Here is some information about the game I am currently working on. Its for a Local (South Africa) game dev contest with a theme of "Action Game".
The game as it progresses is downloadable from:
http://www.cairnsgames.co.za/downloa...on-Install.zip
I'll let you know when there is source to download.
For my game design and progress management I am using a program called WikidPad, while it has its limitations its actually quite a nice tool to work with.
*Popcorn Tycoon*
Ster-Metro has outsourced their refreshment stands, and you have a contract, but so do many others. You need to make money selling goods - as requested by customers. While defending your stand, attacking the other stands customers (water guns) and putting up cool advertising to attract customers.
Needs: Models (Stands, products, adverts, customers)
Play Goal: General Mayhem - click fest? Reach Profit/Income Goals
Contols - all mouse based
Click on water gun to attack neighbouring stand,
Click on product then customer to sell product
Click on bill board and location to erect marketing
Put mouse in way to prevent an attack
*Game Play Rules*
The screen has a number of stands. You control one stand (The stand could grow in size as you get more successful).
Customers walk to the stand - you need to deliver to their requirements. (Each customer will have a thought bubble of what they want. When they get to your stand they must be given the items - by clicking on the item and then on the thought bubble)
Other stand owners may throw things at you or your customers - you need to catch them by letting them collide with the mouse (The mouse cannot be carrying anything).
You may select some items to attack the other stands with. Click on the Attack item (Rubbish/Water Gun etc) and then on the stand or customers you want to attack.
You can put up marketing to attract customers to your stand. Click on the marketing icon and then the location you want to market to. Customers will see the adverts and then decide which stand they want to visit for their products.
A level should not last more then about 2 or 3 minutes before being finished.
Each advert advertises a product. Different products have different returns. Lots of popcorn is sold so it has very low returns. Medium number of drinks are sold so this makes medium returns. Few sweets are sold so this makes a large return. The adverts can be for A product range - (Buy your cooldrink here) or for a specific product (But your COLA here). This allows players to put up alternate advertising as one of their opponents or to compete directly on a product range. (This makes it a management game as well as the player must balance the income gained from the products against the expenditure on Advertising and weapons)
Left Click to Select and Item (Sale Item, Weapon) - Item is immediatly charged from player finances.
Left click to Sell/Attack
Right Click to Drop - no refund
*Models Required*
Stands - Basically boxes with a roof - different names etc
Products - Drinks, Sweet, Popcorn
Weapons
Customers - Mmm - cant model people - maybe need some models from 3D cafe for this. (Maybe just have the though bubbles moving into the area - the though bubble has an idea what he wants - this is then facused based on the ads, and the color of the bubble shows which stand he is heading toward)
Marketing Banners - same names as the stands - maybe highlighting certain products on adverts
Movie Banners (Can use Reiners sprites/Vue Esprit for these)
What items need models and what can be done using photos of different products?
Cooldrink Cans
Popcorn Boxes
Chocolates and Sweets
Or are these part of the copyright rules? Maybe just have different Colored cans and chocolate bars.
*Screen Layout*
Along top of screen are the Stands - next to one another. Maybe multi screen so that the player needs to scroll left and right to see all the stands.
Customers enter from the bottom and walk toward a stand.
Special places for billboard are available.
What about entraces to the theaters - how does this affect which stand the customers are going to. Maybe can swithc the movie in each theater as part of the advetrising budget.
Nice to have movie posters in the background.
*Questions*
Are there side walls?
What pattern is on the floor.
How do billboards affect the customers?
How do customers decide where to go
Cheapest - implies price changes are allowed
Best Advertised
Least customers
Closest to chosen movie
What happens when customers are attacked?
Lowers effect of advertising
Chases one customer away, but sends two other customers out of the stands queue
How do we manage customer queues? People standing behind one another waiting for a stand. Bigger stands can have multiple queues but the player must still deliver by themselves.
What goals are there?
Customer Satisfaction
Income/ Retrun on Capital - Seel most high value items
*Product List*
Popcorn - Least return - easiest to choose and give
Regular
Caramel
Drinks - better return - couple of options
Cola
Twist 'o Lemon
Fizzed Orange
Rasberry Gas
Sweets - High return, many options
Chocolate Surprise
Chewwed Gums
Hippo Stomp
Sweet Twirl
Best Favorite
Moms Whisper
*Weapons List*
Water Guns - Attack a specific customer - always chases hit customer away from movies, makes two nearest other customers redecide the stand they will buy from. If attack customer not in a queue will make then either leave or change their stand (random chance)
Water Bomb - not very accurate - large area and may make customers go away or change their stand (depends how wet they got. Cheap - lowers cost of next weapon (ie all weapons become a little cheaper)
Rubbish - Chases customer and nearest two others away from theater. All other customers in line look for a new stand. But lowers effect of own advertising - therefore less chance of people coming to your own stand. Raises cost of next attack.
*Customers*
X% of customers will not buy anything - go straight to the movie
Most customers want popcorn. Some want a drink or sweek as well, a few want Popcorn and Drink and Sweet.
Advertising will help choose which stand to go to. This is also based on their own preference of what type of store they want (Cheap, best advertised, least visited)
Advertising may affect what they want to buy. It may make them choose a specific type of item, or add a new item to their want list.
Customers are displayed as a colored face - the color shows whaich stand they are considering going to. When they reach the stand they will ask for products by displaying a thought bubble containing the items they want. If no specific brand is prefered they will choose as they reach the stand (maybe they can change their selection after asking for something - if they havn't a preference).
Maybe use different looking faces to represent different customer types - those liking a brand or a set of products - then affect them by the advertising.
Customers Kept waiting - lower customer satiscfaction/
*Adverts*
Near the door ways affect the initial preference a customer has.
In the middle of the floor affects customers chased away from other stands.
Near certain theaters will affect customers going to those specific theaters (as the customer walks in they look toward their chosen theater and see the advertising) - might mean a need to make certain movies more popular than others.
How do players remove other players adverts?
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