BA4: Game Design Document #23

Project Update | Art Worries Solved, Naming the Game & Design Document Table of Contents (First Draft)

It has been a while since I last updated my blog which makes me sad :( The reason is because I have been working hard on constructing our design document’s table of contents as well as writing up what I consider to be the most tricky and complex part of the game; the health, psyche and fear system. I have been advised to ensure that elements like this need to be detailed, it’s the idea that someone who knows nothing about our game can pick the document up and literally create it, therefore I was advised that a simple description such as “don’t get hit, the main character will get hurt and eventually die” just wont suffice. We need detail, structure and command. 

Where am I at currently I hear you ask? Well, I have had to put ideas of work to bed, such as doing an 3D model and creating a fully realised character because essentially I am the games designer, I am in charge of gameplay mechanics, in game elements such as health, player/character to monster/environment interactions, character reactions and puzzles; just to name a few! 

As we have been told by MC (our course leader) that the document should be more artistic and visual as opposed to text based descriptions, I was worried that I wasn’t doing enough art work. However, now that I have worked out the table of contents I see where I can add in snippets of my own art work to benefit the project. It might not be 3D which is what I want to do but at least it breaks up the colossal amounts of writing I seem to be doing. Plus we have had a few 3D lessons with Lothar (a new tutor at uni) so I have done some 3D. 

Recently I told my group members that I was worried I hadn’t done any concept art but they assured me they didn’t that I shouldn’t feel bad about it. They understand that I want to do 3D and that, so far, there hasn’t really been much room for 3D creation for the document (we had been advised not to create work for the document just for the sake of it and that doing 3D elements might just look like we have thrown it in  randomly without considering the document) so I gave up on it and focussed on the document text/design itself. My team member, Olive, attended a tutorial with our course leader and told her my worries. She said that it sounds like I have done a lot of work and contributed well to the project even if my work isn’t concept art based. This has made me feel much better. After all, I did focus on concept art as well as my other 2 team friends, we wouldn’t have anyone to focus their time on the game mechanics part of the document which is just as important! 

Distorted Delirium | YAY We Named Our Game! :D

Now that I am in the process of writing up the game I was getting worried that we still hadn’t named our game after all this time. So I suggested a few words on our group facebook page such as repression, hindrance and distortion; all words which reflect the notion of our game. I also suggested some word combinations which I thought had a “ring” to them, An Distorted Hindrance, for example. However, some of the group weren't keen. 

At this point we started throwing words at each other, trying to make an successful combination. Stacey suggested that we could use two words with the same beginning letter as this would be a clever throw back to our original influence, Fatal Frame. Olive suggested words like subliminal and sublime, inhibition and delinquency. So I suggested Image Inhibition as the game still incorporates the use of imagery through a camera. But this wasn’t strong enough either, I didn’t even think so myself.

 Stacey then suggested these words, explicit, encoding (when new info entering our brains is turned into a memory that can be stored), retrieval (when our brain finds the memories), ambiguity, aversion, delusion, unconscious, insomnia, interference, manifestation, recognition, resistance, refuge and sanctuary which were all really significant to the game, so she then put Soul Sacrifice together, but we all agreed this sounded really familiar, as if it had been done before? 

Olive then suggest Distorted Delinquency which we liked but didn't really consider “scary” sounding enough, which obviously wouldn’t reflect our horror game. 

We then came up with some cracking ideas, such as “Lianna and the Philosopher’s Stone” and “The Lord of  Lianna: Return of the Camera” but unfortunately soon realised these were far too similar to some other popular titles…

 

 

Lololol  -witty-

Finally, back in the real world, I suggested Distorted. I then put this together with Delirium, a word we had all been fond of earlier, and ta-daa! Distorted Delirium, we had a name we all loved and that incorporated the same beginning letters for our reference to Fatal Frame! Genius. 

Design Document | Table of Contents, 1st Draft

Rambling over, where am I at now? Okay so I am going to post up my first draft table of contents so that you can see the elements which we will be covering. It is a very complex contents but I was making sure we had everything covered, plus its only a first draft and there are still parts which need work and amendment. Some of the sections have more information regarding. Currently we are using it as an extensive “tick list” so that we don’t miss, forget or overlook any areas we want/need to include! 

