1. Forgetting about the game, think about your player. What are the experience(s) you want your player to have.
The essential experience of the game is simple -- the player is stuck in purgatory. "Trapped in limbo" might be another commonly heard term associated with it. The game should make the player feel they are in a dream-like, otherwordly state -- the player's character has died, and so those who have had near-death experiences have often described it as being like a dream before their "souls" reunited with their bodies (interesting & somewhat related fact: in Greek mythology, Hypnos, the god of dreams, and Thanatos, the god of death, are twins). The experience should aim to be dreamlike, but also nightmarish -- the player is trapped in a place they are trying to escape, so that the soul of the player's character can find peace in heaven.
2. What are the essential element(s) of that experience.
Lost in a dark, unfamiliar, labryinthine place, having to keep their cool and use their wits to make it out. Divine beings invoking religious themes and Christian mythology, judgment and redemption, etc. The rules of this realm may be different than expected, in keeping with the dreamlike state. In this game world, anything goes, and often it will be reflective of the player's subconscious mind -- it should in addition to the religious/spiritual aspects have elements of common subconscious fears manifested.
3. Suggest a few ways your game might capture those experiences.
Using effective sound design to make the player feel immersed in the world of the game, as well as to communicate to the player the effects of their chosen actions, signal certain situations and bring the theming of the game together. Music that fits the dark, mysterious, and religious themes of the game and sound that creates an appropriate ambience will craft an experience that helps a player recognize what they are doing and engross them in the atmosphere of the game.
Chapter 3
1. Discuss a few ways in which you might include surprise in your game.
In addition to the "surprises" that are typical of a horror game, the game might also include a secret area or a mysterious, hard-to-find item with a purpose not immediately apparent to the player. The area and the item might be linked somehow -- the item could be found in the area itself, or used to lead the player to the area where they might discover a hidden aspect of the game. There's potential to add a cool easter egg or two amidst the darkness and horror. The player may also have encounters with other beings populating purgatory that will impart information that could have subtle implications about the underlying story and world of the game and offer backstory on how the protagonist ended up there.
2. How will your game be fun?
The game will create a sense of tension and fear in the player whilst also providing an element of exploration and problem-solving. The player will amass a collection of items and meet entities who will impart cryptic messages on how to escape purgatory and on the uses of their items - it is up to the players to figure what to do with the knowledge they have of their items and if this information can always be trusted. They also will be pursued by monsters who will try to catch them, sending the protagonist's soul to hell and ending the game.
3. Discuss the goals of your game (as it stands now).
Our goal is to learn as much as we can about the tools we have at our disposal to make a simple but effective 1st-person horror exploration game. The game should at least have a world to explore and monsters to populate that world once we've learned enough, as well as items to collect, and ambient lighting and sound effects.
4. State your thoughts on how you will make the player attached to your game, or motivated to play the game.
The main draws for the player should be immersive sound design, a clear and simple objective that creates tension, and a story that has potential to make for a interesting background to the game and is told in pieces that can be sought out by the player depending on how deep they are willing to explore the game.
5. What problems do you expect the players to solve in your game?
The problems the player should be motivated into solving are navigating a deep, dark enclosed labryinth (could be in a dungeon/temple/maze/haunted house setting), outsmarting or just outrunning pursuing enemy monsters, collecting items that will help them to progress, and gathering and assessing info from the game world's denizens on how to reach the end.
1. Discuss a few ways in which you might include surprise in your game.
In addition to the "surprises" that are typical of a horror game, the game might also include a secret area or a mysterious, hard-to-find item with a purpose not immediately apparent to the player. The area and the item might be linked somehow -- the item could be found in the area itself, or used to lead the player to the area where they might discover a hidden aspect of the game. There's potential to add a cool easter egg or two amidst the darkness and horror. The player may also have encounters with other beings populating purgatory that will impart information that could have subtle implications about the underlying story and world of the game and offer backstory on how the protagonist ended up there.
2. How will your game be fun?
The game will create a sense of tension and fear in the player whilst also providing an element of exploration and problem-solving. The player will amass a collection of items and meet entities who will impart cryptic messages on how to escape purgatory and on the uses of their items - it is up to the players to figure what to do with the knowledge they have of their items and if this information can always be trusted. They also will be pursued by monsters who will try to catch them, sending the protagonist's soul to hell and ending the game.
3. Discuss the goals of your game (as it stands now).
Our goal is to learn as much as we can about the tools we have at our disposal to make a simple but effective 1st-person horror exploration game. The game should at least have a world to explore and monsters to populate that world once we've learned enough, as well as items to collect, and ambient lighting and sound effects.
4. State your thoughts on how you will make the player attached to your game, or motivated to play the game.
The main draws for the player should be immersive sound design, a clear and simple objective that creates tension, and a story that has potential to make for a interesting background to the game and is told in pieces that can be sought out by the player depending on how deep they are willing to explore the game.
5. What problems do you expect the players to solve in your game?
The problems the player should be motivated into solving are navigating a deep, dark enclosed labryinth (could be in a dungeon/temple/maze/haunted house setting), outsmarting or just outrunning pursuing enemy monsters, collecting items that will help them to progress, and gathering and assessing info from the game world's denizens on how to reach the end.
No comments:
Post a Comment