Golem and Player Conversation

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Hero Exercise: Part 1

Character 1

Character 2

Character 3

Customizable Attributes:

• Cosmetic: 
• Shoes, gloves, pants, shirt, head-ware, overcoat, weapons
• Gameplay modifiers:
• Shoes: change how fast you can run, what types of jumps you can perform.
• Head-ware: enables and/or enhances abilities used during combat
• Weapons: Perform different attacks, restricted to certain player classes. 

Specific to Character 1

• Character type: Tank, large and bulky, highly damage resistant.
• Cosmetic:
• Large coats, more bulky than others,
• Gameplay modifiers:
• Larger weapons perform more slowly, do more damage.
• Coats/armor make the character slower, more damage resistant.

Specific to Character 2

• Character type: Fast and nimble, strictly uses non-ranged weapons.
• Cosmetic:
• Sparse, more classical martial-artist style clothing. 
• Weapons all hand-to-hand, staff type, as well as other blunt objects.
• Gameplay modifiers:

Exercise, March 4th

Here is the document:



https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AcIbewtBCaD5ZDR6bjIzd184aHMya21iZzI&hl=en&authkey=CK_A8ZUD

Atari Game Exploration - Milipede

Student Name: Cory Boyd

Today’s Date: February 25, 2011

Game Title Examined: Milipede

Year of Publication: 1982

Game Publisher: Atari

1 - What is the game genre (e.g. shoot-em-up, racing, sports, puzzle, MMORPG, ‘sandbox’, music sequence following game (e.g. DDR, guitar hero)


Top-down shooter.

2 -What is the type of game ‘world’ or environment (e.g. flat environment, puzzle/maze space, 3D world?)

Flat, supposedly outdoor environment.

3 - What is the perspective taken by player (e.g first person, third person perspective, top down, isometric) in relation to main player controlled character.


Top down.

4 - What is the actual gameplay – what does the player have to do?

The player shoots milipedes, and various other enemies, in order to progress through the never ending stream of levels.

5 - Is the gameplay intuitive? (i.e. is it easy to understand what to do without instructions?) describe.

Yes, the only button shoots, and you immediately try to use this ability to slightly delay your death.

6 - Is the gameplay patterned (game does the same thing over & over) or is it random (happens differently every time?)

The game is randomized by the players actions, but may be patterned without player interaction (although the game would go nowhere in that case).

7 - What does the type of graphic approach used as well as the audio tell you about the limits of the technology at the time the game was published?

You can immediately tell the game is dated from the Atari graphics and sounds. To cope with this, the gameplay is very simple, you simply make sure your semi-distinguishable shape does not touch any other one.

8 - Describe your views about the game from the point of view of:

• Ease of play:
• Easy for about 10 seconds, then everything approaches warp speed.
• Enjoyability:
• Due to the difficulty, getting progressively farther is rewarding.
• Level of engagement/immersion: 
• Very engaging if you strive to get farther.

9 - Had you played this game prior to this time? If so, when?

As far back as ~10 years ago, I have played clones and variations of this game, but not the actual game itself.

10 - What does playing the game remind you of in terms of other games/media?

The game captures a certain competitive spirit found in similar games, the spirit that drives you to play again, despite your utter defeat, just to see if you can get farther.

Game Proposal

1)     Write a high concept statement: a few sentences that give a general flavor of the game. You can make references to other games, movies, book, or any other media if your game contains simlar characters actions or ideas.

A platforming adventure game where you explore your own psyche, trying to unravel some mystery. Takes cues from games such as Psychonauts (primary gameplay mechanic) and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (adventure), as well as films such as Inception and Shutter Island. The game would have a mysterious tone guiding the player to complete the game.

2)     What is the player’s role? Is the player pretending to be someone or something, and if so what? Is there more than one? How does the player’s role help to define the gameplay?


The players goal is to find memories, and other manifestations of thought, which help them to overcome a mental roadblock. As the players progresses, the psyche presents itself in different ways.

3)     Does the game have an avatar or other key character? Describe him/her/it


The avatar, as presented to the player, would be faceless, yet dynamic to the given state of the game. Since the avatar is actually  the mental manifestation of itself, it changes.

