FINAL: Game Design Concepts

Game Genre
Said to “provide slower interactions with long-term story-led challenges.”[1], Role-Playing Game’s (RPG’s) generally focus on character development, while Adventure games “…let players interact at their own pace,” [1] with the emphasis on exploring and puzzle solving. Then with combat falling into the Action category, this makes three game genres that apply to our game’s design concepts. The time limit imposed makes for a compact Action Adventure RPG. The back-story of Isis’ dying Master drives her to think and piece together the information she collects, whilst deciding which is the right path of action; all the while trying to stay alive. Options such as helping someone or not, will impact on later levels. A specific example is the Fire elements level where, if Isis did not save the children in the Air level, no help would be rewarded.
Core Mechanics
Isis’ main device for interaction is conversation. Talking to villagers and other NPC’s throughout each level, she receives important information about her goals and objectives. She must solve various riddles and surmise truth from lies in order to progress, making the collection of information imperative in completing her quests. This is where most of the gameplay evolves, through the players choices and the resulting outcomes of the game. Exploration is another key factor; if the level is not fully investigated, opportunities to level up and gain extra items will be lost. Some levels, such as the Water world require a thorough search of its underground maze before access to the final area is granted. Fighting and management of health and magic while essential in a strategical manner, is more so used as a narrative tool to break the monotony and – in boss levels – immerse the player in a sense of urgency and doom.
Flow
Goals are stated clearly at the beginning of the game through the use of the Mentor and his wishes to regain his immortal status by using the four elements. The first level, Air, is designed as an introductory level, so the challenge of reaching the first element is enough to set up the predicaments surrounding the remaining elements. From then on the level of difficulty increases and even though the task of retrieving the element is the same, different circumstances surrounding it cause the players concentration to shift and accommodate for the new situations and challenges surrounding each element. As positive reinforcement for fully interacting with the game, side quests and as a result more experience and better items are received. Control over the challenges the player is faced is displayed through the levels the player is initially allowed to access. By setting distinct boundaries between the levels and their challenges difficulties, the player is not allowed to access areas they are currently ill-equipped to accomplish.
Rewards
According to Hallford and Hallford[2] there are four general reward types that can be listed: Glory, Sustenance, Access and Facility. In terms of glory, the player on finishing the game will be satisfied by collecting all the elements and then defeating the Master. Depending on the good or evil decisions made throughout the game to this point, the feeling of accomplishment achieved will be derived from knowing that the best possible outcome has been reached. Completion of the game and all its side-quests will provide more visual rewards at the end, compared with the player who didn’t bother. As fights occur either sporadically or in extreme situations, Isis is always fully stocked on health potions, in keeping with the rewards of sustenance. Random treasures located around the maps take the form of spells and potions that can be used in later levels specifically to exploit enemies’ weaknesses. Access is demonstrated through the use of the Master and his gradual discovery of the passwords to activate the portals leading to the elemental worlds. First Air, then Earth and Water together before Fire level can be breached. Furthermore, as the game progresses, the effects of the elements on the Master become apparent and the aim of the story turns from the initial premise of helping the Master to defeating. In terms of facility rewards, when Isis progresses through the levels she gains experience, which will increase her characters statistics, as well as items that will become beneficial in the higher difficulty levels.
Overall, to generate meaningful play within our game, we tried to incorporate meaning with the choices Isis makes on her journey, through the consequences of her action impacting greatly on the final outcome of the game. Although the Master must eventually be defeated, there are different paths to get there – some with more help than others – and this all depends on the whimsical decisions the player chooses within the game.

References:
1. J. Habgood and M Overmars, The Game Maker’s Apprentice, Berkeley, CA : Apress, 2006
2. K. Salen and E. Zimmerman, Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals, London, England: The MIT Press, 2004, pp 346.