AP Game - Design - Document Rev04 Vestige

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GAME DESIGN DOCUMENT

Revision 4
Team A.P.
ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Winter 2011 - Spring 2011
Project Lead Monte Nichols Co-Producers Margaret Cogswell Bryan Di Fatta John Berryman Alex Forsythe Harald Hagen Andy Hernandez Matt Williams Herb Zischkau
Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved Team A.P.
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TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
PRODUCTION PLAN.................................................................................................................. 6 TEAM ROMA.......................................................................................................................... 6 Production Team................................................................................................................ 6 Technical Team................................................................................................................... 6 Art Team............................................................................................................................. 7 Narrative Team...................................................................................................................7 Outsources.......................................................................................................................... 7 PRODUCTION PIPELINE.................................................................................................... 9 Production...........................................................................................................................9 Gameplay Design ............................................................................................................... 9 Art........................................................................................................................................9 Technical Design .................................................................................................................9 Narrative Design................................................................................................................ 9 Sound Design .................................................................................................................... 10 GAME DESIGN ...........................................................................................................................11 OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................... 11 PRIMARY MECHANIC DECOY.................................................................................. 12 Placement modes.............................................................................................................. 12 Acquisition........................................................................................................................ 12 Input.................................................................................................................................. 12 Destruction........................................................................................................................12 Resource ............................................................................................................................12 PUZZLE ELEMENTS ..........................................................................................................13 Crusher..............................................................................................................................13
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Ascending Staircase......................................................................................................... 14 Tesla Coils ......................................................................................................................... 14 Batteries............................................................................................................................ 15 Sliding Wall/Floor............................................................................................................ 16 Endless Hallway............................................................................................................... 17 LEVEL DESIGN....................................................................................................................19 Dictionary......................................................................................................................... 19 Visual Devices................................................................................................................... 21 LEVEL PROGRESSION ......................................................................................................23 Start................................................................................................................................... 23 Intro Area..........................................................................................................................23 Second Area...................................................................................................................... 24 DRAWINGS ........................................................................................................................... 26 NARRATIVE................................................................................................................................ 27 SYNOPSIS ............................................................................................................................. 27 WORLD NARRATIVE......................................................................................................... 28 History...............................................................................................................................28 Technology........................................................................................................................ 28 The Decoy..........................................................................................................................29 Present............................................................................................................................... 29 PLOT...................................................................................................................................... 32 Conflict.............................................................................................................................. 32 Theme ................................................................................................................................33 Mood.................................................................................................................................. 33 MAIN CHARACTERS .........................................................................................................34 Cardea (player character)............................................................................................... 34
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Dominus (the mentor)...................................................................................................... 35 NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES ............................................................................................. 37 Integrating Tutorial ......................................................................................................... 37 Conveying Backstory and Current Story Arc............................................................... 37 ART DOCUMENT.......................................................................................................................39 OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................... 39 Visual Theme .................................................................................................................... 39 Art Style ............................................................................................................................ 39 ENVIRONMENT STYLE.....................................................................................................40 Environment Narrative................................................................................................... 40 Environment Description................................................................................................ 41 Architecture Style and Period......................................................................................... 41 Lighting Description ........................................................................................................ 42 Materials Description ...................................................................................................... 43 CHARACTER STYLE..........................................................................................................45 MAIN CHARACTERS .........................................................................................................45 Cardea (player character)............................................................................................... 45 Dominus (the mentor)...................................................................................................... 46 WEAPON STYLE..................................................................................................................48 ANIMATION STYLE............................................................................................................48 CONSISTENCY.....................................................................................................................48 QUALITY............................................................................................................................... 49 PRODUCIBILITY................................................................................................................. 49 TECHNICAL DESIGN............................................................................................................... 50 Introduction............................................................................................................................50 Design Goals..................................................................................................................... 50 Inheritance ........................................................................................................................50 Performance ........................................................................................................................... 52
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Computation..................................................................................................................... 52 Graphics ............................................................................................................................52 Memory............................................................................................................................. 52 Core Mechanics......................................................................................................................53 Traps..................................................................................................................................53 Triggers............................................................................................................................. 55 The Decoy..........................................................................................................................56 Other SYSTEMS ................................................................................................................... 59 Death and Checkpoints....................................................................................................59 Incidental Audio............................................................................................................... 59 User Interface ................................................................................................................... 60 Cinematics ........................................................................................................................ 62 Level Structure ...................................................................................................................... 63 Naming Conventions and Style ............................................................................................ 64 SOUND DESIGN......................................................................................................................... 65 MUSIC.................................................................................................................................... 65 Mood.................................................................................................................................. 65 Theme ................................................................................................................................65 SOUND EFFECTS ................................................................................................................ 66 Mood.................................................................................................................................. 66 Hard Effects......................................................................................................................66 VOICE ACTING....................................................................................................................68 Cardea............................................................................................................................... 68 The Voice ...........................................................................................................................68 Sewer Grates.....................................................................................................................69
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PRODUCTION PLAN Team Roma consists of nine core members, with at least eight outsources. They are as follows: TEAM ROMA Production Team The Production Team is responsible for the overall design and vision of the game, scheduling, and communication between teammates. Monte Nichols Team Lead Monte takes the role of Team Lead. His responsibilities include assigning tasks, keeping the vision of the original game, readjusting scope as needed, and designing game mechanics and levels. Bryan Di Fatta Co-Producer Bryan is a co-producer on Team Roma, as well as a cinematic artist and modeler. His responsibilities include scheduling meetings, assigning tasks and creating task lists, creating cinematics, and modeling. Margaret Cogswell Co-Producer Margaret is a co-producer, narrative designer and texture artist. Her responsibilities include solving communication issues between team members, assigning tasks and creating task lists, writing the story arc and conveying the narrative, and texturing. Technical Team The Technical Team is responsible for programming the game, solving technical issues, and creating a pipeline between all teammates working in Maya and UDK. Alex Forsythe Lead Technical Designer Alexs responsibilities include programming and Kismet in UDK, designing the technical pipeline between all team members working in UDK, providing solutions for technical issues, and level design. Matt Williams Generalist/ Artist
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Matts responsibilities include modeling, UDK Kismet, Maya to Unreal workflow, designing mechanics and levels, and prototyping puzzles. Art Team The Art Team is responsible for determining the overall art style of the game to deliver a consistent aesthetic. John Berryman Lead Modeler John is the lead modeler of the team. He will oversee the modeling tasks and ensure that the model style is consistent throughout the project and from all modelers on the team. He will also control modularity in the models. Additionally, John will be working on texture art. Herb Zischkau Concept Artist Herb will be responsible for at least 95% of the concept art for the team, including character concepts, environment concepts, asset concepts, and lighting concepts. He will also be doing the majority of the texturing. Andy Hernandez (see Narrative Team below) Narrative Team The Narrative Team is responsible for providing the game world with depth and history, and writing an intriguing and motivating story arc for the player. Harald Hagen Narrative Designer Haralds primary responsibilities are narrative design and script writing. He is maintaining a project blog space as well to help keep the team on track. Additionally, Harald will be modeling. Andy Hernandez World Designer Andys responsibilities include merging the design between mechanics, environment, art, narrative, and audio to create a consistent and coherent game experience for the player. Andy will be modeling and texturing as well. Margaret Cogswell (see Production Team above) Outsources
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As of now, Team Romas outsources consist of someone well-versed in UDK Script and Kismet, two concept artists, and at least five sound designers.
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PRODUCTION PIPELINE This section describes the order of work-flow between all team members, top-down, under their respective categories. It is designed to provide the most efficient pipeline and ease conflict and miscommunication between members. Production This is designed and executed by the Team Lead and Producers of the team. Their responsibilities are to enable communication and sharing game materials between all separate teams, so that no team is ever without knowledge of what another team is working on. It is primarily the producers job to update all team members and ensure that everyone knows their delegated task, effectively avoiding wasted time on the team members part if they had to do this themselves. Gameplay Design This is decided first and foremost among all team members at group meetings. Team Lead has the final call on all design decisions, though team members have a significant amount of input in this area. In specific instances, a specialized team will decide the design for a particular feature of the game. For example, the Art Team can make the decision to use neon lighting. Art The overall art style of the game is decided upon by all team members, with heavy consideration given to the artists input. Following that, it is the Art Teams sole responsibility to decide what aesthetic would be best to convey the game play, game world, mood, and theme to the player. The Producers communicate game play mechanics, narrative design implementation, and technical design standards to the Art Team so they may design their art around these specifications. Technical Design Team Lead oversees technical design, though it is left almost entirely in the hands of the Lead Technical Designer, as he has the most knowledge and experience with our chosen game engine. The Lead Tech Designer is also responsible for delegating tasks to other members of the Tech Team as needed, and enabling the workflow between himself and all other members of the Tech Team. Narrative Design The Team Lead oversees narrative design, though the majority of the narrative decisions are left in the hands of the Narrative Team. The Team Lead and Producers communicate
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game play mechanics to the Narrative Team so that they can build a world and story around those specifications. Sound Design It is the Producers job to relay to the Sound Team the desired effect of the sound design, and ensure that the desired mood is achieved. Also, the Producers oversee all voice acting sessions to ensure the desired emotion is achieved through dialogue. Following that, the Sound Team has free reign over the sound effects and music they design for the game.
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GAME DESIGN OVERVIEW Project AP is a game of ever-shifting environments where the environment itself is your enemy. The player uses decoys to trick the environment, allowing them to navigate safely. The game is set in an alternate history that branches off during the time of Ancient Rome, and projects the Roman Empires progress forward. The player will work their way through both the classical and the futuristic Roman underground while trying to make sense of the ever-changing environment. Along the way, the player completes puzzles to move forward and eventually makes their way to the surface. Neo Roma is a single-player First-Person Puzzle title developed in UDK. It contains all original art and sound, demonstrates complex puzzle mechanics through design and implementation of code, and an in-depth world and story-arc. The experience consists of a 10-15 minute-long series of playable levels to prove that we as a team can create games on a professional level, from pitch to final product. Our target audience is gamers within the age range of 13-40 who are interested in puzzle and/or first person games. Compulsion Loop The player is driven to continue playing the game by the promise of new challenges, unique environments, and the intriguing story. By introducing new puzzle elements frequently, we build on the players continual mastery of a simple, intuitive mechanic. Neo-Roma is a rich environment and promises to immerse the player in a never-beforeseen world. Frequent narrative events foreshadow the impending revelation at the heart of the mystery which the player actively unravels.
