Updates! Yeahhh, everybody loves updates!
Last thursday we present our game to Roger and Bob (my dear professors, I like them both and consider both my professors, even if one is in the engineer side and another in the film side, that is my major here in the USA, FILM with EAE emphasis). I was so concerned about it, even if I was not going to talk (Blake and Max did that, while I was with Adam taking notes). BTW, I have an excelent team, Blake Sleight and Adam Durant are the engineers (the programmer guys) and me and Max Locher are the artistic guys (Max is very good with 3D and animations, while Blake and Adam are very good in programming, so I am very lucky to be in this awesome team!).
Go Team Golden Fist!
Here is the guys blogs:
http://blakesleight.blogspot.com/
http://adamdurantportfolio.blogspot.com/
http://maxxiedivineseniorproject.blogspot.com/
Ok I'll stop saying other things and I will come back to the point: updates!
So we have a good prototype, a 3D environment and characters, what is an AWESOME thing! There is not a lot of 3D Indie Games, huh?
One awesome thing for us is that we just have to create some animations for the XBOX Avatars, because since we are using them, they are already modeled. We just have to model stages and objects :)
We already have some animations, and we have a video! Yeahh, we have a video, guys!
But I can't find it right now, and since we are thinking about recording another video, you will have to wait a little bit, sorry for that =/
So after the presentation, we had a big issue. We had a good prototype for physics and gameplay, but... What was our goal? What was our gameplay about?
So we take our time to think about it, because we wanted to add a lot of different modes in the game! Such as: Deathmatch, capture the flag, get the ninja abilities, race each other, and a lot of another interesting stuff (REALLY!). But for the prototype, we are supposed to pick just one and show that this can work, show our game core, because we are making a kind of "wish list" about the game modes. I really think we can do a lot of them, but let's begin simple, right?
So the team had the time to think about it (because everybody knows that good ideas don't simple came to us, right?) and two hours ago we had a meeting (a skype meeting, ok) to bring all the ideas and really define our game core.
I will put my ideas here (because I writed down a lot of things! Is very intersting and it's totally worth, I swear.)
Ok, SPOILER TIME!
Be awared that I warned you, ok?
We are not going to do exactly what I suggested. =/
Yeahh, I know, it's sad, isn't it? But I am ok, I will survive...
Kiding, I am not married to any idea, so we can just switch between a lot of things. We all want the game to be the best as possible, right? ;)
Anyway, here is my WHOLE idea (pick up your coffe, that's gonna take some time):
Story part: Ninjas are rare, nowadays. That’s why the code has changed.
A ninja can’t hurt another ninja, because all of them are ninjas. (for the japanese culture, the honor is something very important, a good example of it is the harakiri, or seppuku, when they commit suicide to escape of dishonour, prove something or apologize)
What you can do is be on their way, like “disturb” them, compete with them. You can use traps or hit them, with powers or “specific” shurikens that will never kill them. But never touch them. (and this is a good excuse to do not have physical combat between the avatars, what is not really allowed by Microsoft)
The ancient ninja spirit still alive, in some places. The nowadays ninjas are not “complete”, they have to take the KANJI signs (I thought that this way can be better than scrolls, in the real game. It’s basically japanese letters, but one letter that means a word).
The ninja spirit is split, but you can pick up all the pieces of it (and win the match).
The last “skill” is the real spirit of your old ninja master. You have reach to him, but the only way to get him is if you have all the previous ninja skills.
The level will have a time limit (5 minutes, for example).
The first skill will appear in the beginning, and the players have to run for it. (I am considering NOW between 2 and 4 players)
It will be the wallrun ability. (horizontal)
The player have to use it to reach to the second skill spot (will be the double jump). When somebody get the 2nd ability, the 1st one will appear again (one for each player, so everybody can use the wall run), in different spots, so they have to get the 2nd ability before try to get the 3rd one.
The player have to use the wall run AND the double jump to get to the 3rd skill (the vertical wall run, something like 8 steps in the wall).
Since you have the last skill, you can reach to your master’s spirit and win the match.
Rules:
- The skills will appear each 30 seconds after somebody take the last one. Once you pick the next one, the previous will be available for everybody, but they have to pick it in specific spots.
