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Inconvenient TruthsTimothy Shaw
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1Design History ............................................................................................................................................................ 1Vision Statement ....................................................................................................................................................... 2
Logline............................................................................................................................................................................... 2Synopsis ............................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Game Description ................................................................................................................................................ 2-4
Formal Elements ......................................................................................................... 4Objectives ................................................................................................................................................................ 4-5
Gameplay Description...................................................................................................................................... 5-10Tutorial ............................................................................................................................................................................. 5Character Selection ................................................................................................................................................. 5-7Conflict/Argument ...................................................................................................................................................... 7Challenge/Procedures ........................................................................................................................................... 7-8Outcomes................................................................................................................................................................... 8-10
Dramatic Elements ............................................................................................... 10-11Game World ...................................................................................................................................................... 10-11Characters ................................................................................................................................................................. 11
PCs ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 11NPCs ................................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Story ............................................................................................................................................................................ 11Reflection ................................................................................................................. 12Dissoi Logoi .............................................................................................................................................................. 12Composition ............................................................................................................................................................. 12
Introduction
Design History
This game started out as an idea in my head and has progressed into a game that I
will submit as my third project in my advanced writing class. This game will also befeatured on my word press website as part of my final portfolio. I am basing the
argument of this game on the condition of the relationship between the generations
of the past and present. This will be a choice based game that affects the outcome in
the ending. The layout is not modeled after any game in particular but does contain
similarities with unmanned in the choice factors. It also resembles Mass Effect in
how each choice will bring about a different outcome in the ending.
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Vision Statement
Logline
Inconvenient Truths is a decision based game that explores the rift between the
generations by showing that all of the arguing is pointless and much more urgent
things that need to be addressed.
Synopsis
This game is essentially a choice based game. There will be different levels in this
game and to earn points you must try to successfully argue your points whether
they are positive, negative, or neutral. When each argument is argued the player will
receive points. Blue points are positive red points are negative. There are also green
points which means you are in full agreement with the way the other side does
things. This feature was mainly put in because people on either side may agree with
what the other side is saying wholeheartedly and instead of an equal compromise
with blue points or a full on rejection this option accepts what the other side is
saying and puts that into effect . This can be a good thing or a bad thing dependingon the other decisions you make. The more blue points that are earned means the
better the world is around you. On the flip side if there are more red points the
world will be in very bad shape. Of course, if there is an abundance of green points
then you absolutely agree with everything that has been proposed by the other side
and that may not win you many brownie points with your peers who may see it
differently than that. The goal of this game is to demonstrate how pointless these
arguments are between the generations because they do nothing to make the world
better when they are argued from a negative point of view the majority of the time.
This game is marketed for everyone over the age of 12 because these arguments
apply to the aforementioned parties. This game could be considered an interactive
fiction game.
Game Description
This game has 12 levels that are all arguments that can be made. As a member of
any of the generations you must choose an argument to make, positive, negative, or
wholehearted agreement, and earn points based on your decisions. As the levels
increase so will the difficulty of the situations and if players are not careful their
emotions will also become involved.
The objective in this game is to make peace with the other side for the sake of the
world around you. Decisions must be made about each argument you are presented
with and whether you agree or disagree. Eventually this will come down to theplayers willingness to compromise or subject the world to turmoil. Every good
decision has a reward, but every bad decision has a consequence. An example of a
good decision could be when you earn a blue point in a debate the world improves
just a little bit.
This game takes place in an auditorium of some kind. There will be a stage and on
that stage two podiums will be available to the opposing sides of the debate. As with
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any other debate there will be an audience present and they cheer and clap for their
respective candidates. Each game process will resemble the presidential debates in
a way, but the entire world is at stake in this game.
Something of the nature of this picture will serve as a debate setting for
Inconvenient Truths.
A game that this one will resemble in its choice based factors is Mass Effect. In this
game you must choose between three dialogue options and with each choice youmake the future is shaped in a particular way. This is the way Inconvenient Truths
will play out. Below is an example of the way Mass Effect uses its choice simulator.
The story of this game is simple. You are either an elder or a youth who feels that
the way you do things and see things is the right way and you will not compromise
on any issue out of pure dislike for the other side. As an elder you may point out the
drug issue, teenage pregnancy, laziness etc. On the other hand as a youthful
member of society you may question how the elders failed to provide us with a good
planet to live on, questionable laws that may have been passed, or their overbearing
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attitudes that you feel may be unnecessary. Of course on the flip side you may agree
with the critique or offer on the table without question or concern and thats where
the difference between green and blue points comes in. Blue points recognize a
problem and agree to work towards a common gain, but green points agree to what
is being proposed.
Artistically this game is simple with the features much like the hit PC game The
Sims Players should expect to see similar graphics and they should also expect to
be able to customize any character they pick to their specific liking. The game will be
artistically simple because its mostly just a choice based game and does not need
the latest technologically advanced graphics to prove the point its trying to make.
Here is an example of the graphics found in the game The Sims.
These are definitely the graphics that Inconvenient Truths will have.