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PRIMARY MECHANIC DECOY The decoy is an object which stands in for the player, triggering traps in his stead. Placement modes There are two placement modes one where the decoy stands in place, and the other where decoy runs forward. Acquisition The player starts the game without the device. They then gain the device, but are only able to place it. The next upgrade is the ability to make it run. The player can only have a certain number of decoys active at once. At first, the maximum is only one. The player obtains the second and third active decoy as the difficulty increases. The player does not have to worry about ammo. Input The Primary fire key deploys the decoy at a medium velocity. Holding down the Primary fire key increases the initial velocity of the Decoy, and is fired when the key is released. The Mousewheel scroll toggles the method of deployment. The Alt fire key destroys the oldest active decoy. When Arcing deployment is active, every time the player deploys the decoy they shoot it in an arc. This arc can be shot at the players feet to set it nearby, or shot at normal velocity for medium range, or shot at high velocity for long range deployment. When the decoy hits a floor surface, it activates. If it is fired at a wall, it will bounce off walls until it hits a floor. When Running deployment is active, the decoy moves forward in a straight line. The player can modulate the initial velocity by holding down the Primary fire key. When the decoy hits a wall or falls off a ledge, it is automatically destroyed. Destruction The decoy can be remotely destroyed from anywhere. It is also destroyed by traps that can kill the player and by walls when running. Resource The player has a limited number of active decoys, and every decoy that is deployed counts against that number until it is destroyed. The decoy limit starts at one and increases as the game progresses.
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PUZZLE ELEMENTS These discrete puzzle elements serve as building blocks for the challenges which face the player, each one combining consistent and familiar devices in order to test the players cleverness and dexterity. Designing in terms of these distinct elements makes it easier for the level designers to construct and iterate on puzzles, and it allows the player to solve new challenges by building upon their prior knowledge of previously encountered traps. Crusher The crusher consists of a large, heavy plate which is suspended from the ceiling by a mechanical piston. When the player or a decoy walks beneath the trap, the plate quickly drops to the ground and kills whatever it impacts. After a brief pause, the plate then slowly rises back to the ceiling. Introduction The crusher will be introduced early on, before the player has access to the decoy device. When the player first encounters a crusher, its dangers will be telegraphed by a scripted sequence in which a rat wanders beneath it and is instantly crushed. Variations To prevent the player from riding on top of the crusher in certain situations, spikes or a guard rail may be added to the top side of the plate. Crushers may be set to extend only a certain distance rather than all the way to the floor. Such crushers could serve as mid-air platforms when triggered with proper timing, in addition to psyching out the player when made to stop just above his head. These could also move in a horizontal direction, even having a crusher on either side that meet in the middle. Examples The player comes to a long, narrow hallway which is lined with ceiling-mounted crushers. The player is unable to walk around the crushers, but a shallow ditch allows the player to crawl beneath their point of impact with the floor. The player crawls beneath each crusher as it slams into the ground just above their head. The channel ends underneath the final crusher so that the player cannot escape through the ditch. The player must trigger the final crusher from the safety of the ditch, then quickly climb up and run past it while it is still ascending.
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After obtaining the decoy device, the player encounters a crusher which they cannot walk around. By throwing the decoy beneath the crusher, the player is able to run by after the crusher descends. The player encounters a crusher as in example 2, but at an apparent dead end. There is a noticeable hole in the ceiling to which the crusher is attached. By triggering the crusher with a decoy, the player is able to climb on top of the crusher plate and ride it upward, jumping through the hole to gain access to a new area. Ascending Staircase The ascending staircase is a series of steps which are sunk into the ground. When triggered remotely, the steps rise from the floor to form a staircase. When no longer triggered, the staircase falls back to the floor. Introduction The ascending staircase can be introduced simply enough. The player comes to a ledge which is too high to reach. There is a pressure plate nearby. By placing a decoy on the pressure plate, the player causes the staircase to ascend, allowing access to the ledge. Variations These staircases could also change direction based upon where the player is in relation to the staircase. Examples The player comes to an ascending staircase adjacent to a high wall. Halfway up the wall is an opening, inaccessible from the ground. The player activates the staircase with a decoy, causing it to rise to the top of the wall. The staircase blocks access to the opening, but allows the player to climb to the top of the wall. He then recalls the decoy, causing the staircase to drop and allow him to jump down to the opening. Tesla Coils Tesla coils come in pairs. When an object comes between the two coils, an arc of electricity is sent from one coil to the other, electrifying whatever lies between. After emitting a charge, the Tesla coils must audibly recharge for a few seconds before
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becoming active once again. Certain devices, such as batteries, may also be electrified by the Tesla coils charge. Introduction Similar to the crusher, an unfortunate rat can be used to demonstrate the Tesla coils in action. After seeing how the Tesla coils work, the player can throw a decoy between them to trigger them, and then run past while theyre recharging. Variations Tesla coils can be pushed along fixed tracks in order to alter the path of their current. Tesla coils do not have to be stationary objects and can be made to move toward a player in looped movement as a constant threat. Decoys can conduct electricity and can create a chain of arcing electricity that can then power certain devices. Examples A deactivated battery lies on the floor, connected to an engine which powers a raised drawbridge. There are two Tesla coils close to the battery. The player pushes them along tracks so that the battery is positioned between them, triggering an electrical shock that provides power to the battery, causing the drawbridge to lower. As two Tesla coils move across parallel walls, they oscillate toward the player. The player must use a decoy in order to soak their charge. A Tesla Coil electrifies water, making it dangerous to the player. The player must time the throwing of the Decoy into the coil and quickly swim the expanse before the water becomes electrified again. The player can put two Tesla Coils close enough together to give power to anything. If the electricity emits enough light it could help illuminate a room, or could be used to power lighting, or even light something on fire for use of light. Batteries
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A battery is any receptacle that can hold electricity. Batteries are charged by a Tesla coils electricity. Introduction A battery is placed too far from a Tesla coil to be charged. The player must place their decoy somewhere in the middle of the battery and Tesla coil in order for the electricity to arc through the decoy to the battery. Variations Batteries might be attached to Tesla coils in order for the Tesla coil to activate. Batteries can be used to light rooms, open doors, and generally supply energy to anything we need them to. We can have activated batteries throughout the level before we show the player an inactive battery that is in need of a charge. Examples The player will need to chain multiple decoys together across a room in order to make electricity arc form a Tesla Coil to each decoy and finally to the Battery. Sliding Wall/Floor The sliding wall appears to be a structural part of the level, but it moves along a path in response to the players movement. Introduction This is a simple puzzle consisting of a set of double doors introduces the sliding wall mechanic to the player. The player enters a hallway with two large doors at the end. As the player nears the doors, they gradually close, blocking the exit. The player learns that no matter how quickly he moves, the doors will never allow him to pass the closing of the doors is a function of the players distance from them. The player must use the decoy near the entrance to hold the doors open, allowing him to run through to the exit. Variations The sliding wall need not be a wall it can be any dynamic object. Any property which can be animated in Matinee can be controlled based on the players movement.
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It could even be lighting. The lights could dim as the player moves toward the edges of the room and the decoy must be placed in the center for the player to see. Examples While walking down a corridor, the player encounters a fork in the road, with one path leading left and another leading right. A door positioned between the two paths slides back and forth to block the players progress. When the player walks to the left, the door slides in from the right and blocks the left path. When the player walks to the right, the same door blocks the right path in the same way. By placing a decoy in front of the path he does not wish to take, the player is able to proceed down the other. As a player walks across a pit wherein the fall is fatal, a moving surface stays beneath the player characters feet. The player sees something they need on a slightly lower platform just below the sliding floor, but the persistent surface does not let them fall down to it. If the player places the decoy, the floor no longer follows them and they can access lower areas and jump back up to where they have placed their decoy. As a player makes a leap of faith there is an invisible path over a pit wherein the fall is fatal. The player doesn't know the path, but by deploying the moving decoy they can see where it is safe to step, and conversely where they would surely fall. This could be mixed with other elements to heighten the tension and make timing important. Endless Hallway An endless hallway seems normal until a player finds herself traveling and not getting any further. The player is actually teleporting backwards at a certain point, making them stuck in a loop. Introduction The player could see a movable object on a track, stuck looping back and forth. Variations This area doesnt have to be a hallway. A spiral staircase, tunnel, doorway, or any other area could suffice and actually work better than an actual hallway. If one walks backwards through a similar area, they may move naturally.
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Examples While walking up the staircase, a player finds that the staircase is repeating, seeming never to end. When they walk down, they only move one story and find they are back in the original hallway. The player then goes back up the staircase, deploys the moving decoy, watches it disappear (teleporting behind and below them) and keeps going toward their destination. The player moves around a corner to a dead end. They move back to the hallways they just traveled from to find it a dead end. They now can move back and forth, finding both areas are a dead end. By placing a decoy at one of the dead ends, the other area will open back up.
