Week 15: Assignment #3 Resubmission

My idea for my personal game project this semester is going to be named Protege.  At its core it is a detective story focusing on heavy stealth gameplay in a neo-noir setting.  The game’s story will focus on the conflict between the protagonist Grant Heckler and his mentor and employer The Old Man, and the backtracking through the 2 weeks prior to the games start.  The game is structured in this way to allow the player to in essence play through a portion of Grant’s life from a hindsight perspective rather than a foresight or straight linear one.  

Protege will be based on stages made up of 3 missions each and will involve him having to plan, equip, and steal valuable artifacts from various museums around the world.  This will give the player information on why The Old Man betrayed him, and why the organization called The Syndicate that they both work for did as well.

(The pdf file is in my homework W2 folder for reference.)

Week 9 & 10: Midterm Projects Due and Presented

A copy of the video I took of my level playthrough is in my midterm folder. The link below will take you to where I posted the video on Youtube.

Youtube Video

Week 7: Level Design Documents

Since this assignment relies heavily on images and supporting concept art, I will just briefly describe what I did and you can see the complete documents in my week 7 folder.

I took a three level progression approach to this assignment, where the first level design document focuses on a level that is an introduction to the entire stage and is pretty much just a prep level.

The second level design document focuses on the hideout and resupply area that the player can take advantage of, as well as continue planning for the final mission of the stage or chapter.

The third level design document focuses on the end of the chapter and the big stealth mission.

Week 6: Game Idea Pitch with Character Development

Player Character: Grant Heckler

Information:

What is this character’s job or role?
- Master art thief for a crime Syndicate.

What is the back story for the character? (You’re not writing a novel here, but you do need at least two paragraphs of text.)

– Heckler was in an orphanage until the age of 6 when he ran away and lived on the streets. At that time he met the Old Man, who took him under his protection and began to teach him a trade in exchange for having Grant in essence be his valet. In later years Grant became a full partner in the Old Man’s enterprise, and began working for the Syndicate.

What is the behavior or mannerism of this character? Why? (How does the character act? Do they have any special or unique mannerisms? What does this help convey about the character? How does this relate to what we know about them already?)

– Quiet, collected and methodical. The whole point of Grant’s character is that he is unnervingly calm until the point where he snaps, and his rage surprises everyone in the game (and the player).

What is the importance of the character? (How or why is this character important in the game?)

– He is the anti-hero and the protagonist.

What is the "play" of the character? (How do they play or act inside the game? What are their skills or abilities? A massive brute that poses a physical threat? Or a cunning planner who uses their wits to overcome? Other options or variants? How does this relate to what we know about them already?)

– Grant is mainly playable as a stealth character. This feel drives the game, as he is capable of fighting, but chooses not too unless strictly necessary. The player will have a feeling of always having to hold back instead of giving in to impulse (until the right moments).

What is the appearance of the character? (Give a brief written description and accompany this with reference images or concept artwork where available.)

– Grant is asian/american, tall and slim.

What is the intended view for this character? What considerations have been made in regards to the character’s appearance from this view? (Looking for more than "We made his back/ arms look cooler!") – 1st person/3rd person. Like Deus Ex, the gameplay will determine what viewpoint the character is seen from.

What is the longevity of this character? Will people want to play him or play against him? Why or why not? – Players will want to play as him because it gives them the chance to play an anti-hero they feel has been wronged.

What is the character’s name? (Does he even have a name? What does this character’s name say about him or the game?)

– Grant Heckler.

Player Character: The Old Man

Information:

What is this character’s job or role?
– Grant Heckler’s mentor; Master Thief.

What is the back story for the character? (You’re not writing a novel here, but you do need at least two paragraphs of text.)

– The Old Man was a thief in old world europe until he quit the game and came to America. While trying to live a quiet life here he was approached and coerced into working for the Syndicate. He has continued to do so for the past 20 years despite his attempts at extricating himself from their hold over him.

What is the behavior or mannerism of this character? Why? (How does the character act? Do they have any special or unique mannerisms? What does this help convey about the character? How does this relate to what we know about them already?)

– He hides his cunning and intelligence under the mask of an old, clutsy man. Until he lets down his guard, he appears to be nothing more. But when that guard comes down, it is clear just from his eyes that he is not a man to be trifled with.

