MAGICARCER

MM13-4AMAGICARCERGAME DESIGN DOCUMENT

MAGICARCERGame Design DocumentMM13-4AGerry Satyanegara[4116628]Eugene Tan [4246299]Ren Tang Lee [4321881]Nicholas Leong [4186618]

Contents

Game Mechanics2Core Game Play2Game Flow2Characters3Game Play Elements3Game Physics and Statistics4Artificial Intelligence4User Interface5Flowchart6Functional Requirements7GUI Mock Up8Art and Video10Overall Goals102D Art and Animation103D Animation and Modelling10Sound and Music12Overall Goals12Sound Effects12Music12Story13Level Requirements14Level Design14Asset Revelation Schedule14Level Design Seeds15

Game Mechanics

Core Game Play

Magicarcer is a puzzle RPG that combines environmental obstacles with fast paced action combat. Hack and slash your way through the game, then rack your brains to solve the many environmental puzzles littered throughout the game to collect pieces of the puzzle. After you are done gathering the pieces of the puzzle, put them all together to form a jigsphere and unlock your heart’s desire.

The game will consist of a few levels, and as you progress through the levels you will gain new skills, as well as encounter more varied enemies and traps. The puzzles which you have to solve will also steadily get harder to solve.

Puzzles generally consist of traps and jumping platforms. You will have to navigate through the level while taking care to avoid the traps and find the pieces of puzzles often located at the top of jumping puzzles.

Combat is very action oriented, and you will wield a sword to vanquish your enemies. Rolling and double jumping helps you to dodge attacks in order to take out the enemies with the least amount of damage taken. Damage avoidance is extremely important if you want to complete the level without dying, and the difficulty of the enemies can be adjusted in the gameplay options.

Your health does not regenerate over time, and the only way to replenish your health pool is to find health globes scattered across the levels. There is also a stamina bar which you will consume to perform rolls, and that will regenerate over time.

Finally, at the end of every level, solve the puzzle of the pieces which you have collected from the level and complete your jigsphere to unlock new abilities and progress to the next level.

Defeat your enemies, and overcome all obstacles in order to obtain to save your village and loved ones!

Game Flow

The player begins the game in a 3D environment. They will be able to move around, jump, and attack. The player will first be introduced to a jumping puzzle. This will be an easy puzzle for the player to get used to the controls of the game.

Moving on, the player will encounter traps. They will need to navigate carefully in order to pass these traps. This will give the player an idea of how the traps work and think about how to overcome them.

Following that, enemies will be introduced. The player will engage in combat using his sword and his basic attack. The attack is a cleave in an arc in front of the character, and with skill they will be able to hit multiple targets at once, increasing their efficiency. The combat is action combat, so the player will be able to react and dodge incoming attacks as well.

After the enemies have been defeated, the player will be prompted to look around for hidden areas. There will be walls with cracks on them, which the player can break down and discover a hidden room.

With that, all the introductions are complete, and the player will encounter more enemies, more difficult jumping puzzles, more complex traps, and more hidden mechanics. All the different aspects of each component of the game will be introduced gradually so as to not let the player be overwhelmed at the start of the game, and give the player a feeling of progression.

At the end of each level, the player will acquire a new skill. The end of the first level will provide the player with the ability to roll, and the end of the second level will provide the player with the ability to double jump. This will allow for more skill based action combat, as well as more complex puzzles for the player to solve.

Characters

Player Actor

Name: Corvus

Description: Corvus is the main character in the game, and is who the player controls. He is able to perform a basic cleave attack with his sword, and will unlock actions as the game progresses.

Weapons:Sword

Abilities:The player is able to learn rolling and double jumping as the game progresses.

· Rolling makes the character curl up into a ball and roll forward and gain distance quickly. Rolling can be used mid-jump in order to cover a greater distance during the jump. Rolling can also be used to dodge attacks from enemies and prevent damage.