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LEVEL DESIGN Dictionary In the early design stages of a level, there is a need for an easy way to discuss the design without having to constantly consult drawings or rough maps. Below are a list of 8 types of spaces that appear in the game on a regular basis. The numbers in parenthesis are a rough guideline for the size of the type of space. Narrow Directional ( 256x 2024y 256z ) Direction is the main path of the level without moving into Capillaries. Narrow Directional spaces are tight directional spaces such as a hallways, catacombs, or tunnels that the player can move through by only looking forward and backward. This could also include vertical movement up spiral stairs or moving lifts. This space is usually connecting, but can also contain hazards. They can fit pedestrians but cannot hold much else. Wide Directional ( 768x 2024y 768z ) Wide Directional spaces are along the main path as well. The player has a freer range of movement, left-right, forward-back, and even up-down. Wide Directional spaces include subway tunnels, sewage tunnels, and access areas. These areas could easily fit a vehicle, such as a subway cart. Wide Directional Spaces are where most of the action of the game will take place; these are the main puzzle rooms. These areas almost always contain some sort of puzzle element. These are also great places to hold more open stairways and ramps. Branch ( 128x 1024y 256z ) There are times when the player is given a Branching path. They can go around or travel through the Branch to continue toward their goal. Branches are parallel paths that move in the same direction as Narrow Directional or Wide Directional spaces. There are small access ways that connect spaces. These are basically little paths off the beaten trail. Some contain extra story elements or an integrated hint for bypassing hazardous zones. They are nice to give the player some choice and variation in movement. Capillaries ( 256x 128y 128z - 512x 512y 512z ) Capillaries are small spaces off the main path that lead to a dead end. They can be used for a variety of purposes such as providing safe areas to think, to further
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the plot or avoid the environment. Some of the best examples of Capillaries are little rooms, security offices, holes in the wall, broken machinery, or any small place you can move into and feel relatively protected. Capillaries are also perfect places for a re-spawn zone. Room ( 512x 512y 512z - 1024x 1024y 1024z ) A larger Capillary. It does not always lead anywhere but contains puzzles or story elements. Safe-Zone To reward the player after they have accomplished something such as completing a difficult puzzle, they are moved into a relatively Safe Zone. These are similar to the elevators in Portal. These are recognizable and iconic doors that cut off the player from the previous area, and appear as large triumphant arches. After the player moves through the arch, they come to a Safe Zone and the area behind them becomes closed off. Almost every Safe Zone is also a One-Way. One-Way When a player drops into a pit or off of a balcony and they can't climb back up, it is called a One-Way. One-Way drops also allow designers to trap the player, making them move forward. While the player moves forward, a level can be streamed out. Return A Return is when the Player falls and is returned to an area where they had previously been, much like a chute in the board game Chutes & Ladders. This is a good way to penalize a player without killing them. It is pertinent to design puzzle elements that do not simply kill the player, but rather set them back spatially. Using this instead of death helps to keep continuous game play and creates less opportunities for the player to put down the controller. Gate A Gate is an area where the player is held in a fixed position in order to reveal something to them. This is usually achieved with a door that does not open until the information deemed necessary for the player to know has been fully communicated. In the case of visually revealing something to the player, anything from cameras, windows, bars, or other materials that cannot be moved through but do not block line of sight to the player, are used. This is accompanied
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by audio cues as well. Another use of a Gate is to introduce story elements without having to break gameplay through the use of a cutscene. Hub A Hub is a space that has many areas that branch off from it. It is a space that the player returns to at least once to move into a different space. An example is a room that branches off into 3 other rooms and then an exit of some kind (elevator, door, etc). The branches usually lead to puzzle areas where the player must find clues to figure out a puzzle in the hub room. Visual Devices The following devices are visually prominent features used as conventions to communicate certain level design-related ideas to the player. Gateway Arches From early on, the end goal for each puzzle is represented by a very large triumphant arch. Giving a clear and discrete beginning and end to each puzzle allows the player to instantly comprehend the scope of the current challenge, as well as keep the players immediate destination in sight. The end of one puzzle implies the start of another, feeding into the compulsion loop and contributing to the players desire to continue onto the next manageable goal. Illuminated Wires Visible wires or fiber-optic cables connecting various devices illustrate cause and effect relationships between switches and traps, for example. Their color or brightness may be changed to reflect whether the devices they connect are currently active. Security Cameras Wall-mounted cameras track the players movement. When a decoy is placed, the camera fixes its view on the decoy instead, giving the player a clear indication of the decoys effect. Graffiti Since others have moved through the tunnels before the player character, there are some clues as to how to solve the puzzles written on the walls. These pictographs or words have some sort of visually distinct style from other graffiti, such as a signature or a certain color.
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Lighting Lighting is used to signify important areas, especially those that the player must move towards. These areas are warm with light, and draw in the player because of it. Less important parts of the environment are signified by colder or whiter lighting to illuminate without drawing undue attention. Floating/Moving Bricks If the player sees floating bricks in a room/space, they can expect that they will likely form into something (staircase, floor, etc). For example, there is a bottomless pit that a player needs to travel across. There are some bricks floating around where the pit goes to darkness. This is a clue that the player has to use their decoy in some way to traverse the pit.
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LEVEL PROGRESSION Play-testing is an excellent way of revealing exactly what works and what does not. The following is a starting point, a base, and a guide for how to proceed in early preproduction. We will provide as much detail as possible on how the levels move and work through the use of previously established mechanics and our dictionary. Puzzles will be detailed and, where necessary, will include diagrams. Note: When the word Player is used, we are referring to the person playing the game. Character means the in-game character. Start The game loads. The level starts up and leads into a cutscene of sorts that can be skipped if the player chooses. If skipped, the player gets a little 5 second cutscene of the character falling down into the initial chamber. Intro Area The player is now in a One-Way Safe-Zone. In the Safe-Zone, the player can be given objectives through text and sound. This is an area most likely with some sort of sewage water and dead bodies. Here we use a Gate to establish what a Crusher is. Zone 1 - Crushers The player falls down a tunnel and into a pool of sewage. They slowly get to their feet to find a Wide Directional area ahead of them. Then the player notices a rat heading down the hallway. It is suddenly smashed beneath a giant Crusher. The player either proceeds forward to be crushed, or looks around to find a Branching ditch that goes beneath the Crushers. The Crushers will be too close for comfort so that the player gets a sense of danger, setting the tone for the rest of the game. The character mentions that they are missing a vital tool: the Umbra. This establishes an initial goal. Zone 2 - Acquire Decoy/Basic Environment Threats The player proceeds down a Narrow Directional area to find a dead body at the bend. There is something shiny caving in the corpses head. When the player picks it up, the character acknowledges that it is the previously lost decoy device, Umbra: a glove-like contraption with an attachable discus. The player puts on the glove and goes around the bend to find another Crusher at the end of the hallway. The Character says something to communicate that the player will see some Graffiti to hint at what they need to do. Then, the player throws a decoy under the
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crusher and as it is lifting back up, the player slips by. The Narrow Directional space that the player stumbles into has a Tesla Coil on either side of the exit, blocking the player from proceeding. The design of the Tesla Coil visually communicates danger to the player, giving the suggestion that they should test the waters with a decoy. When the player does just that, they are given an opportunity to slip by while the Tesla Coil is audibly recharging. Zone 3 - Sliding Walls Next, the player comes to a Wide Directional with two openings, one of which is blocked by a Wall. The player proceeds towards the unblocked opening. Suddenly a Wall forms in front of them. They step back to find that the opening that was previously blocked is now clear, but when they approach it, the wall reforms. The player has to throw a Decoy in front of one opening to let themselves through the other. This establishes that when a decoy is thrown, the environment ignores the player. Zone 4 - Sliding Staircase/Sliding Decoy The Player now enters a Wide Directional space. There is a Capillary directly in front of the player, guiding the player to think that this is the route they should take. But when they get a few feet into the Capillary, their entrance is walled up. It appears that the player is stuck until they walk back towards the entrance. When they do, the wall suddenly goes away. Some Graffiti on the wall hints at what the player needs to do. The player is then given instructions to mouse wheel in order to change the deployment mode and make the decoy slide along the ground. When they slide the decoy down the hallway, a staircase suddenly forms in front of them allowing them access to a ledge at the top of the room. The player then proceeds down a One Way and the floor gives way and they fall down a tube. Zone 5 - Moving Floor/Acquisition of second decoy The player falls into a Narrow Directional which appears to have no floor, but as the player falls to seemingly certain doom, a floor forms beneath them just in time. The player discovers another dead body in this room. On the dead body, they find a new attachment for their glove that allows them to have two decoys active at one time. There is now a puzzle in the room that requires the player to use two Decoys at once to escape. Second Area
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The player will proceed to a few intermediate puzzles that will test their skills with the decoy as well as introduce the ability to have 3 decoys active at one time, arcing electricity from decoy to decoy, and batteries. The player will proceed to a Hub space with an epic puzzle in it. There will be branching rooms off of here with the most difficult puzzles of the game. At the end of each branch puzzle, a clue is given on how to solve the puzzle in the Hub space. After the Hub puzzle is solved, the ending sequence plays. The credits roll. The end.
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DRAWINGS
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NARRATIVE SYNOPSIS During a pivotal point in Roman history in 169 AD, a different son succeeded Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Roma followed an alternate path. A brief period of continued expansions was ended when internal turmoil became the focus of the empire. In spite of this, a separatist alliance was formed by surrounding dissenters in 317 AD and ushered the Hundred Years War. Although this cultivated immense progress in the field of Alchemy, the ultimate price of the decimation of the separatists was the destruction of the capital city itself. With war-born technology at their disposal, a new capital city was built: Neo Roma. The new capital city signaled the beginning of a new era for the empire, and saw many changes. Rome now required that the entire population be literate. As the peoples thirst for knowledge and entertainment grew, the need for a common forum became apparent. Combining a measure of security with an escalated manifestation of the Coliseum, an underground labyrinth was constructed beneath Neo Roma whose twisting halls and crushing walls could be controlled above ground. Prisoners, live or dead, were thrown down into the depths of the Sub Humus for entertainment. One of the innovations created for purposes of propoganda, A holographic device called the Luminary was re-purposed by an anti-Roman Sect to use against Neo Romas underground security system in 1152 AD, then renamed the Umbra. Using the Umbra, an aged man named Dominus was chosen by the leaders of the Sect to go on a covert mission to assassinate Emperor Terminus. A young woman named Cardea, who cared a great deal for Dominus, went with him against his wishes. Both of them were simple farmers, but Dominus was a soldier in his youth. Entering Neo Roma via the Sub Humus was extremely dangerous, and it took all of Dominus training and mastery with the Umbra to survive. But once above ground, Dominus alone was discovered and their ploy was thwarted. Giving Cardea the Umbra, he sent her back underground to safety while he diverted the attention of the Roman Guard and, at the same time, attempted to finish the assassination mission. With the fate of the Emperor and Dominus unknown, Cardea has no choice but to move forward and escape. Reaching the surface far away from Neo Roma is the only way she can find out the truth.
