Orphan A Game Design Document

Copyright 2014-2015 Windy Hill Studio LLC

This document does not represent a comprehensive list of ideas, features and other content for

Orphan and is only a general guide of the concept of the game.

Orphan

In development by Windy Hill Studio, LLC

www.WindyHillStudio.com

Facebook.com/windyhillstudio

Twitter.com/windyhillstudio

Brandon Goins, Owner

brandongoins@windyhillstudio.com

423.341.3647

Engine: GM Studio

Additional Software: Spine

Story 4 Setting 6 Gameplay 8 Visual 10 Audio 11 Platforming System 12 Cover System 14 Combat System 15 Enemies 16 Items 18 Levels 22

Table of Contents

Conventions

In the style of classic platformers from the 80s and 90s, storyline will be minimal. Or-

phan will likely not include any cutscenes apart from an ending sequence. Storytelling

will be infused with gameplay and important story events will occur within the confines

of normal gameplay/dream sequences while the player remains controllable.

Main Character

The main character is a young boy, only child, approximate age of 8, orphaned during an

alien invasion. He desperately wants to find his parents. He has vivid, lucid dreams which

will play a role in the story arc. (No, the game is not a dream). He has the skills of a young

boy scout, is a fast learner and loves playing cowboys and Indians and Davy Crockett.

Some character inspirations:

Jay, Journey To Silius Lost Boys, Peter Pan Sam, Moonrise Kingdom

Story

Prologue

The game begins at dusk at which time the character gets off the bus at home and inter-

acts with his parents in order to learn the basic controls/mechanics of the game. The

game moves to the backyard where a cataclysmic event occurs and the character is di-

rected to a storm cellar and separated from his parents.

The character emerges at night to find his home in ruins, parents missing and the world

inhabited by an alien force.

Plot

The young boy searches for his family or any other possible survivors of the attack, fol-

lowing a trail of destruction while evading the mysterious alien forces. An ongoing war

between man and machine leaves weapons to be found and used to the boys advantage.

He makes his way towards the distant mountains hoping the wilderness will provide

safety from the growing army.

Orphan takes place in modern day Appalachia, an area natural beauty littered with the wooden,

steel and concrete ruins of the farming, logging and mining industries. Areas that will be encoun-

tered include farmlands, rivers and swamps, mountains, railroads, bridges, tunnels, caves, coal

mines, mining facilities, towns. Many settings are based on real world places in Kentucky, Virginia

and Tennessee and many backgrounds and sprites start from my own photography of the area.

Visual Inspirations

Setting

Orphan is a classically-styled 2D action platformer with an emphasis on stealth, item discovery and strategic combat. As the game progresses, the player will become more equipped and pow-erful and gameplay will become more action oriented. Progression is kept with save points.

Primary gameplay elements

Exploration / Platforming

A full platforming system with lots of running, sneaking, jumping, climbing, crawling, pushing, pulling, etc. The terrain will provide difficulty in addition to enemy characters but will be full of hidden secrets that reward players for tak-ing the time to explore.

Stealth

Avoid detection a cover system to duck behind rocks or under fog and other ob-jects or use items that provide cover or distract enemies. Turning all lights off will make the character harder to detect but could make the terrain harder to navigate.

Gameplay

Item Collection

Progression will depend on discovering a diverse range of items and weapons allow-ing the player to avoid, outsmart or destroy enemies. Luckily, the ongoing battle between the aliens and military has left lots of useful gear scattered across the countryside.

Strategic combat

The aliens have supreme combat abilities so combat should be avoided, but rewards await those who attacking first and disable the enemy. Throw explosives from afar or set traps.

Expanding combat

Gaining access to military or alien technolo-

gy can change the tide of combat and reward

players who seek revenge against the in-

vaders.

Each enemy the character encounters bears

unique weapons the player can acquire and

use. For example, Seekers can drop their la-

ser guns and shield generators which con-

tain a finite amount of energy and give the

player a temporary advantage. More ad-

vanced enemies drop even more advanced

weaponry.

Hunting

Replay value will come through collectibles

found with an in-game GPS as well as chal-

lenging achievements.

Dark

The game begins at sunset and ends at sunrise. Graphics are for the most part silhouette-styled throughout the player field, foreground and back-ground elements.

Colorful

Richly colored backgrounds, lighting and combat effects. Color is often used to bring emphasis to important elements.

Detailed

Full 60fps at 1920x1080 HD making good use of every pixel through hi-res photography and de-tailed hand crafted graphics.

