Looking For Critique on Game Design
by Brian "Ayavaron" Ross II · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 09/29/2005 (4:16 pm) · 13 replies
I'm looking for critique on my game design and also possibly someone who I can pay to dot he programming aspects of the game for me. In the event that you are interested in such, please contact me on AIM or email. Both contact links can be found in my profile. ANd before I get into my design doc, one more thing, please no one steal my idea. I'd like to think its fairly original and I'd rather not have it immediately spawn clones.
With that out of the way, I begin.
CODENAME: PAYFORCOLLEGE
Game Design Doc
OBJECTIVE:
Collect a pre-set number of marbles in the level and return them to the teleporter.
GAMEPLAY:
You control a ship with 10 hitpoints and has two abilities. One ability is a tractor beam to pull a marble towards your ship. Pressing the same button again sends it forward. Your other ability is to fire a weapon in the direction that your ship is facing.
The game is played from a top-down perspective.
Your default weapon can go through walls and certain types of marbles.
Upon booting the game for the first time, the player gets to choose a control method. This can be changed later on from the game menu.
Control Method 1:
The ship goes towards the mouse wherever it is on the screen. Pressing the mouse button will shoot in the direction the ship is facing. If you are facing a marble, you will pick up the marble. If you press the button while holding a marble, you will drop the marble. This method is meant for people who have one-button mouses.
Control Method 2:
The ship's direction follows the mouse but a cursor is visible on the screen. Left-Clicking causes the ship to go to the clicked on location. Middle-Clicking or assignable key (defaulted as Alt) causes the ship to activate tractor beams. Right-Clicking or assignable key (defaulted as Space) causes the ship to fire its weapons.
Control Method 3:
Player uses assignable keys to move the ship up, down, left and right. These are defaulted as both WASD and the arrow keys. Assignable keys are for fire (Space) and Tractor-Beams. (Alt) The ship faces the direction of the mouse and the mouse buttons from Control Method 2 are still usable.
Control Method 4:
Player uses assignable keys to move the ship forward and backward, and other assignable keys for rotating the ship left and right. Firing is assignable but defaulted to Space and Tractor-Beams are also assignable but defaulted to Alt. The mouse is not used.
Colliding marbles causes an explosion of a to be decided radius. The explosion starts with 2 damage. For every marble that the explosion catches, the damage and radius doubles. The marbles are unaffected by the explosions.
You move with the mouse and your ship faces whatever direction the mouse was last moved in. Your ship should follow your cursor.
With that out of the way, I begin.
CODENAME: PAYFORCOLLEGE
Game Design Doc
OBJECTIVE:
Collect a pre-set number of marbles in the level and return them to the teleporter.
GAMEPLAY:
You control a ship with 10 hitpoints and has two abilities. One ability is a tractor beam to pull a marble towards your ship. Pressing the same button again sends it forward. Your other ability is to fire a weapon in the direction that your ship is facing.
The game is played from a top-down perspective.
Your default weapon can go through walls and certain types of marbles.
Upon booting the game for the first time, the player gets to choose a control method. This can be changed later on from the game menu.
Control Method 1:
The ship goes towards the mouse wherever it is on the screen. Pressing the mouse button will shoot in the direction the ship is facing. If you are facing a marble, you will pick up the marble. If you press the button while holding a marble, you will drop the marble. This method is meant for people who have one-button mouses.
Control Method 2:
The ship's direction follows the mouse but a cursor is visible on the screen. Left-Clicking causes the ship to go to the clicked on location. Middle-Clicking or assignable key (defaulted as Alt) causes the ship to activate tractor beams. Right-Clicking or assignable key (defaulted as Space) causes the ship to fire its weapons.
Control Method 3:
Player uses assignable keys to move the ship up, down, left and right. These are defaulted as both WASD and the arrow keys. Assignable keys are for fire (Space) and Tractor-Beams. (Alt) The ship faces the direction of the mouse and the mouse buttons from Control Method 2 are still usable.
