Bibliography (BA4: Focus 1)

Books

Livingston, Ian. (1983) City of Thieves. Puffin books

Internet Sources

Meer, Alec (2009) Grue-some: Zork Remake Live, Horrible. Available from: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/04/02/grue-some-zork-remake-live-horrible/

(Accessed 05/10/2011)

Zork gameplay timeline. Available from: http://www.thezorklibrary.com/history/00-timeline.html

 (Accessed 04/10/2011)

Zork Library resources. Available from: http://www.thezorklibrary.com/history/00-resources.html (Accessed 04/10/2011)

Zork: Grand Inquisitor gameplay image. Available from: http://www.cdaccess.com/gifs/screen/zorkinq4.jpg

(Accessed 04/10/2011)

Legends of Zork gameplay Image. Available from: http://images.macworld.com/images/news/graphics/139768-legendsofzork_original.jpg

 (Accessed 04/10/2011)

Zork Zero gameplay Image: Available from: http://www.untoldentertainment.com/blog/img/2009_08_26/zorkZero.jpg (Accessed 04/10/2011)

Beyond Zork gameplay image. Available from:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjq0JAHcqBAADshT9XYBikLlPIPPrCOfKB3P_VE-m5ifM6Yn4QtFlbkE3HIIPQvAhtCVz1uDEiRAJVBeW_hEqWTYxNR2SbtDCWjIElzfuEB_u5kfziDsLdu20U84lBljOeWcP851Fqpg/s1600/won.GIF (Accessed 04/10/2011)

Zork III gameplay image. Available from:

http://www.emuparadise.me/GameBase%20Amiga/Screenshots/Z/Zork_III_-_The_Dungeon_Master.png (Accessed 04/10/2011)

Mass Effect ‘Command Wheel’ Image. Available from: http://xnaessentials.com/cfs-filesystemfile.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/xe.metablogapi/8715.image_5F00_455E0DC5.png

(Accessed 06/10/2011)

Various Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective gameplay images. Available from:

http://cdn-thumbs.viddler.com/thumbnail_2_7af97228_v1.jpg
http://www.vgchartz.com/games/pics/ghost-trick-phantom-detective-675716.jpg
http://www.gamepad-dojo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/GhostTrick02.jpg 

(Accessed 06/10/2011)

Hotel Dusk Gameplay image. Available from:

http://buythatgame.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/hoteldusk1.jpg

(Accessed 13/10/2011)

Games Referenced

Professor Layton (Level 5, 2007 - Present)

Ace Attorney Series (Capcom, 2001 - Present)

Hotel Dusk (Cing, 2005)

9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors (Aksys Games, 2009)

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (Capcom, 2010)

Mass Effect (Bioware, Microsoft Studios/ Electronic Arts 2007)

Sell Sheet updated

The sell sheet had to be a small attention grabbing document so I made it similar to a postcard (with the aim of making them into small postcards for the pitch). On the front there would be glossy concept work and a question posed from the perspective of the “Dungeon Master” to entice the viewer to turn over and read the details.

The details on the back are brief but cover age, platform, number of players and all of the core gameplay mechanics – which are the unique selling point of my concept. Hopefully with the details, imagery and different nature of my sell sheet, it will serve its purpose of being attention grabbing.

At the moment aside from the physical production of the postcards, I am hugely debating whether or not to purchase several small red envelopes to put them in due to the link with my narrative. I could also include the ransom like instructions from the Dungeon Master that the player would read in game. However I think while this would be a nice touch – from the perspective of pitching to the games industry I don’t think they would really accept having to open a envelop and reading two documents if they are having to quickly browse several Sell sheets at the end of a pitching period. Due to that reason I probably will not do this.

Gameplay Storyboard

- A simple storyboard depicting key actions which make up a small part of an Investigation segment of my game. In the storyboard, step by step the player searches for a light switch to the room, attempts to switch the light on via reaching before standing on the bucket and switching it on. This however causes the lockers to fall, pushing the cardboard box over, revealing a person (the warden for the area). This "puzzle could have been solved in several different ways and the person could have been discovered earlier - just showing how each investigation has different ways it can be approached (tailoring for the multiple playthroughs).