I have formatted this BEAUTIFULLY on Microsoft Word, with indented areas of text to explain and separate titles, headings and subheadings. However, Blogger is RUBBISH and wont actually copy & paste it exactly how I spent AGES formatting it. I am SO angry >:| 

To clarify, every number indicates a title, heading or subheading in which the document will contain information specific to its allocated number. I have put major sections of the document in bold and I have put the numbers in colours to make it easier to read and understand the different sections. Instead of  using indents to clarify the difference between a title, heading and it's subheadings, I have used line breaks.  

Distorted Delirium

1. Title Page 

1.1 Game Name & short sentence depicting the game.

1.2 Authors (& possibly state jobs?)

2. Table of Contents (including all subsections)

3. Design History (each of us can write a short design history of our work to show progression of the game?) 

 

4. Section I - Game Overview 

4.1. Introduction - catchy so that the reader is enticed & interested

4.2. Game Concept/Rough Plot - what IS the game? What type of experience our game will be, the concept that it is an experimental exploration survival horror - taboo themes, survival horror revived, visuals, physics, type of story.

4.3. Genre (& why?)

4.4. Target Audience

4.5. Key Platform & Why

4.6. Look & Feel - possible mood board section? Include visual style guide and descriptions

4.7. Sanity & Insanity - Mental health & repressed memories

4.8. Project "Scope" - A written summary of the scope of the game.

4.8.1. Brief Game Flow Summary - how the player will   progress through the game, the types of gameplay they might encounter etc.

4.8.2. The scale of the museum

4.8.3. Number of "levels"

4.8.4. NPC's? - Could the boss monsters be NPC's?

4.8.5. In-Game Key Items

4.8.6. General Gameplay Style - briefly mention no combat and puzzles

4.9. Distorted Delirium Will...

5. Section II - Story, Setting & Character

5.1. The Story/Back Story 

5.1.1. The Setting

5.1.2. Where Does The Game Begin?

5.1.3. Where Does The Game End?

5.1.4. Game Progression theory - her sanity, reliving and     learning about repressed memories

5.1.4.1. Possibly Include a Theoretical Gameplay   Flow Chart?  

5.1.5. Cut Scenes & Flashbacks

5.1.6. Plot Elements

5.2. Game World

5.2.1. The Look & Feel of the World - possibly   include mood boards & visual references

5.2.1.1. Physical Characteristics

5.2.1.2. How Do Insanity, Sanity, Repressed Memories   & Metaphors influence the Game World? - use mushroom   environments & needle hallways as examples 

5.2.2. Environments of Importance/Significance

5.2.2.1. The Normal Museum

5.2.2.2. "Safe Room"/Starting Bedroom In Alternate   Museum

5.2.2.3. Dead/Foetus Baby Brother Boss Room

5.2.2.4. Mother Boss Room

5.2.2.5. Father Boss Room

5.2.2.6. Lianna's House/Basement 

5.3. Characters

5.3.1. Character #1 Lianna - lead character 

5.3.1.1. Back Story

5.3.1.2. Personality

5.3.1.3. Look/Style

5.3.1.4. Why Is She in the Game, What is her   Significance/Relevance to the Game?   

5.3.1.5. Mental Stability - Talk about her phobias,   how they affect the game, connection to her camera   and how she uses it, explain her "psychotic episode"