Alive

Every object is in motion from blades of grass,

swaying branches and falling leaves to the charac-

ters themselves. Lots of random wildlife around

each corner.

Visual Design

Natural

The ambience of each room’s natural elements will provide a strong audio base track throughout the game.

Alien

The strange sounds of the enemy will be the first clue to the player that danger is near.

Lonely / Tense

A sparse ambient soundtrack will help shift moods between serenity and danger. A mix

of acoustical and subtle electronic instruments with styles mixing ambient/world/folk.

Musical inspirations include Sigur Ros, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Bon Iver.

Audio Design

Orphan will be based in standard 2D platforming conventions and will emphasize smooth, re-

sponsible and versatile controls. Controls will allow a smooth transition over the course of the

game from stealth to action.

Controls

Non-physics: Player movement is precise and predictable.

Flowing: Walk, run, duck, run while ducking. All motions and animations smoothly tran-

sition.

Versatile: Attack while in any stance and hold a stance while attacking any direction

(Run while shooting backwards, or lay on the ground and shoot straight up).

Basic Character Actions

Platforming

Terrain The terrain in Orphan can be both hazardous and helpful. For instance, mud may slow the play-er down but provide cover. Shallow ice may be difficult but provide a handy trap for the heavy alien machines. Solid Stand on it, can be sloped Ledge Climb up /down ledges to progress or use as cover Movables Crates, haybales, etc, can be moved and stood on Mud Slows player, can be used as cover Snow Slows player and can be sloped Ice Slippery but can also break! Damage Damage for standing, touch (Fire, electricity, etc) Crushing Things that can fall on player for instant death Pits Instant death Water Sadly, the character never learned to swim Fragile Platforms Loose boards, fraying ropes

There are three types of cover systems the player can use to avoid detection by enemies, line of sight cover, environmental cover and tactical cover.

Line of Sight Cover

All enemies use line of sight detection that is broken by solid objects. Line of sight is calculated from the enemy’s eyes to the player’s head. Standing behind solid objects prevents detection. The player can enter duck or prone positions to lower its profile behind smaller solid objects.

Environmental cover

Interaction with some objects in the environment renders the player invisible. For instance, standing in a shadow , laying in a prone position by a rock, ducking under water or under thick fog.

Tactical cover

Smoke from fire or smoke grenades block line of sight. Smoke grenades can be

placed or thrown, or carried while running for a smoke-screen effect.

Cover System

Combat System

When the cover system isn’t enough the player can engage enemies in combat. Enemies cause high damage and can quickly kill the player so combat is geared towards distraction and sur-prise attacks or traps, however technology discovered along the way may turn the tide. Distraction

Debris can be picked up into inventory, selected and thrown. When thrown, the noise will attract enemies to the impact location. This also works for thrown weapons like ex-plosives which make noise.

Lit flares will also attract enemies. Flares can be thrown like debris but can also be placed and will still attract enemies.

Damage Lasers and bullets can damage unarmored enemies

Dynamite and grenades can trigger explosives that damage and temporarily disable un-armored enemies. A direct impact can permanently disable an enemy. Throwing explo-sives can also attract an enemy to its location.

EMP grenades can temporarily disable all enemies including armored ones, with the ex-ception of the destroyer.

Traps

Use distraction techniques to attract an enemy across dangerous terrain like thin ice, loose boards or land mines.

Seeker

Patrols between two fixed points searching for player. When player is spotted, will pursue across field until player is lost or destroyed. Attacks with laser. Can be distracted by debris, flares or other thrown items. Can be damaged by explosives, EMP or lasers.

Armored Seeker

Similar to seeker but cannot be damaged by explo-sives or laser. Can be disabled by EMP. Has rapid fire and a shield generator.

Bomb

Scans for movement on an interval timer. Move-ment will trigger explosion causing deadly damage to player or enemy. Sometimes stationary, some-times rolling or even flying. Can be disabled with an EMP and reprogrammed by player.

Alien

Unarmored alien. Fast moving and deadly but easi-ly damaged by weapons or explosives. Attacks with laser and uses shield.

Destroyer

Giant alien machine. Move in and out of field look-ing for player (does not patrol). If player spotted fires massive laser weapon triggering explosion.

Many other enemies as well as boss battles will remain a secret until Launch!

Enemies

Items can be selected via inventory and then typically have two actions via the “Use” and “Attack” buttons. Lantern

Provides light allowing the player to navigate dark areas, attracts enemies.

Use: Toggles Off and On.

Miner’s Helmet

Provides light in dark areas, attracts enemies but leaves hands free for other items. Equips from menu with a passive effect, so On and Off buttons can be used for another equipped item.

