Battlefields TCG, World at War - Print & Play!

I am proud to present the game I have been working on lately. I would like to stress that this is a card game that you have to download and print yourself to play. It is not a digital product! With that said it is completely free as I am trying to showcase designer skills here.

I have nowhere to host the files myself so I used a free hosting service - I hope it will not be much of a trouble to wait 1 minute to download the zip. In the archive you will find all the materials and instructions on how to play the game. In short though you need to print some cards and find a friend or two to play with as the game is in a Trading Card Game (TCG) style format.

If you want to contact me for any reason please use the following emails:

Contact Author (for anything): semovbiz@gmail.com

Feedback: feedback.bf.tcg@gmail.com

Here are the links to the game. If you download the whole thing (the first 2 links) it is a .zip in which you will find everything you need to play the game (mostly images of the cards and rules). The last 2 links are to the rules if you just want to see what the game is about.

BATTLEFIELDS TCG WORLD AT WAR RELEASE - Download Link 1

BATTLEFIELDS TCG WORLD AT WAR RELEASE - Download Link 2
BATTLEFIELDS TCG WORLD AT WAR RELEASE - Download Link 3 (No wait!)

BATTLEFIELDS TCG RULEBOOK ONLY - Download Link
BATTLEFIELDS TCG RULEBOOK ONLY - Browser Link
Battlefields Rulebook 1.1 - Hit.bg PDF Link (BG Only)

Keep in mind I still have some work to do on this game, if you notice issues feel free to email me.

I will be posting again soon and generally be more active. I am looking forward to any feedback and suggestions!

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As always, until next time.

TCG Project "WAR" - Card Previews

I know this doesn't make a lot of sense yet, or maybe it does if you know a thing or two about collectible card games or trading card games (CCG & TCG). Here are a few more cards to check out until I am ready with the rules PDF file and it will all make sense (hopefully). The plan is to release a full package where anyone may download it, play the game for free and maybe help me balance it. At this point if the game proves popular I will consider PC (or whatever else) development.

You are looking at an original CCG concept. It is more or less in tune with games like Magic, The Gathering and WoW TCG, but with its own unique twists and mechanics as well as an intriguing business plan behind the idea - all in due time.

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Until next time.

An exciting new project!

I've been absent for quite a while haven't I? Well don't worry too much, I've been busy working on an exciting new project. Here's a little sneak peak and there is more to come in the following weeks!

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Until next time.

A quick flash drawing

Just something I drew today in Flash. Keeping in mind my drawing skills are well below average, at least this one didn't turn out completely awful!

I've been a bit lazy lately, but I have a few nice lengthy posts coming up including the HOOK post and a post about difficulty in games.

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Until next time.

The Pitch Document/Proposal - Continued

I've decided to expand on the pitch post a bit more since my previous post doesn't do justice to some of the elements on the pitch. However, before I get into the nitty-gritty of the pitch document I would like to speak to you about documentation in general.

You see, the more people there are working on a project, the more documentation is required. A lot of projects fail due to lack or inadequacy of documentation (I will not use percents!). It is equally important to have proper documentation and also to have a way (system) to distribute those documents and information to whomever might need it. No point in having a lengthy and descriptive design document that cannot be accessed by your staff on demand, but rather just sitting in a folder on your laptop. There are many websites that provide Source Control for documents or you can setup a server at your office.

Back to the pitch! As we discussed before the pitch should be brief, to a publisher (and a goblin) time is money! Usually before pitching to any one publisher you should consider if said publisher is right for your game. Believe me when I say if a publisher has no prior experience or any titles in your game's genre they will rarely get on board. If you do your homework you will know what games a certain publisher is looking for and that knowledge might save you some time. On the other hand identifying the perfect publisher for your game will increase your chances. Now comes a part that developers hate to admit to themselves. Generally it is less effective to pitch a game similar to another game that a publisher has recently released. I am sure you might believe that your game is the most original ever, but in the gaming industry it is rare to come up with truly new and innovative designs.