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WORLD NARRATIVE Roman Empire, Alternate History, 1152 AD History Human history was as recorded until 166 AD. During the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, his sons, Lucius Aurelius Commodus (born August 161 AD) and younger brother Marcus Annius Verus (born c. August 162 AD, herein Verus), were made Caesar by their father. In Neo Romas alternate timeline, Verus did not die from complications of an operation in 169 AD. Instead it was Lucius who died from a horse riding accident around that time, leaving Verus the sole heir to Marcus Aurelius throne. Where Marcus Aurelius reign was marked by much war, and Commodus reign would have been characterized by political strife, Verus rule stayed Romas fated destruction and set it on the path of prosperity. The empire continued her imperialistic endeavours overseas and rapidly acquired new territory. After several years of colonization plagued by small-scale rebellions, Neo Roma realized she could not simultaneously maintain her expansions and support the needs of the mainland. Instead, she addressed internal problems in an attempt to bolster her ability to rule both at home and elsewhere. In c. 317 AD, the satellite separatist territories surrounding the Roman Empire began talks to band together and form a united resistance front. The following years came to be known as the Hundred Years War. The struggle fed the flames of innovation in the previously disregarded field of Alchemy (or what would otherwise be known as BioChemistry), which gave birth to innumerable technological advances in battle. The wars end saw the ultimate destruction of the separatist forces, but also of the capital city Roma. In c. 420 AD, the reigning emperor rallied his people together to rebuild the glorious capital and sire her a new name: Neo Roma. This marked the beginning of a new technological age, signaling the final decline of Roman Paganism into the realm of superstition and myth. Rising from its own destruction once again and augmented with technologies unimaginable, the new face of the Roman Empire was unlike anything it had ever been before. Technology By roughly 600 AD, Neo Roman technology had advanced so that it could support the infrastructure and communications system necessary to maintain numerous colonies. The empire began expanding again and by 642 AD, Neo Roma had mapped 90% of the world.
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New discoveries in alchemy and medicine launched the empire into its superpower status. Humanitarian pursuits became a causeway for cultural assimilation across the territories and also served as a means to protect Neo Romas vanity. The prevalence of technology transformed the architecture of Neo Roma, altering the cityscape from one of marble-covered concrete, to metal and steel with gold and marble plating. Moving elements embedded in the architecture, such as revolving stairs and rising chambers, arose from the need to accommodate the fast-paced lifestyles of the growing populous. With the social and economic worlds changed, the Roman Empire was able to equip itself with more sophisticated methods of security, imprisonment, espionage, torture and the distribution of information. The Decoy In the governments continuing efforts to preserve control over the vast empire, portable communications and hologram devices (called the Luminary) became the norm by c. 800 AD. These were deployed in bulk to all territories to assert Neo Romas political dominance and omnipresence. Troops were sent from the capital to reinforce the empires stringent trade regulations. The intended usage of the hologram devices were propagandist; they were set up in public forums, where they projected likenesses of authoritative figures which would then disseminate messages that promoted national pride and condemned treason. Soon, though, political dissenters re-purposed these devices for their own use. The decoy was recognized as one of the pinnacles of the Sciences in Neo Roma. Less than one foot in diameter, it emits frozen light particles which generate a life-size replica of a preset individual. Earlier models of the Luminary were flawed with a high heat output that detracted from the holograms efficiency. It was one of these Luminaries that was redesigned by the Sect to bypass the security system of the Neo Roman underground, prioritizing the generation of specific heat signatures rather than high-quality holograms. To distract the environments sensors, the decoy was engineered to absorb some of the users body heat in copying his/her heat signature. Thus was born the decoy -- the Umbra (lit. the darkest part of a shadow). Present The Sub Humus (Underground) The lowest level of the Sub Humus was originally constructed in 873 AD, during the Roman Industrial Revolution as a massive, efficient network of subway systems. It was used for decades to transport citizens and goods across the
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contiguous territories of Neo Roma. Over the next century the Romans continued to build and expand the subway. However, in 979 AD, the system fell into disuse at the advent of a new, more environmentally friendly method of mass transit. It no longer receives regular maintenance but is periodically renovated with more modern features to ensure structural integrity. The middle level of the Sub Humus was once the entrance to the subway system. Like the lower level, it has fallen into disuse and has seen few renovations. The uppermost level of the Sub Humus serves as a security tunnel created to confuse and trap enemies of the state. It is a measure of defense against one of the weakest points of the Imperial Palace. It was outfitted with several variations of traps which utilize movable architecture. Favorites of the designers were disappearing bridges over endless chasms, moving staircases, and moving walls made to crush people. A complex communications and surveillance system was installed in the Sub Humus to enable Imperial Guards in the palace to watch and control the events that unfolded below. Neo Romas highly advanced technology allowed for the invention of heat sensors, embedded into the very walls. These sensors are capable of detecting infinitesimal thermal outputs and are programmed to trigger deathtraps. Our reasoning for naming the underground labyrinth beneath Neo Roma Sub Humus goes a bit beyond the literal translation. The most obvious (false) cognate of sub humus is, of course, subhuman. This reflects, on one side, how the Romans viewed the prisoners thrown down into the underground areas for their entertainment (as they did in the Coliseum), specifically seeing them as subhuman. The flipside is simple enough; the Romans mistreatment had the obvious cost of a bit of their own humanity in being so cruel, thus making them subhuman as well. The Trischian Sect With the rise and rotting of Roman Paganism, religions in the territories conquered by Mother Roma were all but quashed. No known faiths survived because the one faith that lived on, did so in secret. Though most people practice Pagan rituals on a superficial level, a very small and secretive society additionally practiced their true faith: Trischia. The Trischian faith was founded to honor the sacrifice of the martyr, Trische, some 1000 years prior to the games beginning. The tenets upheld by these Trischians included:
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Kindness to others is kindness upon oneself. Condemn not the acts one practices. Never strain the welcome of ones neighbor. Guilt is an affront to Trisches sacrifice. Life most precious, when squandered, invites ruin.
Raised with the values of this faith, Cardea found herself at odds with the very nature of the Roman Empires foreign policy -- a realization met by all Trischians. The elders have long bided their time, at first consigning themselves to quiet practice. The reemergence of colonialist endeavours forced them to act, and so they appointed the one amongst them with the most combat training: Dominus, a former soldier in the Roman Army. Dominus and Cardea Dominus was dishonorably discharged from the Roman Army after only one year of service, whereupon he took up the rake and scythe to live as a farmer. In his anger he found Trischia and devoted himself to a simple life of faith. Nearly a decade later, his best friend -- a single father -- died, leaving behind their 11-yearold daughter alone. Dominus had few friends, and he was resolved to take her in as his own to honor his deceased friend. The two grew close in the next 10 years. Though their relationship was a nurturing one, romantic feelings faintly glistened deep within them when Cardea became a young woman. Neither Dominus nor Cardea pursued these feelings as time went on (he being nearly twice her age, and they being almost a family), choosing instead to deny them. It did however undeniably strengthen their closeness. When Dominus was selected to assassinate Emperor Terminus, Cardea recognized how dangerous it was and tried to persuade him from going. But they both knew it had to be done. Instead Cardea decided to go with Dominus and help him any way she could. When she finally convinced Dominus that she would never relent either, he taught her what he could in the time they had (little as it was). He held back only so she would follow him and do nothing rash; he trained her to be his shadow. This did not serve her well when she became trapped in the Sub Humus.
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PLOT In the Year 1152 AD, Cardea and Dominus are sent to assassinate the emperor of Neo Roma, Terminus, but have failed in the attempt. Just before he diverts the attention of the Imperial Guard to himself, Dominus sends Cardea back down into the Sub Humus to safety with the Umbra, while in a last ditch effort he tries to assassinate Emperor Terminus. Cardea is left to navigate an overwhelmingly disorienting environment with a piece of technology she does not fully understand, all the while plagued with questions about Dominus safety and the success or failure of their assassination plot. To escape capture, Cardea falls down a long chute that takes her to the bottom layer of Neo Roma -- an old subway network. She is initially separated from the Umbra, and her first immediate goal becomes to reclaim the last token from her mentor. Once reclaimed, she must understand the enigmatic Umbra if she is to survive the Sub Humus. Conflict Cardea vs. The Voice The Voice communicates with Cardea through monitors and the intercom system in the Sub Humus. It is distorted and barely distinguishable as a human voice, rendering both the character and the player entirely unaware of who is speaking to her. At first, the information The Voice gives her is helpful. This will establish trust between the player and The Voice. Later, the advice offered to her endangers her life. This is intended to confuse the player; they will be unsure if The Voice is trustworthy, adding to the feeling of unease in this already eerie environment. Eventually, Cardea (and the player) realizes there is more than one individual behind the Voice. Augmenting this dynamic is the inclusion of graffiti on the walls left by past prisoners, that refer specifically to the different people whose voices come on the comm system. These either support or contradict the players sense of the Voices intentions, quaking the players sense of security once more. There are three groups that talk to Cardea: Imperial Guards charged with operating the Sub Humus and maintaining security Citizen Hackers who derive pleasure from toying with the Sub Humus prisoners Cardeas Undercover Ally stationed in the control room of the Imperial Palace who can only help her when she wont be compromised.