· Double jumping will allow the player to jump a second time while they are in mid-air. This can also be used along with rolling in order to cover huge distances.

Enemy – Goblin

Description:Goblins are the lowest tier of the enemies which the player encounters. They will be introduces first, and will only perform a basic melee attack and have low hp.

Weapons:Arms

Abilities:Goblins are the basic foot soldiers in the game. They do not have any special abilities and only chases the player to perform a simple melee attack.

Enemy – Goblin Archer

Description:Goblin archers have similar stats to the goblin, but they have a ranged attack, and are much more threatening in a pack.

Weapons:Wand

Abilities:Goblin archers are ranged monsters which shoot fireballs from their wands. They are often found behind normal goblins in order to provide ranged support.

Enemy – Boss

Description:The boss appears for the final fight in the game. It is a big heavy hitter with a sizable health pool.

Weapon:Fists

Abilities:The boss performs an overhead smash attack which damages and stuns in an area, leaving the victim open to more attacks or damage from traps.

Game Play Elements

Jumping Platforms

· Crate

Crates are the basic jumping platforms. They are stationary boxes which can stack on each other to create jumping puzzles.

· Floating Platform

Floating platforms are magical platforms which defy gravity and have the ability to move around in the air.

Traps

· Spike Trap

Spike traps are traps placed on the ground and will impale anything that is standing on it when it activates.

· Arrow Trap

Arrow traps appear on walls and they shoot out arrows which will pierce anything in their way.

· Hammer Trap

Swing traps are basically swinging boulders hanging down from the ceiling and will strike anything in its way.

Interactive Objects

· Breakable Wall

Breakable walls appear as a normal wall with cracks on it. They can be destroyed to allow access to a hidden area

· Switch

Switches can be activated to unlock hidden areas.

· Door

Doors are simple gates which the player has to interact with to open.

Game Physics and Statistics

· Movement

Player movement will be constant. There will be no acceleration or deceleration time, so the player will have precise movement control for the jumping puzzles.

· Jumping

The player will be allowed to jump, and eventually double jump. The player is able to control their jumps in mid-air.

· Rolling

Rolling covers the same distance as a jump, and can be performed in mid-air. While rolling, the player will be immune to damage.

· Collisions

Collisions between a movable object and an immovable object should result in the movable object bouncing off.

Collisions between two movable objects will have different results based on the objects involved. The physics of the collision should be kept as real as possible.

Collision between the player character and an immovable object should stop the player from proceeding in the direction of that object.

Collision between the player character and a movable object should push the object away while slightly changing the course of the player character, the severity of the change being dependent on the weight of the object.

· Gravity

Gravity will be consistent throughout the game.

Artificial Intelligence

The AI will have two states, idle and attack. While idling, the AI will just stand its ground and look for an enemy within its range. Once an enemy is found, it will change to attack state and start attacking the enemy.

The AI will always attempt to face its enemy. It will move within its desired attack range and perform the attack.

The AI will be implemented via scripts. The programmer must add required scripts to the AI models so that the AI can perform its duties.

User Interface

Menu

Like most other games, there will be a menu system upon entering the game. The theme of the menu should fit the game and there will be magical runes decorating the screen. Options such as Continue, New Game, Options, Credits and Exit Game will be found here.

In Game Menu

While inside a game, the player can press the escape key to access the in game menu. This menu will let the player access the game options as well as leave the game.

In Game User Interface

As the game as puzzle elements, the user interface cannot be cluttered to allow the player to see as much as they can. As the combat in this game is simple, our user interface can be kept extremely basic, only showing the bare minimum of what we need to display. Only basic information like health pool, stamina pool and puzzle pieces collected will be shown on the user interface.

Flowchart

Main Screen

Finish

Quit

Y

N

N

Y

Return to main?

Y

Y

Y

Credits Screen

N

N

From options?

Return to main?

