Protophane By: Team Schooner

Laz Matech

Luciano Gil

Lisa Lee

Ron Smith

Cameron Pankey

Jose Nieves

1. What genre does the game fit into?

a. Explain the design feature/element researched.

● Protophane will be a science-fiction, action game that will take place in the

near future around the turn of the twenty-first century in the first person

perspective. There will be hovering transportation that will serve as the

primary mode of fast transportation, but the entire story will be based on

Earth with no travel to other planets. As a bounty hunter it is up to the player

to capture, or kill, people with cloned body parts to receive their bounty.

b. Explain the rationale behind the decision (why this

feature/element/concept/mechanic?).

● Due to the original concept video presenting a futuristic setting while showing

modern day inspired gear and technology, we felt like a gritty near future

science fiction game would encapsulate the essence of the video. By having

the setting relatively close to modern day we feel like the audience will be

able to connect with the environment while still being exposed to new and

exciting experiences (Wingfield, 2014).

● The clones that are featured in the film push the project in a science fiction

direction due to the inherent need for high technology to produce any type of

cloned body part or being (Takehashi, 2014). Science fiction is based largely

off of the advancement of technology so clones would fit perfectly in this style

universe. We decided to run with the current technology to produce organs

and alter it to a more futuristic technology that fits the archetype of popular

science fiction games like Star Citizen (Baker, 2015).

● A science fiction focus will still allow the fast paced action we expect to still fit

in with the universe. The availability of advanced weaponry, as well as

gadgets, will help the player become more immersed in the world (Rosenburg,

2012). With the addition of unique content and a well managed community

we can take a game that will be successful even if the story might not compel

most players (Statt, 2014).

c. Provide the research supporting the each design decision’s viability (APA formatting

required for all references).

Baker, C. (2015, March 31). Fans Have Dropped $77M on This Guy’s Buggy, Half-Built Game.

Retrieved August 10, 2015, from

http://www.wired.com/2015/03/fans-dropped-77m-guys-buggy-half-built-game/

Rosenburg, A. (2012, February 23). Why Mass Effect Is The Best Science Fiction Series in

Recent

Gaming History. Retrieved August 11, 2015, from

http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2012/02/23/430305/why-mass-effect-is-the-best-scie

nc

e-fiction-series-in-recent-gaming-history/

Statt, N. (2014, September 17). Destiny sales exceed $325M in first five days despite meh

reviews - CNET. Retrieved August 10, 2015, from

http://www.cnet.com/news/destiny-sales-exceed-325m-in-first-five-days-despite-me

h-reviews/

Takahashi, D. (2014, May 6). Activision says sci-fi shooter Destiny is on track to become next

$1B

video game franchise. Retrieved August 10, 2015, from

http://venturebeat.com/2014/05

/06/activision-says-destiny-on-track-to-become-next-1b-video-game-franchise/

Wingfield, N. (2014, March 9). Microsoft Pins Xbox One Hopes on Titanfall, a Sci-Fi

Shooting Game. Retrieved August 10, 2015, from

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/10/technology/microsoft-pins-xbox-one-hopes-on

-titanfall-a-sci-fi-shooting-game.html?_r=0

2. What is the game about?

a. Explain the design feature/element researched.

● Story: You take control of a bounty hunter named Simon Hendricks; he is

contracted by the Therapsis organization to track and hunt down a clone. The

organization wants Simon to bring back the clone alive and unharmed because of

how valuable the clone is. The Therapsis Organization is one of the top companies

that specialize in cloning specific body parts for people that can afford to buy them.

These clone parts can extend a human life dramatically, but they can also be used

for enhancing a person's body. The only body part that cannot be reproduced is the

human brain; Therapsis has enhanced every body part to exceed their normal limits

but there are laws against cloning a human brain, for fear of extending or even

making a human immortal. Simon accepts this contract to find this unique clone

and the mystery around this bounty. Along his journey he will encounter various

enemies and allies, some that will be rival bounty hunters, organization agents and

D.M.A (Drastically Modified Anatomy) which are a group of people that has splice

their DNA with animal DNA. These groups will serve to make powerful allies that

will give you information and gear that will help him reach his goal, but for each ally

he makes he also creates a foe that will try and impede his progress.

b. Explain the rationale behind the decision (why this

feature/element/concept/mechanic?).

● Concept: Most games today you would see playable characters that are powerful

enough to take on hordes of enemies or even have special abilities. In Protophane

we wanted our story to reflect how the player will feel when they are hunting

beings more powerful than themselves. We wanted to craft a story that focuses

around a character that has a deep past that connects him to not only the clones

but also his profession as a bounty hunter. Masayoshi Kikuchi has a similar idea of

how we wanted the players to view his game Binary Domain as they play it, he

stated that “ we want to provoke thought in people, make them think about the

boundary between man and machine.” (Macdonald 2011, pp3) For us we want the

player to think why they are hunting these clones, do they feel that they should be

treated like the rest of society or is it just for the bounty? We want the players of

Protophane be enthralled by the characters and the story, so that they would want

to try the various routes that lead them to the end of the story, to want delve

deeper into this game.

c. Provide the research supporting the each design decision’s viability (APA formatting

required for all references).

