dig3725_hw4

Solace

Nhi Tran

Erfaan Mahmoodi

Christina Adamyk

Fall 2016

Executive Summary

Solace is third person action-adventure game from the perspectives of not by another person, soldier or warrior but through the eyes of man’s best friend: a dog.  This project is geared towards the 54.4 million Americans that welcome dogs into their homes and families. It is the 54.4 million Americans that $60.28 billion on their furry friends. [Name of Game ] will be rated as Everyone 10+. There will be mild violence but underlying themes of lost, friendship, fear and relief. Solace will be developed within the course of the Fall 2016 school semester beginning September 2016 to December 2016.

Through this project, it will be a unique perspective from a dog who is separated away from his beloved family and must find his way home. The plot begins with a dog and his family camping in the woods and all is well, until the dog wanders off and has found himself lost. A family’s worst nightmare. He must race back to find his family while encountering everyday obstacles finding food, water and shelter , dodging cars and running away from some more animated  villains like wolves and animal control.

Game Description

Our team project is an action-adventure game, following the adventures of a stray dog who is in search of a loving owner, while avoiding the clutches of the cruel dog pound, and the dangers that lurk in the wild.
Communication will either take the form of barking, growling, howling etc., or will incorporate speech bubbles or voice acting.
The artistic style will take a painterly visual style, akin to the games Journey and Shelter.
The emotions and feelings that we would want a player to feel in the experience of this game would be empathy, endearment, determination, fear (for the safety of the player character), love, friendship and wonderment with nature and animals.

• OVERVIEW

The intent behind the game is to capture the emotional connections that many people feel with dogs, and to tell a powerful story of longing for companionship through that. Dogs, pets overall, are more than just animals to their owners; they are companions, friends, family and often an extension of themselves.
Your character will interact with other dogs, stray and domesticated, who may prove to be companions, teachers, enemies, or repositories of bizarre, quirky dialogue. Humans characters will also be included, as will wild animals, in particular wolves. Some of the former will serve as kindred souls for your dog, whilst others, in particular those with the pound, will be menacing figures to avoid at all costs. Wolves will serve as a serious threat within the wilderness, and may even have an opportunity to contributes to the themes and story of the game .

• QUEST

The main objective of the game is for your character, a dog separated from his loving family, to reunite with them. The dog will find themselves traversing forests, roads, suburbs, and the coast, all while avoiding  dangerous animals  and pound workers. The game will have one continuous map, parts of which will be locked and unlocked as the story continues, for technical purposes; the dog will follow the distinctive “scent” of the family as they pass through the levels of the game, and this mechanic will help to move the game along. Distinct visuals and music will accompany encounters with enemies (pound, wolves, etc.), and artistic liberties with the depiction of said enemies could be feasible, depending on the style that is established for the game.There is potential for side-quests that serve as opportunities for the dog you play as to improve their skills in communication, combat, health, awareness of surroundings, etc. These side-quests could also serve to expand upon the nature and characters of the world the dog lives within.

• MAIN CHARACTER

For narrative purposes, the dog the character plays as would be a set breed, rather than giving the player the option of playing as different dogs. This forces the player to adapt to the game, in the way that the dog in the world of the game must adapt to their surroundings. Combat and communication will be realistic in the sense that the dog will not be using magical powers, weapons, or modern-day slang. The way dogs behave will be a strong influence on the development of our main character, and of other canines, within the game. The game will be played from a third-person perspective, and mechanics that involve gaining or improving new skills (which could be called “tricks”) depends on whether RPG elements are to be included in the game. The main character will be a friendly, adventurous, and childlike character. They will be like this to fortify  the connection with the player, and sustain empathy for them, so that they be motivated to complete the dog’s quest to return home to their family.

Sketches

Main character

The main character of this game, the character that the player will play as, is a medium sized dog loyal to its owner. This dog will be a brown-and-white colored dog that is intent on finding a loving home, back to its owners. It will go through multiple emotions as it goes through the game and faces multiple obstacles. The dog is intent on its set goal throughout the game. It also will be able to learn new things as it moves throughout the game and challenges.

Antagonists

Animal Control Employees

As the dog moves through the game in the suburbs, it will sometimes encounter employees on the local animal control unit. These animal control men will be unfriendly and possibly have a dark shadow across the top half of the face to express their bad nature and negative intentions. The dog will have to navigate and attempt to hide to try to avoid being caught. If caught, the dog will have to escape the pound.

Wolves

Within the wooded areas that the dog will traverse, it may sometimes encounter wolves who are intent on attacking. They are gray and shaggy animals who have  great sense of smell and they will be difficult to hide from. The player will have to run and attempt to escape the wolves. If the player fails to, the dog will either be injured or die and the player will have to restart the level.

Environment

The environment of the game will based in the suburbs and wooded areas. The player will have to traverse around homes and trees as well as safely move around streets. Each specific space of environment will have its own set of challenges and dangers, as well and helpful items and NPCs.

Menu

Controls

Controls	Purpose
Left Trigger	Accelerate
Left Bumper	Health levels
Left Stick	Movement/Run
Lower Left Stick	Hot Keys- Bite, Sniff, Crawl, Jump
Right Trigger	Pick-up
Right Bumper	Growl (Hold for bark)
Right Stick	Change camera perspective (third person viewpoint)
Y Button	Bite/Attack
B Button	Sniff
X Button	Crawl
A Button	Jump
Guide	Game Menu (Save/Quit)
Back	Opens map of “so far traveled”
Start	Pause

Sounds

Walking - will be dependent on environment. Leaves rustling when plot begins in the woods but is more silent when dog arrives in the more suburban areas with concrete

When dog is happy - breathes heavier, tail wags. Slight sound of tail wagging

When dog is sad - whining dog noise

When dog is fearful - whimpering. May bark out of fear or retreat in silence

When dog is defensive or angry - loud barks. Sounds like when a pitbull barks.

Environment determines the noise and music

When it is sunny in the woods - birds chirping

When it rains in the woods - thunder, rain, other animals looking for shelter

Woods at night - owls hooting, occasional wolves howling

When it rains in the suburban areas - cars honking. Sounds of rain hitting buildings, metal, cars

To create suspense - mostly silence for the exception of rustling of the antagonist

Other music the game will potentially used is orchestrated by a Florida State student, Bryant Kane. It is a combination of dramatic and really epic sounding orchestra; the epitome of a quest. Link to Music

Summary

To many of us, dogs are not just animals. Pets become extensions to one family. Completely non-judgemental and completely content while beside their owners.  Dogs we confess our darkest secrets to and share the most treasured and intimate moments with. We have all yearned at one point for Dr. Doolittle to happen to ourselves and to reach into the minds of our beloved friends. Dogs fear when owners leave them at home, let alone being away and lost in a new environment from their family. Solace gives the opportunity for the 54.4 million dog owners in America to see  a unique perspective of a dog’s desperate quest to return to his family. Because we are so emotionally connected to our own real life pets, the game will cause emotions of desperation, sadness, fear, and love and friendship overall.