Ride elevators; Open doors to unknown adventures; Blast Robot after robot after robot; Viruses; Voices; Exit… Escape? But what’s behind the next door?

ZerkOut is a 3D, multi-perspective, one robot versus many robots shooter mystery. You must Escape the factory and Stop the Virus. And for the love of platinum plating, what is that voice in your head? ZERKOUT High Concept, Hook, Marketing

ZerkOut is a 3D, multi-perspective, one robot versus many robots shooter mystery. You must Escape the factory and Stop the Virus. And for the love of platinum plating, what is that voice in your head? ZERKOUT High Concept, Hook, Marketing

ZerkOut is a 3D, multi-perspective, one robot versus many robots shooter mystery. You must Escape the factory and Stop the Virus. And did I mention the voice in your head?

ZERKOUT Game Type and Target Audience Genre – Action, Multi-Perspective Shooter Rating – Everyone 10+ Target Audience – People who like shooting and blowing stuff up exploring solving maze like puzzles solving mini-quests

ZERKOUT Unique Features Unique features – Elevators and Stairs are the main method of travel – Doors lead to new rooms and areas to explore – Guiding Voice – Combines the intensity of a shooter game with spatial puzzles and a mystery to solve – Re-playable with advancing difficulty and upgradable equipment – New content and levels may be downloaded – Additional content may be created by players

ZERKOUT Storyline: Objectives and Plot Major Objectives – Escape/Clear the factory (repeatedly) – Stop the virus (solution points) – Get upgrades (purchasable) Score is given for Factory based on – Time it takes to escape – Number of enemy robots destroyed – Score earns bonus microchips for the escape XP is given based on score. XP allow cross player compare. The game has no end – Game saves player state NOT factory state Auto-saves on factory escape – Title screen allows new character or continue character – Player Destruction Results in restart of current factory Limited time after death may purchase a continue to prevent restart (microchips)

ZERKOUT Game Flow Main Area: Elevators to Doors to Rooms Factory is 3D The main area is a room of 4 walls – Each wall has elevators (and stairs) – Each wall has a multitude of doors Vary in color May need keys May be barred One is the exit Enemies come out doors Doors can – Teleport you to other doors – Open into Equipment rooms – Open into Production rooms

ZERKOUT Game Flow Room: Bottom Floor Factory Player begins on the Bottom Floor – Full 3D – Access to all four walls – Robot generator(s) Limited mobility to Doors – Elevators Span multiple floors – Stairs Up/down 1 floor Doors can – Teleport you to other doors – Open into Equipment rooms – Open into Production rooms

ZERKOUT Game Flow Rooms: Equipment or Production Equipment Rooms Provide – Resources/upgrades – Computer Ports Information/hints/quests Save Options Production Rooms Contain – Enemy Robot Generators – Resources – Virus Code Drops – Door in is NOT the door out

ZERKOUT Gameplay Summary The player is a robot that must – destroy virus-infected robots – and find a way to the exit door – to escape a multi-level factory Environment is 3D – Emphasis is vertical: elevators, stairways, and doors Player collects code for solution points to solve the mystery of the virus Game play is hectic – robot swarms A voice (Zerk?) talks to the player, offering advice/criticism – The voice is not always right

ZERKOUT Art Style Summary 3D realistic, A little grungy, Tech Heavy, Variable Detail Robots preferred to be humanoid but do not have to be

ZERKOUT Vision of Development 1 st : Main Area – Defines a Game by itself 2 nd : Equipment Rooms – Define player upgrades 3 rd : Production Rooms – Define more fun and expandability Full 3D, Lots of Art required Player Moves around, Fires Weapons… Prototype/Test Voice and Sound stuff Enemies come out doors incrementally add drops prototype and test putting generator(s) on bottom level Elevators/Stairs work Exit Door exits game, get to it and get out (no other requirements) Fancy Menu Screen May be a “real” room or not Save Features Player Equipment Upgrades Temporarily allow Virus Code Pick up to test Exit Door Will require prototyping Keep artwork low-res Keep AI primitive Make a tool to make these once the basic implementation is fully decided Optimally would load from a zipped file in a MODs directory File contains maze description(wall placement, exit, enemy generators) and tile sheet for art