Dunham, Jeremy. (November 22, 2002) Star Wars Bounty Hunter retrieved on August 09, 2015 from

http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/11/22/star-wars-bounty-hunter-2

Graft, Kris. (March 2, 2012) Mass Effects 3’s Creative Challenges retrieved on August 11, 2015 from

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/163828/mass_effect_3s_creative_challenges.php?

pa

ge=1 

Graft, Kris. (April 26, 2013) Making Halo 4: A Story About Triple-A retrieved on August 10, 2015 from

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/191234/making_halo_4_a_story_about_.php  

Macdonald, Keza. (December 11, 2011) The Cultural Identity of Binary Domain retrieved on August

09,

2015 from

http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/12/14/the-cultural-identity-of-binary-domain  

Perry, Douglass C. (January 24, 2005) Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath retrieved on August 10, 2015 from

http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/01/24/oddworld-strangers-wrath-3   

Zimmerman, Conrad. (February 22, 2012) Binary Domain: Life, robots and everything between

retrieved

August 11, 2015 from

http://www.destructoid.com/binary-domain-life-robots-and-everything-between-222542.pht

ml 

3. What is the art direction?

a. Explain the design feature/element researched.

● Setting:

○ The world will resemble a futuristic atmosphere but relatively close to

a post apocalyptic appearance like Fallout 3(Vanord, 2008). Most of

the world will feature urban cities that have been built up but some

areas show signs of poverty. There will be areas in these cities that are

deserted and provide shelter to criminal activity. Thirty years into the

future some futuristic elements will be present. Holographic billboards

like in Mass Effect 3(Faivre, 2012). Throughout the game the scenery

will be impacted by the weather. The atmosphere is on its last legs

thus the climate and forecast is drastically altered by mankind's

apathetic nature towards the planet’s well-being. In the larger areas

the cities will feature public parking garages to store vehicles,

luxurious community parks for the citizens. There will be stores for

shopping. Cameras on street posts. Automated robots and equipment

will keep the streets and pedestrian walkways clean. However in the

slums of the cities there will be the exact opposite. Homeless areas

filled with cardboard shacks or torn tarps held up as tents. Stray

animals will lurk about in the shadows and the robots that once kept

the area clean, will either be broken or malfunctioning. Graffiti will

mark the walls of these streets, indicating danger to the player or

forewarning them of what lies deeper in the muck of this dump.

● The bounty hunter:

○ The main character of the game will resemble a soldier of the future.

The player will be outfitted in body armor that can be augmented with

different attributes that will assist the player in performing multiple

tasks. At the start of the game the player will have a chance to take

advantage of the customization feature of the game by altering their

appearance and gender. However, the character will be human with

no exceptions.

● NPCs:

○ There will be a variety of characters roaming about the world and

interacting with other NPCs. Some of these characters will be “cloned”

humans also known as dupes. Another set of civilians will use

enhanced cloned body parts known as D.M.A (Drastically Modified

Anatomy). Others will be 100% all natural human beings. Rich and

wealthy citizens will dress in sophisticated attire: dresses, suits,

button-ups, polo’s, holo-accessories. As for the less fortunate they will

scrap to wear whatever they can: shreds of clothing, old dirty clothes

that are stained by dust and dirt. Wealthy citizens will give off a

pristine appearance while the low-income citizens will appear gloomy,

withered, and tarnished. Those that are in-between such as the

D.M.A’s will spice up the scene with a retro look. Some of the DMAs

will be among the wealthy class and of the lower income citizens.

What's unique about the DMA population is that they don’t

discriminate based on your income. They are like one big family.

● Weaponry:

○ The majority of the weapons will resemble traditional weapons

featured in games like Call of Duty and Battlefield (Contributors, 2014). Some of the weapons will have advanced abilities. Certain

weapons will fire energy charged rounds and some will have high

damage explosive rounds. There will be a variety of ammunition to

suit the player's preference.

b. Explain the rationale behind the decision (why this

feature/element/concept/mechanic?).

● Setting:

○ The setting of the game was chosen to give the feel that society has

evolved at the expense of exhausting a lot of the planet's resources.

We wanted to show that civilization had to unify in order to withstand

the harsh climates of the planet after using up all its resources. Most

of the land has become dried up deserts or radiation fields from all the

chaos over the past three decades. Cities grew larger thanks to trillion

dollar corporations. The world itself is now ran like a large business.

Those that could afford the fancy expensive lifestyles prospered in the

core of the cities. While those that are less fortunate try to find their

place among them in the suburbs. In-Between the city zones, the bold

take up refuge along cliffs and well traveled paths, bartering and

pillaging from those that attempt to pass. This idea comes from Red

Dead Redemption (JackDeGroet, 2011).

● The Bounty Hunter:

○ After reviewing the trailer for the title, team Schooner agreed that it

would be a good idea to feature a playable character that is either a

clone on the run, a bounty hunter, or a human caught between the

madness. After many hours of debating and brainstorming we

finalized our decision to allow players to play as a bounty hunter.