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Though Cardea can do nothing to fight against the voices that aim to deceive her, the voice of her ally will temporarily provide some comfort in an otherwise volatile environment. Theme The most apparent theme is mystery and the suspense derived from it. The player is thrown into a world he or she does not fully understand. The narrative is revealed incrementally, but clarity wont be diminished because the characters goal is immediately apparent. When Dominus failure and sacrifice is revealed, as well as the supposedly failed assassination plot against Emperor Terminus, the player will understand that the answers are the real goal of the character. As the game progresses, the primary theme of doubt-VS-faith is introduced, when Cardea questions her faith in both her mentor Dominus, and her own self. She believes that her cause is just, but being unable to even know the state of things -- deprived of the truth -doubt creeps into her mind. Worrying that Dominus may have died for nothing becomes a question of whether the Roman Empire really should fall or not. Mood The mood is colored by a palpable tension in the air: desperation. The protagonist is all alone and only seeks to escape with her life, but the massive faceless enemy that is the environment refuses to release her from its stifling and unpredictable grip. The ominous presence of the voices and silhouettes on the monitors in the underground serve to instill an uncanny, unsettling sense. The source of what may seem to be trustworthy advice in the beginning soon proves to be a sabotaging liar in later stages.
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MAIN CHARACTERS Cardea (player character) Physical Age: 22 Gender: Female Occupation: Farmer Height: 57 Weight: 124 lbs. Body Type: lithe, with lean muscle Hair color, length and type: Dark brunette, loose curls, breast-length Skin tone: Olive Eye color: Greenish hazel Facial Characteristics: straight hairline, high brow arches, large almond-shaped eyes, high cheek bones, a decidedly Roman yet feminine nose, pronounced jaw line, small chin, full lips with a pronounced cupids bow, dimples Psychological Cardea was raised primarily by her mother in the beginning. Her father was enlisted in the Army before Cardea was born. Though her namesake was given by him, he was rarely at home, and as such, Cardea sought a father figure elsewhere. Her mother, Rhea, was a fervent believer in Trischia and instilled her values in her daughter from the time she was able to read. When Cardea was 11 years old, Rhea died giving birth to her stillborn brother. Not long after, Cardeas father died as well, and she was left in Dominus care. In her state of loss at such an impressionable age, Cardea grew incredibly attached to Dominus, as both the father figure she had always sought and as the only caregiver left to her. As she went through sexual maturity, part of this deep attachment grew into feelings beyond platonic ones. She feels safe and comforted in Dominus presence, and so she tries to be with him for as much of the time as possible. With her upbringing deeply saturated in Trischia, she understood that even though the Roman Empire acted in a way that defied her own secret beliefs, her life was more important than protesting. She has kept one of the most important aspects of her life buried, and she harbors some resentment toward the Empire for forcing her to do so.
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Sociological Cardea was from a mid-lower class family. She was educated at a very young age, though her family could not afford a formal tutor. Instead, she learned from an elderly, retired teacher. In exchange for lessons, Rhea cooked and washed laundry for the teacher. When Cardea was 8, her father returned home for a brief period. He took it upon himself to acquaint his daughter with basic military training, which would prove useful in the future. Much of it she forgot in the years following her fathers death. When Dominus is charged with the assassination of the Emperor and he trains her, she begins to recall the brief years she spent with her own father. Dominus (the mentor) Physical Age: 45 Gender: Male Occupation: Farmer (currently), soldier (formerly, from age 18-19) Height: 62 Weight: 151 lbs. Body Type: average with moderate muscle Hair color, length and type: Salt and pepper, short, straight and full Skin tone: Olive Eye color: Blue Facial Characteristics: low hairline, stern medium-arched brows, wide-narrow eyes, medium height cheekbones, Roman nose, sharp jaw line, narrow cleft chin, thin wide lips Psychological Dominus parents died of illness when he was 18 years old, just before the time he was enlisted in the Roman Army. He threw himself into his training, but his zeal drove his comrades away and his emotions sometimes got the better of him. After many disagreements with fellow soldiers, he was discharged from the Army, once again left without a safe haven. It was then that he discovered the Trischian faith, in secret, and was taken in. He became devoted to his faith more strongly than he had been devoted to anything. When Cardea was left in Dominus care, he was conflicted on whether he should pass on his forbidden Trischian faith. To his relief, he discovered that she too was raised on those values. It was because of this that she was able to take such a
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special place in his heart, and why he was so resolved to taking Cardea in as his own, aside from her father being his best friend. Sociological Dominus was born to a middle-class family, and received a good education. He was taught the same sepulchral practices of Roman Paganism that his parents upheld to save face. Though he found this to be sickeningly close to a flat out lie, his parents were still caring people, and so he still was close to them and loved them. He never held their false faith against them. Hes smart, and the education he received both in his youth and during his army years is what enabled him to gain a rather thorough grasp of the Umbras usage quickly. After being discharged from the army, he began tending his parents fields and was resolved to putting his military training behind him. In place of that experience, he thoroughly became a simple farmer. He was reluctant at first when called to kill the Emperor, but his faith compelled him to accept it as his duty.
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NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES Integrating Tutorial Graffiti on the Walls The player is informed of the game controls through graffiti on the walls. These messages are conveyed either through text, pictographs, or a combination thereof. They are integrated into the environment by using a Roman-like font and a wallpainting style of art, characteristic of the Roman era and evolved to slightly resemble modern day urban murals when the graffiti is more recent. Conveying Backstory and Current Story Arc Sewer Grates As Cardea is traversing the tunnels beneath the city, there are long, vertical shafts that lead up to street level (too narrow for humans) and carry the sounds of conversations down. The original intended use of these is to drain water from Romas busy streets. As a cue for players, these grates feature water droplet sounds and then a fragile beam of light to attract them to its location. Introspection Aloud This offers few opportunities for story insertion. On a day to day basis, humans rarely reveal our backstory to the air. At key moments, however, this can be very effective. If for example, Cardea assumes Dominus is dead, she can start talk to him in the same way people visit graves and speak to lost loved ones. Sparsity is the key to keep thinking aloud from becoming conveniently talking at the player aloud. Intercom System Backstory and mechanics are related to the character through a distorted voice(s) over the intercom system. The voice relays everything from helpful/misleading hints to characterizing taunts to thematic ruminations. The voices are those of citizens who have hacked into the Sub Humus comm system and the Imperial guards whose duty it is to control it, as well as Cardeas secret ally. Utilizing the Voices The different factions of people behind the Voice on the intercom system allow for a unique use of NPCs. A character (or character shell) is created depending on the puzzle or segment of the game in which they appear. As their appearance is minimal, they can be much more of a reflection of an idea or narrative device, as opposed to a full-fledged three-dimensional character.
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The characters that become the Voice are numerous and subtly distinct, encouraging the player to pay close attention and think critically about whether the advice they are receiving is trustworthy or not. The Imperial Guards, for instance, speak in a basic and straightforward manner, often involving taunts. The Citizen Hackers are highly-educated rich kids who seek entertainment in their slothful boredom, and use high diction when they speak. The Undercover Ally is forced to speak in short, cryptic riddles to help Cardea. Monitors Because the underground labyrinth is used as a sort of gladiatorial chamber, the unknown forces that operate it are watching from cameras placed throughout as well as any other civilian spectators tuned in to the channel (which are considerably many). They can also communicate with the prisoners by sending messages that are displayed on the monitors. Graffiti on the Walls This could range from ancient graffiti to rather new. The older it is, the more history it conveys. All the graffiti was written past prisoners, at times writing things to help future prisoners, general grievances about the Empire emerging from their dire circumstances, and at others, their dying words, personal and almost cryptic. Old Advertisements and Maps Among the corpses and trash found in the Sub Humus, there are old advertisements and flyers. These can be used to convey events, remodeling plans, parades and celebrations, and public announcements that deepen the setting and convey Neo Romas rich alternate history. Commercial advertisements illustrate more of the socio-political aspects of the city and Empire. Maps can, for instance, depict the expansion of the Empire and of the capital city itself, at different periods in its history.
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ART DOCUMENT OVERVIEW Visual Theme Juxtaposed with the narrative theme of doubt-VS-faith, the uncanny and unsettling mood, and the underground setting, the visual theme of the game is a mash-up of crude industrial and classical Rome with sci-fi futuristic areas. In a word, it can be described as: sepulchral. Although the capital seated above ground is grand and pristine, the layers buried in the ground beneath it are gruesome and dark. Art Style The overall art style within Neo Roma is stylized realistic to more convincingly sell the idea of a futuristic Rome, which is in turn another aspect of the art style. Classical elements of Roman architecture and design are a strong presence in the art style, as are technological elements indicative of a sci-fi-infused futuristic Rome. All in-game assets are designed and modeled in a realistic manner that is consistent with the world, often utilizing iconic Roman shapes and forms. Textures were chosen to compliment the realistic intentions. The lighting within game is also designed in a realistic manner that enhances the desired mood and theme within the game.
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ENVIRONMENT STYLE Environment Narrative The Sub Humus (Underground) The lowest level of the Sub Humus was originally constructed in 873 AD, during the Roman Industrial Revolution as a massive, efficient network of subway systems. It was used for decades to transport citizens and goods across the contiguous territories of Neo Roma. Over the next century the Romans continued to build and expand the subway. However, in 979 AD, the system fell into disuse at the advent of a new, more environmentally friendly method of mass transit. It no longer receives regular maintenance but is periodically renovated with more modern features to ensure structural integrity. The middle level of the Sub Humus was once the entrance to the subway system. Like the lower level, it has fallen into disuse and has seen few renovations. The uppermost level of the Sub Humus serves as a security tunnel created to confuse and trap enemies of the state. It is a measure of defense against one of the weakest points of the Imperial Palace. It was outfitted with several variations of traps which utilize movable architecture. Favorites of the designers were disappearing bridges over endless chasms, moving staircases, and moving walls made to crush people. A complex communications and surveillance system was installed in the Sub Humus to enable Imperial Guards in the palace to watch and control the events that unfolded below. Neo Romas highly advanced technology allowed for the invention of heat sensors, embedded into the very walls. These sensors are capable of detecting infinitesimal thermal outputs and are programmed to trigger deathtraps. Our reasoning for naming the underground labyrinth beneath Neo Roma Sub Humus goes a bit beyond the literal translation. The most obvious (false) cognate of sub humus is, of course, subhuman. This reflects, on one side, how the Romans viewed the prisoners thrown down into the underground areas for their entertainment (as they did in the Coliseum), specifically seeing them as subhuman. The flipside is simple enough; the Romans mistreatment had the obvious cost of a bit of their own humanity in being so cruel, thus making them subhuman as well.