What is the importance of the character? (How or why is this character important in the game?)

– He is the main antagonist, and Grant’s mentor and frame of reference for who he is as a person.

What is the "play" of the character? (How do they play or act inside the game? What are their skills or abilities? A massive brute that poses a physical threat? Or a cunning planner who uses their wits to overcome? Other options or variants? How does this relate to what we know about them already?)

– Masked physical aggression overlaid with quick wit and cunning.

What is the appearance of the character? (Give a brief written description and accompany this with reference images or concept artwork where available.)

– He appears exactly as his moniker suggests, but in a sort of played-up way. Almost like he is too close to the stereotype that you wonder if it’s all an act.

What is the intended view for this character? What considerations have been made in regards to the character’s appearance from this view? (Looking for more than "We made his back/ arms look cooler!")

– Since he is not a playable character he will be seen from Grant’s perspective.

What is the longevity of this character? Will people want to play him or play against him?Why or why not?

– Players will want to interact with him because he is in a sense the old wise man, the seer. He has so much experience to share that he is integral to the progress of the game.

What is the character’s name? (Does he even have a name? What does this character’s name say about him or the game?)

– The Old Man (real name unknown).

(For reference images see document in classfolders week 6).

Week 5: Game Pitch Idea

Protege

Team Members: Harrison Ferrone ESRB RATING: Teen

Protege at its core is a detective story with an old world feel. It deals with how the events of a two week period in the life of a skilled art thief named Grant Heckler leads to a greater conspiracy between unseen forces and Grant’s teacher, The Old Man. The goal of the game will be forcing the player to unravel the reasoning behind The Old Man’s actions, and the motives of the unseen forces/cabal. In this way the gamer will be able to play through several heist missions that will provide context and clues to The Old Man’s betrayal, all the while knowing that betrayal is imminent in the narrative.

High Level Concept:

Protege is a primarily stealth/adventure game with the elements and feel of a detective noir. The game will function on two levels. The first level will be the main narrative, while the second underlying level will be an ongoing chess game against your teacher. The first installment of the chess game will be at the beginning of the game, but will be taking place at the end of the narrative. It will be the structure for delivering the main plot points, and will be the jumping off point that the character will need to figure out how all the events leading up to that moment played out. Throughout the game the player will be brought back to the chess game where more and more of the conversation will be revealed.

High Level Goals:

Memorable Moments: There will be some amazing gameplay moments during the escape portions of the missions, where Grant will have to perform incredible stunts to get away clean.

Objective: The purpose of Protege is to create tension and suspense through the completion of the story arc or loop that is set up at the beginning. It is also to get the playable character through each mission in order to physically get to the end of the narrative. At its simplest, the objective is to survive long enough to find the truth, whatever it may be.

Challenges: Most of the challenges in the game will be in the logistical and tactical areas of stealth and theft. These will include casing museums and private residences and compiling a plan for each mission. Challenges will also include the player putting together the pieces of the puzzle explaining why The Old Man betrayed Grant, but this is on a more intellectual rather than physical level.

Ending: The ending of the game will take place where it started, in the room where Grant and The Old Man play there last game of chess. Grant will win because he has nothing to lose and his strategy reflects that, a strategy which The Old Man is unable to counter. The Old Man will say he is sorry for the pain he has caused Grant, but not for what he did. Grant will shoot him or spare him (The Old Man will shoot himself if spared) and disappear.

Players/Character Setup:

Grant Heckler (Knight): The protagonist. Apprentice to The Old Man, he was a former low level enforcer for the syndicate until he was taken in.

The Old Man (Castle): Grant’s teacher and mentor. He was a world renowned thief until he retired from the spotlight. He has a considerable amount of money, but lives austerily.

Rook (real name unknown): Grant’s mission handler who works for Bishop. He is mainly a voice, rarely seen in the game, who acts as Grant’s real-time eyes, ears and support.

Bishop (real name unknown): The contact and fence for the pair. He acts as the go- between for Grant and The Old Man and the syndicate they work for.

Rules:

Killing: Killing is highly discouraged in the game space as it will draw serious unwanted attention that the player will not likely succeed in getting out of.

