Setting 3

This is set on the players way to Grandmas house in the little red riding hood story. I still kept the simple effect and the blurry background and the foreground is more focused.. I got this idea from pogos music video, minus the bright colours.

I placed a bridge with a creature underneath. When the player comes across the brdige, the creatures arms will stretch up and try to snatch the player. The player has to run across the bridge to avoid getting caught.

full view of environment

I will still need to find out what else i can add to the environment other than just trees, forests and hills to add more excitement. This is why I thought of the creature under the bridge to add a bit of excitement otherwise the environment would look plain like Mario side scroller games.

Creature under the bridge - Players view

For Granny's house i kept the plain look with a slight crook. The next step will be the interior design of the house. I notice in some movies and films that the bed is already by the front door or its all one room behind a curtain. I think i will take this interpretation and design something siilar.

Granny's house - players view

I will stick to the blurry backgrounds as it intensifies the foreground and can show the distance from the house.

Background without bridge and house

Experimenting

After looking at some side scrolling games i notice that the backgrounds look blurry. I tried this effect on my 2 environments and it makes the foreground stand out more than usual.

Blurry foregrounds can make the scene more clearer

I will use this effects for my environments to enhance the foreground more. It can also stand out objects that the player has to interact with.

Sign post. When approached warning signs appear

Environment 2 - in the forest

In the forest, the only colour for background will be the trees in the distance

Close up view from players eyes

Environment - Game view

I have made a game view of what the environment would look like on screen. I like the style of using minimalism in the game and just the tones of colours. I opted for the black and white look as when the characters come in place, they will stand out.

The setting will be in a forest, so loads of trees and hills. The piece has a close up view of what the player will seeing and the screen will move from left to right.

Full view of setting

For the sky i just used a dark gradient, as I want the game set during a gloomy period. 

What the players will see when playing the game - close up

Walking vs Non walking characters

After showing David my charfacters for the "Two Brothers" story there was a difference between walking animals and standing (Anthro) animals. We needed a reason why there was a difference between the wolves and other animals to make sense.

Even the Mikey Mouse comics made a strip on why there are two different kinds of dogs
http://2damnfunny.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Mickey-Goofy-Pluto-Comic-On-Goofy-Being-a-Talking-Dog.jpg

I have thought of a way how this can work. Since it is all fairytales it sort doesn't need to make sense. I decided to make up a story of why the wolves can walk while other wolves don't.

When the player approaches the wolf in the two brothers stage, they can ask innocently if they can walk. The wolf will respond with a small story.

"A long time ago there was two clans, the good clan and the bad one. The bad ones did horrible things, murder, pilage, steal, everything while the good clan would stay all saintly. One day the bad clan pilaged a witches village so one of the eldest witch that survived set off to find the clan. However, she came across the good one and turned them into wolves saying "If you want to act like savage animals then you can be a savage animal". Personally I take that as an offence since we're not all savage and that but ANYWAYS she found out that was the wrong clan. "No matter" she thought "I'll just turn the other clan into wolves too" and thats why they can walk and us normal wolves can't. I guess she wasn't a clever witch since A) She doesn't know how to change the good clan back or B) she got devoured instantly after turning the bad clan into wolves. They've been that way ever sincewith the good clan trying to do good deeds to change back, which will never happen. I think the bad clan liked the way they are now which is more frightening...."

I will try and shorten the story later on since it's not important at the moment. Since it'll be a DS game I will make text boxes similar to pokemon, link, etc.

Text boxes will be similar to this with the characters face at the side to show who is speaking. Will be a different design
http://media.gamerevolution.com/images/games/ds/kingdom-hearts-358-2-days/kingdom-hearts-358-2-days_009.jpg

Reason for changing stories

Over the holiday I found that using the same stories in the Brothers Grimm book for the game wouldn't be interesting enough.  That's when I thought of changing the story slightly so that the player will be more involved.

