Manchester Part 6: Focal Points (+atmosphere)

Focal Points

• The City

Final destination of train, the  city will work as a focal point because it is the final destination of the train, the player will believe this is where the current level/gameplay section will end. It can be seen through the windows of the cabin or when the player is balancing outside the train, grabbing onto it. 

• Protagonists's Comments

The player will give clues to the player as to what is happening and what they should look for or look out for. As an example, if the player has to find a certain object to get through a puzzle or obstacle, the player will make a comment about it: "I need to open this window, maybe I can find something to open it with..." or comments such as "Not long until I arrive at the train station" for example, when the player is near a window or outside. Will work as a guide for the player, if ever in doubt. 

• Atmosphere

The atmosphere will also work as a guide, the darker and the more depressing the surroundings and environment gets, the closer the player is to the end of the level. More info below about the atmosphere of the game.




The atmosphere is somehow relevant in this blog post, as it serves as some kind of focal point itself. Yeah, I've made a section called "Atmosphere" because I came up with a cool idea. I will keep this short since it's not very important when it comes to gameplay, but I still think it's worth adding since it's interesting, IMO. First I wanted a dark, depressing atmosphere/setting, but I decided it'd be cool if everything started off like this: Sunny weather, many people on the train in the cabin you start off in, smiling people, a positive feel to the intro, in general, including the people the player interacts with in the first minutes of gameplay. Then gradually, as the  game progresses, for every cabin the player enters, the weather as seen through the windows of the cabin, will turn from sunny to dark, rainy, misty and depressing. There will be less people for each cabin, and this doesn't have a specific reason other than that it works with the gameplay, since the player will be running away from an enemy and things will get more and more dangerous for each cabin, so to speak. The closer the player gets to the end of the level, the more obvious it will be that the player is moving towards the end of the level, as it goes from sunny and happy to rainy and depressing.


I found a game that does something similar - after I came up with this idea I tried to do some research to see if anyone had done the same or something similar, and this is the closest I got:




As you can see, when she leaves the path, things take a different turn in atmosphere, sort of like my game, except in The Path, this is optional, whereas in my game this is a part of the level, working as a focal point of some sort...

Manchester Part 5: Objectives and Obstacles

Objectives: The main objective is to escape the train.You are being chased by a thief/thieves, who want to get their hands on your folder. You are however stuck on a train and don't have the ability to escape from the train itself. You will have to run forward, cabin by cabin, in a very long steampunk train, until the train reaches it's destination, so you can get off and run for your life. The  goal is to lure the chaser(s), think of creative ways to defend yourself with the surroundings or temporarily disorient the enemy. The player may have to climb through the cabin window (or potentionally break it if you can't open it, unless you find a crowbar),to get to the next cabin, etc, because of an obstacle. The door could also be destroyed but this would take time and you risk the chaser catching up to you.


Obstacles: Puzzles in general. The player will be able to pick up most objects, like tables and chairs, knock them over, use them to block doors with, throw random stuff at things or people, etc. However this is mostly optional, depending on circumstances. Balance will also be an obstacle, ie, when you've climbed out a window, you'll have to keep balance, otherwise you'll fall off the train and this will result in death. This will bring up a balance mechanic, a bar with a ball on it, if it goes too far left or right, the player will fall off the train, so the goal is to keep the ball in the middle of the bar/scale. The enemy itself, the chase is an obstacle as well as locked doors or blocked paths.

Balance mechanic reference (yes, I kind of copied the ball/scale thing )




As an example of an obstacle, if you find a fire extinguisher, it can be used to jam the door handle to prevent the enemy from getting through the door, this will give you a little time to run away from him.  Alternatively, the smoke from it could be used to disorient the enemy.

Kind of like this... except you'd use it to disorient them, not yourself...




So, to sum up all the objectives and obstacles of my level:

Objectives

• Escape the train
• Disorient enemies
• Shake off enemies/slow them down
• Climb through window
• Break window
• Potentionally use crowbar to open window
• Defend yourself with your surroundings

Obstacles

• Picking up/knocking over objects
• Throwing objects
• Jamming of door handles, etc.
• Balance mechanic
• Enemy/Enemies
• The chase

Manchester Part 4: Story

Edward Covington is a soon-to-be world famous inventor who has just invented a revolutionary but top-secret item. His assistant and delivery boy, Lawrence, has to deliver the top secret documents of the blueprints of the invention, to an anonymous man in Steamchester.

Manchester Part 3: Photo References

W.I.P: This is a collection of photos I took the other day, that inspired me. They are all somehow related to the industrial UK or steampunk itself, and even though some of them look totally unrelated to the project I am working on, I still found inspiration in it. These photos were taken in the streets and back alleys of Manchester and inside the Science and Industrial museum in Manchester.


[WIP: MORE PICTURES AND TEXT INC]

Manchester Part 2: Location & Environment

Location
The game will be set in the UK, in a fictional poor little town in Northern England. It's an industrial town, whos little wealth mainly comes from mining and manufactured exports. The town is gradually becoming more well known for an up and coming (fictional) inventor by the name of Edwin Covington (inspired by Michael Faraday). In the level I will create, the player will be on the train, coming from the fictional town, eventually ending up in a big city not very far from the little town.

