Design Document

“Strength of Spirits”

Game Overview:

Our game is a table-top role playing game that is best played with multiple people. Each

player receives a companion which, is referred to as a “spirit animal” in this game. Each animal

represents the player in some specific aspect. For example if a player is a cunning, clever player,

then their animal may be a fox. While another player may enjoy using brute force, their animal

may be a bull. The player is given an animal based on the choices they make throughout their

adventure. As the players being their journey, their animal is very basic and normal. As players

progress, their animal can take two forms: a healthy and just animal, or a decrepit and evil

animal. A player’s spirit animal will change forms depending on the choices he or she makes

during the campaign. The over-arching goal would be to have your spirit animal health and

thriving, but because of the open nature of a role playing game, a player does have the option to

pick a darker more evil path.

Like most role playing games, the biggest mechanic is decision making. Where to go,

what to do, who to talk to are all important aspects of our game that we hope our players will

enjoy. Having a game that is based solely on the imagination of the Game Master creates endless

opportunities for expansion and exploration. Game Masters are the center of our game play

experience. They are the narrator, the omnipotent eyes in the sky. They control what enemies

you face, or what decisions you’ll have to make. The landscapes, the non-player characters, are

all in the hands of the Game Master. Using a person as the basis of a game instead of a

predefined board opens up an unlimited amount of possibilities for gameplay. As a group, we

saw that having options to create your own experience, as well as other user-generated content

adds so much positive aspects to a game. To guide a new Game Master, there will be little “cheat

sheets” for the player to gain an idea of how to lead a group and how to create adventures for

players to embark. People who have had experience player other role playing games will find

that our game is similar and easy to pick up.

The replay value of our game is extremely high, which we see as a great selling point to

any prospective player. Having different people as the Game Master allows for an incredible

amount of variety in each game. Each journey is unique and creative; given the Game Master has

something in mind for the players. The choices players will face change from game to game, and

so do their animals. If a player saw their animal grow and prosper in one game, they can see a

new animal turn dark and sinister in another. Players will visit new and exotic places that they

may have missed in other versions of the same game. It all revolves around the relationship

between the player and the Game Master. When both sides are ready for an adventure, the game

really takes life and creates an experience unlike any other.

Audience Overview/ Inspirations/ Competitive Analysis:

For Strength of Spirits, the target audience would be people who have experience with

standard tabletop role playing games, but do not want to spend the time commitment that comes

with other, larger role playing games.While we hope that everyone is able to play our game, the

violence and decision making sections may steer younger players away from our game. The

prime audience would be those aged from late teens to older twenties. This group of consumers

would yield to highest amount of gameplay potential from our game. They would have the time

and money to play a game straight for an hour or so without missing out on important work. This

game also targets players who value their choices during games they play. Players who take

careful precautions which each move they make and each path they take will succeed and enjoy

our game.

If people are not too fond of the roleplaying aspect of our game, then the combat will

bring in other players that may be surprised with how much they enjoy the combat sequences.

Players who are accustomed to experiencing combat solely on console games and PC games will

enjoy the card-game inspired team fights.

Our game poses as a strong business endeavor and has incredible business potential. Each

basic box would contain a certain amount of cards that help the players and the Game Master

facilitate their first round of Strength of Spirits. Player cards, class cards, enemy cards, GM

notebooks and notepads allows for everyone to play regardless of experience with the

roleplaying genre. The real money is created not only by selling the original game, but by selling

newer enemy cards, or newer pet cards and other add-on content of the like. The amount of

money that can be earned through the creation of a game only increases as more consumers buy

the latest version of our game.

As with most games, there are always games that inspire us to create a game that we want to

share with the public. Here are some of our inspirations, as well as competitors for our game.

Dungeons and Dragons:

With a game as open ended as ours, Dungeons and Dragons is the most notable of the

competitors. The original tabletop dungeon crawler has a massive fan base and years of

experience behind it. Trying to imitate what Dungeons and Dragons does so well would be a

foolish task on a game developers part, so as a team we decided we would not try to be the

original, but take concepts and turn them into our very own creation.

