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Alchemica Design Document

Retora Game Studios, 2013






































Table of Contents


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Focus Statement
Game Overview
Background Research
Game Elements
Features
Challenges (Extra stuff)
Background Systems
Timers
Game Manager
Game Progression
Flow
System Menus and GUI
Menu Interfaces
Gameplay Interfaces
Market
Target Audience
Marketing
Distribution
FAQ






Focus Statement
Alchemica is a puzzle-strategy game for mobile devices. Players take the role of Tribal
Character as they sneak, deceive, and trick their way past enemies on there way to finding the
ultimate herb. Gameplay consists of . (Emphasis on cunning over combat). The end goal is to
(goal).

Game Overview
Camera



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Pan Camera

This camera will zoom in and out (pinch) to show the player the part of
the level that doesn't fit on their device. The player will control where the camera
is by click-and-dragging across the screen. A 3 second delay will allow the player
to view the path in front of him before the camera starts to pan back over the
player.


Player Character Camera

As the player moves left,right,up, and down the camera will follow the
player character.



Level Style

Levels are puzzle based with primary and secondary player paths. The
story of this game will progress through each level. Levels will be built on a grid
base of (100m x 100m), each individual grid will be (1m x 1m). This will be used
for modular designing of levels to limit art assets and increase the number of
different and unique levels we can create.

CAMERONs art explanation..


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The vial looking object is simply a representation of an item. The blocks with
trees represent each tree or trees that will take up a number of square grids on
the level.


Gameplay

The gameplay is focused on the collection and use of herbs in order to
get past enemies. The way the herbs are used is up to the player, dynamically
changing game play through player perspectives. There are two, and each spell
requires a different combination of them to increase the strategy used by the
player to complete a level. Players dont fight or kill the monsters, instead the
player uses his wit and knowledge of alchemy to create spells to otherwise
confuse and avoid enemies. Each level also has limited amount of herbs making
the sure player understands he will only have a few chances at escaping with
their life.



Player Controls


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The player character (PC) controls will be relatively simple:
If the player taps a location on-screen where the PC can move, he will use
pathfinding to find a way there.
If the player taps a location on-sceen where the PC cannot move, such as the
top of a tree or behind a rock wall, the player will remain stationary and a tone
will be played that lets the player know that they cannot do that.
If the player taps a ladder, the PC will walk up to the ladder, and the climbing
animation will play as he automatically moves down or up depending on which
level hes going to.



Combat System

Stealth is the main focus of the game, for if a creature touches you youre dead.
Other than the spells interacting with enemies there is no combat system.


Tips/Hints-
This game is for a casual audience, and the nature of the game is that it may not
be immediately evident how to play or effectively use the herbs. Because of this,
well implement a tips system that will cause small textboxes to display helpful
hints on-screen about how to play the game. These tips will be shown in three
places:
During loading screens, with concept art as a background
Through a tips option on the menu screen
At certain places throughout gameplay, for example a simple trigger in the
area where the player gets his second control herb briefly explaining how
to use control.

Art Direction (brief)
Technical Design (brief)

Background Research

Diablo - single click PC movement

Jungle Heat - grid based levels/modular design


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Content.

Game Elements
Systems Breakdown

Overview:
Alchemica uses multiple systems that interact with each other to create a working
game. Each of the categories listed below describe all of the systems that exist in our
game.
Player character health (Dead or Alive)
Player interaction with level (Environment)
Player interaction with enemies
Enemies health (Dead or Alive)
Enemies Path(s) (AI/Animations)
Enemy interaction with other enemies (Battle results)
Enemy interaction with player (Line of sight, detection)
Enemy interaction with level (Environment)
Herbs (Placement and collection)
Background systems(Points, timer, GUI)



Technical Breakdown of Each System:
PC health
The player doesnt have a health bar, but rather dies upon contact with
enemy. No GUI required.

Player interaction with level
The player has the ability to cast the Construct spell on either rock or
gravel piles (which are immobile, non-impeding objects placed in specific
locations throughout the level). This will turn the piles into a wall, which
can be used to traverse gaps in the secondary floor and block enemy
paths. Gravel walls will be impermanent, and crumble after a certain
amount of time, whereas rock walls will stay constructed unless the player
casts construct on them again, at which time they will crumble back to a
pile.



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The player character can walk around the level.

The player character can climb vines to the secondary floor (treetops,
higher terrain, etc.). The player can only get back down using vines (no
jumping down). The player has to click the vines to climb them.

The player character will be able to pick up herbs scattered throughout the
level by walking over the herbs.

Player interaction with enemy
The player will die instantly if he touches or gets touched by an enemy.

The player can cast spells on enemy (these effects are located under the
Spells heading).


