For today's exclusive Gamasutra feature, International Hobo's Chris Bateman provides a rare public look at an in-depth commercial PlayStation 2 game design document with Fireball, eventually released on PC as Play With Fire by Manifesto Games.
[In the spirit of community, and for the sake of education, International Hobo's
Chris Bateman has provided a rare public look at an in-depth commercial
game design document. The game, here tentatively titled Fireball and
targeted for the PlayStation 2, was released for the PC by Manifesto
Games with the new title of Play With Fire.
A second document was also provided, the Fireball Field Design Guide, which can be downloaded in *.doc format here.]
Fireball Hidama
1.Burn It Down
Example level from Play With Fire
1.1.Overview
Fireball is a budget game
for PS2. The player controls a ball of fire, and traverses a landscape made of
blocks of different materials. As the player sets fire to these blocks, they
grow hotter, and can set fire to more and more different types of blocks. The
fireball the player controls can also rise up in height and the hotter the
player gets, the higher they can jump in this fashion.
On each
field (level) the player has an ultimate goal of igniting the torch (brazier)
and thus clearing the field – but the torch is generally positioned at a high point and out of
reach. The player must use a combination of platform skills and dynamic
environmental features (for instance, by burning the supports under the torch
down to the ground) in order to clear the field.
Simple,
clean cut graphics and controls combine to give an easy to learn but engaging
play experience.
1.2.Vision Statement
The player should be delivered the
following experiences:
Effortless play originating from a simple control scheme.
Unique experience – the only game to be based around setting fires.
Varied solutions to the mini-puzzles as the player works out the best
places to start fires.
Exploration of small environments.
1.3.Branding Choices
There are two options for the brand image
for the game, and which is used depends entirely upon the needs of the choice
of the publishing partners:
·Fireball Brand: this approach targets
impulse purchasers and is suitable for where the primary sales channels for the
game are in mass market catchment areas e.g. supermarkets. In this case, the
game packaging should draw attention to the fact that it is Easy to Play, in order to appeal to the
Casual audience, who typically finds most games are too hard to control.
·Hidama Brand: the Hidama (Japanese for
‘fireball’ or ‘falling star’) approach is targeting the Hardcore gaming
community’s desire for new and innovative product. A Japanese sub-title for the
game serves to intrigue, and suggest that this may be an interesting and
hitherto overlooked title (such as Katamari
Damacy). The game packaging should draw attention to the games Unique Gameplay. This approach is best
suited if the publisher is expecting to sel the game primarily through
specialist game shops or online.
A hybrid approach may also be undertaken.
2.Core Gameplay
2.1.Game Subsystems
All the play in Fireball originates from three simple to implement core subsystems:
Avatar concerns the player’s ability to
negotiate the landscape.
Temperature concerns the ignition of
blocks in the playing field, and how fire spreads between blocks.
Gravity concerns the collapse of objects
and blocks in the playing field as a result of fires.
We will discuss each in turn.
2.2.Avatar
2.2.1Overview
The player’s Avatar is a glowing ball of
fire, considered to be 1 unit in diameter. The
player’s abilities are as follows:
Move around the environment. The player
turns left and right, and pushes forward to move (relative controls).
Jump up to a (relative) height
determined by the heat of the ball. The characteristics of this jump are that
the player rises rapidly up to their maximum (relative) height, and then slowly
descend.
Burning blocks is achieved simply by
pushing into them. If the player is just hot enough to ignite a block, they
will need to push into the block for a short while to start a fire – but if
they are considerably hotter, fires will start just by them passing by.
Slamming can be done after the player
has jumped – it causes the fireball to come crashing down to the first surface
beneath them, igniting fires quickly in a wide area of impact where they come
down. These fires are slightly hotter than the player’s default temperature.
These are all the player’s abilities.
2.2.2Avatar Temperature
The basis of fire starting rests in a
simple system of temperature based upon colours. The avatar increases in heat
permanently when it touches a burning block that is hotter than the avatar’s
current temperature.
Colour
Jump Height
Description
1: Yellow
+2
units
Yellow flames; bunsen burner style
2: Orange
+4
units
Bright orange flames.
3: Red
+8
units
Glowing red with heat haze.
4: Blue
+12 units
Blue-white flame, like a blowtorch.
5: White
+16 units
Bright white glow – very bright.
2.3.Controls
Basic Controls
Jump
The fireball jumps up to
its maximum height, then begins to drift slowly down towards the ground.
or
Slam
Crash down to ground
rapidly and then explode, igniting nearby blocks. If already on the ground,
just explodes.
Jump and
Top Down View
The fireball jumps, but the
camera view tilts to give a top down view. Press again to cancel top down
view. (Toggles top down view).
Pause/Map
Reset Field
Hold for 0.5 seconds to begin
the current field again
Advanced Controls
Roll Left
Move Sideways to Left i.e.
strafe left
Roll Right
Move Sideways to Right i.e.
strafe right
Turn Left
Turn 90 degrees left
Turn Right
Turn 90 degrees right
2.3.1Jump Profile
The following is a description of the jump
profile for the fireball:
·Start at any given height. This may be
the ground (0 height) or on a platform (>0 height).