Pokemon:

Another popular title that we have seen share similarities is the Pokemon franchise. The

concept of having a companion that follows you on your journey throughout a large open world

shares many similar ideas and gameplay decisions between the two games. While Pokemon

allows the player to hold countless amounts of Pokemon, electing to switch between teams of six

depending on the situation at hand. Strength of Spirits is unique in the way that characters are

only allowed to have one animal during a single game. There is no weakness/strength mechanic

like that of Pokemon, but animal spirits will be able to participate in combat and play significant

roles in the players journey.

World of Warcraft:

With a game as popular and expensive, there is no getting around the fact that most

roleplaying games tends to borrow ideas from Warcraft. The world is sprawling and the combat

is solid: there is really no competing with WoW. But as a tabletop game made for those who

favor games on a more personal level, then Strength of Spirits can really shine. Using similar

class ideas from World of Warcraft, players choose what kind of character they want to be,

ranging from the anger driven warrior to the righteous paladin. With each class, each character

has set abilities they can use in combat to subdue their foes and continue their quest for

greatness.

Guild Wars 2:

Guild Wars is another MMO like that of World of Warcraft, but with a few key

differences. Guild Wars likes to showcase their mechanic of player’s choices affecting gameplay,

much like the system we have developed for Strength of Spirits. Guild Wars also shares the same

character creation as Strength of Spirits, featuring many standard classes, like that of the warrior

and the rogue. What makes Guild Wars 2 a competitor to Strength of Spirits is its similarity in

game play. Sharing choice based story lines and class selection. Where Guild Wars plays more

like World of Warcraft, being on the computer rather than a table, Strength of Spirits has the

advantage of being much more user-friendly as well as having a much lower level entry to enjoy

the game.

Dota 2:

Day of the Ancients, DotA, is a much different game compared to Strength of Spirits.

DotA is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA); a genre that decides to put lore and story in

the background while players fight one another in teams of five. The gameplay for DotA ranges

from slow and tactical to fast and hectic. While the choices in-game do not necessarily have

moral or ethical values behind them, each choice the player makes during the battle can make or

break a game. A decision to leave the group can lead to disastrous results for the friendly team.

For our game, we decided not to make the gameplay all about battling one another, but at times,

a fight can turn from tactical to hectic very fast.DotA 2 remains a competitor because players

who play MOBA games enjoy multiplayer games that allow you to fight in whatever way you

see fit. Strength of Spirits grants that freedom, in hopes that the players will enjoy the flexibility

in combat. We also compete against the concept of playing with many friends at a time. Because

there are teams of five, it is very possible to have ten friends play at once, which increases the

replay value exponentially.

Pathfinder:

Pathfinder is a tabletop role playing game that takes the classic Dungeons and Dragons

model and expands on each aspect of the popular RPG. Unlike our game Pathfinder is a direct

descendant to Dungeons and Dragons, using the same sheets, character models, and rulebooks.

Separating the two games are the differences between the shared mechanics. There are slight

changes to each character, as well as different iterations of the rulebook. There are different

versions of each class for the player to experiment in Pathfinder, adding an abundance of replay

value. With Strength of Spirits, we trade the variations of each character for more simple classes

that allow newcomers to the RPG scene to feel more comfortable and less overwhelmed by the

massive amounts of options.

Skylanders:

Skylanders is a toy based action game that uses figurines purchased from toy-stores to

create characters in the video game. Much like our game, Skylanders’ game play revolves around

who you choose as a companion. Your choice to use a certain character at a certain time can

change the outcome of a situation for the good or bad. What Skylanders does very successfully is

market itself to not only smaller children but to video game fans of all ages. With the cartoony

exterior of a mystical land of dragons and magic creatures, the interior of the game features

moderate violence through combat. There is no blood or gore, so it perfectly suits itself for

players of all ages and skill levels.

Magic The Gathering:

Magic the Gathering is a tabletop card game, where players choose what type of cards

they wish to play. With five different colors, players have a plethora of variety and options to

experiment with. Like Strength of Spirits, each card has artwork and a description of what the

card does and how it affects the game. The skill-cap of Magic is significantly higher than our

own game which has its benefits and its takeaways. While fans of the game, and of the trading

card scene, Magic is an excellent game that drags a player in until he has made the perfect deck.

