Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
0|Page Š Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1
2
THE STORY THE WORLD NPC’S
2 3 5
PART 2
X
GAME FLOW FLOW CHART SAMPLE OF LEVEL DESIGN MECHANICS INTERFACE BASIC CONTROLS
8 18 20 32 33 42
PART 3
X
MARKET ANALYSIS PROPOSED BUDGET INDEX Credits
43 44 45 46
1|Page © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
The Story of “Sidhe” Set in ancient to medieval British Isles, your story begins late at night, running in fear. You can’t quite make out what it is you’re running from, but you know you have to get away, and the only way to go is into the woods. The deeper you get into the woods; a strange, thick mist starts to overtake everything wherever you turn. Eventually, you have nowhere to go but into the mist. When you come out of the mist, you find you’re not where you believed yourself to be. After wandering around, you are found by one of the fae – and thus your adventure begins. You meet the Lady of the fae, who agrees to help you find your way out of her realm, and back into your own world. You find that to return to your own home, you have to complete various sets of tasks set by the Lady – puzzles, deadly riddles, quests to retrieve relics or reagents. Further conflict is brought on by the temptations of the darker, malevolent spirits of the Sidhe, who will continue to taunt and tempt the player to their side, offering raw power in their ways. As you complete these quests you are given, the Lady you choose to follow may choose to gift the player with gifts to help them along – weapons, garb, potions, and other useful items. Whichever way you choose, many objectives are presented along the way. When enough objectives are completed, one of the fae leaders you have chosen to follow will be able to send you home. You face one final challenge when you return – the thing that was hunting you in the beginning of the story. You find yourself returned to the same spot you ‘disappeared’ in, facing your fear. Immerse yourself in engaging dialogue, discovery, and challenges all along the way in your heroic journey through the Sidhe.
2|Page © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
The World of the “Sidhe” The world for ‘Sidhe’ exists in two main places – the real world, and the world of the Fae. The ‘real world’, as it stands, consists of the village the PC comes from, and the surrounding forest. Whether the player ever gets to see their home village is flexible, and either be removed or given some purpose at a later date. The forest, where the story starts and ends, is ancient and large. Trees of various heights and sizes are here, with the ground covered in rocks and foliage. The mist is a big part of the forest, distorting the borders of one world to the next.
Overview map of game beginning.
The world of the Fae is where the bulk of the game will take place – the Lady’s ‘palace’; a sprawling expanse of ancient trees and ruins (old castles, some inspiration from Lord of the Rings Rivendell city). The outlying areas of the Sidhe echo areas of the British Isles – rolling hills, deep forests, Stonehenge. The people of the Sidhe have small villages all throughout here – some as much a part as the landscape as anything else there, and others small hut-villages that mirror tiny human dwellings. The darker areas of the Sidhe are run-down, more degraded ruins and caves – fog, or mist, cover the ground and various parts of these areas, to kind of shroud the land in a bit of mystery and unknown, to block the player’s view. Color schemes for the ‘light’ areas of the Sidhe will start out vibrantly colored, still a bit misty, as if stepping into a dream. Likewise, the ‘dark’ areas start out just that – dark, de-saturated colors. As the game progresses, these color schemes and the very looks of all areas can, and will most likely, change. This world is a set map of landscape and structure; what changes most about it is what is living and vibrant, or dying, dead, and de-saturated. Everything can change in a chain reaction to the player’s choice. There are some weather affects to the world; sunny, clouds, varying degrees of fog and mist; some rain. The game shouldn’t last long enough for there to be a real change in seasons, though – day and night will figure in, however. I plan to incorporate the idea of day and night either by an in-game time system, or by a more internal figuring of time passing as the player does things in game. 3|Page © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
The most important landmarks that figure into the game are places like Stonehenge; Vivianne’s ‘palace’, and the dark fae’s mirror-palace are three of the biggest landmarks in the game. Stonehenge figures in as a place of power for the fae; the palaces are considered as the bases of operations for both sides. Being the immortal creatures that they are, they don’t really operate on currency or economy as the human’s would – instead, they trade, using gifts, crafts or magic. For travel, these creatures either walk or have some magical transportation, or animals. You, the PC, mostly walk, or perhaps earn some sort of mount during the game.
Concept Map for the Fae World
Color palettes will be a rather important aspect of the game, as mentioned before. In the beginning, the fae’s realm starts out bright and vibrant and alive, or possibly even a more neutral, misty loo to it, and can either stay that way and become better, or become darker, taking on a more de-saturated and deathly look.
4|Page © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Cultures, Factions, People, NPC’s There are the benevolent ‘light’ Fae of the Sidhe, and then the more malevolent ‘dark’ Fae of the Sidhe – neither truly good nor evil; and all some trickster at heart. They both co-exist and oppose each other, being of the same magic, two parts of a whole. As with anything that is opposite, and yet essentially the same, this tension in and of itself creates conflict with each other. Both have different ways of going about getting what they want, and can be either a help or a hindrance depending on the player’s reaction and treatment of them. Both want to lure you to their side, by promises of virtue or power or something that may be your heart’s desire. It is best to be careful when dealing with one of the fae, no matter which ‘side’ they may be. The human influence of the player could potentially have great influence over the fae realm, pending, of course, the choices they make as they play. The player, essentially, will gain quite a bit of control over the world as they play – how the world changes, grows; the effects they have on the ‘societies’ of the Fae can be pretty substantial – one can grow in power, while the other potentially withers and diminishes in their own power. The player will generate their PC at the beginning of the game, using a fairly immersive but not overly complex character customization – cosmetic looks for face, body type, as well as color and scar customization. Beyond being able to customize the look of their PC, the player also gets some choices as to personality influences that will have some impact on the game progression. For example, they player will get a choice of ‘virtue, power, wealth’, and can choose one of these as a path-trait for their PC. The main paths are between a ‘good’, virtuous type, the dark, power-hungry seeker, and potentially other objective type characteristics. Again, all these choices will have impact on the game to varying degrees over the course of the game. I don’t believe the player will have to interact with every single NPC in the game, but there are a few key characters that the player will need to deal with. A character-by-character statistic and abilities sheet will be assigned to key NPC’s, as well as biography sheets for them. An interesting concept seen in Dragon Age and Dragon Age II is that non-key NPC’s might have a few sayings or conversations that trigger as the player passes by them, which adds a bit of flavor to the game. As for the PC, they will also get starting statistic and ability points to spend, as well as a few choices on some personality traits to help set some of the game interaction up from the start. Essentially, these stats won’t really kick in until the player gets into the Fae realm; any special abilities the player may gain will unlock or develop as they play through the game.
