Level Demo Map

A quick simple level block out for the demo level I'm going to make introducing the different gameplay concepts.

Level Demo Document

• Start at the entrance to a city district. You start off as the agile character.
• Move right until you encounter some enemies. You can switch out between the characters anytime but for now you’re not told that.
• Clear the area and proceed to a destructible door. This is when you’re informed you can tag in another teammate to get past the obstacle.
• Switch to the big guy, clear the door and proceed to an area where you encounter some more enemies; take them out and then large enemies start to appear.
• This is where you’re informed about certain characters being better against certain enemies.
• Proceed to an area with more platforming elements that requires you to switch to the agile character.
• Encounter enemies better suited to the small character and then get out of the building by slipping through some tight spaces.
• Continue on and you’ll get a mixture of enemy types where you can switch between characters during the battle to rack up the highest points for your score, points are converted to currency for buying better equipment.
• The next part is an environmental puzzle that requires the unique attributes of each character to solve.
1. There’s a door that needs to be opened by moving a heavy object on top of a pressure plate on the ground.

                                                               i.      The object is on the other side of a withdrawn bridge and the way to the broken circuit to make the bridge extend is closed. The switch to open the way is on the other side of the bridge.

2. Using the agile character you climb your way up and vault over to the other side of the bridge and hit the switch which opens the hatch.
3. Make your way back and tag in the small character, who then goes down the tunnel and repairs the circuit board.
4. Exit the tunnel and tag in the big character, make your way across the bridge and push the heavy object to stand over the pressure plate to keep the door open.
• Pass the puzzle and you encounter the boss of the stage, use the different characters to best attack, cripple, and avoid the boss and its attacks. Take it out and pass the level, which turns out to be a final simulation test for the group before being sent out on real missions.

Game Design Doc Quick Pass

Game Proposal Template

Game Developer’s Name: Thomas Thomas III

Date: 1/30/13

Game Title: Title Pending

I wish to create a game that highlights cooperation in a fast paced action game that appeals to teenagers because I believe that it’s an important value for this generation.

This game incorporates the concept of team work to solve environmental puzzles and tackle enemy units. Utilizing each character’s strengths in real time to given situations while also allowing player play style preference.

Summary

• Genre: Side Scrolling Shooter/Beat ‘em Up
• Differentiating selling points: Varied play styles for each character. Can swap between teammates at any time to change tactics and solve puzzles.
• Concept: You’re a newly formed elite squad tasked with taking out enemy rebels against the state. Work together to survive against the enemy and reach your goals in the most efficient manner.
• Story:
• Target audience: Teens and up
• Release date: When it’s done
• Players: 1-3
• Key innovations: Using specific team members to progress through the level. The ability to switch between characters on the fly.
• Game structure: Fast paced side-scrolling action with environmental puzzle solving and strategic boss fights.
• Content: Navigate an overworld map to access story content, side quests, training rooms, battle arenas, and shops. Can replay levels to accumulate more experience and score points. Buy weapon and armor upgrades to increase your strength, defense, and speed. Build up your special meter and perform devastating team moves to clear rooms of enemies and deal crushing blows in enemy boss encounters.

Game situations

• Situation 1: You come to an area with branching paths, there’s a destructible wall, an upper area and a small hole.
• Breaking the wall and going head on means you have to take on a bunch of enemies in a frontal assault.
• Going above means you can sneak pass most if not all enemies in the area, or drop down for an ambush.
• Going below lets you go into the inner workings of the building so you can sabotage the base and cripple the enemy for a direct assault or ambush.
• Situation 2: There’s a “puzzle” that has to be solved before you can progress through the level. There’s a gate that needs a switch to be pressed and held down for the gate to stay open. You need to get a heavy object across to where the switch is. But there’s a ton of debris in the way.
• You need to climb past the debris to reach a lever to open a small entranceway to complete a bridge to get the heavy object to the floor switch. You use the agile character to navigate to the first switch by wall running, jumping over hazardous obstacles and open the entry way.
• Then switch to the small character to complete the bridge.
• Finally you switch to the big character to move the heavy object.
• Situation 3: You have to clear a room of enemies in order to proceed. You can technically take them all on using any character but some are more adept to particular enemies.
• Normal sized guys are best handled by the big character because he can take them out quicker with his power. And he’s strong enough to block their attacks without sustaining damage from it.
• Large enemies are better handled by the agile character because they can avoid the devastating attacks that they inflict. The big guy can take more damage and block but if you’re looking to not lose any health the best tactic is dodging which is easier with the agile character.
• Smaller enemies are better taken care of by the small character because you’re less likely to miss. The big guy’s attacks might go over the smaller enemies’ heads. Small character is also good for getting around large enemies in tight spaces; they can run under the legs of certain types of enemies.
• Situation 4: There’s a boss to take down at the end of the level who has fast weak attacks and slow strong attacks and you have to get around to its backside to attack its weak point.
• You do your heavy damage to the front to tire out the opponent with your big guy while blocking weaker attacks with him.
• You need to switch to the agile character to avoid powerful attacks that can’t be blocked.
• The small character is used to get to the backside of the boss.
• All three can attack the enemy but the agile and small characters take more to tire it out. The big guy can do more damage and take more damage but can’t avoid attacks as easily. Use the character that best fits the situation or best suits the player’s play style.