Mission Restrictions: Once a mission has been accepted and the plan finalized, the player must go through with it or resign from it until a later time.

Game Mechanics and Features:

Customizable Missions: The player will be able to choose what rare item to steal from a list of options. This will not affect the main story line, but will have small changes depending on the choice.

Hints/Help: These will mainly come from Rook while on missions. If you get stuck on a particular obstacle you will be able to request help. The level of help you get will depend on the difficulty setting you selected at the start of the game.

Stealth/Acrobatics: Mechanics will allow Grant to do many stealthy and athletic moves to overcome physical obstacles, but will still be realistic. If the player attempts to solve a problem using unrealistic means, he/she will fail.

Settings: Setting and environment will be modeled on accurate depictions of real cities, buildings etc.

Level Design Ideas:

The Louvre, Paris - The Vatican, Rome - The Metropolitan Museum, NY - The Guggenheim, Spain - The Smithsonian, Washington DC - The Syndicate Building

(see document in class folder week 5 for concept art)

Marketing:

Target Market: The target market for this game will be adults, male and female, who enjoy well developed story games with stealth and acrobatic heavy game mechanics. This will appeal to fans of Metal Gear Solid and Assassin’s Creed because of its heavy use of strategy to accomplish goals.

Marketing Position: Story and atmosphere are the distinguishing elements of this game, and are what will ultimately separate it from other similar titles. The game should be produced because of its unique focus on the emotive properties that the game allows the player to experience. Also, the attention to detail of the settings will be a major selling point (as if you’re really there but with a surreal/noir tint).

Week 4: Plan of Attack Document

For this project I decided to break up the outline into two portions, the technical tools I will need to physically complete the requirements of the project, and the theoretical underpinnings that will make the project feel like a integrated, focused experience.

Technical:

• Modification tool
• Modification tool tutorials and help guides
• Completely fleshed out level map with interactive portions (paper floorplan)
• Program the level as designed (pseudo code)
• Final screen capture

Because this is such a technical based project, I am going to limit my theoretical portions of the project to basic look and feel aspects. However, just because the project is heavily technical based doesn’t mean there isn’t going to be a unifying aesthetic to make it all stick together.

Theoretical:

• Focused look and feel of project
• Structured layout
• Enemy that fits into the atmosphere of the level

Week 4: 10 Game Ideas

Idea #1:

Premise:

Enter the dark and glamorous world of high cons and theft. Play as a master thief by night, quiet widower by day; nothing is sacred and nothing is safe.

Target:

The target market for this game will be adults, male and female, who enjoy well developed story games with stealth and acrobatic heavy game mechanics. This will appeal to fans of Metal Gear Solid and Assassin’s Creed because of its heavy use of strategy to accomplish goals. !

Goal:

The goal of the game is to create tension and suspense when playing, but different kinds than horror games. The gameplay will make this possible for players because of the dark tones of the game, where the fear of being caught is palpable. The story and characters will be set, but there will be some freedom of exploration into how deep a player wants to go in interacting with NPC’s.

Idea #2:

Premise:

To protect and serve has been enough up until this moment. In the end, the job might require the ultimate sacrifice to save the President and his staff; will you choose to make that sacrifice?

Target:

Target audience and market for this game will be players who want a challenge oriented game. Specifically audiences who enjoy CounterStrike like games, where the enemy and mission are clear cut and objectives focus largely on preventing disaster or death.

Goal:

The goal of this game will be to provide a challenging environment, where missions can be replayed again and again for higher scores and better performance ratings. It will also be fast paced to give the player a fair bit of excitement and hectic feeling while playing.

Idea #3:

Premise:

Months after the devastating destruction wrought by your virus the world is being thrown into chaos. It falls to you and you alone to set things right; failure is likely.

Target:

Target audiences for this game will be fairly widespread, focusing on marketing it as an action-adventure game playable by all types of gamers. Fans of savior type games will enjoy this game because of its easy linear design and evolving story.

Goal:

The goal of the game is to create a gaming atmosphere designed around the feeling that you are up against insurmountable odds. High tension and challenging objectives will be the main focus, allowing players to test themselves and reap large rewards at the end of missions.

