Posted February 18, 2022 by GomaGames
#game design
Inspiration for this game finally hit me!
📄 The game design document is shown below, and referenced with anchor links
The major changes are:
🏅 Players can earn Badges through various activities.
This is an “alpha” release, just for us to prove that the mechanics work.
See single player design here: GDD#single-player
1+1 Co-op play is defined here: GDD#cooperative1+1
Inspired by the competitive nature of the World Scouts Jamboree
Competitive mode is the “beta” release, to prove if the game is fun to play.
In 1v1 or 2v2 mode, each Scout Group (team) competes towards any of 3 victory conditions GDD#competitive-mode
Survive each night by following the rules from single player (have a campfire, have enough food, don’t have a destroyed tent)
Players can perform tasks (mini quests) to influence the wildlife, for example, go to the squirrel’s forest, donate some food, the Scout Group that donates the most gains the squirrel’s favor causing them to all visit the other Scout Group’s camp.
This enables the players to deploy sort of a non-violent “attack”.
Players can go for earning the most money by crafting sellable goods, pottery, and art (which also provide badges).
Send these goods to the Camp “store” tent to be sold.
The first Scout Group to reach a certain amount wins the game!
Or this can be a tug of war, the Scout Group that earns $20 more than the opponents win.
If every player in your Scout Group earns all badges available, you win the game!
Actions now have a duration, so time is a limited resource to manage gdd#timings
Bridges can be built to traverse rivers that divide the 2 camps, this provides players access to more resources.
Money is now a system that can be used for other things, such as purchasing items and upgrades etc. gdd#sellable-goods–art
There are now choosable characters that have different abilities that may suit the way you want to play.
TITLE: Scouts
Elevator Pitch
“Team-Based survival game where you compete to earn badges”
Cooperative Mode (Survival)
Earn the most merit badges, before the game is over. The game ends when your troop cannot survive the night.
Surviving the night
Competitive Mode
Survival Victory
The other team fails to Survive the night.
Economic Victory
Your team earns ECONVICTORYAMOUNT money.
Completion Victory
Each player on your team earns all the badges available.
Crafting
Natural resources are in limited supply, and limited in utility. Players get to satisfy their curiosity by crafting more useful items that unlock potential areas to explore and player capabilities.
Exploration
Players are encouraged to explore all areas they have access to, while some areas are not immediately accessible, solving problems (crafting, bridge building, etc.) will uncover more areas to explore.
Cooperation
Players can achieve more by working together, than going solo. The game (and all elements) should reward all players for cooperating as a team.
1 to 6 players
Up to 4 Players can all play in the same troop (survival mode)
Players can play against each other by joining different troops
Players can perform activities to earn merit badges
Players who earn a badge become proficient in this activity, allowing them to help others obtain the badge
example: Possession of a musical instrument will earn a Musical badge. Player1 crafts a flute from 4 sticks and a sharp rock, earning the Musical badge. Player1 can now craft a flute from 1 stick and a sharp rock and give it to other Players.
A Day is 4 minutes long
Sun starts setting at 3:30 of that day
All players need to be in a tent by Dusk, 4:00
Debuff condition: if a player is not in a tent by Dusk, the next day they are slowed down, .75 move speed, until they go in a tent to rest for a minute (1/4 of the day)
Math: they can do 75% less than normal this day
At the end of the day, night falls and creatures come to visit camp, steal food, and may destroy camp structures along the way.
