Bareing Out
Overview
Bareing out is a 3rd person combat exploration game. The goal is to collect drinks from the neighborhood and fight off the people who are trying to stop you. The player will have unique combat mechanics and will get access to new abilities as they progress through the map. The game will have a certain level of wackiness and will increase as you progress which will be reflected in the environment and gameplay.
The game's story is: It is 4th of July day and when unc wakes up in the morning, he realizes he has no drinks. With this discovery, he goes out to buy more but all the stores around him are completely sold out. This angers unc who has to celebrate 4th of July with no drinks, until he sees all the people in his neighborhood with a large stock of drinks. Unc needs these drinks to party and will get them, one way or another.
Gameplay Design
Map Exploration
The map setting is going to be modern and areas like residentials living to large cities. The complete map is going to be broken apart into three progression areas.
The first area is going to be a residential area where things are simple and peaceful. It will be followed by a more populated area with condos and shopping centers. The last area will be a heavily populated city.
Each area will have its own enemy types and have unique areas of interest which will inspire the player to explore.
Inspirations
The combat is the main focus of this game. I want to create a game that has polished and dynamic combat. Two games that inspired my combat mechanics are the Spider Man games and Assassin's Creed games.
Combat mechanics I like in spider man is, the dynamic combat it has where each attack applies a directional force to the player, the player can launch enemies into the air, and fight enemies in the air.
Some things I like from Assassin's Creed is the group fighting aspect and how the player can parry, dodge, and block oncoming attacks.
Both games also have a lock on mode so the player doesn't have to manage the camera while in a fight.
*AI concept art
*AI concept art
Combat Focused Gameplay
The combat is going to be the most important and most used feature in this game so it needs to be unique, satisfying, and addictive. I also want it to be skilled based which requires good timing and knowing when to take action.
One way the combat will be special is its dynamic style. Each attack is going to have force behind it which will be reflected in the enemies reaction.
Combat is going to benefit a patient fighting style as the player will be able to block, dodge, or parry incoming attacks.
Gameplay Progression
I mention that I want a level of wackiness in this game and what I mean by that is that I want the game to feel realistic in the 1st map section and as the player consumes the needed drinks, they start to lose their sense of reality. The world will start to change along with the enemies they have to fight. By the time they get to the 3rd section, I want the environment and enemies to be something that just doesn't make sense.
I also want the combat to evolve as the player progresses through the map. This means that the combat will go from being simple and realistic like punching or kicking to evolving into something unrealistic. This could be the player launching an enemy into the air or being able to fight while in the air. Another example is that attacks could apply strong knockback which sends enemies backwards.
*AI concept art
*AI concept art
Comedic Environment
I want to create a funny game environment and one that's not meant to be taken seriously. I want the player to laugh and enjoy the comedic setting.
I will do this by picking a visual style that reflects an unrealistic genre and avoids realism.
The models will also show a transformation from a normal environment into an unrealistic, chaotic environment. The enemy models will change along with their behavior.
Technical Design
Combat
The player will be able to fight with 2 different attack types: Light attack and Heavy Attack.
The light attack will be executed quickly and deal smaller amounts of damage. The enemy it hits will also have a hit reaction or a short stun.
The heavy attack will take longer to execute and can also be charged to deal even more damage. The enemy will receive a strong knockback effect or a longer stun duration depending on the attack.
Besides attacking, the player will also be able to dodge which will cover a short distance in a quick timeframe. They can also block attacks to negate the damage. Finally, the player will be able to parry incoming attacks which lets them quickly attack back and apply extra damage to the enemy that got parried.
The player will be able to lock their camera onto a specific enemy to help them during combat. They can also cycle through other enemies inside the lock-on range.
*AI concept art
*AI concept art
Enemies
There will be 2 different enemy types: normal people and important people.
The normal people are going to roam around the area you are currently in and attack you if they spot you or you start provoking them. They will have simple combat patterns and participate in group combat.
The important people will be holding onto the special drink you need to powerup and move onto the next zone. They will be stronger and have more advanced combat which includes, multiple attack moves, different fighting states, and the ability to command normal people.