Harbinger, The Last Stand Design Info.
Harbinger The Last Stand, is a 2-D, Side view, action puzzle-platformer adventure game. an example of a puzzle is: using segments of a path to get the energy through. Matching sound frequencies to gain intel the player can use to carry on. Like hearing a set of numbers over a radio frequency that are needed for a keypad.
Platforming: The player will need to be able to use all four characters, each with their own special abilities to help them traverse and progress through the level.
special abilities for the 4 characters are:
Ayada Guren: Uses her special powers to communicate, control, and manipulate any form of plant life to her advantage, she uses plant life like trees or bushes for example and manipulating it to a cliffside too high to jump up to and too tall to properly climb, so Ayada will use the nearby plant life and manipulate its structure to make a sturdy platform and or vines into the wall to climb up and over the cliff.
Blair Anomi: Has the incredible ability of athleticism and ice powers, this allows Blair to be able to double jump. She summons a powerful gust of wind and snow allowing her to jump much higher than the other three characters.
Lamar Lynch: Possesses the incredible ability of summoning electricity with no know limit of power, making it a very versatile power. Lamar is the only one with the knowledge and ability to use high tech gear and computers. Lamar can use his powers to start a generator that will help the player progress, Lamar can use his powers to hack into and manipulate electronic gadgets.
Zane Blaze: Zane being the most heavy of the group uses his weight to his advantage, Zane has the ability to lift and carry heavy objects that the other characters cannot, Zane can also throw objects an incredible distance, Zane also has an incredibly powerful ground slam that will plow through weak enough floors so he will be able to find different routes to push on.
Platforming mechanics: The player will use each of the four characters to traverse the platforms in the levels.
Character Selection:The player will be able to select all 4 of the characters at any time and play as that one character, the other three are still there but the currently selected character is the only character shown on screen at the time. Ex: GIF doesn’t work :(
Player camera view: this will be easier to show visually rather than explaining. Ex: GIF Doesn’t work :(
As you see the player does not take up most of the screen, the level is what is most seen in the game screen. Along with how fast and how the bullets are shown when they are fired. (game shown is “Intrusion 2”)
Currency and Experience system
Currency: Players will gain currency for every enemy defeated within a level. Players only need to walk over the currency to obtain it so whenever the player does obtain it, it goes into the player’s wallet. The currency can vary from pennies, dimes and dollars, gold, diamonds etc… The player will have complete freedom to use their money on what they have unlocked so far in the game.
Experience: Players will gain experience in two ways, either defeating enemies in the level, or getting the XP reward or completing the level. XP is gained so whenever the player levels up they gain a skill point to spend on 4 skills that are, Strength, Armor, Elemental, and Luck.
Enemies that the player will be faced with:
Police 1 (Baton): Police Officer with normal health and normal damage to players.
Police 2 (Pistol): Police officer with a standard issue gun with slow rate of fire that deals medium damage to the player and with a slow and predictable path of travel.
Thug 1 (melee): Enemies with standard health and standard damage to player, can have weapons like knives and pipes that deal a slight extra amount of damage.
Thug 2 (Pistol): Enemy with standard health and a standard pistol with a slow rate of fire dealing medium damage to the player with a slow and predictable projectile path.
Thug 3 (SMG): Enemy with low health and an SMG that deals a low amount of damage that fires with a slow and predictable projectile path that spreads in a 3 wide cone pattern.
Thug 4 (Shotgun): Enemy with Medium health and a shotgun with short range and fast travel time dealing high damage, that shoots in a wide cone with a predictable projectile path.
Swat 1 (Revolver): Enemy with low armor and medium health with a revolver that fires accurately dealing a high amount of damage to the player, with a faster but still predictable projectile path.
Swat 2 (SMG): Enemy with low armor and medium health, using an accurate burst fire SMG with short range dealing medium damage to the player in predictable burst of projectiles.
Swat 3 (Shotgun): Enemy with high armor and High health and a shotgun with short range and fast travel time dealing high damage, that shoots in a wide cone with a predictable projectile path.
Swat 4 (Assault-Rifle): Enemy with medium armor and high health using an accurate rifle with a zippy but predictable projectile path dealing a high amount of damage to the player.
Swat 5 (Sniper-Rifle): Enemy with no armor and standard health, using a powerful long range Sniper-Rifle with a very slow rate of fire but with a fast unpredictable projectile speed dealing a devastating amount of damage to the player, but to help with this a laser will be on the player and will stop in the moment it will fire, to help the player deal with the sniper.
