The Concept Document

Catie Gutierrez

ITGM 706- Game Documentation

Unit 1 – Exercise 1

Game Concept Document

Backstory:

The Nuclei Space Team are a group of long-time friends who were basically born on a space ship. They grew up in Nucleus1, a city known for its space-traveling spirit, on the planet Vimana. They are earning their bachelors in Space Science and Technology at the Academy of Amoebic Nebulae. After rooming together during sophomore year, they decide take their field-study semester aboard the Paraspeckle Space Shuttle together. While embarking on their journey from the academy’s mother ship, they board the five-decker space shuttle and head out towards their position at about 1,000 miles away from the Vimana event horizon. On their way, the navigation control on the Paraspeckle seems to malfunction and they find themselves being sucked into the orbit of a nearby star.

In a frantic rush to gain control of the shuttle, someone has accidentally put the shuttle into “de-shelve” mode, where the smaller, bottom layers of the shuttle dismantle, one by one, from the bottom level to the top level, and drop away into space! Players must reach the top level where they can climb into an escape bubble!  

The shuttle contains everything from administrative to laboratory work rooms to entertainment centers and doors for authorized personnel only:  suddenly the shuttle seems rather complicated to navigate through! Luckily the generative units (GU’s) in the shuttle are designed to know what the team members are thinking and keys to the doors can be accessed … but even the GU’s are going haywire!

As the players race to the top, their lives flash before their eyes, and visions of their past, from their upbringing to their first job, run through their head. Thusly, items on each floor start to resemble things from the various stages of their lives… the private home, school, office jobs and so on.

Through all the madness, the team remembers that they have worked together through-out their study career and their best bet is to count on each other to pull through. Besides, if anyone survives this dilemma, those who don’t help others out will look like total jerks. And the first to scramble to the top and leave everyone else behind would certainly seem guilty of having gotten all of them into this mess in the first place. So while players rush to the top, it would be in their best interest to help their peers along.

When they reach the top, they get to grab an atmospheric bubble (AB), to float back to their home planet. Oxygen storage units are leaking rapidly, so those who get there later will have AB’s with a lower oxygen density.

Gameplay:

On each level of the space shuttle, the team revisits certain point in their lives together. On the first level, players collectively hallucinate that they are in infanthood, and keys look like kitchen utensils. Each level requires a different kind of key to open all the doors on that level. Keys found in any level can be used in a higher level, but it will take more of those keys to open doors in higher levels.

The keys come in generative units (GU’s), which are designed to transport desired items from the space shuttle vault and dispense them when called upon. They’re a little defunct because the space shuttle is out of order, so it will be difficult to say whether or not they will have keys or something else in them. If players don’t get keys when they check the GU’s, they’ll get other random things that respond to the stage in their lives that they’re currently having a flashback about, which could either increase or decrease their karma score. Teddy bears and fake plastic space-food come out of the GU’s on the third floor.

Sometimes GU’s will be completely busted, allowing the player to crawl into it and come out somewhere else. In this case, the destination will be unknown to them.  

The characters can give keys away, which can be used by any player at any time. When characters give their keys to their teammates, they gain karma points, which increase their chances of finding bigger keys.

The Key Exchange System:

Players will observe that they can give their keys to their peers, and that it seems to help their karma score. The players will be able to see how many keys their peers have, and they should give their keys to those who need them. If players have poor karma, they will be out of luck in finding keys!

Genre:  As it is meant for multiple players and with its sci-fi and cartoony flair, it would make a good party game. It’s zany storyline and social dynamic makes it a feel-good theme and fun for the whole family.

Features:

Chance and strategy: Your actions can earn you a higher chance, so you use strategy to increase your chances of reward.

Social Dynamics: Your relationships with other characters will be built in the course of action you and they take.

Intuitive and yet complex gameplay: rules are easy to remember and top-down game map allows players to be aware of what is happening with their teammates.

Platform: the game would be ideal for the computer or X-Box and Playstation consoles. It could be adapted to the Wii-mote, perhaps if the controller were being used sideways, like the “old-school” Nintendo controller.

Outline

Social Responsibility and Peer Influence in Games

Introduction

Contemporary social games.

