Map/Area Goal Refinements

[mdgunn]

As I keep losing track of in forum, or feeling a little unsure on what actions we want the user to take to progress through goals in the early sections of the game I have started putting together some notes.  I think I will get this completed later tonight but this is a heads up so that others can consider what they might think of as the current goals.

 

[mdgunn]

Here are my suggestions for clarifying what I had in mind for map area/sections in order to get us to a final closure on a first stage of the game and to which we may choose to leave as is as a sort of prequel version of our game.  

PLEASE NOTE:  The following notes WILL HAVE ERRORS AND INACCURACIES in what I intended to put down. I have to do some other personal tasks so this is probably rough.  If I've missed something previously discussed it's not intentional or necessarily because I don't remember I may have just temporarily overlooked it while rushing this content down. I had to rush the end sections a bit as I ran out of the time I'd set aside to do this so it may feel a bit rough at the end. This varies a bit from what is in design doc though in general is still fairly close.  I might update that perhaps. 

 

Feel free to comment.   I have no real attachment to anything here (as always).  I have a picture in my head of how I roughly see things working out but if anyone has anything else they wanted to bring in or ditch there more chance I'd agree with you than disagree so anyone should feel free to suggest anything really.  It's not that easy to tie it all together and make it seem to make sense. I suppose things don't always need to make sense, but I think my head prefers it that way at least.

Here's the info.  

PDF same as text below it.

Forth-Story-Path-v0-3.pdf

Forth - Story Path

WHAT THESE NOTES DO NOT YET COVER
I would need to think about this a bit more and I need to move on to othere tasks but I think of note this document does not mention other spells/powers. These could well be introduced....somehow....but as I haven't really worked out how to satisfactorily explain there introduction I haven't tried to tackle it yet. Perhaps you gain them later at other temples/ships.

Intro Cutscenes

• Space to Planet
• Sky to ground
• Temple Flythrough - Cutscenes end with cube spinning over ground outside ship.

LEVEL SECTIONS

SECTION 1 - Ship, Player, AI and Virus Introduction

SPECIAL NOTES: Ideally this level would not be a separate level load, but at this time it might be if we are to travel through ship and show fully prop populated level.
LEVEL: [level02] Cryo/Ship
PURPOSE: Introduce the following:-

• main theat of enemy virus
• attack upon ship
• presence of friendly AI
• player character present in cryo tube.
  This section should be cinematic and engaging. Must aim to unambiguously set the scene through action not text if we can. Screens might display additional briefly seen information on attack situation as we pass by.
  FEATURES: Player has no control in this section.
  WALKTHROUGH:
• Cube stops spinning and descends to ground.
• Cube begins to launch a sort of EMP pulse attack to bring down internal systems. Cube is still closed at this point.
• Switch to inside ship at cryo tubes.
• After short pause cyro tube 1 is seen to be destroyed alarm starts in ship.
• Alarm is triggered in ship.
• Cryo tubes 1-3 are later seen to be destroy so set to destroyed state some time around now.
• Camera moves to cryo tube 4 and we hear/see AI begin wake up procedure for tube 4.
• Camera slowly moves forward toward head section of tube and fades to white.
  MAIN GOAL: Player is automatically switched to dream level 1 [LEVEL:01] at end. Player has no control but aim is for cinematic to set scene for start of story.
  GOAL RESULTS: None (no player control)
  SUCCESS RESULTS: None (no player control)

SECTION 2 - Awaken Player

LEVEL: [level01] Dream Level 1
PURPOSE: Introduces sleep type level.
FEATURES: Level has elements of ship floating around to link to real world in this very abstract level. Monolith At end of level to represent the AI reviving the player from sleep.
MAIN GAMEPLAY: Figure out how to successfully navigate the platforms to get to the end goal at other end of level.
MAIN GOAL: Get to end of level.
FAILURE RESULTS: Falling: Player resets to last checkpoint
SUCCESS RESULTS: Reach Goal: Player transported to [Level:02] and awakes in cryo room.

SECTION 3 - Cube Attack

LEVEL: [level02] Cryo Room (Ship)
PURPOSE: Introduces cryo room focussing on personal threat (low health) of player with outer threat of some distant external attack.
FEATURES: Other cryo tubes are damaged and smoking - reasons yet not clear but cause is system damage from cube EMP attacks outside. Regular (15 second?) attacks still happening with camera shake. Player prompted to find health station. When they use health station they pass out and enter another short sleep level (if we want to do this dev?). Cryo room has VR pod (or user may use any other reachable - none?)
MAIN GAMEPLAY: Player should turn of alarm (via switch - otherwise annoying). Player should locate health station or they will keep passing out. When health station used they will lose health much more slowly.
FAILURE RESULTS: Player will keep passing out fairly rapidly as health is in 'red zone' until they use health station.
SUCCESS RESULTS: Player is more stable....but must stabilise further with bandages which are just outside the cryo room in either a) locker or b) small medical station.