5|Page © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Vivianne, also called ‘The Lady’, The Lady of the Lake, the Fae Queen. She is the leader of the benevolent Fae; she resides in her palace in the Sidhe. Her role is to guide the player, give them their quests, challenges, riddles, and so on, and to guide the player until she is able to send / help the player back to their realm – or convince the player to stay in her realm. The player will potentially have a good deal of interaction with Vivianne. Vivianne’s powers consist of nature magic’s, prophecy, and healing. She also has the ability to cross the realms, as well as to send and bring people as needed. There is that trickster side to her, in that she also would rather have the player stay in her realm, and will pull quite a lot with her power to try and have that happen. If the player chooses to aide Vivianne, and seeks her help to get home, Vivianne will have powers manifest as the player does what she asks; however, if the player chooses to work with Morrigan, Vivianne will begin to wither and look sickly as the rest of the realm.
Morrigan, the ‘Dark Lady’ of the Sidhe, is also known as the Washerwoman, the Washer at the Fjord, the three-aspect goddess, or the Raven. Legend says she can be either malevolent of benevolent, and has the power to predict who is going to die. In other legends, she, like Vivianne, is also a prophetess, skilled in healing and other magic’s. It is her people that try to tempt the player to the darker side of things with promises of power and dark desires. She, too, has the power to cross the realms, as well as to send or bring others across the magic’s that divide the mortal realm from that of the Fae.
6|Page © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
If the player chooses to aide Morrigan, and seeks her help to get her home, Morrigan will have powers manifest as the player completes their tasks. However, if the player chooses to aide Vivianne instead, Morrigan will recede, withering and diminishing into the background. Personalities can and will change based on treatment and choices of the player throughout the game, judged on a positive / negative reaction scale; this scale is determined by a set of personality traits of the NPC’s. If its something more to their ‘alignment’, it gains a positive reaction, and the NPC is more inclined to cooperate with the player than to not. Of course, if the choice or reaction of the player is something the NPC opposes, it gains a more negative reaction, which feeds into changes in the rest of the game as well. The characters can speak and express themselves through conversation and actions, pending what is going on in the game at the time and their standing with the player. Minor NPC’s include such a wide range of creatures of mythology such as elves, brownies, banshee, the Dullahan - a headless horseman type creature who pulls a coach, who comes to claim the dead. The Dullahan is often accompanied by banshees.
7|Page © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Game Flow - Narrative Storyline Outline
A. Character Creation a. Customize the look, gender , name b. Choose key traits B. Start – Forest near your village a. Its night and you’re in the forest near your village, which you can vaguely make out through the tree line. You hear a noise, and instinct tells you to run – the player starts running deeper into the woods, being chased by this unknown thing. b. You start to notice a strange creeping mist the deeper into the woods you go; if you change directions to try to escape it, the mist will eventually surround and overtake you. c. Once you step into the mist, it ‘transports’ you to the Fae Realm on the other side, and escape your hunter. C. The Fae Realm a. Meet Vivianne i. You are found by some of the fae-folk, and brought to the Lady’s home. She has a conversation with you to introduce herself; here the player has a chance for conversation and given a set of questions they are able to ask and receive information. 1. Where am I? 2. How long am I going to be here? 3. When can I go home? ii. The first conversation leads into the next, which is about how you came to her world, and how to get you home. 1. Can’t you just send me home? 2. What can I do here in the meantime? iii. After the conversations, she offers you a place to rest for the night to think her offer over. D. The First Task – The Cauldron a. The World i. The world starts out dim, and covered in mist, no matter which Lady you choose to serve. ii. Once you receive your objective from Vivianne, you are allowed to go out into the world b. Vivianne – Vivianne will ask if you are certain you want to return to home. If you are certain, she will go into more detail about how the magic will work, and what she needs to make it happen. If you are ready, she will give you your first quest. i. The first task she gives you is that she needs a very specific cauldron; it had been stolen by some malevolent fae and hidden as a trick. The malevolent fae have hidden it deep in a set of caves to the north. c. Morrigan – Here is where you will meet Morrigan, the Lady leading the ‘darker’ Fae peoples. She will offer to help you, if you decide to server her instead. 8|Page © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
i.
