the legend of ramayana game design doc

Original Game Title: The Legend of Ramayana

Author: Peter Ingham

The Legend of Ramayana Peter Ingham

Table of ContentsTable of Contents.....................................................................................................................1

1. Introduction..........................................................................................................................3

2. Description...........................................................................................................................3

3. Target Audience...................................................................................................................3

4. Genre...................................................................................................................................3

5. Platform/Distribution.............................................................................................................4

6. Graphics Style/Rendering System.......................................................................................4

7. Music & Sound Effects.........................................................................................................5

8. Objects/Perishable Items.....................................................................................................6

8.1 Objects/Weapons...............................................................................................................7

8.2 Objects/Armour..................................................................................................................7

8.3 Objects/Accessories...........................................................................................................8

8.4 Objects/Key Items..............................................................................................................9

8.5 God Elements....................................................................................................................9

8.6 Skills.................................................................................................................................11

8.7 Magic................................................................................................................................12

9. Characters..........................................................................................................................14

9.1 PC.................................................................................................................................14

9.2 NPC/Sidekick 1.............................................................................................................14

9.3 NPC/Sidekick 2.............................................................................................................15

9.4 NPC/Sidekick 3.............................................................................................................15

9.5 NPC/The Princess........................................................................................................16

9.6 NPC/The Demon King..................................................................................................16

10. Game Structure and Gameplay Overview.......................................................................18

10.1 Story/Gameplay Matrix Main Story.............................................................................18

11. Rules................................................................................................................................24

11.1 World Rules................................................................................................................24

11.2 Item/Equipment/Magic/Skills Rules............................................................................25

11.3 Character Rules..........................................................................................................26

12. Controls............................................................................................................................27

13. User Interface...................................................................................................................30

14. Production Report............................................................................................................38

14.1 Planning and Development of the Prototype..............................................................38

14.2 Play test Results.........................................................................................................41

14.3 Changes to implementation requirements and schedule...........................................43

References.............................................................................................................................45

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Appendices............................................................................................................................46

Appendix A.........................................................................................................................46

Appendix B.........................................................................................................................46

Appendix C.........................................................................................................................47

Appendix D.........................................................................................................................47

Appendix E.........................................................................................................................48

Appendix F.........................................................................................................................48

Appendix G.........................................................................................................................49

Appendix H.........................................................................................................................50

Appendix I...........................................................................................................................51

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1. Introduction

The Legend of Ramayana is an action-platforming RPG based on the Indian Sanskrit epic ‘Ramayana’. The intended platform for the game is Sony’s handheld PSP games system and takes place over a mythical India as told of in the story. It stars the character of Rama who is on a quest to save his wife who has been kidnapped by the demon king Ravana. On this quest he will encounter various enemies and friends that will hinder and help him in his journey.

2. Description

You take control of Rama, the mythical prince of Ayodhya as his kingdom is besieged by the evil demon king Ravana. While fighting to defend your homeland your brother Lakshmana tells you that Ravana has kidnapped your wife Sita. As you attempt to battle through the hordes of enemies you see Ravana and Sita flying above. Your wife looks down and throws her ruby pendant to Rama as they fly into the distance. The enemies disappear in black mist leaving you and your broken kingdom. With Lakshmana by your side, you vow to go on a quest to rescue your wife.

During your quest you must locate the colossus rubies that will restore Sita’s pendant and guide you in the right direction to Ravana’s hidden kingdom. You must travel through locales such as the desert city of Kosala, Vindhya Mountains and the Dandaka forest. Each level has its unique breed of demons and challenging obstacles that you have to overcome in order to progress. You’ll also get the chance to recruit companions on your journey who bring with them new powers and knowledge in your quest to find the hidden city of Lanka where Ravana waits your arrival.

3. Target Audience

The intended target audience for this game will be people aged 8-25. Younger people will find the game engaging because of its easy playability and colourful cell-shaded graphics. It should also appeal to the older gamer as well because of the interesting story and fun battle system. This target audience includes both male and females because not only should the fact that it is a casual game be engaging but it also appeals to people because the story is based on Indian culture and history.

4. Genre

The genre of this game that would best describe it would be a third-person, action platforming RPG. By third person we mean that the camera would be positioned at the slightly elevated 45º angle focused on the back of the player so you are able to see a short distance in front of them.

The action element would come in the form of a game similar to Kingdom Hearts because there would be an active battle system that would come into play when the character is within a certain radius of an enemy and they are free to attack and use abilities. The player would also be accompanied by one team mate at a time that he can switch between if he needs specific abilities.

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The Role playing element would be provided by the fact that you are taking control of a specific character and through the game you are experience his story as it unfolds as you progress through the game. There would be common themes that are in keeping with the RPG genre such as having separate towns and inns, a party system with equip-able armour, abilities etc and an emphasis on characters and story.

The game is a single player experience and you instruct your partners what to do when they are out on the field, this element is similar to the Tales of Symphonia system because you can assign them with specific battle objectives like ‘all out attack’ or ‘focus on healing’.

The levels are in a small sandbox type with multiple levels for each little section such as Vindhya Mountains where there would be the Vindhya Mountains Piedmont, Trail and finally Precipice. The towns and cities are a lot different because they are presented as more of a static image (see appendix A) where the player can guide his cursor along different POI and interact with something like a weapons shop or an inn. The world map is a large map of a mythical representation of India according to Rama’s journey (see appendix B) and functions in a similar way to the town system which akin to a game like Final Fantasy X.

The only online features that the game features are players’ abilities to upload their level completion stats to a score board and unlock trophies for certain game accomplishments. There will also be downloadable content available such as extra weapons and costumes, but this is something that can be added to with the predicted success of the game.

5. Platform/Distribution

Platform

The games intended platform is the handheld PSP device. This system comes with fixed specifications such as graphical and CPU power that will be easy to stay in sync with by using the PSP dev kit that is supplied by the parent company. This platform is a cost effective way of making a game for the Indian market due to the fact that is already an established product and is appealing for casual gamers due to its handheld nature.

Distribution

The game will be distributed multiple ways:

In large chain supermarkets and media stores

Online via established sites that Sony India have worked with before

Smaller stores both on and offline that make purchase orders

The choice to make the game available in large supermarkets and media stores primarily due to the fact they get the most market saturation in an offline medium, online sites such as Amazon’s India outlet and any other online multimedia sites that place order for the product.

6. Graphics Style/Rendering System

The graphical style of the game can best be likened to a game like Tales of Symphonia or Zelda: Windwaker with its character and world design due to the fact that it has a slightly anime like character design. This was chosen because it would appeal to children but also it went hand in hand with the choice to make the rendering style cell-shaded. This will give the game a bright and visually

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appealing look which will work with the bright mythical creatures and levels that the original Ramayana story has.