1.  A proposed effect: self-centered and unlike real socializing
2.  Unlimited personal gain without consequence

Real Life

1.  It behooves us to form social relationships
2.  Social relationships require fairness / good public relations

The future of games

1. As games become more social it would be healthy for games to be more realistic in their social structures
2.  Social responsibility would be something important to be considered in game design

I.                    Popular Games of Today and their features

1.  Leveling up: personal gain totally limitless and inconsequential
2.  Co-existing: lack of community influence
3.  Teams: predetermined
4.  Refer to World of Warcraft

II.                  Socializing through Games, Influence

1.   Socializing is now very prominent in games, especially MMO’s.
2.  Socializing misses responsibility and is therefore artificial
3. In teams, the only responsibility is to be competent

III.                Real Life: Economic Conquest: Public Relations

1.  Noam Chomsky: Unregulated market and global economy
2.  Competitive Strategies allow corporate entities to gain
3.  Social Responsibility is required to avoid shorting neighbors/ peers

IV.                   Structure and Meaningful Play

1.  Capitalism hits the Fan: Design problems require design solutions
2.  Rules of Play: How does complex gameplay create meaning?

Conceptualizing the Game Structure through Theory

In creating my outline for the theory behind the game, I have thought more and more about the meaning that the game conveys through its game mechanics. I have thought more in detail about the structure and how the rules create the meaning of the game.
 
I have found that poor designs and structures will allow certain players seeking more power to far transgress others, which eventually leads to taking away from their peers in order to be the most successful and keep their competitive status. This is why I have created the karma system in the game. When people play games in which their progress will never affect those around them, this is a major point that they miss.

Thinking about individuals and groups is a huge issue in the topics of power and influence. I cannot expect to have 100 players play my game but that would certainly bring more interesting results. I do expect a group to play and if there are enough players and the game requires a certain amount of time to get through, I'm sure groups or partnerships will form. I realize that favoritism plays a role in distribution of wealth, and players can certainly just share among a select few, in which case inequality is still an issue.

This helped me come up with my equation for determining karma, which is dependent on the total  number of players and the number of keys a person has. I will leave room for flexibility, but each player will have to share keys in some resemblance of an equal model in order to keep a decent karma score in the game. The model between x (total number of players), y (player's number of keys) and z(player's karma score) will be described tentatively as x/y=z. I have yet to decide if z is the total karma score of a player or if it is an amount added or subtracted to the karma score, each time keys are gained or shared. In that case it would be more like x/y = K(- or +) z.

What happens exactly when the karma score reaches 0 or a low range is also yet to be determined. This equation can be worked out with paper prototypes, including cards and chips that represent karma.

Presentation Website

The new presentation website is here: http://catie.bulbmedia.com/MFA/index.html

Week 7

This week I am researching further for my thesis statement and working on my concept art.


I have begun to map out my user interface, although a few details and color changes will most assuredly be added:

A slightly updated view of where the concept art is going:

Progress for Week 6

Thesis Statement and Abstract

I have re-written my abstract to include a more analytical process for the thesis paper. I now have a clearer thesis statement and a plan for discussing and analyzing the topics of power, influence and social interactivity.

I am also touching up my visual component into clear and more refined concept art.

Characters / Avatar Visual Development

First look at the characters... in the main gameplay interface, they will look very cute, minimal and circular. The camera will be looking at them from overhead.
Their avatar will be a choice of silhouettes, and colors for hair, skin and clothes. If there's time, assets like hats can be added.

Thesis Draft 3

We are living in a high-tech, user-centered world where the levels of interactivity are increasing. Interactivity creates a great sense of connection between the author and the user.  Currently, popular multi-player games do not always create truly interactive gameplay. User’s actions do not always affect the outcome of their peers. In the real world, our actions are often noticed by others and influence their performance, especially in a collaborative or vocational environment, and certainly in the realm of economics. In my thesis project, I aim to create gameplay that is more social, promoting social responsibility, and that is overall more complex as far as interpersonal relationships between players.

My thesis project, a multiplayer game, will aim to re-create normal social spheres of influence in the every-day world. It will aim to create gameplay that invites users to team up, or team up against other players in a freelance way that is entirely their own choice at any given second. The users will need to stay on good terms with their peers if they want help later. Some users will inevitably get the chance to move ahead of the crowd, but this will render them vulnerable to attack.