Control Method 4:
Player uses assignable keys to move the ship forward and backward, and other assignable keys for rotating the ship left and right. Firing is assignable but defaulted to Space and Tractor-Beams are also assignable but defaulted to Alt. The mouse is not used.
Colliding marbles causes an explosion of a to be decided radius. The explosion starts with 2 damage. For every marble that the explosion catches, the damage and radius doubles. The marbles are unaffected by the explosions.
You move with the mouse and your ship faces whatever direction the mouse was last moved in. Your ship should follow your cursor.
#2
MARBLE TYPES:
Holding a marble imbues you with a handicap or added ability.
Speed:
Makes you go twice as fast.
Slow:
Makes you move at half speed.
Armor 1:
Enemy attacks deal half (rounded up) damage to you.
Armor 2:
Enemy attacks deal no damage to you.
Shield Drain:
Enemy attacks deal double-damage.
Virus:
Makes all movement controls backwards.
Falsie 1:
You can pick them up, but when you release them, they fly forward and explode upon collision, dealing the equivalent of 5 hits from your standard gun within an undecided radius.
Falsie 2:
Stepping within a to be decided radius from this type of marble does 4 damage to you.
Brick:
Acts like a wall to enemies and blocks all shots, both yours and the enemy's.
09/29/2005 (4:18 pm)
Continued from previous post:MARBLE TYPES:
Holding a marble imbues you with a handicap or added ability.
Speed:
Makes you go twice as fast.
Slow:
Makes you move at half speed.
Armor 1:
Enemy attacks deal half (rounded up) damage to you.
Armor 2:
Enemy attacks deal no damage to you.
Shield Drain:
Enemy attacks deal double-damage.
Virus:
Makes all movement controls backwards.
Falsie 1:
You can pick them up, but when you release them, they fly forward and explode upon collision, dealing the equivalent of 5 hits from your standard gun within an undecided radius.
Falsie 2:
Stepping within a to be decided radius from this type of marble does 4 damage to you.
Brick:
Acts like a wall to enemies and blocks all shots, both yours and the enemy's.
#3
WEAPON POWERUPS:
Your weapons do not stay the same for the game's entirety. You can pick up powerups that wil imbue with the powers of better (or at least different) weapons to assist you. Powerups will respawn in their original location an undecided amount of time after being picked up. Powerups stay equipped for a pre-set but currently undecided amount of time.
Boomerang:
Goes in a circle starting with your left side. It does the same damage as your regular gun but can also push marbles it collides
with along its path. It can pass walls but pushed marbles can't.
Up to 3 Boomerangs can be released at once.
Missile:
Unable to fire as fast as your regular weapon but does 3 times
as much damage.
Marble Detonater:
When you collide with a marble and don't grab it, you act like you are another marble and are also invincible to the marble explosion.
PowerShields:
Colliding with an enemy deals it damage equal to one shot from your blaster.
Spread:
Fires 5 shots in a 90 degree spread. The individual shots do half of the damage of a normal shot.
09/29/2005 (4:19 pm)
Continued from previous post:WEAPON POWERUPS:
Your weapons do not stay the same for the game's entirety. You can pick up powerups that wil imbue with the powers of better (or at least different) weapons to assist you. Powerups will respawn in their original location an undecided amount of time after being picked up. Powerups stay equipped for a pre-set but currently undecided amount of time.
Boomerang:
Goes in a circle starting with your left side. It does the same damage as your regular gun but can also push marbles it collides
with along its path. It can pass walls but pushed marbles can't.
Up to 3 Boomerangs can be released at once.
Missile:
Unable to fire as fast as your regular weapon but does 3 times
as much damage.
Marble Detonater:
When you collide with a marble and don't grab it, you act like you are another marble and are also invincible to the marble explosion.
PowerShields:
Colliding with an enemy deals it damage equal to one shot from your blaster.
Spread:
Fires 5 shots in a 90 degree spread. The individual shots do half of the damage of a normal shot.