7. Music & Sound Effects

Background Music

This would be music that is played while the character is in game levels, battles, on the town and world interface. Each level and accompanying town would have its own theme of music, e.g. Kosala being the main royal city would have to have an air of grandeur about it, and this could possibly be done via the use of horns in its orchestral creation but also with the use of Indian instruments.

Examples:

Battle themes Boss battles themes Different level themes Different town themes Music that conveys positive, negative, anger sorrow moments in the game

Background Sounds

These are sounds that would play in the background and would mostly be level effects that would come into effect in certain areas.

Examples:

Wind Rain Rivers/waterfalls Fire Crowds Creatures

Sound Effects

Sound effects would cover a large area in the in the game. There are numerous places that they can and will be used. Areas such as:

Menu

Navigating the system menu with the pointer, Accepting, going back Equipping weapons, armour etc Using items and curative magic Dropping items When items cannot be used ‘classic negative buzz’ SE

Town/Map

Navigating the system menu with the pointer, Accepting, going back Entering a level Entering shops and buildings Points of interest jingles

Field

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Running on different surfaces Swimming, diving Jumping Opening chests Destroying different objects Switches, buttons etc Pushing/pulling objects Explosions Using abilities Speaking catchphrases (no other vocal audio)

Battle

Normal attacks Magic, skills, God Elements Getting hit by different attacks Defeating an enemy fanfare Using items Navigating the system menu with the pointer, Accepting, going back Switching characters Character sound effects e.g. speech Game over music

8. Objects/Perishable Items

Object Name Description Location found/how gained

Movable/Carried

Solace Drop

Solace Stock

Solace Max

Restores 30%, 70%, 100% life respectively to 1 team member

Shops, chests, item points, battle reward

Carried

Karmic Drop

Karmic Stock

Karmic Max

Restores 30%, 70%, 100% KP respectively to 1 team member


Carried

KI Drop

KI Stock

KI Max

Restores 30%, 70%, 100% KI respectively to 1 team member


Carried

Elixir Restores full status to 1 team member

Chests, item points, battle reward

Carried

Full Solace

Full Karmic

Full KI

Restores 50% life, KP and KI respectively to all team members


Carried

Full Elixir Restores full life and status to all team members

Chests, item points, battle reward

Carried

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Soul Drop

Soul Max

Brings character back from death with 30%, 50% of life respectively


Carried

Sage Restores characters status from all abnormalities


Carried

8.1 Objects/Weapons


Movable/Carried

(Rama) Swords The sword is Rama’s primary weapon; they come in many different forms getting more powerful as the game progresses.

Shops, chests, item points, battle reward. Some must have special objectives met.

Carried in equip screen when used

(Rama) Bows The bow is Rama’s secondary weapon; they come in many different forms getting more powerful as the game progresses.



(Lakshmana) Tridents The Trident is Lakshmana’s primary weapon and he can acquire better weapons as the game progresses.



(Sugriva) Staffs The Staff is Surgriva’s primary weapon and he can acquire better weapons as the game progresses.



(Vishvamitra) Astra’s Astra is Vishvamitra’s primary weapons and he can acquire better weapons as the game progresses.



8.2 Objects/Armour


Movable/Carried

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(Rama) Cuirass’ The cuirass is chest armour that covers the breast. There are various different kinds to be acquired, bronze, gold etc



(Lakshmana) Toga Even though the toga is quite thin they are imbued with magical defensive properties. Kinds include, lilac, aqua etc



(Sugriva) Sherwani This armour was built more for manoeuvrability and aesthetics than it was to provide proper defence. Types include royal and assassins etc.



(Vishvamitra) Aba’s The Aba is a robe that covers the whole body. They are high in magical resistance but poor in physical. Types include, mages, grand etc



(Rama, Lakshmana, Surgriva) Gauntlets

These are worn on the arms and add defence, but can sometimes add/detract from agility and weapon mastery as a trade off. Types include, iron, bronze etc



(Vishvamitra) Bangles The bangles are small charms that go on mages wrists. They boost magic and evasion stats. Types include, jade, gold etc.



(Everyone) Sandals These are worn on the feet and have many different stat boosts. Some increase speed, evasion, attack, defence or magic.



8.3 Objects/Accessories

Object Name Description (everyone can use them)

Location found/how gained

Movable/Carried

Necklaces

Hair bands

Rings

Bracelets

Accessories come in many different forms but they all boost certain stats from strength to magic. They sometimes can bestow certain skills on players when they wear them.



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8.4 Objects/Key Items


Movable/Carried

Large Ruby Pieces These are parts of the ruby Rama’s pendant needs to regain its full power. Each level he will need to acquire 2 to proceed.

In different places in each level. His pendant glows when he is near one.

Carried in key items pocket

Rupee Purse A small magical purse that can hold the rupees a player collects

Given to you by Lakshmana after completing the first level.


God Gauntlet This holds all the god elements you collect by slotting them into their respective slots.

Given to you by Vishvamitra before you set out to find your first God Element.


Various Keys to open door and chests etc

A key used to open unique doors, chests etc

From people, item spots, battle rewards etc


Various items needed to progress or exchange between NPC’s

A key item used to open unique doors, chests, exchange between people etc

From people, item spots, battle rewards etc


8.5 God Elements


Movable/Carried

Twashtri (Illusions) The deity of buildings. He causes the players defence, agility, evasion and accuracy to increase greatly while lowering the opponents same stats.

The player must return to Kosala after receiving the gauntlet where they talk to one of the castle servants who found the element in the castle rubble.

Carried

Indra (Lightning) Increases a player’s magic attack, speed and agility. Allows them to use the move ‘Vajra’ which sends multiple lightning arrows at on-screen enemies.

The player must return to the Vindhya mountains where Vishvamitra can now bridge a gap to a secret mountain top where Indra waits.

Carried

Agni (Fire) Increases a players attack and defence greatly. Allows them to use the move ‘Agneyastra’ which adds a fire element to

This is the 1st god elemental the player can acquire. When they meet Vishvamitra he gives

Carried

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the player’s weapon and every attack releases a fire plume.

Rama the ‘Deity gauntlet’ and sends them on a quest to a cave in Dandaka forest to face Agni and make him join them.

Varuna (Water) Increase a player’s magic attack and resistance and makes them immune to water based attacks. Allows player to use the move ‘Varunaastra’ which calls a torrent of water to flood the enemy.

When Rama returns to the port town Chitrakuta it is being attacked by Varuna, they must defeat him to acquire his service.

Carried

Vayu (Wind) Increases a player’s agility and evasion greatly. Allows the player to use ‘Vayvayaastra’ which calls forth a great gale with the chance of throwing the enemy out of battle.

