This week we were finalizing the level design (the layout of the room) and putting the last code pieces of the color transmitting game! Here we’re going to share important information of the game:
Game setting
Player: Captain from Earth
Partner: Spot
Where: Planet X
Mission: To retrieve the energy ball and lighten up the purple crystal flower
Spot’s initial abilities: Walking, scanning QR codes, transferring colors
Spot’s abilities to unlock: Stepping, dancing, leaning, and clapping
What’s on Planet X:
- An alien host who guides and helps the player
- A projector displays the mission (story background), the use of the controller, a map of Planet X, and any hints that the player gets
- 5 signs (QR codes) that give Spot abilities and hint the player
- Those hints and abilities are crucial for the player to complete the mission! For example, Spot must unlock the “Step” ability to retrieve the energy ball and one of the hints tells the player where to drop the ball.
- Some of the signs are hidden initially
- A place where Spot can pick a color
- A place where Spot can drop a color
- A place where Spot can catch the ball
- A place where Spot can drop the ball
- Other interactable objects for tutorials and Spot’s emotional interactions
Map
Experience
The player lands on Planet X to locate and obtain an energy ball. The player is presented with options to know more about the planet they’ve landed on and the nature of the mission.
Upon landing, the player is greeted by the NPC alien that tells him/her that the aliens require a purple crystal flower in exchange for authorization to retrieve the energy ball. The game experience starts with the player being given Spot to interact with elements on the planet as they cannot touch anything on the planet’s surface.
To learn how to use Spot, the player is told to obtain more information in the remnants of earlier missions to the planet (fiducials) and is given a map. In this phase of the experience, Spot can only move around and scan information in the form of fiducials.
The player investigates the first fiducial to unlock functionality in Spot and gain information about retrieving the energy ball and its drop off point. The player can then use their map to navigate the planet and locate the energy ball. Once the energy ball is retrieved using Spot and deposited, the player needs to start looking for the next set of fiducials to begin the search for the purple crystal flower.
He/she learns how to transfer colors from objects in the surroundings to obtain a color in the crystal flower. With this new knowledge, the player must then mix colors to obtain purple and power the crystal, fulfilling their end of the bargain. At any stage, if the player is lost, help can be asked of the NPC alien.
If successful, the player can begin the journey back home with the energy ball.
Game flow
Story script
**It will be shown on the project when the game starts**
Captain, we are about to land on Planet X. Do you want to recheck the mission for this journey again? yes/no
The main goal for our journey is to bring back one energy ball for scientific purposes.
Do you want to know details about the purpose? yes/no
Purpose details: Earth has entered the nuclear energy era two hundred years ago. But nuclear energy centers are vulnerable in front of natural disasters like hurricanes and tsunamis. Many areas are under the threat of nuclear leaks. The energy ball is a sample from a newly discovered mine on PlanetX. Scientists want to bring it to earth for further studies in hope of utilizing it for a safer energy source.
Upon agreement we held with Planet X, we need to find them a purple crystal flower in exchange for the energy ball.
Do you want to hear more background information? yes/no
Background information:
The creatures on Planet X are intelligent creatures but due to their special environment,
they can only see purple. Therefore, purple crystal flowers are a sacred symbol
on this planet. But hundreds of years ago, for some unknown reason, the purple crystal
the flower has diminished. Numerous people tried hard to relight the crystal flower in
exchange for the energy ball but failed.
We are about the landing. Remember, upon our agreement, do not use violence on this planet or mission will fail.
We sent several groups before this mission, but they all failed. You might want to look for some left clues for completing your mission.
**End**
Starts to have a sense of the game now? Great! We recorded some footages on Friday and we’ll edit a trailer video to better demostrate the game!
More videos are coming up! We wish you can try the game but CMU is going to give only remote instruction now. Our programmers will bring Spots home before the Thanksgiving break. They will do further developing and testing at home. We’re planning to do a remote playtest or live session when returning Spots during Week 15. Hopefully, we could show you not just the videos!