It’s About Time

Well… Well… Well… Aren’t you all very lucky. Today you do not get the boring old one blog post but two of them for your enjoyment. So while the last one was about a game that is almost finished with production this blog post is going to be about a game that has not even started production.

Therefore this blog right here is more about getting the idea out of my head and into the world in some sense. Anyway I hope you enjoy reading about game ideas because that will be the focus of today’s post of the blogs.

It’s About Time

Game Idea

Purpose:

The objective of this project is simply to learn. There is no specific goal or production stage I plan to reach but rather see how much I can add to my skills during the development. The focus will be on Level Development but other areas will be addressed during development including Audio Engineering, Programming and Game Testing.

Scope:

Although the game has been thought of in great detail most of the content here will not find its way into development depending on how long I plan to work on this. Generally the plan is to build a couple levels and include the necessary mechanics for it to work such as shooting and movement. Some rudimentary AI will also be deployed to make the game sufficiently playable. GUI and other menu or customisable elements will most likely not be targeted and built upon from initial creation.

Synopsis:

It’s About Time is a 1st Person Shooter / Action game set in a futuristic environment.

The game bases itself around the idea of time travel where the protagonist is stuck in a loop of time where whenever he or she dies the player returns to the start. However each mission improves your base skills and adds more information for you to work with.

Although this may seem like an overpowered ability players still have to struggle with each and every time loop which becomes increasingly tense as the game continues. Initially the issue is that of alien aggressors but as the player continues to succeed the situations truly dire state for humanity only becomes more apparent and when retreating does not become an option you the protagonist finds him or herself in a world of hell.

The futuristic guns also have an added benefit where players can fuse two together to upgrade the generally weaker primary weapon. Players can hold two weapons at once but fuse them together for added effects.

Being stuck in a time loop also gives the player time based moves over time such as slowing down time or speeding up your own movement in time and other time related effects that can be both offensive and defensive.

Rules / Mechanics:

Like most first person shooters the game is about using ranged weaponry to take out enemies and head to an end goal. Different levels however finish in different states from the ordinary success at reaching an objective to being overwhelmed by never ending waves of enemies or running out of time.

Shooting: As with most first person games the type of projectiles fired and how they perform depends upon the weapon used to fire it. Guns have an ammunition but practically all enemies drop ammo so the chances of you actually running out are slim. Ammo drops may shorten though during final stands where you are overwhelmed. Every gun uses the same ammunition but stronger guns will hold less ammo as a max and pick up less ammo from the same ammo pickup.

Time Manipulation: Manipulation of time recharges over time. Using special keys trigger different manipulation abilities inclusive of speeding up your movement, slowing down the room, throwing decaying grenades (works like a grenade but kills the opposition by decaying them with time) and freeze (that freezes an enemy completely for some time).

Jump: A crucial element to almost all games a jump mechanic will be implemented. Initially starting with a singular jump players will later unlock a secondary jump to reach additional heights. (this may not be implemented in the final product due to time expenditure on such a task)

Melee: If you do not have a secondary weapon due to fusing you can melee enemies close by.

Health: Using a regenerating system health heals by itself over time when you are not getting shot at.

Vehicles: Tank, Jet, Car and possibly boat. (these will change the dynamics of the stage)

Setting:

The game is set in a world that has futuristic weaponry and structures but at the same time is very much into the element of fantasy. Although the world may be set in the far future the inhabitants of Lyria have collectively taken a liking to Fantasy. This is mainly due to the planets

Many fantasy like appearance and native fauna. Especially during the new years celebrations most inhabitants like to dress up in fantasy cloathing similar to Halloween.

Narrative:

On the 9th Happy new year anniversary of the initial colonistation of the planet Lyria you are assisting the lead scientist in his latest ambition. This ambition is to modify the brains reactionary process in order to slow it down or speed it up. By doing so he can create the illusion of time manipulation for the user. He realises that it is new years eve and hurries up the experiment so that you can hurry on to the new years celebrations and fireworks. The time is currently 4:00. He goes into the machine while you manually calibrate it from the outside with the local computer. The mechanical contraption turns to life creating electrical shocks around the room and through the computer which ends up zapping yourself while being electrocuted you manage to fall on to the off button and shut down the contraption. This is the where future restarts shall commence later. The lead scientist then walks out of the mechanical contraption and states “Well that was a failure”. From this moment the game changes depending on how far you are through the story.

Quick Campaign:

(If a level has decimal places that means players can decide what order they wish to do these levels in)

Chapter 1: What is going on?

Level 1: Intro

• Collect health or over shield generator
• Elevator is out so you must exit another way (initial training Short!)
• Upon exiting initial invasion begins retreat to castle (Castle is a special route)
• Trap player during Castle route and death

Level 2: Just a dream

•  Believing that it was all a dream you decide to hand in the report.
• Hand in report (initial training. SHORT!)
• After handing in report explosion is heard soldier says its all okay and to stick with him
• Ambush gets you and death again

Chapter 2: Run and Gun

Level 3.1: Warn the military

• Knowing the upcoming threat you go to the military compound
• By arrival time it is too late and you must defend the base

Level 3.2: Activate city wide energy field system

• travel on foot to the energy shield generator
• Invasion begins and you have to fight your way
• By arrival time the enemy have siphoned the electrical energy

Level 4: Escape

• All hope is lost but at least you can escape
• Get in a military car and race out of the city
• Fight your way through enemies in your way
• After a time limit the city is blown up by a bomb that hits the whole planet killing you.

Chapter 3: No more spoilers… No really

So that is everything for now and in fact for the next couple of weeks as I really think it is time I got a short break from this as well as some other things. Do not fret for I shall return right here and if not here I shall inform you all of where you can find me next. For all of my loyal followers thanks so much for being around and I cannot wait to talk to you all again and or all of you continuous viewers out there thanks for stopping by and I hope you will all come back for more in the future.

But until then this is Spyblaze Studios signing out.