·Press Jump to begin the jump. In less
than a second, the fireball goes up in the air by +x units,
where x is determined by the current temperature. If the player initiates jump with
Triangle, they also get a top down view, so they can judge their landing place.
·Drifting begins immediately. The player
descends at the rate of about 1 unit per
second. At any point, the player can use Triangle
to toggle between a top down view and a regular view.
·Pick Target by looking at the shadow of
the fireball. This is easiest in the top down view. Regardless of lighting, the
shadow of the fireball always shows precisely where the player will land if
they press Slam.
·Slam by pressing the appropriate
control. The fireball descends almost instantly to the shadow-point and
explodes – possibly igniting everything at this point. The slam fires are at a
temperature one higher than the avatar’s current temperature.
Note that it is not possible to jump again
once in the air – the fireball must be in contact with a block in order to
jump.
Also note that there is no quick way to
descend except for slamming.
2.3.2Slam Profile
Whenever the player slams, they raise every
block in a 3 unit spherical radius of the
point of impact (or point of explosion if they were on the ground) up to one
higher than their current temperature. (The colour of the explosion effect
should correspond to the higher temperature).
If this temperature is high enough to
ignite a block, the block begins burning.
2.4.The Player’s Goal
The player’s goal is always to move, burn
and melt their way around the environment in order to reach the torch – a
symbolic brazier item – which they ignite on contact.
As soon as this is done, the playing field
is cleared.
Advanced players will attempt to clear the
playing field in the shortest play time, and/or cause the biggest Chain– achieved by having
large number of blocks burning at the same time.
The player scores more for big Chains, and their score contributes to an overall
progress mechanism which unlocks new collections of levels and simple cosmetic
rewards.
2.5.Gaining Temperature
Increasing avatar temperature is (usually)
one of the key steps the player undertakes towards their goal. To overcome
various barriers, the player must often become hotter. This is achieved by
touching a block that is burning at a higher temperature than the avatar. This
can happen:
If the avatar slams a material
they could not usually burn in order to ignite it. This would immediately
‘level up’ the avatar to the new temperature
If the avatar touches a
material burning at a higher temperature. Such a block could be ignited by the
heat of other blocks the player has ignited.
Once the avatar temperature increases, it
is permanently at the higher degree for the rest of the current field.
2.6.Chains
2.6.1Overview
Although it is not the
player’s stated goal to get a big Chain, the game is structured to imply that
ending the level is not really victory – getting a large Chain is victory. This
allows players to find their own level of challenge… If just reaching the
brazier is challenging, the player will feel satisfied by this goal. If not,
scoring a high Chain will seem like the goal, with the brazier merely being the
end of the current field.
2.6.2The Chain Counter
The size of the
player’s current Chain combo is displayed on the screen. This is the only text
overlaid on the screen (except when the name of a field is displayed at the
start).
The size of the current
Chain is equal to the number of blocks currently burning.
2.6.3Font Size of the Chain Counter
The size of the text
which displays the current Chain count depends upon whether or not the Chain
number has been growing or receding. A strict rubric defines this relationship:
When no
blocks are burning, no Chain is displayed.
The first
time a block is ignited, the font size is “100%”. (All other sizes are relative
to this size). This text will remain displayed for 10 seconds, gradually fading
out if it is not ‘replaced’ with a new Chain value.
The next
time that the Chain value is updated (which may happen several times a second),
if the Chain value is larger, the font size should be increased by the amount
the chain is larger.
Font Size = 100 + [Chain value]percentiles
If the
Chain value remains the same, the font size remains the same.
If the
Chain value decreases, the font size decreases accordingly.
A maximum
font size should be specified, based upon the largest size that can be
displayed without obscuring the player’s view.
If the text can only be
displayed at certain discrete sizes, then the Font Size variable should be used
to test whether or not the threshold for the next font size applies, rather
than as a direct scaling factor.
2.7.Field Reset
The fields in Fireball often present mini-puzzles. Sometimes, these puzzles can
end up in states from which the player cannot reach the goal. For this reason,
a control is provided (Select) to quickly and easily restart the field ideally without any noticeable loading.
It is expected that normal play will
involve a fair amount of resetting.
Select must be held for at least 0.5
seconds to reset the field; this prevents the field being restarted by
accident. The pause menu will carry the text “Hold Select to reset the field.”
3.Environment
3.1.Components
3.1.1Blocks
The environment is entirely constructed out
of 1 unit cubes (actually about 4 m per side,
therefore 1 unit = 4 m). These cubes have different colours, and are
textured to resemble specific materials.
3.1.2Objects
Objects are simply clusters of blocks. For
instance, a vertical column of ten blocks is an object. Four such columns with
a flat plane of blocks across the top is a ‘Table’ object.
Clearly, because objects are made of cubic
blocks, they are abstract in nature, but the player will still be able to make
out what these objects represent.
3.2.Gravity
Gravity always pulls blocks and objects
downwards. The gravity value is 10 units per
second per second, with a terminal velocity of 5 units
per second.
Objects fall vertically downwards until any
one of their constituent blocks hits another block underneath – then they stop.
This applies, even if the resultant structure would look physically impossible.
As long as there is a block underneath, the object will balance where it is.