I will now describe the game structure, players and assets in the game. I will include my predictions of how the gameplay will and should force the players to interact. In other words, my descriptions will include the intended purpose of the rules and features.

I.                    Story

The story is implicit and will be created by the user as they progress. The short-term goals will be implied by game assets, and the relationship between characters will not be pre-determined.

II.                  The World

The gameworld is comprised of a maze-like structure with many gates and halls to pass through. The closed gates may be opened, but when one gate opens, a different one closes.  There are levels or “layers”  that increase in size as the user progresses. The world will contain objects from the real world in the 19^th century but will be boxy, perhaps resembling Pac Man levels, in structure.

III.                The Players

Users are assigned positions in which to generate randomly at the beginning of the game. Everyone will start out with an equal amount of energy and karma power. The characters will be humanoid but with a minimal, low-poly form. Player’s attire and body will be customized before the player begins.

                                              

IV.                Over view of Game Assets

There will be switches to stand on that open gates. Large switches require two or more people in order to open the gate.  There will be a portal in the center of each level map, that takes the player to the next level. There will also be a key to each portal, which allows the user who holds it to change the gameplay in the level.

V.                  Keys

The game’ s currency is in keys. Users will collect keys that are found scattered throughout the world in hidden corners. The keys will be necessary to progress, but players will often find themselves needing the keys that other players have. There are five different types of keys that correspond to the different levels.  However, there are only so many keys. The keys can be shared among users so that they can all progress together.

VI.                Karma Power

Players will have a meter that measures their karma power.  This karma power will go up when they ally with another player to progress in the game, either when they give someone a key, or step on a switch together to open a door. They can select a player to contact and communicate about a common goal through the chat feature. Their karma power will go down when they move to the next level and will decrease gradually as time goes, unless they redeem it by helping their peers. If their karma power is depleted, it becomes very easy for their keys to be stolen, in which case another user will change the gameplay for the benefit of themselves and hopefully others (unless that player wishes to lose their karma too).

VII.              Goal

A.      The goal in each level is to reach the center of the maze at which time they will gain the magic key that allows them to control the resources found in the next level.

B.      The end goal is to get to the last level, and earn a piece of the Pie. The size of the piece will be greater depending on what place you came in among your peers. Many players, especially those  who team up, will earn equal pieces of the Pie, thereby coming in “neck-and-neck.” It can be said that the goal will be to also help your peers do the same, avoiding “stepping on anyone’s toes” and trying not to sabotage other people’s efforts to succeed. To do this would be asking for trouble.  

C.      The karma score will not directly influence the amount of points earned at the finish.  It is simply there to determine the players’ vulnerability or status among his/her peers.

Through these constructs I aim to create gameplay that engages users in a world where their actions affect everyone on the game map, for better or for worse. Without a doubt this would indirectly cause users to interact in a way that, in my view, emulates real-world interaction within groups of people. Because users are designated as friend or foe to each other, they will be constantly defining and re-defining their relationships with other users.  Through the karma power, users are asked to think directly about how their actions will have an outcome that has to do with their peers, and that score will have a direct effect on their progress in the game. The Pie concept reinforces that each player is a piece of a greater whole. They can come in with equal pieces and there is not just one total winner.

Visual Component

I will be creating a 3D maze game with multiplayer abilities. The storyline of the game is not predetermined but rather implied by the game world and of course, dependent on the actions of the players who use it. The name of the game is not yet determined but will hopefully come into being when the maps are being constructed.

The game world will consist of a “tower” almost, of disjointed half disks with a full disk in the center, and at the base. The tower spirals upward and also becomes larger on each level. Each level contains a maze and many locked gates. The camera will be from a bird’s eye view, and will move up as the players move up.  Each player will of course have their own camera view based on what level they are on. I will create my map in Unreal Development Kit.

Colors will a mixture of dark greys and fluorescents. Each map will have a different hue to the fluorescent colors.

The people will be faceless, simple humanoid characters with customizable traits such as hats, hair and shoes.

The keys will consist of different key types for the six different maps. There will be a 3D version of the keys as well as a “sprite” version for the heads-up display.

Spiral Knights

A good aesthetic and structural influence for  my project is the game Spiral Knights. It's hugely aesthetically pleasing, with large, soft looking shapes, cell shading, and many analogous colors.