To those who are not familiar with competitive card playing, Magic will seem over the top and at

times pretty confusing. Our game hopes to remove the confusion in first learning card games, but

retain that drive to try different combinations to see which one works the best.

Overview of Gameplay:

The story so far follows a group of adolescents that are preparing to receive their spirit

animals. In order to gain their companions for life, they must travel to the Spirit Temple where

their animal spirits await. Then as the characters learn more about their land and their

surroundings, they can create ideas on where to go and who to talk to. The story progresses in

three main stages: Pre-Spirit, Received-Spirit, and Growing-Spirit sections. As the titles suggest,

the Pre-spirit stage follows the players before they gain their animal companions. Players

become familiarized with their new characters and become comfortable with the basics of

combat and exploration within the game. Players will have the option of talking to different non-

player character players to gain information about the world around them and the culture that

your character lives in. The Received-Spirit section gives the player their first look at their spirit

animal. This animal will be the crux of many battles throughout the game, offering special

abilities that can change the tides of battle for the better. Not only do they help players succeed

in battle, but they are dynamic characters themselves. They can change pending on the decisions

the player makes throughout the game. This section is the most crucial part of that development

period. The actions of the player will affect the final form of their spirit animal, so choice

selection will be key in having an animal that will suit your playstyle the most effectively. Then

finally there is the Growing-Spirit section that highlights the final form of your spirit animal.

This is the time where the bond between player and spirit is solidified and maintained. Fighting

side by side, player and animal create a connection that cannot be severed by any circumstance,

regardless of how dire the situation. It is also in this section where the players will face their

toughest and most ruthless of enemies. The stronger the bond between the player and his or her

animal will dictate the outcome of battles with forces that may seem unconquerable. Using the

spirit animal is integral to not only story, but gameplay as well.

Basic Game Rules:

Game Objective:

The objective of the game is for the players to get to the final level of the game and

defeat the final boss. Players must work together to make it through all obstacles that stand

between them and Victory.

Choosing the DM and Classes:

- In Strength of Spirits all players must must choose a Dungeon Master. The DM can be any

player who wants to take on this role. As the DM the player will be working against the other

players and guide them through the game.

- All other players must choose a specific class to play as before the game starts. These classes

will dictate how the player fights in combat and what type of Spirit Animal they may obtain

while playing the game. To choose their class the players must roll a six sided die. Once they roll

the player with the highest roll chooses their class first. Repeat this process till all players have

chosen a class.

Starting the Game:

- Strength of Spirits begins with the DM telling the players their first part of their story. After

they respond to their first Story prompt they will then choose which path they will take to go to

their next Story prompt.

Story Prompt Interactions:

- When the players are given a Story prompt they must choose a specific answer to the prompt

they are given.

- One player will speak on behalf of the entire group however each player’s choice will be

recorded by the DM and will be added to their score.

- To choose the group speaker all players must roll a 6 sided die. Whoever rolls highest is the

speaker.

- The choice the speaker picks will decide what happens to the group during the specific story

prompt.

- After the story prompt is concluded the players will have to choose the path they will take to

the next prompt. The group speaker from the last prompt will be the one to choose the path. The

group can help him or her in deciding which path to take.

- Between each story prompt the players will have to fight a random set of creatures. These

creatures will be determined by the DM.

Determining the creatures for Combat:

- The DM will randomly choose what creatures the players will have to face.

- To do this the DM must look at what path the group has chosen. Then he must gather all the

creature options that correspond to that specific path. Then the DM randomly chooses one of the

creature cards from the group.

- The players must then defeat the creatures to progress to the next Story Prompt.

Combat:

- Players are given a set amount of heath at the start of each combat phase. The health numbers

are as follows. Stage 1: 5 Stage 2: 10 Stage 3: 15

- Players do a set amount of auto attack damage that changes depending on the current stage of

the game. The auto attack damage is as follows. Stage 1: 1 Stage 2: 3 Stage 3: 5

- To begin combat the DM places the creature card(s) in front of the players.

- Unless otherwise stated the players then choose where they will place each of their characters

from left to right.