3.3.Types of Block
The following are the types of Block that
all objects are made of:
Block Type
Block Colour
Melt
Burn
Burn Time
Ignition Time
1:
Leaf
Green
No
1: Yellow Hot
10 seconds
0.1 seconds*
2:
Wood
Brown
No
2: Orange
Hot
15 seconds
1 second
3:
Coal
Black
No
3: Red Hot
60
seconds
1 second
4:
Plastic
Pink
2: Orange
Hot
3: Red Hot
15
seconds
1 second
5:
Metal
Blue
4: Blue Hot
5: White Hot
90
seconds
1 second
6:
Stone
Grey
5: White Hot
No
–
–
7:
Fire
Red
No
No
–
–
*In fact, ignites
slower except when exposed to extreme heat.
Note
No block may
ever be at a heat level higher than that shown in its Burn column or Melt
column (whichever is higher).
The following table shows the tints of
blocks when they are melted or burning:
Block Type
Block Colour
Melted Texture
Meted Tint
Burning Texture
Burning Tint
Leaf
Green
–
–
Burning
Leaves
Yellow
Wood
Brown
–
–
Burning
Wood
Orange
Coal
Black
–
–
Hot
Coals
Red
Plastic
Orange
Molten
Plastic
Orange
Burning
Plastic
Red
Metal
Blue
Molten
Metal
Blue
White-hot
Metal
White
Stone
Grey
Lava
White
–
–
3.4.Burning
3.4.1Ignition
The temperature at any point in the game
field (for the purposes of checking for ignition) is based upon the
temperatures of the surrounding blocks. The process of determining if any given
block ignites is as follows:
·Check for neighbouring blocks
of the same material that are on fire, and have been
burning for at least as long as the ignition time. If they exist, the
current block catches fire.
If not, calculate the Effective Temperature
for that block:
·Burning blocks within 1 unit (including diagonals which are technically 1.4 units away) provide 0.5 of their burn temperature.
·Burning blocks within 2 units (including diagonals which are technically 2.8
units away) provide 0.1 of their burn temperature.
·Burning blocks within 3 units (including diagonals which are technically 4.2
units away) provide 0.02 of their burn temperature.
Blocks are only counted
as Burning if they have been on fire for at least as long as the ignition time
for their relevant material.
If the temperature at any given point is
higher than the required temperature for ignition for any given block, it
catches fire (and then burns at the same temperature as its ignition).
Note
The three
parametric values above are the temperature radiation coefficients (TRC1, TRC2
and TRC3). The values given should be considered default values – tweaking will
be required.
Ignition takes 1 second. During this time,
the block is considered to be at 0 temperature (not at its burning
temperature). Only once it is alight does it take on its new temperature.
For example, consider the following example
(in 2 dimensions):
0
seconds: The tree begins burning at the centre top
(as indicated by the ‘1’ – which is the temperature for burning leaves):
1
1
second: The neighbouring blocks immediately ignite.
The blocks around have temperature determined only by the originally burning
block:
(1)
1
(1)
0.1
(1)
(1)
(1)
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
2
seconds: The fire spreads. Notice how the ‘bow
wave’ of the fire has risen from 0.1 to 0.36.
1
1
1
(1)
1
1
1
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
0.36
0.36
0.36
0.06
3 seconds: The leaves are fully alight. The wood is still safe.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
(1)
(1)
(1)
0.44
0.06
4
seconds: The temperature at the top of the trunk is
now effectively 2.1. This ignites the wood (which burns at Temperature 2).
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
(2.1)
0.4
5
seconds: The temperature at the top of the trunk is
now effectively 2.1. This ignites the wood (which burns at Temperature 2).
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
(2)
6
seconds: The entire tree is burning.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
Notice that there is a maximum temperature
that a given material can contribute to another material. Imagine that there
was metal in the centre of the tree:
1
1
1
1
1
4.2
1
1
1
1
4.2
1
1
1
1
1
The temperature from the burning leaves
would not be enough to ignite the metal.
3.4.2Burning Out
After the Burn Time for a block has
expired, the block is removed from the world completely.
Any blocks or objects that were resting
upon that block then fall down. Thus the shape of the world changes over time
as more objects and blocks burn to nothing.
3.4.3Polling Blocks (Checking for Ignition)
The game engine should poll the blocks of
the world at the fastest rate feasible without causing slowdown – blocks near
to the player should be polled in as close to real time as possible, whilst
blocks far from the player are lower priority. But within an approximately ten
second cycle, all blocks in the game world should be polled at least once to
determine if they start any fires nearby.
3.5.Melting
3.5.1Collapsing
When an object melts, it means that it
ceases to be treated as a composite object of blocks and instead becomes a
collection of unconnected blocks.
Consider the following diagrams (in two
dimensions for simplicity):
This shows a Tree object, made of a set of
Leaf blocks on top of a Wood block pole. It is standing on a Plastic block table.
The plastic table melts. The tree falls
into the table (which has effectively inverted itself by melting) but gets
stuck on the edge of one of the ‘legs’.
In point of fact, in this example, the tree
would also start burning, since the ignition temperature for the tree is less
than that of the melting point of plastic.
