Priority of Game Mechanics for A.I.A.--Wrath Level

As I'm moving forward and trying to get a handle on kismet, I realize that I need to prioritize the game mechanics that I previously listed out so I can make sure that within the time frame that I have to finish this demo, I can finish with a solid, enjoyable game with workable, interesting game mechanics.
So, here's my list so far.

1. Enemy Spawns--fix the bug, get them to shoot at player and pepper them around the level.
2. Floor Sensors--I've gotten them to push into the floor when the player steps on them, rise back off when the player steps off and make a nice sound as this happens. Now I need to make sure that they are all connected so that when the player moves the large crates on to them that they will unlock the middle door.
3. Push/Pull of Crate--in order to get the floor sensors puzzle to work, I need to make sure I can get the player to push/pull the large crates around the room and on to the floor sensors.
4. Levers--there are two levers in the level where the player must be able to flip the lever in order to open the door to Q2 and to the Boss Room. (Done--I had to keep them in the same room and in a close vicinity to the trigger. For some reason it wouldn't work in another room, so I had to make a few changes but I was able to make a button work in Q1 that I hid behind two movable crates. Once you move the crates and touch the button, the door will open. I'm still looking to figure it out. I'm sure it will work but I'm sure it's a bit more sophistocated then what I know right now)
5. Enemy drops--enemies need to drop ammo, health and fuses
6. Ammo pickups--easy, already made health pick ups. Just need to do this with ammo. (Done)
7. Q3 Puzzle--need to figure that out. (Done. I have 5 spheres that the player will need to figure out how to get access to in order to get what's inside--like health or another level to open a gate. There are several statues in the Q3 that the player must find and touch. When you touch the 5 correct ones, the sphere associated with that statue will rise and the player will have access.  The wrong statue will just show a text prompt. I still have to learn how to have the key work for opening the door.)
8. Beef the boss up--I need to make sure that the stats on the boss is harder than all of the other enemies so it's a more difficult fight.
9. Lighting--need to set the mood (I have an inital pass on the lighting done)
10. Door lights/alarms--Red/Green lights on the locked doors, alarm before the enemies spawn during the Circuit Box puzzle in Q2.
11. Enemy Swarms--for Q2, I need to trigger enemies to spawn with an audio alarm that will happen after the player touches the circuit box. Whether it's the first time they touch it to activate the puzzle spawn or after they put the fuses in the box.
12. Circuit box--goes hand in hand with #11. The enemies will drop a fuse during 4 waves of attack and the player must put the fuses into the circuit box and once all four have been put back in, the door to Q3 will open. This might be a challenge.

I think, since I'm working on this alone and within a short time frame (only about 4 weeks left) I'm hoping to at least have a solid layout and core mechanics created within UDK so show that I have some experience with the engine. Of course I will continue to work on my UDK skills afterwards.

Room Filled out more

Floor Sensor Puzzle Images

Kismet--Beginning Door Animation

A.I.A. Blockout for "Wrath" level

Updated Faerie Game Board

After 5 different play tests, I think Faeries has come a long way to being close to finished. I've made a ton of changes and modifications to the game based on the player's feedback and look forward to the next play testing.

Faeries--Board Game Process

There are four Seasons in the Faeries board  game—Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer.

I’m so excited to be moving forward on this game. I’m hoping to to play test this again tomorrow night.

Game Mechanics--A.I.A.

Game Mechanics for A.I.A.

Listed below are the Game Mechanics that will need to be implimented within Angelic Intelligence Agency:

Player shoots gun

Player picks up new gun

Player pushes/pulls chest

Floor sensor—when player steps on sensor or places a chest on top of it, the sensor will push down. When the playe steps off the sensor or moves the chest off of it, the sensor will go back up to it’s first position

Enemy spawns

Enemy trigger—when certain swarm of enemies are defeated, a door will unlock

Enemy swarm—enemies 10-15 at a time (randomizing in spawning so as not to completely overwhelm the player).

Enemy item drop—health or ammo drops

Health/Ammo pickups

Lights/glow on objects—objects that the player must interact with will have a light or glow to it so it is obvious that that is interactive. Also, once the object has been placed in the correct location, the object will shimmer with a quick light or glow

Player picks up items—gun, ammo, health, AOG upgrade item

Lever—player will activate a lever which will unlock a door

Circuit Box—player will activate the circuit box by collecting fuse that the enemies drop at a random rate and place them one at a time in the circuit box in order to unlock a door. Player must collect 4 circuit breakers in order to unlock the door.

Circuit Box trigger—when the player opens the circuit box, enemies will spawn after 15 seconds. A text prompt will show on the screen (GUI) to instruct the player that they must “collect 4 fuses to unlock the door”.

