CS4455 Fall 2014

Order of Zinglon – G3

By norigantz on November 10th, 2014

Revised Design Document

Title
Full Swing

Group
Order of Zinglon
ragnar – https://github.blairmacintyre.me/site-archive/cs4455f14/author/ragnar
norigantz – https://github.blairmacintyre.me/site-archive/cs4455f14/author/norigantz
cubs2bears – https://github.blairmacintyre.me/site-archive/cs4455f14/author/cubs2bears

Concept
A first-person game where the player has a grappling device.  The grapple hook can act as a rope so the player can swing around objects and can also retract and pull the player towards the point it is hooked to.  The player will use this device in combination with high-speed running and jumping to move through a level.  The levels will be designed for the player to utilize both their speed and their grappling ability to traverse successfully.  A skilled player will be able to use their ability in clever ways to maximize efficiency and flow through the levels as fast as possible.  For instance, an advanced maneuver might use the retract ability to slingshot around an obstacle to gain lots of speed.  Speedrunning will be a major part of the game, and the player will be encouraged to replay levels and achieve even faster times through practice.

The levels will consist of small “phrases” that act as individual trials.  These trials will be constructed out of a combination of environmental positioning and dramatic traps.  The environments will offer varying experiences ranging from more free-form swinging in an open space to precise movement through a predetermined path.  Similarly, the traps will vary in how they are dealt with, encouraging the player to push themselves to mastering different aspects of gameplay.  An example of this is mashy spike plates, which require the player to time their movement rhythmically and move fast enough to avoid getting crushed.  Some other examples include lava floors that force the player to stay airborne for long periods, moving lasers that emphasize precision movement, and sharp spinning objects that make for counterintuitive grapple targets.

Control
Successful maneuvering will enable the player to gradually increase their speed.  The player’s ability to maintain and convert this speed toward whatever direction they choose will be essential to achieving good runs.  When running on the ground, the player will maintain and slowly add to their traveling velocity.  The grapple hook acts as a momentum conversion tool for things like sharp turns and transitioning forward movement into upward height gains.  The grapple hook’s retract ability will be an additional way to manipulate velocity.  Without the grapple hook, the player will be less able to change their velocity while airborne, meaning certain turns that might be possible if the player could simply turn through the air are only possible by swinging around a specific grapple point.  This also means the player will not turn unintentionally when they attempt to grapple a point that is not directly in front of them.

Feature Set Targets
Low-Bar
– At least one playable level with a goal point and two obstacles.
– Implement character movement and grapple hook mechanics.

Expected
– One tutorial level and one challenge level with two types of obstacles.
– Speed-based scoring system

High-Bar
– Enhanced rope physics where the rope can wrap around geometry.
– Ghost functionality

Schedule

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