- Unless otherwise stated the players will attack first.

- Unless otherwise stated the players will roll a 20 sided die to see who goes first. Then the

players will take their turns from going left from the first player.

- The combat ends when one of the following occurs:

The Players reduce all enemies health to 0

Each Player’s health is reduced to 0

- Combat is turn based unless otherwise stated. All of the players will attack, then all of the

enemies will attack.

Spirit Animal Abilities:

- Once the player has obtained their Spirit Animal they will receive a set of buffs and/or abilities

from their Spirit Animal. If in the event a players ability would conflict with one or more of the

Spirit Animal’s abilities the Spirit Animal’s ability will override the players ability. This means

that the players ability will not occur and the Spirit Animal’s ability will.

Boss Battles:

- Each phase of the game ends with a boss battle. Boss battles are significantly harder than the

other battles players have faced and will present the players with a uniquely challenging

experience.

- The boss that the players will fight is chosen by the DM.

Group Alignment:

- The group alignment for each phase is determined by the choices made by the group as a

whole.

- Whenever the group answers a Story prompt the answer they choose has a specific alignment.

The alignment point is tallied by the DM and saved for the end of the stage.

- There are three alignments:

Good

Neutral

Evil

- Each story prompt will assign the group 1 point in one of these alignments.

End of the first phase:

- At the end of the first phase players are given their Spirit Animal. Their Spirit animal is based

on their individual choices made in the phase.

- Spirit Animals are entities in the game that buff the players when fighting. Each Spirit Animal

gives a different buff.

- At the end of the first phase player’s heros will level up. This means that their next active

ability will be activated and their health and auto attack damage will increase.

End of the Second Phase:

- At the end of the second Phase players are given their Alignment. Their alignment will change

the effects of Spirit Animal abilities.

There are three different player alignments:

Good

Neutral

Evil

- Player alignment is determined by each player’s individual response to the Story prompts.

- The DM will tally their choices and their alignment will be given to them based upon their

responses.

- At the end of the second phase player’s heros will level up. This means that their next active

ability will be activated and their health and auto attack damage will increase.

Choosing the Spirit Animal:

- The DM will assign each player their Spirit Animal at the end of the first phase.

- The DM then separates the Spirits based upon the alignment of the player. After the Spirits are

separated the DM rolls a 6 sided die and then selects the spirit that corresponds to the number

rolled.

Final Phase gameplay:

- In the final phase of the game the players use their Spirit Animals and their alignments as buffs

in battle.

- Players will not engage in story prompts at this point in the game. They will face a series of

increasingly difficult enemy battles.

- The final boss will be much harder than all the previous bosses. The Final boss will be chosen

based upon the combined group alignment points for the players, this includes alignment points

obtained in the final phase.

- There are three main bosses that will be chosen based upon the groups overall alignment.

- If the players are able to defeat the final boss they will win the game. As will the rest of the

game if they all die they will lose the game.

Game Mechanics:

Progression: One of the most important things in Strength of Spirits is the feeling of progressing

and leveling up your character. This is an element of video games and tabletop games that is

meant to be emulated in the game. This is why players will have one consistent character that

they level up and that changes based upon the choices they make. Strength of Spirits will bring

the excitement and enjoyment of having a persistent character to a quick and easy to play gaming

experience. Through new hero levels, hero alignment, and dynamic interactions players will feel

their game progress just they would in any other game, however this experience will be quick

enough that they could do it whenever they want with anyone.

Teamwork: It is incredibly important for players to work together. They will be engaged in

group combat where they must work together to stay alive and they will have dynamic

interactions in which they must make a group decision on what the players will do in the game.

Without working together the players will lose so they will learn the importance of working with

each other to achieve victory.

Dynamic Combat: Players will be thrown into exciting turn based combat. They will have to

battle a vast amount of creatures to survive and win the game. No two games are ever the same.

The players will always face a different set of creatures in a different order which will change

their experience dynamically each time they play the game.

