Character
Who is my character/ are my characters?
The characters are a small group of survivors from an apocalyptic invasion of the world. The characters are hiding and fleeing from the enemy force. The strength and number of the enemies is such that there is no point fighting them... the characters must simply keep running, and trying to find the magic bullet that will turn the tide. The characters are varied in their utility to the player, but all are valuable.
Some characters:
- Leader: The leader has the most well-rounded abilities, and could be considered to be the player's avatar. The player must protect the leader, but use their stronger abilities wisely to help the rest of the team.
- Defender (x2 maybe): The defenders are the strongest in combat, and best at defending the other characters from the oncoming assault of enemies.
- Medic: The medic can heal other characters if they are hurt, and generally lend a helping hand.
- Scientist: The scientist can develop new technologies that will help the characters battle the enemies more efficiently.
- Survivalist: The survivalist is most adept at finding food and other supplies that the characters need to survive.
The interaction between the main characters is the focus of the game. The characters must work closely as a team, as each has different abilities, and losing one member will hurt the rest greatly. The kind of interactions the main characters have a profiled in the list above.
Within the environment is other wildlife that will not pose much danger to the main characters, but can be used for food or for other purposes.
How will our character interact with environment? Why?
The character's interaction with the environment is very important, as it is their only only ally against the ever encroaching enemies.
Physical characteristics: What do they look like? Small/ big/ etc. What do they need to be able to do? Health.
The characters will be quite small on screen, so they must be very iconic in their designs. However, iconic designs lend themselves to cuteness more than serious subjects, and the idea of an invasion that is impossible to fight is quite shocking. The iconic nature of the characters could be a bonus or a danger... but it basically comes down to how it is pulled off, and how they work in the context of the rest of the imagery.
Environment/ Location/ Space
How does it effect character?
The game environment provides a stage for the characters and the enemy, defines specific challenges and acts as a frame for the gameplay, but it has no real effects on characters.
Scope of our environment?
The environment is quite large in scope. It does not need to be carefully designed, since feeling like a real, natural place is more important. Because of this, much of the creation of the maps the player will travel through can be handled by the computer, and created in bulk.
Is the environment background? Or key to the events?
The environment is essentially background Though it does define the play space significantly, what the player makes of it is more important. The environment's main purpose
Does light/ dark matter in the environment? Does it change things?
I think the player will have enough to worry about without needing to worry about the effects of shadows and lighting on the gameplay. Any light & dark areas would be purely for emotional & aesthetic effect, and have no direct gameplay effects.
Interactive
Will the space be controllable?
The player cannot directly control the space, only the handful of characters that they are in charge of. I think it would be appropriate for the position of the 'camera' to be defined by the characters. Forcing the player to always be looking at their characters makes the focus of the game literally on the characters. It will also create a more claustrophobic feel, which is appropriate for what I am trying to achieve.
Will the user feel as though the space stretches beyond their experience of it? How will this happen?
The visual design of the environment is very important in making the space seem larger and more varied than it really is in gameplay terms. Basically, it comes down to inserting little visual stories and asides that are tangential to the actual game... so that the space feels lived in and loved.
Does the user feel that they move through space?
Moving through the game space with the characters is one of the focuses of the games... constantly being on the move, or preparing for the next move. The sense of progress through space is very strong, even if it is a stage-like flat space, and not a true 3D space.
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