Let's talk about the document itself. This goes without saying but... the pitch is a proper formal document, you should not have any spelling or grammar mistakes. It is a very bad impression. This document will be looked over by multiple people!

The Overview (Again!)

What I missed to mention in my previous post is that this section is the first thing the reader lays their eyes upon. Its main purpose is to spark interest in the reader with the use of adjectives and flashy words. I consider the strongest opening is always with the name of the game you are pitching and a few strong words that describe the game, i.e "Garden Horror is a Innovative, Fast Paced, Action/Tower Defense game...". Although be careful not to overdo it.

Showcasing work

It is presumed that if your high concept (or if you just got a meeting with a publisher) got approved you would have had time to prepare some additional goodies to present as well. One of the most common things to present is artwork. All words description is fine but if you present some artwork pieces this gives your project a whole new feel. Now you are sharing your vision with the publisher. A picture is worth a thousand words as they say and an image of your main character for example might be worth a lot to the publisher as well. Additionally you are looking at things like car models and tracks for racing games, weapons and armor concepts for an RPG as well as environmental artwork. Now, a fortunate side-effect of showcasing art is reinforcing credibility in your team which is, believe me when I say, oh so very crucial!

The Main Body

This is the reason I wanted to expand on the pitch since I did not touch extensively on this part of the document before. In the main body you are looking to include a lot of relevant information. This includes a description of the gameplay (i.e. what does the player do in the game) as well as explain what is referred to as the HOOK (more on the hook in one of my future posts). You are also looking at things like game controls and some of the game setting. If your game is in an existing IP (Intellectual Property, i.e. Star Wars) you should explain how it ties to the main story and characters if it does, and how it uses the setting in general.

The next important part of the main body is the walkthrough. Some might say this is optional, I say it ties well with a demo if you have one. The idea is that you describe, step by step, a small timeframe of gameplay (preferably from the demo) but rather try and artistically convey how it would feel when the game is completed. A reader should be able to read this portion and imagine what the finished version of your demo level should look, feel and play out. It should almost always be written from the player's perspective. This part in addition to the demo is a proof of concept type-a-thing where it attempts to reinforce the validity of your gameplay ideas.

Multiplayer Features

If your game relies heavily on multiplayer make this separate sections within the main body and spend some time describing the multiplayer features you plan on having. Keep in mind that multiplayer games generally have more competitors on the market, thus make sure this section answers questions like "How will your game be different than what Call of Duty does?"

The Back of the Box

Figuratively of course, but you have seen the back of a game's box. You will almost always find several key features that define the game. Here write your game's key features. For example you might have something like: (I put more just because it is fun, but usually you need about five of those)

* Long non-linear levels (generally good, depends)
* X hours of gameplay (generally bad as a feature point in my opinion)
* User generated content (a very good feature point)
* Dynamic inventory system (I don't know what that is, but it sounds cool!)
* Your decisions truly impact the world - make or unmake kings! (Too many games claim that, then again if you really have that in your game, kudos!)
* More than 300 different cars (very good feature to have in a racing game, hopefully the cars handle differently though..)
* Stealth like you have never experienced it before (vision and sound!) (Now this sounds cool)
* 3 Unique races (Good feature if the next is true)
* Balanced competitive gameplay

I had some fun with those didn't I? :) Back to the pitch now.

Target Demographics

This one is of great importance to the publisher. It should include the target audience you are aiming for. This lets the publisher know from the get go how and where to market your game. Are you looking at a broad audience or a specific target group, in any case this information should be included. Remember that a Runebound universe remake of the tabletop adventure games is looking at a very specific target audience and if marketed improperly it might alienate the very people that like Runebound. On the other extreme an FPS game set in the Call of Duty universe should be marketed broadly. Here you might also make an argument for the viability of your game on the market. If you are looking to exploit a niche that has not been filled for a while (he he there is a dirty joke in there somewhere) do back your claims with some research and numbers.

This goes without saying but, don't make shit up! They will know.

