A dune surfing 3d platformer with emphasis on momentum management skillfully maneuvering the environment.
In this game you explore the ruins of a lost civilization, their remnants landmarks in the barren desert. You explore these by surfing the sandy dunes, avoiding ruins and traversing obstacles. The goal is to make it to the end of the level, preferably gathering collectibles on the way to the bottom. The main challenge of the game is through proper use of the games controls. You control the character directing him to ramps, and avoiding pits, trying to keep momentum high while searching for collectibles. After each major section of gameplay there will be a pyramid level. This level is intended to test the player’s knowledge of the game’s mechanics and unlike the other sections will be on a timer. If you fail to keep moving quickly enough you will fail that level.
The ruins of the lost civilization contain powerful artifacts, and lost technology. This technology is extremely advanced, all of its secrets are lost to time. It is so advanced that it may as well be magic. Some sections of the ruins may have effects that counter normal laws of nature, such as space or gravity. You can retrofit collected tech that allows the last bastion of civilization, your home, to survive. You are your village’s last hope for survival.
The game will contain a lot of sand. The sand will be broken up by rocky ravines, crumbled pillars, and ruined structures. The ruins draw their base look from Egypt, however their look is augmented by the advanced technology. Think sandstone and crystal energy conduits. I like the idea of minimalism or doing a lot with little. The game should contain striking color for interesting aesthetic highlights and variety in the scene.
Each level is linear and directed. The experience should be compact and well thought. Each level contains careful placement of objects that make the most of the small space. In addition to this there will be little or no backtracking, so level designers only have to think in one direction.
3 level designers, 1-2 systems designers. 3-4 Environment Designers, 2-4 Concept Artists, 1 rigger, 1 animator, 2-3 Modelers/Texturers, 2-3 Programmers
Minimum Total Team Size: 15-21
This section is before the idea was really in place, so this is less useful
General Ideas - Formative Stage
References: Spyro, Banjo Kazooie 1 & 2, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine.
Similar Games: Sly Cooper, Ratchet & Clank.
Moveset: Jump, Double Jump, Triple Jump, Sideflip, Long Jump, ???
How to combine combat and platforming?
Theme: There is a theme rather than a story. Story is secondary/unimportant.
Theme should be colorful and vibrant. Someplace enjoyable.
Theme should hopefully not be restrictive from a mechanics standpoint. Specifically moving platforms and other platforming challenges should be supported by theme.
Enemies should be varied. This should be visually and mechanically. Even if you defeat them the same way, the challenge can be modified by enemy attack methods. Should be a couple different methods for different enemies though. Enemies should fit in theme.
Ninja Theme? Fluid movement some stealth mechanics??
10 Game Ideas for a 3D Platformer
Ninja Game: 3d platforming mostly involving stealth. Power fantasy would be master assassin.
Issues: The theme itself lends more towards assassin gameplay, which usually heavily involves stealth components. It also opens up questions of non lethal vs lethal. Would like to be true to the lore of ninjas if I went down this path. How would collectibles work? Something similar to okami? Mark of the ninja?
left trigger and spin left stick in a circle results in a flurry of shurikens that will stun nearby enemies.
Accurately thrown shuriken can result in a kill.
Thief: 3d platforming mostly involving stealth. Opens up more thematically consistent goals. No more assassinations but stealing specific things.
Collectibles make more sense as you are a regular kleptomaniac. Collectibles aren’t floating things you pick up. Rather they are bits of gold and jewelry you find when moving through a level.
If you are a thief you are most likely working in indoor environments. If this intended to have a camera similar to SM64 the levels will most likely need to have walls that disappear… How to do indoor environments with respect to the camera?
If ignoring that issue and moving outside. What goals will be presented to the player? What can you steal outside?
Stealth mechanics would work like most games but with a indicator like payday.
MGS is a good reference.
Themeless? Abstract?
Arabian/Egyptian: Similar to the theme of prince of persia. Could incorporate elements of magic or mysticism.
What are player motivations? (Combine with thief idea?)
Is automatically a vibrant and colorful setting. Is also an interesting setting.
What are enemies? How can I avoid every enemy being a big man with a sword?
