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Design Document 1:Merge two games

A game design pattern in the Borderlands game franchise is to use skill trees which are accessible to change at any point during game play once the player earns the necessary skill points. A skill tree is an illustration available during game play for which enables the player to see any number of skills assigned to that particular character. Although the skill tree can be seen at any point during game play, the use of the skill is not allowed until the player earns skill points from defeating bosses which then unlock a particular skill.  Each character’s skill tree is different.  A good skill tree empowers the player to think strategically and cleverly in order to defeat enemies.  These action skills can be offensive or defensive but most are a mix of the two.  For example, in the game Borderlands, the Vault Hunter named Zer0 has three elaborate skill trees focusing on gun attributes (green rectangular image below which is titled “sniping” in the game), deception effects (blue rectangular image below which is titled “cunning” in the game), and melee attacks (red rectangular image below which is titled “bloodshed” in the game).

Illustration of character Zer0’s skill tree from the Borderlands 2 game.

Screenshot from Borderlands 2: Zer0 In-Depth Character Guide (Banana Scoop).

Accessed December 10, 2023.

 

While the skill tree game design may need to be very elaborate in some games, such as that incorporated in the Borderland game franchise, other games could utilize a very simple skill tree structure.  Cuphead which does not use that game design technique, could enable two of its three characters to have a skill tree game design with three added features for each character.  The action skills would only be available once skill points are earned by killing select bosses.

The game Cuphead could greatly enhance its game play by implementing a fast travel system because traveling through the overhead map can take a while which can be frustrating. In fact, any game that has unnecessary travel time could benefit from a fast travel system.

Design Document: 2
Yard Shenanigans

Level Overview

The player is a scarecrow who tends to the home owner’s back yard, making sure the yard remains orderly and safe. Unfortunately, scarecrows are very forgetful so Oblitus, the scarecrow, needs to rely on his friend, Corvus the crow, to assign chores that must be completed. The player becomes familiar with gameplay and the layout by completing simple chores like picking up sticks which have fallen from the trees, picking up litter, and pulling weeds. The final chore will instruct Oblitus to board up a small hole in the fence by grabbing a wood plank, hammer, and box of nails from the garage. This mission unlocks the garage door, allowing Oblitus to explore the new area while grabbing the necessary objects. Once Oblitus returns to the back yard he discovers that it has been invaded by a gang of skeletons. The crow informs the scarecrow that the home owner is trapped inside the house and Oblitus must defeat the skeletons to retrieve the house keys and save the home owner. When the player starts engaging in a fight with an enemy, the player will be able to choose to attack, block, dodge, or use a magic attack. The enemy can also use these actions during its turn.

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After every combat encounter, the player can heal by finding bags of sunflower seeds, which improve health. Once the last enemy is defeated, Corvus tells Oblitus that the home owner was seen chased upstairs to the second level of the house by evil creatures and that Oblitus should enter the house to save the home owner from the evil lurking within. The player must be careful while traversing the first floor so as to not set off an attack by turrets which were set up by the skeletons. A turret located at the end of the hall on the second floor has a full visual of the exposed second floor excluding indents in the hallway. The player must use those indents to dodge bullets and successfully navigate to the end of the hall. Once there, Oblitus enters the master bedroom whereupon it is discovered the boss of the level holds the home owner hostage. Defeating the boss saves the home owner and wins the game.

Overhead Maps
Level Summary

  • Player spawns into the game

  • Explore

  • Interact with the crow in the tree and receive a quest (yard chore)

  • Player completes the quest (yard chore)

  • Player returns to the crow and receives the next quest (yard chore)

  • Repeat previous steps until all quests are complete

  • Receive a quest to fix a hole in the fence by gathering tools and materials from the garage

  • Enter the garage and collect necessary objects

  • Exit the garage and find out that the yard has been raided by evil skeletons

  • Player engages in a fight with an enemy by choosing to attack, block, dodge, or use a magic attack

  • The enemy can also use these actions during its turn

  • Defeat the skeletons in the yard

  • The crow congratulates the scarecrow for defeating the skeletons and tells the scarecrow to check on the home owner in the house who the crow saw being chased up to the second floor by evil creatures

  • Enter the house

  • Player defeats evil creatures in the house to get to the stairs to upper level

  • Player dodges enemy fire buy using indents in hallway to reach the end of the hall

  • Player enters the master bedroom and encounters the boss

  • Player fights the boss

  • Boss is defeated

  • Player saves the home owner after defeating the boss

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