Treesuit Design Doc 3.0

Gameplay

Gameplay can be split into two major categories: stealth and dance. Each is described in the following sections.

Stealth Gameplay

The player must sneak past guards to reach the end of the level. Guards are on set paths, moving about the level. If the player enters the cone of vision of a guard, the suspicion meter is raised, and it continues to raise until treesuit finds a "safezone." Once in the safezone, the player must complete a minigame to empty the suspicion meter. If the player does not empty the suspicion meter, and it completely fills, the game ends and the level must be restarted. The minigame is the same as the Dance Gameplay but may have a different background depending on context (i.e. in the office level, treesuit is "typing" in the background to avoid suspicion, but the player plays the same minigame as the dancing game in the foreground).

Safezones are locked until the player has entered them while the suspicion meter is completely empty. This prevents the player from running into a guard's cone of vision and then sprinting to the end of the level to the last safezone. There will always be one unlocked safezone at the start of the level, at the player's starting position. Treesuit cannot get hurt. There is no health bar (and thus, no physical attacking) - but the suspicion meter serves as a replacement for the health mechanic.

Guards move in set paths (drawn in the level editor), usually along a line and back, in a square or other circuitous pattern, or are stationary and rotate 180 degrees in place.

The camera is overhead, and angled slightly. It moves automatically as the player turns, but can also be manually moved by moving the mouse left and right.

Powerups

THIS FEATURE HAS BEEN CUT

Powerups should be used sparingly, since running through a level with treesuit invisible the whole time is too easy. They will have a limit to how often they can be used. Using a powerup will use one of the three "magic" slots. The magic slots can be refilled by picking up magic hidden in the level. The magic refills should be used extremely sparingly within the level. The actual powerup may not be referred to as "magic" but may be explained in a TBD story mechanic, possibly having to do with the miracle chemicals mentioned in the story section. Powerups will be selected from a menu that pauses the game.

The three confirmed powerups will be the following, gained in this order:

1. radar makes guard vision cones visible
2. put guard to sleep
3. treesuit invisibility (but immobile)

These will be introduced after completing the first, second, and then third levels, respectively. This means you should not incorporate invisibility puzzles into the first, second, or third levels, since treesuit will not have gained the power yet.

NPC Interaction

There will be "easter eggs" within the levels, where players can interact with a special character in each level. The NPC will give hints about the level or just say funny things. Here's the list of levels and the NPC you will be able to interact within each:

• Forest = dead squirrels
• Farm = giant chickens
• Suburbia = garden gnomes
• Gardens = hedge sculpture
• Office = potted plants

Each level can have multiple NPCs who will each have different dialogs. To interact with the NPC, simply walk up to it and a dialog box will automatically appear onscreen. This is probably most easily done by placing an NPC in a level as a static object. Then, a special NPC trigger is placed manually in front of it and its properties can be edited to change what dialog it displays.

Dance Gameplay

Press a set of buttons before the timer runs out. Buttons are a set of arrows, corresponding to the arrow keys (or WASD) and will be in sets of 2 to 6. If the player successfully presses the set, the dance sequence continues, until the next set of player-inputted button presses. Each set has a small time limit in which the player must press the buttons. This time will appear as seconds and milliseconds adjascent to the arrows sequence box.

The player is allowed to mistype a button three times. If the player does not press the right button, a red X will appear at the top of the screen. If three X’s appear, the player must start the minigame over.

Dance sequence is NOT synchronized to the music. The music is simply in the background. The game screen should look similar to this concept screenshot, with the sequence appearing on top of the dancing models in the background.

The dancing gameplay is very similar to Auron's overdrives in Final Fantasy X:
As well as Bust a Groove:

Levels

There are five levels in the game, each progressing from rural to urban environments. The following is a list of the finalized levels, but these are not final models. There is still much tweaking to be done, but this gives a good idea of what the game will look like.

Level List

1. Forest
2. Farm
3. Suburbia
4. Gardens
5. Office

Forest

Farm

Suburbia

Gardens

Office

Level Design

Level Design Quick Facts:

1. Treesuit can’t jump: no Z-axis stuff in level design
2. All levels are flat: no inclines, no multiple levels. The only inclines allowed in the level are bridges, and things that only treesuit can use. Guards cannot travel on an incline, so you must be careful to only put inclines on areas that treesuit can access.
3. Levels are completely 3D: camera is movable, and overhead with a slight slant
4. Guards move on looped paths: these are set by the level designer in the level editor. Guards cannot move on sloped ground, though.
5. Treesuit can’t get hurt: He can only be suspected by the guards.
6. Levels are one large area: there will not be warping to multiple levels (i.e. going to the second floor of a building) there is one start and one end to the level.
7. Safe Zones are sparse: try to spread them evenly and make it so the player can’t simply run through guard’s vision cone and be close enough to a safe zone to neutralize the suspicion.
8. Levels are linear: there should be branching paths, and there can be multiple ways to reach the exit, but the player should never be able to simply run to the exit in a 20-second sprint.
9. Levels are enclosed: this can mean indoors, but if a level is outdoors, there must be a wall of trees surrounding the edges of the level.