Presentation -first two slides

Rough mock up sell sheet inside

Protagonist Sprites/ Dwanholf poses

A concept for how the protagonist might look (neutral emotion) in the top screen plot/ trust dialogue segments of my game next to the bottom screen investigation sprite. The dialogue sprite would likely contain a similar level of detail on the Nintendo DS screen - as Sprites are often used in stylised DS games in place of low poly 3D models - one such notable example being Cing's Hotel Dusk:

In game DS footage - an example how sprites can look excellent on the DS screen

Additionally another concept I worked on earlier but hadn't had time to upload untill now:

These are just a few of the bottom screen Sprite poses for Detective Dwanholf. To demonstrate what the dialogue screen and choice system would play like I am aiming to do a few mock "dialogue" screens with the protagonists neutral face talking to either June, Dwanholf or Syo, when I begin to create concepts for his character.

Mock Screenshot - screen management

Basic Controls for Zork game on DS during "investigation gameplay"

When designing for the DS there are several important aspects that need to be considered:

- Screen Management: The screen on the Nintendo DS is not the largest and as such means that space is crucial. I tried to keep the icons down to a minimum (only camera control and Inventory) although I am contemplating the inclusion of another icon in the bottom centre of the screen which highlights all available objects for pressing called "Look". This will mean that players will be able to see the objects they may interact with much easier.

-Using the features of the Console (Touch Screen, Microphone): The touch screen is an integral part of the investigation stage as the player uses this to select objects, operate mini games, in some cases move objects and when browsing inventory the touch screen once again plays an integral part. For dialogue choices the player would select one of three options on the bottom screen, whilst viewing the outcome on the top screen. Otherwise the touch screen is used to progress text and choose a location to visit when that option arises during play. The microphone as of yet does not feature in my concept (which in turn keeps the option for a PC port open).

Left hand/ Right hand issues: With one hand pre-occupied with the stylus, the other hand the player must use to hold the console and press the buttons. Because of this I mirrored the controls on both the direction pad and A, B, X, Y buttons so that no matter which hand the player is more comfortable with, they will still be able to play the game comfortably.

For the presentation I still need to illustrate the controls during dialogue/ trust sequences as well as the inventory screen. 

Notes about what needs to be covered more in-depth with my pitch

Things my pitch needs to cover:

-Game Mechanics: Point and click exploration and puzzle solving, choice based dialogue system, robust choices and consequences, multiple endings dependant on what you do.

-Game story: You are a person who wakes up being a player of a game. In this game you must explore the town you are in and discover the clues missing from your start point to solve the mystery and be able to escape in 12 hours. The person who placed you there is among the other nine people so you must discover his identity in addition to this or you will be killed.

-Aesthetic style (simple basic blocks of colour for the environment, stylishly lit 2D/ 3D side scroller) for dialogue slightly eastern influenced characters/ simple western comic style.

-Music style: instrumental, suspenseful pieces – given lack of dialogue music creates tension.

-Controls: Investigation, Dialogue, Inventory

-Technical overview: general overview, engine description, hardware

 -Competitive Analysis

I think that I am going to research the Technical Overview and Competitive Analysis (games out currently that would be suitable rivals for my game) firstly because I think that these will form an important backbone to my pitch, showing that I understand the business side of the pitch (that ultimately the game will be there to make money and by identifying a gap and interest in the market then it will be a much more persuasive pitch due to the viability of my concept in todays market)

Trust system

Rough Character Concepts

Simple location concept

Simple concept for a location the player visits (final segment of the game as paired up with June, another "player" in the game).

Visual Notes:

-While the main dialogue of the game happens on the top screen, exclaimations, reactions and small remarks during investigation are made on the bottom screen via speech bubbles. 

-Due to the graphical restraints of the DS visuals will most likely remain this simple in the actual game, with more detailed character sprites appearing during the dialogue sequences.

-Final Clues of an area are going to be highlighted in some way (in this concept by a Red Glow).

Ghost trick Reseach: 2D Sidescroll or To Not Sidescroll, that is the question...

One aspect to my concept I am still unsure of is the Investigating part of gameplay – or more specifically the best application of camera angle. To try to find the best solution, I played several successful “point and click” / puzzle titles.

