1 Water mechanic
The core mechanic of the game. Since we are playing on a grid based map, and water is surrounding us, the water rising will be translated as water taking over actual parts of the map. Being the biggest unstoppable power in the game, it takes over parts of the map from all directions in a predictable way. That will be the main call for action to the player.
The water will advance with cycles,each cycle will be called after a determined amount of character steps.
2 Trinket mechanic
The main interactable in the game. The trinkets will be “power ups” or “collectables” spawning in the map, and will be the main interaction of the player with its surroundings. The trinkets will be divided in 2 categories, mechanical and points.
Points – will be a coin, a direct representation of the capital, giving the player a generous flat amount of points.
Mechanical – trinkets that affect the game, interacting with the water mechanic directly, not giving the player any points.
1.Bucket: sending the water one cycle backward. Giving an instant short term solution
2. Shoes: giving the player more steps. A long term solution that slows down the advance of the water.
The choice between trinkets will give the player the choice of tactic, and plan for success.
3 Scoring system
The main source of points should be the coins, to give power to the non mechanical trinket opposing the mechanical ones. But it can’t be the only source, to make the players decisions more meaningful, the steps will also give points, but only 1, to give some power to long term survivability but still weaker than the actual coins.
4 Mechanical basics for the main build of the prototype
- Goal – to get the most points possible before submerging.
- Player character in a gridded map.
- Gridded map in the size of about 22 with some blank blocks in it.
- A character step is a 1 grid cube.
- The time in the game is calculated by the steps of the character.
- Water coming from the edges, which means taking over one pixel of the cube in a full radius. Each 5 steps of the character 1 grid cube inward and this is called a cycle.
- Every step gives you a point.
- 3 kinds of interactables :
– pure points (Coin)
– making the water step back one cycle (Bucket)
– increase the amount of character steps each cycle (affecting the current cycle) (Shoes) - The interactables respawn half randomly. in a radius not too far and not too close (between 1.5 and 3 cycles away). They respawn between 1.5 and 2.5 cycles after being taken.