Community Gaming - Ideas Summary

Alejandro L. Ruata
Apr 2, 2018
6 min read

Updated: Aug 17, 2020

Date: 04/02/18

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Entity for Project 6

Learn about Yunus: https://yunuscentre.becker.edu/

The games proposed should be FUN, fast to develop [not longer than 3 months, but aim for a month], be free to develop (including volunteer developer/designer time and college resources), encourage COMMUNITY engagement on the Game Hub [social media, inner Game Hub actions, local community involvement, leaderboards, badges, etc.

It is strongly encouraged to consider in some way, the inclusion of themes such as social business, entrepreneurship, fighting poverty, community engagement, being involved, making a difference, creating solutions, helping the environment, helping those in need, fighting hunger, etc. Remember this can be directly in the game, via the way in which the game is created, or be linked to through the playing of the game such as share/donate/post options. Clearly indicate in your brief which of these topics your game includes/addresses.

Game Specifics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iMNSDpVZrbN1IxdUEA_pVCQgNzIgOU8J6rOQ9iPkRa0/edit

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Idea 1 - “The Tomorrow Team”

Genre(s):

● Platformer Game

Core Mechanic(s):

● Main Campaign Mode: A short story mode (approx. 3-5 Hours) starring a group of Time Traveling Landscape Contractors called “The Tomorrow Team”. As members of this organization, you’ll be tasked with taking on your main competition, a rival contracting organization called “Alpha/Omega Construction” in a race against time to scoop up potential clients across time and the central finite curve! You’ll run, jump, and collect landscaping assets across the multitude of worlds and time periods you’ll visit as you grab clients for your ever-expanding business. You’ll face off against natural dangers of your environment as well as the pesky security force of Alpha/Omega. Your weapon of choice will change depending on the Main Campaign will initially feature 5 missions across 2 different worlds (one of those being futuristic Earth) and 3 different time periods, can be expanded later. Mission Layout…

○ Alien World (Present)

○ Alien World (Future)

○ Earth (Past)

○ Alien World (Past)

○ Earth (Future)

○ FINAL MISSION - Earth Present (Tutorial of Level Editor mechanic)

● Level Editor Mode: You’ll have access to this from the start, but by playing the main campaign you’ll have the opportunity to collect additional assets (yes, you start with a collection of assets regardless of your participation in the main campaign) to design your own levels here. Create, play test, and share stages you make here (in context to the game’s story, these are stages branches of “The Tomorrow Team” or “Alpha/Omega Construction” or a company completely of your own creation - decided in “Create Your Own Company Mode” - make for clients across time and the cosmos).

● Create Your Own Company Mode: Create a company to rival the two best cross dimensional, time traveling landscapers in the business. Design a logo (or choose from presets) a color scheme, a company motto (will be monitored for inappropriate language) and create new worlds to share (be the envy of your rivals, the star among your allies, be part of an infinitely expanding community).

● Contests: Contests will be held among the created stages with various prizes at stake (such as funniest stage, hardest stage, most kaizo stage, most heart pumping stage, etc.). Contests will also include stage building races (following specific guidelines). Winners may have a chance to officially work on official expansions for the game.

● Conference Mode: A place to chat with developers about future expansions, types of worlds and time periods to see, assets to introduce (ex. Someone suggests teleport pads, or close-range sword swinging enemies, etc.). You can post sketches, videos, anything, to get your point across (will be monitored).

Game(s) with similar mechanic(s):

● Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMCxTwyeA_8 [For Level Editor - Super Mario Maker]

● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YACbP7Dswac [For Main Campaign - Mega Man Unlimited]

● The fun pace and platforming action of a Mega Man game with the level editing customizability and freedom of Super Mario Maker.

Game with similar look and or style:

● We’re looking to emulate the look and style of the “Mega Man X” series, specifically the first Mega Man X game

○ Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd2NqblSmIY

Serious Game Objective/Explanation:

● To encourage social interaction, community engagement, and an entrepreneurial spirit in citizens across the community through level creation, creators’ competitions, and open communication with game developers.