Group Social Involvement: It is important for all the players feel involved in the story that

transpires each time they play. Players will have to make decisions together and they will be

involved in a dynamic story driven events. In addition the game will also be exciting for the

player assuming the role of the Dungeon Master. The DM is responsible for making sure the

story flows from battle to battle and interaction to interaction. He will also have the ability to

effect the players experience and the way they play the game will be changed based upon what

happens in the game. Not only will Strength of Spirits be an engaging game experience but it will

also engage the players socially and provide a fun and exciting experience each time they play.

Level Designs:

During each stage, there will be many different locations the players will be visiting in order to

achieve their goal or simply because they have gotten lost. Because there is not a certain

aesthetic design for the locations, the players and the Game Master imagine what their location

can look like, making the same location seem different to each and every player. There is no

board for the players to look at, just their character card and your allies sitting next to you. On a

gameplay standpoint, each level will play similarly until large set pieces happen. Fights will

have different monsters that correspond to the current location and movement will be selected

based on the terrain of the level. For example, they may need a boat if the group is surrounded by

water. The set of levels in each stage gives a sense of direction to players, without them even

noticing. Like mentioned before, the world will be big, but as designers we want the game to

have some focus. Having a defined number of levels streamlines the game and allows for players

to finish a game in one sitting, rather than have people come back and start where they left off.

Tone and Feel:

We definitely want a playful feel when this game just starts. Having players go through

the beginning stages having fun and exploring, learning all about this new world that has be

thrust upon them. Then as the second stage comes, we want that same energy and friendliness to

continue with the addition of the animal companions. Receiving an animal spirit should be a time

of happiness and excitement for both spirit and player. When the third stage rolls around, the

tone changes a little bit. The playful attitude slowly turns to serious, but not in a quick drastic

turn. A sudden tone shift will throw off players and cause a odd transition. But as it slowly

becomes a little more serious with each new encounter, then a final encounter can be a

culmination of the events that have already occurred. Having a subtle and gradual change of tone

really helps develop characters into dynamic pieces themselves, and allows the player to see how

much his actions have affected the outcome of the game. The concept of the game is to have a

spirit animal, the essence of being free and wild, so we want to keep that going as long as we

can. But for a successful character, there needs to be a side that is able to put that aside and focus

on something important and serious.

Character Controls:

The characters in our game are very easy to use and easy to learn. Mastering team

combinations on the other hand take careful deliberation and consideration. Each character is

controlled by the player as though the player were the character. The player would simply

declare an action, and the the action would occur, as long as the action is outside of battle. In

battle, when an action is declared, the player must roll a die to see if the action hits the opposing

enemy. When a character receives their spirit animal, the animal controls the same way.

Visual Style:

The style in mind for the game is focused on the idea of spirit animals. So creatures will

ethereal or wispy. For this to appear normal and average, the landscape and culture needs to

mimic the aesthetic of the spirit animals. Clothing can almost be tribal at points, favoring robes

and long sleeves for not only mages but for common people as well. For those who do not enjoy

the longer garments, other clothing can be shorter, but the feel that things are free flowing much

like the spirit animal are essential to the overall visual style for our game.

While the game will have that main-spirit aesthetic, there is also this sub-style of light

against darkness. Animals who are deemed darker than others should have darker coats, evil

characters would have darker clothing and distorted attributes. For example, if all neutral

characters have blonde hair, and evil character would have grey hair. Know which characters are

evil and which are good is pivotal in making decisions throughout the game.

Inspiration Boards

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16WzZjt3PL3UtJb6w65QZcm2oeebZFRjkUxVfnrZljUw/e

dit

Design Rationale

As we designed the Strength of Spirits we decided to take many different elements from

similar games and how they function. We specifically looked closely at Dungeons and Dragons.

We wanted to create a game that would be quicker than playing dungeons and dragons but that

emulated the gameplay experience of Dungeons and Dragons at the same time. We did this by

analysing other games and bringing in elements from those games to create an exciting new

game. After the game was set up and fleshed out we set out doing play testing which allowed us

to follow an iterative design system to create our game. As we playtested the game we changed

the game based on the things we saw and experienced in playtesting. Then we proceeded to

changed the game repeatedly through this system.