If you choose to do so, she will give you a new task to start off. Rather than finding the Cauldron Vivianne wanted you to reclaim, Morrigan asks you to go back to Vivianne’s palace, and retrieve for her Vivianne’s ceremonial dagger. ii. If you do not, she will vanish, and you will have to fight some of the darker-Fae to escape the area. You then proceed onward to find the Cauldron for Vivianne. d. The Quest for the Cauldron i. Once you reach the caves that Vivianne specified, you are met by (type of) fae here. To enter, they offer you a game – a set of riddles to solve, and if you succeed, they will let you pass without harm. 1. Player’s choices: a. Accept the game and try to solve their riddles b. Refuse, and try to pass anyway (and be attacked) c. Attack them ii. Once you are past the fae, you find yourself going down a winding set of tunnels into the caves. Once in a while here you’ll see other fae, who may or may not attack pending your choice at the door. iii. If the player takes notice, there is a hidden alcove here that is set up like a bedroom – a bed, an old tattered rug, a writing desk with a book and bits of paper, and a chest line the walls. 1. The chest will contain a pouch on a string that, if worn as a necklace, grants some resistance to magic. Otherwise, old clothes fill the chest. 2. The book on the desk is a diary, filled with someone’s notes of the Sidhe and its occupants. If picked up, the player has a journal to keep notes in and get extra clues along the way. iv. Back out of the alcove, and down the tunnel some more, you come upon a ‘room’ – a small pond fills half of it, and in the center is the cauldron, set over a fire pit. An old crone is there, seemingly busy. She works from a table covered in herbs and vials, mixing things and putting them into the cauldron. Stepping into the room triggers her to notice the player, and begin a conversation. v. You are not of our world, child. Why are you here…? 1. ‘I was sent by Vivianne to retrieve something for her.’ 2. ‘Oh, just passing through, and got lost!’ 3. ‘That’s a nice cauldron. Might I have it? I need it to get home.’ 4. (attack the old crone) vi. If you talk to the old crone, she will at first refuse to turn over the cauldron under any circumstances. After a moment, she reconsiders, saying that if you do something for her, she will trade you the cauldron for completing this task, along with something extra for the trouble. 1. If you accept the task, she will ask you to go bring her (insert thing) from the nearby forest. They are very rare, and can only be found in a few particular areas. 2. If you refuse, she will start trying to get you to leave, by force if necessary. Fight scene, and if you win, you are able to take the cauldron. a. If the table is searched, the player will find magic potions. 9|Page © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
e. The Ceremonial Dagger i. If you do take up Morrigan’s offer, the ‘quest’ for the Cauldron is dropped, and Morrigan asks you to go back to Vivianne’s palace and retrieve a ceremonial dagger, and return to her at her own palace, in the darker places of the Sidhe. She also gives you a cloak that will let you walk through the palace mostly unseen by all but the strongest of the fae. ii. Returning to the palace, you make your way through, hopefully wearing the cloak. Morrigan told you the dagger is kept in a hidden room below ground. It will be spelled to keep unwanted visitors out. E. The Second Task - Earth a. A bit of the mist parts as you complete the first task, and any potential side quests that are offered. b. Vivianne – After returning to Vivianne with the Cauldron, she presents you with a reward, then given some time to rest, and to return to her when you are ready for your next task. i. Your next task is to retrieve a (particular item) again for Vivianne. It holds power of the Earth, and as she explains, it is one of the first keys to the magic that will be able to send you home. c. Morrigan – If you chose to work for Morrigan to help send you home, you would have returned to her with the ceremonial dagger. Her task for you is to also retrieve this (particular item) for her. d. Temptation i. Vivianne 1. If you have chosen to serve her, she will offer you a gift, which varies to your choice of key traits you picked at the beginning of the game, to tempt you to stay in the Fae realm. 2. If you went to Morrigan’s side, Vivianne will try to win you back to her side. ii. Morrigan 1. If you have chosen to serve her, she too will try to tempt you to give up the quest to go home, and stay and serve her in the Sidhe. 2. If you are still serving Vivianne, she will try again to tempt you over to her.
10 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Concept art for the Afanc; said to look either like a crocodile, a beaver, or a dwarf-like creature, and said to be a demon.
F. The Third Task – The Afanc a. The World i. More of the mist is parting. ii. If you’re following Vivianne, things seem to be growing – trees and flowers, the grass is looking a bit more lively. iii. If you’re following Morrigan, things are still fairly neutral. b. Vivianne i. ‘There’s a clan of elves in the woods that are being plagued by a terrible creature in their woods. I would like you to go there and investigate for me, and render any aide you can. If you bring me the creature’s heart, it will also help in the ritual to send you home.’ 1. If you agree to this quest, Vivianne will update your map on where to go. a. See also ‘Sample of a Level Design’. 2. When you reach the forest, the elves are at first hesitant to speak with you. a. One will approach, named Amalathe. She will speak to you a bit, and on some investigation, she will admit her sister is missing – she left a few days ago to see what she could do about the creature in the lake. b. Amalathe will also have information on the Afanc. c. Amalathe can also tell you where to find the merchant and the craftsman. i. The craftsman will, on investigation, offer to make armor or weapons out of very rare and unique materials if you bring them to him. 3. Amalathe will also offer to act as a guide through the woods if you decide to aide the elves. 4. There are a few extra area’s in the woods as well – one and old ruin, and a hidden grove. 11 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
a. The old ruin is haunted by ghosts, and the ruins themselves are inaccessible, being heavily shrouded in mist. b. The grove is occupied by a dryad, who will heal any wounds you have should you correctly guess the answer to her riddle. 5. The lake to the Afanc is to the north, at the other end of the woods. This is where you find Nari’danis, Amalathe’s sister. 6. Once defeated, you are able to loot the Afanc for what you need. a. There are a few different options for additional rewards when you return to the village. i. If you had spoken to the craftsman before you left, he will offer to make something for you from one of the reagents you looted from the Afanc. ii. If Nari’danis is returned dead, Amalathe will ask to travel with you before you leave the village. iii. I Nari’danis is returned alive, she will offer to travel with you in repayment of saving her. 7. Return to Vivianne to let her know your progress, and then receive your next task. c. Morrigan i. --G. The Fourth Task - Fire a. Vivianne i. Retrieve (this item) from (this creature) for Vivianne for the next reagent in the ritual. b. Morrigan i. Retrieve (this item) from (this creature) for Morrigan for the next reagent in the ritual. c. Temptation i. Vivianne 1. If you have chosen to serve her, she will offer you a gift, which varies to your choice of key traits you picked at the beginning of the game, to tempt you to stay in the Fae realm. 2. If you went to Morrigan’s side, Vivianne will try to win you back to her side. ii. Morrigan 1. If you have chosen to serve her, she too will try to tempt you to give up the quest to go home, and stay and serve her in the Sidhe. 2. If you are still serving Vivianne, she will try again to tempt you over to her. H. The Fifth Task a. The World i. By now, most of the mist has pulled back. ii. If you’re following Vivianne, things are brighter, the trees are well into growing leaves, and everything seems more colorful. 12 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