In Kishkindha Rama meets Vanaras, who after helping him retrieve an important artefact exchanges it for the God Element.

Carried

Nagas (Poisons) Causes multiple poisonous snakes to come out of the ground and attack the opponent. Each bite is a different status ailment.

In the city of Sinhala, just outside Lanka, Rama fights one of Ravana’s generals. This God Element is the battle prize.

Carried

Brahma (Death)

(Ultimate God elements available after opening the gate to Lanka which opens the underworld area)

Increases a player’s health, defence and magic attack greatly. Allows them to use ‘Brahmaastra’ where the player becomes possessed and attacks all enemies frantically sometimes causing death.

In the last level of the underworld the player must defeat 4 previous bosses with varying difficulty ranges and is won from the last as a battle prize.

Carried

Vishnu (Weaponry)


Increases a player’s attack, speed and accuracy greatly. Allows them to perform ‘Vaishnavaastra’ where they launch a unique combo attack with their selected primary and secondary weapon.

This is a grand prize in the coliseum which is located back in Kosala, it is only available when the gate to Lanka is open.

Carried

Shiva (Mass element)


Increases a players magic attack, defence, and evasion and luck greatly. Allows them to use ‘Pashupatastra’ which performs all of the different elemental attacks in sequences on all enemies on screen.

This is in the 2nd to last underworld level where the player must complete several puzzles using each of the players differing abilities. There is a chest with it in at the end.

Carried

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8.6 Skills


Movable/Carried

Rama: Sword skills including Hidden skills

Lvl 1:

Lvl. 10

Lvl. 20

Lvl. 30

Lvl. 40

Lvl. 50

Lvl. 60

Lv. 70

Hidden:

Hidden:

8 of the skills are acquired as the player levels their character up. The last 2 can be learnt by beating the final level of the coliseum and battling through the underworld to the final boss respectively.

Learnt

Rama: Bow skills including Hidden skills

Lvl 1:

Lvl. 10

Lvl. 20

Lvl. 30

Lvl. 40

Lvl. 50

Lvl. 60

Lv. 70

Hidden:

Hidden:


Learnt

Lakshmana: Trident skills including hidden skills.

Lvl 1:

Lvl. 10

Lvl. 20

Lvl. 30

Lvl. 40

Lvl. 50

Lvl. 60

Lv. 70

Hidden:

Hidden:


Learnt

Surgriva: Staff skills including hidden skills.

Lvl 1:

Lvl. 10

8 of the skills are acquired as the player levels their character up.

Learnt

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Lvl. 20

Lvl. 30

Lvl. 40

Lvl. 50

Lvl. 60

Lv. 70

Hidden:

Hidden:

The last 2 can be learnt by beating the final level of the coliseum and battling through the underworld to the final boss respectively.

Vishvamitra: Astra skills including hidden skills.

Lvl 1:

Lvl. 10

Lvl. 20

Lvl. 30

Lvl. 40

Lvl. 50

Lvl. 60

Lv. 70

Hidden:

Hidden:


Learnt

8.7 Magic


Movable/Carried

Crimson Tome: (Fire)

Lvl1: Flicker

Lvl2: Blaze

Lvl3: Inferno

Spells must be acquired by reading tomes. Once the player has read the tome the magic is usable. To level it up they must use it a certain amount of times. Characters that are more adept with Intelligence i.e. Vishvamitra would learn quicker than Lakshmana. (see rules section)

Shops, chests, item points, battle reward.

Carried in item slot

Auburn Tome: (Earth)

Lvl1: Shudder

Lvl2: Tremor

Lvl3: Planet-break

Same applies Shops, chests, item points, battle reward.


Aqua Tome: (Water) Same applies Shops, chests, item points, battle reward.


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Lvl1: Splash

Lvl2: Wave

Lvl3: Tsunami

Jade Tome: (Wind)

Lvl1: Gust

Lvl2: Whirlwind

Lvl3: Tornado



Ashen Tome: (Lightning)

Lvl1: Spark

Lvl2: Thunder

Lvl3: Tempest



Cerise Tome: (Curative)

Lvl1: Cure, Heal

Lvl2: Mend

Lvl3: Solacestein



Pallid Tome: (Life)

Lvl1: Revive, Holy

Lvl2: Full Life

Lvl3: Devine Retribution



Lime Tome: (Poisons)

Lvl1: Sickness

Lvl2: Disease

Lvl3: Plague



Dark Tome: (Evil)

Lvl1: Spite

Lvl2: Malice

Lvl3: Malevolence



Amethyst Tome: (Forbidden non-elemental)

Lvl1: Grand Squall

Lvl2: Tempest Flare

Lvl3: Devils Burden

Same applies Can be found on the 1st level of the Underworld in a secret area.


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9. Characters

9.1 PCCharacter Name Rama

Appearance He has shoulder length black hair over square angular facial features. His skin tone is aquamarine with various henna style tattoos over his midriff. He has an athletic, well toned figure and is round 6ft tall. He wears a golden gauntlets and matching chest armour with a golden belt buckle and violet sari down to his calves. He wears golden sandals and has his bow attached to his back. He has his sword holstered on his left hip and a pouch on his right.

Personality Rama is confident and has experienced a number of adventures before this one. He speaks eloquently and has served as a diplomatic emissary before. He has a sharp mind and is very intelligent and shows no fear in front of his enemies. Sometimes however, his sorrow of his kidnapped wife can blind him from the truth and enemies.

Capabilities Rama is able to wield a sword and bow masterfully, making him an adept at both range and close combat. In the beginning he can harness basic magic and skills but as he progresses to unlock the god elements he can learn more powerful techniques giving him the edge in battle. He is able to leap of great distances and run off surfaces such as walls and water thanks to his enchanted sandals.

Important Stats Starting stats: Lvl 5

HP: 500

KI: 250

KP: 150

Other stats such as ‘atk’, ‘def’ and ‘agl’ level up accordingly with the proper growth equations and weapons/armour equipped.

9.2 NPC/Sidekick 1Character Name Lakshmana

Appearance Lakshmana has burgundy shoulder length hair with a golden headband. He has a large muscular frame, dusty coloured skin and is around 6’5 tall. He wears a dark red toga top that covers some of his chest. His arms are left bare with sleeve tattoos on each arm. The bottom half of the toga stops just before his knees and he wears knee high bound sandals. He uses the ‘Vel’ which was a mythical trident wielded by the deity Murugan which stands at 7ft.

Personality Being Rama’s younger brother he looks up to him and is always by his side in times of need. Even though he is quite large and intimidating he is more of a clumsy gentle giant but when forced to he can become quite ferocious.

Capabilities Lakshmana’s inhuman strength allows him to move objects such as boulders and collapsed debris in order to help in his brother’s quest. He can launch his trident over great distances and use it to vault into the air and come crashing down on his opponent.