- If you get caught in somebody’s trap or if somebody hit you, you will fall to the ground for a moment (or just be stunned) and if you have the last appeared skill, you will lose it (and the skill will come back to one of the skill spots). A real ninja never get caught, so if you get caught the NINJA SPIRIT will regret about be in you and will go away.
- You have to pick up the traps and shurikens, just like power ups. They have a fixed spot. Each can carry the maximum of 3 shurikens and 1 trap . The traps can be: sliding gel in the ground, spikes or smoke bombs (like grenades: you throw then from a distance and they explode). (Since we don’t have much time, we could do just a gel or spikes and put the shurikens)
Only after a trap is activated (when somebody steps on it, for example) the specific trap item will be available again in the trap spot (so we don’t have to care about a lot of models in the game in the same time. Or we can let each player put just 2 traps of the same kind per time, but they have to come back and take more traps, they can’t carry more than one)
The traps can be invisible after you put, but I think the best way is to not do that, because if they want to use the trap again they can fall in the traps just to reset them, and if they are invisible, they won’t know where they are and maybe the players will put a LOT of traps, so the game can crash, I don’t know)
- One you pick an ability you will have 30 seconds (in the screen, showing to for everybody) before the next one appears. In that time you have to run, hide, defend yourself and not being caught by anybody. After it, go for the next ability. If you are one of the other guys, try to hit or trap the people that have the last ability, but first you should get the previous ability that will appear for everybody.
- You start with the following abilities: run, jump, grab and climb.
- If you have the last appeared skill with you, you will shine and you can’t carry traps (just shurikens).
We have to create a interface (but maybe not for the prototype. Maybe if we have time, so)
This interface must contain:
Compass (showing the next skills or the person that have it)
Mini Map
Shuriken indicator (how many do you have)
Trap indicator (if you have, and which one)
Common timer to all characters
Here is the digital level I designed
I just forgot to put arrows to say that to reach to S3 spots you have to double jump from the high part of the ground (that is after the spike holes).
The small ninjas are the ninja Xbox Avatar outfit (that we can really have in the game, since you can bring your avatar to it. So if your avatar have this clothes, you will have it in the game! What is awesome, by the way). I don't really think that Microsoft is going to carry about me using it here :)
END OF THE EXPLANATION BLABLABLA DESIGNING PART!
Yeah, it's over! Or almost.
I have to say that we are not going to do exactly like this (like I said before).
We are going to do a Capture the "flag" mode. The flag will probably be a kind of ninja scroll.
BUT, is not that easy! Since we are ninjas, we have to capture the flag INSIDE THE ENEMY BASE (of course!). I will say it again: inside of the enemy NINJA base!
So it will be very difficult to get on it. You will have to use your ninja skills to get there!
But there is another thing... you are not a complete ninja. You need to pick up your
And you will have so many different ways to get inside the enemy's base, that you can make your own strategy, based on which kind of ability you are better with! So if you are better with the double jump, or with the wall run, you can make your own way inside the enemy's base. That's awesome! You make your way, and while you are trying to get in, the enemy is trying the same thing in your base (we still thinking about put just a common-goal base, in the middle of the level, but maybe later, not yet). AND both teams (yeah, two teams!) can try to interfere in the enemy's progression. Sou you basically throw shurikens or bombs on your enemies to knock them, and when you do that (and you really hit them, of course) the enemy fall to the ground, being stunned for some seconds, and the enemy LOSE ONE ACQUIRED ABILITY. That you can quickly take for yourself, but you have to be very quick! And if the enemy doesn't have any
Concept of the capture the flag mode, in Google Docs (that was so funny, man!)
Of course, a lot of stuff can change in the final game, but we are going to make something in this way before tuesday.
Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you why!
This tuesday (October 2) we are going to present the prototype for the INDUSTRY PANEL. Important guys will be there (like EA Games and Disney Game Studios, for example).
That's gonna be huge. (for me at least, for sure! This is an excellent opportunity for my career, for my knowledge!)
Ok, too much information to you. I dare that anybody read all of this, I really dare.
Go get some rest, you will need it!
Next time I will probably post the video and bring more exciting (really exciting) news about my game! ;)
See you! Tchau!
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