When thinking of a bounty hunter games like Fallout 3 inspired the

concept art for the character because of the full suit of armor you can

obtain during the game. However, we didn’t want to make our

character appear like a tin man and thought it would be a good idea to

slim down the player’s armor to mimic Mass Effect’s armor style.

● NPCs:

○ The population of the game will try to stick to modern day human

anatomy besides the DMAs. The idea of DNA splicing came from Island

of Dr. Moreau when the scientist crossed animal genes with human

anatomy(Movie Trailer Graveyard, 2012). In our title we wanted to

explore this idea as a new trend for the future. Body modifications will

be like the new tattoo and piercing obsession. Resulting in citizens that

remind you of the book by H.G. Wells Island of Dr. Moreau.

● Weaponry:

○ As for the selection of weapons the art design hasn’t been finalized. At

the moment we will go with a traditional approach to the weapons

with very few modifications that show signs of enhancements made

through time that can be found in Halo or Gears of

War(ThunderTekno, 2012). As for the devices used by the player such

as the grappling hook and traps, they will show vast improvements

from their modern day design. Evolve is a title that features advanced

traps and that is along the lines of what we will like to use.

c. Provide the research supporting the each design decision’s viability (APA formatting

required for all references).

Contributors (November 2014) Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Retrieved August 11, 2015,

http://www.ign.com/wikis/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/Weapon_Attachments.

Faivre, J. (March 2012) Mass Effect 3 All Weapons and Armors UNLOCKER + new custom

armors. Retrieved August 11, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldtxMlx6QJw

JackDeGroet (April 2011) Red Dead Redemption - Thunder storm. Retrieved August 11, 2015,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl9aN3NOvzk

Movie Trailer Graveyard (July 2012) Island of Dr. Moreau, The (1996) - Theatrical Trailer.

Retrieved August 11, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QagEozqPZs

ThunderTekno (April 2012) Gears of War 3 - Horde Mode (Waves 1-50). Retrieved August 11, 2015,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvEBq6lmJx8

Vanord, K. (October 2008) Fallout 3 Review. Retrieved August 11, 2015,

http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/fallout-3-review/1900-6200093/

4. What will the game sound like with that kind of art direction?

a. Explain the design feature/element researched.

● Setting Audio:

○ The audio will consists of ambient type music playing in the

background throughout the surrounding areas that the player will be

in. The music can change depending on what the player is doing within

the environment and it will bring anticipation for the player knowing

that something is about to happen. The music will remain calm and

mellowed out while roaming around and looting, but get louder and

more intense as something is about to happen. When the player gets

close to their bounty, the music will become intense as the player has

to chase their bounty down and it will make the player feel like they

are really there themselves. There will be sounds of cars passing by

and horns honking that will echo through the city. The sound of fire

crackling will echo through as the player passes by areas with

homeless people standing around a fire. The sounds of dogs barking

and the sound of cats jumping on window ledges. The sound of

people’s voices will be heard as the player passes by them. The halo

game series focuses on audio like we would want to by changing up

the tone of the audio as things are happening within the game (Glenn,

n.d.). Adaptive music is what we are going for and one way is having

the music let the player know that something is about to happen and

that they may be about to enter a fight ("Psychology of Sound - How

sound in video games has evolved," n.d.) .

● The Bounty Hunter Audio:

In Protophane, the bounty hunter will have sound effects for when

they are interacting with the environment around them. Sound effects

will be included when the player is looting, driving, walking, running,

and using any type of weapon. There will be audio that accompanies

the player’s actions as they play the game ("Virtual Character Design

for Games and Interactive Media - Robin James Stuart Sloan - Google

Books," n.d.).

● Weaponry Audio:

In Protophane, there will be sound effects for when the player selects

a weapon of choice, firing the weapon, and reloading the weapon. If

the player has a knife, there will be slicing sound effects when the

player uses the knife. There will be a sound when the player is

selecting between their primary weapon and their secondary weapon.

When it comes to the weapons we want to have sounds that will be

consistent with the weapons like when the ammo runs out, there will

be a loud

ping noise that will echo letting the player know that they need to

reload ("Top Ten Most Iconic Video Game Sound Effects Of All Time

[Update] - Joystick Division - Videogame news, features and reviews,"

n.d.).

● UI System Audio:

The main menu will have sound to it as well. The player will hear a

“bleeping” sound effect as they go through their selections and a

“bleep” sound when they choose their selection. Sound in the menu is

a way to provide feedback to the player convincing them that they are

actually doing something in the virtual world ("Aaron Marks Special:

Function of Game Sound Effects | Designing Sound," n.d.).

b. Explain the rationale behind the decision (why this

feature/element/concept/mechanic?).

● Setting Audio:

This type of audio was chosen because it blends in with the

environment that surrounds the player. It is reminding the player of

the type of city they are in and that’s a city that is filled with different

types of areas. We wanted audio that gives the setting around the

player a feel of realism and has the player believing that the

environment around them is of different people and places. We

wanted sounds that echo through of a city and what goes on within it

whether its cars going by or people talking around you.