5.3.1.6. Extra

5.3.2. Character #2 - Foetus/Dead Baby Brother - "Boss"     #1 

5.3.2.1. Back Story

5.3.2.2. Personality

5.3.2.3. Look/Style

5.3.2.4. Why is He in the Game? - significance &   relevance

5.3.2.5. Relation to Main Character

5.3.2.6. Extra

5.3.3. Character #3 - Mother - "Boss" #2 

5.3.3.1. Back Story

5.3.3.2. Personality

5.3.3.3. Look/Style

5.3.3.4. Why is she in the Game? - significance &   relevance

5.3.3.5. What is their Relation to the Main   Character

5.3.3.6. Extra

5.3.4. Character #4 - Father - "Boss" #3 

5.3.4.1. Back Story

5.3.4.2. Personality

5.3.4.3. Look/Style

5.3.4.4. Why is he in the Game? - significance &   relevance

5.3.4.5. What is their Relation to the Main   Character 

5.3.4.6. Extra

5.3.4. Character #5 - Granddad  

5.3.4.1. Back Story

5.3.4.2. Personality

5.3.4.3. Look/Style

5.3.4.4. Why is he in the Game? - significance &   relevance

5.3.4.5. What is his Relation to the Main   Character

5.3.4.6. Extra

5.3.5. Phobia Monsters - Multiple Monsters/Enemies 

5.3.5.1. Back Story

5.3.5.2. Personality

5.3.5.3. Look/Style

5.3.5.4. Why are they in the Game? - significance &   relevance

5.3.5.5. What are their Relation to the Main   Character

6. Section III - Gameplay

6.1. What is the Aim of Distorted Delirium and how does it affect the gameplay? 

6.2. What is the Gameplay structure - explore, discover, collect, learn,   photographs/document, be scared

6.2.1. Explore & Discover - new areas, rooms, items,   parts of the story, camera lenses/items of use to solve     puzzles 

 

6.2.2. Learn the Story - Diary entries, journals, notes, audio (PA system in the museum) etc.   

6.2.3.1. MANDATORY Collection: Camera Lenses,   specific diaries, notes, journals (etc), items   related to in game puzzles, flashbacks

6.2.3.2. OPTIONAL collection: Collectable items for   stats, insane/sane notes, flashback opportunities 

6.2.4. Limited Light & vision, Use a Battery Powered   Torch

6.2.5. Progress through the game, solves puzzles with and     Document your Experience using the camera.

6.2.6. Sane/Insane Notes 

6.2.7. Psyche System - what is this?

6.2.8. Psychotic Episode?

6.2.9. Scripted scares/encounters/paranormal activity

6.2.10. Randomly generates scares/encounters/paranormal activity  

6.2.11. Photographic/notes Journal (put important images in here, store notes, journal clippings, maps,   information etc)

6.3. Mission/Quest/Puzzle Structure 

6.4. Objectives?

6.5 Play Flow?

6.5. Possible Multiple Ending - discuss how the game calculates your ending based   on your play through stats; it constantly monitors you.

7. Section IV - Distorted Delirium's Core Mechanics

7.1 In Game Mechanics 

7.1.1. General Description of how Gameplay will Feature in     Distorted Delirium - rules (implicit & explicit), how do pieces interact?

7.1.2. Achievements

7.1.3. Blissful Productivity - the player is having fun     working hard in game than they would be relaxing...why? 

7.1.4. Bonus/Rewards - Rewarded to the player upon   completion of a puzzles etc

7.1.4.1. Variable Ratio Reward Schedule Theory

7.1.5. Cascading Information Theory - player finds out     the story through exploration and it is given to them in snippets

7.1.6. Countdown - The game will calculate how the player plays and from this information will distribute an appropriate ending

7.1.7. Discovery/Exploration Based Gameplay

7.1.8. Epic Meaning - working to solve something the   player believe is bigger than them

7.1.9. Level Based World - Museum floors & basement

7.1.10. Ownership - The player needs to feel ownership and     believe in Lianna as to not get drawn into the   darkness/her impending mental illness

7.1.11. Progression - interactive map that the player will     update upon exploration, progression comes when the player can finally progress to a new area of the world

7.1.12. Quests/Challenges/Puzzles

7.1.13. Urgent Optimism - the idea that Lianna is getting     progressively closer to mental health forces the player to play cleverly and with constant focus.  

7.1.14. Collectables

7.1.14.1 List the collectibles & give brief   descriptions of each

7.1.15. Items of Severe significance In-Game (Torch &   Camera, Safe Bed)

7.1.15.1. List the items & give brief descriptions

7.2 Health & Damage Mechanics

7.2.1 Health & Damage Overview

7.2.2. What is Health & Damage In Distorted   Delirium?

7.2.3. How Does Lianna Lose Health?

7.2.4. Environmental Damage & Health Overview

7.2.4.1. Environmental Damage

7.2.5. Monster Damage & Health Overview

7.2.5.1. Monster Damage

7.2.6. Health Mechanics  

7.2.6.1 How is Health Presented?

7.2.6.2. How Will the Player Know they are Injured,   Being Hurt or Dying?

7.2.6.3. Visual/Audio Injury Hint/In-Game "Tell"

7.2.6.4. Damage Hint Phase 1

7.2.6.5. Damage Hint Phase 2

7.2.6.6. Damage Hint Phase 3

7.2.6.7. How Will the Player Regain Their Health?

7.2.6.8. How do the Health & Damage Mechanics Affect   the Player?

7.3. Physics - How does Distorted Delirium's World Use Physics? 

 