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Environment Description Under Neo Roma there is an expansive system of underground passageways, called the Sub Humus. Built from the remains of Romas ruins, three extensive systems currently exist. The deepest system is the underground tracks of the Roman Subway. Starting in 873 A.D. the Subway was built over roughly one hundred years during the latter period of the Roman Industrial Revolution. With the influx of steel, the system was built to endure the wear the Roman people would cause throughout the turn of the century. The Subway system is heavily populated with steel beams and plating. When more environmentally friendly mass transit systems were installed above ground in 979 A.D., the Subway fell into disuse. Regular maintenance was discontinued when the system closed. However, there were periodical renovations, done at high costs, to ensure its structural integrity. The renovated areas were fitted with more modern technology, though their aesthetic didnt differ much from the un-renovated areas. There is an additional tunnel system that serves as a security tunnel for the city of Neo Roma. It is fitted with the latest technological advances to provide vital protection for the Palace and city at one of their weakest points. The security tunnels are loaded with extensive antipersonnel measures, booby-traps, and surveillance systems. This level of the Sub Humus expands across much of the city, functioning as a safe, convenient passage for those permitted within its depths. Beneath the security system is an elaborate network of tunnels that once connected the surface to the Subway. Like the Subway itself, these paths have fallen into disuse. The tunnels vary in design and size. Some consist of long corridors that cover large, vertical distances, while some are larger, open rooms that are closer in location to the streets above. The architecture and building materials within these sections are the most diverse. Some sections were built more recently and feature modern advancements to the infrastructure, while in other areas the architects desired to reinterpret classical constructs, using marble and concrete as the primary materials. Architecture Style and Period The underground of Neo Roma is constructed using classical Roman architecture. During the last thousand years, the original architecture was modernized during advancements in technology. The classical Roman style continued to prevail throughout this thousand years, but the materials changed.
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As Rome experienced its own Industrial Revolution, the age of building with only concrete and marble ended. Steel became the backbone of their infrastructure. When Rome gained its now vast wealth during years of expansion, it began to marble-plate its steel walls in subsequent generations. Throughout Romes entire history, the classic style has remained prevalent. Imperial decree declared it to be so. Current modern structures have grown in size and scale. Constructs built during the modern day still feature prominent usage of classic Roman arches, vaults, and columns. Domes also frequently dot the skies of Rome. The game is set in an alternate timeline in which the current technology is far more superior to ours. Tunnel systems consist of vaulted, round pathways. They are futuristic in style but derived from the classical style that Rome has always favored. Lighting Description Light Sources The underground tunnels are lit primarily through artificial lighting. Natural sunlight is used on upper levels as a secondary form of light. The upper levels of the underground tunnels are primarily lit by neon lights that line the walls. Secondary light sources that are scattered throughout these levels are addressed on a case to case basis, that appropriately support the design and desired psychological player-response. Lower levels of the underground tunnels are also lit through incandescent light bulbs. These incandescent lights vary in intensity as light bulbs burn out and are rarely replaced. This causes the lighting to be inconsistent. As the Romans remodeled the lower levels of the underground, they installed neon lights that replaced or complemented pre-existing lights. Light Tones and Values Throughout the game, lighting is used to support the design, psychological response, mood and theme. The overall mood is suspense, as the player is in a state of desperation. The game has a sense of mystery to it as well. The character also questions faith and their ability trust throughout the game. The sections of underground with neon light sources are predominately lit in high values of white. These sections consist of uniform lighting. Uniformed lighting
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aids the establishment of creating a unsettling feeling because of its unnatural feel. In the older tunnel sections, the lighting values are lower. This results in darker, creepier situations for the player which will enhance the feeling of desperation. The overall tone of the light in these areas are dark blues. This is created from a lack of lighting and the contrast of steel and stone materials that are present. Symbolic Uses of Light Lighting is used through the game to psychologically support the overall mood and theme of the game. The prevalent theme of the game is mystery and suspense. The player is drawn into the game through the feeling of mystery that develops. Feelings of suspense are felt by the player as he or she is playing as well. Contrasting colors of purple against black create a sense of mystery in observers. The same effect is achieved with various tones of blue and purple. Dark values of blue throughout the game create an overall feeling of uncertainty and desperation for the player. As the game develops, another occurring theme in the game is doubt versus faith. Lighting is a prevalent method for strengthening the players psychological response to and understanding of this theme. When moments of faith are being explored, high value tints of blue become predominant. Yellows and deep shades of orange are used in contrast with the moments of faith. In the upper levels, the high value white lights provide a natural contrast with the reality of the environment. Whites and blues are generally associated with calmness, purity, and safety. This upper security level is very much the opposite of this. This accentuates the player characters internal conflicts that further develop a feeling of uncertainty and desperation. Materials Description The Neo Roman underground consists of three levels: Subway Tunnels, Subway Stations and Hallways, and the Underground Security Tunnel. Each sections architecture is similar, but each section was built during a different period in Neo Romas history. This has resulted in different materials being used.
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Subway Tunnels The lowest level, the Subway Tunnels, has technology that dates back almost three hundred years. While many sections of this now abandoned subway system have been remodeled, there are still large sections that feature the main construction materials of the time: steel and concrete. Rough textures and unpolished finish. They are made for functionality, not for aesthetics. Underground Security Tunnel This is the most recently built and most technologically advanced tunnel system in Neo Roma. The Underground Security Tunnels were built just under the surface. When this level of the underground was built, steel continued to be the most prevalent construction material. However, Neo Roma gained so much wealth that the Emperor decreed marble-plating for everything it built. The underground security system was no exception. Marble is a very smooth and heavy stone. It is very dense and is resistant to chipping. The marble featured in Neo-Roma was predominantly from their American colonies, and thus it is pure white. Subway Stations and Hallways Situated between the Underground Security Tunnel and the Subway Tunnels, the Subway Stations and Hallways consist of a mixture of new and old. Marble, plaster and steel plating decorate these areas that were once heavily used by people. There are obvious signs of wear and tear since these areas are no longer maintained.
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CHARACTER STYLE While still adhering to the realistic overall art style of the game, the character style is minimalistic and incorporeal. This is in the sense that the support characters (aka the Voices) are only experienced as distorted sounds and blurry silhouettes. Their powerful presence is felt in the psychological realm, not in the physical realm. The player character Cardea is the only one in the game with a physical form. However she only appears on-screen as one or two arms, and even then is covered by the Umbra--a piece of technology from the very empire she is trying to collapse. The principle of the minimalistic character style is the same as applied to black-and-white film; the absence of color invites a surplus of emotion. In the game, the absence of an immediate human form encourages players to reach out and connect with whatever they can. MAIN CHARACTERS Cardea (player character) Physical Age: 22 Gender: Female Occupation: Farmer Height: 57 Weight: 124 lbs. Body Type: lithe, with lean muscle Hair color, length and type: Dark brunette, loose curls, breast-length Skin tone: Olive Eye color: Greenish hazel Facial Characteristics: straight hairline, high brow arches, large almond-shaped eyes, high cheek bones, a decidedly Roman yet feminine nose, pronounced jaw line, small chin, full lips with a pronounced cupids bow, dimples Psychological Cardea was raised primarily by her mother in the beginning. Her father was enlisted in the Army before Cardea was born. Though he gave her her namesake, he was rarely at home, and as such, Cardea sought a father figure elsewhere. Her mother, Rhea, was a fervent believer in Trischia and instilled her values in her daughter from the time she was able to read. When Cardea was 11 years old,
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Rhea died giving birth to her stillborn brother. Not long after, Cardeas father died as well, and she was left in Dominus care. In her state of loss at such an impressionable age, Cardea grew incredibly attached to Dominus, as both the father figure she had always sought and as the only caregiver left to her. As she went through sexual maturity, part of this deep attachment grew into feelings beyond platonic ones. She feels safe and comforted in Dominus presence, and so she tries to be with him for as much of the time as possible. With her upbringing deeply saturated in Trischia, she understood that even though the Roman Empire acted in a way that defied her own secret beliefs, her life was more important than protesting. She has kept one of the most important aspects of her life buried, and she harbors some resentment toward the Empire for forcing her to do so. Sociological Cardea was from a mid-lower class family. She was educated at a very young age, though her family could not afford a formal tutor. Instead, she learned from an elderly, retired teacher. In exchange for lessons, Rhea cooked and washed laundry for the teacher. When Cardea was 8, her father returned home for a brief period. He took it upon himself to acquaint his daughter with basic military training, which would prove useful in the future. Much of it she forgot in the years following her fathers death. When Dominus is charged with the assassination of the Emperor and he trains her, she begins to recall the brief years she spent with her own father. Dominus (the mentor) Physical Age: 45 Gender: Male Occupation: Farmer (currently), soldier (formerly, from age 18-19) Height: 62 Weight: 151 lbs. Body Type: average with moderate muscle Hair color, length and type: Salt and pepper, short, straight and full Skin tone: Olive Eye color: Blue
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Design Document 47
Facial Characteristics: low hairline, stern medium-arched brows, wide-narrow eyes, medium height cheekbones, Roman nose, sharp jaw line, narrow cleft chin, thin wide lips Psychological Dominus parents died of illness when he was 18 years old, just before the time he was enlisted in the Roman Army. He threw himself into his training, but his zeal drove his comrades away and his emotions sometimes got the better of him. After many disagreements with fellow soldiers, he was discharged from the Army, once again left without a safe haven. It was then that he discovered the Trischian faith, in secret, and was taken in. He became devoted to his faith more strongly than he had been devoted to anything. When Cardea was left in Dominus care, he was conflicted on whether he should pass on his forbidden Trischian faith. To his relief, he discovered that she too was raised on those values. It was because of this that she was able to take such a special place in his heart, and why he was so resolved to taking Cardea in as his own, aside from her father being his best friend. Sociological Dominus was born to a middle-class family, and received a good education. He was taught the same sepulchral practices of Roman Paganism that his parents upheld to save face. Though he found this to be sickeningly close to a flat out lie, his parents were still caring people, and so he still was close to them and loved them. He never held their false faith against them. Hes smart, and the education he received both in his youth and during his army years is what enabled him to gain a rather thorough grasp of the Umbras usage quickly. After being discharged from the army, he began tending his parents fields and was resolved to putting his military training behind him. In place of that experience, he thoroughly became a simple farmer. He was reluctant at first when called to kill the Emperor, but his faith compelled him to accept it as his duty.