Swat 6 (Shield): This Enemy has medium armor and medium health wielding a riot shield that blocks all incoming damage from the front, in order to defeat this enemy the player either has to punish the shield until it is destroyed or to attack the enemy from the back.
Swat 7 (juggernaut): This enemy is a real terror to deal with, a heavily armored enemy with high health wielding a fast firing LMG that deals high damage to the player with a predictable projectile path. Although this enemy has heavy armor and health, it’s biggest weakness is how bulky it is. The enemy is very slow to move and aim it’s weapon, so out-maneuvering it a needed tactic to take them down.
Mecha: High grade military mech that stands tall with Incredible defensive systems that are able to deter almost all incoming damage with its’ shields. The mech launches missiles that move slowly and are easy to dodge. Missiles deal devastating damage to the player, and if the mech isn’t trying to explode the player, it is trying to shoot the player with it’s dual chain guns that fire in a very wide pattern with predictable projectile paths. The only way the player can damage and destroy the mech is to use its’ own weapons against it. Primarily its’ missiles, the missiles fired will lock on and seek the player, the player then must make the missiles hit the mech causing the shields to take damage. After 2 times the shields on the mech will be down allowing the player to finally deal damage to the mech. After damaging the mech to a certain point the pilot of the mech will become desperate and try to crush the player, so the player must avoid the mech while still dealing damage to the mech until it is destroyed.
LMG mounted Vehicle: This enemy is completely stationary limiting its ability to shoot at the player, the gunner is firing an LMG that has a predictable projectile path. The LMG eventually overheats and gives the player a window to deal much more efficient damage to the vehicle.
Automated Turret (standing): These turrets are easy to deal with but still a threat, as the cheapest and easiest turret to develop and build makes these turrets very common. The problems with these turrets are that they have a very limited field of view, preventing the turret to fire in a wide range, mostly effective in a tight space like a hallway. The biggest weakness of the turrets are the cheap flimsy design, making them very easy to destroy whether from gunfire or simply knocking them over because of their tall and thin design in the body and legs. This turret fires in short accurate bursts with a predictable projectile path and travel time.
Automated Turret (Planted): These turrets are meant to be placed in high priority areas to anchor down and protect the area, with a much wider range of aim of 180°. Respectively if placed on the floor or on the ceiling. This turret fires in short accurate bursts with a predictable projectile path and travel time.
Armored Automated Turret: These heavy turrets are impervious to all attacks compared to any other turret, with reinforced steel armor covering its most exposed parts but in order to give it 180° it leaves the inner gear components exposed. This turret fires a much higher caliber round to go along with its powerful armor, making its target acquisition much slower due to its incredibly increased weight. The projectiles fired are larger than normal and deal devastating damage but are incredibly slow and easy to predict their path of travel. In order to defeat the turret the player must out maneuver the turret and shoot its exposed gears before it is fully turned around to fire at the player.
Strength- (Increase in how much damage the player deals to enemies. Increased effectiveness for every skill point invested)
Armor- (Reduction of damage taken from enemies. Increased reduction for every Skill point invested)
Elemental- (reduction in “Elemental Points” EP used per elemental move. Increased effectiveness and Increased total of EP for every skill point invested)
Luck- (Increased chance for better currency to drop from enemies defeated. Increased percentage for every skill point invested)
Skills are not the only way for players to improve the characters. The player has access to vendors, like a safeguard vendor that provides stat boosting armor they equip in their inventory. (The player does not have to physically wear the armor equipped. option to hide armor sections like Head, Torso, Arms, Legs, and Mark.)
The player can purchase a weapon upgrade at the “Blacksmith” giving the player’s weapon a damage boost, or for a higher price, receive a special buff to the weapon. The player can also stack up on purchasing health and EP items at the consumables vendor.
Currency: Players will gain currency for every enemy defeated within a level. Players only need to walk over the currency to obtain it so whenever the player does obtain it, it goes into the player’s wallet. The currency can vary from pennies, dimes and dollars, gold, diamonds etc… The player will have complete freedom to use their money on what they have unlocked so far in the game.