ZERKOUT Presentation Summary Why make this game? – This game has a high probability of success For Completion and being FUN (to create and play) – Implementing the mechanics of this game can be done quickly Then it is all expansion and adding more fun! – Door idea is expandable More types Where/what they lead to Additional (downloadable) content Player Mods – It is ONE main 3D-room The Equipment rooms are a menu display The Production rooms are “fake” 3D overhead view mazes (low-detail, low poly) – It has a unique feel (but not way-out-there) – The potential for re-use is high for all assets

The End Questions? Additional information may be found – Past this slide – and in the Inception Document

Extra Information The following slides are ones that were created but ‘thrown-out’ They were too detailed or time consuming to include in the pitch presentation They may be useful in answering questions or explaining details later

ZERKOUT Storyline: Objectives and Plot Major Objectives – Escape/Clear the factory (repeatedly) – Stop the virus (solution points) – Get upgrades Possible Minor Subplots – Get the voice out (free Zerk) – Defeat False Cici Source (fake exit) – Defeat Cozbot (real exit option 2) Pitch Point: This game has some must-haves and a lot of room for “if-we- have time” things. Lots of ways to twist the story and use ideas from multiple people Overall, Game Concept allows for incremental development and expansion These come later

ZERKOUT Storyline Concept Simple Story First – One (repeatable) Factory, One Escape – You save everyone (all robots) upon exit Exit room only allows exit when enough virus code has been collected – Some static hardcoded content Door placement to this content is randomized – Other rooms are randomized content and placement – Repeatable Difficulty goes up each time Upgrades remain Add more later

ZERKOUT Enemy Types Enemy Robots in Production Rooms are via Generators – Like Gauntlet Two extra enemy types to “stress” the player – Bouncer Player hunter Reaper in Gauntlet Otto in Berserk – Cleaners Moving Laser Grids Non-hunter Path follower Resident Evil 1

ZERKOUT Enemy Drops Virus code – Need N of these to allow the final exit door to open Microchips – For buying upgrades Energy Packs – Restore Health – Restore Weapon Energy – Restore Shield Energy

ZERKOUT Sound Sound will be important – Low volume background Slow tempo for intro/menus Faster when fighting occurs – Various voices and noise – One primary voice that is in the player’s head Notice this implies: A sound “specialist” may be needed Also needs an “AI” design for how to trigger when the voice in the head gets triggered Could make a research topic out of this aspect – conference game design paper. Do users respond/follow visual or audio clues more often? Can they process both? Or even notice both?

ZERKOUT Merchantability and Uniqueness Money and First Person Shooter – Player buys Continues and Upgrades For a virtually never ending game Voice Driven Guidance – Pseudo AI Helper Near Indestructible Baddies – Timed to appear and ‘hurry’ the player Random Level Generation – Multiple options for design so multiple people may have design choices Expandability – Extra mini-stories could be added in by multiple people You are selling this to your peers. Point out this may be your idea but there will be places for others to contribute. Remember you might not be the team lead even if it is ‘your’ idea. Investors care about money. Contests – judging varies. Unique helps. Re-using proven ideas in new ways/new settings may score points

ZERKOUT Scoring and End Game Score is given for Factory based on – Time it takes to escape – Number of enemy robots destroyed – Subplots completed – Score earns bonus microchips for the escape – Score also contributes to player XP – XP earned determines player level Player level and XP allow cross-player comparison The game has no end – Game has only 1 save allowed upgrades only, not progression? – Autosaves on factory escape – Title screen allows new game or continue game

ZERKOUT Expandability This “Level 1” factory is just the beginning – Multiple Factories: Not “faked” but with changed scenery and goals Additional Story Content – More discoveries/quests Add more Player Upgrades Allow Multiple Saved Players/Multiple Save Slots Add higher level factories and higher limits on stats and equipment Expansion to multi-player cooperative – Like Gauntlet or Diablo III (but better) Upon player destruction: Allow purchase of continues with MicroChips – Back to merchantability