Game Development Proposal

GAME DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL

NARRATIVE DESIGN ELEMENT

NARRATIVE ELEMENT:

Within the overall element you have selected (from linearity, interactivity, character, diegesis,

immersion, intertextuality, emergence), what specific game mechanics or specific interactive

narrative techniques will you use?

Diegesis

CONCEPT

MECHANIC(S) USE:

For some narrative design elements a single mechanic might be enough (i.e. under diegesis, you

might utilise the single technique of world­building and develop an environment that tells story

through its physical and art design). For others, you might have multiple (say for intertextuality, you might use the narrative technique of micronarrative fragments alongside cut­scenes that evoke the conventions of a particular genre). Just remember that you have to develop concept art that illustrates your choices, so keep the scope of your design quite focused.

Physical properties/consequences/what tells me the logic of the world/the micro-narrative, what they interact with and how it tells stuff, describe the levels, jump over stuff

IMAGINATIVE IMMERSION:

The Tropical Continent has 2 different plants: one aggressive plant (enemy) and a healing plant. 
The enemy plant is called: Tutela and is a common plant, it grows more commonly near water but can be found across the Tropical Continent. The plant lives from eating insects and animals (since no animals are alive, Tutela has become smaller but can still harm Nova or Lux). The player has to navigate through the levels, avoiding the Tutela plant. If they get bitten, their health bar will go down. (Nova's health bar looks similar to a battery)
The healing plant is called: Sanabit and is found on evaluated land, land that is quite high. (mountains, waterfalls) and can be used for either Nova's health or Lux's. As the player progresses throughout the game, the plant will be harder to reach and will restore less health.
Both plants can be found both in the Tropical Continent and the Ice Continent. Their colors differ but their design looks the same.
As the player progresses through the game, different plants will enable different abilities. The player can collect them and give them to Lux. Some of them can help him gain strength to move certain rocks, or to restore his health. The further the player gets in the game, the more plants they will find which will enable Lux different abilities but will only last for a short amount of time. Some of those plants will come in handy when the player reaches the temples as they will make the puzzles/obstacles easier. If the player decides to not collect any plants, it will be harder for the player to navigate around the puzzles/obstacles.
Lux is a reptile creature which lights up at night (most of the creatures on the planet lit up at night as they have no night vision) and the player has to use the creature to navigate through darkness in the levels.
The temples will be dark, so the player has to tell the creature where to stand in order to navigate through. The creature will listen to Nova's commands: stop, go, come here, stand over there. When the player wants to tell Lux where to go, they can click on the creature and click anywhere on the level and enter a command.
As the player goes through the levels



As the player travels through the planet, the Tropical Continent's plants react to Nova when she touches them. Some plants are aggressive and others friendly. The player can pick up certain plants in order to heal the creature. Most of these are found at evaluated places. The player has to find a a way to get them. The Trees have branches which the player can climb on to see a higher view of their surroundings. The levels in the Tropical Continent consist of grass, trees and water. The player has to jump over certain parts in the level (slopes, water falls,) and the aggressive plants will try and bite Nova. The player has to navigate around them (jump over them). Nova is not allowed to kill any plants so the player has to find a way through the level, and navigate through the obstacles without harming anything/anyone.

Once the player reaches the temple, they have to navigate through it, using the creature as their only light source. The player has to make sure that no harm comes to the creature, there are some plants inside that are aggressive, so the player has to find a way to go around them and make sure they don't hurt the creature which would cause its health bar will go down. If the heath bar reaches zero, the player has to restart from the last checkpoint. Throughout the levels, the player has to climb up certain parts to show human attributes. There are vines that have grown on some walls, allowing the player to climb up them. Once the player has climbed up, they have to find a way to get the creature up there as well. Sometimes there will be either a button to push which allows the creature to cross of a ladder.

Once night turns, the player has to find a way to hide form NOX, throughout the level will be rocks/water which the player can hide in. If NOX sees the player, they have to run away from it and quickly hide. (NOX will travel the same way as Nova, from left to right, so that the player doesn't have to travel the opposite direction if they have to run from NOX).

Once the player is accompanied by the creature, they have to hide with the creature, telling the creature where to stand. If NOX finds the creature the player as to quickly run away with Lux but if the creature finds Nova or Lux, the player re spawns at a checkpoint. (before night time)

ENVIRONMENT DESIGN– MOOD/ATMOSPHERE (ART DESIGN)

In my game I will use the Environment Designs to help tell the story visually.