iii. If you’re following Morrigan, things have begun to dim, with trees and plants withering; the fae people are also looking withered and old, as if they too are dying. b. Vivianne i. Retrieve (this item) from (this creature) for Vivianne for the next reagent in the ritual. c. Morrigan i. Retrieve (this item) from (this creature) for Morrigan for the next reagent in the ritual. I. The Sixth Task - Wind a. Vivianne i. Retrieve (this item) from (this creature) for Vivianne for the next reagent in the ritual. b. Morrigan i. Retrieve (this item) from (this creature) for Morrigan for the next reagent in the ritual. c. Temptation i. Vivianne 1. If you have chosen to serve her, she will offer you a gift, which varies to your choice of key traits you picked at the beginning of the game, to tempt you to stay in the Fae realm. 2. If you went to Morrigan’s side, Vivianne will try to win you back to her side. ii. Morrigan 1. If you have chosen to serve her, she too will try to tempt you to give up the quest to go home, and stay and serve her in the Sidhe. 2. If you are still serving Vivianne, she will try again to tempt you over to her. J. The Seventh Task - Water a. The World i. If you’re following Vivianne, things are steadily growing – everything is almost to full bloom, and the people are colorful and more lively. ii. If you’re following Morrigan, things are dark and dying, and the mist seems to be rolling low like a fog. There is still some color left. The dark fae seem to be thriving, unlike any of the benevolent fae that serve Vivianne. b. Vivianne i. Retrieve (this item) from (this creature) for Vivianne for the next reagent in the ritual. c. Morrigan i. Retrieve (this item) from (this creature) for Morrigan for the next reagent in the ritual. K. The Eighth Task – Life and Death a. Vivianne
13 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
i. Retrieve (this item) from (this creature) for Vivianne for the next reagent in the ritual. b. Morrigan i. Retrieve (this item) from (this creature) for Morrigan for the next reagent in the ritual. L. The Ninth Task – The Sheath a. Vivianne i. ‘In days past, a sheath was created for a great sword, to be wielded for a great king. Disaster fell upon the land, and the sheath has been lost. I believe I know the location of it, and need you to try and find it – or, if it is not there, the pieces that are left so it may be recreated.’ b. Morrigan i. Retrieve (this item) from (this creature) for Morrigan for the next reagent in the ritual. c. Temptation i. Vivianne 1. If you have chosen to serve her, she will offer you a gift, which varies to your choice of key traits you picked at the beginning of the game, to tempt you to stay in the Fae realm. 2. If you went to Morrigan’s side, Vivianne will try to win you back to her side. ii. Morrigan 1. If you have chosen to serve her, she too will try to tempt you to give up the quest to go home, and stay and serve her in the Sidhe. 2. If you are still serving Vivianne, she will try again to tempt you over to her. M. The Tenth Task – The Dullahan and his Banshee’s a. The World i. If you’ve been following Vivianne, things are almost complete in growing. ii. If you’ve been following Morrigan, the world is dark and nearly dead, covered in mostly greys and browns, and only the barest hint of color still remaining. b. Vivianne i. The Dullahan is one of the dark fae; he is an omen of death. While necessary to keep the balance, I need you to go and protect someone that he and his banshee’s intend to claim. 1. When you reach the person you are supposed to protect, you find that the person is a human who had stumbled into the Sidhe ages ago, and chose to stay there. You get a chance for conversation with the person, with questions about why they were there, why they chose to stay, why Vivianne is so interested in protecting them, and how they came to be marked for death by the Dullahan. 2. Soon enough, you can hear night approaching, and the Dullahan and his Banshee’s approaching.
14 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
a. You can either now try to bargain with the Dullahan, and hope to not be marked for death yourself. b. Try to hide the person you are to protect, that maybe the Dullahan will not find them. c. Try to wound the Dullahan enough that he will leave, and not take the old human. c. Morrigan i. The Dullahan and his Banshee’s are some of Morrigan’s most loyal servants. There is someone that has been marked for death; Vivianne will send her servants to protect this person. You are to help the Dullahan claim his prize. 1. When you get to the house, you discover that the one marked for death is an old human; they had stumbled into the Sidhe long ago, and chose to simply stay instead of finding their way out. The protector’s that Vivianne sends surround the human, who tries to beg mercy from the player. a. They will try to barter with you, to make some kind of trade for their life.
Detail concept for Vivianne
N. The Eleventh Task – The Sword a. Vivianne i. Retrieve (this item) from (this creature) for Vivianne for the next reagent in the ritual. b. Morrigan i. Retrieve (this item) from (this creature) for Morrigan for the next reagent in the ritual. O. The Twelfth Task – The Ladies a. The World i. If you followed Vivianne – The world will be bright with vibrant colors and living, the mists only existing on the very edges of the realm.
15 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
ii. If you followed Morrigan – The world will be sullen, the colors de-saturated to grays and browns, and dead. The mist will be more prevalent on the ground. b. Vivianne i. Vivianne will give you your last reward; the new sheath and sword. ii. Vivianne tells you that she is almost ready to send you home; there is one last task to complete. Morrigan will try to stop Vivianne from completing the spell – your task is to keep her and her minions at bay until the spell is complete. You’ll have command of fae loyal to Vivianne to help you fight. c. Morrigan i. Morrigan gives you your last task reward. ii. Morrigan tells you that she is almost ready to send you home; there is one last task to complete. Vivianne will try to stop Morrigan from completing the spell – your task is to keep her and her minions at bay until the spell is complete. You’ll have command of fae loyal to Morrigan to help you fight. P. Epilogue a. The Return Home i. The Fae you serve is persuaded to send you home, and summons up the magic to do so. You are returned to the spot you entered the Sidhe, and face the unknown thing that you were running from in the beginning. 1. You find that the thing that had been chasing you was one of the fae who mimics your form, and is your ‘opposite’ self of whichever side you chose to go. You must fight this part of yourself as a final display. 2. Once you’ve won, you leave the forest and go home; the game is over. b. The Choice to Stay i. Vivianne or Morrigan will give you want last chance to stay. If you choose to do so, this will also end the game.
Notes
Non-linear multi-choice paths Setting: The story begins in a forest near the player’s home village. The bulk of the story takes place in the ‘Sidhe’, the Fae realm. ‘Will you discover the hero in you, or the villain? Will you rise to virtue, or fall to power to discover what you want?’ Fantasy, RPG style, single-player Core ideas: Celtic / Irish / Welsh ‘British Isles’ mythology, the hero’s journey, choices affecting the storyline
16 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Temptation: Each time a temptation comes up, the gift or offering becomes something stronger, more valuable, more potent, whether its in such offerings as magic, wisdom, power, or items. Tasks – Whenever a task is completed, the Lady will compensate the player with something that is potentially useful to them for the rest of the game – armor, clothing, weapons, magic jewelry, etc. Side tasks – Completed side tasks may help or hinder your standing with either Fae Lady; they also reward some smaller, but helpful items for their completion, and allow for more chances at exploration into the world, taking the player into otherwise smaller, secluded areas that might not always be found without knowing where to go.
