Stickmen
From DIT Experimental Gaming Group
Contents
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Team Members
Petru:[1]
Andrew:[2]
Iain:[3]
Intented Project
Our game will be a 2D, multiplayer, turn based game (similar to Worms) where the player controls a team of avatars. The object of the game is to destroy the other team using the weapons we will design; the weapons will be based on a physics engine that we will develop. Some ideas for these weapons are:
- A gravity based weapon that can pick up and throw objects on the map
- A water based weapon that can spawn a river and wash the opposing team downslope
- A magnet based weapon that can be deployed above the opposing team to remove their current weapons
We intend to flesh out theses weapons and develop others during our design phase.
The game map will be in 2D, and each team will be deployed in a random spot on the map at the start. We intend to have a destructable environment, that can be then used as weapons against the other team. It will be multiplayer, and each team will take turns to try and eliminate the opposing team.
We intent to use an internal economy in the game, which will be inplemented by the use of a money system. When a player damages or eliminates members of the opposing team, they gain money with which they can then buy new weapons.
Technology
We will use the Microsoft XNA API for development on XBOX 360 and PC. We intent to deploy for both environments. For the physics based elements of the game, we intent to look into available APIs like Havok physics in C++ and XNA based physics engines, such as BulletX. If the integration of these technologies is affecting our schedule, we will develop our own engine.
Methodologies
We will use a agile methodology to develop our project. This will allow for good communication between our group, as we will develop in a group, as well as setting goals by defining iterations of the projects.
Schedule
We intent to break down the the project into these phases:
- Pre-Production – Brainstorm ideas and define team roles
- High Concept – Establish art direction and gameplay elements
- Design Document – Develop the game design and create the setting
- Prototype – implement techonoligies as a proof of concept
- Production – Create levels, art assets, add features and revise content
- Alpha – Improve content, finalize art assets and fix any existing problems
- Beta – Bug fixing and port to Xbox
- Final candidate – Fix any major issues left
- Gold – Release and prepare for presentation
High Concept
Characters
Stickmen – 3D models, ragdolls? 2D bodies with independent limbs?
Theme
Sci-fi, futuristic, exaggerated cartoony feel.
Kind of game
2D multiplayer team based game
What is the game about
Eliminating the opposing team.
Who is it aimed at
15+, teen to adult. Average gaming demograph, male, recreational game, social gaming.
Theme
Pick up and play, comedic value, social multiplayer, not serious, cartoon take on sci-fi
Roles for Project
Programmers
- Graphics
- Physics
- Audio
- Gameplay
- Menu
Artists
- Modelling
- UI
- Textures
Designer
- Gameplay
- Level
- Story
- Character
- Asset
- Weapon Balance
- Weapon Counters
- Weapons
Project Lead / Producer
- Timekeeping
- Quality Assurance
- Testing
- Asset Requisition
Design Document
NAME OF GAME
How many characters do I control?
A player controls 4 - 8 characters.
What is the main focus?
The game is focused on eliminating the opposing team, using an array of weapons.
What’s different?
The game idea is similar to worms, how ever the difference is in the way in which you eliminate the opposing team. The set of weapons given to the player are all physics based weaponry, implemented using a XNA physics engine.
GENERAL FEATURES
Physics Engine
Farseer Physics Engine
MULTI-PLAYER FEATURES
Turn based game
The game is a turn based game. There are x turns where x is the number of players. There may be a maximum number of players. Game uses two controllers. Multiplayer is local.
GAME PLAY
Team based, turn based. Time limited weapons
Breakdown
- Select New Game
- Configure game variables - team name, map, team colour, team size, amount of rounds
- Game is started
- Game has multiple rounds
- Rounds have multiple turns
- Turn has set amount of time - turn ends after abililty use or time out
- Random character picked for first turn / random player is picked and they choose which worm to use
- Game Loop
- Player can use the controller to (a)pick their character for the turn and (b)use that character's movement or abilities
- Turn ends when ability is used or time out
- Control is switched to Player 2
- Round ends when one team is eliminated / time out
- Next round is loaded, if last round show game stats
- Return to main menu
THE GAME WORLD
Planet Dot. Year 3142 the good all years of peace have now been long gone.It has been 11 years since the Stikmen of Dottie also known as "Sticks" have come to this planet raging havoc on this peacefull planet. Planet Dot is well known as a peacefull planet where all the "dots" have lived in harmony. They are a race that worship science, a race that always is on the limit of discovering somthing new to improve their lives. Their orientantion was mainly to keep the planet alive and green, worshiping mother nature and also not eluding the time and space that surrounds them, but ever since the arrival of the sticks their angle has changed, they have learned how to manipulate the elements through new technology that is used in this modern warfare. Weapons they developed in their struggle to defend the planet include "weapons go here(dark hole creator, river dislocator, gravity bomb)". Due to their small size they rely alot on their weaponry for survival and 11 years of war costed them many lives since they are severly outnumbered by their stickmen counterparts.