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HP: 800

KI: 400

KP:50

Other stats such as ‘atk’, ‘def’ and ‘agl’ level up accordingly with the proper growth equations and weapons/armour equipped.

9.3 NPC/Sidekick 2Character Name Sugriva

Appearance Sugriva is the monkey and has the face of a baboon. He has a thick red scarf around his neck and accompanying red short sleeved sherwani and short trousers. He also has many jewels adorning his attire because he is an acclaimed thief. He is quite short at about 3ft when he is hunched over.

Personality Being the king of a troupe of monkeys’ means that Sugriva has a cheeky and witty personality. He can be quite sneaky and arrogant at times but is a very knowledgeable person and can infiltrate almost any location. He agrees to join Rama after they finally corner him after chasing him through a forest and goes with them on the one condition that he gets all of Ravana’s gold when they defeat him. He wields a Shareeravadi which is a large bamboo staff that lends itself to his agility.

Capabilities Being an adept thief Sugriva can fit into small places in levels and scale areas where the other characters are not able to. He has the ability to steal from enemies if he is the assisting character and also has the ability to craft weapons, swords and accessories.


HP: 1500

KI: 2000

KP:700

Being a thief and also a monkey lends his stats to grow in the more archetypal direction fitting to the RPG genre. This means that he will has high stats in evasion, agility and speed but other stats will be lower such as health, defence and KP.

9.4 NPC/Sidekick 3Character Name Vishvamitra

Appearance Vishamitra wears the traditional mages cowl tinted in lime green. He has prayer beads around his neck and is partially bald on top while having a long, white braided beard. He wears dark sandals and wields the Astra which is a mythological weapon that can invoke attacks such as flame, or a hail of arrows.

Personality Vishvamitra has spent years in solitude when Rama and his companions wake him. He has an arrogant personality because of his wealth of knowledge and has tendency to be quite cantankerous, especially towards Surgriva. He agrees

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to help them because it was originally Ravana who imprisoned him for not teaching him the secrets of the Astral and gold elements.

Capabilities Vishvamitra specialities lie in the Karmic arts so he is adept with magic and the like. He can bridge areas once thought inaccessible and change the landscape of the world around him, proving himself to be a valuable asset. He also comes with the ability to teach Karmic techniques and can craft new spells and enchant weapons and armour. One of the biggest talents he imbues is to Rama, who he teaches to use the god elements, granting him great power.


HP: 2000

KI: 500

KP: 3000

Being the archetypal mage of the plot, Vishvamitra is proficient in magic and magic resistance. His health, defence and other stats suffer but his abundance of spells and healing capabilities prove that he is not easily defeated.

9.5 NPC/The PrincessCharacter Name Sita

Appearance Sita is dressed in an orange and yellow decorative sari. She has a slender figure with a pretty face and long dark brown hair. Her hands have intricate henna tattoos and she wears the broken pendant on her neck because she gave Rama the other half.

Personality Sita is quite a headstrong woman and can handle herself quite well when faced with Ravana’s advances. She is quick witted and attempts to escape multiple times from Ravana by pretending to seduce him. Although this side melts away when she remembers her husband and Ravana shows her what demons he has sent to dispatch him.

Capabilities Sita is a character that does not participate in combat or have any stats that are required.

Important Stats N/A

9.6 NPC/The Demon KingCharacter Name Ravana

Appearance Ravana stands at over 12ft tall and has the face of demon with overgrown fangs and a dark moustache that goes into long sideburns. He wears a golden crown over long dark curls. He is dark skinned and bare chested with large beads worn like a sash over his shoulder. He wears a red sari on his bottom half and dusty sandals. He wields a large flaming sword in one hand and a lightning bolt in the other.

Personality Ravana, being the antagonist of the story is a mainly evil character willing to sacrifice anything to get what he wants. In his quest for power he kidnapped Rama’s wife and burnt his city to the ground. He has been out casted from the

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other deities and is a very bitter being. Known for his virility, Ravana had a large harem of women at his kingdom and tries to seduce Sita.

Capabilities Ravana has many capabilities including the ability to transform multiple weapons in his sword hand such as blades, axes, javelins depending on the way he wishes to attack. He can call on hordes of demons at will and control the elements in his other hand, favouring the lightning bolt. He has amazing strength and is quite agile for his size.

Important Stats Being the final boss of the game, Ravana’s stats will be very high and the battle will of course meant to be challenging to the player. He has very high attack, defense and health points but he has a weakness to the God elements because they can surpass his defences.

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10. Game Structure and Gameplay Overview

When thinking about how to best layout my story I referred to Cambell’s The Hero Wtih A Thousand Faces (1949). This helped me to choose the three act structure that I implemented in the game. For me, this structure started with ‘the call to adventure’ which is where an event happens that makes the hero take action. In my story this is the arrival of Ravana who kidnaps Sita and Rama must set off on a journey to rescue her. The second act would be the ‘road of trails’ where the hero must navigate through treacherous environments and obstacles to progress. In this second act he meets the ‘old wise man’ who enables him to carry on the journey with the power he bestows. The second act ends just before the climax. In the final act, which is ‘the return’ where the hero has finally defeated him nemesis and can return home triumphant. With the denouement being him restoring his kingdom and a land in peace.

What also helped greatly in the crafting of the games story was Narayan’s ‘The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic’ (2006) because this gave me all of the salient points of story that made it easier to implement into the game, events such as meeting Sugriva and travelling through the Dandaka forest.

10.1 Story/Gameplay Matrix Main StoryAct 1 Characters

in teamMain/sub goals and how achieved Story overview

1.1. Kosala

Kosala City

Rama, Lakshmana

Lvl1. Follow Ravana and make your way to the enemy general in your palace.

Lvl2. Battle through the city streets to the town centre.

Lvl3. In the town centre you must defeat the fake Ravana.

Note: After all the levels are complete you may gain access to the town screen with shops etc.

Rama and Sita are enjoying a celebration in the Palace hall when demons crash through the windows followed by Ravana. People scatter and Rama gets knocked out by Ravana. When he wakes up he finds his wife has disappeared and Lakshmana by his side. He informs him that Ravana was seen flying towards the town centre and they decided to give chase.

They battle through the city streets until they arrive at the town centre where Ravana appears to have his wife and is waiting for them. They battle and win but it turns out that it was a fake and Ravana is seen flying above with Rama’s wife. Staring at each other, Sita drops her pendant as Ravana tries to stop her. Part of the Pendant breaks as Rama catches it. They decided to give chase and Rama vows to get his wife back.

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1.2. Chitrakuta Trail

Chitrakuta Town

Rama, Lakshmana

Lvl1. Find the two crystals to open the magic gate blocking their passage.