We started by analyzing the gameplay mechanics and fundamentals of Dungeons and

Dragons itself. Seeing as how we were creating a game that was essentially a streamlined

simulation of that game we figured it would be important to analyze and understand it before we

began adding concepts from other games to our game. After close examination of the game we

found the key concepts of the game that make it what it is. The most important parts of

Dungeons and Dragons is the sense of involvement with a dynamically changing story and the

evolution of players through the game. With that in mind we set out to create a game that shared

those same qualities, without needing to devote as much time to playing the game. We also

understood that it would be important to have a storyteller playing the game similar to the

Dungeon Master in Dungeons and Dragons. This was because we realized, after play testing

Dungeons and Dragons ourselves, that the DM is such an important part of the game and that it

would never be possible to create a game similar to Dungeons and Dragons without this

important role being present in the game.So we decided that we would include a Dungeon

Master role within the game to create the connection to the original game and to progress the

story for the players.

This was the building block from which we started creation of the game. We decided that

a game that gave a relatively rigid storyline that still gave players freedom to make decisions

would be the best way to emulate that sense of progression and involvement that is associated

with Dungeons and Dragons. We then decided that the best way to create a system in which

players could quickly jump into a game and not have to worry about setting up characters sheets

and building their characters would be to create a board game that functioned around cards. With

a card based game we could make set characters and enemies that would be easy to understand,

play with, and distribute when trying to play the game. For this aspect of the game with looked to

card games that we all knew and that were popular.

We set out examining Magic the Gathering and the Pokemon trading card game. What

we found from these cards was a simple system by which we could create hero cards and enemy

cards. We found that in both games, and in Dungeons and Dragons, each card had specific

abilities that gave the character’s special functions and roles in combat. We thought it would be

interesting to add this to our game. We decided to create hero classes that the players would have

to choose from at the beginning of the game. This added to the sense of customization and

individuality in the game that was found in the card games and in Dungeons and Dragons itself.

We made the decision to include this in our game because it worked so well with the overall

design of the game. Originally it was just going to be choosing a spirit animal but we realized

that it would be much more engaging and interesting to add a sense of identity with the world for

the player, which would come from having a hero class within the game. We also recognized that

creating enemies would be made simpler and easier to understand if they were just cards that the

players would receive in the game box. So we decided that we would set out creating cards for

all of these parts of the game.

After we figure out what that the game would be card based we needed to set out creating

all the cards for the game and the rules. We adapted our rules for combat and storytelling from

different games that had similar systems that we knew worked well. Much of the way that we

designed our story prompt system and alignment system is similar to the systems used in games

such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age, And Star Wars: The Old Republic. We found these to be

simplistic systems that allowed for relatively deep player immersion while keeping interaction

simple. We also found that it would be quite easy to implement these systems from video games

into a board game through cards and written word systems, all of which could be monitored by

the games DM. After playtesting the game a bit we were able to refine both systems and make

them function very well within the gameplay experience. The system of combat that we adopted

was just like the combat system of any roleplaying game that was turn based. Some systems we

looked into were the combat systems in games like Final Fantasy and Golden Sun. These games

had simple turn based combat that was engaging and exciting, but simple enough that almost

anyone could understand how the systems functioned. When then set about refining those

systems into simpler systems that would be easily translated into a board game experience.

Our system for game progression came from analysing MMORPGs that have dungeons

and raids. Specifically we looked at the story progression and battle progression of games such

as World Of Warcraft and NeverWinter to see how they progress players through dungeons and

through combat within those dungeons. We tried to look at how they changed the story of each

dungeon and progressed the difficulty of combat in them as well. This is how we came up with

our stage system for each part of the game and how we decided that players would have to fight

bosses at the end of each stage. This system would be similar to the progression of those systems

and would be a simple way to incorporate them into our game and add to player involvement and

engagement.

Finally we had to figure out how to incorporate Spirit Animals into our game. We had

many different iterations of them in our game as we playtested. At one point we had them as

additional players in the game that would fight with the players as they progressed. What we

ended up finding out was that they fit best into the game, and into the story, as buffs and boons

the players. Instead of being physical entities in the game and the story they function as spiritual

enhancements for the players. We looked at buffs in games such as Dota 2 and League of

Legends and tried to emulate the way they function in our game. We thought that the systems

used in those games were very easy to relate to a card game and would help make the combat

system feel more dynamic while continuing to keep it simple enough so that anyone could grasp

it.