● The Bounty Hunter Audio:

We wanted the character in the game to have sound features of their

own. We wanted to bring realism to the player’s interactions within

the

environment. When the player is walking and running, we want them

to

hear that. Any interaction that the player has with the environment,

we

want them to hear the sounds of everything that they are doing.

● Weaponry Audio:

With the weapons, we want the player to be able to hear when they

are interacting with the weapons. If they shoot the gun, we want them

to hear the sound of a gunshot or when they are reloading, the player

will hear that. We want the player to know when they pick up a gun by

the sound effect that echoes out.

● UI System Audio:

We wanted to also add audio in the menu just to enhance the menu

more by having sound effects when the player interacts with the

choices.

c. Provide the research supporting the each design decision’s viability (APA formatting

required for all references).

Aaron Marks Special: Function of Game Sound Effects | Designing Sound. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11,

2015,

http://designingsound.org/2010/10/aaron-marks-special-function-of-game-sound-effec

ts/

Glenn, R. N. (n.d.). 25 Greatest Musical Tracks From The Halo Series. Retrieved August 11, 2015,

http://whatculture.com/gaming/25-greatest-musical-tracks-from-the-halo-series.php

Psychology of Sound - How sound in video games has evolved. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2015,

http://www.amplifon.co.uk/resources/playing-with-your-mind/

The Top Ten Most Iconic Video Game Sound Effects Of All Time [Update] - Joystick Division -

Videogame news, features and reviews. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2015,

http://www.joystickdivision.com/2011/01/the_top_ten_most_iconic_video.php

Virtual Character Design for Games and Interactive Media - Robin James Stuart Sloan - Google Books. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2015, https://books.google.com/books?id=rI_YCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA44&lpg=PA44&dq=characte r+sound+effects+articles+games&source=bl&ots=mqiM16widS&sig=Hg1PSczWPBG5dpK tkFzI18iZ66M&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEYQ6AEwBmoVChMIuoTyuaaixwIViTiICh2cugkq#v=

onepage&q=character%20sound%20effects%20articles%20games&f=false

5. What does the player do?

a. Explain the design feature/element researched.

● Weapons - Firearms and Traps:

○ We allow the player to harm anyone, which includes:

a. Enemies (Clones, D.M.As and other hunters)

b. NPCs

c. Animal/Human companions

The player will have access to a pistol and shield, at the beginning of

the game, which, after completing bounties and cash, they will have

access to more varieties of weapons. These weapons include:

1. Pistols.

2. Carbines.

3. Assault Rifles.

4. Sniper Rifles.

5. Machine Guns.

6. SMGs.

7. Shotguns

Depending on the actions of the player, they will gain reputation,

which is another way to access more variety of weapons. These

weapons that are accessible to the player, will depend on the actions

they take during missions and when not on missions, these weapons

include lethal and nonlethal weapons. All of these weapons are also

upgradeable, making them more deadly or capacitating their target

faster. These changes aren't permanent; the player can change them

at any terminal. Weapons aren’t the only means the player can use to

get their bounty, they will also have access to traps that can weaken,

slow down or even kill their bounty.

There are different types of traps that the player can place or activate.

They are the wire trap, bear trap and grenade trap types. All of these

have different functions and effects such as:

1. Wire Traps: These traps takes time to place for the player and

will trigger only to the target. This trap can either trigger a

grenade (damaging them or incapacitate them), trip them

(slow them down) or alert the player (tracks their position in

the map).

2. Bear Traps: Trapping the target and damaging them for a

period of a time.

3. Grenade Traps: Grenades that can either damage or cause an

effect. These effects are: smoke, poison smoke and stun

smoke.

● Weapons - Gadgets:

○ Players will also use other means in getting an advantage to their

bounty such as: using a grappling hook that propels the player

forward, which also have upgrades that are available to make it

stronger and/or add in extra functions, using a tracking system that

gives the player the ability to see in the dark (night vision), see heat

signatures (thermal vision) and GPS tracking that locates their target if

they were hit by a tracking gun.

● Shields:

○ Players will start out with a basic shield that will only resist a few hits

until it breaks. When a shield breaks, they will receive a recall that will

push them back by the force and they will need 1-3 minutes to

recharge, depending on the shield they have. Shields will come in

different sizes, how much they can resist and functions.

Shields come in small, large and full body. Small covers only a small

portion of the player’s body, they can resist medium amount of

damage, but the player can shoot while defending. Large shields can

resist high amount of damage, but the player cannot do anything else

but defend. Full body shields resist small amount of damage but the

player will be able to shoot regularly and have protection on all sides.

These shields can have an extra functionality, such as: bullet

absorption, bullet repel and a second coat of shield.

● Hover Bike and Driving:

○ The player will have access to a hover bike, which the player obtains at

the beginning. This hover bike is exclusive to the player and can only

be driven by the player, meaning that the player can’t drive any other

vehicles except his or her own. The player will not be able to do any

actions other than driving, but the player will be able to buy

modifications that will let them shoot: bullets and grappling hooks.