Resume Available

Y

N

N

Y

N

Display Elements

Options Screen

In-Game Screen

Resume Available

New Game

Continue

Exit

Credits

Options

Functional Requirements

Main Menu

This is the screen that shows right after the player run the game. It shows player the following options to select:

· Continue

Continue the game from the level which the player was last playing.

· New Game

Start a new game.

· Options

Opens a sub-menu consisting of the following options:

· Video

Allow the player to adjust video settings.

· Audio

Allow the player to adjust audio settings.

· Gameplay

Allow the player to adjust gameplay settings.

· Credits

Show the credits page.

· Exit Game

Close the game.

In Game Menu

This screen is shown when the escape key is hit during a game.

· Resume

Resumes the game

· Exit to Main Menu

Leaves the game and returns to the main menu.

User Interface

This is the user interface when the player is in the game.

· Health Bar

Show the player’s health pool at the top left side of the screen.

· Pieces collected

Show the pieces collected so far at the top right side of the screen.

Credits Screen

This screen is displayed when the credits button is clicked from the main menu. It shows the developers of the game and their roles.

GUI Mock Up

GUIObjects

In-Game Screen

Main Menu

Credits

Options

Video

1280x720

1600x900

1920x1080

Fullscreen

Sound

0

100

Back

Easy

Normal

Hard

Difficulty

Credits

Pieces remaning

X

Player

Player life bar

Only shown when available game exists

Magi

Continue

New Game

Options

Credits

Exit

Carcer

Back

In the main screen, there are many elements which contain coding. These codes contain the functions behind all the buttons. Below is the process behind elements on the screen.

Main Screen

· ContinueThis button will only show when there is an available game to continue. It will direct the player back to the game which the player is playing from the last save point, which at the start of the level.

· New GameThis button will direct the user to a fresh game screen by clearing the UI and initializing the elements for the in-game screen.

· OptionsThis button will bring the user to the options screen. It must clear the main screen and initialize the elements in the options screen.

· ExitThis button will call a function to close the application.

Options Screen

· VideoThe user will have 3 different resolutions to choose from, and the chosen resolution will be stored and a function will be called to change the resolution. The fullscreen option will be saved as a boolean and will toggle the game between fullscreen and windowed mode.

· Sound Scroll BarThe sound scroll bar will be in charge of setting the loudness of all sounds in the game, including background music and sound effects.

· DifficultyThe user will be able to select from 3 different game difficulties, easy, normal, and hard. This setting will be applied to the game if a change occurs.

In-Game Screen

· Health BarThis will be constantly updated in the game and will allow the player to know exactly what their current health is at. The bar will adjust accordingly as life is lost or gained.

· Pieces RemainingThis displays a variable that is used to keep track of how many pieces the player still has to collect in order to clear a level. It will update as the player collects puzzle pieces.

Credits Screen

The credit screen will only contain information on the development team and the roles which they played.

Art and Video

Overall Goals

The main idea for the art style of the game is to portray a fantasy feel. Cartoony graphics will be used along with bright colours to lighten the mood.

2D Art and Animation

GUI

The following GUI elements have been planned and confirmed:

· Main and option menu screens

· Game icon

· Continue button

Terrain and models

All the textures in this section will be done immediately after the character model has been completed. The main focus will be on the main character and the environment.

· Player textureThe player texture will be a simple outfit for the character.

· Dungeon texturesThe dungeon will be mostly made of brick and concrete.

· Enemy texturesThe enemies will also have simple outfits that are suitable for them.

· Weapon texturesThe weapons will have textures which fit their materials as appropriately as possible

· Trap texturesThe traps will have crude and hostile looking texture as much as possible with the exception of the hammer trap.

· Environmental and other object texturesAll objects will have textures that suit them as much as possible

3D Animation and Modelling

Gerry will be handling all the art work that is needed for this project. Starting with the concept art, Gerry will draw everything that is needed. As he is both the 2D and 3D artist, he is able to cut down on a bit of extra work as he does not need to draw 2D concept art for some of the 3D models he will be creating.

