Hitscan

Game Design Document

Prepared by: Jordan Williams (14046385), Ryan Smith (14073102),

Samuel Dutson (14036622)
Table of Contents

OVERVIEW 3
Target Platform / Minimum Hardware 3
Visual Style 3
Audio Style 3

STARTING OUT 4
Game start Main Menu Character Selection/Creation 4
Game Start and Intro 4
In-Game HUD & Menus 4
Multiplayer (If Applicable) 4

UI 5
Main Menu 5
Player Customization / Store 5
Game setup Screen 5
In-Game Options Menu 5
In-Game HUD 5
Game Over Screen 5
Level Selection 5

GAMEPLAY 6
Mechanics 6
Controls 6
Modes 6

WINNING THE MATCH 7

Score 7
Currency 7
Challenges of importance 7
Missions and Achievements 7

ASSETS 8
Characters 8
Weapons 8
Equipment and Upgrades 8
Environmental 8
Audio 8

BACKSTORY 9
Cinematics 9
To-Do 9
OVERVIEW
Our game is a retro-futuristic first person 3D platformer puzzle game.
Weve gone for a game where the player progresses through the level operating electrical
switches with the use of their gun, which can absorb electricity. By drawing power away from
switches, the player can change the look of the environment and power other switches to
open doorways.

Target Platform / Minimum Hardware

This game is certainly suited for P.C. However, we feel that it would still be enjoyable if
ported to consoles if we had enough time to develop it.
We are currently using Unreal Engine Version 4.9.2. Given that version 4.10 came out after
we had started work on this project, we felt that switching to the new engine would be
difficult and time-consuming.
Our game file size is about 1.8GB

Visual Style
The intended visual style was supposed to be similar to the pre-war section to the Fallout
games. Pastel colours, chrome edges, curvature designs.
The current visual style is still applicable but not what we had originally planned. At the
moment, surfaces are grey and a little bland with the main detail being the switches that
weve
implemented.

Audio Style
As of yet, the audio style is undecided. However, weve planned an electric jazz style. This
makes for a great modernisation of the 60s era.
STARTING OUT
Game start Main Menu Character Selection/Creation
As of yet, the game has several levels. Theyre sequential and linked together.
There are no in-game menus yet but we can easily add them in later.
We have no character creation. You play as a preset character. Adding more
intricate, detailed design later is less important that building the levels themselves.

Game Start and Intro

The game starts you off in a maze. When they reach the end of the maze, they are greeted
with a corridor with a bright light at the end. Walking towards it will initiate the official tutorial
of the game.
This level gets the player used to activating switches to change the environment in
order to progress the game.
The second level is the official tutorial. The player traverses a large map and has to
be very conservative with their power, activating timed switches and making use of the
jetpack mechanic
The player should fully understand the 2 main mechanics in as many levels.

In-Game HUD & Menus

We were initially going to have a player health bar but decided against it. We wanted to
design the levels to playtest and improve and then decided that we could display the fact
that the player has lost life by restarting the level, if they fall too far down.
There is also a text pop-up describing how to use the jetpack as soon as the player
picks it up, appearing in the top left.
There are no menus as of yet.

Multiplayer (If Applicable)

There is no multiplayer and no plans to change the game to multiplayer.

UI
Main Menu
There is no menu as of yet. However, designing it would take minimal time, implementing it
wouldnt be too difficult as it would most likely only contain a resume button, a restart level
button and a quit button.

Player Customization / Store

There is no player customisation, from both a mechanical standpoint as well a lore
standpoint. Mechanically, it would take too long to implement character customisation,
designing all the parts that the player could customise.
However, when you play through the games story, context suggests that the villains
of the game are after you, the player, an unnamed person as of yet.

Game Setup Screen

The game is set up to begin upon pressing play.

In-Game Options Menu

There is no in-game options menu as of yet.

In-Game HUD
It would be nice to include a text pop up to describe how the gun works. However, this hasnt
been incorportated.

Game Over Screen

If the player falls too far, there is no game over screen. The player is brought back to the
beginning of the level.

Level Selection
Since the levels are sequential instead of the player experiencing them in any order, there is
no level selection. You start off in the dream-like maze, then experience the tutorial level and
are faced with the platforming cinematic level of the bridge.