The first game leans more on the puzzle side of things in Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. In the game you are placed into the world of a new spirit who does not know who he is or how he died.  A mysterious figure begins to tell him that he has until end of the night to answer these questions or he will disappear forever. To aid him in his quest he has the ability to go back in time four minutes before someone’s death and possess and “trick” objects to help them avoid their fate.

The game itself makes use of the touch screen feature of the Nintendo ds, with the player having to scrape along the surface of the screen to travel between objects and manipulate them. The game operates as a puzzle in itself. The player can only stretch a small distance to travel between objects and otherwise must make use of correctly timed actions to move further (for example by activating a blender and a table top fan, and then travelling to a nearby scrap of cloth tied to a pole, the fan then creates a wind which blows the cloth up the pole like a makeshift flag. At the top of its flight the player can then move across to another item that would have otherwise been unreachable). The game operates like this throughout, with the four minutes before death sequences adding a level of suspense and quick reactions to play – while still offering a player certain routes at certain times (ie: going through a large portion of the scene not being able to move before at the final countdown, three seconds before death, something will move and the player will have to execute very quick actions in time).

Aside from the innovative gameplay mechanics, the style and camera angle was something I picked up upon. The game is stylishly presented for the low pixel restrictions of the Nintendo ds system and is essentially a 2D side scroller. Yet in every environment there are a number of individual objects available for easy access to the player.  Furthermore, by allowing the horizontal panning system to be controlled by the directional buttons and not be restricted to the player, it allows for panning around the screen (at points being Essential to the success of a puzzle) which is something I might consider for my own game.

Note:  the platform of the Nintendo DS is looking increasingly suitably for my concept – with many games that offer much more substantial plot for lack of graphical power residing in the Nintendo DS library. Furthermore successful similar games clearly equal a market and audience for that within the DS gamer.  Furthermore, if the type of gamer demands for a next generation console like the PS3 or Xbox 360 are considered, those are that which my concept would simply not meet (photorealistic graphics, multiplayer, an established brand, “shoot-em-up” or “action RPG” gameplay).  Finally Point and Click is just not suited for a conventional controller, and touch screen/ mouse controls would offer the player a much more fluid experience.

One issue with the designing for the DS is that it would undoubtedly have to be almost exclusively for that console due to the Dual Screen and touch screen features of a DS title.

http://cdn-thumbs.viddler.com/thumbnail_2_7af97228_v1.jpg
http://www.vgchartz.com/games/pics/ghost-trick-phantom-detective-675716.jpg
http://www.gamepad-dojo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/GhostTrick02.jpg (06/10/2011)

The Players - initial concept

This was just a simple idea for the "players" in my concept. Each one of them has an item marked with a Z in red on their persons to identify them as a player, while everyone except Bill and the Protagonist ("you") has a trademark item of clothing (Syo's hoodie and Junes jumper tied around her waist).
For the names of the characters I made reference to the Novelisation of Zork, with the protagonists in the book being called "June" and "Bill", while the Ruler of the mythical land is called Syovar ("Syo"). I haven't entirely worked out the personalities and in depth designs for these characters, but as a basic template I think the concept works well. My next step will be to concept the key areas of my game:

-The Trust System
-The Investigation Screen
-The Action Wheel
-Controls for the Platform

In addition to this, I will elaborate more on the plot and characters.

Rough game concept

Zork:

There will be 4 “players”. They will each be marked with a special item (clothing? For example;  t-shirt, hoodie, cap and neckerchief). Each player will be placed at the centre of a mystery. They each have 12 hours to solve the mystery that has been set for them by the “dungeon master”.

There will be 6 “Wardens”. The wardens will be the only other people the players may interact with in the “dungeon” aside from each other. Each knows something that could solve the player’s mystery but they do not directly know it themselves.

 Around the “Dungeon” there are 12 locations to be explored. However a player may only visit 4 of these places. If the players fail to solve their mystery they will die. If any of the game “assets” attempt to flee the dungeon they will die. If they visit more than 4 places, they will die.  However, the first person to solve their mystery will become the new “dungeon master”. The Dungeon Master may choose to let whoever they wish leave – including themselves.  But among one of the assets of the game (be it the “Wardens” or “Players”) there is the original Dungeon Master. Should he escape – then everyone will be killed.