Formal Elements
Objectives
Objectives:
1. Navigate your way through each particular argument successfully
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2. Avoid gaining too many red points because these will hurt the world aroundyou
3. Also try to balance out how many green versus blue points you achievebecause these can drastically change your outcomes
4. Try to gain your desired outcomes, but do not let the world suffer because ofit.
Outcomes:
1. Completing each level will give the player a blue, red, or green point2. Successfully completing each level results in the player seeing the aftermath
of his decisions
3. A greater ratio of blue points means the world around you is in greatcondition
4. A greater ratio of red points means you were uncompromising and the worldaround you has suffered because of it
5. A greater ratio of green points means that the world has remained relativelythe same which may or may not be a good thing. It also means that you
succumbed to whatever the other side put forth and while that may be agood thing for you, for others it may be horrible.
Gameplay Description
Tutorial
There will be no tutorial in this game because I feel the controls will be relatively
simple. Also players should be able to figure out which decisions they want to make
without a tutorial showing them how to do it. I also feel that a tutorial for this
specific game would not accomplish anything other than making it unnecessarilylonger.
Character Selection
There are only two characters you can pick in this game. One elder character and
one youthful character are always going to be a part of the character selection. From
there, in order to provide each player with an authentic experience within the game,
they will be able to create a player within their desired age group.
Choices include
1. Name:2. Generation:
a.
Old Timersb. Youth3. Gender:
a. Maleb. Female
4. Skin Colora. Lightb. Medium
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c. Dark5. Hair Color
a. Blackb. Greyc. Brownd. Blondee. Brunettef. Redg. Orangeh. Dirty Blondei. White
6. Hair Stylea. Short wavyb. Caesarc. Long curlyd. Short curlye. Strait shortf. Long Strait
7. Eyesa. Roundb. Ovalc. Angulard. Squinted
8. Eye Colora. Dark Brownb. Brownc. Hazeld. Bluee. Greenf. Grayg. Red
9. Nosea. Smallb. Mediumc. Larged. Small Pointye. Medium Pointyf. Large Pointyg. Small roundh. Medium Roundi. Large Round
10.Moutha. Small Lipsb. Medium Lipsc. Large Lipsd. Any Lipstick color for females
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e. Any Lip color for malesf. Round Lipsg. Angular Lips
In essence this character customization is much like that of The Sims, but maybe
on a simpler scale mechanics wise. Something like the picture below comes to mindwhen a player will be able to create their own character.
Conflict/Argument
The main conflict in this game is an internal one. The player does not play against
another player rather he is competing with his morals and ethics. His decisions may
become more emotional than logical the further the player advances inside the
game. Also there is a time constraint on each decision that has to be made so now
the player has to make the best possible choice within the given time constraints.
This adds extra pressure to those players having a difficult time with making a veryhard decision. There is also the decision between choosing your argument and
earning a specific color point. Avoiding as many red as possible may seem rather
difficult because those arguments may be what the player actually believes and it
may force someone to against what they believe in for the sake of the world around
them. The green points will be the tricky ones because while they create the world
that is best for you, it may not be the best situation for others. This game also argues
with the moral of someone enacting policies for the good of others instead of
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themselves. Since blue points only agree to work out an equal deal of some sort,
players may feel that green points will be the way to go.
Challenge/Procedures
Challenge:
The main challenge I foresee players having with this game is coming to anagreement with the other side. In other words compromise must happen in order to
make a better life for both parties involved. A good way players can make this fun is
choose a different age group from their own and debate from that viewpoint.
Procedures:
1. The title of the game will appear and the first page will prompt you to selectthe play button and begin the game.
2. There will be a brief excerpt in the beginning explaining how the game willoperate.
a. This excerpt first explains the purpose of Inconvenient Truthsb. The second thing this excerpt does is tell the players how to play which is
simply done by clicking your mouse button.3. As a player you are presented with a generation selection screen. Here youwill choose which side you are on.
4. After you have selected a side you will be prompted to customize yourcharacter which provides a personal touch to the game.
a. There are many options to choose from so your creative can go very farhere.
b. Also, like many debates, your target audience will be on your side of thestage out in the audience.
5. Once your player is customized to your liking another screen will appearasking if you are ready to begin
6. When you select begin the first issue will be presented to you and you haveone minute to make your decisiona. There are a variety of issues and answers that appeal to each side of the
debate.
7. Each issue has three decisions that can be made that correspond withdifferent colors. Blue for positive, red for negative, green for neutral.
8. After all of the decisions are made the player is shown the world his debatehas created.
Outcomes
There are multiple outcomes to this game. This is not a winning/losing type game
but more of a reflection. Once you look at the world you have created then you willreflect on the decisions you made. Each decision has a consequence or a benefit
depending on how you view the world. Let me show you an example of how one
particular argument can play out.
