Worksheet - "This Side Up"

GAME TYPE

1) # of players
1-16

2) Game Type
Single player FP puzzle game; Multiplayer deathmatch/co-op

3)What game is this map for?
This Side Up


STORY

4) Why are the players there? Why is the place/environment there? What is the history of the environment?
The player is a museum curator on the trail of a time-traveling art thief. The player must follow the thief through time portals into the past in order to either a) recover the lost pieces of art, or b) find the original artist and collect the appropriate items (easels, pigments, brushes, etc.) to help them recreate the stolen pieces.

5) What is this map about?
This map is based on Relativity by M.C. Escher. The player is in a room with no clear up or down, where each wall is a floor to another perspective of the same room. Each exit leads back to the same room through another location. There is (seemingly) no way out.

PRE-PRO & GAMEPLAY

6) What is the objective of the map?
Find the exit.

7) Do I have a top-down sketch?
Yes, but since there's no real "top" to the room, it needs a sketch for each dimension.

8) Do I have a top-down player path sketch?
No.

9) How would the player move through the map? Visualize this. What experiences do I want the player to walk away with from the map?
The player will be constantly flipped around by activating switches to change the direction of "gravity" in order to find the exit. The original idea was to place gravity wells (force brushes) throughout the map, which the player would activate by pressing buttons. However, this method is impractical if there is only one static Y-axis. Alternatively, the entire environment may need to be rotated 90 degrees every time a switch is flipped. I want the player to feel disoriented and trapped by the complexity of the room.

10) How big is the map?
5120 units per side. (320 feet cubed)

11) Who is my audience? What is my demographic?
Puzzle gamers. Anyone who enjoys playing games like Portal will like the challenge this map presents. The map will also serve as an unusual deathmatch map for multiplayer purposes.

12) How will I make the map memorable?
By turning every possible surface into a "floor" surface, the room should have a disorienting and lasting psychological effect on the player.

13) Do I have location concept sketches?
Yes.

VISUALS

14) Photo reference:

15) What is the time of day?
That would depend upon which "exterior" section the player enters.

16) What do I want to portray in terms of the feel of the map and atmosphere?
A sense of confinement, confusion and panic.

17) How will I direct the player? What methods will I use? Color? Noise and sound? How will I incorporate smart design to guide the player without telling them where to go?
By using color-coded switches, the player will learn how to manipulate the gravity within certain areas of the room to explore new sections. Each newly-activated switch will lead the player toward the next.

18) What am I going to concentrate on? What do I want to learn when I am finished? What aspect of design, gameplay, fun, crazy, atmosphere?
I want to learn how to make a working 3D model of this optical illusion. The primary focus will either be on the proper balance of independent gravity wells or the correct implementation of environment manipulation effects. I want to avoid a situation where the player gets stuck in midair due to poor object placement.

19) What is the visual trademark of my level? How will the players remember the map?
The map should be memorable based on the complexity and visual effect of the illusion.

11 Day Workflow Plan

Day 1: Pre-pro
Sketch maps for each wall surface based on Escher's Relativity.
Experiment with gravity settings and force brushes in UDK to determine their effect on the player. If this method fails, determine how to rotate the environment effectively.

Day 2: Gameplay & Flow
Find a starting point for the player. Determine which doors to "pair" in order to keep player from leaving the room (one door serves as a direct path from another). Determine switch placement and fine-tune timing of gravitational effects or rotational speeds.

Day 3: Focal Point
Set guiding objects (switches, arrows, lights, etc.) along player path.

Day 4: Exterior
Design perimeter walls and "outdoor" sections located at perimeter of map.

Day 5: Terrain
Add foliage to "outdoor" sections. Set ledges and perimeter stairs.

Day 6: Interior
Set doorways and link ledges with double-sided staircases.

Day 7: Details
Add railings, cracks in walls, textures, and furniture (tables/chairs/benches).

Day 8: Outdoor Lighting
Set lights to imitate time-of-day for each outdoor section. Determine exact "overhead" point for each.

Day 9: Indoor Lighting
Set perimeter lights to lead player toward switches. Set bright light in exact center of room to cause staircases to cast shadows on both sides.

Day 10: Sound & Particle FX
Add hum for active switches, click for switch toggling, bird noise for "outdoor" areas. (Possible need to add particle effects to gravity wells when active if player can't find them easily.)

Day 11: Post-process & Release
(Possible addition of NPCs walking through room, a la Relativity.) Playtest.