7.4. How do I Move Throughout the Game World?

7.4.1. General Movement - control system, button layout & commands (forwards, backwards, sideways, crouch) 

7.4.2. Players Perspective and how to use it - 1st person and use the mouse to look around the world

7.4.2.1. How does the view port change when...Holding the camera, looking down towards   feet, lifting up the camera to use, taking an item, using an item etc

7.5. Actions

7.5.1. Running

7.5.2. Hiding

7.5.3. Peeking

7.5.4. Activating Items of Importance

7.5.5. Using Items of Importance

7.5.6. Throwing

7.5.7. Turning lights on

7.5.8. Using The DSLR Camera (recap on what is the DSLR     Camera?)

7.5.8.1. Activating the Camera

7.5.8.2. How to Take a Photograph?

7.5.8.3. Using and attaching Different Lenses and   why?

7.5.8.4. Viewing your images on the cameras LCD   screen

7.5.8.5. Picking up & dropping items

7.5.9. Using the Battery Powered Torch (recap on what the     torch is briefly)

7.5.9.1. Battery Torch control/command

7.5.9.2. How to activate the torch for use

7.5.9.3. How to refill your torch with new batteries

 

7.5. In World Objects

7.5.1. Interaction with Objects Overview

7.5.2. Picking up Objects & command/control

7.5.3. Moving Objects & command/control

7.6. Save Game Mechanic
 

7.7. Pause Game Mechanic

 

7.8. Inventory System Mechanics

7.8.1. What is the inventory, why does the player need an     inventory and how do they access it? - list the controls

7.8.2. How to put items into your inventory and how to     use them after

7.8.3. Inventory restrictions - i.e. you can't pick up a     chair and store it in your inventory.

7.8.4. How do I know if an item is important to the   game/crucial to a puzzle/I can store it in my inventory?

7.9. Getting Around The Museum Environments - explain possible   map systems

7.9.1. What is the map?

7.9.2. Museum Map - found on walls around the museum

7.9.3. Floor Map - something the player has with them all the time? A portable version of the museum map detailing specific floors? The map updates when you are on different floors?

7.9.4. Is the map interactive?

7.9.5. How do I access my personal map and use it? -  similar to silent hill, map is only usable when found, updates depending on players position, becomes interactive making notes of locked doors when player tries to open them, areas of importance. Allocate controls to the maps. 

7.10. Jump Scares, Scripted & Non Scripted - mention they will   affect psyche

7.10.1. Scripted jump scare examples

7.10.2. Examples of non scripted jump scares

7.11. Psyche

7.11.1. What is Psyche?

7.11.2. How does psyche "work"?

7.11.3. How is Psyche Calculated?

7.11.4. What factors effect psyche?

7.11.4.1. Scripted jump scares

7.11.4.2. Non scripted jump scares

7.11.4.3. Paranormal/mentally unstable related   activities

7.11.4.4. Random/Scripted encounters with boss and   phobia monsters

7.11.4.5. Darkness

7.11.5. How is Psyche Damage Dealt?

7.11.6. How does psyche affect the gameplay for the   player?

7.11.7. Fear, what is fear?

7.11.8. How does fear affect the player? 

7.11.9. How is fear defined? What are the stages?

7.11.9.1. Stage 1

7.11.9.2. Stage 2

7.11.9.3. Stage 3

7.11.9.4. Stage 4

7.11.9.5. Stage 5

7.11.10. Do fear and psyche adjust simultaneously?

7.11.11. How do you reduce Psyche and Fear? 

8. Section VI - Distorted Delirium's Interface

8.1. Visual System

8.1.1. Opening Screen & Menus

8.1.2. User Interface ingame

8.1.3. HUD - examples of the heads up display, what   it looks like looking at feet, seeing the top of the   camera, camera screens, journal/map etc? 

8.2. Audio/Sound Design

8.2.1. Sound design influences for the game world   (examples of music from similar games

8.2.2. Ambient sounds - walking, running, opening and   closing doors etc

9. Section VII - Artificial Intelligence

9.1. Monster/Enemy AI

9.2. Museum AI

10. Section VIII - Art Style Guide  


So there you have it, this is what I have spent ages working these past couple of days (among other things of course) to ensure that myself, and my team friends, don’t forget anything crucial. We need to ensure we balance text based descriptions of our game with concept art so its not OVERLY wordy!