How do you defeat enemies? Is there a combat system?
Moving platforms through magic? Archaic mechanical devices?
What are collectibles?
Main Idea comes to the forefront
Fleshed Out Egyptian Setting:
This is the point where the idea fully takes place
Main Mechanic: Sand Surfing. Similar to the sequences in Journey, but less floaty.
2 methods: Railroading sequences like journey did, or giving an open world area to explore.
Railroading
Advantages: Smaller. Less complex. Directed goal. Able to create some really cool sequences. Allows careful and interesting placement of secrets/collectibles.
Disadvantages: Limits player. If done poorly player will feel restricted.
Open
Advantages: Player freedom. The feeling of exploration and adventure. More easily able to place secrets in locations that don’t break the player from the main core loop.
Disadvantages: Have to design for full freedom of movement. Too Big. Too Complex.
Two options: Tons of replayability or a little of replayability.
High Replay Value
Emphasis on Speedrunning
Options for 100% runs and any% runs
Needs player skill to reflect final time. This more than just knowing the right route its also being able to execute. to put it more simply player skill directly reflects how fast they can go. To a point.
Skill cap must be high in this case.
Low Replay Value
Any replay value is gained through use of collectibles and secrets
Players would be allowed to backtrack through the use of typical platforming controls.
In fact they may be required to do so in certain areas to gain collectibles or secrets.
Maybe a significant demarcation between levels with and without secrets?
Have flow levels where maintaining speed is important (How?) and all collectibles are visible, even if they aren’t too easy to get to.
Then have other levels which may have sections that are fast paced but the player is always relatively easy to stop themselves and explore. Will there always be a path back up? Maybe not.
In both types of level momentum is important for gaining certain collectibles.
Methods for doing so: Jumps based on speed. Breaking walls based on speed. Going up ramps (How is this different than jumps or walking?) Maybe a ramp plus a breakable wall.
Breakable walls should be color coded which corresponds to a speedometer. (Will the speedometer conflict with the theme? Not if the art direction is good)
What else?
Maybe have some levels with sloped walls which can be used as impromptu ramps.
What is the frequency of pickups? Will there be “coins” everywhere related to player score? Or are pickups less frequent? Powerups?
Enemies try to either slow/hinder the player or kill them.
Skilled players can avoid enemies or even better they can use them to gain an advantage (height or speed).
Ant Lions: Pull player towards the center of their pit trip, however players can use the end of the pit as a ramp. (Alternatively the ant lions could launch the player. They gain a great height advantage for the cost of speed maybe a bit too gimmicky)
Oil Jars: If the player hits one they lose control or have less control of their player however they gain speed. Players could use this to reach an area they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to due to their speed.
What Else?
Pyramid themed levels?
Pyramid traps?
Underground setting (How will camera function?)
Different collectibles? What purpose do they serve? Don’t collectibles actually hinder the experience of the pyramid levels? (e.g. urgent feeling, hold on while I pick up a thousand collectibles? Ways to combat that?) Maybe incorporate collectible placement for perfectionists who can find the optimal route to collectibles while maintaining speed.
Pyramid levels should be challenge levels with different obstacles that truly test a player’s understanding of the game mechanics. The challenges could be timed by sand filling in areas. Maybe some areas are easy when there is more sand, but if it fills up too much you can’t escape and then lose the level. Maybe a bit too complex but a nice way to remove the need for a timer. It definitely should be timed. Do we need other obstacles for pyramids or is that compromising gameplay for theme? The timed element makes it difficult enough. Maybe pyramids are the flow levels I was talking about? Or should they be another level type.
If you are escaping rising sand doesn’t that mean the levels have to be vertical in nature with the goal being high? (Thats a problem.) (How to maintain speed while gaining height? Usually should be mutually exclusive. Gain height at cost of speed or gain speed at expense of height.
Control Scheme:
A = Jump and maybe Glide?
B = Crouch/Accelerate? Fall Faster?
X = ?
Y = ?
Start = Pause Game
Back = Map or Objectives? Maybe the amount of collectibles you have picked up during the level.
Right Trigger = Veer right?
Left Trigger = Veer left?
Left Thumbstick = Standard Controls for walking/moving
Right Thumbstick = Camera Movement
Right Bumper = ?
