Turbo Dolphin Sled-Pull Racing
by Gary Denyer · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 05/01/2006 (11:56 am) · 1 replies
MULTI-PLAYER game.
Levels are icey race tracks. You start mounted on a sled with a dolphin tethered up to it. The track circumnavigates a large salt water lake filled with Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins.
When the start gun goes off, you frantically whip the dolphin to get yourself under way. The dolphin proceeds to pull the sled by thrashing around viciously, but generally in a forward direction (this makes for some interesting steering manouvers).
Once your dolphins runs out of energy, it dies. You then need to replace it by running to the trackside lake and catching another dolphin. This is done by the strategic employment of a lure and a rather large club.
The dolphins in the lake have different energy levels and other attributes, so you have to try and lure in an elite dolphin (denoted by a floating energy decal above each dolphin). Catching a good dolphin also requires more time and effort on the players part, so there is a trade-off between catching a good dolphin that goes the distance, and catching a bunch of crap dolphins every so often.
You then drag the stunned aquatic mammal to your sled and tether him before he regains conciousness... and you're off again! If he regains conciousness before you can tether him to the sled, the dolphin used his tail to knock the complete crap out of you. You are then dragged off by your pit crew.
Whoever completes the pre-determined amount of total laps of the track wins, of course.
I don't know if this game would fly with Greenpeace, but it might be jolly good fun!
Just wanted to compete with all the penguin ideas... LOL! (do not take the above game idea too seriously!)
Levels are icey race tracks. You start mounted on a sled with a dolphin tethered up to it. The track circumnavigates a large salt water lake filled with Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins.
When the start gun goes off, you frantically whip the dolphin to get yourself under way. The dolphin proceeds to pull the sled by thrashing around viciously, but generally in a forward direction (this makes for some interesting steering manouvers).
Once your dolphins runs out of energy, it dies. You then need to replace it by running to the trackside lake and catching another dolphin. This is done by the strategic employment of a lure and a rather large club.
The dolphins in the lake have different energy levels and other attributes, so you have to try and lure in an elite dolphin (denoted by a floating energy decal above each dolphin). Catching a good dolphin also requires more time and effort on the players part, so there is a trade-off between catching a good dolphin that goes the distance, and catching a bunch of crap dolphins every so often.
You then drag the stunned aquatic mammal to your sled and tether him before he regains conciousness... and you're off again! If he regains conciousness before you can tether him to the sled, the dolphin used his tail to knock the complete crap out of you. You are then dragged off by your pit crew.
Whoever completes the pre-determined amount of total laps of the track wins, of course.
I don't know if this game would fly with Greenpeace, but it might be jolly good fun!
Just wanted to compete with all the penguin ideas... LOL! (do not take the above game idea too seriously!)
James Poag
See, the dolphins serve as a way to recharge the sled and/or help you complete the race(?). Gasoline essentially. I don't think the premise of the game should be 'get as much gas as possible'.
Perhaps you should place 'items' on the track. Perhaps baby seals. If you did that then you could have a 'collecting' aspect to the game. Your avatar could carry a club and lean over the edge of the sled... If you did that, then your sled sponsor logos could be various clothing lines.
Collecting items adds replay value (remember Banjo-Kazooie?). Collect enough baby seals to keep your sponsors happy.
Also, obstacles are essential. Normally in racing games the obstacles are physical (Bounded-box collision walls etc...). In cart racers, they also use sandtraps or grass to slow the vehicle. Since you have a dolphin, you should consider the dolphins natural enemy: tuna nets (or walruses, I forget which). Slowing the player down not only causes them to lose the race, but baby seals as well (to other players).
Also, Greenpeace vesels could serve the same purpose as the cop cars in Need for Speed. When the player stops to club a new dolphin, the greenpeace vesel could close in... However, those vesels are very large and the player can 'pull-into' a small passage to catch the next dolphin. Pit-Stop.
Speaking of penguins, you could use them for foder the way MarioKart uses turtle shells...
The point is, no idea is a bad idea. As long as you have a target audience (which is, presumably, not the ASPCA). The thing is that nolvety will only carry you so far when playing a game. Novelty is the big bright sign that says "Try me, and show this to all your friends." Once inside, you'll have to rely on good old fashion gameplay to keep them coming back.