Without trust in the other game assets the players will undoubtedly die. But if that trust is misplaced, the same can be said. There is only one safe way to play the game – only one safe route to discover the truth and the true Dungeon Master – and you “The player” must find it.

                                                -Rough idea for the “Scenario” that the player is placed into (I wanted to keep a few references to the original Zork game in there so I used terms like “Dungeon Master” to refer to the antagonist)

Gameplay

I wanted my gameplay to be split into three distinct “layers”:

-Investigating/ Puzzle solving: As “a player” you have to explore and solve the mystery that is given to you by exploring 4 out of the 12 locations. This puzzle solving would be very much similar to the basic concepts of Zork –with basic actions like: “Take” “Drop” “Use” “Climb” “Examine” “Look” “Throw” “Combine” “Burn” and “Kick” being available to the player (Maybe through a selection wheel of some kind)



A command wheel from the Action RPG Mass Effect.



By exploring and solving the puzzle in the room, the player will find One Clue about a mystery – whether it is their own or not is up to the place they chose (there would be hints as to where they should go in their initial room if they look hard enough and in the subsequent items they find but it is not obvious).

I have yet to work out which perspective actions will take place in (3D 3^rd person perspective, 2D side scrolling, and First person)

-Trust and Dialogue: Given that there are a potential 9 other “game assets” in Zork, the player can interact with any one of them. But none of them completely trust each other due to the admission that the person who placed them in the situation is among them. In rigid dialogue selection menus during, before and after the investigation side of things, the player can use the “talk to” function to talk to whoever is present. By talking to and responding accordingly the player can become more trustworthy in the eyes of the other person. This will be shown by the removal of shadow over the faces of the people as an impromptu “trust level”. When they completely trust the player, a change in music will happen and the face will be clear to see.

When this happens, new information will be given or a new area to investigate will be uncovered. Only by gaining the complete trust of certain people will the player gain the true ending as the “true mystery” of why they are there and who is the dungeon master can only be discovered by piecing together information given by fully trusting characters.

-Critical Decisions: At around two points in the play through, the player can make “Critical Decisions”. These are quick reaction events where they must make a decision which ultimately could end or save a life. Depending on these the ending could vastly be altered,

The system of having multiple endings often complicates things but the system in Zork will be simple. Each Decision the player makes, leads to certain discoveries and in turn ticking an invisible box on an internal checklist over what they should know. Depending on which boxes are ticked at the end of the game (after 4 locations are visited) it will lead to a particular ending. Other factors will alter this (Critical Decisions/ who is trusted). Depending on how complex this makes things, having complete freedom over which areas you can choose, the structure can be “linearized” in that a new rule could be added:

“Only one “Player” can visit one location. No other players may visit this location once it has been visited.”

By doing this the number of options available to the player will be reduced as play continues and other “players” block off areas, which in turn reduces the number of possible endings massively.

(Image sourced from) http://xnaessentials.com/cfs-filesystemfile.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/xe.metablogapi/8715.image_5F00_455E0DC5.png (accessed 06/10/2011)

Additional Zork Research - how has it been reimagined previously?

Zork was not simply a game but rather a franchise that had spawned many sequels:

GAME TIMELINE (PRODUCTION ORDER)

