Homework 11: Chapter 15&16

Chapter 15

1. A goal with no obstacles is not worth pursuing.  
This is true.  However, its difficult to come with an example of such a goal since many things can be considered obstacles.  It could be an enemy which prevents you from moving on, or even simply having to walk a great distance.  Regardless, goals are not rewarding if they are so easily obtained.
2. What is the relationship between the main character and the goal? Why does the character care about it? 
The main character is trying to find her son which is the main goal of the game.  Therefore the reason she cares about this goal is pretty self-explanatory.
3. What are the obstacles between the character and the goal? 
Obstacles that hinder the character reaching her goal includes the fog which threatens to consume her, the fog monsters which hinder ability to fend off the fog, puzzles and tasks that she must complete in each "level", and the shar size of the town and number of survivors other than her son that also need to be saved.
4. Do the obstacles gradually increase in difficulty? If yes, how? 
The tasks and puzzles performed in each "level" would presumably increase in difficulty as the game progresses.  However, because the game we are producing will only be a fraction of what we imagine the whole game could be, this effect may not be noticeable in our project.
5. Great stories often involve the protagonist transforming to overcome the obstacle. Does your protagonist transform? 
You can definitely say that our protagonist transforms.  Before the game starts she is just a mother visiting her son but she is quickly thrust into a mysterious situation and must quickly adapt and gather the courage to face this unknown force and find her son.
6. How is the game world simpler than the real world?
The setting of our game is post-disaster with a fog that has trapped people and crippled movement and communication.  There is no infrastructure to this city, people aren't going about their daily lives at work and with their families.  Everyone is just trying to survive, huddled in run-down building awaiting to be rescued or in the town center helping to rebuild civilization.
7. What kind of transcendent power do you give to the player? 
The transcendent power that the player gets in our game is willpower.  The courage to explore the unknown with the courage and conviction of the mother protagonist in search of her son.  Most players, given the situation in the town, would probably normally behave in the role of the townspeople (huddled together, waiting to be saved) however, the player is thrust in the situation where they have no choice but to tackle the fog head on.
8. What is the weirdest element in the game story? 
The ward item is the strangest element of the story, with its history of bringing the town to prosperity and its strange ability to ward off the fog.
9. How do you ensure that the weirdest thing does not confuse or alienate the player? 
The history of the ward element is explained through discovery of newspaper clippings, audio clips, conversations, etc... which eventually culminate in revealing the nature of the ward and its relations to the fog and disaster event.
10. Will the players be interested in the game story? Why? 

 Yes, because our story has a subtle mystery genre, players will be interested in finding out the history of the game and will hopefully wish to rescue the protagonist's child as much as she does.

Chapter 16

1. In what sense does the player have freedom of action? Does the player "feel" free at these times? 

While navigating the main map, players are free to go where they would like within the confines of the map which will most likely be defined by impassible objects (mountains, buildings, rubble etc..) so they will feel free.  Players are also free to move around freely within levels in natural ways (including jumping, walking, and perhaps crouching).
2. What are the constraints imposed on the players? Do they feel constrained? 

While in the main map, players are constrained in their ability to see by the fog pressing in on them and in the time they can spend exploring before the fog consumes them.  They are meant to feel this constraint as well since these are elements designed to force emotion (fear and anxiety) from the player.  In levels, the okayer is confined to the boundary and detail constraints of the task they must perform.
3. Ideally, what would you like your players to do (lens #72)

To go towards levels (where players look for their son and save other survivors) but still explore the map to find new items and story elements.
4 .Can you set constraints to "kind of" force the player to do it? 

The fact that the fog is slowly closing in on you "kind of" forces the player to head to the next level (where they will be safe from the fog).  However, this can be prevented by finding pieces of ward throughout the main map.
5 .Can you design your interface to "force" the player to do what you (the designer) wish him/her to do?

We could make "key" objects that must be found in the main map before a level will be "unlocked" for the player to enter.