● The Video Game Industry is among the largest in the world and could always use more talent. This game invites everyone to try their hand at game design and create whatever they can imagine. To share and put their pieces up in competitions and other fun events. To put their minds towards something productive that leads to real opportunities in a growing industry in the future. The Game Hub can be used as a center for such enjoyment, the ability to engage with Interactive Media Design Students and gain first hand assistance in the creation of community collaborated game design projects. Online hubs can be created to take the idea even further.

(Unique) Attributes List:

● Fun mini-campaign to introduce players to game’s playstyle and level editor mode.

● Ample opportunities to speak and interact with developers and be part of development process yourself.

● Contests where members of game community can come together in the spirit of friendly competition.

● To create and share stages with tools from an ever-expanding asset toolbox (complete with in depth tutorials to acclimate first time builders).

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Idea 2 - “Creative Karts”

Genre(s):

● 3D Racing Game

Core Mechanic(s):

● Tournament Racing: The player will race against AI on several different, pre-designed tracks. This will consist of a series of tracks in a few sets, the player attempting to earn the highest score possible depending on how they place in the races.

● Course Creation: Through using the preset pieces of tracks available in the game, the player will be able to construct their own race tracks to race AI against. The player will be able to control the elevation, the track itself, the environmental assets, the decorative assets, etc. This is to give the player complete creative freedom in creating and testing their own courses for themselves, AI, and other players. Players will also be able to submit courses to developers of the game and other studios for feedback.

● Online Course Racing: Players will be able to race against each other online using randomly-selected, player-created courses that have been given a large amount of positive feedback and up votes through the game’s online feedback system.

Game(s) with similar mechanic(s):

● Link: Modnation Racers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEWDnbnZ6N4

Game with similar look and or style:

● We will also be using a polished, cartoon-esque style like Modnation Racers. This will allow the player to create courses that feel vibrant, colorful, and creative with the assets available.

Serious Game Objective/Explanation:

● Through the premade courses, the player will be able to get a feel for the game and racing in it.

● Once they race in the game itself, they can then start to create courses themselves, experimenting with their own form of game design within the course creation itself.

(Unique) Attributes List:

● The very positively-rated courses that get put into the online course racing list will be able to serve as inspiration to other players, encouraging fleshing out of ideas for courses from player-to-player.

● Through leaving feedback and comments on people’s courses, players will be able to experience firsthand how to refine and improve their own game design.

● Feedback from developers to allow for players to get professional critique of what they’ve created.

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Idea 3 - “New City”

Genre(s):

● Real Time Strategy, City-building game

Core Mechanic(s):

● Creation - The players can manipulate the current structure of the city. He or she could add more business/property in the scene with their current amount of money. In the return, if the businesses are successful, the more profit that the player will receive. The success of the businesses is based on the improvement of overall community.

● Divergence Regions - At the beginning of the game, the player chooses the area where he or she want to control. In each region, there are many problems including poverty, pollution, etc.

● Produce and Upgrade - At the beginning of the game, you will have small amount of profit to upgrade the city. These funds will use to improve or add new property. The higher of the upgrade, the better profit you will receive.

● Random Event - Everyday, there are random event that will occur in the area including natural event, or social. These events will damage the area, and you need to manage it with your profit.

Game(s) with similar mechanic(s):

We want a game where the player could manipulate and control the structure of the properties. SimCity have the same mechanics while the player can express their creativity through their city design.

● Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8gvuNgIRCY

Game with similar look and or style:

● We want to imitate Urban Empire for the look of the game. Urban Empire has similar structure of SimCity; however, we want the design to be simpler than SimCity.

Serious Game Objective/Explanation:

● This game encourages player to express their creativity through their city design, while portrays the idea of social business as the objective of the gameplay.

● Since player can view other player’s design, he or she could communicate with one and another about the design. While evaluating the design of the city, the player can educate themselves by comparing how other built profit of using certain property.

(Unique) Attributes List:

● Players can share their design with other members of the community.

● There will be a leaderboard that show who is earn the most money in the server.

● There will be a chat room where members of the community could interact with one and another.

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