It is also a decent multiplayer game, and requires that players stay somewhat on the same page, while also allowing them to branch out, and move around the map. They must reconvene however, and stand on a button all at once, in order to open some gates. Structurally it inspires my game, although I think after a while Spiral Knights gets kind of boring, so hopefully my game will delve deeper in terms of gameplay.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Knights

Why Games are Important

This is a talk by Jane Gonigal on how games can change the world. Games have to do with the way our brains are structured, the way we think and also the way we feel. The self-empowerment that comes with games can be downplayed in our society... because after all, it's "just a game." But what if games actually mean more?
 Watch the video and think about it:
http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html

Thesis Statement Draft 2

Spaces of Influence

I am interested in influence that is created by and takes place between human beings in any given setting. Media is an influential force and digital media is becoming more influential than ever before. We are living in a high-tech, user-centered world where the levels of interactivity are increasing. Interactivity creates a great sense of connection between the author and the user.  Currently, popular multi-player games do not always create truly interactive gameplay. User’s actions do not always affect the outcome of their peers. In the real world, our actions are often noticed by others and influence their performance, especially in a collaborative or vocational environment, and certainly in the realm of economics. In my thesis project, I aim to create gameplay that is more social, promoting social responsibility, and that is overall more complex as far as interpersonal relationships between players.

In experiencing the game I create, the user will be asked to think about not only his or herself but the other players who co-exist in the game. The players are designated as neither opponents nor allies. It will be up to the player to decide if they choose a route of antagonism or diplomacy, and either route or a combination there of, could potentially lead them to the finish line. Users will use critical thinking to either collaborate for the good of their peers or conspire against others who come off as being more antagonistic. The freedom of choice rests entirely upon the users to decide who are their friends and who are their foes. None of the users will find that their actions are independent from their peers’ actions, or that their own actions will go unnoticed.  Rather than providing the sense of complete control, the game will allow the player to act within an atmosphere where their actions are susceptible to be (and most often are) noticed immediately by other users, in real-time.

I.                    Story

The story is implicit and will be created by the user as they progress. The short-term goals will be implied by game assets, and the relationship between characters will not be pre-determined.

II.                  The World

The gameworld is comprised of a maze-like structure with many gates and halls to pass through. The closed gates may be opened, but when one gate opens, a different one closes.  There are levels or “layers”  that increase in size as the user progresses. The world will contain objects from the real world in the 19^th century but will be boxy, perhaps resembling Pac Man levels, in structure.

III.                The Players

Users are assigned positions in which to generate randomly at the beginning of the game. Everyone will start out with an equal amount of energy and karma power. The characters will be humanoid but with a minimal, low-poly form. Player’s attire and body will be customized before the player begins.

IV.                Currencies

Players will have a meter that measures their karma power.  This karma power will go up when they ally with another player to progress in the game. They can select a player to contact and communicate about a common goal through the chat feature. Their karma power will go down when they move to the next level and will decrease gradually as time goes, unless they redeem it by helping their peers. If their karma power is depleted, it becomes very easy for their key to be stolen, in which case another user will change the gameplay for the benefit of themselves and hopefully others (unless that player wishes to lose their karma too).

Users will collect keys that are found scattered throughout the world in hidden corners. The keys will be necessary to progress, but players will often find themselves needing the keys that other players have.

V.                  Game Assets

There will be switches to stand on that open gates. Large switches require two or more people in order to open the gate.  There will be a portal in the center of each level map, that takes the player to the next level. There will also be a key to each portal, which allows the user who holds it to change the gameplay in the level.

VI.                Goal

The larger goal is to get to the last level and help your peers do the same, avoiding “stepping on anyone’s toes” and trying not to sabotage other people’s efforts to succeed.

The goal in each level is to reach the center of the maze at which time they will gain the magic key that allows them to control the resources found in the next level.

In creating the gameplay outlined above, I aim to bring a new concept to gameplay that would be fast-paced and fun, and also resemble real-world dynamics between humans in real life.  The level of influence that each player will have will be apparent. The more critical thinking someone uses to analyze their position as well as the position that their peers are in, the more karma power they will earn, which will secure their position of security and ability to progress.