17 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Flow Chart
18 | P a g e Š Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
19 | P a g e Š Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Sample of a Level Design
Legend:
20 | P a g e Š Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
The Quest This quest is written as if you are still serving Vivianne. This quest is the third set to you by Vivianne. There is a great demon called the Afanc that dwells in a lake near a clan of elves; Vivianne wishes for you to go and see if you can render them any aide in dealing with this creature. At first apprehensive of a human not of their realm, one elf hesitantly approaches you to ask for help. If you follow the dialogue with her, she will talk to you about the creature that inhabits the lake, called an Afanc. Her sister, Nari’danis, has gone to try to appease the creature so it will stop eating their people. Amalathe: It is not often we see a human in our woods – much less one from the other side of the mists. What brings you here? Player: a) I was sent on a task by Vivianne to find something in these woods. b) Oh, just on vacation from the every day. c) That is none of your concern. Amalathe: a) You are much blessed to be in the grace of the Lady. I hate to burden you further, stranger, but I have a favor to ask, if you might be willing. b) Vacation? That is a strange thing for a human to do in our realm. Would you be willing to grant me a favor? 21 | P a g e Š Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
c) Oh…my apologies. Good luck to you, stranger. Amalathe: a) A favor? Of course – I’m always willing to help. b) I suppose, as long as it doesn’t interfere with my task at hand. c) I’m sorry – I’m on an important mission, and can’t go on extra quests.
Amalathe: a, b) My sister, Nari’danis, went into the woods to see if she could calm the beast, Afanc, that lives in the lake – but that was three days ago, and she has not returned. I’m worried for her – she’s never gone this long. Please, if you can find her, or any clue’s about what happened to her… c) …I see. I’m sorry to have bothered you. Player: a) (Investigate) What is an Afanc? b) What does she look like? c) What’s in it for me? d) I changed my mind – I can’t help you. Amalathe: a) An Afanc is a monster of the lake. Some who have seen it says it is a great beast covered in scales harder than stone, and jaws with teeth sharper than a blade. It is a dangerous creature. That is why I am so worried for Nari’danis. b) Nari’danis has hair as white as the moonlight, and eyes bluer than the sky. I don’t quite remember what she had with her when she left… c) What --- I..I suppose I can find –something- to reward you for this… d) I…I see. If you reconsider, please, come find me. Player: a) All right, I’ll see what I can find of your sister. b) Very well – I hope this is worth my while. c) I can’t help you. Amalathe: a) Thank you, thank you so much! I will be forever grateful if you find anything out. Do you need anything else before you go? b) Thank you. (sighs) c) I see. If you reconsider, please, come and find me.
22 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Player: a) Is there a merchant or someone I can repair my armor with? b) No, nothing else. Amalathe: a) You want to talk to Trader Takandis for any wares we may have. Craft master Ordandu can help you with your armor.
From here, the player has the option to go to the merchant and purchase supplies or anything they may have in stock. If the player chooses to visit the craft master, he will repair armor for you – he’ll also have armor and weapons for sale as well. If the player chooses to get into conversation with the craft master, he’ll mention being able to craft something for you if you ever find special materials. The player may choose to try and speak to some of the other elves for information before going to the woods. As you go to leave the elves, Amalathe approaches again. Amalathe: ‘Stranger, wait!’ (stops, deep breaths) ‘I would offer my service to you as a guide through this forest. I wish to help find my sister.’ Player: a) ‘What can you do?’ b) ‘You might get in my way.’ c) ‘No, I can do this alone.’ d) ‘All right – I appreciate the help.’ Amalathe: a) ‘I am an experienced huntress and tracker of these woods, and I know a bit of lore. I won’t get in your way.’ b) ‘I won’t! Please, let me help find my sister.’ c) ‘But --- very well, stranger. Be careful, and thank you for looking for her.’ d) ‘Thank you – we should be on our way.’ Obstacle Are there any special items that the player needs or finds in the level? What do they do? What do they look like? The object in mind here is actually an NPC named Nari’danis. She is the sister of the quest giver, and a skilled healer of the elves. When / if she is found, she wants to help you deal with the Afanc in the lake, and knows how. 23 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Step by step, how does the player complete the quest. Once the player enters the forest, there are two ways to go down the path – east and west. The woods are tall and ancient, and pretty overgrown. There’s a beaten path that is easy enough to follow. Mobs may be triggered every so many feet, and may include: Bears Wolves Redcaps (malevolent brownie like creatures) If the player goes east… At the end of the trail, the forest opens up to a marshland type area, full of small miniature islands in the waist-deep water. Trigger Amalathe speaking (if she is taken along.) Amalathe: ‘This was once a great kingdom of men, lead by a great king. When the king died, the land fell to shadow and ruin, and the mists took it back.’ Player: a) Great king? We have no great kings anymore. b) Fairy tales --- wait. Nevermind. c) How do we get through? d) Psh. I’m not here for a history lesson. Amalathe: a) ‘Mm. This was a king who was proclaimed a ‘once and future king’. He united the Isles, and its people…for a time. We should press on. The mist is thick here, and we can get lost if we’re not careful.’ b) Right. If you say so. We should keep going. c) We will have to be careful on how to go through – the mist is thick here, and if we aren’t careful, we can get lost. Best to stick close to the treeline, if we can. Dark spirits wander this land.’ d) Pardon, then. I did not mean to offend. From here, the player may choose to go among the islands, where ghosts are roaming, and may attack if the player gets to close. Eventually, the mist will become to thick for the player to see any further before they can get to the ruined castle. If the player sticks to the treeline, they’ll encounter only a few of the ghosts, and eventually find the exit trail. 24 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Continuing on from here, the player can follow a north-western pattern, finding a few more mobs of wild creatures. There is a cut-off path about midway that takes a more western path; the player may or may not choose to go that way. If the player continues going on the north-western path… Coming up is the large lake – as the player gets to the ‘entrance’, they can hear a cry nearby. If investigated, they discover Nari’danis, Amalathe’s sister. Trigger Amalathe (if brought along) Amalathe: Nari! (she runs up to the girl, but stops short, and gasps in horror) Nari’danis has the Afanc asleep, its head perched in her lap, and the girl is unable to move. Nari’danis: Amalathe – go back to the village! It isn’t safe here! Amalathe: How did –w hat— Player: a) We need to get you out of here. Your sister has been worried sick! b) That doesn’t look like fun. Or a nice pet, for that matter. c) We need a plan. Can it be killed? Nari’danis slowly shakes her head. ‘Perhaps – but for now it is calm, as long as I let it sleep here. If it wakes, it could kill be.’ Amalathe: ‘Perhaps my friend here can distract it away from you, and I can get you out of harm’s way, sister.’ Player: a) Its risky, but it might work. b) Hey wait – don’t I get a say in this? c) No – I think we should get the warriors from the village to help. Amalathe: a) (nods) ‘We need to move fast, then.’ b) ‘You agreed to help! Please, it’s the only chance we have.’ c) But they might not get here in time. Player: a) All right, lets do it your way. b) No, get the warriors.