PC/Mac/Xbox/Playstation/Wii/Other

In other words, platforms. Make sure you define for which of those you will be developing your game. Keep in mind some or leaning towards certain markets more than others. It's a horrible cliche but let's say it - Playstation and Xbox cater to hardcore crowds and Nintendo's Wii is more of a casual console. These notions are not always true of course, but keep that in mind.

Ship Date

First and foremost, if you are developing a game with an year in its title, for god's sake, release it that year. It usually aims to capitalize on an event and it would be stupid to have FIFA 2011 released February 2012. Here you are approximating a release date, not pinpointing it! This is something that would make the publisher feel a bit safer so you should get it right. It is a matter of project management and planning mostly. Have your project manager draw up plans, contingency plans for those plans and then some more. Come up with a realistic date that also gives you some buffer in case anything goes wrong, which it will most certainly will. Keep expectations within reason is what I am trying to say.

Budget

Read the previous post, the budget part is pretty hashed out there. Maybe in addition I would say also, add potential investors that might back you up. There is quite a bit more to say about budgets, but it does not concern the pitch. I will try and make a post out of it sometime if I can.

Conclusion

Finally, you are at the end, but what more to say?! As I mentioned before, credibility is key in the pitch. Showcase your team as much as possible. Say things like - "The world renowned author and the Lore Guy behind such hits as Dark Night, Darkness in the Dark and Darkadia - Darko Darkov is a member of the team and already hard at work on our next title.". It is also a good idea if you mention previous titles you have done as a company (if you have).


So in conclusion of this post, I believe this is quite an extensive explanation of the pitch document. Just a little piece of advice, always give it to someone for proofreading. Preferably someone not involved in the project (make sure they sign a non-disclosure agreement first though!), if they get excited about your idea you are on the right track. If they are confused or indifferent you still have some work to do.


The HOOK - I will try and compile information and make a sensible post explaining what hooks are in presenting games, how they work, what types there are and how to use them for greater effect. In short though, a hook is a piece of information that makes you go "Really? I'd play that!". For example saying that your game's story is written by George R.R. Martin and Peter Jackson is an executive producer on the project. This is a type of hook.

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Until next time.

The Pitch Document/Proposal

Hello again, this time we will be looking at the Pitch Document or Proposal and discussing its various aspects.

The pitch usually comes after a publisher has looked over your concept document and decided there might be something to it. This is usually the first important step in building a good relationship with a publisher and is also a proof of the ability of a developer to stand their own. Sometimes a pitch might be the 1st document a publisher sees from you skipping altogether the brief high concept. A typical pitch document consists of several key elements that are as follows:

          Outline of the Project

Here you will be looking to convey the project as clear and as intriguing as possible. It is a section not unlike the high concept, but a bit longer. Usually it spans one or two pages detailing the main mechanics and what the game is all about.

          Business Information

This is probably the most important section of the document in regard to showing the publisher that the developer is a serious and capable bunch! This section is a bit longer and the developer has to include relevant information about several key subjects.

Costs - the developer has to show realistic estimates of the costs, show them you understand the math, but don't try to explain it to them! The publishers work with money a lot more, so to speak, so they will know if you are pulling numbers out of a hat or if you are way off.

Timetable - know your (time) limits. Identify key areas as milestones in development. Here you should strongly relate time with costs and show them you can plan for issues as well. Contingency plans and buffers, while realistic, will be greatly impressive.

* As far as costs and time goes there are a number of tricks and methods you can use that are mostly described and could be learned from project management/software project management books and web resources. For example estimating that your staff will work 6 days a week is quite a bad idea and building your timetable around that assumption is a good way to lose money fast.

The team - like with costs and timetable, this section is also all about credibility! If your numbers are correct you are way ahead, but if you can showcase your team whether it is with art, technological prowess or simply by having a renowned person in your company's midst, you should include that.

Additionally you will be looking at things like the target market/s, formats (platforms), possible holes in the market that your game seeks to explore (i.e. "Nobody has developed an X type of game in the last few years and we are seeking to exploit that."), languages, etc.

