PLU - Game Concept

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PLU leveldesign document Torben Fischer - 489096 - GAME B - GamePlay Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen Teacher: Jeff Cook

contents

Introduction

Introduction, Name, Story .............................................. 2 Core Concept, Theme, Elements of Mechanics.............. 3 Actions, Obstacles.............................................................. 4 Enemies... ......................................................................... 5 Nuc .................................................................................. 6/7 Plu ................................................................................... 8/9 Nano .................................................................................10 Level ................................................................................. 11 Interface .......................................................................... 12 Feedback, Sound.............................................................. 13 Moodboard ........... ......................................................... 14 Other .................................................................................15

For my GamePlay class i had to develop and describe my own game concept thoroughly. In this document I will give a detailled descriptions of the different parts of the game and i will try to give a good impression of the look and feel and the mechanics of the game.

game Name In a previous document i chose the name ‘Somatic’ for my game concept, which in my eyes sounded very scientific. While developing the game in a more detailled stage i chose to change the name from the scientific to the lighter and more humble sounding ‘PLU’, which is the name of my main character. I’m convinced that this fits my concept better and already gives a good impression of the more artistic and funny approach of the game. The name plu derives from the so called ‘pluripotent’ stem cells, which are special cells in the body that have the ability to form different kind of cells.

story For a synopsis of the game’s story please check the first chapter of the storytelling document also found on the CD.

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Core concept

elements of mechanics

Within a given timeframe, the player has to find his way through different levels within the human body; these are made of the inside of organs and arteries. To reach the end of one level and advance to the next the player has to overcome different obstacles and perform certain actions at important points in the level to be able to make progress. These obstacles are either made up of enemies with the ability to weaken the player or natural obstacles in the world such as fast blood flow or wounds inflicted by the enemy that can kill the player or slow him down.

Moving around

By splitting up and shrinking in the process the player has the possibility to change his environment and make his way to the end of the level. To solve the challenges, the player has to form different types of cells that are needed throughout the different parts of the game world, for example to close an open wound.

theme The game takes place inside the body of a young boy enslaved by a disease that is ultimately going to lead to his death. Because the game is not heavily story-based and the player never finds out about the circumstances of the outside world a detailed description of those is not needed. The player takes the role of the good stem cell; Plu; placed into the boy’s body to have a final fight for the boy’s and his own survival. The whole game has a strong cartoon look and feel to it, which makes it accessible for a larger target group. Because of the very artistic approach of the game, the setting of the game is a very foreign and imaginary world. Herein we can find odd looking objects, creatures and obstacles that have never before seen. In this world there are other rules and laws present than in the world we live in. This way the game pulls the player into this distant land and stimulates his imagination. The game is not meant to be realistic and does not follow a scientific approach to the subject matter. Because the story takes place in the distant future, there are great possibilities to distance the concept from the realistic boundaries of our present knowledge.

Because the player finds himself inside arteries and veins inside a human body he is able to fly around freely in 3D-space. The character has the ability to move up, down, forward, backwards, left and right with the help of the buttons of his keyboard. This way he can make his way through the different parts of the level and overcome the different obstacles, dodge enemy attacks and make his way to the end. Another factor that influences the ability of movement is the environment in which the player finds himself. In different parts of the levels the speed of the blood moving through the level can differ and change direction. This way the player has to find the right strategy to navigate through the levels without getting carried away by the strong blood flow.

Handling objects

There are different objects in the game that the player can interact with. In the first level of the game the player plays through a tutorial-level, wherein he acquires all the necessary skills and knowledge of the game to tackle the more difficult challenges at a later point in the game. On a regular basis, vitamins can be found floating throughout the level. These can be used right away to restore the health of the player. If the health is full, the player can choose to store a certain amount of vitamins in his inventory stack, for later use. The player is able to pick up these vitamins by flying through them.