A Visitation of Aesthetic and Design Influences

Many artists have influenced my design, conceptual and aesthetic choices throughout the years, in the realms of games, digital art and painting. In this paper, I will be examining a few works of Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo Inc. as well as the works of digital artist Kagaya Yutaka and painter Alex Grey. I will refer to the assets and effects of these works to illuminate on what I have learned as an artist. I will show how my interpretations of these works have inspired and guided my own purposes in my artistic choices.

Since its conception in 1989, the Legend of Zelda Nintendo series has influenced me greatly over the years in aesthetics as well as game design. The narrative quality of the series has inspired me and the design of the puzzles and dungeons in the game have intrigued me as well. They immerse the player in the game and create a sense of mystery and complexity. The idea that one thing could influence another thing far away has been a source of intrigue in the game, with its multi-floored castles and themes of parallel dimensions. In Zelda, you are often asked to consider how changing something in a room could change another thing in a different room, or how changing something in one dimension could change things in another dimension.

My thesis project game will ask the user to consider changes they may be making that are not immediately apparent. In playing the game, they will acquire a new sense for how their actions will affect the world around them and their peers. They will also be involved in a strategic plan to harbor the oceans of complexity in these maps, and the effect will be a full and complete sense of immersion for the user. The adventure they will embark on will more closely involve them in the game world. The Legend of Zelda is normally a single-player game, but the characters in the game play a huge rule, as each character offers inventory for trade and wisdom. In The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, four people play the typical puzzles of Zelda, but they must interact with each other cooperatively.  My game structure will be similar but some players may opt out of collaboration, which may hurt or help them in the long run. One of the major things you must collect in Zelda are keys to get to the next room. They come in a few shapes and sizes and are very satisfying to obtain (Zelda, upper right). My game will require that players obtain and share keys.

Another of Miyamoto’s famous works, the Metroid series, will inspire my thesis project. The game is structured with worlds and areas and subsections of these. It makes for great game design because players must return to old worlds and find new doors into new areas. Retracing your path will yield more results in these games, making for non-linear progression. I will be examining this map structure to come up with a structure for my own map in my thesis project game. The map will be comprised of different levels and rooms with obstacles to get through in order to progress to the next stage. Exploring will yield more keys and other shortcut routes.

Kagaya Yutaka creates digital 2D pieces that have influenced me as far as my aesthetic choices. His works are detailed and lifelike as well as surreal and enigmatic. He uses darkness and shadow, as well as some calming and delightful sparks of color. All of his works are filled with stars or gleaming particles. His center focus is usually a human, often surrounded by vast natural landscapes, including a vast sky or outer space. In works such as Madonna Blue (left), Yutaka harnesses the power of fantasy while impressing a genuine sense of life-likeness. Like Yutaka, I aim to create a sense of surreality that strangely resembles real life. I also love darkness with hints of light, gleaming and winking in an enigmatic setting.

My digital painting Imaginary creates a sense of uneasiness with an uncanny sense of delight. There is a sense of magic as well as a connection to reality with its detailed realism and setting in a natural environment. Though it is a lot darker in mood, it is one of my works that have been inspired by Kagaya’s brightly colored, surreal landscapes. It focuses on a character as many of his paintings do, and borrows the dark nighttime environment with ghostly, glowing assets. The scene is more stark and creepy, but has a strange ethereal brightness to it.

Alex Grey’s work centers on the human body and mind, connecting us to the universe and the cosmos. His works embed the body in a metaphysical universe and conveys inner journeys and transformations. Oversoul (right) is a perfect example, resembling a mandala with symmetrical, infinite galaxies and eyes spiraling out from a man’s head in the center. His eyes appear to be fused with the swirling vortex around him and his body itself is comprised of more eyes and galaxies. Perception is the theme of his works, and so the eye is a prominent symbol, as well as the brain. He shows what is happening inside his subjects, and shows them “inside out,” often with internal organs displayed. With exuberant colors, usually fiery and passionate, these works show a character in a very personal and intimate state of mind.

My Photoshop painting, Cyborg focuses on an eye that has gained new sight. The goal of the piece is to create the sense of an intense perceptional experience. It symbolizes a person going through a spiritual change. Light seems to be bursting out from within the body, as is often seen in Alex Grey’s work. It conveys a power or force that comes from within a person. This is important to my work because I wish to convey the power and influence an individual has and the significance of the mind and imagination.