SECTION 4 - Unlock Cryo Room Door

LEVEL: [level03] VR Level 1
PURPOSE: Introduces VR type levels.
MAIN GOAL: Player should locate cryo room door unlock controls in VR.
FAILURES RESULTS:

• Falling: Player resets to start position if fall out of level (it has gaps initially).
• Puzzle Failure: Player does not complete puzzle correctly and must restart.
• Health Runs Out: Player passes out and returns to cryo room to re-heal and re-enter VR.
  SUCCESS RESULTS: Player performs VR puzzle that unlocks the cryo room door.

SECTION 5 - Stabilise Health

LEVEL: [level02] Ship (Locker/Health Station Area - just outside cryo room)
PURPOSE: Get bandages from locker or health station so stabilise health. Cube still doing 15 second attacks inflicting small damage. Player can re-heal at health station. Player exits to main ship common area (essentially main room there before - but probably remodelled a bit to be minus cryo tubes and possibly lockers.
MAIN GOAL: Player stabilises health (no longer goes down).
FAILURE RESULTS: Player passes out: Reducing Health and/or timed Cube Attacks (ever 15 second) lead to small player damage. If player passes out may have to do short second sleep level again.
SUCCESS RESULTS: Player stabilises health.
OTHER RESULTS: Player may choose to enter main room without healing at this time but health will continue to reduce until they heal at health station or find bandages in locker.

SECTION 6 - Repel Cube Threat/Sphere Entry

LEVEL: [level02] Ship (Crane Area)
PURPOSE: Introduce cube outside ship through switch to camera panning down to cube outside. Triggered by player approaching crane cab window. Player must use (flashing) crane control switch to try to destory cube in crane claw to stop it damaging ship. Sphere emerges when cube in claws and enters through the tube and into the ship progressing along the tube ino the science area (used to be hangar).
Main ship room has VR pod (or user may use any other?)
MAIN GOAL: Player must try to crush cube with external claws via switch in crane cab on ship.
FAILURE RESULTS: Timed Cube Attacks: If player does not activate claw after prompts cube will continue to inflict timed (15 second) damage which will also damage player (electrical damage?). They may possibly have to do short second sleep level again and possibly re-heal via health-station (but no timed health decrease now).
SUCCESS RESULTS: Player triggers progression: By using crane switch Sphere escape from cube and into ship.

SECTION 7 - Unlock Science Room Doors

LEVEL: [level03a] VR Level 2 (VR1 locking more complete - phase 2?)
PURPOSE: Enter VR in order to solve puzzle to unlock science room doors.
MAIN GOAL: Unlock science room doors.
FAILURE RESULTS: Usual VR room failures?
SUCCESS RESULTS: Complete VR puzzle to unlock science room doors.

SECTION 8 - Sphere Defeated / Hand Cannon Gained

LEVEL: [level02] Science Area
PURPOSE: Investigate tube delivery/quarantine area. Sphere breaks out and attacks player. Room divided into some small areas which player can loop around and trigger an electrical dischage overload in a zone near the delivery tube when the player triggers via switch. Player must time this right. Room doors are locked during this section. Science Room has VR pod (or user may use any other?)
MAIN GOAL: Defeat sphere.
FAILURE RESULTS: Player killed by sphere through health reduction by electrical(?) attack.
SUCCESS RESULTS: Sphere Exploded by electrical discharge. Player gains hand cannon.

SECTION 9 - Unlock AI room

LEVEL: VR level 3
PURPOSE: Enter VR in order to solve puzzle to unlock ai room doors.
MAIN GOAL: Unlock AI room doors.
FAILURE RESULTS: Usual VR room failures?
SUCCESS RESULTS: Complete VR puzzle to unlock science room doors.