Approach:

Start at the entrance to a city district. Move right until you encounter some enemies. You can switch out between the characters anytime but for now you’re not told that. Clear the area and proceed to a destructible door. This is when you’re informed you can tag in another teammate to get past the obstacle. Switch to the big guy, clear the door and proceed to an area where you encounter some more enemies; take them out and then large enemies start to appear. This is where you’re informed about certain characters being better against certain enemies. Proceed to an area with more platforming elements that requires you to switch to the agile character. Encounter enemies better suited to the small character and then get out of the building by slipping through some tight spaces. Continue on and you’ll get a mixture of enemy types where you can switch between characters during the battle to rack up the highest points for your score, points are converted to currency for buying better equipment. The next part is an environmental puzzle that requires the unique attributes of each character to solve. Pass the puzzle and you encounter the boss of the stage, use the different characters to best attack, cripple, and avoid the boss and its attacks. Take it out and pass the level, which turns out to be a final simulation test for the group before being sent out on real missions.

• Background scenario

Moving

• How does the player move (in the world, or in the scene as applicable): You move from left to right, or reverse to progress through a level. You can jump and duck, and have a long range and short range attack. Agile character has a dash move, Big character can block, Small character can side step.

Representing the Player

• Visuals: Character avatar(s), Health meter, Special Move meter, Score system.
• Data management: Experience Points, Score Points/Currency, Character stats based on equipment.
• Profile:
• Customization: You can buy weapon upgrades to make each character stronger or faster.
• Stats: Leveling up adds more health to your characters. Performing better combos by switching out characters during combat increases your score, score points are currency for buying better weapons.

Modes

• Scenarios
• Story mode- you have an overworld map where you select your next mission or go back to previous missions.
• Training simulation room, and battler arena can be accessed by the map as well. Training simulation takes advantage of unique character abilities to conquer terrain. Battle arena helps you to train using each character.
• Shops can be accessed through the overworld map as well.

Measuring Progress

• Tools for detecting progress: You cover more of the map as you continue.
• Feedback: A completion percentage is displayed in the overworld map.
• Stats and graphs: Character stats can be accessed while shopping or in the pause menu.

Appendix - Project Filters

• Actions and rewards? Score and experience points carry over even if you die so there’s always something to be gained.
• Player driven by personal choices? You can play in a way that suits your style of play.
• Personalization? You can equip your characters to boost whatever stats you want. You can make the big character faster or the fast character stronger etc.
• What makes it useful? The power of FRIENDSHIP!!!!!!
• Learning something? The power of FRIENDSHIP!!!!!!
• Replayability? You can replay levels to get better scores and rack up experience points and currency. Side missions might require revisiting areas for completionist.

Quarter Schedule

•Class 10 – Level Doc done, Have piece of level that I want to have done by 45 hr review selected, Character designs finalized

•Class 11 – Level Aesthetic chosen and two character turn arounds done and modeling started.

•Class 12 – Continue modeling characters and environment pieces.

•Class 13 – Have character modeling and texturing done, getting assets into game engine, start on demo reel.

•Class 14 – Have characters rigged and set dressing completed.

•Class 15 – Have demo reel ready.

•Class 16 – Get game mechanics working. Bring in finished characters.

•Class 17 – Finalize website, continue to refine game mechanics.

•Class 18 – Get all the stuff together for final presentation. Finish level demo.

•Class 19 – Have final presentation ready.

•Class 20 – Have everything done for the quarter and have all the ground work laid out for taking level to full completion for my thesis visual component.

Resume

Objective: To obtain a position in a creative organization as an Art Director utilizing my skills of creativityand a fast work flow to help establish and maintain the visual aesthetic throughout the development process of critically successful games.

Summary of Qualifications:

· 6 years of interactive design, game development, and sequential art education.

· Proven ability and passion to create compelling characters.

· Strong time management, fast and efficient workflow.

· Ability to inspire and drive others.

· Great communicator, coordinator, and team player.

· Mastery of Photoshop and Maya.

· Experienced in Illustrator, zBrush, Mudbox, and UDK.

Job Experience:

2007- 2009 EB Games (Game Stop) – Savannah, GA

Game Advisor/Cashier

· Interacted with customers and advised on game purchases.

· Experienced with communicating with players and understanding their needs and requirements.

· Use of extensive knowledge of game design skills to analyze and critique games for customers/players.

· Worked well in a high pressure environment.

· Proven ability to successfully and consistently meet goal requirements.

· Excellent team player.

Education:

· MFA in Interactive Design and Game Development from SCAD Hong Kong, 2013

· BFA in Interactive Design and Game Development from SCAD Savannah, 2011

· Double minored in Sequential Art and Concept Art for Games.

· Dean’s List, Graduated with Honors – Cum Laude 2011

Game Credits and Other Accomplishments:

· Concept artist/ Illustrator/ Storyboard artist/ Cinematic artist/ Modeler/ Texture artist for 2 SCAD game projects.

o Instant Ra-Man – won second place in Entelechy 2011

o Dino-land

· Concept artist/ Graphic artist/ Modeler/ Texture artist for group   project.

o Futuristic Spaceport Environment

· Concept artist for 2 SCAD senior animation projects.

o Bridges – by Benjamin Elio

o Breakfast Time – by Brandon Thompson

· Published sequential work in the Game Over Anthology.

Hobbies:

· Visiting and exploring new locations

· Reading

· Film buff

· Going to the gym

· Late night Taco Bell runs with friends

My Story

Media should fulfill a need to play.

Growing up, I couldn't always get the toys that I wanted because I either couldn't afford them or they just didn't exist. To circumvent this, my mother showed me how to make some "toys" by drawing, coloring, and cutting them out. This one little act had set the direction my life would take and established the passions that I would cultivate into a profession. I grew up creating my own paper cut out toys and designing my own characters to play out the stories that I wanted to tell. I had a need to play and this creative road filled that need.

I also grew up with video games which continued to satisfy the need to play as I grew out of the paper toy phase, but the passion to create persisted. Eventually these two separate hobbies became one. My need to play and my desire to create have been intertwined since their inception in my life and drive my vision:

My art will fulfill the need to play through its incorporation in video games.