) then face the enemy which is in the attack radius and then shoot them. The bullets then travel to the enemies and eventually damage them.

2.2.3 Objects

There are multiple objects within the game. Namely towers, and tower parts. Each tower needs specific parts to become usable. Building the tower then consumes the parts & the needed currency. Each tower can be upgraded 3 times. Each upgrade then increases the effect of the tower. Each tower can also be empowered by sending more power to the tower. The tower effect increases the more power you send at it, but if you send too much power the tower overloads and you lose the tower.

Clicking on a tower opens up the tower menu. In the tower menu you can upgrade the specific tower and decide how much power to send to the tower.  In the following sketch you can see the layout of the tower menu and under the sketch are some examples for a couple of towers.

Spotlight: Blinds and slows the enemy. Each upgrade increases the slowing effect.

The player sends power to the spotlight, the incoming energy will be calculated with the formula I = √ (P/R)

 I refers to the power of the tower.

Slowing (1) 15% +10% of the incoming power
Slowing (2) 25% +10% of the incoming power
Slowing (3) 50% +10% of the incoming power

Parts needed:
Steel
Light bulb

Electricity-tower: Damages the enemy. Each upgrade increases the damage.

The player sends power to the electricity-tower, the incoming energy will be calculated with the formula I = √ (P/R).

I refers to power of the electricity-tower.

Damage (1): 5 +10% of the incoming power
Damage (2): 15 + 10% of the incoming power
Damage (3): 30 + 10% of the incoming power

Parts needed:
Steel
Transistor

Laser-Beam: Damages the enemy. Each upgrade increases the damage.

The player sends the power to the Laser-Beam, the incoming energy will be calculated with the formula I = √ (P/R).

 I refers to power of the Laser-Beam.

Damage (1): 10+10% of the incoming power
Damage (2): 20+10% of the incoming power
Damage (3): 40+10% of the incoming power

Parts needed:
Steel
Prism

Electrical mat: The super weapon of the game. Not upgradeable.

The player places an electrical mat on a set of 9 tiles. Any enemy (except bosses) that steps on the mat is immediately defeated. Each time the mat kills an enemy the player loses some of his power.

The game will also have multiple items that are needed to build the towers. Here are some possible items:

Lamp

Prism

Transistor

Steel 

Wire

2.2.4 Combat

The combat in the game is very linear. There is only damage calculation. The damage that needs to be calculated is the damage between tower and enemy, and enemy and base. The damage each tower inflicts on an enemy is fixed and the HP of the enemy is also fixed.

2.2.5 Economy

The game will have two kinds of currency. Money and Power. Money will be used to buy items and towers, while power will be used to empower towers and gain money. The player gains power by killing enemies. That is the work of the energy absorbing tower.

Energy-Absorber: Absorbs energy from nearby defeated enemies. Each tower upgrade expands the radius of the absorber. The defeated enemies will drop a random amount of “electricity”. The absorber converts the electricity into power with the formula: P = I^2* R.  R is a fixed number.

Like this the player the player will be forced into strategically placing energy absorbers to keep his power flowing.

In the shop the player can sell power for money. Like this we force the player to be careful with sending much power into his towers because that again limits his cash flow.