I got this idea from the game "Kingdom Hearts".  The player in this game travels through the Disney universe helping the characters with their stories / locking key holes.

Rather than locking keyholes the player in my game will have a book that can capture ink demons who want to ruin the Brothers Grimm story.  It's more interesting, fun and I can explore how I can create my own story using the Brothers Grimm pieces. I also want to design the ink demons and have different endings and takes on the stories.

Level 3

STORY 3 - Snow White

The player comes across a little cottage.  Player explores the cottage and goes out in the garden.  There is a glass coffin with a girl trying to get out.  The girl says that 7 gnomes locked her in the coffin and went off to fetch the wicked Queen.  She asks the player to find the key to unlock it which is around in the house somewhere.  Once the player retrieves it they go out into the garden where they are confronted by the Queen and 7 gnomes.  The Queen says it's too late and puts the coffin on her carriage.  She transforms the gnomes into a giant with 14 eyes.  The player needs to defeat the giant to get passage to the Queen.  Once defeated the giant changes back into a shadowy form which is transported back into the book the player has. The player needs to go to the mountain before the Queen throws the girl off the cliff.  The player meets the Prince who is looking for the girl.  They both go to the cliff where the Queen is with the coffin.  The Queen attacks using magic but is defeated when the girl escapes and throws an apple by a rotted apple tree at the Queens Head.  Surprised the Queen topples over the cliff.  The girl and Prince thanks the player and gives the player a small dagger that can cut through anything.  End of level

Boss ideas

Story Idea BOSSES

The bosses will be the the main stories that the players defeat.

Red Riding hiod

Hansel and gretel

Cinderella

Snow white

Rapunzel

Each story will be very different to the original with the main character the villain or the Co main characters.

Level 2

STORY 2 - Two Brothers

The player comes across a lion a fox a duck a mouse and a rabbit with a decapitated human.  The animals say they need a magic root that will help return their master back to life.  The player agrees to help. And gets a choice of which animal companion to bring.  They have to search the woods for a talking tree to get the root.  Once they go pass the levels they come across the tree.  There is a riddle the tree speaks and the player must answer with 3 attempts.  Once answered correctly the tree digs into the ground and brings up a root. The player goes back to the animal companions and gives it to the lion. The lion sticks the root into the neck and spears his head onto the top end of the root.  The neck heals and the man is brought back to life. However the lion placed it on backwards.  The Fox says to take off his head and do it again, at which case the man starts to run backwards away from them.  The player must jump on the lions back and chase the man down and move obstacles in his way to slow him down.  Once caught up the lion does a swap and the man is brought back to life properly with his head on right. The man thanks the player and gives him a whistle to call on one of his companions whenever the player is in trouble.  End of level 2.

Level ideas

I have thought of levels and how to design them in a ds form.  I have tried to design in a detailed way but as my style is mostly geometric shapes and minimalism I feel using this format will be great for a ds game or and indie pc game. 

These posts will be about the levels and what the player will do.  It will give me an idea on how to design it which I will start doing by tomorrow.

STORY ONE -  Red Riding Hood

Stage one player walks through the stage till he meets Wolf crying.  Asks what's wrong and Wolf complains of some demon stealing his red Cape. Gets up and claims to know where the demon is going and asks the player to help him get the Cape back.  Player agrees and pursuits the red Cape theif.  Turns up at grandma's house who is out at the time.  Wolf asks the player to tell the Cape theif to pick up muffins while he gets changed into grandma's clothes to give him time. Once player collects the muffins and gives to the Cape theif (who shape shifts into a girl at the time ) she goes in to the house.  After the usual red riding hood quotes the Wolf pounces the demons and gets back his cape.  The girl transforms into a shadowy demon and player has to defeat it. Once defeated the demon gets swallowed up into the players book and boss 1 is defeated.  Wolf's leaves with cape and grandma comes back with her grand daughter (real riding hood with a GREEN cape) to her now run down home. Player completes level 1.