1. What to do about the legalization of Marijuana? Be mindful of all this issueentails.
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a. Blue Argument- We should legalize Marijuana. Too many people go to jailover it and the government can tax it and make a significant amount of
money.
b. Red Argument- No. We will not legalize Marijuana. It is dangerous andencourages youth to smoke instead of doing schoolwork, working a job,
etc. It is just unethical. As a matter of fact we should make the laws morestrict when it comes to marijuana.
c. Green Argument- Lets just say you are a youth and the elders are tryingto get rid of marijuana completely because we feel it is not healthy for our
population and it corrupts the mind. As a matter of factlets outlaw it all
together. As a youth if you choose this argument you agree to outlaw the
drug and in doing so you may lose popularity with your peers.
As you can see each argument presents a different idea. The thing that should
frustrate people the most here is where each side of the argument falls. For example,
people who are against Marijuana legalization may feel that this should be a positive
side of the argument. They must compromise if they want the world to benefit morethan themselves. At the end of the game when reviewing this decision if you chose
the blue argument then Marijuana is now legalized and being taxed by the
government. With this new tax the government is making serious money and the
crime rate dealing with Marijuana is almost nonexistent. Your ending picture of the
world from that standpoint should look like this
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This is a pre-rolled Marijuana pack and in your world they are fairly common. It
makes the government an abundance of money. If you picked the red argument your
result at the end will look something like this.
As you can see this is a prison cell and thats where the majority of Marijuana users
will reside if you do not choose to legalize it. Of course in this instance the green
argument will look similar to the red argument mainly because agreeing to outlaw it
will not stop people from using so prison is where the majority of them will reside
over time. There is no need for a picture there.
Dramatic Elements
Game World
My Game World is basically a one room debate much like the presidential debates.
You have a stage that is spotlighted with two podiums set in the middle of it. In the
background is the audience of each respective candidate and they cheer for their
candidate and boo the other one. Each candidate will be a creation from the player
depending on the side he chose. For example if he chose to be the youthful candidate
then that is the one that will be customized.The world outside after the game is over will vary because of the abundant
decisions that have to be made. The setting will be a modern day world, but there
will be twists to it depending on what was chosen and what was ignored. This world
represents the real life debates that go on between presidential candidates,
senators, etc. Since this world is set in the modern day the artistic style will be
modern and upscale. To show you an image of this world I will use one of my
previous images.
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This is how the debate room will be set up, however the background will show the
audience instead of the outside world.
Characters
PCs
The PC will be a created character from the player. The player, upon beginning the
game, has a ton of options to choose from to customize his character. All movement
by the characters is predetermined. The only thing the player does is click on the
choice that he wants to make. The characters controlled by the players will not have
voices.
NPCs
There are only a few noticeable NPCs in this game. They are all essentially generic
depending on which candidate they are supporting. The younger audience membersdress more hip while the older ones have on mostly suits and ties. These people
cheer for their candidate and boo the opposing one. They also clap after their
prospective candidate makes a choice.
Story
The story behind this game can be seen as simple yet complex at the same time. It
follows a person from a select generation and uses his or hers opinions to navigate
through a very intricate debate. The future of the world is at stake here and
compromise may be the only way to improve it. This is the complex part because
compromise is not always simple, especially when it is something you believe very
strongly about. As the game goes on more and more issues are presented to theplayer and they must continue to make the difficult decision. In the end when
everything is laid out before them the players will reflect on their previous decisions
and begin to wonder if what they did was right. Hopefully this explains to people
how pointless some arguments can be. If both sides are willing to compromise then
good things should happen. If not then the opposite will happen and the players will
have nobody to blame but themselves.
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Reflection
Dissoi Logoi
If someone were to look at my game from a different point of view then my game
may give them the opposite effect of what was intended. By looking back over my
game I can certainly see someone viewing the arguing as necessary because at leastit brings both parties to the table. Also I can see how those who were contempt with
agreeing wholeheartedly felt that doing so was the best possible solution. The
problem I have with these arguments is the fact they may not be the best course of
action for everyone involved, but then again if it works for you then it is the best
possible choice in regards to what you want to get done. In the first argument in
opposition to my game yes the arguing brings everyone to the table, but it does not
mean they can come to common ground. It also seems to be the way things are done
now and that way is not working. For the second argument in opposition of my
game, keeping things the same over the same period of time, to me, is the same thing
as moving backwards. My rebuttal against someone who agrees with this argument
is why not try to change things for the better when you can make a difference. If youread my game through a postmodern lens then my argument now insinuates that
there is a solution beyond arguing if that makes sense.
Composition
Game design as a composition technique had me kind of skeptical at first, but the
more a delved into it, the more interesting and enlightening it became. When you
look at game design from different points of views you see that if done properly it
can be a learning experience and help explain how effective games can actually be.
This style of composition differs from others because it is more of a blue print for
the final thing rather than being the final thing. Game design is more technical to me
than just doing a term paper. It also can express your opinion thoroughly whilegetting others to see your point of view. It does not matter that I cannot produce a
game like this because the idea is out there and my point has been made. That is all I
was really trying to do. There is a place for game design in the composition
classroom because it provides students with an ingenious way of breaking down
their arguments and constantly restating them. This is the same as writing a term
paper, but it is much more interesting.