3.5.2Gravity for Melting Objects
To make melting objects look like they are
melting, the gravity effect on the blocks of an object which has melted should
be variable.
Set the gravity for each block to be
between 1 and 5 units per second per second,
with a terminal velocity of 5 units per
second. This will give the impression of melting.
3.5.3Pushing Through
The other effect of melting temperatures is
that the player can push through a barrier if they are hot enough to melt.
For instance, if the player is Orange
Hot (2) and there is a ‘wall’ of Plastic Blocks ahead of them, they are hot
enough to melt these blocks and they can push through. The player simply moves
up to the block, and moves through.
Their movement is slowed to 75% of normal when they push through.
After pushing through, the block where the
fireball passed is removed from the field, exactly as if it had been burned
out.
4.Structure
4.1.Overview
The game is divided into field lists or
Questswhich consist (in
general) of six fields. (The term Quest is used in
game documentation, but in the design document the term Field List is used).
The player must play through all six fields to complete a field list. However,
they can exit their current set of six fields by pressing start and choosing
exit from a pause menu.
The game is made of
three paths – Fun, Puzzle and Challenge, which are accessed from a central Hub screen. Each path
consists of 10 field lists, for a total of 60 fields each or 180 overall. There
may, however, be up to 40% reuse of material between the different paths,
meaning the game will actually consist of between 108 and 180 fields.
Medals are earned for
hitting certain combo targets in field lists. These unlock the field lists from
the Challenge path.
Additionally, every block the player burns
earns 1 point of Ash. A running Ash total is used to unlock additional
materials in the Fun path.
4.2.Ash
Ash is earned for each
block burned. It is used to progress along the Fun path. The target Ash values
for the Fun path will rise exponentially.
4.3.Rewards
4.3.1Medals
Every field list has a target Chain total
associated with it. This relates to medals as follows:
·If the sum of all Chains scored
for all six fields is equal to or exceeds the target Chain for the field list,
a Gold Medal is awarded. Whenever the avatar is close enough to the Quest
block in the Hub for that field list, a gold medal
icon is shown. When a Gold Medal is awarded, a Silver medal is
automatically awarded as well.
·If the total Chain scored is
between 50 and 99% of the Gold Medal score, a Silver Medal is awarded. This is also shown as an icon when the avatar is close to the relevant Quest block
in the Hub.
Whenever the player completes a field list,
they are shown the amount of Ash earned.Plus:
·If they scored a Silver Medal,
this icon is shown, and the Ash total is multiplied by 2 (x2 is shown).
·If they scored a Gold Medal,
this icon is shown, and the Ash total is multiplied by 3 (x3 is shown). When a
Gold Medal is awarded, a Silver medal is automatically awarded as well.
Medals are used to
advance along the Challenge path.
4.3.2Summary
The following
summarises the ‘prizes’ that can be won:
Medal
Combo
Target Percentage?
All
Fields Ash Clear?
Silver
50-99%
No
Gold
100%
No
4.4.Front End
4.4.1Overview
The game front end
operates using the main game engine. The player moves around between objects
(which are kept well-spaced), and when near an object, text appears indicating
what will happen if they burn that object.
This saves developing a
separate front end.
4.4.2Quest Blocks (Hyperobjects)
The Hub field consists
of a number of blocks, which
are regular game objects – but that cause fields or Quests to be run when they are burned by the player. In effect,
each block is a menu option that the player selects by moving to it and burning
it.
The blocks displayed in the Hub will be
either Leaf, Wood or Stone.
4.4.3Unlocked Quests
Any Quest that has been unlocked is
displayed as a single Leaf Block.
This
is exactly as is currently implemented
4.4.4Completed Quests
Any Quest that has been completed is
displayed as a single Wood Block.
This means:
Players won’t trigger these by
mistake, as they must Slam to burn a Wood block
Players can immediately see
which Quests they have completed
4.4.5Next Quests
The next Quest to be unlocked in each Path
is displayed as a single Stone Block. Clearly, this cannot be burned, and so
the Quest cannot be played.
Above the block is the description of how
the Quest is unlocked – see Section 4.8 for details.
4.4.6Ash Total
While on the Hub field,
a large, graphically pleasing display of the players total Ash should be shown
at the bottom of the screen.
4.4.7The Hub
The main game
functionality is accessed from a game field which is the hub map. It consists
of a set of blocks that fit into
three paths:
·Fun Path: consisting of easy and entertaining fields. The Fun path
advances from the acquisition of Ash.
·Puzzle Path: consisting of challenging but cerebral fields, which don’t
require fast reactions or arcade control skills to master. The Puzzle path
advances from the completion of Quests.
·Challenge Path: this consists of challenging fields which may require good
reactions and arcade control skills to master. The hardest fields are in this
path. This path will advance through Medals.
All three paths are
arranged to radiate from a central point. The Options area is in the fourth
position, as follows:
The player begins facing the first object in the Fun
Path.
4.5.Auto-saving
The game automatically saves after
completing a field list. Any completed field lists
are recorded, as are any medals awarded, plus the player’s Ash total and the
highest combos scored for each field list.
No manual save is provided.
If the player exits a field list, the game
still saves – any Ash earned is still ‘banked’.
