Part 1 - Formal game proposal

1. Game Description

Setting and Story

The game is set within a Reality-TV-Show in which very different creatures are put into a room. Conflicts are of course already programmed. Two roommates living together are always very different:

  • Aliens & Bacteria
  • Mice & Elephants
  • Working Man vs Giant Faceless Corporation ("Office Space printer scene")
  • etc

Peaceful coexistence is not an option for these pairs, so they will try to pester their roommate as much as possible.

Game Principle

The game is based on a number of simple mini-games that the player has to play in succession. Each mini-game's theme is based on the kind of roommates, that are fighting against each other. For example "Giant Faceless Corporation" tries to drown "Working Man" in TPS reports while "Working Man" tries to avoid them.

For each pair of roommates, there are a number of mini-games, that have to be played to finish the level. At the end there is always a little more difficult mini-game which is the boss-fight of the level.

The gameplay is supposed to have a lot of variation and many different challenges for the player.

Mini-Games

Each mini-game will be very simple and short. The player will only need to use one or two buttons or only the D-Pad. The controls for each game are different and will be explained when the game starts (and also be shown during the game). Each game will have a very simple task for the player, for example: As a dwarf avoid being trampled by the giant by moving around.

The games will always be based on the idea of the two roommates fighting against each other. So it is possible to play the game with two players, where each player takes the part of one roommate.

Some ideas for mini-games:

  • Working Man vs Giant Faceless Corporation
    • The Corporation keeps giving out work while the Working Man has to avoid it.
    • The Working Man needs to destroy the machine.
    • The Working Man tries to sleep, while the Corporation is trying to wake him up by throwing alarm clocks at him.
Computer vs. man Printer Escape Game

  • Dwarf vs (Stone-)Giant
    • Avoid being stomped by the giant
    • As dwarf try to mine gold from the giant. *

  • Alien vs Bacteria(-> War of the Worlds)
    • Alien tries to get vaccine
    • Bacteria fly through blood (like helicopter game)

Alien-Bacteria Game Virus infects heart

  • Elephant vs Mouse
    • Elephant destroys the mouse's precious porcelain collection
    • Elephant is scared by the mouse and has to avoid it.

Elephant Porcelaine Game

  • Seagulls vs. turtles
    • Seagulls try to eat the turtle's hatching offspring
    • Turtles get all the attention from tourits

Beach width=

Roommates

All ideas for possible roommates:

  • Giants & Dwarfes
  • Aliens & Bacteria
  • Elephants & Mice (Porcelain)
  • Ents & Goblins
  • Working Man vs Giant Faceless Corporation (“Office Space printer scene”)
  • Baby vs Dad
  • Turtle vs Bird
  • Trolls vs Village
  • Big Kingdom vs Village
  • Cool-face guy vs Rage-guy
  • Mountain-Climber vs Mountain
  • Dragon-Man

Menu

The game will contain three modes:
  • 1-Player
  • 2-Player
  • Random-Mode

1-Player and 2-Player mode work the same, but in 1-Player mode one of the characters is controlled by the computer. In the beginning the player can choose which roommates struggles he wants to watch. Then the game starts with the first mini-game.

In random-mode there are just randomly mini-games put together infinitely so that option is for people that just want to get into the game instantly.

2. "Big Idea" Bullseye

  • Logo.png:
    Logo.png

3. Development Schedule

Layers

Functional Minimum

  • Create a basic API that allows for relatively fast minigame development. This API will allow us to customize each game only to a very slight degree. The API works by allowing the programmer to specify the type of game (such as "press A race" (see who presses A most in the set amount of time), the end-condition (time, some sort of action, etc), how many points the game is worth, and facts about the environment (does the screen scroll as time goes on? what is the background theme?)
  • Only one set of characters exists, and the graphics in each game are only very rudimentary.
  • Only a few games are implemented; the bare minimum required to show off everything in the API.
  • Transitions between minigames are linear (no special graphics)
  • Unchanging background music plays throughout.

Low Target

  • Create a richer API that can further specify characteristics of a game (what characters are in it, how certain objects act in the game)
  • Exciting transition from one minigame to another.
  • Basic development of the characters is evident in the minigame transitions (see them getting angrier with one another).
  • Implement "T.V. within a T.V." feel.
  • Basic sounds for each minigame.

Desirable Target

  • Background music speeds up as time goes on, as do the speeds of the minigames.
  • Generalize api to allow for easy insertion of different objects
  • Nice menus, transitions to make the game visually coherent
  • Multiple roommates with multiple mini-games each.

High Target

  • Generalize api Allow any set of characters to be inserted into any minigame.

Extras

  • Automatic API that can create new mini-games on the fly.

Timeline

Rough outline.
Tasks / Week 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Brainstorm Mini-Games X                        
Create nice-looking sketches X                        
Create Proposal Presentation X                        
Final Project Proposal   X                      
Start work on API   X X                    
Prototype Chapter Added     X                    
Create simple games with API       X                  
Keep adding features to API       X X X X            
Create additional levels         X X X X          
Create sounds, BG music       X X                
Create Menu           X              
Interim Report Chapter Added           X              
Create fancy level-transitions             X            
Alpha Release Chapter Added                   X      
Game-testing session                   X X    
Playtest Chapter Added                     X    
Conclusion Chapter Added                         X
Example line                          

4. Assessment

  • Wide variety of game-play will keep the player interested for a long time
  • The player can get into the game quickly without learning a lot about controls etc.
  • The whole reality-tv show idea should make a fun background for the whole game, where the player can expect anything but reality.

I Attachment History Action Size Date Who Comment
PNGpng ComputerVsMan.png r1 manage 346.7 K 2011-03-06 - 21:40 MichaelBrunoMorandi  
PNGpng ElephanPorcelaine.png r1 manage 200.1 K 2011-03-06 - 21:46 MichaelBrunoMorandi  
PNGpng Game1-small.png r1 manage 46.0 K 2011-03-06 - 21:25 MichaelBrunoMorandi  
PNGpng Game1.png r1 manage 157.2 K 2011-03-06 - 21:27 MichaelBrunoMorandi  
PNGpng Logo.png r1 manage 127.7 K 2011-03-06 - 17:59 DominikRobertGiger  
PNGpng PrinterEscape.png r1 manage 235.5 K 2011-03-06 - 21:42 MichaelBrunoMorandi  
PNGpng Scores.png r2 r1 manage 170.7 K 2011-03-06 - 21:34 MichaelBrunoMorandi Scores
PNGpng VirusHeart.png r1 manage 120.9 K 2011-03-06 - 21:46 MichaelBrunoMorandi  
PNGpng beach.png r1 manage 192.7 K 2011-03-07 - 16:11 MichaelBrunoMorandi  

Page URL: https://twiki.graphics.ethz.ch/bin/view/GameClass/Team7ProjectProposalOld
2024-03-28
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