Tent has 4 hp
Lose condition: if tent is fully destroyed during the night, your team loses
Night fall lose condition: if there is no CampFire, the game is over
At Dawn, 0:00 of next day, all players need to consume 2 units of food
Lose condition: if a player cannot consume 2 units of food (food is either in the tent or in their own inventory), the game is over
Badge | Criteria | Buff |
---|---|---|
Animal Science | @TODO (something with Bird House?) | Creatures won't steal from your tent |
Art | Craft 3 Art pieces from Canvas and Berries | @TODO |
Basketry | Craft 3 baskets from hemp strings | Unlocks Wicker Food Storage recipe |
Backpacking | Visit 3 scenic points | Unlocks a map for all players |
Camping | Camp out at least 10 nights | Unlocks Tent recipe |
Engineering | Craft 4 different tools | Unlocks Crafting Bench recipe |
Exploration | Visit the North most point, South, East, and West | Unlocks Compass Recipe for all players |
Geology | Mine 10 stone from rock | Unlocks Stone Wall recipe |
Home Repairs | Repair 10 structures | Unlocks Better Hammer recipe |
Metalwork | @TODO | @TODO |
Pottery | Craft 3 pots from mud | @TODO |
Textile | Craft 3 pieces of fabric from hemp strings | Unlocks Canvas Recipe |
Wood Carving | Craft 3 bird feeders from wood | Unlocks Bird House Recipe |
Woodwork | Craft 5 wooden fences | Decreases Crafting time for wooden fences |
Badge | Criteria | Buff |
---|---|---|
Camping | Camp out at least 10 nights | none for mvp |
Engineering | Craft 4 different tools | none for mvp |
Geology | Mine 10 stone from rock | none for mvp |
Home Repairs | Repair 10 structures | none for mvp |
Woodwork | Craft 5 wooden fences | none for mvp |
Badge | Criteria | Buff |
---|---|---|
Camping | Camp out at least 10 nights | none for mvp |
Engineering | Craft 4 different tools | none for mvp |
Geology | Mine 10 stone from rock | none for mvp |
Home Repairs | Repair 10 structures | none for mvp |
Woodwork | Craft 5 wooden fences | none for mvp |
p
is number of players
.
p*2/day
for a 3 player game is 6
per day.
Name | Archetype | Ability |
---|---|---|
Ethan | Crafty | Crafts faster |
Evan | Speedy | Walk faster |
Damien | Strong | Chop wood faster |
Abram | Strong | Mine rocks faster |
Yuna | Smart | Build structures faster |
TBA | Outdoorsy (Endurance) | Requires less food |
Grows on Berry Bushes. Is eaten automatically at Dawn.
Grows on Orange Trees. Is eaten automatically at Dawn if no berries. Can be consumed for faster daytime tent recovery. Can be consumed during activities (crafting, chopping trees, breaking stone) to increase speed.
Animal | Night Time Activity | Lair | Offering |
---|---|---|---|
Squirrel | steals food from tents | squirrel forest | Nuts |
Wolf | destroys tents | wolves den | build fire with Flint stone |
Deer | destroys fences | deer park | |
Rat | steals food from food bins | ||
Skunk | steals materials from tents | ||
Fox | |||
Jackalope | |||
Porcupine | |||
Owl | |||
Spider | |||
Cat | |||
Hedgehog | |||
Armadillo |
Animal | Night Time Activity | Lair | Offering |
---|---|---|---|
Squirrel | steals food from tents | squirrel forest | Nuts |
Wolf | destroys tents | wolves den | build fire with Flint stone |
None of these are MVP
Name | Recipe Idea | Craft Time (sec) | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Pottery | clay | 10 | 10 |
Wood carvings | oak wood | 10 | 10 |
Paintings | dyes, canvas | 10 | 15 |
Tapestry | strings | 8 | 5 |
Woven Basket | Plant Fibers | 8 | 5 |
Initial timings, can be modified through items and abilities.
Action | Duration (seconds) |
---|---|
Gather Material From Floor | 2 |
Chop Basic Tree | 6 |
Rest in Tent during the day | 10 |
Install fence post | 6 |
Uninstall fence post | 4 |
Repair tent | 5 |
Break boulder | 12 |
Crafting Materials | Crafted Item | Duration (seconds) |
---|---|---|
6x sticks | Firewood | 12 |
2x hemp | Hemp String | 4 |
2x stone | Shaped Stone | 4 |
1stck, 1hstr, 1sstn | Stone Axe | 10 |
Wood fence | ||
Stone Hammer |
This is the target for a technical vertical slice to prove that the game mechanics work
internal testing
Choices the player have to make
Player will gather everything and craft the 1 necessary item, firewood. Player will need to build a stone axe to access more of the map. Player must then choose whether to build a food locker, or start building a fence. In either case, the player must build a hammer, which requires more stone, which is only accessible by leaving the camp grounds that is blocked in by trees.
Starting Parameters
Player Inventory
Starting Structures
1 Tent
1 Crafting Bench
1 CampFire
Gatherable Resources
1 Berry bush
3 Basic Trees (7 sticks)
2 sticks
2 sticks
1 stick
3 Stones
2 Hemp Plants (3 Hemp)
1 Hemp
2 Hemp
Area outside camp, blocked by trees
Gatherable Resources
Orange Tree
Berry Bush
Many Basic Trees
2 Hemp Plants (5 Hemp)
2 Hemp
3 Hemp
Area outside forest, blocked by a boulder
Gatherable Resources
#+TODO
More Food
Rocks
9 Levels/Waves
Peaceful nights occur if player hasn’t progressed A beginners game is 12 Nights, an advanced player is 9 nights.