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Design Document 48
WEAPON STYLE The game incorporates the use of only one weapon: Umbra, the decoy. The decoy is designed, modeled, and textured in a stylized realistic manner, and is a predominantly mechanical form. Because the game takes place in an alternate historical timeline with futuristic elements, the decoys design is stylistically identical to the upper layer of the Sub Humus. The sense of unity between the Umbra and the Sub Humus is pushed far to communicate that both are products from the same civilizations advanced technology and very much a product of the time. It is worth noting that the term weapon can only be applied to the decoy loosely, since the Umbra does not in fact harm anything. Its inherent properties are those of a puzzle tool. ANIMATION STYLE The animation style is realistic yet dramatic. The animation for the characters on-screen presence is done using motion capture, to attain the subtlety of hand and arm movements. Since the game is in first-person, these are all the parts of the player character that are visible. The cameras movements also imitate fluid, human movements. The dramatic element infuses the environments animations, such as the moving walls and floors. It is worth noting that the fingers are manually keyframed because the motion capture system used for the game does not support hand movement. CONSISTENCY To ensure the consistency of the art style from all members of the Art team, an Art Bible has been compiled. Team members will refer to it when in doubt about the specifications of the art style (ie. line weight, shading technique). Additionally, all team members will report to the Art Director, who will be able to help correct any style inconsistencies among teammates. Whenever possible concept art will be created to help guide the artist in creating a consistently styled model and texture. Approved concept art removes the doubt that from the artists mind when making art that what they are doing is indeed within the games style. The Art Director will have final call on whether all art is within the games style.
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Design Document 49
QUALITY To maintain the quality of the art the scope will be re-evaluated at the end of every week, during weekly team meetings, to make sure it is still realistic. This will ensure that the Art Team will not have to face the problem of a drop in quality due to the quantity that is called for. Also, additional artists will be contracted to aid the core team members, thereby splitting each artists workload in half and allowing the individual to devote more time to higher quality art. PRODUCIBILITY The producibility of the art is guaranteed by a realistic re-evaluation of scope at the end of each week, every week, for the remainder of the project. Also, additional artists will be outsourced so that the workload of the Art Team can be divided more equally. Additionally, the Art Team will confer with the Technical Team to ensure that their assets meet the processing/sizing/formatting requirements of the game engine.
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Design Document 50
TECHNICAL DESIGN INTRODUCTION This project will be executed in the November 2010 build of Unreal Development Kit. The choice of engine precludes the necessity of discussing low-level systems, as UDK very robustly handles such problems. Instead, this document aims to elucidate how the game's mechanics and features will fit into the larger systems already in place, with implementation details given where appropriate. Design Goals Though many of the features outlined herein can be hacked together in Kismet by leveraging existing systems, were striving to simplify the level design process as much as possible to facilitate quick prototyping and iteration of puzzles. The goal is to engineer a system wherein designers can add common traps and devices to a level with minimal Kismet scripting. To that end, the most commonly used puzzle elements will be implemented in UnrealScript as self-contained objects which can be flexibly configured by adjusting their properties. This approach not only ensures that level designers can add and adjust these elements gracefully and efficiently, it also guarantees a consistency in the way that the player experiences them. However, a balance must be struck to avoid overengineering. In cases where the additional time spent implementing a puzzle element in UnrealScript would not appreciably improve efficiency in the level design process, we reserve the right to take the quick-and-dirty approach. Examples include a trap which is used sparingly, one used as a monumental setpiece, or one added late in development. In such an instance, it would be more practical to implement the trap in Kismet as a prefab, relying on triggers and events specific to this project to include functionality not accounted for by base UDK classes. Inheritance
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The three major classes that form the backbone the project, APGame, APPlayerController, and APPawn, will extend the UT versions of these classes. Borrowing in this way from Unreal Tournament code will allow access to useful and familiar functionality. Unwanted UT-specific methods will simply be overridden.
ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II
PERFORMANCE Computation Very little about our design imposes a significant performance challenge. The most computationally expensive addition will likely be tracking the players movement, and that of his decoys, every frame under certain conditions. However, this behavior is confined to small, isolated triggers and will have a minimal impact on performance even when active. Other features can make full use of events and states to ensure that the performance impact from additional UnrealScript execution will be negligible. Finally, the games lack of AI puts us well below the baseline in terms of UnrealScript performance. Graphics UDK very ably handles low-level systems like rendering. Additionally, the creation of materials and post-processing effects is accessible to artists, and level optimization is handled almost entirely procedurally. Building the project upon the solid bedrock of UDK ensures that these already-solved problems are not likely to present serious technical challenges. Our target system specs are similar to those of UDK itself. Our aim to is maintain 60 frames per second on a benchmark configuration of a 2.80 GHz dual core CPU with 4 GB of RAM and a Radeon HD 3000 series or GeForce 9 series video card. The most important framerate goal, however, is consistency. Memory Speaking in rough terms, our aim is to keep net memory usage below 512 MB at all times. The loading of textures and other assets is handled by UDK without being exposed to the content creator. In addition to overall efficiency in the use of meshes and texture space, our biggest impact on the memory footprint comes from how levels are broken up for streaming. Using one-way gate mechanisms to split up discrete sections of the level will ensure that our memory usage at any given time is kept low, and paying heed to the number of unique meshes used in each level will prevent the memory footprint of individual levels from becoming inflated.
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Design Document 52
CORE MECHANICS Traps All common traps will be collected under the base class APTrapDevice. Traps take full advantage of UnrealScripts native state support.
While in its default state, a trap device may be activated via a Kismet action, at which point it enters the Activated state. In subclasses of APTrapDevice, the mechanism of the specific trap is defined in the latent code of the Activated state. After this action is completed, the trap sleeps for an amount of time specified by the cooldown property, and then returns to the default state. Additionally, a trap device has a Disabled state to represent being broken or unpowered. In the Disabled state, the trap may not be activated. The trap can be enabled and disabled through Kismet via a Toggle action. Subclasses of APTrapDevice may implement effects or other specific functionality for these transitions by overriding the BeginState and EndState methods of the Disabled state. If the trap is disabled while in the Activated state, it will finish firing before proceeding to the Disabled state.
APTrapDevice is accompanied by a SequenceEvent which is notified when the trap fires, when the traps cooldown finishes, and when the trap is enabled or disabled.
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Design Document 53
Example Trap: Crusher The crusher is a large, heavy plate suspended from the ceiling by an extendable piston. Whenever the player (or a decoy) is detected beneath the plate, the plate quickly drops from the ceiling and crushes whatever lies beneath. After a short delay, it then slowly rises back to the ceiling. It is placed in the level with its origin at the point of contact with the ceiling, and it is activated externally by the Activate Trap Kismet action.
The APTrap_Crusher class extends APTrapDevice, inheriting the base functionality described above. Additionally, it contains a StaticMeshComponent for the plate, a SkeletalMeshComponent for the telescoping piston, and a Volume to represent the bounding area that the plate crushes (the kill zone).
The Crusher only needs to override the Activated state and define new latent code to describe the mechanical action of the plate. In this state code, the trap interpolates the position of the plate to move it rapidly downward. Its downward motion is based on two properties: the distance the plate has to travel in order to reach the floor, and the rate of descent. This allows the designer to place Crushers at different heights with only a single property to adjust.
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Design Document 54
The kill zone is a short, rectangular volume which is attached directly below the plate. At a certain point in the plates interpolation, as it nears the floor, the kill zone is activated. During this time, any player or decoy colliding with the kill zone will be killed. After the plate has reached the floor, the kill zone is deactivated and the plate is returned to its initial position. Triggers The basic functionality for triggers exists in the engine. A typical UDK trigger setup involves two components: a TriggerVolume in the level and a SeqEvent_Touch in the levels Kismet sequence. When a player enters the TriggerVolume, its associated sequence events are notified, and if certain conditions defined by the sequence events properties are met, they are fired, allowing the designer to script consequent events (for example, the activation of a trap device). Decoy Tracking
Our base trigger will need to discriminate between the player and the decoy. When both a player and a decoy are touching a trigger, the trigger needs to act upon touch events from the decoy while ignoring those from the player. When multiple decoys are present in a single trigger, it should respond only to the most recently spawned decoy. This behavior requires the trigger to track actors which occupy it, taking note of Touch and UnTouch events to determine the highestpriority actor and notifying its sequence events accordingly. Position-Sensitive Trigger Another type of trigger is the position-sensitive trigger. In addition to the decoy discernment functionality implemented in its parent class, it will also allow the game to respond to gradual changes in the instigating actors position. Along with simply reporting a reference to the instigator, the volumes associated
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Design Document 55
SequenceEvent will output X, Y, and Z values representing the instigators position within the trigger. For example, in a trigger spanning from X:0 to X:768, an instigator at X:512 will result in a reported X value of 0.667.
This event will fire every frame while an instigator occupies the volume, calculating new position values each frame. These values can be used to drive events or animations that are meant to progress gradually in response to the players (or decoys) movement from one part of the level to another. The Decoy The decoy itself is implemented as a subclass of Pawn, allowing it to take damage and die just like the player. Upon being spawned and initialized, the decoy is passed a heading based on the ViewRotation of the player, so that it will always face the direction the player was facing at the time it was deployed. Once spawned, the decoy can be in one of two states. In the first, it stands in place until its destroyed. In the second, it stands, then runs in a straight line until destroyed.
Spawning The decoy is spawned by a projectile which is fired from a weapon, APWeap_DecoyLauncher. The projectile, APProj_DecoySpawner, behaves similarly to the UT3 Translocator disc. It flies fast and low such that at sufficiently short distances it lands exactly where its aimed. It does not bounce,
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Design Document 56
except off of walls. Upon landing, the DecoySpawner will spawn an APDecoy at the proper heading.