Overall we wanted to keep strong player interaction between the game and other players

strong. We wanted a game that could easily immerse players deeply, while keeping the game

easy to play and enjoy for everyone involved.Thanks to our iterative design process we were able

to achieve a much more polished game experience than we originally had through just basic

game design. We feel that we have been able to achieve that goal in our final game design. By

analysing and incorporating elements of other games and our own designs we have created an

experience that is true to the fundamentals of Dungeons and Dragons but is simple and easy

enough that anyone can get involved in it.

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World of Warcraft. Version 5.0.3. 2013. Blizzard Entertainment. 24 Apr. 2013

NeverWinter. Current Version. 2013. Perfect Worlds. 24 Apr. 2013

Dota 2. Current Version. 2013. Valve Software. 24 Apr. 2013

League of Legends. Current Version. 2013. Riot Games. 24 Apr. 2013

Playtesting Plan:

For a game such as ours, we plan to playtest with a group of four people. Their

knowledge of role playing games can be varied to simulate an average group of people wanting

to play a new game. The playtests will set up so the players can feel comfortable with their

group, most likely with friends so they can both work together effectively or fight one another

while still having fun. The players should be comfortable enough with each other that they aren’t

shy or unwilling to speak up. The environment of the playtest should be somewhere where all 4

players can sit near one another and be in a close range. They need to be able to talk to one

another without having to shout and get all of the ideas lost amongst a crowded room. We will

most likely playtest in a bedroom or study lounge where there is a lack of other people.

Our playtesting materials are going to pretty basic, so that we have the option to edit

them later. We plan to give the Game Master 3 separate notebooks in order to keep track of the

game’s proceedings and the player’s choices. One notebook will be empty, and used for the

Game Master to record each individual player’s choices. The second will be an enemy and item

sheet. This will contain what enemies and items that the players may encounter on their journey.

It will include the enemies’ and items’ stats, strengths, and weaknesses. The final notebook will

be an encounter notebook. It will contain a list of random events that can occur depending on

what the players roll using the dice we provide. We will also provide Class cards and Animal

cards. The class cards will each be different, and we will provide 4 different class cards so that

each player can playtest a separate class. They will pick these cards at the beginning of the game

and will be unable to change throughout the entirety of the game. The animal cards will be

distributed at the end of the first arc of gameplay. The Game Master will decide which animal

fits each player due to their choices at the beginning of the game. The majority of this game is

seen through cards and notes used either by the player or by the Game Master. Because a lot of

the game revolves around this cards and notes, the biggest concern for our playtesting is to see

the reaction from the players. We are looking to see how the players interacted with one another,

and how they used the cards to help themselves play the game. We are also watching the Game

Master to see how comfortable he feels with a notepad with numbers and ideas, along with

telling a whole new story.

With regards to combat and storyline, we will be using the playtesting period to see how

fluid combat can be, and to make sure nothing is too strong or too weak. If an enemy is too

strong we will see that and change it so players can have a chance to advance through the story a

bit easier. If a character is too strong, then as developers we need to determine how to balance

that class out so that it is on the same level as the other classes. We want to start each player on

the same level and then progress from there.

From our playtesting, we hope to determine the success or fail of our storyline, combat,

and events. We really just need to know how to balance the characters and if our dice rolling

technique is both fun and useful. Our group also hopes to tweak the game so that the Game

Master is having just as much fun as the actual players are. Mostly we are just looking to see if

the game has continuity and if it can be played through successfully.

The materials are all things that we have bought. The notebooks were bought and edited

to what we needed. The class cards and animal cards are going to be printed on index cards. The

animal cards will most likely have artwork done by Kristin in the final design. Everything is

either handwritten or typed by a member of our group.

Technical Plan:

Our game does not require any digital components, which makes it much easier to finish

by the end of the semester. We plan on leaving a good portion of the game up to the players.

However, we will need to create the class cards, the animal cards, the enemies and items

notebook, the encounters notebooks, provide the empty notebook, provide dice, and create rules.