Night 1
1 squirrel (-1 food)
steals 1 food from tent player now has 2 food left for the morning 1 berry will spawn again the next day, still not enough
Noob Night 1.5
If the player hasn’t crafted a wooden axe yet, then spawn just 1 squirrel (-1 food)…
Affords the Player one extra day to learn crafting
Night 2
The player would need to have left the camp area (requires wooden axe) to survive this night.
Night 3
Noob Night 3.5
If the player doesn’t have a food locker yet, spawn 4 squirrels (-4 food)
Affords the Player one extra day to learn to bulid a food locker
Night 4
The player would need to have built a food locker to survive this night
Night 5
Noob Night 5.5
If the player hasn’t fully repaired the tent yet, spawn just 1 wolf (-1 tent health)
Affords the player an extra night to learn to repair the tent
Night 6
The player would need to have fully repaired the tent to survive this night
Night 7
Night 8
Night 9
The player would need to have fully enclosed the camp with fence to survive this night
MVP Requirements [5/10]
public testing
Cooperative 1+1
Choices the players have to make
Which tasks and goals each player will take on. Goals:
Players will have to share food or game will be over after Night 2 Sharing can happen by storing food in the shared tents inventory or food locker
Starting Parameters
Each Player Inventory
Starting Structures
2 Tents
1 Crafting Bench
1 CampFire
Gatherable Resources
1 Berry bushes
3 Basic Trees (7 sticks)
2 sticks
2 sticks
1 stick
3 Stones
2 Hemp Plants (3 Hemp)
1 Hemp
2 Hemp
Area outside camp, blocked by trees
Gatherable Resources
Orange Tree
Berry Bush
Many Basic Trees
2 Hemp Plants (5 Hemp)
2 Hemp
3 Hemp
Area outside forest, blocked by a boulder
Gatherable Resources
#+TODO
More Food
Rocks
9 Levels/Waves
Night 1
4 squirrels (-4 food total)
each steals 1 food from each tent each player now has 2 food left for the morning 2 berries will spawn again the next day, still not enough
Night 2
The players would need to have left the camp area (requires wooden axe) to survive this night.
Night 3
Night 4
The player would need to have built a food locker to survive this night
Night 5
Night 6
Night 7
Both players would need to have fully repaired the tent to survive this night
Night 8
Night 9
The player would need to have fully enclosed the camp with fence to survive this night
MVP Requirements [0/3]
This is the target for a vertical slice that will prove if the game will be fun
Which victory path to focus on Whether to use oranges as food or to boost speed during activity by eating Whether to build a bridge across the river to access more resources.
TODO should the shared area be an island that both players need to build a bridge to access, or just a single bridge between both areas
Victory paths:
Survival Victory
The other team fails to Survive the night.
Economic Victory
Your team earns ECONVICTORYAMOUNT money.
Completion Victory
Each player on your team earns all the badges available.
Each Player Inventory
Each Player Starting Structures
1 Tent
1 Crafting Bench
1 CampFire
Each Camp Site
Gatherable Resources
1 Berry bush
3 Basic Trees (7 sticks)
2 sticks
2 sticks
1 stick
3 Stones
2 Hemp Plants (3 Hemp)
1 Hemp
2 Hemp
Victory Components
Area outside camp, blocked by trees
Gatherable Resources
Orange Tree
Berry Bush
Many Basic Trees
2 Hemp Plants (5 Hemp)
2 Hemp
3 Hemp
Victory Components
Squirrel Forest
Mud (for crafting pottery)
Area outside forest, blocked by a boulder
TODO Gatherable Resources
More Food
Rocks
Victory Components
Wolves’ Den
Materials for Art
Canvas
Ink / Dyes
Area across river
Night 1
1 squirrel (-1 food)
steals 1 food from tent player now has 2 food left for the morning
Night 2
The player would need to have left the camp area (requires wooden axe) to survive this night.
Night 3
Night 4
The player would need to have built a food locker to survive this night
Night 5
Night 6
The player would need to have fully repaired the tent to survive this night
Night 7
Night 8
Night 9
The player would need to have fully enclosed the camp with fence to survive this night
Night >= 9
Each Player Inventory
Each Troop Starting Structures
2 Tents
1 Crafting Bench
1 CampFire
TODO Define more resources for the available areas
Levels/Waves (against each camp)
Same as 1+1
MVP Requirements [0/3]