Combat

Throughout the game the player comes across different kind of enemies in the form of viruses and bacteria. Their main goal is to weaken the player and eventually decrease his health to a level that leads to his death. Depending on the kind of enemy the player encounters in the game world, he has the choice of either evading the enemy by dodging their attacks and escape or form different antibodies that attack the enemy and destroy them. Depending on the resources the player gathered beforehand he has to form a strategy of using his limited abilities to fight off the enemy attacks.

Managing Resources

In different parts of the level the player finds resources in the form of proteins and vitamins that he can collect in his inventory for later use. Proteins are scarcer and enable the character’s abilities of splitting up into different kind of cells or form antibodies to fight off enemies. With increasing difficulty the player has to start managing his resources, as the number of enemies increases and the amount of resources decreases. This way the difficulty steadily builds up as the player progresses.

In more hidden spots of the level, the player encounters the more difficult to find proteins that are essential in solving the puzzles and overcome the obstacles in the level. Acquiring these proteins works the same way as for the vitamins. By flying through them the object gets saved into the player’s inventory.

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actions

obstacles

Because the character moves inside arteries and organs these form the limitations of his ability to move around. The arteries form a sort of tunnel in different sizes wherein the player can move freely.

There are two different kinds of obstacles present in the game. The first types are obstacles in the game world and the second types are different kind of enemies. In the following chapters i am going to describe these extensively.

The ability to form antibodies to fight off enemies is only available if the player acquired a certain amount of proteins in his inventory. Forming these antibodies decreases the protein-value in the inventory and limits this ability. Forming cells decreases the characters health and can cause death if used too extensively. Hints are only available at critical points throughout the level. Whenever the player reaches a point in the game, where he encounters a new obstacle he has the chance to receive a hint on how to overcome the obstacle. Choosing the robot-sidekick is only available from the second level of the game, wherein the player acquired this character.

Controls

enviromental Open wounds

At the point where two arteries intersect, a valve controls the blood flow in the crossing artery. When this valve is open the blood flows too fast for Plu to pass through. The player has to wait for the right moment, a short timeframe when the valve is closed to pass this obstacle.

Challenge storyboard

In some parts of the arteries and organs, the evil minions of Nuc have breached the surface and the blood is now streaming out through the artery wall. If the player comes to close to these open wounds he is going to be sucked out of the artery and die. There are two ways to overcome this obstacle. If the player acquired enough proteins beforehand he can form new cells when he gets close enough to the wound, which is going to close the gap, stops the suction and make it able to pass. The second way to pass is to shrink Plu by forming antibodies or new cells and then pass the danger by passing in smaller size pressed against the ceiling or the floor.

Sticky hair

When reaching the second level the player is entering the lung. Here he will encounter Cilia, which are hairlike objects lining the inside wall of the lung. These are responsible for catching dust or pollutants and keep the lungs clean. While evading enemies Plu can come in contact with these hairs and get stuck. The pass this obstacle the player has to try to not come in contact with the hair.

Narrow pathways

In some cases the arteries in which the player navigates decrease in diameter, so it’s not possible for Plu to pass through. The only solution to pass through is to split up into antibodies and cells to decrease the characters’ size. This way the player can slip through to the narrow tunnel.

Fast blood flow

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Arterial intersection

In some arteries there is rapid To overcome this obstacle the movement precisely to reach er side. If he misses the exit,

and steady blood flow. player has to time his the exit on the othhe has to start again.

Darkness

In some parts of the level the difficulty is increased by total darkness. The player’s field of view is decreased to a minimum and it is nearly impossible to spot approaching enemies and obstacles. The solution to this is to turn the nano-robot into a light, which lights up the surroundings, so the player can further.

Infections

Infections on the inside walls of the arteries keep the player from passing through. As soon as he approaches the infection, he gets infected himself and dies. The only way for the player to pass is to command the nano-robot sidekick to spray disinfectant on it so Plu can advance.


enemies virus

description

bacteria

width

5 px

Attack

height

Bacteria

The second kind of enemy is floating freely throughout the level and is moving around. Depending on the kind of bacteria and the level of the game, the bacteria is either moving in straight lines and in small numbers towards the player or in greater numbers and a broader range of movements. As well as for the bacteria the player has two approaches to tackle this enemy. By dodging move at the right moment the player can evade the attack and move on unharmed. As the number of bacteria increases at a later point in the game the player also has to use antibodies, as dodging becomes impossible.

width

attack

7 px

X

10 px

5 px

height

The virus infects different parts inside the level and attaches itself to the walls of arteries and organs. As the player comes within close range of this enemy virus cells are starting to attack him. The player has the choice to either bypass this enemy with a well-timed movement or he can choose to form antibodies to fight off the virus.