          Demo

And last but not least there is the Demo. Now some might argue a demo is not a mandatory part of a pitch, but in my opinion publishers nowadays expect a demo anyway, so you better have one. Don't be confused - a demo in the pitch is not the same demo you see before a game comes out. On the contrary, it is a prototype of the game, featuring core mechanics (maybe even not all) and possibly innovative features that make your game unique. It is of utmost importance that your demo runs smoothly without glitches and bugs. Your demo will mostly be viewed by non-technical people so for them it is important to look and feel good rather than what is under the hood.


In conclusion, what you are aiming at with your pitch is to have your idea, your game accepted for development. You are basically attempting to convince people to give you money to make it. I reiterate - it's about credibility, you should appear like a capable company or you probably won't get the deal. Have finance information to backup your estimates, have tables to show how you will manage your project in time. Support your idea as much as possible. An example is if a renowned person in the industry thinks your idea is the next big thing, mention it!

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Until next time.

Game Designer Portfolio - Part 4

Hello again, I was not going to post today, but I want to be consistent, so there. This is a game I created a while ago. It features a car driving down a very bad road (hence the name). There is not much to explain here but the controls.

Use arrows to accelerate, break and move left or right.
Use space bar to shoot at incoming barrels.
Collect Nitro to move faster for a short period of time.
If controls do not respond - click on the flash window (the game).

Here is the link: BAD ROAD RACER


Let me just add a quick disclaimer here. I did not create the car asset as well as the barrels, the potholes and the nitro. They were images I downloaded, credit goes to whomever credit is due.


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Until next time.

Game Designer Portfolio - Part 3

I would like to show you a game I created recently. Since I have not yet implemented the tutorial I will also post the User Guide that goes with the project. It is far from perfect and I am by no means an expert in writing guides. That is why I am interested if the guide actually helped you understand the game, add a comment and tell me what you think.



Here is the link for the game: BATTLE FOR THE ISLE OF DAWN
(Use the "Play flash fullscreen" option to view in fullscreen mode)

And here is the guide for the game. (Just a note, it is quite a bit detailed.. and probably confusing at times, oh well.)

If you have any questions/suggestions/anything feel free to message me!

Edit: There seems to be a problem with the stats window (upper left) both in low and high res. Enemy unit count might not be visible sometimes.

Update: Problem should now be corrected when the game is played in fullscreen mode.

Battle for the Isle of Dawn

User Guide

I.                   Requirements

Battle for the Isle of Dawn is a game of conquest, resource and army management. You will be required to do all three to achieve victory. To run the game you are required to have any of the following.

Adobe Flash CS3 or above.

Flash Player (to run the executable in .swf format).

*If resolution is a problem (game is set at default 1280x720) please open

View -> Show All on your flash player.

II.                 Instructions and GUI Elements

This section details the elements you will see in the game and what they mean in addition to rules and regulations of the game.

This is the game board and this is where most of the action takes place. There are 24 areas marked with a letter-number combination (A1, A2, D3, F1, E4 etc.). Each area is selectable and when selected the following window will open.

Now let’s see what does this window allows us to do while playing. Here is another image with some areas highlighted.

As you will notice the white boxes (two in the yellow areas and two more under them) are input boxes. This means that you may write numbers and letters into these boxes. This is in fact the way the game works and 

how the human player declares their moves.

To move units first SELECT AN AREA on the game board. The movement window will pop up on the left side of the screen as shown. In the BLUE CIRCLE in the upper right corner of the movement window you will see the area YOU HAVE CURRENTLY SELECTED. In the input box next to the “Move to:” text, write the DESTINATION (TARGET AREA) where you would like your forces to travel. For this example it is E2. Always make sure you enter a NEIGHBORING area to the one that you have SELECTED. In case you enter an invalid “Move to:” location you will get an ERROR and be allowed to try again.

On the right side under the blue circle there is a count of what units are currently into the area you have selected. Consult that information before entering how many units of any type you would like to move to the target location. In the example case it is TWO FOOTMAN from F2 to E2.