SECTION 10 - Manually Repair AI room

LEVEL: [level02] AI Room
PURPOSE: AI informs that some of system boards (in stacks) are damaged. Player must fix. This could involve getting parts from another part of the ship (e.g. circuits from energy storage section) but initially may be SUPER simple and player just has to interact ('use' action) with (3) damaged boards hidden on the racks and are black rather than green for example. When boards fixed up AI gives user more info. Informs player than virus seems to be defeated but that it could be that it can't detect it being dormant. Tells user to escape the ship in case virus returns or further cubes arrive. Tells user to exit ship (there may be a couple of options here need to think it through some more) but they cannot unlock exit. Use must via VR. AI Room has pod (or user may use any other?)
MAIN GOAL: Fix Mainboards.
FAILURE RESULTS: None.
SUCCESS RESULTS: Main boards fixed. AI now capable of controlling most of ship.

SECTION 11 - Unlock Hangar/Airlock Door

LEVEL: VR level 4
PURPOSE: Enter VR in order to solve puzzle to unlock ai room doors.
MAIN GOAL: Unlock AI room doors.
FAILURE RESULTS: Usual VR room failures?
SUCCESS RESULTS: Complete VR puzzle to unlock science room doors.

SECTION 12 - Hangar Attack

LEVEL: [level02] Hangar Area
PURPOSE: AI Opens Hangar Door. Player should eventually make way to hangar area where there will be ramp or exit door. Robot drones in this area will wake up as player approaches door. Doors shut and player forced to fight cam bot drones.
MAIN GOAL: Defat enemies and Exit Ship
FAILURE RESULTS: Player killed by enemies.
SUCCESS RESULTS: Player leaves ship into new area.

SECTION 13 - Exit Ship

LEVEL: [level02] Hangar/Airlock Area (bit undecided)
PURPOSE: AI Opens Hangar Door. Player should eventually make way to ship exit ship and begin making way out to surface via temple exit or other alternate exit (cave/factory areas) exiting near temple entrance in excavation pit at surface.
MAIN GOAL: Exit Ship
FAILURE RESULTS:
SUCCESS RESULTS: Player leaves ship into new area.

SECTION 14 - Cave Section

LEVEL: [level04] Lava Pavement Area (near exterior crane)
PURPOSE: Explore cave, possibly defeat more cam bot enemies arriving from direction of ship or hidden pipes or alcoves. Cave leads to bridge over lava. Bridge must be extended to reach inner temple are.
MAIN GOAL: Defat enemies and Exit Ship
FAILURE RESULTS: Player killed by enemies.
SUCCESS RESULTS: Player leaves ship into new area.

SECTION 15 - Factory Section

LEVEL: [level04] Lava Pavement Area (near exterior crane)
PURPOSE: Inner temple is mainly 1 room leading up to surface (but blocked) or through side doors to inner temple area which resembles constuction line area for assembling something such as robots. Further robot attacks from pipes etc in inner temple.
MAIN GOAL: Defeat enemies and exit factory
FAILURE RESULTS: Player killed by enemies.
SUCCESS RESULTS: Player leaves factory section. Enters cave section 2.

SECTION 16 - Cave Section 2 (possibly)

LEVEL: [level04] Cave Section 2 Area
PURPOSE: Explore and Defeat enemies on way to next section.
MAIN GOAL: Defeat enemies and exit cave section 2.
FAILURE RESULTS: Player killed by enemies.
SUCCESS RESULTS: Player leaves cave section 2. Makes it to surface outside temple.

SECTION 17 - Excavation Pit

LEVEL: [level04] Excavation Area (outer temple entrance)
PURPOSE: Player sees there is a larger world out here on the surface.
MAIN GOAL: Player must ascend out of pit using scaffolding and or mechanisms.
FAILURE RESULTS: Fall damage: Some health packs near by with other unuseful prop gear.
SUCCESS RESULTS: Player leaves excavation pit.

SECTION 18 - Pit Top (END)

SPECIAL NOTES: This is the end point of the first chapter of the game.
LEVEL: [level04] Above Pit (near temple entrance)
PURPOSE: Player is now in open landscape. Perhaps there is something in distance village, or other temple? Enemies appear from ground protruding vents. Fade to black.
MAIN GOAL: Close out the end of this section of the game.
FAILURE RESULTS: None.
SUCCESS RESULTS: Player leaves temple area for wider world and complete major game section.

 

[mdgunn]

Sections 14 15 and 16 could be omitted to reduce work and just have player come from ship via a bridge into temple and up unblocked temple ramp to excavation pit.  This stuff is already blocked in (shown in previous images a day or 2 ago).

[aiaf]

This is good is very detailed.