Treesuit Powerups

THIS FEATURE HAS BEEN CUT

Powerups can change how you design a level. You can make a guard watching a door that you must first put to sleep before you can see the door. Do not rely on powerups to guide your level design. They should be used sparingly, since running through a level with treesuit invisible the whole time is just too easy. Powerups will have a limit to how often they can be used. Using a powerup will use one of the three magic slots. The magic slots can be refilled by picking up magic hidden in the level. The magic refills should be used extremely sparingly within the level. Please make most of the level design focused on the sneaking aspect.

The three confirmed powerups will be the following:

1. radar makes guard vision cones visible
2. put guard to sleep
3. treesuit invisibility (but immobile)

These will be introduced after completing the first, second, and then third levels, respectively. This means you should not incorporate invisibility puzzles into the first, second, or third levels, since treesuit will not have gained the power yet.

Guard Movement

The guards will move on a loop that the level designers create in the level editor. Designers will place nodes in the walking pattern they wish the guard to take. A line will automatically be drawn to connect each node, and the guard will move in the direction of the order the nodes were placed.

Once the UI is finalized, there will be further documentation on how to place guards in a level. For now, know that guards can move in various patterns, as created by the level designers. They will not be restricted to straight lines and square-movement patterns.

Example Level

Key

• Orange Blocks = barriers/walls
• Blue Blocks = barrier/wall
• Green = Level/Container
• Red Blocks = Start/Finish points
• Blue Cylinders = Safe Zones
• Purple Cylinders = guards

Level Walkthrough:

• Treesuit starts in the bottom left of the level. The first thing he sees is a safepoint. This will be used if he is caught by a guard. Entering this zone will lower his suspicion meter.
• Guard A is on a straight line path. He continually walks back and forth on that path, turning around at each end.
• Guard B is on a square path. He continually walks in a counter-clockwise direction around a square path.
• Guard C is stationary but rotates 180 degrees, facing away from the entrance, and then back.
• Guard D is on a straight line path. He continually walks back and forth on that path, turning around at each end. This path has been rotated to walk along the slanted wall.
• Guard E is stationary and does not rotate. He is guarding the exit door.
• Red lines and arrows indicate guard paths, and purple triangles are the cones of vision.

• To make it through the level, the player must time it so that he gets around the first two guards and to the safe zone before the next room.
• He will then have to wait until the rotating guard in the next room is facing away, then and the straight line walking guard is just turning away to dash for the wall and then hide behind the small cover. Wait there, and then run to the safe zone once the coast is clear.
• Next, the guard is not moving, and is facing the exit door, so the player must sneak behind and put the guard to sleep. Then, the exit is clear.

• The yellow path is the ideal path through the level, and the yellow circles on the path are points at which the player must pause.
• This level is very short, but demonstrates the basic aspects of level design needed to complete a successful level. The levels will need to be much longer, have more creative sneaking puzzles, and more strategically placed safe zones. This is a rough example of what could possibly be a level.

Level Design Process

Phase 1: Initial Design

• this phase simply needs a basic level layout, obstacle placement, guard placement and paths, start and finish points, and if necessary a brief explanation of parts of the level.
• this can be sketched on paper, or created quickly in a 3D modeling tool.
• know where your level fits in the game. Do not assume you have all powerups. You may need to design the first level, where you will have to only rely on your sneaking abilities. If you are making a later level, make sure to make the puzzles more difficult since you have a greater advantage with your new abilities (throw in more guards, less obstacles, etc.)

Phase 2: Art Direction

• Determine the art direction for the level. Where does it take place? How is it unique to the other levels? How is it the same? How does it build on previously acquired skills?
• Create a list of static objects you need to decorate the level. Try to reuse as many items as possible to cut back workload, but list any unique items that you need to make this level unique to the others. The project leader and art team will determine the feasibility of the object list.
• what is the art style for the level? Is it different from the other levels?

