Paper Prototyping for the Asteroids style game
Example Level/Puzzle Types
To help prove visuals and gather feedback on my game ideas, for the first playable prototype of the game. I have shown the images to potentual playtesters without asking for formal feedback yet. I shall have formal feedback on my designs in the next post as well as an update on the playable prototype and a refined version of the elevator pitch.
The Paper Prototype Levels
The levels of the game will present the player with a given condition to complete win the level.
Examples of win conditions:
- Reach the flag in equal to or under a given time limit
- Reach the flag in equal to or under a certain number of movements (clicks/bullets fired)
- Destroy a given number of targets (using bullets)
- Collect the flag and return it to a given location
- Find and reach the hidden goal flag
- Activate a given number of switches
They can take on extra challenges when completing the levels too to earn extra points and get better level completions.
The level completion refers to how well the player completed the win condition. There are three (3) teirs of level completion: the 1st teir is achevied by completing the win condition to its minimum or a basic standard, the 2nd teir is the middle ground where the win condition is completed to a medium or advanced standard, the final/3rd teir is achieved by completing the win condition to an expert or perfect standard.
If the win condition is to destory all the targets:
- the tier 1 level completion would be to simply complete the win condition.
- the tier 2 level completion would be to complete the win condition to a skilled but easily achievable. An example would be destorying the targets in a given number of moves/clicks.
- the tier 3 level completion would be an advancement on the tier 2 level completion, where the player must complete the win condition to an expert standard. This tier is not meant to be easily achieved and will often require mutliple attempts and the use of skilled techniques to pull off. An example would be destorying the targets in close to if not the minium number moves the targets can be possibly destoryed in.
The player character is a little trianglar ship, a direct reference to the original asteriods game. There are the actions the player character can perform in the game world:
- The player character can change direction to always face toward the direction of the mouse cursor.
- The player character can shoot a bullet in the direction of the ship is facing capible of interacting with other objects in the scene by right clicking.
- The player character can move in a burst towards the direction of the ship is facing by right clicking.
- The player character can run into, be stopped by, be destoryed by, interact with and change the states of other objects in the scene.
I wanted to keep things simple in terms of controls for this game as its more of a puzzle game than anything else. Having a limited, simple set of controls lets the player focus more on the puzzle solution itself rather than trying out all they can do to see if any of their abililes and such will work to solve the puzzle.
The scene objects make up the visable GUI (graphical user interface, or front end) or the video game. These objects will appear reguraly in the levels present in the game.
Non-movable Walls/Grounds/Floors: These object make up the boundaries of the playable space and are immovable objects that the player character can run into but cannot pass through. No other objects can destroy or affect them in any way, but they can affect or destroy other objects.
Destructable barriers: long and thin, or box like objects that the player character themselves cannot move. The bullets the player character shoot can however push these objects around. When the destructable barriers collide with the non-movable objects the destructable barriers are destroyed, (so the player can pass where the objects once were)
Goal objects: objects that are interacted with by the player character in order to achieve the win conditions. These can range from goal flags (for races/time trials) to targets (for the blasters) that need to be destoryed to complete the win conditions.
Hazards: dangerous (to the player) objects capiblable of destroying the player character and forcing them to retry the level from the beginning. These objects can be attached to walls, can be switched on (dangerous) and off (non-dangerous), or can follow a repeating movement pattern. The hazards cannot be randomised, they should not be able to follow the player character or be inconsistant.
Affecting Objects: affecting objects can interact with the player character (such as a speed booster that pushes them forwards) and can be interacted with (like a switch changing states after being shot by the player’s). The affecting object are also able to interact with, change or destory other objects.
Hidden/Secret objects: objects used for speical and hidden solutions and achievements, these objects are miscellaneous and are not require to beat the main games, they simply prove some extra interest to the experience.
win condition: reach the goal in at least 30 (thirty) seconds (this is also the tier 1 level completion)
win condition: Reach the goal in at least 12 (twelve) moves (clicks of the mouse).
win condition: Destroy (hit with at least one (1) bullet) all 5 (five) targets (the goal items)