#4
i'll try reviewing your game idea and give feedback if it's useful.
though i'm personally not one for puzzle games (i hate them ALL) so i doubt i have anything constructive to add.
09/29/2005 (5:09 pm)
I love the name. seriously, it's a nice way to get sympathy points :)i'll try reviewing your game idea and give feedback if it's useful.
though i'm personally not one for puzzle games (i hate them ALL) so i doubt i have anything constructive to add.
#5
Most likely, the marbles will be mined/salvaged minerals or robots in need of rescue. The thing is that I don't want the game to seem dark at all because then I'm worried about making some people think the game is anything other than a puzzler at heart. Cute things and simple premises help sell the idea of a puzzle game to people looking at it without giving it too much scrutiny.
But if it is liked by many people, it might keep the name CODENAME: PAYFORCOLLEGE.
09/29/2005 (5:43 pm)
The name is just a working title. And the marbles are only marbles until I decide what they represent. Functionally, however, they are marbles. There is a lot in ther that I haven't decided, but its all I've got so far. I have some ideas for levels and thats the majority of things I've got.Most likely, the marbles will be mined/salvaged minerals or robots in need of rescue. The thing is that I don't want the game to seem dark at all because then I'm worried about making some people think the game is anything other than a puzzler at heart. Cute things and simple premises help sell the idea of a puzzle game to people looking at it without giving it too much scrutiny.
But if it is liked by many people, it might keep the name CODENAME: PAYFORCOLLEGE.
#6
Can you clarify the ideas around the teleporter? Are there two of them (enemy's and yours)? Are they in fixed / opposite locations?
If your goal is to collect marbles, what is the purpose of causing them to explode? Is it to cause damage to enemies nearby? (my assumption)
Does the tractor beam have a finite range? Is it weaker as the distance to a marble increases?
Do marbles have patterns / colors on them? Is there any notion of collecting marbles in a particular order or pattern?
Are you an artist? Do you have plans for artwork? Do you have any design sketches you can share?
I apologize if these were in your doc and I missed them.
09/29/2005 (9:08 pm)
I like the premise of your game idea. It's clever and simple. I have a couple of questions.Can you clarify the ideas around the teleporter? Are there two of them (enemy's and yours)? Are they in fixed / opposite locations?
If your goal is to collect marbles, what is the purpose of causing them to explode? Is it to cause damage to enemies nearby? (my assumption)
Does the tractor beam have a finite range? Is it weaker as the distance to a marble increases?
Do marbles have patterns / colors on them? Is there any notion of collecting marbles in a particular order or pattern?
Are you an artist? Do you have plans for artwork? Do you have any design sketches you can share?
I apologize if these were in your doc and I missed them.
#7
As for the design. I love it. Sounds interesting and challenging. Reminds me of the game SOLAR JETMAN, for NES.
If you can nail that type of feel... you'd definitely get some attention.
09/29/2005 (9:17 pm)
Make the premise that you are a young intergalactic freighter working a summer job to, you guessed it.....As for the design. I love it. Sounds interesting and challenging. Reminds me of the game SOLAR JETMAN, for NES.
If you can nail that type of feel... you'd definitely get some attention.
#8
"Colliding marbles causes an explosion of a to be decided radius. The explosion starts with 2 damage. For every marble that the explosion catches, the damage and radius doubles. The marbles are unaffected by the explosions."
It doesn't take much doubling for a shape to completely cover the entire screen.
For example, assume 10px diameter explosion as the base.
10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320, 640, 1280, 2560, ...
If you get a marble collision in a marble-dense area it will only take 5 extra marbles to cover a quarter of the average screen, and 7 to cover all of almost *any* screen. Also, the damage doubling along with it would probably mean that nothing would survive the explosion (64 damage at 5 extra marbles, 256 at 7 extra). It might work better to simply have each marble explode for a set radius and damage, chain reactions would still be dangerous, but not to the point where 3 extra marbles would be lethal within 10% of a typical screen.
