Concept Design Document: Electro Arena

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 second concept is Electro Arena.

Electro Arena is a multiplayer game. This game is an arena fight game. The goal of the player is to make sure the enemy has zero health left. The game is based on the popular series of Super Smash games made by Nintendo.

The players use electrical attacks to damage each other. Each attack reduces the enemy’s charge bar and also slightly reduces the players charge bar. Players can stand on platforms to increase their charge bar, but other players can destroy the platforms to prevent that. In the following image you can see a sketch of the game concept.

1.2 Feature Set

This game will feature multiple features that will make it appealing to the target audience. This game is a multiplayer experience, online and local, which will stimulate a feeling of competition. While competition can be very successful in achieving our goal, it can also be very frustrating. That’s why we need to make sure the game is well balanced and fair for every player.

The key feature in this game is the fighting style. It is a 2D fighting arena where players can move in 3 directions, using platforms and walls to dodge attacks. Players are free to move to anywhere they wish for in the arena without restrictions.

The players use the Charge Bar to monitor their health, and attacking capacity. Every time someone gets hit but an attack the Charge bar loses some of its power. Also each time a player fires an attack he loses some power from the charge bar. This is to make sure that every player eventually has to visit a charging platform.

The charging platforms are the central points in the arena. Players can stand on the platforms to recharge their Charge Bar. Each platform has a formula attached to it which determines how much power the player receives from the platform. The formula has a different effect on each of the 4 closable characters. Players can also destroy the charging platforms to prevent their enemies to recharge. In the following image you can see a sketch of the charge bar

Another feature in the game are the four closable characters. The player can choose between Voltar, Amperica, Ohminator and Wattazer. Each of them has another effect when they stand on a platform. Some platforms favor Voltar more while others favor Amperica more. Later in the document this will be explained in depth.

Finally the game will also feature a parallel and serial circuit system. The platforms will be connected with each other. When a player destroys a platform, depending how it’s connected to other platforms, it will render other platforms unusable. Here is a sketch how this system works.

1.3 Genre

This game is a fighting game. Fighting games are a type of action game where on-screen characters fight each other. Games traditionally show fighters from a side-view. Fighting games typically involve hand-to-hand combat, but may also feature ranged weapons.

1.4 Target audience

The target audiences 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

1.6 Look and feel

The game should have a cartoonish style. Such a style is very appealing to our target audience. The interface will support this visual style by also being cartoonish with bright colors. In the following images you can see some examples of the cartoonish style.

2.1 Gameplay

The game play is pretty simple. The player controls one character and tries to defeat the other characters. Since it is a multiplayer experience the full version of the game should have an online option (which will not be included in the proof of concept). The proof of concept will have a local option where two players can face off using one keyboard (as shown under the controls section). The players then need to make sure the enemy player loses all his Charge Power and win the match.

Each player has to keep close track of his Charge Bar. When the Charge bar is getting low the player need to scan the arena in search for the best possible platform to stand on. Once on the platform he will automatically recharge. The other player then needs to make sure that he destroys the platform or a platform that is correctly connected to the target platform.

The game is not progressive. That means that there aren’t any changes within the game that make the player stronger, the enemy weaker, the stages harder etc. There is also no difficulty flow. The game heavily relies on the “skill” level of the player and the enemy players.

The skills that a player must master to become good in this game are: Reflex, observation and foresight. The player needs reflex so that he can dodge incoming attacks, observation so that the player knows how to move to reach the right platform on time while keeping his enemy on check and foresight so that the player can predict enemy movement and react correctly to it.

The challenge within the game is defeat your enemy as fast as possible while you don’t lose much charge power. It’s a fast paced fighting game and the challenge fully relies on how good your opponents are.

2.2 Mechanics

2.2.1 Physics

The game will feature simple gravity physics. When the player jumps the physics will force the player down. When the player walks off a platform the gravity physics will make sure he falls down. Attacks will not be affected by physics.

2.2.2 Movement

Player movement is also pretty basic. The player can jump, duck and move left or right. The speed of the player is fixed and cannot be changed. Jump height is also fixed and unchangeable.

2.2.3 Objects

The only objects in this concept are the platforms. Each platform is attached to its own formula.
Each formula favors one of the 4 characters more than the other. Platforms that favor voltar are yellow, platforms that favor Amperica are blue, platforms that favor Ohminator are red and the platforms that favor Wattazer are green.
For example if a platform has the formula: I = U/R attached to it and Voltar steps on it he will gain the outcome of the formula each second (the numbers are fixed). If Amperica steps on the platform though it will replace the fixed number of “U” with Amperica’s current charge bar and divide it by the fixed number “R”. The player then will start to lose the charge power each second. If Ohminator or Wattazer step on the platform nothing happens.

This is so that the players are forced to look at the formulas and decide if it’s wise to stand on it.

2.2.4 Combat

Combat is pretty straightforward. When the player wants to attack he just has to hit the attack button or the strong attack button. Each attacks costs 5 charge power and each strong attack 10. The player has a total of 100 charge power. If an attack hits the target he loses 10 charge power and 15 from a strong attack. All attacks are ranged attacks and all strong attacks are melee attacks.