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Design Document 57
Input Input is handled through the DecoyLauncher weapon. Primary fire launches a decoy which will stand still upon spawning. Secondary fire launches a decoy which will run forward upon spawning. Another mouse button or key, mapped to an exec function in APPlayerController, will recall the decoy. Recalling In order to recall a decoy which has been spawned, the player presses the recall key while aiming in the general direction of the decoy he wishes to recall. When the recall key is pressed, the spawned decoy closest to the center of the players field of view will be notified that it has been recalled, at which point it will despawn. Decoys will also be recalled automatically in either of two circumstances: when affected by a trap which would kill the player, or when the player throws a decoy while already at the limit for deployed decoys. Limits The player is subject to a limit on the number of decoys which can be actively deployed at any given time. This limit is initially one, but it may be increased as the game progresses. If the player attempts to throw a decoy while already at the maximum, the oldest extant decoy will be automatically recalled. The player may begin with only the ability to place the decoy at his feet, gaining the ability to throw longer distances later in the game. Placing the decoy follows the same procedure as throwing it, except that the projectile is initialized with a very low initial velocity.
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Design Document 58
OTHER SYSTEMS Death and Checkpoints The players progress will be saved using a checkpoint system which operates on simple passwords encoded as strings. The level will maintain a password variable to represent the players progress, and the variable will be updated via a Kismet action whenever the player reaches a checkpoint. When the player is killed, the map will be reloaded, and the password string will be passed as a parameter of the map URL. Whenever the level is initialized, another Kismet action will parse the password parameter, firing a sequence of Kismet events which will perform the necessary setup for the requested checkpoint, including streaming the appropriate levels, teleporting the player to the checkpoint, and activating other events within the streamed levels. Incidental Audio Incidental audio is any sound played outside of cutscenes and scripted sequences, including narration, radio messages, and the player characters own muttering. A special incidental audio trigger volume will be provided as a simple means of adding these sound clips to the level without requiring Kismet scripting. Queueing
One non-standard feature of this implementation is the queueing of sounds, in order to provide a precaution against players who move through audio triggers too quickly, which would ordinarily result in overlapping dialogue. APPlayerController will contain a queue of incidental audio structs, each of which will specify a SoundCue, the Actor from which the sound will emanate (or none for the player), and a flag allowing the sound to bypass the queue and always play
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Design Document 59
immediately upon being triggered. APPlayerController will also include a method which will check the incidental audio queue. If this method finds that no sound is playing and that there is a sound waiting to be played, it will play the sound, pop it from the queue, and set a timer for the duration of the sound, after which the same method will be called again. The incidental audio trigger volume will be the most common means of adding sounds to the queue. In any given audio trigger, the designer will specify a list of incidental audio structs to be added to the queue of the triggering player, allowing chained dialogue to be initiated from a single trigger. Whenever a struct is added to the queue, APPlayerController will check the queue as a consequence. User Interface The user interface will be created in Flash to take advantage of the Scaleform GFx middleware. None of the existing UDK interface elements will be retained. The UI consists of two separate parts: the frontend menu and the in-game HUD. Frontend Menu
The frontend menu consists of a level, to serve primarily as eye candy, in which is opened a GFx movie. The movie contains a functioning main menu which allows the player to start a new game, continue from a specific checkpoint, and access a basic options menu. Menu navigation is implemented in Flash, and button clicks
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Design Document 60
will trigger FsCommand events, allowing actions like loading a map or changing display resolution to be handled in the frontend maps Kismet sequence.
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Design Document 61
HUD The HUD is fairly minimal. Very little information needs to be shown to the player, and what does can be integrated into weapon display or shown only when pertinent. The HUD must also include a simple pause menu which will allow the player to return to the menu. The majority of display-related functions will be implemented in Flash, and APHUD will pass information to the SWF objects via wrappers in their associated GFx classes. Cinematics Because the game is played entirely from a first-person perspective and the player has no character model, cinematic sequences will typically need to play out from a first-person perspective. A latent Kismet action will be used to create a seamless transition from the players field of view to the cutscenes camera. The action, placed between a trigger and a Matinee sequence, will be supplied with a reference to the player, as well as the CameraActor used in the proceeding Matinee sequence. When activated, the action will spawn a CameraActor at the players Location (taking current EyeHeight into account) and ViewRotation, look through it, and interpolate its position and rotation to that of the supplied CameraActor. Upon finishing, the action will relinquish camera control.
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Design Document 62
LEVEL STRUCTURE The entirety of the games playable experience will be housed in one persistent level, making use of level streaming to load in chunks of the level as necessary. In effect, the game will only directly open one map: the persistent level, hereby named APNeoRoma. The persistent level consists of a single PlayerStart in an unlit black box, as well as the skydome, directional light, and fog actors required for any outdoor segments. Its Kismet sequence contains the entry point for the level and handles the loading and unloading of sublevels.
How levels are to be broken up must be decided on a case-by-case basis, but a few general guidelines should be followed: No single puzzle should be spread over multiple levels. Level transitions should follow gate mechanisms which prevent the player from seeing into or accessing a previous area. Level transitions should occur only during downtime, and never when the players reflexes are being tested. Level chunks should be large enough to make transitions relatively infrequent.
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Design Document 63
NAMING CONVENTIONS AND STYLE In general, UnrealScript naming conventions should mirror those already established in UDK. All new classes should be prefixed with the abbreviated form of the package name (AP). Variable names should be descriptive, with minimal abbreviation. Hungarian notation should not be used except in the case of booleans, which are prefixed with b. Indentation should be ANSI style, with braces on separate lines, aligned with associated control statements, and code inside braces indented.
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Design Document 64
SOUND DESIGN MUSIC Mood The characteristics of the musical mood are desperation and eeriness. The music should keep the player feeling uneasy and unsure of whats about to happen. Musical cues, like a high, sharp tone, or a low rumbling that fades in, are used to indicate that something is about to happen. The music for this game should trick the player though; musical cues that are often associated with something happening should be used sparingly when nothing is actually happening. This will impress upon the player the idea that, though things may seem calm now, there is something dangerous lurking just beneath the surface. (A good example is the soundtrack to Dead Space). Theme The theme of the musical score should be a mix of modern and ancient motifs. Though this will ultimately be left up to the expertise of the sound designers, experimentation with instruments used in modern electronica/trance music and the archaic instruments of old Rome is encouraged. Roman motifs should be recognizable, but obviously re-worked to sound futuristic and derived from technology rather than instruments made from natural materials, such as wood.
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Design Document 65
SOUND EFFECTS Mood The mood of the sound effects, like the music, intensifies the experience for the player and keeps them on edge. Even when nothing particularly dangerous is happening, the player is meant to feel as though something could happen at any moment. The sound effects feel modern mixed with old and particularly sharp at times. To put it metaphorically, the intended effect of the sound design on the player is the same as a needle pricking skin. Hard Effects Heartbeat This can be played at opportune moments to increase the intensity for the player. Screams These can be played at random to keep the player on edge. Using a good bit of reverb on these effects is appropriate, given the acoustics of the environment. Close Location These would be used to put danger in the players immediate vicinity. Far Location These would be used to make the player afraid of what lies ahead. Monitor and Intercom Static Turning On Static While On The static of a TV that is not receiving full signal Turning Off Spontaneous Crackling Used to frighten the player and make them jumpy Umbra Throwing The effect of the Umbra disc flying through the air after being thrown Landing The sound of the Umbra landing on the ground Dissipating The sound of the Umbra dissipating in the air
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Design Document 66
Crushing The sound of the Umbra being crushed between or under the weight of something Footsteps These should sound as though they were carrying the weight of a 124 lb., agile woman. Through Water on Marble Through Water on Metal Through Water on Glass On Dry Marble On Dry Glass On Dry Metal Background Noise Listed below are some suggestions for sound effects to use as background noise. The background noise should be fairly unnoticeable, though provide the feeling that the player is in a dangerous place made of marble, steel and glass. Using rumbling, low-end bass tones to unsettle the player is suggested. Walla Drains Dripping Echoes of Sub Humus (marble) Low-End White Noise Rats squeaking, walls crumbling, rumbling of unused subway Environment Noise Moving Marble Architecture Moving Steel Architecture Moving Steel Architecture Plated with Marble Metal Screeching Metal Clanking Hydraulics Lights Flickering Lights Turning On Lights Turning Off Lights Blowing Out Metal Echo of Large Architecture Metal Echo of Sewer Grates
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Puzzle Switches Digitized This section needs to be revisited after getting the input of an experienced sound designer
VOICE ACTING Cardea Dialogue Cardeas personal dialogue is used sparingly. Her voice is that of a woman mature beyond her years, and the casting choice for her voice actor will reflect this. Cardea has a pleasant, endearing voice that makes the player connect with her. Heavy Breathing This is used to convey Cardeas emotional state during moments of fear. Grunts These are the noises that Cardea makes when physically exerting herself, such as when runing, jumping, climbing over things, or throwing the Umbra. Screams A blood-curdling sound is let out by Cardea if and when she dies in the game. The Voice The Voice will sound unusual. It is the sound of a human voice that is being distorted to prevent identification. It should sound neither male nor female. The only thing that will be detectable through the distortion is the inflection of the voice actor. It is suggested that the distortion of the voice be mixed with low-end animal noises to give it a sense of otherworldliness. The Voice is heard through two main sources: Intercom The Voice as heard over the intercom system throughout the Sub Humus
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Design Document 68
Monitor The Voice as heard through the localized speakers embedded in a monitor, which also shows a silhouette of the one speaking Sewer Grates Dialogue This consists of dialogue between two or more NPCs on the streets far above the player. The words are distinguishable but distant. Reverb is used one these voices, as the sound has diminished in quality traveling down the rounded tunnels of the rain gutter.
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Design Document 69

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ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

ITGM 465: Interactive Design and Game Development Studio II

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