4.6.High Level
States
4.6.1Key
The following is the
key to the state diagrams used in this document:
4.6.2Start Up Sequence
The states in this
diagram are as follows:
·Start: game begins
·Settings file exists? Check for settings file; action varies
according to whether this is present.
·Language Select Screen: if there is no settings file, a language select
screen appears displaying the flags of all the countries whose languages are
supported in a vertical column.
·Select Language: The player selects their language by selecting a flag and
pressing X or Start.
·Autosave Settings: saves the language setting to a (new) settings file.
·Settings Load: alternatively, if a settings file exists it is loaded.
·Publisher Logo: In the best case, it would be nice if this could be “painted”
onto a wall of blocks that could then be burned by the player. However, a
single static image flash up can be used instead. In either case, pressing Start (joypad) or Esc (keyboard) should
advance the screen to the next screen.
·Developer Logo: International Hobo Ltd will use the Fantasy Labs logo as
their developer logo for this game. As above, in the best case, it would be
nice if this could be “painted” onto a wall of blocks that could then be burned
by the player. However, a single static image flash up can be used instead.
·Title Screen: After the publisher logos, the player should be dropped
into the Title Screen field (Title.L.easy.spiral.fsf). They can either move
into the exit, or press Start (joypad) or Esc (keyboard) to move to the Hub.
·Autoload: after the Title Screen, the save file is automatically
loaded, restoring any game progress, medals and Ash total.
4.6.3Main High Level States
The states in this
diagram are as follows:
·Start up: see the Start Up Sequence flow diagram.
·Hub: the game hub. If the player goes near a Field List Object,
becomes slightly different state (see below).
·Hub – Near Field List Object: in this state, the game should display any Medal
and/or Ribbon for that Field List. If the object has not yet been unlocked, the
condition for unlocking it is displayed (see Path Progression, below).
oBurn Option
Object
oChange
Option/Replace Option Object
·Burn Field List Object: this is the trigger for starting a field list.
·Begin: play visual and audio effect to show start of field list
(this is the same as the visual and audio effect at the beginning of any field
– the Begin Fanfare).
·Begin Field List & Begin Field: these are defined as states for reference only.
·Field: the game.
·Pause: pause screen; accessed when player presses Start or Esc.
·Continue: return to the game.
·Quit: return to the Hub.
·Repeat Field Button: player presses Select or Tab.
·Exit: player enters the Exit object.
·Field Clear: the field clear screen, showing the word ‘Clear!’ and the
Ash/Ash Target values, as well as the highest combo value.
·Last Field? Conditional; if it is the last field, go to Autosave, else
Next field.
·Next Field: play the sounds and visual effects for starting a new
field, then start the next field.
·Autosave: save progress. The ‘Secret Ash’ referred to here is the actual total amount of Ash the player
has earned. This is different from the Total Ash value which the player sees as
the Total Ash is only updated when returning to the Hub (just after the
autosave).
·Field List Clear: play the appropriate effect for any Medal earned, and
update the Total Ash so that it matches the Secret Ash (i.e. show Ash ticking
up until it is equal to Secret Ash. Secret Ash is the real amount that the
player has burned, Total Ash is just what the player sees at any given time.
4.7.Overlays
4.7.1Introduction
This section describes
the HUD-style overlays used in the game. The components of these overlays are
as follows:
·Message Bar: this is a ‘box’ in the top left hand corner which displays
information in text. It should not have
a line around it; the text should be shown on its own. All overlays
·Ash Total: the total Ash the player has accumulated so far. It is
suffixed by the word Ash to clearly
denote it’s meaning. Hub
overlay
·Ash Score / Ash Target: the amount of Ash earned in the current field
and the maximum amount of Ash that can be earned. Pause overlay
·Combo: the current combo. Game overlay
·Highest Combo: the highest combo scored so far Pause overlay
·Audio Player: this displays the current track. The player can push left
and right to change the track. Pause overlay
·Quit/Continue: this displays the instructions to the player to either
quit the current field list (and return to the Hub) or continue with the
current field. Pause overlay
4.7.2Hub Overlay
The following is the Hub overlay:
Example:
4.7.3Game Overlay
The following is the Game overlay:
Example:
4.7.4Pause Overlay
The following is the
Pause overlay:
Example:
4.7.5Message Box
The message box
displays up to 32 characters.
The following table
shows the behaviours of the Message Box:
Overlay/State
Status
IF (Condition)…
Message
Hub
In Fun Area
Fun Path
In Puzzle Area
Puzzle Path
In Challenge Area
Challenge Path
In Options Area
Options
Default
Find something to
burn…
By Specific Option
[Option Message]
By Field List Object
Object Unlocked
Burn to attempt this
Quest
Object Not Unlocked
[Condition Message]
Game
First 3 seconds of
play
Field Titles Enabled
Field Name
Field Titles Disabled
null
Default
Select Reminder Enabled
Press Select to
Restart
Select Reminder Disabled
null
4.7.6Audio Player
On the Pause screen
will be displayed the controls for the audio player:
·The current
track name is shown between two enclosing triangles e.g.
◄ Red Birds ►
·Left and
right on the Pause menu will change the track.