Lvl2. Two of the villagers children have gone missing and you have to find them, while also getting the crystals.

Lvl3. The village is being attacked by demons and you have to save it. (Boss battle)

Note: After this level each one has 2 crystals in it. You only fight a boss on the last level of each area.

An FMV shows a hail of crystals raining down from the heavens and into different parts of the land. Two of them land in the in the Chitrakuta trail. Rama decides to investigate this and gets into a sub-boss battle with a crystal keeper. After he defeats it, the crystal breaks and the energy goes into the pendant. The pendant then floats around his neck and points in the direction of another crystal. They figure out that destroying the crystals will be able to lead them back to Ravana.

While in this area they must also help two children from the town that have become lost and also thwart a demon attack from one of Ravana’s generals. With the town saved they can now enter it.

1.3. Sarabhanga Plains

Sarabhanga Camp

Rama, Lakshmana

Lvl1. Find and destroy the 2 crystals in the level.

Lvl2. Demons have been spawning and attacking wildlife in the area, you need to destroy them and the crystals.

Lvl3. Rama finds the source of the demons, a hole coming up from Underworld and he needs to defeat a large demon. (Boss battle)

With the crystal pointing the way they head towards to the Vindhya mountains. Passing through Sarabhanga Plains they find that there have been demons attack the wildlife and decide to put a stop to it. They destroy more crystals and the pendant around Rama’s neck is able to close the gap to Underworld.

In the village they learn of an old sage who is supposed to live in Dandaka Forest who could help them out. They continue onwards.

1.4. Vindhya Mountains

Rama, Lakshmana

Lvl1. Vindhya’s Base

Rama must find a way to stop the falling boulders by defeating the demons along the mountains ridge.

Lvl2. Vindhya’s Heart

Rama must destroy 4 demons guarding spawn points.

Lvl3. Vindhya’s Face

Rama must find the 2 switches that will open up the path to the mountains summit.

Rama makes it from the Sarabhanga Plains to the Vindhya mountain range which he needs to pass through to reach Dandaka forest. The mountain range is full of traps and demons that they must navigate through on their way to the top.

At the mountains summit they meet a large demonic general that they have to defeat. After they defeat him he tells them of how Ravana once tried to get the mages help but he refused so he imprisoned him in a magical tomb. They carry on disheartened.

End of act 1

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Lvl.4 Vindhya’s Eye

Rama must fight one of the generals on top of the mountain to allow them to get to the other side. (Boss Battle)

Act 2.

2.1 Dandaka Forest

Vishvamitra’s Cave

Rama, Lakshmana, Vishvamitra

Lvl1. They must navigate through the forest to find where Vishvamitra is being imprisoned. Rama’s magical pendant uses its power to free him.

Lvl2. They need to navigate through the forest to find the secret cave where one of the Gold Elements is located.

Lvl.3 Once in the cave they need to navigate to its centre to battle with Agni the fire deity. (Boss Battle)

Rama and Lakshmana arrive in the Dandaka forest and must uncover where Vishvamitra is being kept. They find the cave entrance behind a giant vine wall as the pendant attracts them. The pendants magic releases the tomb walls and they find Vishvamitra inside. He has spent the decades reading literature and building his knowledge. After they explain their situation to him he agrees to help them, but assures them they can only win if they have the god elements.

He tells Rama that he is able to use them with this special gauntlet he’s made and advises them they should all go and find the cave where one of them is hold up.

They travel deeper into the forest and eventually find the secret caves location with Vishvamitra’s help, they are able to part a waterfall and travel into it.

Deep in the cave they find Agni waiting for them and they must battle with him in order to gain his power. After they defeat him he is absorbed into one of the gauntlets slots and they are able to use his powers.

2.2 Karavira Wastelands,

Wilds Town


Lvl1. They must traverse the run down area and locate the crystals.

Lvl2. A new type of more powerful enemy is revealed as they save one of the towns inhabitants from it (Mini-boss)

Lvl3. They need to repair a bridge the monster broke for the towns inhabitants by gathering certain

They come across the wastelands after exiting the Dandaka forest. The area has been ravaged by demons. They save a girl from being killed by a new type of demon. After they defeat it, it destroys the bridge in anger cutting them off from the town.

The girl says she can help fix the bridge if they bring her all the required materials. After the bridge is fixed the monster reappears and they have to fight it again. They defeat it and it

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materials scattered across the level. falls down in a large pit.

While in the city they talk about how to get into Lanka and Vishvamitra reluctantly tells them that they should look for Sugriva the thief King in Kishkindha. They set off.

2.3 Kishkindha

Sugriva’s Manse


Lvl3. Sugriva joins

Lvl1. They must navigate through a crowded market place and follow Sugriva

Lvl2. They follow him into the slums; they must find the entrance to the thieves’ guild.

Lvl3. A demon comes forth within the guild’s treasury and Sugriva agrees to help them. They must fight the demon. (Boss Battle)

They arrive in the market town where they attempt to track down Sugriva. After interacting with town’s people they go to a nearby Inn to find him gambling. They attempt to talk to him but he recognises Vishvamitra and runs off.

They must chase him through the town and into the slums area where they chase him to his thieves’ guild headquarters. In there they chase him to the treasury where a demon rises. In exchange for helping him battle the demon so it can’t steal his treasure he agrees to help him break into Lanka.

2.4 Mahishaka Glades

Mashishapuri Village

Rama, Lakshmana, Vishvamitra, Sugriva

Lvl1. Destroy the 2 crystals

Lvl2. Unblock the multiple waterfalls to cross the lakes by using various teammates’ abilities.

Lvl3. Defeat the monster in the elemental glade that is poisoning in the area.

The team must cross through the Mahishaka Glades so they can get to the area of Pandya and signal for the Kosalan army to come down and build the bridge to Sri-lanka.

In the glades they find that the area is being polluted by a demon from Underworld. They must help unblock the waterfalls and destroy the demon to help the inhabitants of Mashishapuri Village.

2.5 Madura Sea cliffs

Madura Lake Front


Lvl1. Help secure the sea cliffs so they can support the building of a bridge.

Lvl2. Acquire all the necessary supplies to use to build the bridge.

Lvl3. Defeat a wave of enemies that fly over to attack

You arrive at the sea cliffs and have to make preparations for when your army come down. To do this you first have to help the sea front cliff from crumbling by using your magic and other abilities.

When this is done you must find the necessary materials that

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the workers. (Boss Battle) your workers can use to start construction of the bridge. As they are building are horde of enemies start attacking the village and workers, you hurry to defend them and have to fight off a large demon general that appears.

When you secure the village and workers, work can resume and the bridge is built.

End of Act 2

Act 3.