Just an idea, take it or not.
09/30/2005 (7:11 am)
Sounds like a neat concept. The one thing I'd worry about is:"Colliding marbles causes an explosion of a to be decided radius. The explosion starts with 2 damage. For every marble that the explosion catches, the damage and radius doubles. The marbles are unaffected by the explosions."
It doesn't take much doubling for a shape to completely cover the entire screen.
For example, assume 10px diameter explosion as the base.
10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320, 640, 1280, 2560, ...
If you get a marble collision in a marble-dense area it will only take 5 extra marbles to cover a quarter of the average screen, and 7 to cover all of almost *any* screen. Also, the damage doubling along with it would probably mean that nothing would survive the explosion (64 damage at 5 extra marbles, 256 at 7 extra). It might work better to simply have each marble explode for a set radius and damage, chain reactions would still be dangerous, but not to the point where 3 extra marbles would be lethal within 10% of a typical screen.
Just an idea, take it or not.
#9
Theo, I think thats what I meant, but was too tired when I wrote it,
Chris, here are my answeres:
1. Your teleporter is in a fixed location. THe pirates take marbles toa stockpile because I don't want a level to be made unbeatable because you let a pirate take a mable.
2. I'm not sure which explosions you're talking about. If you mean the falsies, those aren't real marbles, those are traps and things to be used for puzzles.
3. The tractor beam has a range that is as far as the screen extends. The marble moves faster as it gets closer to the ship.
4. There is no set order to get the marbles, but probably the nature of the puzzle will force players to go a certain order. I'm sure people will figure out their own methods at times though.
5. I am an artist, I mostly do 2D, but have some experience in 3D, I'd put up some concept art up if I had done any. I haven't done any yet because I haven't decided the premise. For a notion of my drawing abilities, I'll link to some drawings I have in my Photobucket that I particularly like.
MACROMEDIA FLASH
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/Hand-Drawn%20Art/Poster-Conquer.png
MSpaint
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/OekakiStyle/Vampyre.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/OekakiStyle/UberGuy.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/OekakiStyle/GreetingsFromAncientEgypt.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/OekakiStyle/Ayavaron.gif
SPRITES/PIXEL ART:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/Sprites/CityShaded.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/Sprites/AyaSpritecopy.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/Sprites/BiffChipwell.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/Sprites/Skye.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/Sprites/EarlyFlight.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/Sprites/Cannon.gif
I'll get to editting the game design to show suck information shortly.
09/30/2005 (3:06 pm)
You all make good points and I shall edit the game design to account for these things. Theo, I think thats what I meant, but was too tired when I wrote it,
Chris, here are my answeres:
1. Your teleporter is in a fixed location. THe pirates take marbles toa stockpile because I don't want a level to be made unbeatable because you let a pirate take a mable.
2. I'm not sure which explosions you're talking about. If you mean the falsies, those aren't real marbles, those are traps and things to be used for puzzles.
3. The tractor beam has a range that is as far as the screen extends. The marble moves faster as it gets closer to the ship.
4. There is no set order to get the marbles, but probably the nature of the puzzle will force players to go a certain order. I'm sure people will figure out their own methods at times though.
5. I am an artist, I mostly do 2D, but have some experience in 3D, I'd put up some concept art up if I had done any. I haven't done any yet because I haven't decided the premise. For a notion of my drawing abilities, I'll link to some drawings I have in my Photobucket that I particularly like.
MACROMEDIA FLASH
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/Hand-Drawn%20Art/Poster-Conquer.png
MSpaint
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/OekakiStyle/Vampyre.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/OekakiStyle/UberGuy.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/OekakiStyle/GreetingsFromAncientEgypt.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/OekakiStyle/Ayavaron.gif
SPRITES/PIXEL ART:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/Sprites/CityShaded.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/Sprites/AyaSpritecopy.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/Sprites/BiffChipwell.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/Sprites/Skye.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/Sprites/EarlyFlight.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Ayavaron/Art/Sprites/Cannon.gif
I'll get to editting the game design to show suck information shortly.