Enemies

Large Enemy
Huge (1.5 - 2 x Human Size)
Small Sight Radius (2m x 2m)??
.5 x Speed of Player at Walk
Slightly slower than the player at run
Can patrol, but is often stationary

Medium Enemy
Average Size (Human Size)
Average sight radius (3m x 3m)??
1 x Speed of Player at Walk
1.5 x Faster than Player at Run
Patrols Along Paths

Small Enemy
Small ( - Human Size)
Large sight radius (5m x 5m)??
1.2 x Speed of Player at Walk
2 x Faster Than Player at Run
Stays Localized
Changes Direction A lot
Hard to Sneak by
Patrols Sporadically


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Spells


Construct
Transforms piles of Rocks or Gravel into a wall
Used to traverse gaps between treetops
Used to block enemy movement and line of sight
Gravel crumbles after a certain amount of time
Rock walls will not break, disappear, or diminish
Construct can be used again to disassemble the wall
Requires: 1 Control herb

Invisibility
Makes the player character turn invisible for a certain amount of
time (10s)
Timer only ticks while the player is moving, if he is still, the timer
stops
Note: does not make the player invulnerable, he is still eaten if he
touches an enemy
Requires: 2 Illusion herbs


Control
Gives the player the ability to control an enemys movements
Single click...content
Note: Cannot make the enemy attack other enemies
Requires: 2 Control herbs
Affects 1 Enemy

Rage
Creates taunting enemy image which causes other enemies to
become enraged and charge at it
When this spell is cast, a radius will be shown briefly which will
highlight the area of the spell effect
If two enemies collide and one or both are enraged, they will fight,
which will always cause the weaker one to die (if two are the same
strength, a random one will be chosen to die)
Requires: 1 Illusion, 1 Control herb
Affects 4X4 Grid
Affects 2 Enemies


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Distraction
Creates a doppelganger of a whimpering animal, which distracts
certain enemies for a certain amount of time
When this spell is cast, a radius will be shown briefly which will
highlight the area of the spell effect
Enemies turn towards area of effect and remain staring at that
location for a certain amount of time (depending on enemy)
Requires: 1 Illusion herb
Affects 4X4 Grid
Affects Multiple Enemies

Graphical Representation of Spell Effects

Enemy Construct Invisibility Control Rage Distraction
Small Enemy Can be
trapped by
constructed
walls and have
its movements
limited
Fooled by
Invisibility (still
kills character
upon collision)
Can be
controlled
Can be
enraged (can
be eaten by
larger enemy
or same
enemy)
Doesn't stay
distracted
Long
Time N/A N/A Duration of
Interface
Duration of
Spell
1 Second
Medium
Enemy
Can be
trapped by
constructed
walls and have
its movements
limited
Fooled by
Invisibility (still
kills character
upon collision)
Can be
controlled
Can be
enraged (can
be eaten by
larger enemy
or same
Enemy)
Stays
Distracted
longer
Time N/A N/A 2 Seconds +
Interface
Duration of
Spell
4 Seconds
Large
Enemy
Can break
through Gravel
walls just by
walking
through them,
still stopped by
rock walls
Not fooled by
Invisibility
Can be
controlled
Cannot be
enraged (can
eat same size
or smaller
enemies if they
run into it while
enraged)
Stays
Distracted
Time N/A N/A 5/6 Seconds +
Interface
N/A 5 Seconds




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Enemies Health
The enemy doesnt have a health bar. If two enemies collide and one or
both are enraged, they will fight, which will always cause the weaker one
to die (if two are the same strength, a random one will be chosen to die). If
enraged, it will die upon contact with another larger or same sized enemy.
The player cant kill enemies directly. When an enemy dies they simply
are defeated and a death animation plays, (Run off the screen or petrified
and falls on back).

Enemy Pathfinding
See technical design doc for more information on pathfinding.
Pathfinding
Using Unitys Navmesh
Changes in Movement (ie patrolling to distracted state)
Accomplished using state machine

Enemy Animations
AI and animations for every character. Each character will have the same
animations, walking, running and idle.

Enemy interaction with other enemies (Battle results)
The larger of the two enemies wins the battle every time. In the event that
both are the same size, one of them will randomly be chosen to die.

Enemy interaction with PC (Line of sight, detection)
The player can only be seen by enemies on the same plane as him (i.e.
enemies cant see the player from the ground while hes in the trees).
Each enemy has different attributes(see table above). Enemies have
three different states.
Idle - stationery
Walk - on patrol no worries
Run - enemy is aware of your presence and charges after the player, or
has been effected by a certain spell (ie...Rage).

Enemy interaction with level
Enemies can only move about the bottom section/layer of the level.
Enemies cant break the Rock walls. Only the large enemy can break the
Gravel wall. The walls act as a line of sight barrier as well as block their
path for a delayed chase or simply traps the enemy in one spot.
Enemies can not climb vines


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Herbs (Placement and collection)
Herbs will be collected when the player taps one on the screen, at which
point the player character will walk to it and pick it up. In each level, the
player starts with no herbs and must collect new ones. There will be
relative scarcity of herbs- since they will not always be abundant, the
player will have to think about the puzzles before he uses his herbs to cast
a spell.
collects through collision

Background systems(Points, timer, GUI)
Background systems consist of mechanics that the player won't be able to
interact with. This can include things like a timer to rush the player into
finishing a level or a score counter to save the players highscores. There
will also be an herb counter on the main playscreen, which will show how
many of each herb the player has. This counter is non-interactable.