The Tropical Continent, is full of vibrant colors which gives the player a feeling of awe and an excitement to explore the colorful world. As night turns, all of the colors disappear, leaving the player the only light of the moon, this gives an atmosphere of unsettling loneliness, as it dawns on the player that they haven't found any life yet. Once the player finds the creature, it lights up during night, giving the player a sense of hope. The player ventures into the first temple which is dark, using the creature as their only light source, giving a mysterious atmosphere. The Creature becomes all the more important in the story as it is the only light source, and this communicated through the environment being dark, highlighting the creature.

Once the player finishes the first temple, they continue walking through the Tropical Continent, as they get closer to the Ice Continent, Ice bergs start to appear in the background. Because the ice bergs are sharp, it created a feeling of danger, setting up for a key plot point/climax.

As the player reaches the Ice Continent, it is full or sharp Ice bergs and caves that are dark. But once night dawns, the ice lights up with bright turquoise colors which are bright and colorful. At first the Ice Continent is harsh and plain but at night it becomes colorful. This foreshadows the experience the interaction with Nox, later in the game.

JUSTIFICATION

Why have you chosen these mechanics? Tell us what about them makes the kind of interactive

storytelling you have planned effective. Why are these best way to translate your linear source

narrative into a video game?

Why is the technique you picked the most important?

I like the idea of “showing but not telling” which works well for my story. The story is simple but I want the player to experience it through its art and physical design. The theme of “looks are deceiving” works the best through the art design. The player sees it more clearly.

Most games nowadays are about shooting/fighting, I want the physical design to show how you can avoid all the fighting/conflicts and still have fun playing a game through its interesting level design.

RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER ELEMENTS YET TO DEVELOP:

Give a sense of the big picture and where it all fits in (eg character, is it the most important bit?) the edges of the story, cinematics etc platforming, interface Immersion or Intertextuality – talk about inspired sci fi movies/games

LINEARITY

• Micro-narrative is all the scribbles in the caves/temples which give hints of the backstory
• incorporating micro-narrative into diegesis, makes the player pay attention to the environment more, because they are intrigued in the narrative and its mystery

CHARACTER

• Character is important because Nova interacts with the Diegesis. Nova's colors are minimal, mainly white which contrasts greatly with the vibrant colors of the Environment, making her stand out.
• Nova and the Creature create a bond throughout the game which is shown through the diegesis (their interactions with one another and the environment) which develop through the narrative

IMMERSION OR INTERTEXTUALITY – talk about inspired sci fi movies/games

• Immersion through character/environments
• The character's feelings are displayed through the environments, which makes the diegesis immersive
• The gameplay has variation: puzzle solving, stealth, run and jump.
• The Micro-narrative immerses the player through showing but not telling
• 
  
• Blade Runner  

SOURCE NARRATIVE

STRENGTHS AND ASPECTS OR ASSETS TO RETAIN:

What about the source narrative suits your chosen narrative element and mechanics?

What works – about the story – what is good

I think telling the story/mood of the game through its art design works well. The colors and designs work well within the game world.

When Nova lands on the tropical continent for the first time the background is colorful and vibrant, showing that Nova is new to the world and how she sees it through her eyes. As night turns, the environment becomes darker and more scary showing the player that not everything is as it seems. Once Nova goes inside the cave, the inside has scribbles inside which hint at a back story of the game and what happened to the planet. The temple is rusty and plants have started growing inside, this shows that the temple has been there for a while. The puzzles inside reflect how the engineers through humans work, which gives a feeling that someone has been on the plant before Nova. The Machine has bits falling off and has plants growing on it, this makes it easier to empathize with it later in the game. It's appearance is scary but the things falling off gives it the impression that it is broken.

WEAKNESS AND ASPECTS OR ASSETS TO DEVELOP:

What about the source narrative doesn’t suit your chosen element and mechanics, or will need to be given closer attention as part of your story’s conversion into interactivity?

What doesn't work – what's shit about it

I think the game mechanics/gameplay could be worked on. The puzzle side of the game is not too clear and need to be worked on. I think I have the visual aspects/story of the game down but need to work on the gameplay side of it.