#10
10/08/2005 (7:06 pm)
Alrigh i gues... not the best (dont like puzzle games)
#11
KISS (keep it simple, stupid)
not that im calling you stupid. Its just how the accronym goes. It seems like an interesting idea with ALOT of options and playability. Make a SIMPLE prototye and see if many are interested. Its alot easier to get help on an already visible product. Good luck.
10/08/2005 (8:25 pm)
One accronym...KISS (keep it simple, stupid)
not that im calling you stupid. Its just how the accronym goes. It seems like an interesting idea with ALOT of options and playability. Make a SIMPLE prototye and see if many are interested. Its alot easier to get help on an already visible product. Good luck.
#12
10/10/2005 (7:33 am)
Sounds pretty fun. Normally I don't like puzzle games, but this one sounds pretty nice! My normal problem with puzzle games is that they have no options for replayablitity and the gameplay is way too simple, and this dosn't seem to have these problems. I suggest including a multiplayer versus mode, this game would be perfect for it.
#13
P.S. E-mail me when u hav a mock-up i could play (PLEASE?).
01/07/2006 (10:49 pm)
Sounds fun, do remember to keep it simple (stupid) and I like David's idea about the story, I think u should use that. Myltiplayer sounds like it would be frantic and fun. All in all, I like the sound of it.P.S. E-mail me when u hav a mock-up i could play (PLEASE?).
Torque Owner Brian "Ayavaron" Ross II
ENEMIES:
To hinder you on your quest, there are several types of enemies. When an enemy hits you, you lose hit points and you drop any marble you may be carrying.
Marble Hunter:
Marble hunters seek the same marbles you do. They will try to grab the marbles and take them back to their teleporter. They move slower than you. Colliding with them deals 1 damage to you. 4 hits from your weapon will destroy it.
Advanced Marble Hunter:
They move the same speed as you do and behave the same way as a Marble Hunter, only they have a weapon. The weapon moves half as slowly as yours does. The Advanced Marble HUnter can steal marbles from you. Their weapon deals 2 damage to you. Colldign with them deals 1 damage to you. 5 hits from your weapon will destroy it.
Super Marble Hunter:
They move faster than you do. They have all abilities as the Advanced Marble Hunter. Colliding with it deals 2 damage to you. Their weapon deals four damage to you. It takes 10 hits from your weapon to destroy them.
Low-Level Turret:
Slowly turns to send a slow-moving missile at you. A missile does 2 damage to you. 2 hits from your weapon will destroy it. The missiles can be destroyed with 1 hit from your weapon.
Mid-Level Turret:
Turns at a moderate speed to fire a moderate-speed missile toward you. The missile does 4 damage to you. 5 hits from your weapon will destroy the turret. The missiles can be destroyed with 1 hit from your weapon.
High-Level Turret:
Turns at a high speed to fire a quickly moving missile toward you. The missile does 6 damage to you. 10 hits from your weapon will destroy the turret. The missiles can be destroyed with 1 hit from your weapon.
Low-Level Seeker:
Moves slowly towards you. Colliding with it deals 2 damage to you. One hit will destroy it.
Mid-Level Seeker:
Moves at a moderate towards you. Colliding with it deals 2 damage to you. One hit will destroy it.
High-Level Seeker:
Moves quickly towards you. Colliding with it deals 3 damage to you. One hit will destroy it.
Low-Level Assasin:
Attempts to circle around you and fire lasers at you. The lasers deal 2 damage to you. It moves slightly slower than you. Colliding withi it deals 3 damage to you. 2 hits will destroy it.
High-Level Assasin:
Attempts to circle around you and rapidly fire lasers at you. The lasers deal 2 damage to you. It moves the same speed as you. Colliding with it does 3 damage to you. 3 hits will destroy it.