The biggest obstacle with creating this game is creating all of the cards necessary to fully

immerse the players in a whole new world. Each character, animal, monster, and boss has a

separate card that contains their name, abilities, health, damage, and a picture. Taking on the task

of creating abilities and creatures will be Bryan and Alex, while Kristin will be drawing concepts

for each animal and card that requires it. Because we want this game to be very imaginative and

creative for the players, we will most likely not have pictures for the enemies or classes. We will

provide descriptions of the enemies and classes and allow the players to imagine was each one

would look like, specifically. As a group, ideas, the names, weaknesses, strengths, and

descriptions will be bounced off one another to see how different people react to different ideas.

This will almost be something we question the players on in our playtesting. Pieces will mostly

be on basic index cards for their accessibility and size. The average sized index card is perfectly

sized to show on a table and to not take up too much space.

The notebooks will be bought by us and provided for the players. One notebook will be

empty and left blank for the players to record things in. The second notebook will be filled with

enemies and their statistics. A majority of the strength and weaknesses will be assessed and

created by Alex and Bryan, while Kristin will be coming up with their descriptions and basic

designs. No one person will creating anything. We plan to all agree and work on each piece

before it is finished. The encounter list will be made up by all three of us. We each will come up

with plausible and maybe amusing encounters and add them to the third notebook. The list will

grow based on how many we can decide on.

Our long term plan for the future really depends on how our playtesting goes. We are

hoping that this game becomes fun and becomes a style of DnD that can be passed around and

played. At first, it will probably spread by word of mouth from those that have either playtested

or helped create it. This will encounter players to come up with their own versions of the game

and continue playing it and making it better. The best case scenario is that our playtesting and

project goes well, and then we can discuss turning out game into something more professional.

There are no definitive plans for the future at this moment, other than hoping that our games

ideas will travel and be used in future DnD games.

Challenges, Outstanding Questions and Issues (1-2~)

The largest issue our group seems to be facing is finding the time needed to actually meet

and discuss everything. Kristin works two jobs, Alex lives off campus, and Bryan plays on some

of the club sports teams. It’s very difficult for our group to meet and get our work done.

Especially because we need to sit and discuss a lot of it before putting it into our design

document and our assignments. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find time soon to sit and work things

out as a group instead of just messaging each other online.

As for our actual game, we have a lot of questions that really can’t be answered until we

playtest everything. We’re worried about making the Game Master have fun, instead making it

seem like he has a job. We want all of our players to have fun and not feel like our game is a

chore.

We’re also worried about the level of creativity needed for our game. Dungeons and

Dragons usually attracts players that have an active imagination and some level of creativity, but

we are still a bit worried. This is why we introduced the idea of creating cards, encounters,

enemies, etc so that that game won’t require quite as much creativity as it did originally. We

want the game to attract all level of players. We’re hoping to make it more attractive to people

that have never played Dungeons and Dragons, as well as staying close to the Dungeons and

Dragons design. Along with this, we want the game to play quicker than a game of Dungeons

and Dragons might. We want players to be able to finish it in one day, instead of dragging the

game over weeks of time. However, we will not be able to see how long our game really takes to

play until we can playtest it.

We are also worried about the balance of our game. We need to figure out how to balance

the classes, animals, and enemies so that no one is overpowered or too weak. We are going to

have to playtest it a few times in order to see how everything interacts and plays. One

overpowered enemy or class could mess up the entire dynamic of the game.

The last thing we’re concerned over are the encounters and the idea of the spirit animals.

We need to make sure that each encounter fits the theme of the game and is somehow plausible,

while still making them fun. We want to include a few random, funny encounters so that the

Game Master can have fun trying to trick his/her friends. We need each encounter to be playable

and fit well into the game. Its the same dilemma with the spirit animal concept. Until we playtest,

our ideas to include the spirit animals are just speculation. We can only hope that our ideas will

work out for the gameplay.

Audience Overview/Personas

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B311PQKGGdILWHZqRjB0VGNNNHc/edit?usp=sharing

Competitive Analysis

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3cmrdqybecby32c/competitive%20analysis.xlsx