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Where is Poppy

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This project aims to demonstrate the modding process in Goldsrc through coding, mapping, modeling, animation and the implementation of simple, fun game mechanics, I will do my best to guide you through the creation process of a simple mod from start to finish. Below you can read the High Concept which will lay the foundations, and is essentially where any mod/game should start.

Jotting down your ideas on paper is to many the boring part of game design but it is probably one of the most important, simply because you are human, If you don’t you will forget your ideas (which may or may not come to you in the shower), you will lose interest faster and you will probably give up because you started modding from the get go with no clear indication of the direction you need to take.

Table of Contents

By clearly setting out the games characteristics, goals and story, and keeping it simple and not too fancy you paint a picture of what the game will look like, how it will play, and what makes it an enjoyable experience. The High concept is just that, a high level overview, a summary even of what your game will be. You do not write up a comprehensive digest of the game that specifies that Character X has more Mana than Character Y, These details are saved for the games Technical Design Document which will be developed later as the high concept is enough to get started with. Starting the Technical design document too soon in my experience has literally ruined game ideas because you get bogged down in technicalities and leave no room for the truly fun part, the modding process itself!

Another aspect that should not be overlooked when delving into the design process of a game is Concept art, This art affects the look and feel of a game directly and should be carefully planned. best results tend to come from an iterative process where the artist creates some rough sketches of environments, characters, weapons etc, The team or Project lead would then select what would suit the games direction best, The artist would take the feedback and improve upon the previous design, This would continue until you have a crisp clear cut design and color scheme to follow. This is not something that will happen overnight, it develops along with your mod as you create it, you get a feeling for what the game needs to look like to achieve you and your teams vision.

Roadmap

High Concept

High Concept Statement

The “Where is Poppy” Concept is a simple one, You are somehow captured in the colorful and very playful imagination of our young unsuspecting dreaming narrator “Poppy” who is portrayed as a young girl at the age of 6, She has gotten lost in the dark side of her dreams, You play as “Oscar” her teddybear while you travel her dreams trying to bring her back to the safe and fun region, interact with some key characters that provide hints and clues on where to go next all while exploring this strange dimension.

Features

  • Experiencing the game through the third person, you must naviagte dreamland, interact with the environment, its occupants both good and evil and help get Poppy home to the safe region
  • Linear style gameplay where you try to get from A to B, with puzzle elements to make it interesting
  • Health System, damage to the player causes them to move slower and affect sight
  • AI system where helpful and friendly “dreaminions” can follow and aid you, or evil “scaries” can attack you and Poppy.
  • Not all creatures are evil, some are just scared and lonely, the trick is figuring out which ones are, Some can be inactive and are woken through noise and movement around them

Player Motivation

The player is motivated to survive the onslaught of “scaries” which is the evil undertone of the game, The player will find incentives through finding special weapons in each level, a possible achievements system and random Boss fights. Ultimately protect Poppy from harm and get her back to safety

Genre

Singleplayer (Multiplayer may be implemented if singleplayer plays well) Survival Horror, First person, with adventure elements

Target Customer

  • General GoldSrc modding community
  • Casual PC Gamers
  • Goldsrc enthusiasts
  • Gamers who enjoy a slightly humorous take on Survival Horror and adventure

Competition

None, Free to play mod.

Unique Selling Points

  • Surviving the wrath of what would normally be just imagination.
  • Navigating a constantly changing and often hostile environment

Target Hardware

  • Basic PC capable of running Half-Life
  • If time permits a port to Linux and MAC may be developed.

Design Goals

  • To create an atmosphere of fear, uncertainty and worry for the child
  • Simple and clean art style (easily decifer between dreamland and darkland)
  • Survival Horror with occsaional elements of humour
  • Easy to play and master.

Characters

  • Oscar the Teddy – The main character in this game.
  • Poppy – A six year old female child with pigtails and an unnatural sense of curiosity
  • Friendly Creatures “Dreaminions” – These tend to be colourful and passive friendly towards the player, often helpful dropping hints
  • Unfriendly Creatures “Scaries” – Darker colors, easy to identify, Will hurt the player and or Poppy if disturbed
  • Neutrals – Dont interact with the player or Poppy, simply add another dimension of animation the game

Series Tutorials