Fly, Dragonfly Interaction Design Document Version - 011101000111011101101111 (15 March 2013) 1. Background Our core game mechanics is a derivative of the mechanics found in other scrolling games, such as the classic space scroller “Warblade”. The main difference is that the game plays off in an overgrown jungle where the plant and animal life has been exposed to radiation and have mutated (potent) new abilities. Your character is a fire- spitting dragonfly that is making its way to a newer and safer pond. The game is designed for touch based android devices and all input will be touch-based. We have opted not to make use of the accelerometers. In our opinion constantly tilting the device can become annoying (especially because dodging is a key element of our game play). 2. Scrolling effect The terrain you're flying through scrolls downward at a constant rate. All agents will be spawned at the top of the screen. Refer to illustrations 1 and 2. The enemy agents will be placed either to the left or the right of the screen, so that the user have the opportunity to dodge them. Friendly agents will be positioned near the center of the screen.
1. BackgroundOur core game mechanics is a derivative of the mechanics found in other scrolling games, such as the classic space scroller “Warblade”. The main difference is that the game plays off in an overgrown jungle where the plant and animal life has been exposed to radiation and have mutated (potent) new abilities. Your character is a fire- spitting dragonfly that is making its way to a newer and safer pond.
The game is designed for touch based android devices and all input will be touch-based. We have opted not to make use of the accelerometers. In our opinion constantly tilting the device can become annoying (especially because dodging is a key element of our game play).
2. Scrolling effectThe terrain you're flying through scrolls downward at a constant rate. All agents will be spawned at the top of the screen. Refer to illustrations 1 and 2. The enemy agents will be placed either to the left or the right of the screen, so that the user have the opportunity to dodge them. Friendly agents will be positioned near the center of the screen.
3. Screen orientationThe Android device will only be configured for portrait orientation. We are not supporting a landscape orientation since it will not give players enough room to prepare for oncoming obstacles. So once the game is started up, it will automatically assume the portrait orientation and remain so until the player exits from the game.
4. MovementThe user will, initially, be positioned at the bottom of the screen. To move the dragonfly the user will touch and hold the position towards which the dragonfly should move. The user can move his touch position while holding down in which case the dragonfly will move towards the new position. The main idea is to have a more fluid interaction with the environment (not using gestures like swiping or pinching the device). See illustrations 3 and 4.
The user can move anywhere on the screen, but forward movement will be slower than moving backward for example. This is because the dragonfly is already moving forward on a continuous basis (with relation to the terrain).
When the player holds the device either to the left or the right in relation to the player the firefly will bank to the left or the right respectively. It is important to note that the dragonfly never rotates. This ensures that the player is able to user his/her firespit while moving.
5. CombatThe user will hold down on the fire button which will be located approximately 35% up the screen from the bottom left corner. This is to accommodate the way the user naturally holds the device . The button is within easy reach of his/her left thumb which makes the interaction more natural as a whole. Refer to illustration 5.
The duration of the fire-spit is dependent on the mana reserves of the player. The mana slowly regenerates over time, but the key idea to surviving the level is not to use it on enemies all the time. This encourages the user to dodge his enemies as much as possible.
Most of the enemy agents will only trigger when the user gets too close to them. Giving the user a short time to plan how he/she will get past it. It is therefore in the player's best interest to stay near the bottom of the screen.
Illustration 3: Movement initial location Illustration 4: Movement after dragonfly follows finger
Each time the player collides with an enemy agent the player will loose a life. The player has a maximum of four lives, after which the level will end.
6. Friendly interactionsThe dragonfly relies on mosquitoes and fireflies for nutrition – giving him/her both extra points and more mana to spit fire. These mosquitoes and fireflies will exhibit flocking behavior as well as basic fleeing. The elements are spawned close together near the top of the screen and will continue to exhibit group behavior as they move down towards the bottom of the screen.
The user catches these mosquitoes and fireflies by simply moving over them. For obvious reasons the player is considered to be a predator and they therefore try to flee from him/her as well. It is therefore a quite a challenge to catch them and requires the player to move quickly (and continuously).
Catching mosquitoes will increase the focus of the fire-spit and make the range longer. On the other hand catching more fireflies will decrease the range of the weapon, but will make the spread wider – which is more appropriate when the user have multiple enemies on the screen at the same time.
Illustration 5: User holding down the fire button
7. FeedbackThere will be several forms of feedback during the play. These includes the HUD and attractors (comprising of sounds).
The HUD will be displayed at the top of the screen and includes the mana bar, player lives and points. When the user gains bonus points (from example killing an enemy agent), the bonus will pop up just below the primary points counter.
When the player looses a life the screen will flash, making it clear that he has collided with an enemy.
There will be sounds associated with each enemy, warning the user of their presence.
Team Members:
1. Benjamin Hugo2. Marcel Terblanche3. Brandon Talbot4. Nathan Floor