·The tracks
that are available will include an option “Off” (which disables music until the
player uses the Pause screen to re-enable it).
·By default,
the music plays in sequence, however, a “Random” option can be included in the
track list to enable them to play in a random sequence.
4.8.Path Progression
4.8.1Fun Path
This will remain based upon Ash.
A new Ash value sequence is included later
in this document.
4.8.2Challenge Path
This will still be based upon Medals, but
instead of the incoherent Silver and Gold threads currently used, we will
switch to a single Medal count:
·Silver Medals count as 1 medal
·Gold Medals count as 1 medal,
but if the Silver was not previously earned it is counted too (so that if you
have the Gold Medal for a Quest, you have 2 medals – 1 Silver and 1 Gold)
A new sequence is included later in this
document.
4.8.3Puzzle Path
To progress in the
Puzzle path the player simply has to beat the Puzzle Quests in sequence.
4.8.4Credits
The credits should now play when all 10 of the main stages (1 to 10) in a
Path are completed for any Path – e.g. if Fun 01 through to Fun 10 is
completed, whenever the last of these is completed, the credits should play.
4.8.5Conditions
The following table
describes the progression of the three Paths:
Stage
Fun Path
Puzzle Path
Challenge Path
01
Always Available
Always Available
Always Available
02
500 Ash
Clear Puzzle 1
1 Medal
03
1,000 Ash
Clear Puzzle 2
2 Medals
04
5,000 Ash
Clear Puzzle 3
4 Medals
05
10,000 Ash
Clear Puzzle 4
6 Medals
06
15,000 Ash
Clear Puzzle 5
10 Medals
07
20,000 Ash
Clear Puzzle 6
16 Medals
08
25,000 Ash
Clear Puzzle 7
20 Medals
09
50,000 Ash
Clear Puzzle 8
30 Medals
10
100,000 Ash
Clear Puzzle 9
40 Medals
Credits
Clear Fun 1 to 10
Clear Puzzle 10
Clear Challenge 1 to 10
11
200,000 Ash
Clear Puzzle 10
44 Medals
12
500,000 Ash
Clear Puzzle 11
48 Medals
13
1,000,000 Ash
Clear Puzzle 12
52 Medals
14
2,000,000 Ash
Clear Puzzle 13
56 Medals
15
5,000,000 Ash
Clear Puzzle 14
58 Medals
16
10,000,000 Ash
Clear Puzzle 15
60 Medals
Note: not all the Paths will go up to Stage 16. The numbers should be
considered theoretical in these cases.
4.8.6Next Quest Condition Messages
In the Hub, the next
Quest in each path is displayed as a Stone block.
The following condition
messages are used to display the conditions:
Path
Message to Display
# value
Fun
# Ash
Ash for next quest
Puzzle
Clear Puzzle #
Current Puzzle Quest
number
Challenge
# Medals
Target medal total
4.9.Options
The Hub area will
include ‘Options Objects’ which the player can burn to change option
settings.The text displayed shows the
consequence of burning any given object.
After burning, the
corresponding alternative object will have to appear (or fall down from the
sky).
The following table
describes the options:
Option
Effect
Enable Message
Disable Message
SelectReminder
Show Select Reminder
in Message Bar
Burn me to Hide
Select Reminder
Burn me to Show
Select Reminder
FieldNames
Show Field Names
Burn me to Enable
Field Names
Burn me to Disable
Field Names
AlternateControls
Changes to the
alternative control scheme
Burn me for Alternate
Controls
Burn me for Normal
Controls
Louder
Turns up volume
Burn me for Louder
Volume
-
Softer
Turns down volume
Burn me for Quieter
Volume
4.10.Field Lists
A field list is a text file containing the
following data:
Component
Example
Explanation
Type
Fun01
or
Puzzle01
or
Challenge01
Denotes which Path
the field list appears in, and which step along that path it represents.
Title
“Avalon 6”
Optional
If there is a title, it is shown on the
title page when this block is in the select slot.
Random
Random 6
Optional
If there is a Random field, it means the
actual fields to be played should be randomly selected from the fields in the
field list.
The number given is the number of fields
to play e.g. Random 1 would mean ‘play a single field from the field list’.
BOF Marker
Beginning of Field List marker
Field 1
Field 2
Field 3
Field 4
Field 5
Field 6
etc.
tourmaline.fsf
or
tourmaline.fsf “Tourmaline”
Filename for the fields, in the sequence
they are to be played.
(Any number of fields can be listed, but
the normal is 6)
Optional
Extra
If there is a section in quotes, it means
this is the name of the field, and this should be displayed at the start of
the field.
EOF Marker
End of file marker
5.Audio
5.1.Table of
Sound Effects
Sound Effect
Situation
Notes
Jump
Sound made while ascending
Sound made after pressing jump, while fireball ascends
(duration: slightly less than 1 second)
Airborne
Sound made while in the air
A relatively quiet noise that can be heard while the
fireball is in the air, and that ceases when it lands.