Phase 3: Get Approval

• designers should constantly be receiving feedback from the project leader and team.
• before starting work on a level, you may want approval from the project leader. This is not required, but it could save you a lot of time redoing a flawed level.

Phase 4: Model!

• go ahead and start making your level! Remember, you only need to add the level itself and obstacles. Safe zones can be a unique model in your level, but only the glowing cylinder is added in the level editor.

Phase 5: Texture

• you may want to put a very basic texture on the model and test it in game before spending time texturing. This way, if you need to tweak the level model for any reason, you won’t have to adjust UVs also.
• this phase can be done after playtesting, since it may be advantageous to wait until the level has been thoroughly played and tested.

Phase 6: Level Editor Fun

• Add guards, safe zones, start and exit, and static models.

Phase 7: Playtest

• play the hell out of the level, and make necessary adjustments to guard placement, static object placement, etc.

Phase 8: Gold

• the level is ready to go. Start making your next level! No, wait, don’t. I’m looking for quality, not quantity of levels. Focus on making one level really great rather than 2 mediocre levels. Playtest more or help other designers with their levels.

Art Direction

The game will have a cartoony art style, which matches its whimsicle story and quirky characters. Textures should be very simple, but lively and colorful. For inspiration, please refer to MySims for the Wii:

Story

General overarching story goes here. We are still brainstorming names for [EVIL CORP], and the scripts have not been finalized, but give a good idea of what the story will be.

One idea for the overarching story was that the evil corporation is creating some sort of miracle chemical that enlarges farm animals, serves as a less expensive fuel for cars (but is more harmful than gas), and makes plants grow/shiny. The first level would just be the company cutting down trees to make room for more factories, and the miracle chemical could be the same chemical that gets spilled on treesuit to make him walk. That same chemical could be used to explain powerups, and possibly why Linnaeus can float.

Level 1: Introduction

You are a sapling living in the Forest of Wonderment and Joyfulness (located in Hoboken, NJ) **sapling in a forest**

Now this is no ordinary forest you live in…this is the forest where [EVIL CORP] dumps its nuclear waste! Yes, you’ve been living next to this stuff for several years now, though it hasn’t really affected you that much… **barrels stacked and buried underground in forest**

But now [EVIL CORP] has returned to cut down the forest. And you can hear, nearby, the sound of their machines cutting down your friends and family. **suits cutting down trees**

Uh-oh. That truck is barreling toward you. ** [EVIL CORP]’s truck veering out of control**

What’s this ooze pouring onto you? **nuclear waste oozing onto treesuit**

You feel a rush of power flow through your xylem and phloem, and whoa...you can walk! **treesuit uprooting himself**

**dialog assets: forest background, llama, treesuit, treesuit without suit**

Llama: Dude…it’s a walking tree.
Treesuit: Who are you?
Llama: Hey! You talk. Coooool.
Llama: Oh, I gotta introduce myself, dude. I’m Linnaeus. You can call me Sensei Linnaeus.
Treesuit: …the floating hippy llama. I must be hallucinating.
Llama: Dude, you’re the only one now who can stop [EVIL CORP] from destroying the rest of the Forest of Wonderment and Joyfulness.
Treesuit: Wait, what? Why?
Llama: Cause you’re a walking, talking tree, DUDE! Now, to infiltrate [EVIL CORP] you’ll need to blend in a little better, cause you’re a TREE. So here’s a sweet suit I stole from one of those guys. Oh, and take these rad sunglasses, dude.
Llama: Sweet, you look groovy. Now let’s make like a tree and leave this crazy place!

Level 2

(As Tree Suit defeats the Suit Boss. Don't need drawing, we'll just use the boss fight scene)
Linneus: Ah, Treesuit my man, that was Righteous!
You have officialy saved the forest of wonderment and joyfulness!
TS: Ah, that was quite simple that wanker (British accent, as TS becomes more Bond-esque) had no moves whatsoever!
L: Now, now brother Treesuit, make sure that your bark is not worse than your bite!
These suits may seem like big and all, but they are all stiff and uncoordinated like..
Your journey has just begun!
Your forest is saved but we must run,
for you are the only hope to uproot [EVIL CORP], so our quest is far from done!

(Cut scene drawing of TS in front of farm, already drawn by Laura)
L: Woahhhh! I can't belive my eyes man!
That farm, it was once run by small Farmer Dan!
But now it seems [EVIL CORP] has leant a hand,
In transforming the farm into the E.I.E.I.O brand!
TS: Ah, the sight of this, it's attrocious! I must find Farmer Dan and stop this horrendous operation
L: Now Brother Tree Suit you must be wary
for what lies behind those fences could be quite scary
Dude, what is taht gargantuan object in the horizon?
Holy Cow! It's a giant Chicken!