Place gun in player’s hands from start of game

Health vortex—special vortex’ of green light will appear

AOG Item will give an upgrade to the player making them stronger before fighting the boss

Key—Player picks up key and uses it to open a locked door

Enemies path—enemies will walk a specific path and when player enters the trigger zone the enemy will attack

A.I.A. Flow charts

Here is the first draft of A.I.A. ‘s Level One—Wrath’s Quadrant One Floor Sensor Puzzle Flow Chart. This was interesting to work out and I’m hoping that I worked it out correctly. I can totally see how doing this makes things easier to see and work out the puzzles and flow of the game.

After going over my first flow chart, I found that it was too linear and not clear enough in expressing what is going on in the puzzle. This new chart should make it easier for anyone who sees this chart to understand the choices the player has to make and the consequences that those choices will bring the player.

Floor Sensor Puzzle Storyboard



Here’s the Floor Sensor Puzzle Storyboard from the Diorama I made

Getting Excited

I’m getting pretty excited about the direction of where things are going in class and for my portfolio. It feels like I can finally call myself a game designer. I think with the layout blocking in UDK for “Wrath” and continued building on “Faeries”, my board game, that I finally have some solid stuff to show employers.

I had a blast game testing “Faeries”. What a treat to have so many people play and enjoy my game with great feedback. Maybe I can shop it??

I’d love to continue to develop “A.I.A.” someday. It’s funny how projects that I worked on years ago begin to surface and still make me excited about the process of designing and creating a fun experience for all who play.

I have a ton of work to do, but it will be worth it.

When I got home tonight after class I tore apart my apartment for pieces that I could use for the diorama. I cannibalized my Indiana Jones Monopoly, Risk, Faeries, Creative Memory poster board, markers and other odds and ends to create this diorama for Quadrant One of Wrath. I’ll post pictures up tomorrow.  I also worked on the Flow Chart, which I’ll post tomorrow as well. I need to redraw it in Photoshop so it will be cleaner.  All of this stuff, I will include in my A.I.A. Design Book.

A.I.A. Presentation

I seemed to have packed a great deal of info in my presentation and I will definitely need to pair it down.

I had some computer issues, so I have been a little behind, but I was able to read over all of my instructors power points on Level Design and am really looking forward to digging in deep and streamline my level, “Wrath”.

I think it would be best if I did another map of my level, add paths of where the player will travel and possibly separate each of the quadrants on one page so we can see each quadrant more clearly.  The size of the level is quite huge and it might be best to make it 4 quadrants instead of 6 and fine tune the puzzles and game mechanics.

 I like to be able to have a mix between the fighting (shooting) and deductive reasoning and puzzle solving.

I don’t want to have too much information for the player once they get into level, except for how to walk, shoot, have special camera moves showing the key areas that the player will need to hit, like how they have in God of War.  I think the challenge will be setting the triggers, timing and order of puzzles.

I’d like to have the following puzzles:

Floor sensors—the player must find heavy objects, crates, rocks, or dead bodies, and move them onto the floor sensors in order to lift the Quadrant 2 gate.

Symbol Order—the player must find the symbols in a quadrant and push them in the correct order in order to open a gate to reveal a lever that the player will have to flip in order to open another Quadrant gate OR to make the Altar raise, revealing one of the AOG pieces.

Circuit Game—It would be really cool to set up a circuit game where the player will have to fix the wires on the circuit board in order to open the secret door which would reveal another lever which would open another gate for health/ammo OR another quadrant gate.

Candle lighting task—the player must light the candles in the altar room in order to reveal the secret Altar door where one of the AOG pieces are OR to summon the first demon boss for the player to fight.

Getting Started with A.I.A. Game

Just had my first class with Andre and I’m excited to get to learn all things game design.  Right now, we’re going to work on my game idea for Angelic Intelligence Agency. I started this project two years ago and have a full game document that will need to be updated. I’ve also worked on the first level, “Wrath”, which I will work on this quarter.

 I’m going to work on a presentation for A.I.A. and include a section about what I am hoping to do within 10 weeks time.

 •Pitch/Promote game idea

 •few slides of info on prototype, list people I might have to help me
 •be realistic with time allotted

We’ll create the prototype in UDK.

I’m also going to re-evaluate my level design for Wrath and compare it with the notes that Andre gave me during the lecture and see what changes need to be made.

Next week, Week 2, we’re going to make a Paper Prototype and I’ll bring a bunch of things:

 •Props

 •Poster board (maybe)
 •Dice
 •Playing Cards
 •Character Pieces
 •Etc.