AFTER you successfully execute a move the window to the left will pop up automatically. It is the RECRUITMENT WINDOW and it allows you to recruit (Build, Train, Make) new units on the board according to your resources.

This is also the way the board looks after move from F2 to E2 of 2 Footman has been executed from the previous example.

Here you may recruit new units by first typing the RECRUITMENT LOCATION at the input box next to RECRUIT UNITS AT in the upper side of the box (upper yellow circle). For the example the F2 area is selected for recruitment. Next to each unit FOOTMAN, KNIGHT or PALADIN there is also a blank input box in which the player may enter the amount of that unit they wish to recruit. The COST of each unit is printed against it on the recruitment window. Player RESOURCES are shown on the lower right side of the game screen (yellow ellipse).

IMPORTANT: UNITS MAY ONLY BE RECRUITED AT FOUR AREAS ON THE BOARD (CALLED CASTLES), THOSE ARE:

      F2,      D2,      C3,      A2

In addition you must be IN CONTROL of the area you want to recruit units at.

After you have selected where (if at all) you wish to build you select the RECRUIT button in the lower right corner to recruit or alternatively the SKIP button to skip recruiting this game round and save resources for the next.

This is an example of an area and what are its attributes. F2 is an area that has a Castle Icon, a Gold Mine icon and a House Icon. Some areas only have one or two and other areas have NONE of these ICONS

.

CASTLE – they are important for two reasons. One – they allow recruitment. Two – they are worth a lot of Conquest Points.

GOLD MINE – at the end of each GAME ROUND an area with this ICON will provide ONE GOLD to the player that CONTROLS the area.

HOUSE – at the end of each GAME ROUND an area with this ICON will provide ONE MANPOWER to the player that CONTROLS the area.

            In Battle for the Isle of Dawn players constantly try to control any number of areas by moving forces into them. An area is CONTROLLED by one player or another whenever:

A)     There are forces PRESENT in the area that belong to that player

B)     There WERE forces in the area that belonged to that player and the ENEMY has not ENTERED the area yet to claim it for themselves.

LARGE GREEN DOT – Indicates the presence of HUMAN PLAYER forces in the area.

SMALL GREEN DOT – Indicates there the area is under HUMAN PLAYER CONTROL but there are NO HUMAN PLAYER FORCES PRESENT at the moment.

LARGE RED DOT - Indicates the presence of AI forces in the area.

SMALL RED DOT – Indicates there the area is under AI CONTROL but there are NO AI FORCES PRESENT at the moment.

Whenever you mouse over an area you will notice this window in the upper left side of the screen.

This window shows the STATS of the area that the mouse is over at the moment. It details who CONTROLS the area, GOLD INCOME, MANPOWER INCOME and the various forces present.

BATTLE BEFORE IT IS RESOLVED                               

                                                 

BATTLE AFTER IT IS RESOLVED

BATTLE OCCURS whenever two opposing armies find each other in a single area. If this happens the game is INTERRUPTED and the window on the LEFT appears. It details where the battle is happening, what are the units involved and prints a TOTAL ARMY STRENGTH value for both players. Each player then is allowed to PLAY A CARD and reveals it to the other player instantly and simultaneously executing the CARD EFFECT. A card is selected by clicking on it.

ONCE A CARD IS PLAYED IT IS DISCARDED AND MAY NOT BE USED UNTIL THE END OF THE GAME!!! THIS IS TRUE FOR BOTH THE HUMAN PLAYER AND THE AI.

Cards range in power as some multiply your whole Army Strength by 2 “x2” and others are more situational like “FK +2” which gives +2 STR for each Footmen-Knight you have in your army for the battle. In that case it would be “+4” whereas “x2” would be “+6” for the battle. Discover what other cards do on your own!

