Phase 3: Game Ideation
The structure of Phase 3 will be:
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Play
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Prototype
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Test
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Create
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Make
After idea generation, we are then to convert what we researched from the previous phase. Then I turn it into 3 game ideas that we have gathered and present them.
With these game ideas, we make prototypes, create one-page pitches, have Mood Boards, Play other games to better showcase these ideas.
Game Ideation/ Survey
From the research that I have gathered, I have formulated them into game ideas. Since I didn't know what sort of game that I want to project at first, I went to list game ideas from each topic that I looked at.
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This did mean that I have to go back to what I researched/ presented so that I have a better idea of that gam could be.
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Eating animal parts to gain abilities: From the topic "Superstitions, Myths and Beliefs", I took the idea of eating animal parts into a game mechanic. Depending on which animal part you eat, you gain different abilities - for instance, Monkey's Brain for Knowledge, Leopard's Legs for running speed.
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Dog : I took this idea from the research on the great flood, where a dog comes and gives rice to nearby villagers who are suffering due to that flood. This gets turn into a game where the player is a Dog making sure that the villagers don't starve from hunger.
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Wok : A wok is multi-purposeful - I want to convey that idea to putting any ingredients into a wok to get food. This mechanic is similar to the cooking from Legend of Zelda, Breath of the Wild.
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Chopstick: There is this belief that you can just use chopsticks instead of Knives and Forks (sometimes Spoons). So, I wanted to overexaggerate that idea to using it as if you were living with it - chopsticks becomes your hands.
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Hunting for Sea Creatures: In some regions of China, seafood is quite common. There are also some news regarding to people hunting for Sharks and Octopus for food, so this idea addresses the issues for hunting these creatures (extinction).
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Memories: As culture evolves, more food gets introduced, but some becomes part of history. I turned this idea to "You miss your mothers cooking from when you were a child, so you go back in time to reexperience it again". I want the players to feel a sense of nostalgia when they go back in time, looking at areas around them - as well as the food.
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Yin Yang: (Last minute idea for survey) Some foods are yin, some are yang. There is a belief that you must contain a balance of those food so that you life won't get thrown into Chaos. Too much of one thing gets you health problems. I expanded this idea so that instead of the food you eat, the things you do also affect the Yin Yang.
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Originally, I was going to choose the ideas myself, but thought that conducting a survey would better instead to get opinions from others. So, I have conducted a short survey to see what ideas people liked most. I added an open end question in case if anyone want to add more to the ideas. These are the results:
I know I only have 4 responses, but the ideas that were most like was: Chopsticks, Eating different parts of animals, and either Cooking (Wok idea) or Table Manners.
For the Wok idea, with the response I got for that idea, I thought of combining both the ideas for memory and cook so that there is a reason for why you are making that cook book.
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So the 3 ideas are:
- Eat different animal parts to give you abilities in order to overcome obstacles and survive the harsh environments.
- You live out your basic life: waking up, brushing your teeth, and going to work. But your hands are chopsticks.
- You miss your childhood of your mother's cooking, so you create a Cook Book to replicate those foods and for other people to experience.
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I will then make Mood Boards to get a better visualisation for each of the ideas.
Mood Boards
Chopsticks:
Different looks for chopsticks. Also includes how to hold chopsticks (can be shown in tutorial)
Game/ Art direction that I want my game to be - Low-Poly, Comedic. Games such as : WHAT THE BAT?, WHAT THE GOLF?, Job Simulator, TOCA BOCA games
Cook Book
Images of things relating to game idea. Looking at: Kitchens, Cook Books, The way the food is cooked. Taken inspirations from Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Animals:
Idea - Animals in different terrains.
Maps from different games. Inspirations - Minecraft, Monster Hunter, No Man's Sky, Legend of Zelda, Skyrim, The Witcher (Open World Games)
Artstyles:
Originally the Dog idea. Using this as inspiration for potential art styles for other game ideas.
What to take Forward:
With different inspirations and Mood Boards which I have created, I will now make prototypes to showcase how my game will work out, as well as couple of sketches and plans to go with it. Other peers will get a good idea of the game which I have in mind, so that they can choose whether or not they would want to work for it.
In my own time, I will look at games, which either has a similar art-style or mechanics which I want in my game. They will assist, along with the Mood Boards, in fleshing out the game ideas so that I know what to do if I was making the game.