Works Cited

Grey Alex, Oversoul. Oil on Linen. 30 x 40. 1997.

Gutierrez, Catherine. Imaginary. Digital painting. 2005.

Gutierrez, Catherine. Cyborg. Digital painting. 2006.

Miyamoto, Shigeru. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Nintendo. 1991-1992.

Miyamoto, Shigeru. Super Metroid. Nintendo. 1994.

Yutaka Kagaya. Madonna Blue.

Game Ethics... symbology... aethetics...

This article brings up an interesting game, Tiny Tower, in which unethical things are done, in a cute, meaningless context. However the game does resemble the real world. My game aims to resemble the real world in aesthetic and structural ways, so I think maybe this game and article will inspire some thoughts on those choices as I make the game.
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/post/144597-tiny-tower/

Thesis Statement Draft 1

Catherine Gutierrez

ITGM Thesis 1

Thesis Statement Draft 1

July 7, 2011

Spaces of Influence

I am interested in influence that is created by and takes place between human beings in any given setting. Media is an influential force and digital media is becoming more influential than ever before. We are living in a high-tech, user-centered world where the levels of interactivity are increasing. Interactivity creates a great sense of connection between the author and the user. 

I propose my thesis topic to be “spaces of influence.” It is a framework for looking at how users interact, and how their actions influence one another.  I think that few games have really revolutionized gameplay to where users can engage in unique forms of interactivity.  

In experiencing the game I create, the user will be asked to think about not only his or herself but the other players who co-exist in the game. The players are designated as neither opponents nor allies. It will be up to the player to decide if they choose a route of antagonism or diplomacy, and either route or a combination there of, could potentially lead them to the finish line. Users will use critical thinking to either collaborate for the good of their peers or conspire against others who come off as being more antagonistic. The freedom of choice rests entirely upon the users to decide who are their friends and who are their foes. None of the users will find that their actions are independent from their peers’ actions, or that their own actions will go unnoticed.  Rather than providing the sense of complete control, the game will allow the player to act within an atmosphere where their actions are susceptible to be (and most often are) noticed immediately by other users, in real-time.

I.                    Story

The story is implicit and will be created by the user as they progress. The short-term goals will be implied by game assets, and the relationship between characters will not be pre-determined.

II.                  The World

The gameworld is comprised of a maze-like structure with many gates and halls to pass through. The closed gates may be opened, but when one gate opens, a different one closes.  There are levels or “layers”  that increase in size as the user progresses. The world will contain objects from the real world in the 19^th century but will be boxy, perhaps resembling Pac Man levels, in structure.

III.                The Players

Users are assigned positions in which to generate randomly at the beginning of the game. Everyone will start out with an equal amount of energy and karma power. The characters will be humanoid but with a minimal, low-poly form. Player’s attire and body will be customized before the player begins.

IV.                Currencies

Players will have a meter that measures their karma power.  This karma power will go up when they ally with another player to progress in the game. They can select a player to contact and communicate about a common goal through the chat feature. Their karma power will go down when they move to the next level and will decrease gradually as time goes, unless they redeem it by helping their peers. If their karma power is depleted, it becomes very easy for their key to be stolen, in which case another user will change the gameplay for the benefit of themselves and hopefully others (unless that player wishes to lose their karma too).

V.                  Game Assets

There will be switches to stand on that open gates. Large switches require two or more people in order to open the gate.  There will be a portal in the center of each level map, that takes the player to the next level. There will also be a key to each portal, which allows the user who holds it to change the gameplay in the level.

VI.                Goal

The larger goal is to get to the last level and help your peers do the same, avoiding “stepping on anyone’s toes” and trying not to sabotage other people’s efforts to succeed.

The goal in each level is to reach the center of the maze at which time they will gain the magic key that allows them to control the resources found in the next level.

In creating the gameplay outlined above, I aim to bring a new concept to gameplay that would be fast-paced and fun, and also resemble real-world dynamics between humans in real life.  The level of influence that each player will have will be apparent. The more critical thinking someone uses to analyze their position as well as the position that their peers are in, the more karma power they will earn, which will secure their position of security.