After you select a card the AI reveals its card and you see the BATTLE RESOLVED WINDOW on the RIGHT. In that case the AI played “-9” card and deducts 9 of the players TOTAL ARMY STRENGTH. The played had played “FK +2” gaining 4 which gives him 10 and -9 from the AI card leaves the human player at 1 total army strength. The AI has 2 and 2 > 1 therefore the AI wins the battle. WHOEVER LOSES THE BATTLE LOSES ALL UNITS IN THE BATTLE. The game then continues as usual. 

In case of a TIE another card is played by both players until resolved.

Last but not least the VICTORY CONDITION.

To win the game a player has to acquire 150 CONQUEST POINTS.

Each CASTLE CONTROLLED provides from 0-20 depending on the player.

            For the HUMAN PLAYER:

            F2 = 0 points.    D2 = 5 points.   C3 = 9 points.   A2 = 20 points.

                       

For the AI:

            F2 = 20 points.  D2 = 9 points.   C3 = 5 points.   A2 = 1 point.

EVERY OTHER AREA CONTROLLED provides 2 CONQUEST POINTS at the end of the game round.

Game Round

Step 1: Human Player Movement

Step 2: Human Player Recruitment

Step 3: AI Movement

Step 4: AI Recruitment

Step 5: Gain resources and Conquest Points (Both Players)

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Thank you for reading, until next time.

Game Designer Portfolio - Part 1

Hello,

My name is Pencho, I am an aspiring game designer and in fact I just finished my higher education with a BCs in Computer Games Development from University of Bedfordshire. I would like to showcase some of my work on this blog, as well as talk about games, game design and all sorts of related topics. For my first post I would like to show you a Game Pitch document I wrote a while back. It is for an original game concept of mine.

Before you start reading I would like to stress that the Story element of the pitch is a bit of a joke, thus shouldn't be taken too seriously. I did not change it because I like the cheesiness of it all. Enjoy and welcome to my blog!

Pixie

Pencho Semov

High Concept

“Pixie” is 2.5D platformer and it tells the story of Pixie who lives in a peaceful CRT computer screen world. She will have to navigate numerous platform-based levels to reach and defeat the evil Doctor Artifact. Pixie has the uncanny ability to change her color to any of the three colors (Red, Green and Blue) and this might just give her the edge she needs to rid the system of all the errors Doctor Artifact has unleashed…

Features

·        Unique Visual Style – the game world is essentially inside the computer screen thus it will have motives to represent just that with mostly using the red, green and blue colors (and shares of) to communicate how Pixie is traveling inside the screen defeating errors (enemies).

·        Variety of Enemies – Pixie will have to face numerous enemies that are of different colors as well as based on various mechanics. Some enemies will be stationary and fire rapidly but be easier to target, whereas some will be mobile and harder to hit. Flying enemies, fast, slow invulnerable, exploding and many more.

·        Pixie’s Story – the game will tell a heartwarming story. The narrative will be well crafted with dialog boxes popping up in strategic places during levels showing conversations between Pixie and the various other characters. There will be character development, some friends become enemies and some enemies become friends.

·        Challenging Gameplay and Competitive Play – the game will keep score based on completion time, life left at the end of the level, enemies defeated ect. This information will be stored into a High Score table. This allows inexperienced players to complete the game and not feel pressured. Hardcore players on the other hand may try and achieve top high scores by completing levels fast and flawlessly. The game will upload session results at a High Score website.

The Story so far...

Somewhere in a CRT monitor the pixels lived in peaceful order, working together to compose many images every second but one day a mysterious illness fell upon them. Some started growing gray and eventually black never to glow in the three magic colors again. Others began to disobey and turn on and off or into queer colors whenever they wanted. Eventually the images that they showed turned into a mess. Pixie, who worked on the background replacing damaged pixels, could not compensate for all the errors, thus she decided to embark on an adventure inside the monitor to find the source of the mysterious plague that threatens her very world…

Gameplay

I.                  Pixie

Movement

Pixie is the character the player controls. She moves in the world via the arrows on the keyboard (left, right). She also has the ability to jump which is essential for navigating the platforms in the pixel world.