Concept Design Document: Electro Adventure

1.           Game Overview: Electro Adventure

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. This concept is called Electro Adventure. Electro Adventure is a plat forming adventure game. The player must jump from platform to platform to reach higher places and eventually the exit.

The game takes place in a broken wire. The wire is broken and there is water leaking inside of it. The player controls a small electricity spark, which tries to escape the wire before the water reaches him. While the player does the standard plat forming part of the game he also needs to collect key’s and solve puzzles to reach the exit and so the next level.

The game will also have a quizmaster. Once you answer the question of the quizmaster correctly, you unlock the exit to the next level.

This concept is made to hold a lot of features. Since it’s an adventure plat former each level can hold its own piece of electronics theory, starting from the very basics and ending on the hardest parts of electronics theory that is taught in high school. The best way to describe this is to compare Electro Adventure with an electronics book. The first level is the first chapter. Here players learn about the flow of electricity and get to play with it. In the second level the player learns about serial and parallel circuits and get to play with it, and so on.

In short, Electro Adventure is a book in the form of a funny, enjoying, instructive game.

1.2 Feature Set

Electro Adventure is a game made to hold a lot of features. While in the proof of concept there are only a few features featured the game has a lot of room for more. This way the game becomes non – linear and has enough replay value to keep the target audience interested. Here are some features that you can find in the first level of the game.

The most important feature is the quizmaster. The quizmaster is the one that decides if you are “worthy” to continue to the next level. He does that by asking you several questions. If you answer them correctly, the exit of the level is unlocked. The questions that the quizmaster asks can be modified externally by the teacher. Like this, the teacher of a class can determine what questions he asks his students. With this we hope to encourage teachers to keep teaching the students in their own way and style, without that our game forces them to teach the students certain pieces of theory so that they can answer the questions.

A second feature is the circuit flow system. Within the first level of the game the player will have to turn switches on and off to start and stop the electrical flow within that circuit. The player uses the circuits to reach higher places within the game world.

The player also has enemies. To keep the game challenging, the player himself cannot defeat the enemies. The player is forced into timing his jumps and thinking ahead so that he won’t die.

The game is made to be able to hold a lot of features. Each level another feature and in the end of each “Chapter” (a collection of levels) the player will have to use all the features he mastered to finish the chapter. A good example for this is Zelda. In the Zelda games the player is introduced with a different mechanic each temple. In the end the player has to use them all to finish the temple.

Like this each level will have its own special feature which is connected to the theory that is being taught to the corresponding chapter in a theory book. For example, the 1^st level introduces the players with the flow of electricity and how it works. The second level could introduce players with parallel and serial circuits etc.

1.3 Genre

The game is an adventure plat forming game. We chose for this genre because it’s flexible (a lot of new features can be implemented) and it can be really enjoyable. The platform game (or plat former) is a video game genre characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles. It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps.

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

1.6 Look and feel

The game should have a cartoonish style. Such a style is very appealing to our target audience. The interface will support this visual style by also being cartoonish with bright colors. In the following images you can see some examples of the cartoonish style.

2.           Gameplay and Mechanics

2.1 Gameplay

The gameplay is pretty basic (which is also necessary for our target audience). The player controls his own character. He needs to jump from platform to platform while timing and controlling his jumps. Each level will introduce its own feature. This keeps the game new and refreshing. In the first level the player must find the keys, turn the switches on/off and activate the “flow” to reach higher places.

The game progresses linear and it should follow the theory of an acclaimed theory book used by teachers. Each level should make use of the theory discussed in each chapter of the book. In the last levels the player will have to combine the knowledge to beat the game.

The difficulty curve is also pretty linear. It starts easy, introducing the player to the game, letting him get familiar with the controls and physics. As the game progresses the enemies will become harder to dodge and the puzzles will become harder to solve.

The skills that the player must master to beat the game are, reflex, timing and observation. Though some point can only be overcome by trial and error, we didn’t want the game to become trial and error based, but more skill based. That means that a player that regularly trains his observation and reflexes will have more success within Electro Adventure than someone that doesn’t.

2.2 Mechanics

 

2.2.1 Physics

The game will feature simple gravity physics. When the player jumps the physics will force the player down. When the player walks off a platform the gravity physics will make sure he falls down. Enemies are also affected by physics.

2.2.2 Movement

Player movement is also pretty basic. The player can jump and move left or right. The speed of the player is fixed and cannot be changed. Jump height is also fixed and unchangeable, except by power ups.

2.2.3 Objects

Since the game is based on being dynamic and changeable for each level, the game could have a large amount of objects. These are the objects we will be using for level 1:

Quizmaster: This person is your key to beating the level. Once you find him he will ask you a question. If you answer the question correctly you unlock the exit and are able to proceed to the next level.

Switches: These switches can activate a flow circuit and allow the player to reach higher places. Both switches on both ends must be closed for the flow to activate.

Keys: These keys allow the player to close or open the switches.

2.2.4 Combat

The game does not feature combat. If the player collides with an enemy is immediately spawned at the start of the level. It doesn’t reset the level though. Like this the player can just walk back where he “died” and try again.