Thursday, December 5, 2013

Homework 11: Chpt. 15 & 16

Chapter 15

1. A goal with no obstacles is not worth pursuing.

          One of the fundamental building blocks of life is having goals and aspirations to pursue, otherwise life would be meaningless. Nothing in life is ever achieved without hard work and in doing that hard work you are almost always faced with some sort of obstacle. In regards to our game, a possible obstacle could be--for me especially--that the textures weren't unwrapped properly causing the entire area to look terrible and function slower.

2. What is the relationship between the main character and the goal? Why does the character care about it?
              
          The goal in our game is for the main character to locate her missing son. Self-explanatory, but she's faced with the difficulty of choosing between the townspeople and her son. I feel like it would be obvious the choice she would take, but it's entire town with many; so either sacrifice one for hundreds or vice versa.

3. What are the obstacles between the character and the goal? 

          Obvious obstacles that are between the main character and the goal are the fog, fog monsters, puzzles and decision at the end (mentioned above).

4. Do the obstacles gradually increase in difficulty? If yes, how?

          The intention was to have each level get increasingly difficult as you get closer to the end-level boss, but time has limited us to a couple of levels. So ultimately, it probably won't be noticed in our game.

5. Great stories often involve the protagonist transforming to overcome the obstacle. Does your protagonist transform?

          Our protagonist definitely transforms during the course of the game. In the beginning, she is just a regular mother visiting her son, but by the end she is a stoic and strong individual. Learning to adapt fast she quickly becomes the heroine of our game.

6. How is the game world simpler than the real world?

           In the game world anything can be altered, even the perception of reality, so I'm not sure if things are much simpler in a game (considering the situation). Speaking only of daily outcome, then yes, the game would be much simpler because at least you know, to some extent, what is going to happen. Our game features a post-disaster world so really this isn't an infrastructure and people are literally crowded together around the sacred area waiting to be saved.

7. What kind of transcendent power do you give to the player?

          We gave the player the transcendent power of willpower. This power has been proven to increase a persons physical capabilities because of the shear determination. It can be equated to the strongest ability for a human. I think there was a quote that stated that our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure.

8. What is the weirdest element in the game story?  

          The weirdest element of our game would definitely be the history between the mayor and the mysterious black figure (cause of the fog). All we know is that the mayor founded the city by making some sort of contract with a shady character many years ago and suddenly the city was up and booming and very wealthy.

9. How do you ensure that the weirdest thing does not confuse or alienate the player?

          All of this history and the back story of the mayor can be found through out the discovery of the newspaper clippings, journals and etc., unless the player ignores the notes and continues on.

10. Will the players be interested in the game story? Why?

          When developing any game the goal in mind is to make sure it reaches the targeted audience and that they love it. I do believe the players will be interested in this game because it's mysterious, making you want more, and the storyline is amazing.

Chapter 16
  
1. In what sense does the player have freedom of action? Does the player "feel" free at these times?
          
          While navigating the map the player will have complete freedom within the confines of the area and impassible objects like buildings. Hopefully the player will "feel" free when in the game; all other actions such as jumping and swinging an objection will be free-flowing as well.

2. What are the constraints imposed on the players? Do they feel constrained?

          The constraints imposed on the players are the ability to see due to the fog and each level being locked until the enemy has been defeated. They should feel constrained, especially because the fog slowly creeps on you and eventually suffocates the character; heartbeats should be heard when the fog gets closer and closer to indicate a dwindling in health.

3. Ideally, what would you like your players to do (lens #72)?

          I would like players to fully use everything within the game like clues, finding the son and save the city. I also want them to explore both endings.

4. Can you set constraints to "kind of" force the player to do it?

          Due to the effect of the fog slowly approaching on the player it sort of reinforces the urgency to either move to the next level or find pieces of the shards to protect against it.

5. Can you design your interface to "force" the player to do what you (the designer) wish him/her to do?

          Just as mentioned above, there can be puzzles put in place or key items needed to be found in order for the player to advance anymore. So in a way, as the designer, it is completely possible to "force" the player to go on a set path. 

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