● Looting:

○ Players will able to loot cabinets, containers, drawers, boxes and

bodies, if the player decides on killing the bounty. What the player is

able to obtain regularly are bullets, cash and sellable items. Players

will also acquirer reputation based on how the player obtains loot, if

the player goes inside houses or buildings that have other characters

inside and see the player loot, they will gain a bad reputation. Also, if

the player kills their bounty and loot their bodies, they will gain even

more bad reputation.

● Animal/Human Companions:

○ The player will have the option to gain companions that will help them

throughout the game. These companions can either be humans or

animals, and depending what they are, they will have different

functions:

■ Animal Companions: These companions come in 3 different

species: Dogs, Cats and Birds. Dogs can track enemies with

their smell and will alert the player if they are nearby, they can

also attack the enemy if ordered, causing medium damage.

Cats have a great sense of hearing and have night vision, which

will pinpoint enemies on the run and in the dark, they will also

attack if ordered, causing small damage. Birds can pinpoint

enemies in the air and will alert the player via the tracking

system about their whereabouts, they will also attack the

enemy if ordered, doing a hit and run tactic, causing medium

damage.

■ Human Companion: These companions will follow commands

ordered by the player. They will also have back up weapons

and items that the player can give to them to hold in

emergencies. They will only use weapons assigned by the

player before missions.

● Reputation and Titles:

○ The actions the player does when capturing a bounty will affect how

other characters interact with the player. These actions will also affect

what type of missions the player will receive and which ending the

player will unlock. The actions the player does when capturing a

bounty are:

■ Letting the bounty free: This action will result in the player not

earning money from a bounty that has the player capture the

bounty alive or dead. They will also gain reputation, which will

unlock missions that asks to rescue bounties.

■ Capturing bounties alive: This action will result in the player

getting the reward of capturing the bounty alive. Gaining

reputation and cash, while also unlocking missions that are

specifically about capturing bounties alive. Capturing bounties

alive come in 3 different tiers: no damage, medium damage

and high damage. This will also affect how much reputation

and cash the player will gain.

■ Capturing bounties dead: This action will result in the player

getting the reward of capturing the bounty dead. Gaining

reputation and cash, while also unlocking missions that are

specifically about capturing bounties dead. Capturing bounties

dead come in 2 different tiers: Dead without looting their

bodies, and dead looted body. This will also affect their

reputation and cash they will gain.

Reputations will affect what type of missions the player has access to

and will also affect how the public sees the player, resulting in side

missions the player can do and factions they can join.

The player will gain titles based on their actions and will evolve each

time the player completes a mission or actions displayed out of

missions.

b. Explain the rationale behind the decision (why this feature / element / concept /

mechanic?).

● Weapons:

○ We decided on giving the player the option to use any means

necessary in getting their bounty, by using lethal or nonlethal weapons

like in Splinter Cell series (Gamasutra, 2014). Players will have to get

their bounty and the only way to do is is by using weapons that will

either kill or incapacitate them, just like in Evolve (Business Wire,

2015). Players will also use other weapons called gadgets that will help

the player in certain situations: such as getting to high to reach places

and being able to track their targets.

● Shields:

○ Shields are a way for the player to protect themselves from attacks.

This way, players can protect themselves if they so choose so.

This is based on shields from Call of Duty’s riot shield (Gamasutra,

N.D.). Small shields are from The Elder Scrolls series and full body

shields are from the Borderlands series (Nutt, 2011).

● Hover Bike and Driving:

○ Hover Bikes are a way for players to roam in the world faster and

cover more ground when on missions, which will act like the

HoverBike from Destiny (McWhertor, 2014). The player will be able to

do other actions when modifications are added to their hover bike

that will let the player shoot and grapple their targets just like in the

Just Cause series.

● Looting:

○ Looting in Protophane will act the same way as in Borderlands and The

Elder Scrolls, with the player being able to loot anywhere and in any

place but will affect how others sees the player, like in The Elder

Scrolls (Ash, 2011), players are able to loot bodies of dead characters

that they have killed are killed by someone else, just like in the

Borderlands series (Nutt, 2011).

● Animal/Human Companions:

○ Companions will act like in Fallout, with the player being able to order

them to do tasks (Good, 2009). Players can also issue weapons to their

human companions and hold items, just like in The Elder Scrolls

(Hughes, 2011). Animal companions will also act how the pets in

Evolve act, giving the player ways to track their targets.

● Reputation and Titles:

○ Reputation is a way to give different missions to players based on how

they player and also affect the story progression. Reputation will act

as a combination of how Fallout keeps track of the player’s actions and

how The Elder Scroll story progress on what the player does, and how

others see them as (Schwarz, 2011).

Titles will be bestowed to the player based on their reputation and

missions they have completed, just like in Neverwinter and World of

Warcraft (Harper, 2014).

c. Provide the research supporting each design decision viability (APA formatting

required for all references).