Idea #4:

Premise:

As a masterless Ronin you wander the world looking for an enemy worth fighting. If you find him or not is up to you, but the journey will be one for the books.

Target:

The target audience will be fans of more open world type adventures, with enough mixed RP and one-on-one combat aspects to make an integrated gameplay experience. This game will probably be more geared to a slightly younger male audience, but will have an adult philosophical undertone.

Goal:

The goal of the game is to have a gaming experience where the game philosophy permeates every aspect of the game, from combat mechanics to story. I want to create a real warrior-poet gaming landscape where the player can choose how to complete objectives in his or her own way, and not be hemmed in by either/or scenarios.

Idea #5:

Premise:

You roam the streets of a city night and day perfecting your running and acrobatic skills; the goal - to become the worlds greatest free runner. The problem - you’re not even the worlds greatest delivery boy.

Target:

The target market for this game will be more geared towards sports gamers. However, it will also extend to audiences who enjoy playing free world objective driven games like the Tony Hawk franchise. This leaves the target audience open to just about anyone who enjoys fun, immersive gaming experiences that aren’t devilishly hard and frustrating.

Goal:

The goal of the game is to create a loose, exciting game landscape. No tension, no suspense, just obtainable objectives that are just challenging enough to make it fun to try and beat a few times. The story will be humorous and lighthearted, giving the playing experience more of a true laid back feeling.

Idea #6:

Premise:

A knight of the realm must always put the lord and country before himself. But when the lord disgraces himself and his country, your oath is void. Journey and explore as a knight fighting for his way of life in a dying and corrupt world.

Target:

The target audience for this game will be hardcore fans of fantasy RPG style games. The market will be slightly geared towards a more adult group, but will also be playable and enjoyable by younger mature audiences.

Goal:

The goal of this game is to create an immersive RPG experience in an Arthurian landscape, where players can feel they are living out their fantasies of being a knight in that day and age. However, the game will have strong undertones of darkness and tension, not supernatural, but human.

Idea #7:

Premise:

A time set in a futuristic age of corporate corruption and excess. A man can only take so much before fighting back. Change is coming.

Target:

The target audience of this game will be gamers who love playing through well developed game aesthetics and atmosphere, as well as being story oriented gamers. I admit that there is not a huge market for this type of game, but it would be an interesting exercise to make a game where the sole purpose and marketability comes from the immersive nature of the game environment and unfolding of the story.

Goal:

The goal, much like the audience it is marketed to, will be focused on the gaming experience itself, rather than fancy game mechanics or bloody combat visuals. To put it simply, the goal is to play the game like it matters, like its real, and to see how this effects the choices gamers make.

Idea #8:

Premise:

In the coming future, the call of the hacking console will lure many young men and women into the world of the Console Cowboys. The only question is, will you be a force for good, or for evil?

Target:

The target market for this game would be strictly for fans of cyberpunk who always wanted to play a video that had the look and feel of William Gibson’s Neuromancer. If we’re being honest this audience would probably be made up of a majority of young adolescent males.

Goal:

The goal would be to create an immersive game experience equal to that of reading a great cyberpunk novel. Tension, suspense, humor, violence, the human factor and more would permeate the atmosphere, allowing the gamer to put themselves wholly and totally into the game.

Idea #9:

Premise:

The city is split in two; divided by time and temporal space but not by sight. The people of each city observe one another from across the Rift, but can never interact. Until the Rift split.

Target:

The target audience for this game will be gamers who play for an immersive storyline and mature combat systems. It will be focused on attracting players who want a story based on adversity and conflict to the extreme.

Goal:

The goal of the game will be to foster a feeling of identification with one side or another; culminating in the player allowing him/herself to empathize and understand the other culture that they have been battling against.

Idea #10:

Premise:

The world underneath our feet has largely been neglected in our thoughts; no threats, no interest, no nothing. But what if there was an entire world underneath our feet? What if they made contact?

Target:

The target market for this game will be the exploration gamer types who enjoy playing for the feel of seeing another world and way of life completely alien to our own.

Goal:

The goal of this game is to simulate near constant suspense, tension and a small amount of healthy fear of the unknown. While not exactly a horror style game, most of the gameplay and environment will give the feeling that you are outmatched by the sheer amount of information you don’t have about each situation you walk into.