Combat

Pixie’s main way to destroy enemies is by shooting (firing) differently colored projectiles at them. She can shoot at 0, 45 and 90 degree angles and shoot down while jumping. The direction is aimed using the arrow keys (i.e. if Pixie wants to shoot at a 45 degree angle she has to move forward and shoot because the player will be holding the right and up arrow keys while pressing space to shoot). Alternatively, the shift key may be used and that forces Pixie to be stationary while the player aims his attacks.

Pixie has the ability to switch between three forms using the 1, 2 and 3 keys on the keyboard. These are – Red Pixie – 1, Green Pixie – 2, Blue Pixie – 3. Each form has its advantages and drawbacks.

            Red Pixie

·        Fires red projectiles that destroy green and blue enemies

·        Immune to red attacks (projectiles)

·        Gains a movement speed bonus (Bonus)

·        If Red Pixie takes a hit she loses double the health (Drawback)

            Green Pixie

·        Fires green projectiles that destroy red and blue enemies

·        Immune to green attacks (projectiles)

·        Green projectiles are much faster than Pixie’s red and blue projectiles (Bonus)

·        Green Pixie’s jump height and movement speed are halved (Drawback)

            Blue Pixie

·        Fires blue projectiles that destroy red and green enemies

·        Immune to blue attacks (projectiles)

·        Blue Pixie can jump higher than normal and can double jump (Bonus)

·        Blue Pixie’s fire rate is lower (can’t shoot as many projectiles) (Drawback)

II.               Enemies

Enemies will come in different forms and colors of course. Here are some of the foes Pixie will face along her adventures.

            The Red, Green or Blue Hogs – These are solid color pixels of one color that move aimlessly about an area and if Pixie touches them they disappear and deal damage to her. They take a lot of shots to kill but do not represent an immediate threat.

            Red Bulls – These beastly pixels have gone bad with the essence of red, they will charge at Pixie whenever she is in range. Difficult to avoid.

            Greengo’s – Green and pissed, these pixels live on the tough side of the screen. They will shoot Pixie with a spray of green projectiles. Very dangerous.

            Bluefangs – Flying evil little things the Bluefangs are. They will try to drop a mysterious blue “liquid” on Pixie whenever they are above her. Sneaky!

            Imposters – Perhaps the trickiest of all the crazed pixels, they are driven mad and unsure of what color they want to be so they will change periodically shooting Pixie with any of the three colors.

And many, many more…

III.            Game Modes and Characters

The game has two modes of play – Story Mode and Select Level. In Story Mode the player starts from level one and progresses as much as possible. Additionally High Scores will only be kept for Story Mode game sessions. In Select Level the player may chose to go through any level they desire to practice.

Here are some of the characters that the game will feature in the story.

Pixie – The protagonist of the story, young, skillful and pretty (by pixel standards!) Pixie will have to overcome many challenges.

Sir Pixelot – Pixie’s mentor and former knight of the screen, he will guide her with information and tips.

Doctor Artifact – the evil doctor whose motives for destruction remain shrouded in mystery...

Gabriella – Pixie’s best friend in the whole three by four world. Will she be abducted at some point? Nobody knows!

IV.           Level Design

The game levels will be 5 to 10 minutes long sequences of platforming sections with increasing difficulty and enemy density. First levels will be fairly easy providing the player with a chance to grasp the mechanics of the game. Mid-levels will require the player to use the 3 forms Pixie can take on and master the gameplay. End game levels will be very hard and will require creative use of the game mechanics to overcome the challenges that will lay there all ending in a climactic boss fight.

V.                  Other

Here is an example HUD concept.

The game menu will appear when the ESC key is pressed and will have the following components:

Story Mode – begins the Story Mode of the game

Select Level (Practice) – Select level and practice

High Scores – Opens a link to the High Scores website

Options (?) – Various options

Exit – Exit game

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In my next post I will discuss how to write a proper pitch document, what is the purpose of a pitch document and what mistakes I made in this pitch and how to avoid them.