Ash, (December 03, 2011) Skyrim: Saving the Best for Bad – Does Skyrim Reward Players for Being

Evil?.

Retrieved from Nerdappropriate.com:

http://www.nerdappropriate.com/2011/12/03/skyrim-saving-the-best-for-bad-does-skyrim-r

ew

ard-players-for-being-evil/

Business Wire, (March 31, 2015) Evolve™ Adds ‘Behemoth’ Monster, Four New Hunters, and More.

Retrieved August 11, 2015, from:

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150331005093/en/Evolve%E2%84%A2-Adds-%

E2

%80%98Behemoth%E2%80%99-Monster-Hunters#.VcpxMxNViko

CODAWPRO, (N.D.) CoD AW Heavy Shield Special Weapon Overview. Retrieved August 11, 2015,

from:

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Cowan, Danny, (February 28, 2013) Crysis 3: What the critics are saying. Retrieved August 11, 2015,

from:

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/187466/Crysis_3_What_the_critics_are_saying.php

Gamasutra Staff, (September 16, 2014) Video: How Ubisoft modernized the gunplay of Splinter Cell.

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from:

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Hughes, Matt, (December 09, 2011) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim followers guide. Retrieved August 11,

2015, from:

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tricks. Retrieved August 11, 2015, from:

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c

es_in_Skyrim_All_Setup_No_Payoff.php

6. Customization Aspect

a. Explain the design feature/element researched.

● Customization will be a huge part of Protophane. We want our character be

completely customizable in every way. We want the player to have complete

control over their character’s design from being able to change the hunter’s

clothes to their attitude towards the outside world. Sunset Overdrive will be

our main source of inspiration when it comes to character customization. In

Sunset Overdrive, the player had complete control over the design of the

character’s clothes, hairstyles, accessories, and even body type and gender

that created a unique character for each person that played the game (Lejacq,

2014).

● On top of being able to customize your character, we want our players to be

able to customize everything that their character interacts with. Your dog

companion will play a huge part in the game, change his features to make him

your own. We want a wide variety of dog breeds as well as color pallets for

your loyal companion.

● Next, you spend a lot of time on your hover bike, you might want to deck it

out with flaming skulls, or paint it all pink to match your outfit. Decals, color

pallets and even different styles of engines and hover bike frame are available

to create a truly unique way of getting around the cities.

● Lastly, we want you to be able to customize your weapons. There will be a lot

of cash thrown your way when you complete bounties, so you’re going to

need to spend it. We drawn a lot of inspiration from the Army of Two series

when it comes to weapon customization. In Army of Two, players were able to

switch out different barrels, stocks, magazine size, put a shield on the front of

their gun, attach a scope, attach a silencer, you name it (Groenendijk, 2013).

We want to utilize this customization feature and really give the player a sense

of re-playability.

b. Explain the rationale behind the decision (why this

feature/element/concept/mechanic?).

● There are many reasons why we want such an extensive customization feature

in Protophane. One of the top reasons is that we as players want to feel

connected with the characters we play as. We want them to be our own.

Therefore, we want as much customization to the character and his

possessions to make the player really feel like their character is one of a kind.

● Re-playability is another big reason why we want customization to be so

prevalent. After the player beats the game, there would be so many things the

player could collect and buy to keep the game going years after release. This

leads to downloadable content (DLC), both free and charged, that would keep

players coming back for more. Countless games like Evolve and Call of Duty

offer DLC as a means of extra customization, extended life for the game and

extra revenue. All three things that would benefit the game in the long run.

● Additionally, with a deeper customization system, we can even customize the

way the player moves, fights and says while playing the game. Players want to

have a part in creating part of the game and feel like they have control over

what is happening. Being able to customize almost every aspect of their

character will breathe a breath of fresh air into many gamers throughout.

(Connolly, 2014)

c. Provide the research supporting the each design decision’s viability (APA formatting

required for all references).

Connolly, Denny. (March 22, 2014) Bungie Details ‘Destiny’s’ Character Customization System.

Retrieved

August 10, 2015 from

http://gamerant.com/bungie-destiny-character-customizations-nearly-limitless/

Goldstein, Hilary. (August 28, 2007) Mass Effect: Creating Commander Shepard. Retrieved August 10,

2015 from

http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/08/28/mass-effect-creating-commander-shepard

Groenendijk, Ferry. (March 28, 2013) Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel Weapons, Guns, Outfits, and

Tattoos Guide, Retrieved August 09, 2015 from

http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2013/03/28/army-of-two-the-devils-cartel-weapons-gu

ns-

outfits-masks-tattoos-guide.htm

Lejacq, Yannick. (October 28, 2014) Tips for Playing Sunset Overdrive. Retrieved August 10, 2015 from

http://kotaku.com/tips-for-playing-sunset-overdrive-1651747942

Mahardy, Michael. (December 17, 2014) Call of Duty Advanced Warfare Customization Item Available

Retrieved August 10, 2015 from

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/12/18/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-customization-items

-a

vailable

Mohr, Robert. (May 5, 2013) Character Creation Review: Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires. Retrieved

August

09, 2015 from

http://gamingcreatively.blogspot.com/2013/05/character-creation-review-dynasty.html

7. Co-op Aspect

a. Explain the design feature/element researched.