The sticks relly more on brute force, physical strenght. Their style of life is locust like travel from place to place exahust the planet kill everybody in their way then move on. They are a race of no remorse, killing anything that would come up against them and their way of life. Weapons include: "Rock Throwing,need more here".
The war on this planet has now resumed to the continuous anslaut of the sticks on the capital city of Dotiome beeing the last stronghold of the dots. Where will everything end we will have to see...
As as far as we know so far the anslaut of the Sticks is led by the cruel Stick called Capacious, he is called this way just because of the big stick that he brings along with him in battle and his 2 generals Leia the sticky one(because of the stick like shape"anorexic bitch") but a great tactician at that and also Hulky the general that is always in the first line of battle, the one that never gets killed.
The army of the sticks is well organised although the the authorothy is based on the logic on who is the bigger stick. Several ranks that are included are:
- stick peon
- stick meat-shield
- rock-trowing stick
- brute stick
- captain stick
- general stick
- overlord stick(biggest stick of them all)
Some of the memorable battles from the stick's point of view have been on the plains of Dot's green. Here they have overcome the dot's through sheer numbers. Although their losses were in the millions Capacious was pround and honored to say that on that day he was the one with the bigger stick, he was the one that planted his stick on these plains as his own. The battle was memorable because it was here were they started to learn how to use the captured weapons that the dots have used against them.
As for the opposition the good guys as the rest of the univers sees them, THE DOTS, they are lead by the wise Sagacious.He is a true leader that favours tactics and strategy above all else.He belives that with team work and discipline that dots have he will be able to lead his people to the end of this war to be victorious. He only has one other on his side, his dot daughter, Princess Dishy. She used to be an admirerer of the sticks , their raw behaivour and habbits, she used to study them for a long time. She is a big part of the war, since she is the direct link betwen the dots and the sticks. Through her observation on the sticks she found their week points and how they can be defeated.
A memorable event for the dots has been at the Mountains of Cornelius the Stick. Here using their water manipulants have completley destroyed the armys of the sticks. It was here were the dots have got their first major battle win, it was here were the sticks had to retreat for several months because of this weaponry.
THE PHYSICAL WORLD
Overview
Planet Dot.
A planet that has been ripped appart by war. Scenery included post nuclear terrain, cities in wreck and mountains battlegrounds.
Key Locations
- The plains of Dot's green
- The Mountains of Cornelius the Stick
- The capital city of Dotiome
Travel
2632 million light year away from planet Earth. Pre-war times:
- great holiday spot for sunbathing , waves , scenary , hicking, fishing and mountain climbing.
Post-war times (current):
- stay away
- if millitary (observe war strategies and tactics, weaponry used and war psychology).
Scale
Scale of Stickem Compared to Humans:
- Dots-> they are 3 times smaller than the average human, ability of brain used up to 80%.
- Sticks-> they are smaller than the usual human but not by much. They relly on physical strenght, outpowering the average human by almost twice the strenght.
- Planet Dot
4 times greater then our great planet Earth.
- Planet Dotty
5.1/2 times greater then the size of Earth.
Objects
Compared to Planet Earth
Objects that can be only found on planet Dot. - Boulders of Crysalis - The high trees of Datomie - River Cresnnece - Eagle of late reaction.
Weather
Nuclear Winter...that is traversed by iregullar heat waves due to the two sun's(Dut, Dat) of planet Dot.
Day and Night
Daylight is continuous on planet Dot.
Time
Year of this story 3142.
RENDERING SYSTEM
Overview
2d cross section of the map. Start with nonmoveable map, aim to have moveable viewport. No zoom or scaling. 1280x720 resolution with floating borders.
GAME ENGINE
Overview
2d based engine. Using farseer API. Can deploy different elements on screen, ie characters, objects, environment effects. Class based with subclasses.
Player class
- Name
- Score
- playerIndex
- team*
Team Class
- list of characters/unit*
- list of weapon*
- color
Unit / Character
- hitpoints
- damage inflicted
- name
- position
- texture
- physics extension?
Map
- levelName
- texture
- verticesArray
- physics extension
Class Diagram: 
Collision Detection
handled by farseer.
GAME CHARACTERS
Stickmen
USER INTERFACE
Overview
UI Detail #1
UI Detail #2
WEAPONS
Offensive
- Super strength
- can be applied to physics enabled terrain
- Mine based portal
- manipulate position
- portal gun
- move terrain or players from portal a to portal b
- black hole gun
- deploy a black hole above the terrain which sucks the opposing team towards it.
chain based weapon for defense, blocks passages
Defensive
- Terrain barrier
- Ice weapon
- removes friction on terrain
- Defensive bubble
- Shields the area from damage, cannot fire from within
MUSICAL SCORES AND SOUND EFFECTS
We intend to use a mix of both stock sound effects sourced from free libraries from the internet and recorded voiceovers made by the project team.
Music will be created by the team, and some prerecorded songs will be used.