3.1 Sinhala

Sinhala Camp


Lvl1. Fight through enemies to get through to the numerous commanders and give them their orders.

Lvl2. Keep enemies at bay while the siege weapons are prepared.

Lvl3. Help a unit storm the gate and buy yourselves sometime to sneak in through another entrance. (Boss Battle)

Note: After the demonic general is defeated at Sinhala, Underworld opens up because they are all defeated. This allows the player to enter Underworld if they wish.

The team manage to get the Kosalan army across the bridge and make a camp outside the city. The plan it put in motion that they should help create a distraction so that Rama and his companions can slip by unnoticed in the chaos.

Rama helps his army out as much as he can but has to make the most of the time and sneak into the great city.

3.2 Lanka Outskirts


Lvl1. Destroy the crystals and the devices that are spawning the demon armies.

Lvl2. Destroy the statues that are controlling the castles defences.

Lvl3. Destroy the device that is stopping the entrance guardian so the armies can come in. (Boss Battle)

The team arrive in the land of Lanka and can see the castle in the distance. They need to help the armies advance by destroying all the devices that are controlling the castles attack and defences so they have an advantage.

They finally have to defeat the gate guardian that is stopping them from getting into Ravana’s castle.

3.3 Lanka Castle


Lvl1. The Ward

Destroy the crystals and solve the puzzle to get into the next room.

The team arrive at the final hurdle before they face Ravana. They have to make their way through various rooms of the castle, solving puzzles and fighting enemies as they progress until they finally reach the throne room where Ravana is waiting for them.

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Lvl2. The Mezzanine

Fight your way through the level to get through the flights of stairs.

Lvl3. The Antechamber

Solve another puzzle to unlock the throne room and fight a mini-boss battle.

Lvl4. The Throne Room

You must face off with Ravana and defeat him in order to save your wife and return order to the realm.

After they defeat Ravana the castle starts to crumble and begins to sink into the ground. Sita begins to fall into the pit and Ravana has to save her. He tells the others to get out while they can and they reluctantly escape.

The team wait outside as the castle is eaten up by the ground. They assume Rama has died but he ends up flying out of the ground on the same beast that originally held Ravana as he stole his wife.

Victorious the team can return to their respective homes as Rama plans to rebuild his kingdom.

0.1 Underworld


Lvl1. The team must solve puzzles and battle enemies to get to the next level.

Lvl2. In this level they team must fight random bosses from the game so far who are super powered to reach the end.

Lvl3. The team must fight an ultimate boss who is the hardest in the game to win a prize.

Underworld is an extra level that has nothing to do with the story and is just for fun and prizes.

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11. Rules

11.1 World Rules

When deciding what rules I would need to include in the game I first thought of having just one section where this could be explained. However, after reading a section on rules in Fullerton’s Games Design Workshop(2008) I came to the realisation that there are many nuances to rules and many different sub-sets I had to think about. Fullerton states

‘When you are designing rules, as when you are designing procedures, it’s important to think of them in relation to your players.’ (Fullerton, 2008)

When designing the rules I planned to make them as clear and understandable as I possibly could.

NOTE: The pause menu is always accessible regardless of the characters whereabouts in game, although its options differ in certain areas.

Pause Menu

Continue Quit Game

-Return to title

-Quit game

Quit Level (only applicable to Field menu once level has been completed once) Skip FMV (only applicable when an FMV is playing) Save State (only applicable on the Field menu, saves the game and then turns off the PSP,

the player can later continue but the save disappears)

Field

When the player is on the field they can run around an access their menu They cannot attack while on the field They can jump and use players abilities and their own They can access the menu They can only save at the save point located in each level They can use items You can only see an area of the map when you’ve explored it Player will die if they fall off a ledge or into something that detracts health They slow down when swimming, a windy area or a swamp They speed up when wind is blowing them in a direction To complete the levels after the 1st they must destroy 2 crystals in each level

Field Menu Options

Log Party Items Equip Magic/Skills Gold Elements

Settings Save/Load

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Battle

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The battle menu comes on the hud The player can attack, use skills and magic Button sets switch over to battle mode The battle only ends when the player defeats the monsters or successfully escapes If the player dies then it is game over, unless they have an auto-revive spell or potion Partners can die, but it is not game over as they can be revived One partner is present on screen at a time, the others can be called on screen to swap

Battle Menu Options


Settings Save/Load

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Town/World Map

Buttons change the town/world map functions Not battles occurs The player can save and load freely Town options are added They can talk to people, use shops and inns etc Player uses the hand to select various menus/levels

Town/World map Options


Settings Save/Load Quick Travel

Explore area

World Map

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

11.2 Item/Equipment/Magic/Skills Rules

Field/Battle/World

Items can be used at anytime, anywhere Equipment can be equipped and removed anytime, anywhere All magic can be used in battle, only curative magic can be used outside Skills can only be used in a battle situation Key items can only be used on the field or in the town/world map screen when they are

needed God elements can only be used in battle, but can be equipped/removed/organised any time Abilities can only be used on the field but are part of the skill menu Items can be gained from chests, battles, item spots and shops The item/weapon/armour skills can be used in the field and Town/world map only

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Item Equipment Magic Skills Key Items

God Elements

Abilities

Field Yes Yes Yes *Curative

Yes*creation skills

Yes No Yes

Battle Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No

Town/World Map

Yes Yes Yes *Curative

Yes*creation skills

Yes No No

11.3 Character Rules

Field

Rama is always on the screen apart from when an ability is used When a ability is used border encompasses the screen with the characters assigned colour

and the avatar changes to them Players cannot die while in the ability mini-game, only fail in which they have to start again Players will get into battles when they are within a certain radius of the enemy and they spot

them Players can die when jumping of the edge of the level or lose all their HP in a trap If you die then you will have to reload from your last save point The player is able to jump from surface to surface The player can swim The player can climb up rope, ladders, vines etc Players equipping weapons, armour, accessories etc stats will change accordingly

Battle

Main Character

He is the only one who can use God Elements Only one God Element (and its attacks/stat boosts) can be equipped at a time Can freely cycle through the God Elements (using the controls) If he dies he must restart from the last save point used

Secondary Characters

If a character dies and the battle ends they receive no exp or skill/magic restoration If a character dies they can be revived If they die they will automatically switched to a live one

All Characters

Learn magic at varying speeds e.g. it would take Vishvamitra 50 casts of fire to level it up where as it would take Lakshmana 100 casts because he is less adept.