 

I want to explain better the first VR interaction for further reference:

ACTIONS:

subsection 1

.Player is introduced to VR press the monolith in center of room..Player is free to figure it out and do anything.

Trigger that ends this is when he pressed "Input command data" and talk back to the monolith in center room,

 

subsection 2

Monolith gives the first real command: N1 S1 W0 E0 U0 D0

Skiping here the monolith words are very long.

PURPOSE: activate the VR computer

EFFECT: monolith in center of room gets activated (a humming sound/some red graphic effect)

 

subsection 3

Monolith is online but the self test failed.

"Monolith online. Self test failed.
This could be solved by a restart command: \n\n N 1 S 1 E 1 W 1 U 1 D 1"

PURPOSE: self test failed, restart the VR computer to pass self test

EFFECT: some sound that represent the restart, change color on the active effect of the monolith to green, to signify self test passed

 

subsection 4

Monolith is ok he teaches you how to exit vr and tell you to come back at any time
 

All internal subsystems are go. This is the VR room

You can control the ship subsystems from here

In cryo room there is a red book describing usual commands

The command to exit VR:\n N 0 S 0 E 0 W 0 U 2 D 0\n Come back at any time.

PURPOSE: exit VR, teach the player about the VR manual

EFFECT: some sound when exit VR

 

This end the first VR interaction

Most of the above is implemented here is what is missing:

1. active effect on the monolith when self test failed (redish effect + humming noise and some crackling)
2. active effect on the monolith when all test passed (green effect + humming noise smooth)
3. exit vr sound
4. specific sound when executing a command from the terminal

 

Quote

SECTION 4 - Unlock Cryo Room Door 

LEVEL: [level03] VR Level 1
PURPOSE: Introduces VR type levels.
MAIN GOAL: Player should locate cryo room door unlock controls in VR.
FAILURES RESULTS: 

• Falling: Player resets to start position if fall out of level (it has gaps initially).
• Puzzle Failure: Player does not complete puzzle correctly and must restart.
• Health Runs Out: Player passes out and returns to cryo room to re-heal and re-enter VR.
  SUCCESS RESULTS: Player performs VR puzzle that unlocks the cryo room door. 

 

I would like to keep the first interaction simple as it is now, its enough info there and a few VR commands.

Change failure results to this:

SECTION 4 - Unlock Cryo Room Door 

LEVEL: [level03] VR Level 1
PURPOSE: Introduces VR type levels.
MAIN GOAL: Player should locate cryo room door unlock controls in VR.
FAILURES RESULTS: 

• Falling: Player resets to start position if fall out of level (it has gaps initially).
• Health Runs Out: Player passes out and exit VR level forcibly returns to cryo room
  SUCCESS RESULTS: Player exit VR by using the exit command

 

Second interaction with VR:

LEVEL: [level03] VR Level 1
PURPOSE: activate some cryo room systems by VR
MAIN GOAL:

Player performs VR puzzle that activates the health station in cryo room

Player performs VR puzzle that unlocks the cryo room door

FAILURES RESULTS: 

• Falling: Player resets to start position if fall out of level (it has gaps initially).
• Health Runs Out: Player passes out and returns to cryo room,
  SUCCESS RESULTS: Both puzzles are performed

If he does this 3 times and not activate heal station or some other methos from stabilize health section, game over player dies.

 

Can you see if this can be integrated in a ok way with the stabilize health section ?

 

[mdgunn]

Thanks very much for the useful comments! ?  I will have a proper look over them later and probably integrate into a v0.04 story path.   In having to write it down and merge it together I think it will help make clearer if there are any issues. 

I'll see if I can pick off some the things you mention, sounds etc if I get a chance in that area while you're in France.

Have a good trip.

 

 

[aiaf]

LEVEL: [level01a] Dream level 2

PURPOSE: let the player discover 3 VR commands, by telling a story and some quests

MAIN GAMEPLAY: exploration, arcade, quests, too long to explain here

RESULTS:

- discover all 3 VR commands

- partially discover cmds

- exit the level

 

In future choices here could affect more the "real" game world.The ship AI is already involved in the story.

The 3 commands to discover are still to be determined.Initially i wanted to have the activate health station in here, but it doesn't fit anymore.And i think this should be introduced after cube/sphere attack because the level is long and don't want to interrupt too much the attack in the ship.Probably after repair of AI room?  You get an electric shock and you go to dream level 2? 

Also in this level you will get your magic powers.

Can you add this to the document, at the moment i don't know where it fits but it's purpose should be clear.

[aiaf]

Thank you