4)     What is the nature of the gameplay, in general terms? What kinds of challenges will the player face? What kinds of actions will the player take to overcome them?


In nature, its a platforming adventure game, with limited physical obstacles to hinder the players progress. The main obstacle lies in unlocking areas of the game world by completing puzzles, and having certain unlocks at certain times.

5)     What is the player’s interaction model? Omnipresent? Through an avatar? Something else? Some combination?


The players interacts with the world as their own mental image of themselves, so by proxy, an avatar.

6)     What is the game’s primary camera model? How will the player view the game’s world on the screen? Will there be more than one perspective?


The entire game will be in a 2D side view, just like Metroid and Symphony of the Night.

7)     Does the game fall into an existing genre? If so, which one?


Platforming and Adventure, with Mystery as a sub-genre.

8)     Is the game competitive, cooperative, team-based or single player? If multiple players are allowed are they using the same machine with separate controls or different machines over a network?


The entire game is single player.

9)     Why would anyone want to play this game? Who is the game’s target audience? What characteristics distinguise them from the mass of players in general?


The game concept is the main draw, unlocking the mysteries of some characters mind should keep the player going once hooked. The target audience is gamers who grew up with, and still enjoy playing platforming games, who would respect seeing more serious themes and atmospheres in their beloved genre. This is not an entirely new twist on the genre, but it is not in the mainstream of the game development world either.

10)   What machine or machines is the game intended to run on? Can it make use of or will it require any particular hardware such as dance mats or a camera?

It would be intended for play on PCs (Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux). The only hardware required would be a keyboard, mouse optional for menu interaction.

11)   What is the game’s setting? Where does it take place?


The setting is the psyche of an at first unknown character. Places within this setting will be based on the thoughts that form them-- houses, streets, forests, etc. When wandering between these thoughts, the setting is a sort of "null space," populated with random fragments of thought and imagination, in an empty white space. All of this is connected together onto a single explorable world, just like Metroid.

12)   Will the game be broken into levels? What might be the victory condition for a typical level?

No, the game is essentially a single level, but different parts of this world are unlocked and available to the player only after certains conditions are satisfied.

13)   Does the game have a narrative or story as it goes along? Summarize the plot in a sentence or two.


Yes, the gameplay is essentially the player discovering hidden memories, which will act as the story,  rewarding the player for their exploration. You explore the psyche of an unknown individual that is locked away inside of their own mind. By exploring this unknown mind, discovering and releasing dark ideas, secrets, and pent-up feelings within, you free the individual from their mind-lock, discovering that they are just a normal person. 

Us vs. It

Robot Programming:

• Action Points: 
• 3
• Abilities:
• Laser Eye
• Fist
• Move/Rotate
• Triggers
• Laser Eye (Damage: Variable)
• If a tank is in front of the robot, no more than three spaces away.
• NOTE: Damage dealt varies with distance. The damage done per block away from the robot is:
• 0, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1, 0
• Fist (Damage: 2)
• If a tank is in an adjacent square, then use the fist.
• NOTE: Fist only damages tanks that are in tiles directly adjacent to the robot, i.e. damage is dealt in a 'plus' shaped pattern.

• Action Programming:

1. Laser
2. Turn toward last attacker
3. If not facing last attacker, turn toward last attacker
4. Fist
5. Turn Left if space in front of and to the right of robot occupied
6. Turn Right if space in front of and to the left of robot occupied
7. Move Forward
8. Fist
9. Turn to face goal side
10. Move

Chess Variant - Chessthair

Group members: Cory, Christian, John, Jeff

Game Objective: Place all of the pieces, excluding the pawns, back onto the board.

Playtime Average: 2-3 minutes

Rules: Each player begins the game by placing their king anywhere on the board. The two kings are incapable of taking each other out, but are allowed in adjacent squares. The two players take turns placing their remaining pieces on the board. At the beginning of your turn, you must move your king out of check and then place your next piece. Each piece placed must put the opposite colored king in check. The game ends when all pieces have been placed on the board, or if either king is unable to move. The players win if the kings survive after all pieces are placed on the board, and lose if either king is locked in check mate.

Play Example:

• White player places his king on E2
• Black player places his king on B6
• White player places rook on B1, black players king is in check.
• Black player places moves his king out of check to C6, then places his knight on C1.