There will be some concerns regarding 3D modeling which Gerry has to be wary of. Aside from not looking too plain, the models have to be kept under a certain amount of polygons. Because our game is not extremely combat centric, the number of enemies are usually quite small, which gives us some leeway for the amount of polygons. Still, we want to try and keep the polygon count below 6000, which is quite a high number so that we can make the models look as good as possible.

Our models will be created and animated using lightwave, then imported over to Unity. To import them into Unity, the models have to be exported as FBX files.

Sound and MusicOverall Goals

The main goal of the music is to provide a mysterious tune while the player explores the unknown dungeon, then jumping into more fast paced music during big fights to increase the pace of the game and excite the player.

Sound Effects

Special Effects:Sword slash, blunt attack, fireball.Characters:Get hit sounds, death sounds.Gameplay:Collect puzzle piece, collect health dings.Environment:Door open and close sound, walls breaking.Traps:Spike sounds, arrow sounds.

Music

Menu:Lighthearted instrumental music.Level 1:Mysterious-vibe inducing music.Level 2: Creepy-sounding and ominous musicLevel 3: Dark and suspenseful music to build up to the boss fightJigsphere:Calm and soothing ambient music to ease off from the tension the.Boss Fight:Fast-paced action music.

Story

The previously happy lands of Silversprings have been suddenly beset by plagues, and all efforts to find a cure have proven futile. As their situation slowly grows more desperate, their call for aid reaches the ears of a plucky adventurer named Corvus. Having heard rumors of a magical cure, he sets off into the unknown. His quest for their salvation will bring him to the long abandoned lairs of long forgotten mages, and he will have to overcome the creatures and traps lurking within the darkness to find his goal.

Level Requirements

The game will have a linear progression. Each level will increase in difficulty and the players will have to make use of new skills that they learnt to proceed. All the levels are in the same environment, a dungeon. The player must work his way through the rooms to collect the puzzle pieces.

Linear Level Progression

Level 2

Jigspere1

Level 1

Jigsphere 3

Level 3

Jigsphere 2

Level Design

· Level 1

In the first level, the player will be introduced to all the different aspects of the game one by one, to ease them into the game. All puzzles, traps and enemies will be basic at this level to let the player get used to the gameplay. At the end of the level is a treasure chest which will lead to the jigsphere.

· Jigsphere 1

At the end of level 1 will be a jigsphere that the player has to solve to unlock the ability to roll and progress to the next level. There will be 10 pieces of the puzzle to piece together, which is the same amount of pieces the player had to collect in level 1.

· Level 2

At this point the player should be used to the game and the challenges will become more difficult. More complex puzzles which will require the player to make use of his newly acquired ability will be introduced to force the player to learn how to use it. There is another treasure chest at the end of the level.

· Jigsphere 2

Similar to level 1, there will be a jigsphere at the end of level 2 as well. This one will have 14 pieces of the puzzle, also the same amount of pieces the player collected in the level. After this the player will unlock the ability to double jump.

· Level 3

This level will have the most challenging puzzles which will force the player to make use of all the abilities in his arsenal in order to succeed. There will be a final boss fight at the end of this level guarding the last treasure chest.

· Jigsphere 3

This will be the last jigsphere in the game. There will be 18 pieces of the puzzle which the player collected and when the puzzle is solved the player does not gain any new abilities, but instead gets what they came for and the game is completed.

Asset Revelation Schedule

At the start of the game, the player is armed with a sword. The player will be able to perform a basic attack with this sword.

Health can be replenished by collecting health pickups scattered around the levels in the game. Health is also reset to full between levels.

As the levels progress, the player will unlock the roll and double jump ability to aid in their quest.

Level Design Seeds

Level 1

Treasure chest

Health pickup

Puzzle piece

Pillars

Enemies spawn

Crates

Traps

Player spawn

Level 2

Player spawn

Level 3

Player spawn

-1-

Video

Video