Everyone’s skills increase by level, e.g. at lvl10 Rama would learn Precision Shot for his secondary weapon

Can freely cycle (using the controls) through their skills and magic Everyone levels up at the same rate e.g. all need 1000 exp to level 12 After a battle all players regain as percentage of KI and KP Stats are relative the skill and magic damage e.g. ( Precision shot = 1.5 of attack)

Town/World Map

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There is no avatar on screen only the small pointer Players cannot die when in the town or world map The player can heal themselves and purchase things They can interact with people via the menus

12. Controls

Button/Control

Mode Field function Mode Battle function Mode Town/World Map/Menu function

Analogue stick 1. Move character, swim, run along wall

1. Move character 1. Move through menu

↑ 4. First Person Perspective

4. Cycle battle mode for sidekick e.g. (heal, defend)

4. Move through menu upwards

↓ 3. Bring up map 3. Call to be immediately healed

3. Move through menu downwards

← 2.1 Cycle through sidekick

2. 1 Cycle through sidekick 2.1 Move through menu leftwards

→ 2.2 Cycle through sidekick

2.2 Cycle through sidekick 2.2 Move through menu rightwards

X 5. Jump, pull up from ledge, kick legs underwater

5. Jump 5. Backwards selection

○ 6. Interact, drop from ledge, dive underwater

6. Use Magic 6. Forwards selection

∆ 7. Menu 7. Use Skill N/A

□ 8. Abilities when appropriate

8. Attack N/A

L1 9. N/A 9. Lock-on enemy N/A

L1+Analogue×2 N/A Strafe in direction N/A

L1+x N/A Dodge in direction N/A

R1 10. N/A 10. Battle Menu (pauses game)

N/A

LR+Analogue N/A Cycle through battle menu

○+↑, ↓, ←, → N/A Quick-key Magic N/A

□+↑, ↓, ←, → N/A Quick-key Skills N/A

Start 11. Pause Menu 11. Pause Menu 11. Pause Menu

Select 12. Level Stats 12. Turns on battle info 12. Info on item selected

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13. User Interface

Battle Interface

(See appendix C for larger screenshot)

When a battle commences the camera dips in closer giving a more in-depth view of the fight.

1-3. Rama’s selected skills appear on the bottom left of the screen complete with their corresponding colours.

4. A small banner appears at the top of the screen to let the player know that they are in battle mode.

5. The map is still displayed in the top right hand corner of the screen

7. The health HUD appears with a picture of Rama in its centre

8. Rama’s experience bar is on the bottom right with his current level at the top

6. The supporting character is displayed in a small circle which shows their current HP, KI and KP

9-10. Rama’s primary and secondary weapons are shown just below the health sphere

11-12. Just to the left of the health sphere are his KI and KP, which will grow over time

13. The enemy currently targeted has a small arrow over their heads

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Menu interface

Basic options

(See appendix D, E or F for larger screenshots)

There are a number of options on the menu screen that stay the same throughout

Menu Option Function

1. Neutral Menu The player can look their current status, party setup, location, rupees and ruby’s collected.

2. Log The player can see information such as their current missions, story events, different levels they have been to and the map.

3. Party The player can look at individual player stats in-depth and can see their current stats and equipment.

4. Items The player can look at their perishable items, materials, weapons, accessories, armour and key items.

5. Equip The player can equip the characters here with their specific weapons, armour and accessories.

6. Magic/Skills The player can select/arrange each players skills and magic and set up quick-magic and quick-skills.

7. God Elements The player can equip/arrange their collected god elements, see a description of the deity and look at its skills/effects.

8. Settings The player can alter things here such as display aspect ratios, brightness, volume control and audio options.

9. Save/Load The player can save when appropriate, load their

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game and alter the auto-save function.

Journal(See appendix E for larger screenshot)

1. Missions: The player can check their mission status and objectives/sub-objectives2. Story Events: The player can catch up on the story so far3. Levels: The player can look at the level they are on and previous ones which show the

percentage complete and other stats such as rupees collected, monsters killed etc4. Characters: The player can find info on characters in the game, monsters and NPC’s5. Map: The player can review the map of the level and the world map6. Help: The player can look at tutorials and info on how menus and mechanics work

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Neutral menu

(See appendix D for larger screenshot)

This is the menu that appears when the player opens the menu it displays:

1. Rama’s current status2. Party setup3. Location4. Ruby’s collected.5. Rupees

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Party Menu

(See appendix F for larger screenshot)

1. The player can get an in-depth look at each characters current status including their HP, KI, and KP.

2. They can also look at their current equipment and how it affects their stats3. They can look at individual stats4. The can look at the experience needed to next level up

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Field Interface

(See Appendix G for larger screenshot)

1. Ruby’s collected: Slides into screen when the player collects ruby’s in stage2. Rupees collected: Slides into screen when the player finds money3. Items collected: Slides into screen when the player finds an item4. Health metre: Slides into screen when the player takes damage5. Sidekick metre: Shows the sidekick currently with the player so they can use their abilities6. Mini-map: Always onscreen but can be enlarged with the d-pad7. Large ruby’s destroyed: Slides into screen when a player destroys a large ruby

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Town Interface

(See appendix A for larger screenshot)


Log Same as normal menu

Party Same as normal menu

Items Same as normal menu

Equip Same as normal menu

Magic/Skills Same as normal menu

God Elements Same as normal menu

Settings Same as normal menu

1. Quick Travel The player can travel to a different section of town e.g. Slums>High street

2. Explore Area The player can explore the area currently onscreen, they can look at shops and interact with points of interest

3. World Map The player can exit the town for the world map interface where they can choose their destination.

4. Save/Load The player can save and load anytime, and alter the auto-save function.

5. Item/weapons shop etc: The player can purchase things from many shops. They can also sell items they don’t want. Visit the junk shop to find materials for creating weapons/armour/accessories and call also use the talk function to gain information.

6. Inns: Here the player can rest, buy perishable items and talk to people

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7. POI: Points of interest are places that may help to forward the story or just have a scene to watch such as statues and houses

8. Next Area: These are arrows that allow the player to move to another section of town9. Info: This is displayed at the bottom of the screen and gives info on the what the player has

selected

World Map Interface

(See appendix B for larger screenshot)


Log Same as normal menu

Party Same as normal menu

Items Same as normal menu

Equip Same as normal menu

Magic/Skills Same as normal menu

God Elements Same as normal menu

Settings Same as normal menu

1. Explore Area The player can explore the selected level and choose to play one of the stages.

Save/Load The player can save and load anytime, and alter the auto-save function.

2. Select Level: Here the player can select the level they want to play when they have selected a location to visit.

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14. Production Report

14.1 Planning and Development of the Prototype

When approaching the prototype of an RPG game there were a few hurdles that I had to overcome because the game experience is a very active one with different modes and function. To make an effective prototype I consulted Fullerton’s Games Design Workshop again. This helped me to effectively go about designing my paper based prototype.