● We wanted to have Protophane to have an emphasis on Co-op. There are two

different avenues of Co-op for Protophane - different if you are playing alone

or with a friend. If you are playing alone, your bounty hunter will have his dog

companion to assist him/her with everything searching for loot and items to

flanking the enemy and taking them down. The second player will not have as

much firepower as the main character, but will be small and nimble so they

can add a new element to the game (Puleo, 2009). The second player also

opens up new opportunities for specialized traps and weapons.

b. Explain the rationale behind the decision (why this

feature/element/concept/mechanic?).

● There is a lot of games that are shying away from co-op style gameplay, but

there are still a small group that still hold it near and dear. Games like Fallout

3 and 4 have you play along side of companion characters to help you along

your journeys. The most popular companion is a dog that stays with you

through thick and thin. Having a companion in hard times makes difficult

challenges a bit easier with a furry friend by your side.

● In Army of Two, there are times when one of the characters can attract the

attention from the enemies while the other teammate flanks the enemies and

take them out (Puleo, 2013). This is a mechanic that we want to take

advantage of as well as many other co-ops driven gameplay.

● As far as co-op with another player, there is so much more opportunities that

a designer can have with more than one protagonist. In games like Hunter:

Demon’s Forge, teamwork is a huge part of the gameplay. You have to work

together with your ally to defeat your enemies and even have combination

attacks (Holder, 2011).

c. Provide the research supporting the each design decision’s viability (APA formatting

required for all references).

Anderson, Lark. (September 22, 2009) Resident Evil 5 review, Retrieved August 10, 2015 from

http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/resident-evil-5-review/1900-6228853/

Holder, Wayne. (March 13,2011) Pax East: ‘Hunter: Demon’s Forge’ Hands-on, Retrieved August 10,

2015 from

http://gamerant.com/hunted-demons-forge-preview-bethesda-pax-east-hold-73249/

Meunier, Nathan. (August 3, 2012) Orcs Must Die Review, Retrieved August 10, 2015 from

http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/orcs-must-die-2-review/1900-6390210/

Puleo, Nick. (April 1, 2013) Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel Co-op review, Retrieved August 09, 2015

from

http://www.co-optimus.com/review/1211/army-of-two-the-devil-s-cartel-co-op-review.html

Puleo, Nick. (March 15, 2009). Resident Evil Co-op Review, Retrieved August 11, 2015 from

http://www.co-optimus.com/review/166/page/1/resident-evil-5-co-op-review.html

Tyler, Sam. (August 17, 2013) Splinter Cell: Blacklist Co-op Review, Retrieved August 10, 2015 from

http://www.co-optimus.com/review/1277/page/1/splinter-cell-blacklist-co-op-review.html

8. Competitive Multiplayer Aspect

a. Explain the design feature/element researched.

● Game Modes:

○ Team Deathmatch

■ Original - The original team deathmatch mode features human

players battling against one another in a five versus five

match. There will be two teams each match. To distinguish the

difference between teammates you will either be on a team of

bounty hunters, clones (humans), or DMA’s.

■ Innovative - This version of team deathmatch will contain all

the same aspects of the original mode except players will start

the match with a set amount of money to customize their

gear. This will give players a range of options on how to begin

the match and as they earn credits through killing their

enemies or detaining them (non-lethal takedowns or captures)

they can upgrade their equipment and purchase more

weapons. Five versus five game mode.

○ Survival

■ Search and Destroy - This mode features human players versus

A.I. controlled opponents. The purpose of search and destroy

the players will compete against one another as bounty

hunters trying to complete a list of bounties before the other

players finishes their very own bounties or time expires.

Incentives are given to players that complete the bounty

according to the requirements of dead or alive but be warned

some players may have the same target but different

approach in mind. 5 players.

■ Freedom Fighter - In this game mode players will take on the

role of the ultimate clone. Your mission is to survive all the

possible traps, enemy fire, and danger from the environment

until the time expires. This is a progressive mode and gets

longer and harder with each round. 5 players.

○ Deathmatch

■ Original - Features all the same abilities and weapons as the

team deathmatch mode except you are on your own. Good

luck and happy hunting. Up to 10 players per match.

■ Innovative - Features the same abilities and weapons as the

team deathmatch mode. One exception to this mode is that

there will be innocent A.I. bystanders throughout the area to

deceive the players looking for one another. Stay sharp

hunters. Up to 10 players per match.

○ Hide and Seek

■ This game mode will feature players versus players in a classic

predators versus prey concept. Just like Search and Destroy

but all human players. Five versus five players.

○ Sabotage

■ This is a traditional game mode that pits teams against one

another to disarm each other’s strongholds and potentially

release their captured clones. Player teams will consist of

DMAs or bounty hunters. First team to release five clones wins

or the team with the most releases before the time expires,

wins.

b. Explain the rationale behind the decision (why this

feature/element/concept/mechanic?).