Environment
The town where the game begins, is small, about the same as Chester in size, with a mining facility and a train station just outside town. One of the levels in the game is on a train, which is the exact level I will be working on for this assignment. There will be a depressing environment visible through the windows of the train, mainly rainy and dusky. The interior of the train will be somewhat big overall, cabin by cabin adding up to one moderately big level (keep in mind it will be fast paced too). One section of the train cabins are for the public, another is for exports and cargo. The public ones will be influenced by steampunk, roomy and visually pleasing. The cargo/exports section will be very industrial looking and depressing.

Environmental Research

1. The Environment

Example of what I would like the player to see when they peek through the windows of the cabin. Well, if they have the time to stand still for a minute...

Rain, and more rain! Very depressing.

This is a good reference picture for what I want the big city to look like. The buildings (or a certain building) in the distance could possibly work as a focal point for the player.

2. The actual level location/environment

Tablet drawing of an interior train cabin I found online. I love the idea and the steampunky/victorian decorations. Roomy and visually pleasing.

Game References

Manchester Part 1: Idea

Research


Alright, old fashioned Steampunk it is, first person adventure, set in the Victorian era (not related to Spin Doctor in any way). First I'll show you the research that I've done. I want a realistic game as far as Steampunk goes, and I have done research on interesting mechanics in games like Alone In The Dark, Amnesia/Penumbra, among many others. As shown below:









The videoes above are good examples of mechanics I would like to implement into my concept/level design. I want the game to be a realistic, adrealine pumping adventure that will make you think, and with time limits to push you into solving problems quickly. I want the player to use the environment around them, with a wide choice of environmental weapons or objects that can aid them in their defense, because there WILL be enemies, but no real weapons (at least not in the level I want to present to you guys), no guns or knives, but instead, they will have to think of a way that something just infront of them can be used to either attack the enemy or defend themselves from it while escaping. I want it to be fast paced, difficult but not overcomplicated - a challenging but also enjoyable experience.

A good example of this would be Amnesia, when monsters appear out of nowhere! (Don't see it yet? Wait for it....)



Oh, and this. Being chased by, well, in this case, a giant worm and not some humanoid. This may be a little scarier and more action-packed than what I was thinking of doing, but it is still a good reference:




The idea


I've always been a big fan of Adventure games, Amnesia probably being one of my favourite ones ever. I love the idea of not being able to pull out a gun and shoot down all the enemies around you, I'd rather have to think and solve puzzles (like Portal), although I enjoy games with weapons, I believe that leaving the player feeling hopeless (to an extent) but at the same time being capable of escaping the threat they are facing, either by hiding or defending themselves as they escape, and not to mention the adrenaline that comes with it, makes for very good gameplay. I feel this is a fast paced game but it didn't quite fit into the Action Adventure genre because of the lack of real combat. I'd also like to point out that even though my description makes this game sound like an extremely fast paced game, there will be time to sit down and relax, and think, and solve puzzles in a quiet environment inbetween these fast paced occurences, they serve more as a way of pushing the player forward to the next event or level, as a way of progressing through the level so the player doesn't get entirely stuck, although thinking will be involved when it comes to puzzles. These dramatic events, so to speak, where the player will be chased or attacked, are simply there to keep things interesting and as a way of telling the story indirectly, ie, a thief is trying to get ahold of the items you possess, and you quickly learn why.

With this in mind, I decided to base my game on this type of gameplay, and come up with a reason as to why the player is in the level I am going to create, what the goal of the game is, etc. I came up with the idea that you can see below, it's not complete just yet, but it serves as a brief overview of the post-game story and why the player is there.


The general idea is that you are playing a young errand boy for an inventor who has given you some top secret blueprints for his new revolutionary invention, for his and a handful other people's eyes only. You are told to deliver it to someone, but you are not told much about why you're going or who you are going to talk to, the only clue you get is that you have to go to a certain location and order a "___" (this being the password/proof you are there to deliver these papers) and you are told to take it from there.



* Who is the character I am playing?
You're an errand boy for one of the best known inventors in the UK, who has recently finished blueprints of a revolutionary invention that has yet to be revealed to the public eye.
* What is my goal as a player?
You have to make sure the blueprints arrive safely and end up in the right hands, at the location you are told to go to, and avoid them being destroyed or stolen in the process of getting them there.
* What time period is the  game set in?
To break it down, it's during the victorian era, but in a steampunk setting.
* What location is it set in?
An industrial victorian United Kingdom, with advanced technology, but still with a victorian theme, and even though it may be steam punk, some things are still very old fashioned and not as advanced as other things. If that makes any sense to you.








***Obstacles, puzzles, collectibles, etc, will be blogged in a seperate post***

Starting my Manchester Assignment

So, for the next four weeks we will all be doing a new assignment that isn't related to Spin Doctor. I am meant to come up with a new game idea, take photographs in Manchester of anything industrial or steampunk-ish, I find interesting, that I think will be a good reference for this assignment. I will also create a level design based on these references, etc. both on paper and in 3D. The theme has to be steampunk/industrial. I can choose between 3 genres:

• Action/Adventure 
• First Person Adventure
• Stylised Platform Game

I'll do a little research first, but I think I'll go for a First Person Adventure in either a Victorian steampunk world or a futuristic industrial steampunky world.