Homework 6

1. For each of the four elements of the Tetrad, explain how it is addressed by your game. If one of the four elements is not used, please state this.

Mechanics: The main mechanic is taking a picture of an object. When the flash goes off the object changes into an old functioning version of itself from the past with people around it. Also the camera may be used to get past puzzle elements. For example, in the real world a bridge is washed out, but looking through the lens of the camera it's repaired and the player can cross it.
Story: The story of the community in this town is told indirectly through ghost images of townsfolk appearing in photographs and through old signs(Danger:Mine Collapse) and newspapers.
Technology: The blender game engine will be used for the game.
Aesthetics: We've already decided our game will be low poly and muted colors, the photographs will reveal a brighter, more colorful, happier time.

2. Do the four (or less) elements work towards a current theme?

I think the story and mechanics support the theme more than the other elements. They both drive home the feeling of discovery and slowly reveal the story. Hopefully the player will enjoy learning bits and pieces of the story and putting the mystery together in their mind.

3. In your own words, describe the meaning of a "theme", and how does it differ from an "experience" (see book for examples in Chapters 2 and 5.

An experience is the way a particular person plays and reacts to the game. It may be different depending on the type of player they are but can still be taken into account when designing a game. A designer should have a certain experience for the player in mind.
A theme is a unifying idea that you want to get across to the players. It's what the game is about at its core and should be supported by all of the game elements if possible.

4. What is your game's theme?

The theme is discovery through curiosity and how certain objects and places have a history to them. The main character is a photographer so they see a composition of a scene and to them it's a story. So our game actually shows this story through the camera lens. Someone just passing through the town and not looking closely would miss the history of this abandoned place.

5. What are the elements in your game that are meant to reinforce this theme?

The mechanics of the camera, the sounds of children laughing and voices heard in different photograph spots, the ability for the town to rebuild itself, and the surprise ending that's still a secret.

6. What is it about your game that you feel makes it special and powerful?

The slow discovery of the hidden, long forgotten community that only appears as kind of ghosts to the player depending on how they play, and the nature of discovering this by playing rather than being told the story.