25 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
If you go with trying to distract it yourself… Amalathe will slip around to Nari’danis’ side, ready to pull her out of the way. She will then instruct you to wake the creature up to distract it. This can be done by an attack method ( melee, ranged ). The Afanc will wake up, and lung at the player. If Amalathe is with the player, and no warriors are called for – (Nari’danis has a 60% chance of surviving, 40% chance of being crushed.) If Amalathe is with the player, and the warriors are called for – (Nari’danis has an 80% chance of surviving, and a 20% chance of being crushed.) If Amalathe is not with the player, and no warriors are called for – ( Nari’danis has a 10% chance of survival.) If Amalathe is not with the player, and the warriors are called for – ( Nari’danis has a 30% chance of survival.) Once the Afanc is defeated, the player is able to loot the corpse, and go back to the village via the same route(s) taken to get there. The player may trigger a few more random mobs of animals along the way. If the player went west first… The player will find a windy path that slowly becomes covered in mist the farther they progress. About halfway in, the mist completely covers the ground up to about the player’s knees; the canopy is so thick that very little light reaches the ground. About now, the player can hear wisps of light laughter the farther they go. Mobs of animals or malevolent spirits can be triggered along the way. Amalathe (if taken along): Amalathe: These woods are ancient, and full of spirits, both kind and wicked. You must be careful, friend, or they may lure you to stay. Soon the player comes upon a clearing – Amalathe will inform you that it is a grove, usually kept be guardians of the forest, called dryad’s. As the player steps in, the laughter cue’s up, and a spirit appears. Dryad: ‘Welcome travelers, to my grove. You look tired, and weary. Come, sit and rest yourselves.’ Amalathe: (whispers to the player) ‘Be careful – she will try to keep you here if you let your guard down. But, they can be helpful, if you are clever.’ Player: a) (to the Dryad) ‘Thank you, spirit. I would like to rest a moment.’ b) (to the Dryad) ‘No, thank you – I am on an important task and cannot delay.’ 26 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
c) (to the Dryad) ‘What’s the catch?’ Dryad: a) ‘I can offer you healing, stranger, for a small price.’ b) ‘Are you certain? I can offer you healing for your wounds, if you stay but just a moment.’ c) ‘No catch, stranger, but perhaps a small game of riddles in exchange for healing of your wounds.’ Player: a) ‘A price? What kind of price..?’ b) ‘No, really, we must be going.’ c) ‘A riddle, for healing..?’ Dryad: (a, c) ‘Will you play?’ b) (the Dryad sighs, and fades out of sight.) Player: a) ‘All right, I’ll play. What is your riddle?’ b) ‘I’m certain. Good day.’ Amalathe: (if the player chooses to play the riddle) ‘No don’t---‘ (sighs, muttering under her breath, and covers her face with her hand) Dryad: a) (Will ask a riddle from a random list) Player: (a list of options will appear pending the riddle) If the player guesses the correct answer, the Dryad will do as promised, and heal your wounds. If the player guesses incorrectly, she will either: a) Fade from sight, and leave the player unhealed b) Cast a sleeping spell on the player (and Amalathe, if she is there) Once the player leaves the grove, the path leads eastward, turning north to the Afanc’s lake. If the player continues going on the north-eastern path… Coming up is the large lake – as the player gets to the ‘entrance’, they can hear a cry nearby. If investigated, they discover Nari’danis, Amalathe’s sister. Trigger Amalathe (if brought along) Amalathe: Nari! (she runs up to the girl, but stops short, and gasps in horror) Nari’danis has the Afanc asleep, its head perched in her lap, and the girl is unable to move.
27 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Nari’danis: Amalathe – go back to the village! It isn’t safe here! Amalathe: How did –w hat— Player: a) We need to get you out of here. Your sister has been worried sick! b) That doesn’t look like fun. Or a nice pet, for that matter. c) We need a plan. Can it be killed? Nari’danis slowly shakes her head. ‘Perhaps – but for now it is calm, as long as I let it sleep here. If it wakes, it could kill be.’ Amalathe: ‘Perhaps my friend here can distract it away from you, and I can get you out of harm’s way, sister.’ Player: a) Its risky, but it might work. b) Hey wait – don’t I get a say in this? c) No – I think we should get the warriors from the village to help. Amalathe: a) (nods) ‘We need to move fast, then.’ b) ‘You agreed to help! Please, it’s the only chance we have.’ c) But they might not get here in time. Player: a) All right, lets do it your way. b) No, get the warriors. If you go with trying to distract it yourself… Amalathe will slip around to Nari’danis’ side, ready to pull her out of the way. She will then instruct you to wake the creature up to distract it. This can be done by an attack method ( melee, ranged ). The Afanc will wake up, and lung at the player. If Amalathe is with the player, and no warriors are called for – (Nari’danis has a 60% chance of surviving, 40% chance of being crushed.) If Amalathe is with the player, and the warriors are called for – (Nari’danis has an 80% chance of surviving, and a 20% chance of being crushed.) If Amalathe is not with the player, and no warriors are called for – ( Nari’danis has a 10% chance of survival.) 28 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
If Amalathe is not with the player, and the warriors are called for – ( Nari’danis has a 30% chance of survival.) Once the Afanc is defeated, the player is able to loot the corpse, and go back to the village via the same route(s) taken to get there. The player may trigger a few more random mobs of animals along the way.
Are there combat encounters, random events, or check points? How do they occur? There is plenty of combat with creatures in the woods – redcaps, natural animals, and malevolent spirits that are in the woods. The fights will be triggered by the player walking into particular areas, and will kind of be used as a guide to lead the player through the woods to particular points. There are a few major check points – one as you enter the woods, one before you stumble over a hidden set of ruins that contain malevolent ghost-spirits, one before you meet Nari’danis, another before you find the lake with the Afanc, and the last just after the battle is over. There is yet another one, before you enter a hidden grove to the west side of the map.