3 px

Virus

45 px 15 px

y

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nuc In the final level of the game the player encounters his archenemy Nuc, which is the source of all the diseases that spread out throughout the body. The final battle takes place in the brain and the player comes fully equipped with all the abilities he acquired beforehand. Nuc is attacking Plu by forming viruses and bacteria that he shoots in the direction of the player. By evading or destroying these enemies for a certain amount of time Nuc reaches a point, where he has to recharge before he can attack with a new wave of enemies. In this short time period he is vulnerable for Plu’s attacks. By getting into close vicinity the player can produce antibodies that attack Nuc and eventually kill him.

sketch

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movement

ATTACKING

10 px / sec

X

z

y 10 px / sec attacked

size

45 px description

height

20 px

Nuc is the evil counterpart to the good Plu. His abilities are far more advanced than Plu’s. Due to his age he is a lot bigger than Plu, but because of his big size also slower than Plu. That’s where Plu’s biggest advantage lays. Nuc’s attacks are far stronger than Plu’s and the player has to figure out a smart strategy to break through Nuc’s defenses and land a critical hit.

width

20 px

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PLU The main character of the game is Plu. A young and careless stem cell that is forced to fight a final fight for his and his hosts’ survival. He is still very inexperienced and sometimes very impulsive, which most of the times gets him into trouble. During the game, when his challenges keep getting bigger and bigger he is slowly starting to learn how to handle enemies and he is preparing himself for the big fight with his archenemy Nuc.

sketch

8


movement

ATTACKING

12 px / sec

X

z

30 px description Plu is a good and young stem cell, this makes him fast in his movement and regeneration but his disadvantages definitely lie in his little experience in fighting off enemies and his small size. He has yet to gain a lot of experience before he can face the older and more experienced Nuc.

height

15 px

size

12 px / sec y attacked

width

15 px

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movement

nano sketch

In the second level of the game the player encounters the small robot Nano who joins his cause and becomes his valuable sidekick. He is very attached to Plu and almost never leaves his side. In his backpack he can also store vitamins and proteins for Plu, which increases the capacity of the player’s inventory. Also he can kill infections with his disinfectant and provide light for Plu in dark parts of the level.

12 px / sec

X

z

12 px / sec attack

y

light

8 px

height

size

description

width

10

5 px

20 px

45 px


Level For this detailed description, the second level of the game will be used, which takes place in the lung. The first level consists of a shorter tutorial level, in which the player gets an overview of the obstacles and different techniques to overcome these. Furthermore the first level is designed to make the player familiar with the controls, the game world and the characters’ abilities.

Description

At the beginning of the level after evading some bacteria the player encounters a new obstacle, which is an open wound in the artery wall. He has the chance to ask his sidekick for help and gets an explanation on how to close the hole and pass. He uses some proteins he found before to form new cells that close the wound. Now he can pass and encounters some more bacterias.

Hint

Open wound

After fighting these off with antibodies he shrinks down to a size that can pass through the sticky hair and reach the checkpoint. Still small in size he can pass through the narrow pathway and pick up some proteins on the way. He gets a hint on how to pass the arterial intersection and turns his robot-sidekick into a flash light to fight off the final viruses that stand between him and the end of the level.

Narrow pathway

Sticky hair

Infection

Checkpoint

Fast bloodflow

Darkness

Arterial intersection

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INTERFACE To increase the immersion of the player, a very minimalistic approach is aimed for the interface without too many elements and icons. This way, the player can solely focus on the character and the game world.

