DAY 1 - March 20, 2011
I'll start by posting the mockups, studies, and design notes I've done up until this point. Keep in mind all of it is raw. I would like to keep this devlog as transparent as possible.
Notes
- Archer game - gameplay focuses on shooting different kinds of arrows. The arrows stick inside walls and then you can jump on them. Different kinds of arrows, explosive, grappling hooks, etc. Gameplay is focused on the puzzles of the bow, very focused and tight. Also teleport arrows. A very gamey game, with distinct puzzles, enemies, very cerebral design.
- What is the core feeling I'm trying to create? Horns, primal, drums of war, solitary quests, raw, powerful, but also atmospheric, dark, and cold.
- Symbols: Horns, axes, clubs, shields, arrowheads, spears, fighting, wolves, beasts.
Scene: Walking through a dark, snowy forest and a horn is heard in the distance. Three cold-eyed warriors come in through the right side of the screen. The player then engages them and fights them.
- Music: Alexisonfire, but more for inspiration. Themes very much like Dog's Blood. The actual game soundtrack would have to be subtler and more atmospheric, to support the gameplay rather than draw attention from it.
- Movie influences: Black Death, The 13th Warrior, Mongol, Robin Hood.
- Like a dark adventure through a twisted world. Your purpose is vaguely outlined at the beginning of the game, but the game is you travelling through this world and defending yourself. Kind of a bit like the Black Death. Maybe you there are themes of faith. Unshakeable faith and your conviction to it.
- Inventory system. You start off with almost nothing, just some simple clothing. When you open the inventory, there is a higher resolution image of your character. When you equip an item, that is represented on the higher resolution version of your character. It is still pixel art but it gives a rewarding visual represention of your low resolution character.
- The items themselves are very textured and detailed. They take into account the material, the quality of workmanship, perhaps the style, interesting names, where it may have been from. Very real and textured and rough, what type of leather, what type of bone, what type of stone. Stone and Bone and Leather. Masks. Masks with lots of interesting designs.
- World is kind of medieval, but more dark age than middle age. Barbarians, wooden buildings, wet trees, a dash of stone age. Pine trees, torches.
- Put some poetry for the player to read and digest while things are loadings.
- The goal is to treat the player as an equal, to provide them with a valuable, engaging, and possibly thought provoking experience. The poetry would serve three purposes - to set the tone, to give the player something to do while the game is loading, and to provide a question or statement to contemplate.
- When you kill an enemy, you can loot his body. There is a massive selection of different items and trinkets that the person might carry, maybe even partially procedurally generated. In different areas, the enemies will have different types of items. Things like charms, stone tokens, necklaces, axe handles, arrows, bullets, leather pouches, coins, scarves, fabrics, bone or wood flutes, drinking horns. Perhaps a letter with the enemy's name on it.
- The game would create a sense of personality for each character that you kill. When you loot their body, the detail and texture of their items would tell its own story of who they were. So it feels like your enemies are real people and not just obstacles.
- Resolutions
- 4:3
- 320x240
- 640x480
- 960x720
- 1280x960
- 16:9
- 640x360
- 1280x720
- The final resolution will be 640x360. However, it will be blown up to 2x scale so that it will fit in a 1280x720 window. This way it will still appear sharp and crisp but everything can be drawn at the smaller resolution of 640x360. This way it also remains 16:9 aspect ratio.
- Theme: isolation. Mirrors how even though you sometimes want to strike out on you own you can get lost and mired.
- Archer game - Arrow Types:
Basic: Basic arrow. Can stick into walls, providing a platform to climb up or extend the range of another platform. Perhaps breaks after standing on it for too long?
Fire: As basic, but burns up after a short time if stuck into a wall. Lights torches and ignites flammable block. Does extra damage to enemies. Can be created using actual fire arrows, or by shooting a basic arrow through a lit torch.
Explosive: As basic, but explodes after a short time if stuck into a wall or enemy. Destroys explodable blocks. Perhaps an upgrade for fire arrows?
Teleport: As basic, but causes the player to teleport to wherever the arrows lands.
Platform: As basic, but allows the player to press a button which causes the arrow to turn into a solid platform. If it hits a wall it creates the platform next to a wall. Perhaps an upgrade to the teleport arrow?
Rope: An arrow that is coiled with rope, so when it hits something the rope unfurls creating a ladder that the player can climb on.
Grappling: An arrow with a rope attached to the player's waist that allows him to swing on the ceiling across long gaps.
?? Penetrating - an arrow that goes through walls but can hit enemies.
?? Guided - an arrow that moves towards to mouse cursor and thus can be controllowed and guided.
?? Pounding - an arrow with a heavy iron tip that doesn't stick into walls but can knock things back. Also knocks enemies back.
?? Acid - an arrow that creates a pool of acid which is hazardous for enemies and also melts through destructible blocks below it.
?? Lighting - an arrow that electrocutes metal blocks and stuns metal enemies.
?? Water - an arrow that puts out fires.
?? Ice - an upgrade to the water arrow that puts out fires and also freezes enemies and water blocks.
- Archer Game - Bow Mods:
Double shot: Since the left mouse button controls to bow and arrow normally, double shot allows you to set an arrow to correspond to the right mouse button.
Range, power, damage etc.
- "It is said they cut the hearts from the bodies of their fallen opponents."
- Lumberpunk game - the main character is inspired by Dan Miller. Perhaps make the archer game lumberpunk? There could be axemen, wolves, pine trees. Main character is a Canadian styled Dan Miller. Choke specialist. Canadiana/Lumberpunk. The character's name is Archer. Maybe that can be the name of the game as well.
Developer