● Team Deathmatch

○ Most First person shooters feature a game mode that allows players

to play alongside of their friends or with complete strangers. We

wanted to provide the opportunity for cooperative competition. The

classic mode also known as original is a way to allow players to enjoy

the feature like another other game but the innovative game type will

sample elements from Splinter Cell Blacklist and Perfect Dark Zero( Veselka, 2013).

● Survival

○ Even hardcore first person shooters feature a game mode where

players can team-up with others to play against the A.I. This game

mode was selected to give players a thrill of competing but minus the

threat of unpredictable players. This idea came from Gears of War

horde mode (ThunderTekno, 2012).

● Deathmatch

○ How could you have a first person shooter that doesn’t feature a game

mode of going lone wolf? This mode is featured in the list of game

types to satisfy the thrill of going in alone. This Idea generated from

Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Halo and Destiny (TheRelaxingEnd,

2014).

● Hide and Seek

○ Why allow the A.I. all the fun of hunting your friends. Take this

opportunity to join in on the chase or run from your friends, your

choice. This game mode mimics the wanted game mode from

Assassins Creed Black Flag(Lewis, 2013).

● Sabotage

○ Got this game mode idea from Plants versus Zombies: Garden

Warfare(Dana, 2014). Instead of one team defending while the other

team tries to destroy or capture their base, both teams will be trying

to tear down each other’s base.

c. Provide the research supporting the each design decision’s viability (APA formatting

required for all references).

Dana, S (June 2014) Game modes in Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare. Retrieved August 11, 2015,

http://help.ea.com/en/article/game-modes-in-pvz-garden-warfare/

Dark, Aeon (June 2015)Perfect Dark Zero 2015 xbox one online footage (pre Rare Replay).

Retrieved August 11, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3-z-_5A1E8

Lewis, Anne (September 2013) Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag - Killing it in Multiplayer.

Retrieved August 11, 2015, http://blog.ubi.com/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-multiplayer/

TheRelaxingEnd (September 2014) Destiny Rumble PvP Gameplay (Free For All) - Multiplayer

Crucible. Retrieved August 11, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKxspUiMoXQ

ThunderTekno (April 2012) Gears of War 3 - Horde Mode (Waves 1-50). Retrieved August 11, 2015,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvEBq6lmJx8

Veselka, D. (August 2013) Splinter Cell: Blacklist - Spies vs. Mercs Multiplayer Review.

Retrieved August 11, 2015,

http://mp1st.com/2013/08/29/splinter-cell-blacklist-spies-vs-mercs-review/#.VcqQcM5k6k

Q

9. What platform is the game targeting?

a. Explain the design feature/element researched.

● Protophane will be a cross platform title that will release on the Xbox One, the

PS4 and the PC. The multiple areas to promote Protophane will create the

best chances for the optimal amount of sales. The PC version will be

distributed through Steam to reduce expenses like discs.

b. Explain the rationale behind the decision (why this

feature/element/concept/mechanic?).

● It is common practice in the gaming industry to release on all of the major

consoles as well as the PC to allow everyone the chance to play Protophane.

While the PC originally was the home of first person shooters (Harman, n.d),

the consoles have adopted them to great effect (Howson, 2010). Being able to

have flexibility in how we distribute Protophane, along with the flexibility to

choose how to play it is the best way to please the player. Since some people

have preferences to what machine they play on, having multiple choices will

give the greatest chance to please the most people.

● Action shooter games are very popular on the consoles as well. About half of

all console games in 2014 were shooting games and action titles (Cowan,

2015). There are even peripherals that players can buy to enhance their

shooter experience across consoles like the keyboard controller adaptation for

the PS4 (Wood, 2015).

● The social aspects of each machine are unique which causes spheres of players

on each system (Lingle, 2014). Each social network is another tool that can

help further the exposure of Protophane beyond what we could expect on a

single system.

c. Provide the research supporting the each design decision’s viability (APA formatting

required for all references).

Cowan, D. (2015, June 26). Half of all console games sold in 2014 were shooters or action

titles.

Retrieved August 10, 2015, from http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/

action-shooters-top-console-sellers-2014/

Harman, S. (n.d.). History Of First Person Shooters. Retrieved August 10, 2015, from

http://uk-microsites.ign.com/history-of-first-person-shooters/

Howson, G. (2010, September 21). Are consoles really better than PCs at shooter games?

Retrieved August 10, 2015, from

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/

2010/sep/21/are-consoles-better-than-pcs-at-fps-games

Lingle, S. (2014, July 18). The best console 'Titanfall' players took on a PC team, and

here's what happened. Retrieved August 10, 2015, from http://www.dailydot.com/

esports/titanfall-exertus-free-refills-pc-console/

Wood, C. (2015, July 27). Prefer PC over console for first-person shooters? This PS4 controller

could change that. Retrieved August 10, 2015, from http://www.gizmag.com/

hori-tactical-assault-commander-4-keypad-mouse-ps4-details/38634/

Please see Research Notes for additional research.