Interactables



Herbs
Illusion Herbs - are blue herbs
Control herbs - are red herbs
Rocks
An object from which to Construct rock walls
Graphical Representation is that of a collection of dark rocks just sticking
up out of the earth (mostly flush with ground, make it evident that it can be
walked over)
No NPC or PC effects
Construct can be used on it to make a Rock wall

Gravel
An object from which to Construct gravel walls
Graphical Representation is that of a flat brown pile of gravel on path
(mostly flush with ground, make it evident that it can be walked over)
No NPC of PC effects
Construct can be used on it to make a Gravel wall


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Rock Wall
Graphical Representation is that of a dark, stone-made wall
NPC and PC effects
From primary floor (ground)
Blocks all PC movement
Blocks all NPC movement
From secondary floor (treetops)
PC can move across like bridge
No NPC action
PC can cast Construct to turn this back into a rock pile

Gravel Wall
Graphical Representation is that of a brown gravel wall
NPC and PC effects
From primary floor (ground)
Blocks all PC movement
Blocks most NPC movement
Large Enemy destroys, collapses back into a pile if it
walks through
From secondary floor (treetops)
PC can move across like bridge
No NPC action
Crumble timer- After a certain amount of time, will collapse back into a pile
of gravel (30s)
PC can cast Construct to turn this back into a gravel pile


Vines
Graphical Representation is that of vines draping from Secondary floor to
Primary floor (hanging down from tree canopy, etc.)
NPC and PC effects
PC uses to move from treetop to ground and vice-versa
No NPC action



Graphical Representation of Interactive Objects

Object Use 1 Use 2


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Pile of Rocks
Constructs into Rock Wall N/A
Conditions See Wall ---
Gravel
Constructs into Gravel Wall N/A
Conditions See Wall ---
Rock Wall
Can Be Bridge Can Block Enemies
Conditions On Primary Floor Indestructible
Gravel Wall
Can be Bridge Can Block Enemies
Conditions On Primary Floor Breakable by large enemy
Vines
Allows movement between
ground and treetop
Quick escape from enemy
Conditions Only PC Only PC













Interactions between systems:



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Chart breakdown
1. Player casting a spell
2. Construct a wall in the level during game play
3. Spell effects an enemy
4. Enemy can break wall or may be immuned to spell
5. Enemy interacting with another enemy
6. Less enemies in the level
7. Enemy interacting with the player
8. Player roaming the level, climbing vines



Risk and Analysis:

Risks that are possible through our systems interacting with one another:
Constructed obstacles on the level
Casting spells on the wrong platform
Too many enemies in area effect of spell casting
Objects hidden behind modular tree pieces
Content...


Features


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Content...

Challenges (Extra stuff)
Achievements?
Allows for simple True False statements that are used to award the player
ex. Killing Your First Enemy
Adds to playability and game life



Background Systems
Timers
Invisibility timer
Gravel wall crumble timer
Score
Content...

Game Manager
Transitions between levels and systems...content

Game Progression
Flow
Linear segmented levels. The goal is to get through each level using the
herbs provided to evade,outwit, and or distract enemies. The beginning levels will
have multiple ways of completing the level will slowly introduce the other spells to
the player through story progression. Levels are set up in a selection based
format (example being Angry Birds) allowing for an easy going pick up and play
style. This format will allow for easy maintenance but more importantly it makes
adding more content to this game in the future much easier.

Herbs do not carry over from level to level, (no need for saving) requiring the
player to use what is available on each level to progress to the next level.


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EXTRA STUFF:
A possible addition to this is a spell that kills which can be bought in the store
(similar style to that of the eagle in Angry Birds.)




Standard Level

Find herbs to cast spells
This limits use of spells; think before you cast
Use spells to trap, confuse, sneak past, or otherwise outwit the
monsters of the jungle
Emphasis on strategy

System Menus and GUI
Menu Interfaces
Options
Volume
Credits if we have time


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Gameplay Interfaces





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Selected spell GUI

A button located (somewhere) will trigger a pop up menu where the
player can select the desired spell. Once a spell is selected the menu closes and
the player is free to move around the level. To cast the spell the player has to
press the activation button and select the location where he wants the spell to be
cast. This button should be on the opposite side of the drop down menu for
selecting spells.


Plant Collection GUI

(Somewhere) on the screen displays herb count (symbolized by herb
color and image with a x and Number display (figure 2 Gameplay Interfaces.)
Plant Collection GUI is non-interactable and is solely a count system used to
inform the player of their herb count.

Market


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Target Audience

Selling Points:
Bright, clear, colorful art style
Simple controls
Easy to pick up and put down
Strategy and puzzle-centric gameplay

Age and Orientation:
10 and older
Family friendly


Marketing
Content.

Distribution
Mobile market
Apple Store
Android Market
Google Play Store




FAQ

Q: Content.

A: Content.