Solution What are his or her goals or rewards? The goal is to find Nari’danis and hopefully return her alive to her sister, and either subdue or kill the Afanc in the lake. Reward options: If Nari’danis is returned alive… The player can choose to accept Nari’danis (and Amalathe, if she was taken along originally as a guide) as a companion for the rest of the game. If they refuse, Amalathe will offer the player a family heirloom weapon for the return of her sister. If Nari’danis is returned dead… Amalathe will grieve, but offer the player a pouch of herbs. From there, she will depart to mourn her sister. Whenever the player goes to leave the area, Amalathe will approach the player and ask to go with them – she cannot stand to stay here with her clan since her sister is dead. She asks that you might wait until the funeral. If Nari’danis is not returned at all… 29 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Amalathe will be indignant and agitated, and only offer the player a couple pieces of currency for their ‘trouble.’ Killing the Afanc… If the player loots the Afanc, one of its teeth or the scales will drop, and the player can choose to pick one of them up – only one due to the weight of the items. The craft master can turn the tooth into a weapon (either dagger or shortsword) or the scales into an armor piece. If the player decides they do not want a weapon or armor, the craft master will offer to buy the piece from you. Extra What is the purpose? The purpose of this quest is to give the player a chance to explore the world a bit more, see some of the other beings of the fae realm, and to experience more of the lore – both in-game lore, and actual Celtic mythology. On top of that, it gives the player a chance to gain a little more experience, and a chance to gain some extra items and currency, and the possibility of an npc companion. What does this quest bring to your narrative or structure of the game? This quest is a side quest right around mid game. This level is being used to help flesh out some of the story narrative to the game, as well as giving the player an opportunity to gain a companion for the rest of their questing. This level occurs fairly early the game. Currently, the quest is written as a Vivianne –side only. Morrigan followers will have a chance to gain companions as well either in the mirrored version of this quest, or at a later, but close, opportunity. Are there any hidden, bonus areas or items in your level? How does the player reach them? Are there pre-existent criteria? There is an area of old ruins that the player may stumble on if they go the right track through a few hidden trails. The ruins may provide another chance for the player to pick up a bit of game lore, as well as a few items from the ghosts. To the west side of the map is a hidden grove, where an ancient forest spirit resides. At the cost of a guessing game, she will heal whatever wounds you have if you can answer her riddle correctly. If you do not, she will send you away, and fade into the trees.
NPC List Amalathe – quest giver 30 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Nari’danis – sister of Amalathe, the one you are sent to find. Nari’danis is wise in lore of the Sidhe, and a skilled healer. Takandis – Merchant. Orandu – Armor repair, offers to create armor or weapons if you bring him any special materials. NPC Mobs Afanc – the lake monster in the woods, that Nari’danis has gone to try to appease. Redcap – creatures that are found in the woods, malevolent tricksters that may attack the player.
Achievements Traveling Companion. Reward +10 ~You gained the thanks of Amalathe and her sister joined you as a traveling companion. Slayer of the Afanc! Reward +10 , Afanc pet. ~You took up the task of the elves to slay the lake monster Afanc.
31 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Mechanics Structure Combat, when it occurs, would be more in a real-time play basis. The same would be applied for such encounters as the puzzles. Systems Choose your own adventure. To tell the story, and immerse the player more into the game, a ‘choose your own adventure’ style will be implemented. The player will be presented with a number of different choices when needed, allowing them to have some control – and unpredictability – to the game play. These choices may include going on a quest with no reward, barter for a higher reward, or possibly even not going on that adventure at all. More options should be available to vary things up. Environment change As mentioned in the mechanics, the environment would potentially be set up to reflect the choices of the character throughout the game by de-saturating of color, brightening and dimming of light, and if achievable, by plants growing and withering.
32 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Interface Here we have the basic layout of the opening start menu. From here, the player can choose to start a new game, continue a game, or go to the options page or extras, or even quit game. To access any of these menu’s, the player simply has to click on them to bring up the new screen.
If the player has already started a game, or multiple games, the continue screen will let them choose which character game they want to load. From here, all the player has to do is simply select their character of choice and begin to play. If the player wishes to return to the previous screen, select ‘Back’.
33 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Here we have the Options page. Rather than try to cram everything into one huge page, I stuck with four main sections to help keep things easy to read.
The audio page is where we first encounter the scroll bars to adjust our options for both the main volume, and then a second one to adjust special effect sounds. The option for subtitles was added in an on / off display so that if the player has a difficult time of hearing, or just generally prefer subtitles, they can turn that on or off at will.
34 | P a g e Š Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
On the video menu, we have both drop down menu’s and scroll bars. Brightness / contrast, for example, would be a scroll bar. Screen mode lets the player choose between playing in a full screen or window game, followed by the colorblind mode, with its different settings. Graphics settings lets the player adjust the screen resolution, as well as an option to adjust the level of detail in their game – mostly this would affect such things as particle affects, which can cause lag in a game.
Originally I had a few of these on the main menu, like the DLC and the Forums, but found it to cluttered. At the gamble of players potentially not using the downloadable content, I put it here in the extra’s. Mostly, extra’s is for the ‘fun’ things to do to supplement the game, like the achievements, downloadable content, and the link to the game forums; and the credits page, that’s pretty important.
35 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Here we have one of my favorite things for games – the achievements. Achievements are always fun and add that extra little bit of a challenge players will go completely out of their way to complete. Why? Either for a feeling of personal accomplishment, bragging rights to their friends, or to just find extra things to do in their game for fun. Most games award ‘points’ for achievements, while others might give special items like vanity pets or special titles. But other than to say ‘hey, here’s something to show you finished the achievement, besides it being listed on your account’, points generally don’t mean anything. I’d like to have achievement points be actually useable for things that the player can use in their game, whether it is for aesthetics or actually use.
36 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
When I first started seeing ‘downloadable content’ for games, I was a little put off at having to pay more money to add things to the game I’d already paid for – then I actually gave it a try, and found that, while it wasn’t –needed-, it was a wonderful supplement to the game, and enjoyed it that much more. Again, to keep with the rest of the interface set up, I was trying for a simple, straightforward, and easy to read.
Overall, the starting menus are pretty straightforward and easy to navigate; these cannot be modded by the player, and does not really change with game difficulty.