Level 3

script goes here

Level 4

script goes here

Level 5

script goes here

Ending

script goes here

Engineering

We will be using the Creation.Engine, an engine in development by Game Creation Society. It uses Managed Ogre, and is written in C#. More technical specs to come...

This is a prioritized list of things that need to be completed by the programming team:

1. Level Editor
2. Guard Movement / AI
3. Suspicion Meter
4. Safezones
5. Dancing Game
6. Menus
7. Saving Game Progress
8. NPC Interaction
9. Powerups THIS FEATURE HAS BEEN CUT

Priority list, in further detail:

Level Editor

The level editor must support a click-and-move interface, where objects can be moved with the arrow keys and mouse to their location. The coordinates of the object will be saved in the level's xml file. You must be able to Place, Scale, and Delete the following objects:

• player start
• level end
• static objects
• safezones
• NPC triggers
• guard paths

Guard Movement / AI

Guards move on a path created in the level editor. Lines are created, and the first and last vertexes are joined to create a loop. Movement has three major patterns:

1. Loop: guard moves in a circuitous path with continuous motion.
2. Rotate: guard is stationary, but turns 180 degrees in place with a brief pause before each turn.
3. Stationary: guard does not move, but stays facing one direction.

If treesuit enters the cone of vision of a guard, the guard does not deviate from its path to chase treesuit. It simply stays in place to indicate that you have been spotted.

Suspicion Meter

Once treesuit has been spotted by a guard, there is a suspicion meter (a horizontal rectangular bar at the top of the screen) that is activated. Being spotted automatically boosts the bar up 30%, and any consecutive times the player is spotted, it boosts the bar another 10% (these numbers may need to be adjusted for game balance later). The bar raises 2% every second, so the player must locate a safezone before the meter reaches 100%. Safezones are the only way to lower the meter - hiding does not lower suspicion. The meter is normally "empty" which will be another image. The alerted image will be a green-to-red gradient that will appear in sections in real time as the suspicion grows. The only way to empty the suspicion meter is to enter a safezone (initially, safezones can completely lower suspicion until the dancing game is coded). If the player fails the dancing game via safezone (not boss battle), the suspicion meter is increased 20%.

Safezones

Safezones are spaced throughout the level and are the area in which the player can lower suspicion. The first safezone is near the level start, and is always unlocked. All other safezones are "locked" and the player cannot access them unless they have unlocked them. To unlock a safezone, the player simply has to enter the zone while not under suspicion. Locking the safezones prevents players from being spotted and dashing to the end of the level. Also of note, the safezones will be a translucent static object placed in the level editor, so there should be no collision with this object, but it will be a visible trigger. Safezones first appear as a translucent red cylinder, and once unlocked become translucent light blue. There should be a SFX noise to indicate the safezone has been unlocked. Once treesuit enters an unlocked safezone (and if he is under suspicion), the dancing minigame commences.

Dancing Game

See here for dancing game description.

NPC Interaction

Each level has an NPC character that the player can interact with. Each level can have multiple NPCs who will each have different dialogs. To interact with the NPC, simply walk up to it and a dialog box will automatically appear onscreen, and exiting the trigger area will make the dialog box disappear. This is probably most easily done by placing an NPC in a level as a static object. Then, a special NPC trigger is placed manually in front of it and its properties can be edited to change what dialog it displays.

Team

Justin Lokey	Project Leader, Game Designer, Artist, Suburbia Level Model
Raphael Mun	Programmer
Jay Meistrich	Programmer
Kyle Neblett	Programmer
Steve Benders	Forest Level Designer and Modeler
Bridget Hogan	Farm Level Designer and Modeler
Adam Greene	Suburbia Level Designer
Ben Matzke	Office Gardens Level Designer and Modeler
David Yang	Office Level Designer and Modeler
Dmitry Portnoy	Static Modeler
Matt Kaemmerer	Static Modeler, Musician
Stelios Melachrinoudis	Musician
Eric Foote	Musician
Becky Scully	Character Modeler and Animator (Treesuit, Housewife, Mancow)
Val Reznitskaya	Character Modeler and Animator (Suit Guards)
Diana Archer	Menu Art
Theresa Chen	Character Artist
Erin McCarty	Concept Artist
Laura Paoletti	Concept Artist
Courtney Bruggeman	Concept Artist
Richard Chen	Writer
Ben Wolf	Writer