Landing from Jump
Fireball lands on block or ground
When the fireball touches down from a jump (irrespective
of material landed upon)
Burning Block
Leaf Block
SFX when blocks of this type burn
Burning Block
Wood Block
SFX when blocks of this type burn
Burning Block
Coal Block
SFX when blocks of this type burn
Burning Block
Plastic Block
SFX when blocks of this type burn
Burning Block
Metal Block
SFX when blocks of this type burn
Melting Block
Plastic Block
SFX when blocks of this type melt
Melting Block
Metal Block
SFX when blocks of this type melt
Melting Block
Stone Block
SFX when blocks of this type melt
Heat Level Changed
Yellow Hot
Probably unused, unless Water blocks added
Heat Level Changed
Orange Hot
Plays when the player ‘levels up’ to Orange
Heat Level Changed
Red Hot
Plays when the player ‘levels up’ to Red
Heat Level Changed
Blue Hot
Plays when the player ‘levels up’ to Blue
Heat Level Changed
White Hot
Plays when the player ‘levels up’ to White
Slam
Yellow Hot
Sound effect for when a Yellow Hot Fireball slams – a
burst of flame
Slam
Orange Hot
Sound effect for when a Yellow Hot Fireball slams – a
conflagration
Slam
Red Hot
Sound effect for when a Yellow Hot Fireball slams – a
loud fireburst
Slam
Blue Hot
Sound effect for when a Yellow Hot Fireball slams – a
huge explosion
Slam
White Hot
Sound effect for when a Yellow Hot Fireball slams – a
“nuclear explosion”
Begin Fanfare
Start of Level
Short fanfare, rising scale or audio effect
Restart Noise
Restart level
A swishing noise; just to underline the level has been
reset
Ash Clear
Ash Target Hit
Short rising scale or audio effect
End Fanfare
Reach Exit
Very short victory fanfare or rising scale
Complete Fanfare
End of Field List
Short reward fanfare (no medal)
Bronze Fanfare
Earn Bronze Medal
Short reward fanfare (variant of above)
Silver Fanfare
Earn Silver Medal
Short reward fanfare (variant of above)
Gold Fanfare
Earn Gold Medal
Short reward fanfare (variant of above)
6.Templates
6.1.Overview
This section provides
advice to field designers for Fireball.
Note that field designers are encouraged to go beyond the templates described
here. The templates define how one should start thinking about the fields, but
the actual fields can be built any way the field designer chooses.
6.2.Stages
In order to ensure the player has time to
learn how the game works without recourse to an explicit tutorial, there is a
strict order to the stages of the game. The following table provides a summary:
Code
Stage #
Blocks that will Burn
Blocks that will Melt
Blocks that are Inert
L
0
Leaf
-
Stone
W
1
Wood
-
Stone
LW
2
Leaf,
Wood
-
Stone
C
3
Leaf,
Wood, Coal
-
Stone
P
4
Leaf,
Wood
Plastic
Stone
CP
5
Leaf,
Wood, Coal
Plastic
Stone
F
6
Leaf,
Wood, Coal
Plastic
Fire
M
7
Leaf, Wood
Metal
Fire
PM
8
Leaf,
Wood, Coal
Plastic,
Metal
Fire
S
9
Leaf,
Wood, Coal
Plastic,
Metal, Stone
Fire
6.3.Fuses
An important concept in
Fireball field design is that of fuses. A fuse is a set of objects which
are designed to be automatically ignited by the player, thus causing remote
effects. Fuses can be used to:
·Create easy
Chains
·Set fire to
distant points in the landscape
·Give the
player a time limit – i.e. a fuse may set fire to a bridge, which the player
must then cross before it burns out.
A fuse which begins
with Leaf blocks will always be lit by the player. (The field may begin with
the player on such a fuse). Other types of fuses may require the player to
become hotter before they can be lit.
6.4.Fields
6.4.1Field Types
The following are the
broad different types of field:
·Burn It Down: fields in which the goal is high above the player,
supported by a framework of objects which can be burned down. The player’s
goal, therefore, is to burn down the framework in order to reach the goal.
This style of field is likely to be Easy, with a few of Mid difficulty.
·Sprint: fields in which the goal is at the end of an “assault
course”. The player naturally gets hotter as progressing, and so damages the
terrain that will get them to the goal.
This style of field is likely to be Hard, except when there are no fuses, when
it might become Easy.
·Hunt: fields in which the goal is hidden by some means, and the
player must find it.
This style of field is likely to be Easy, as the player will eventually
succeed.
·Maze: fields in which the goal can be seen, but a maze of some
kind blocks progress.
This style of field is likely to be Easy, unless fuses are used to create time
limitations in which case it could become Hard.
6.4.2Field Filenames
The following filename
format is used for fields:
XXXXXXXXXX.XX.XXXX.fsf
The first ten
characters are an informal description of the level.
The next two characters
represent the Stage (see below).
The next four characters
represent the difficulty, either:
·Easy
·Mid
·Hard
·Hell
So an example field
filename might be:
Smallhouse.LW.easy.fsf
This allows anyone
building field lists to know that the
field designer intends this particular field to be easy to complete.
6.5.Field List
Template
Each field list can
follow the following broad pattern in
terms of the difficulty of levels included. As ever, however, field
designers are encouraged to extemporise!