Left Bumper = ?
Left Thumbstick Push = ??
Right Thumbstick Push = Center camera behind player?
Create a 3D platformer where the main method of platforming is sliding down dunes of sand.
The levels will be primarily linear in nature with a focus on intelligent placement of collectibles and secrets which require the player to understand and utilize the movement system. Secrets will usually require a combination of curiosity and competence.
There are three types of level: flow, collect, and pyramid. Flow levels involve fast paced movement. They have less focus on secrets and instead focus on the player gaining enough speed to access different areas with collectibles. (e.g. the more speed you have the higher you can jump and then you can get to a platform thats at a higher elevation that has some collectibles.) The collect levels are the same as flow except there is less focus on speed and more focus on curiosity. The player should still want to go fast but should also feel like its ok to slow down and explore an area fully. (How do I incentivise the player to do this?) The pyramid are similar to flow levels in that secrets are less prevalent, however these levels are meant to be more challenging and to really test a player. They are also timed, when flow levels are not.
This is a surfing game that relies on player skill and varies the skill required by how much players want collectibles.
How is difficulty introduced?
If tricks aren’t the skill cap what is?
Is a “grind” or a substitute mechanic beneficial? What purpose does limiting the players movement have? Switching between “rails” is some level challenge but it inherently limits player movement. Its not much because so far the only thing I have is moving left right, and jumping.
I want each level to be like a wonderfully crafted poem or metaphor. The sections that have a lot of content are meaningful and well thought out, the transitions are correct and serve to emphasize the content in-between.
Gameplay will focus around redirecting momentum
General Movement: Moving the analog back and forth
Jumping: Pushing the A button
Ramps/Angled Objects: Ramps could be specifically placed or they could be angled pillars that the player bounces off of. The first is easier but the second opens up more gameplay options.
Hitting a wall: Immediately stops movement and then the player falls straight down.
If it is angled objects would players have to hit this dead on or otherwise risk shooting off at an angle?
Wall Running/Sliding: Fall slower while sacrificing forward momentum
Sliding up an incline that has a low enough angle that it isn’t considered a ramp.
What purpose does this serve? What can it do that ramps can’t?
Surfing (ala CS:S): This has merit but I feel it is too unoriginal. Also it is very fast paced, in a way that does not fit the rest of the game.
Wind Tunnels: How do these work? can the player switch between different tunnels/exit at any point? Is this a fun mechanic? Replace these with slaloms or halfpipes?? Add them in addition?
Drifting: How slidey do we want the surfing to be? Is there a purpose in making it more slidey like the drift mechanic in mario kart?
Hitting a wall: This can be good or bad. If the player hits a wall that allows them to collect a secret that is good. Otherwise it will slow the player down which is frustrating.
How frustrating this is, is determined by the level design. Well placed walls vary the game play, keeping it interesting.
Forcing the player through a tiny space: Forcing the player to go through a small opening presents a level of challenge. The challenge changes based upon the size of the opening, its placement, and the speed that the player is moving at.
Pits: Pits that the player can fall in. Similar to walls, too many will frustrate the player but having some will vary the gameplay.
What if most pits had a raised edge that functioned as ramp? If the player is fast enough they will simply jump over small pits automatically. The danger would be if they fall in from the air. Maybe good for beginning levels but don’t be afraid to use frequent pits to ramp up difficulty. Just do so intelligently.
Enemies: Do enemies serve a purpose? What is that purpose? Can they add anything meaningful or fun to the game? How?
Good now take everything there and flesh it out ^
Reference: SSX3, Sonic Riders, Journey, 1080°
The game should be challenging but not too challenging.
Setting: Sand
The setting is going through the ruins of a lost civilization. Maybe recovering the lost technology? Your enemies could be trying to get it before you. Maybe racing some people for it. Does the technology you pick up augment your abilities?
Technology is in the form of artifacts. Nobody quite knows how they work. It is technology but its advanced enough that it doesn’t even seem like technology, more like magic.
Look of infused sandstone, energy conduits and the like.
Base look starts with egyptian ruins, however want to remove the culture and mythology of egypt from this as it is a different civilization.