GAMEPLAY
The game starts you off in a maze. When they reach the end of the maze, they are greeted
with a corridor with a bright light at the end. Walking towards it will initiate the official tutorial
of the game.
This level serves as slight backstory for the upcoming levels. It also demonstrates the
basic mechanics without any risk of activating the lose state.
 The following level is the tutorial. The player makes use of the door switch mechanic
but is faced with more platforming as they aim to reach a moving crane in time. Also, the
player receives a jetpack. This helps them with platforming puzzles which is why this level
includes ledges that require the jetpack to get on top off, getting the play more acquainted
with using it.
The third level focuses on a bridge. The player leaves their room and finds that they
cannot enter back in because the switch outside is neither on or off, its broken. They cross
the bridge and cant enter the door on the other side so must traverse platforming puzzles to
find electricity. When the player finds the electricity, taking it will trigger a matinee cinematic
of a car crashing through the bridge they just travelled over, meaning they must use the
jetpack to continue.
In order of levels, the playstyle can be described as puzzle-like for the maze, puzzle
platforming for the tutorial and platforming cinematic for the third.

Mechanics
We do also have mechanics that are in engine but havent been implemented due to time
constraints of creating levels. They are an object pick up mechanic where right clicking can
move certain objects. The other is interactive buttons, showing up on computers/terminals
like a numeric keypad.

Controls
The game uses standard WASD controls to move forward, left, back and right. The player
looks around by using the mouse.
Left click allows the player to move power between sources and subjects.
Right click is currently an unused mechanic but allows the player to pick up items and
move them.
Pressing SPACE allows the player to jump. If the player has acquired the jetpack,
pressing SPACE two more times gives them more jumps to utilise.
Modes
There is no alternation of modes. The current, standard mode is the only mode.

WINNING THE MATCH

In order to complete the game, the player must successfully navigate the levels without
falling. Getting to the end of the final level doesnt result in a finish screen. The player will still
be able to move around. However, the player will not be able to access any new areas or
switches.
Implementing a Finish screen is something we need to do.

Score
We dont have plans to utilise a score mechanic.

Currency
Currently, there is no in-game currency the player can acquire.

Challenges of Importance
We feel that each level has something to offer the player, forcing them to think differently on
how to progress. Therefore we dont feel that the levels can be prioritised in order of
importance.

Missions and Achievements

The main mission of the game is to avoid being caught. Kind of similar to Mirrors Edge but
allowing more time to survey the environment to figure out how to progress.
There is currently no achievement system in our game.
 A
SSETS

Characters
We have used the default character model from Unreal Engine 4. Given more time, we
would be able to implement a 3D character model that we design ourselves.

Weapons
We have developed 2 weapon models. The first one was a basic gun which would activate
the mechanic.
We later improved that with a more fitting design. Instead of being all metal, this gun
features a glass chamber where the barrel would be. Inside the glass chamber is a small
electric charge, indicating that power can be stored. When the player acquires power, it goes
from a small electric
light to a larger,
brighter electric pulse.

Equipment
and
Upgrades
We started off with a basic smooth oval shape to represent where the jetpack would be. We
later improved this by changing the shape and adding detail.
Theres also a visual effect when the player uses it. The initial jump doesnt show this effect.
However, on the first jump, small sparks can be seen. The second jump shows a fiery effect.
This is to show the limited usage.

Environmental
There are quite a lot of assets that fit this category. For instance, the tutorial level features a
large crane which turns and lowers a metallic container for the player to ride on top of.
Theres also a few flying vehicles. Theres a lamp which provides atmospheric lighting.
Theres also a large refuse bin that serves as a ledge to ascend to the next platform.
A popular asset used frequently is a large megaphone. These will be dotted throughout
levels and serve as public service announcements. They dont play any sound as of yet.
However, the plan was to slip sections of context in them which would serve as the games
story.

Audio
We currently dont have any in-game audio. We had planned to include a electric-swing
genre. This would symbolise the genre of the time with a bit of a modern twist.
The game isnt completely mute though. There are currently sound clips that play
when the player retrieves electricity from a power source and a different sound that plays
when they distribute it to a different switch.
Neither sound plays if the player shoots the gun at nothing to retrieve or distribute
power from.
There is no in-game dialogue as of yet.

BACKSTORY
You start off in a room with only a TV. You are interrupted, mid-brainwash, during communist
indoctrination, and managed to escape the only way you can: with your electric gun.
American officials are tipped off by an anonymous citizen that there is a Russian spy,
seeking to cause havoc in the city.
While you only want to get home, your methods arent perfect and you cause more damage
than you mean to - making the lies sound much more realistic, turning the city against you.

Cinematics
We have no full cinematics during our game, although our third level, The Bridge, features a
cinematic matinee that is triggered by removing electricity from one switch. After triggering it,
a car will speed along a rail, fly off and crash through the bridge.
Our tutorial level also features a matinee sequence. During a section of this level, a
car flies in a loop. However, if the player steps on the car, they will stop the loop and the car
leads them to the next destination of the level.

To-Do
Add in-game menus.
Include something to symbolise the end of the game.
Implement unused mechanics.
Include AI enemies that would try to catch the player.
Include background music and dialogue.