In the early game:
·Field 1 = Easy
and very simplistic
·Field 2 =
Easy
·Field 3 = Mid
with a trick that makes it Easy
·Field 4 = Easy
·Field 5 = Mid
·Field 6 =
Easy and rewarding
This pattern is
designed to contain a range of different difficulties, arranged so that the
feel of the field list is that of a ‘journey’.
In the later game:
·Field 1 =
Mid
·Field 2 =
Easy
·Field 3 =
Hard with a trick that makes it Easy
·Field 4 =
Mid
·Field 5 =
Hard
·Field 6 =
Easy and rewarding
Try not to make the
last field of a field list be Hard, unless it has a trick that makes it Easy.
Fields in the Challenge
path may be harder than this pattern suggests, while fields in the Fun path
should all be Easy.
7.Appendix I: Target Audience
7.1.Evangelist
Clusters
Evangelist clusters
represent sections of the audience for the game with the potential and intent
to spread knowledge of the game to a wider audience. The evangelist clusters
for the game would be:
·H3 Wanderers (looking for a unique experience):
a “Hardcore” gaming cluster
(based on self-assessment and number of games purchased), this cluster is mixed
gender and samples many different games over the course of each year. Their
interest in novelty should aid in reaching them with this product. About 20% of
Specialist Press reviewers fall into this cluster – these should be targeted by
the game’s PR drive.
·H2 Managers (looking for systems & puzzles):
Logical puzzles of all kinds
appeal to this cluster. The original yet intuitive mechanics of Fireball, coupled with thepuzzle-oriented gameplay, will appeal to players preferring this play style.
Although there are many H2 type players in the specialist press they are
unlikely evangelists, as they tend mostly to review strategy games.
7.2.Target
Clusters
Target clusters are
the wider audience being targeted. The target clusters for the game would be:
·C3 Wanderers: related to the H3, these have similar game
habits to the H3’s but play fewer games each year. They are attracted to
novelty, and will buy into the game if it is recommended to them. If
word-of-mouth for the game is significant, this cluster can drive game sales to
levels above typical budget products.
·C2 Manager: a mass market cluster who can potentially be attracted by abstract games
with a strong bias towards process orientation. They buy many games (but
complete few), which makes them a likely target cluster for an unusual game at
a budget price point.
7.3.Market
Vector
The planned market
vector for this game therefore consists of the following:
Orange squares
represent sales primarily from hardcore gamers, whilst blue squares represent
sales to a mass market audience.
Transition from H2 to
C3 or C2 (dotted arrow) is most likely be a male H2 showing the game to
friends, and therefore uptake from these vectors will be lower Conversely,
transitions from H3 to C3 or C2 are more likely to be a friend making a
recommendation for purchase, and therefore should help drive sales.
8.Delta Log
8.1.Version
1.0
Core design
incorporated from Concept version 1.0
8.2.Version
1.05
Changed references
that read ‘Combos’ to saying ‘Chains’ (i.e. renamed ‘Combos’ to ‘Chains’).
Added a section about
Chains.
Added a Template
section giving advice to field designers.
8.3.Version
1.10
Added the concept of
ignition time. A block has to have been on fire for a (short) amount of time
(known as the ignition time) before it can set fire to other blocks.
Ignition times added
to the block data table.
Added reference to the
parameters for the fire effects. (Appendix I in this document).
Target Audience titled
‘Appendix II’.
8.4.Version
1.15
Replaced the old
conception of the menu system with the notion of a ‘hyperobject’ so that the
main game engine can be used to power the menu system.
8.5.Version
1.20
Added the (already
implied) functionality for Select – namely that pressing Select restarts the
current level.
8.6.Version
1.25
Added ‘Time Out’
feature – if the player fails to complete a level in 20 minutes, the player
automatically becomes White Hot (5) and can therefore automatically complete
the level. However, none of the player’s achievements will then be counted.
8.7.Version
1.5
Blocks are expressly
sized at 4 m x 4 m x 4m, so talk of them being 1 m cube is incorrect. Updated
in this version.
Jump heights are now 2
units, 4 units, 8 units, 12 units and 16 units.
8.8.Version
1.51
Specified: No block
may burn at a temperature above its ignition temperature.
Removed some ‘dead’
material.
8.9.Version
1.52
Coal now ignites at
Red Hot, not Orange Hot.
Revised burn times and
ignition times:
Block Type
Block Colour
Melt
Burn
Burn Time
Ignition Time
1:
Leaf
Green
No
1: Yellow Hot
10 seconds
0.1 seconds
2:
Wood
Brown
No
2: Orange
Hot
15 seconds
1 second
3:
Coal
Black
No
3: Red Hot
60
seconds
1 second
4:
Plastic
Orange
2: Orange
Hot
3: Red Hot
15
seconds
1 second
5:
Metal
Blue
4: Blue Hot
5: White Hot
90
seconds
1 second
6:
Stone
Grey
5: White Hot
No
–
–
7:
Fire
Red
No
No
–
–
8.10.Version 1.53
Minor edits.
Deleted the Time Out
feature.
8.11.Version 1.54
Minor edits.
8.12.Version 1.6
Revised in line with
the new structure.
Substantial revisions
to Section 4, in line with the new structure.