Fullerton states that with a prototype you are ‘...simply trying to formalize your ideas or isolate issues so that you can figure out what works...’(Fullerton, 2008:175) and this became very evident by the time the testing had been complete which was very useful. With help from the book I decided to create my level digitally and then implement a grid system with accompanying rule handbook that could be used for ease.

To design a level that had features that would help bring about the best platforming experience I looked at games such as Spyro the Dragon, Prince of Persia and Kingdom hearts. These were games that at their heart were platforming games but also had elements of battle and adventure. In order to help me and made a checklist of what I thought my prototype should have in it.

Expansive level with many places to explore The level should be in keeping with its main setting e.g. forest Easy to navigate but with the element of fore thinking in order to effectively traverse it Making sure the player would be able to use all their abilities in interesting Enemies should spaced about and not clustered together There should be the ‘want’ of the player to explore all of the level

With these things in mind it came time to construct a rough sketch of the level that I would design. I decided that I would use the Dandaka Forest level of my game because it was quite a way into the game and the test could see how various abilities and battle skills could function.

(See Appendix H for sketch)

After I had a sketch of the level drawn I decided that an effective way to make the level look distinguishable and aesthetically pleasing was to construct a digital layout using a sprite template. This would allow me to easily place key level elements such as Crystals, enemies and treasure chests.

Allowances that had to be made

When creating the paper prototype there were a number of game elements that I removed because it would have been too difficult to recreate them in a paper prototype.

The wall jump ability Switching different characters in battle Abilities Switching different magic and skills Getting new armour and equipment The save point was taken out because the game would be quite short

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With the level constructed, I chose to use a small counter as the player and dice to decide a number of game aspects such as:

The player starts the level where the arrow is at the lower section of the screen.

Field Section

Actions How To

Movement Player rolls the dice and can move double that amount across the grid

Jumping Player can jump over 2 squares, this does not detract from your movement number

Battles If the player is within a 1 square radius of an enemy they will attack

Swimming Players movement rate will be halved

Interaction Player must be within one square of a crystal or chest

Crystal Interaction Whenever a player interacts with a crystal they initiate a battle with a ‘Crystal Keeper’

Save Crystal (Pink crystal) When the player interacts they can save their game and restore their health

Chest Interactions When a player interacts with a chest they must then roll to see what item they will receive

1-2: Solace Drop

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3-4: Karmic Drop

5-6: KI Drop

Battle Section

When battle is initiated the turn based system will go RAMA>SECONDARY CHARACTER>ENEMY until the enemy is dead or Rama is KO’d.

The character chooses which move they want to use from the list and then rolls accordingly. If the attack misses then it moves on to the next player in line and does no damage.

Rama

Normal Attack Roll > 2

Skill Roll > 3

Magic Roll > 3

God Element Roll > 4

Lakshmana


Skill Roll > 3

Magic Roll > 3

Normal Enemies


Crystal Keeper

Normal Attack Roll <>1-4

Magic Breath* Roll <>5-6

Boss

Normal Attack Roll <>1-2

Skill* Roll <>3-4

Magic* Roll<> 5-6

*If the enemy has used all their KP or KI up then their skill/magical attack will fail but their normal still works

To also accompany the player while they were playing the game there would be:

Player status table where they could mark things such as HP, KP and KI and showed their abilities

Normal enemy status, attacks and HP table

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The boss’s status, attack and HP table Sidekicks status table with all their skills, abilities etc An item table they could fill in as they collected things A checklist where they could tick of crystals destroyed

(Appendix I for all relevant lists)

14.2 Play test Results

1 st Play test

The play test was very interesting because it showed me some aspects of gameplay and mechanics that I had previously overlooked.

Problem: Battles were too easy

Most people playing the game found that the 1st iteration of the game was too easy when battling enemies, which of course detracted from the fun of the game. People said the battles were too easy for a number of reasons such as the God Elements were too powerful and could kill normal monsters in 1-hit and the boss in only 2 which made things not much of a challenge.

Solution:

To remedy this problem I chose to:

Make the monsters have more health and attack points Decrease the power of skills, magic and God Elements A condition on the God Element that meant after using it, it had to recharge over 4 turns Take out the ‘elixir’ item that healed all the players because the game was too easy with it in

Problem: Pointless Monsters

A few people testing the game felt there were monsters in some locations that were pointless to engage in combat because there was no level up system or some kind of incentive.

Solution


Make monsters in difficult and obscure place to have special item drops Implement a level-up system to the paper prototype to give incentive to defeat them

Problem: Final boss was too easy

This problem refers to both the first and second problems that I had encountered. The final boss was too easy to fight and also the player could go and face them straight away if they wished.

Solution

To remedy this problem is chosen to:

Make the last boss more powerful and therefore urge the player to level before they fought them to give them a better chance of success

Make the crystals in the game act like defence barriers to the ‘final area’ of the level so they had to be destroyed before the player could fight it; this also gave the player more incentive to explore the level.

Problem: Enemies and objectives in the level were too hard to distinguish

This problem refers to the icons of enemies and items in the game prototype. People said they had a hard time seeing them on the paper because they were slightly cut off.

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Solution


Took the icons out from within the sprite level and replaced them with full sprite characters as seen in the levels 2nd iteration.

2 nd Play test

With the various problems identified and the solutions taken to help make the game a more enjoyable and effective game experience another test was undertaken to make sure the new iteration was functioning correctly.

This play test was a lot more effective and people found the level a lot easier to navigate around which in turn gave them more incentive the fully explore it. The battles became more challenging and therefore the player found it useful to level up there character and collect all the items in the level. The addition of the ‘gate’ feature combined with the crystals also made the player want to explore the area more and they found it a more enjoyable experience. The play tests enabled me to get a detached view of my prototype which in turn helped me to form a more enjoyable and functional game.

14.3 Changes to implementation requirements and schedule.

I have chosen not to change the way that my game would be made because I still believe that it is possible and practical to be made for a handheld system. When I looked at the features in my game and wondered how they might be successfully condensed into such a small package I only had to

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look at other such games in the handheld market such as Monster Hunter and Final Fantasy Crisis Core.

When examining the games schedule and the people that would be employed for its production I felt that all the necessary elements with their and chose not to change them. The games schedule, I feel is still practical and I made it originally thinking to mark down the most time that believed it would take.

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References

Fullerton, T. (2008), Game Design Workshop, Morgan Kaufmann, United States

Cambell, J. (1949), The Hero With A Thousand Faces, Princeton University Press, United States

Narayan, K., R. (2006), The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic, Penguin Classics, England

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Appendices

Appendix A

Appendix B

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Appendix C

Appendix D

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Appendix E

Appendix F

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Appendix G

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Appendix H

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Appendix I(attached with game)

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the legend of ramayana game design doc

Documents