Combat will have a mixture of up close melee combat and ranged weapon combat. Players all have 100 health as maximum health and taking damage reduces your health. If you die you use a life, you start out with 3 extra lives. Every time an enemy is damaged (if they are not heavy enemies) they are staggered slightly with normal attacks and heavy attacks stun them for a short time.
Each character has a special melee weapon with their own special properties.
Lamar’s melee weapon: A staff with medium attack speed dealing a moderate area of damage able to hit multiple enemies at once.
Zane’s melee weapon: Hot heavy chains that are slow to swing for a large area of damage able to hit many enemies at once.
Ayada’s melee weapon: vines that shoot out of her arms that stab/smack etc. enemies in a moderate area of damage able of hitting multiple enemies at once.
Blair’s melee weapon: Dual blades that have a fast attack speed but at the cost of low area damage, able to hit a few enemies at once.
The abilities for the four characters use “Ability points” or AP, it is limited in uses but slowly regenerate to be reused. The abilities for the four characters are are as follows:
Ayada: upon use of her ability she launches a storm of razor sharp blades of grass and thorns that covers a medium area of effect, stunning and damaging enemies for a short period of time.
Blair: Upon use of her ability Blair rains down a storm of ice and snow damaging and slowing down enemies in a large area of effect.
Lamar: Upon using his ability, Lamar summons lightning from his staff to fire a devastating bolt of electricity in a flat direct line having a small area of effect, requiring the player to properly aim before using the ability.
Zane: Upon using his ability Zane will slam the ground with his chains causing the ground within the chain’s range to catch fire and damage any enemies standing either in the way of the strike or the fire afterwards to be damaged and have a burning effect after the flames on the ground dissipate.
The ranged combat consists of two parts, abilities, and gun-play.
Guns are only picked up from enemies that have them and are dropped when defeated, in order to use them the weapon needs to be picked up from a defeated enemy that carried the gun. Guns also have very limited ammo before they must be dropped.
Pistols: Medium range medium firing low damage weapons with low knock-back.
Revolvers: medium range, slow firing, high damage weapons with medium knock-back.
SMGs: Fully automatic fast firing, low damage, and low knock-back.
Shotguns: short range, slow firing, very high damage weapons with heavy-knock-back.
sniper rifles: Long range, slow firing, high damage, heavy knock-back weapons.
Assault rifles: fully automatic with medium fire rate, medium range, medium damage, with medium knock-back.
LMGs: High rate of fire, with medium range, medium damage and heavy knock-back.
Game-play- Button layout (PC, PS4, Xbox 1):
Sprinting: (PC) “Shift” key
Combat: Basic attack: (PC) Mouse 1
Heavy attack: (PC) “Hold” Mouse 1
(PS4) “Hold” “Square” Button
(Xbox 1) “Hold” “X” Button
Special (Elemental) attack: (PC) “F” Key
Defense: (PC) “Hold” “Ctrl” Key
(PS4) “Hold” “circle” Button
(Xbox 1) “hold” “B” Button
(PS4) “Right” on the “D-pad”
(Xbox 1) “Right” on the “D-pad”
(Carrying heavy item) Throw: (PC) “hold” Mouse 1
(PS4) “Hold” “Square” Button
(Xbox 1) “Hold” “X” Button
(Unable to jump while holding heavy object)
Harbinger, the last stand
The story tells of 4 main characters (of witch you play) and their stories of discrimination and racism. The world they live in is closed minded especially to their race. Loosely based on earth with Sci-fi fantasy elements mixed together in the near future. Within a dystopian city where crime is at a constant high, and a government/dictatorship that have a heavy dis-taste for the minority race called the “Anthros”. The Anthros are a race of people like humans in figure and behavior but with animalistic physical qualities. Officially they are anthropomorphic animals or “Anthros” for short. Often said to be the “inferior race” that if a “natural cleansing” of the anthros would be favorable. The anthros have often followed the laws that blatantly violated their natural rights. After many years under this oppression they finally will stand up for their rights, they are no longer going to hide away and take this, so they are rightfully pissed off and will not stop until they get their rights and have justice for them and the lives lost due to injustice, inequality and police brutality.
Build: Long and athletic, defined muscles.
Talent: flame warfare / Brawler Combat
Clothing Style: punk, alternative.
Defining features: Bright narrow eyes.
Personality: Short temper, acts tough but is a total softie, sensitive, Often comes off as abrasive with his temper and sense of humor. a hopeless romantic, not afraid to express his opinion or his emotions, he is a loyal and loving true friend to the other three characters in the game.