37 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
In-Game Interface
Here we have the In game screen setup and hotkey bar. I wanted to try to have something that was again, straightforward and fairly simple to read, and allowed for as much room to actually play the game as possible. I dislike a game where my interface is all over the place and in the way, and having to constantly move things to keep going. The only thing outside of the hotkey bar is the character portrait with a quickread health and energy bar. The hotkey bar was designed with the player’s keyboard in mind for customizable action keys. Not only can the player use these buttons for their attacks, but for potions as well. Easy access buttons under the hotkey bar let the player pull up their character sheet, talents, inventory, map, and quest log.
38 | P a g e Š Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Here we have our character ‘sheet’, where the player can view what they have equipped, and a quick rundown on their stats. There is a slot for each item that can be equipped. To see the stats of any particular item, the player simply has to scroll over the equipped item. To return to the main screen, click the character sheet icon again.
Here’s our Talent sheet, where our player can manage their skills and how and what they learn. The circles represent the talent ‘tree’s’ available to them, each with unique and helpful skills. The b to the right gives overall descriptions of the different tree’s and what is available in them.
39 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
When the player selects a tree, this is the skill grid presented to them. The large circle at the center is where they start, with a basic skill. From there, as they level, they can gain more skills. Some of these skills have to have certain pre-requisites to them to unlock them, and will be greyed out until the requirements are met. To obtain a skill, the player hovers over the icon of the skill they want, use anything required to gain or learn the skill, and select the skill. The player will be given one last chance to change their mind before the skill is set. On top of that, if the player starts on a particular ‘branch’, and wants something on another branch, they either have to start back at the bottom on that branch, or work their way over there, rather than being able to just jump all over the place.
40 | P a g e Š Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Inventory consists of whatever the player is carrying in their ‘bags’ at the present time – weapons, gear, potions, plot items, and junk. Each tab, or bag, is given a particular number of slots that the player can easily carry, and a certain number more of slots going over their ‘carry weight’. If they start to carry more than their inventory can easily hold, the player incurs a penalty to movement, and eventually cannot carry any more items at all until their inventory is cleared. Clearing the inventory can be done by destroying or using items, or selling them to merchants. To use an item, the player selects it – from there, they are given different options on what they want to do with it. ‘Drink’, ‘sell’, ‘discard’ for consumables; ‘equip’, ‘sell’, ‘discard’, for gear or weapons. If you are at your room in one of the Lady’s palace’s, you have the option to ‘store’ an item as well.
Our task log will include whatever quests the player is on, both for major storyline and any side quests they may have picked up along the way. On the one side, the name of the quest is listed, and the opposite ‘page’ gives any details that have been given. It also shows what items you have obtained for the quest, what you still need, and any updates you have discovered. To close out of the log and return to the main screen, the player simply clicks the Log icon again. 41 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Controls Here are the controls for the PC; I used both keyboard and mouse to map out the controls to match with the gameplay interface. One feature I toyed with was to have the ‘calculator’ numbers be able to correspond to the hot-keys as well – this option can be turned on and off with the num lock A special feature to unlock or use special animations in the game (mostly for combat use) uses the special movement combinations. In a way, this draws from old fighting games like Street fighter, or the more recent Soul Calibur. These movements may or may not effect how the attack operates, but it does give the player something extra to play with. All the keys can be remapped as the player likes for easier access or use.
42 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Marketplace Analysis There are a few similar games in theme to ‘Sidhe’, but are based more as real-time strategy games, such as Age of Mythology. An older game by the title of Dark Age of Camelot was released in 2001. MMO games include such as Ragnarok Online. Similar in gameplay style, such games as Dragon Age and possibly Mass Effect are fairly close. The Dragon Age games did rather well, breaking the one million mark in two weeks of their release of Dragon Age II. My intended target audience would be teenagers to young adults; those interested in fantasy, mythology, and RPG games with good story immersion. As for how I expect my game to fare, one would hope fairly well. At this time, I believe it is a bit difficult to accurately determine how a game will do.
43 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Budget and schedule Sample timeline Pre-production: 3-6 months Production Time: 15 months Post Production: 6 months Number of resources you think you’ll need Modelers: 8-10 Animators: 5-6 Concept Artists: 2-3 UI Artists: 1 UI Programmer: 1 Network Programmer: 1 Gameplay Programmer: 2 Systems Programmer: 2 AI Programmer: 1 Graphics Programmer: 3 Tools Programmer: 1 Producer: 2 Designer: 2 Writer: 2 Operating budget All total, the budget comes between $7,560,000 - $8,000,000, for resources of 37-37 people over a two year course.
44 | P a g e Š Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
Index
BUDGET AND SCHEDULE, 44 CONTROLS, 42 CREDITS, 46
CULTURE, 5 FACTIONS, 5 FLOW CHART, 18-19 GAME FLOW NARRATIVE OUTLINE, 8-16 AFANC CONCEPT ART, 11 VIVIANNE DETAIL SKETCH, 15 NARRATIVE NOTES, 16-17 INTERFACE, 33 START MENU, 33 OPTIONS, 34 AUDIO, 34 VIDEO, 35 EXTRAS, 35 ACHIEVEMENTS, 36 DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT, 37 IN-GAME INTERFACE, 38 GAME SCREEN, 38 HOT KEY BAR, 38 CHARACTER SCREEN, 39 TALENTS SHEET, 39 TALENT TREE, 40
45 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011
Sidhe v1.0
Margaret Lewallen
m.lewallen.arts@gmail.com
INVENTORY, 41 TASK LOG, 41
MARKETPLACE ANALYSIS, 43
MECHANICS, 32 NPC’S, 5 VIVIANNE CONCEPT ART, 6 MORRIGAN CONCEPT ART, 6 SAMPLE QUEST DESIGN, 20-31 AFANC WOODS MAP, 20 BROKEN-DOWN AFANC MAP, 20 MAP LEGEND, 21 THE STORY, 2 THE WORLD, 3-4 THE GREAT FOREST MAP, 3 THE SIDHE MAP, 4
Credits
(Paper texture for the maps was found here: http://chillipaprika.com/wpcontent/uploads/2010/12/old_paper.jpg And the brushes I used can be found here: http://calthyechild.deviantart.com/art/Tolkien-style-MapBrushes-138796530
46 | P a g e © Margaret Lewallen 2011