Flare

Provides light, attracts enemies. Can be placed or thrown to provide light or distract enemies away from player.

Use: Lights fuse, cannot be turned off Attack: Throw or place

Debris

Rocks, bottles, other random items, throw to dis-tract enemies away from player

Attack: Throw Dynamite

Provides light, attracts enemies, after 10sec delay causes explosion damaging enemies or player, vol-atile around fire

Use: Lights fuse, cannot be turned off Attack: Throw or place

Items

Lantern

Flare

Dynamite

M67 Grenade

2 seconds after thrown causes explosion, damaging enemies and player, unlike dynamite does not need lit, does not attract enemies and is not volatile.

Attack: Throw AN/M8 or AN/M18 Smoke Grenades

Immediately after thrown causes thick area-of-effect, reduced visibility allowing player to evade enemies. Can run while activated to create smoke trail behind player.

Use: Turn on, cannot turn off Attack: Throw or place

AN/M14 Thermite Grenade

Thermite grenades produce molten steel which can melt

through enemies in a matter of seconds. Their primary

purpose in Orphan is to destroy an armored enemies or

destructible objects/barriers.

Use: Turn on, cannot turn off Attack: Throw or place

M19 Anti-Tank Mine

Powerful anti-tank mine which can destroy most enemies with one hit. Can be placed and will not detonate until it comes into contact with an enemy. Use: Arm and place mine

M72 LAW

Light Anti-Tank Weapon. Yes a rocket launcher. This will be one of a few hidden weapon in Orphan. Only after finding it will rockets for it be available at a munition cache. Attack: Fire a rocket

EMP Grenade

Alien Gun

Shield

EMP Grenade

Alien Technology Alien technology are “drops” that can be acquired by de-feating enemies

Bomb

Alien technology, if movement detected in range causes explosion damaging enemies or player. When disabled and picked up by player, becomes active 2 seconds after be-ing thrown or placed.

Attack: Throw or place EMP Grenade

Alien technology, 2 seconds after thrown causes explosion that disables mechanical enemies

Attack: Throw or place Gun

Alien technology, fires lasers damaging enemies and creates shield that absorb damage

Use: Creates shield Attack: Fires laser

A few more weapons are planned and will be secret until launch.

Interactive/Not Equippable Items Other helpful items found along the way.

Crate

Crates may contain one or more items / am-munition and can be used one time before turning into an Empty Crate.

Empty Crate

After items are taken from a crate it can be

turned upside down and use for portable

cover ala Metal Gear. Undetectable while

not moving. Can be entered/exited but not

equipped/carried. Also can float!

Munitions Cache

An unlimited ammunition refill. (Boss battle incoming) The Orphan can only carry so many of certain items and these crates can be returned to if a player needs to restock.

Basic Structure

The game will be somewhat linear but offer multiple paths and allow and occasionally require a little backtracking to find a “switch” or “key,” alternate route or search for items and weapons that will make the path ahead easier. Where areas like the country-side may be mostly linear, areas like mountains, caverns and mines will allow both verti-cal and horizontal design and little bit of that Metroidvania design.

Prologue

The player gets off the bus and can wonder around inside the player’s home and around the front and backyard. Home is destroyed in attack. Player trapped in shelter below home. Finds lantern and then exits. Home in rubble.

Countryside

Barns, hayfields, fences, hills. No enemies, player learns controls. Final room introduces destroyer and player is chased into woodlands.

Woodlands

Dark and foggy. Lots of opportunities for cover as player is introduced to basic enemies. Splits paths towards the cavern or the mountain.

Cavern

Lantern necessary, natural obstacles including pits and crushing rocks. Enemies include the motion-detecting alien mines.

Valley

A rugged expanse of steep grades connected by old rope bridges and train tresses. Natu-ral obstacles including pits, crushing rocks, collapsing bridges. Intertwines the caverns and mountain areas.

Level Design

Mountain

Snow covered terrain hard to move through. Enemies can follow footprints so harder to

hide, heavier focus on combat.

Wild River

Less enemy presence, more natural dangers. Whirlpools, collapsing bridges.

Coal Yard

Lots of machinery, conveyer belts, more puzzle oriented than other levels.

Coal Mines

Maze-like level with puzzle elements. Lots of bomb enemies.

Other Areas Forest fire, town, alien ships, mothership, more… Concept Layout General idea of how a linear journey can be given some Metroidvania aspects.

Countryside Woodlands Caverns

Valley Mountains River

Mines

???

Town Forest