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menu

choose level

head up display

pause menu


feedback

Sound

There are different kinds of feedback found in the game to inform the player about his progress or support him in overcoming the challenges in the game. As for the interface of the game, these are kept very subtle to increase the difficulty of the game and increase the player’s immersions.

Hint

As the player encounters a new obstacle in the game he gets the chance to ask his sidekick for help. Besides an icon that pops up on the screen the robot also makes itself noticeable through a sound. These hints are not meant to be a direct solution but only to help the player if he is stuck with an obstacle or challenge. They should only make the player rethink his approach and not give an obvious solution right away.

Ambient

Visual

As enemies are attacking the character in the game the screen will slowly start fading to black or lose color as the health of the player decreases. As soon as the player restores his health, the color will go back to normal. As antibodies produced by the player attack enemies, they start changing their facial expression and color, so the player can see that he is making progress. Especially for the final fight with Nuc this is very important.

Sound

One of the most important methods of feedback in the game is audio. A rich sound-design not only helps the player to sense approaching danger (screaming, threatening ambient) but also gives him a good sense if he is doing well and completes the experience of flying through the human body. I will give a detailed description on the different sound effects and the music in the following chapter.

To give the player a good feeling of the game world and really pull him into the game the ambient sounds are a very important part. Because there are limited resources of sounds inside a human body the ambient sounds are mainly these of a pumping heart or the breathing of the host. Because the game is more artistic than scientifically correct the mood can also be created with for example deep-sea ambient sounds or other environmental ambients e.g. strong wind.

Sound effects

Because the style of the game is very cartoon-like, the sound effects can be very diverse. As the plan is to not use spoken word, in the game the character express themselves solely through their facial expression, color change and sound effects. Through the different tone of these sound effects the player can also sense if something he encounters is going to harm him or if it is something he would want to get a closer look of. For example the vitamins and proteins that restore the player’s health in the game and give him the ability to split up are emitting a happy sound and the player is drawn to go there. The enemies on the other hand make themselves heard with scary and intense sound effects such as screaming to make it obvious not to come too close.

Music

The music plays a very important part in the game. In the beginning of the game, when the player is still learning Plu’s abilities and tries to get a good feeling for the mechanics of the games the music has a very happy mood and strengthens the atmosphere of the first levels. As soon as the difficulty increases, the music becomes faster and sounds more serious and threatening. Closer to the end the music also builds up to the great climax, the last fight between Plu and Nuc. Also during the faster parts of the level the music increases in speed, to make it a thrilling experience for the player.

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moodboard

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other Asset list Because I want to limit my detailed descriptions to the second level in the lung, the description of the necessary assets is also focusing on this part of the game. Level Artery Textures Sticky hair obstacle Physics-System Infection obstacle Particle-System Bloodflow obstacle Open wound Obstacle Arterial intersection obstacle Characters: Plu Nanorobot Nuc Bacteria Virus Objects: Vitamine Proteins Antibodies Cells Other: Hints Death animations

Achievements

To increase the replay value and increase the difficulty of the levels in the game there are different additional goals in each level that the player can find to increase his score. These could be a time challenge e.g. to finish the level within a given timeframe to earn extra proteins for the next level, to find and collect all the proteins in one level to increase your health value for the following levels, etc.

Once upon a time ... Life

A french cartoon series explaining the human bodily functions to kids in a cartoon format.

Distribution

To distribute the game and to reach the most appropriate market, a website is going to be developed for people to follow the development progress of the game and to offer a free download of the game for everybody to play. This website is going to be promoted starting at the beginning of the project via different social media.

Gameplay modes

Machinarium

A 2.5D puzzle point-and-click adventure about a robot trying to find his girlfriend and stop bad guys from blowing up the towns’ tower.

The game is solely designed to be a single player game. There is only one gameplay mode available, which is the linear storyline of the game.

inspiration Osmosis Jones

A policeman white blood cell, with the help of a cold pill, must stop a deadly virus from destroying the human they live in, Frank.

Immune Attack

A 3d-learning game for younger kids that lets them fly through the human body in a nano-robot.

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