Lamar Lynch’s Description
Build: Muscular, athletic.
Race: (African American) humanoid lion
Talent: lightning warfare / fighting stick
Personality: Cool and collected, a born leader to the group, but doesn’t want to be considered to have authority, slowly builds from a reluctant leader in the beginning to a confident leader to the group deep into the story. Loyal trusting friend. Known as the handsome charmer of the group, but minus the ego of one.
Blair Anomi’s Description
Eye Color: white/pale blue or husky
Talent: ice warfare / scythe
Race: (Native American), humanoid caribou
Defining features: caribou hooves,tail and antlers
Personality: Blair has trust issues and is very private with her life. She is introverted and takes time to warm up to someone, she is a friend that will always trust you when you gained her trust and always has your back. She doesn’t give a damn if you think you are right even if you are wrong, she will slap you without hesitation if it gets to that.
Ayada Guren’s Description
Personality: perky, Boisterous.
Hair Color: lime-dark green gradient
Talent: acidic warfare / dual daggers
Race: (indian) humanoid plant
Style: Bright colors, Floral.
Defining features: Markings on skin, much like tattoos.
Personality: Ayada is a very bouncy, perky and positive person. She is reckless, and clumsy. She is extroverted and easily entertained. But is in the end a loving friend. Closest friend is Blair Anomi.
Main Characters’ Backstories
Blair was born as a mixed child, her mother being a full anthro and her father being a full human. She was raised as a good child until as the family was driving home they were pulled over, in which the mother was driving. The police officer was very discriminatory and Blair’s mother knew she was wrongly pulled over but still complied to the officer’s orders and reached into her purse for her wallet and that was when the officer promptly screamed for her to drop the weapon, she was confused and looked at the officer with her wallet in hand that the officer “mistook” for a firearm and shot her dead in the car, without regard that Blair was sitting in the back seat witnessing her mother’s murder. This event caused her father to go into a deep depression, falling into the numbing pain of alcohol. Blair still loves her father dearly, but is the only human in her life she will ever trust in her life until she can make a change, and get justice for her mother. With any means necessary.
Ayada Guren was born with a family that could easily pass off as human, her family weren’t based off of animals but plants. Ayada grew up with a love for everybody regardless of race, if Ayada wanted to do anything to help stop this discrimination she would grow flowers everywhere with a message of peace and being able to coexist peacefully. Ayada knows because she grew up with her best friend Blair. They always played together, and Ayada would always give Blair flowers. Ayada always has Blair’s back, even more so after the tragedy of Blair’s mother dying.
Lamar grew up with a normal life, studied hard, stood up straight, and had a great family. Lamar loved his younger brother Zack, who always followed him with a wide smile. One day Lamar went hiking with his younger brother Zack. During their hike it started to get very windy and rain hard, so Lamar finds an area where they could sit and wait for the rain to stop, but doesn’t look like it would. Lamar tries get inside the opening and turns back to help zack, but zack is too scared to move because of the storm. Lamar urges his brother reaching out so he can pull him along and inside, but zack stumbles on the loose edge and is too scared to move. Lamar steps out to get Zack when suddenly lightning strikes the two of them in witch Zack dies, but through unknown means saves Lamar and this is how he obtained his electricity/lightning powers.
Zane was born different, this wasn’t a good thing unfortunately for zane. He was an anthro and the family he was born into hated anthros, with a rich ancestry of humans only. With this being the case Zane grew up into a very abusive family. Throughout Zane’s early years he was small, he was made fun of by his peers because he was often the smallest and weakest one, and that is the biggest reason why he loses his temper so easily. One day when he was older he discovered that he can hide his natural anthro body with an ability that made him almost undeniably human looking, so he used this power to run away and never go back to his abusive home, after some time he went to University where he met Lamar, they both had very opposite personalities but ended up getting to know each other since they were roommates and all. Lamar and Zane end up being best friends, and Lamar helped teach Zane how to deal with his sensitive temper towards his appearance, although he needs more work, he was able to get better at taking insults and not getting into fights. Zane then grew in size, he grew up to 7'0" tall in a short time and gained a new level of confidence. Lamar still makes sure to keep him in check, especially with Zane’s temper. (the best he can)
(I understand that this is not the final version but rather setting a foundation, more will be needed to be placed in order for the story to go further.)