Dungeon	1977~1979	Dave Lebling, Marc Blank, Bruce Daniels, Tim Anderson
Zork I	1980-11-XX	Dave Lebling, Marc Blank
Zork II	1981-11-XX	Dave Lebling, Marc Blank
Zork III	1982-08-18	Dave Lebling, Marc Blank
Enchanter	1983-08-10	Dave Lebling, Marc Blank
The Forces of Krill	1983-08-XX	Steve Meretzky
Malifestro Quest	1983-09-XX	Steve Meretsky
Cavern of Doom	1983-09-XX	Steve Meretsky
Sorcerer	1984-01-31	Steve Meretsky
Conquest of Quendor	1984-10-XX	Steve Meretsky
Wishbringer	1985-05-01	Brian Moriarty
Spellbreaker	1985-09-16	Dave Lebling
Lurking Horror	1987-05-06	Dave Lebling
Beyond Zork	1987-09-15	Brian Moriarty
Zork Quest I	1988-04-XX	Elizabeth Langosy
Zork Quest II	1988-08-XX	Elizabeth Langosy
Wishbringer (novel)	1988-08-XX	Craig Shaw Gardner
Zork Zero	1989-03-23	Steve Meretzky
Enchanter (novel)	1989-04-XX	Robin W. Bailey
The Zork Chronicles	1990-06-XX	George Alec Effinger
The Lost City of Zork	1991-01-XX	Robin W. Bailey
Return to Zork	1993-08-20	Eddie Dombrower
The Philosopher's Stone	UNFINISHED	Nino Ruffini
Zork: Nemesis	1996-02-29	Cecilia Barajas
Zork: The Undiscovered Underground	1997-08-28	Marc Blank, Mike Berlyn
Zork: Grand Inquisitor	1997-10-31	Laird Malamed
Legends of Zork	2009-04-01	Jolt Online Gaming
Zork Trilogy	1986	COMPILATION (Zork 1, Zork 2, Zork 3)
Enchanter Trilogy	1986	COMPILATION (Enchanter, Sorcerer, Spellbreaker)
Zork Anthology	1994	COMPILATION (Zork 1, Zork 2, Zork 3, Beyond Zork, Zork Zero)
Zork Collection		COMPILATION

I wondered looking at these how Zork had evolved throughout the years – how the basic premise had been taken and moulded – if at all.

Beginning as “Dungeon”, due to legal issues over naming infringement with “Dungeons and Dragons” it was reborn as Zork – and for the subsequent games it retained the text based adventure nature of its gameplay. In Beyond Zork traditional roleplaying elements were an addition to the gameplay, allowing for character creation and skills for the player to learn and utilise.

Zork Zero, a release nine years after the original, removes the RPG elements of Beyond Zork but instead offers players full colour images of a number of puzzles that adorn the game – a first for the series. The game itself involves collecting over twenty items for a magician’s cauldron by solving the mentioned puzzles, keeping to the tradition of having a well written but otherwise slim narrative feature.

Beyond Zork was the next release and this time completely switched genres – moving into the point and click genre. Whereas the previous games focus around mazes and dungeons (with navigation proving to be sometimes inaccurate (ie: Move North, Move South – you will not be in the same place)) Beyond Zork removed this, with the games designer Mark Long stating in an interview: "navigation is always correct; if you move north then south, you are always in the same place. Solving mazes was overdone, dull, and annoying." The game also boasted multiple methods of completing the game and solving the puzzles. Unlike the previous Zork games, the player was not necessarily restricted in what they could accomplish with certain items and character – to the point where they could destroy crucial quest items or non-playable characters, making the game “unwinnable”.

Zork Nemesis and the subsequent games; Zork; the Undiscovered Underground and Zork: The Grand Inquisitor continued down the point and click route set in Beyond Zork, making improvements with each game. The graphics were much more advanced, offering realistic 3D looking environments for the player to explore with their arrow, a full three hundred and sixty degree camera (called “Z-Vision”), for the time State of the art motion capture and much clearer sound – both through the voice acting and soundtrack. The games furthermore maintained the focus of puzzles and solid choices for the player to make. If they chose to trust particular characters it could lead them to ruin or success.

The final game on the list (not including the Compilations) was Legends of Zork – which took the series into a completely new direction – the Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Genre. The game itself ran from 2009 until May 2011 where it was shut down without warning. It began as free to play – allowing the casual gamer 30 “action points” a day, while for small payments, the player could purchase more, prolonging their play experience. This in itself is a very common strategy for a Free to Play MMO – with other such titles as Spiral Knights adopting similar strategies to raise funds. However, due to the lack of quality in the game, Alec Meer in a “rock, paper, shotgun” review stated:

“It’s honestly as though someone designed a micropayment system then awkwardly shoved a very crude game on top of it”

So from the initial 1977 game to the ill-fated Legends of Zork in 2009, the franchise evolved from a text based adventure game, to a detailed point and click, to an internet based MMO – which if what was popular around the time is considerers then makes sense. At the initial switch to point and click, Myst had became massively popular, and likewise with MMO’s and Kingdom of Lothering.

But though the reinventions and reiteration of the brand, was there any stand out points to the series?

-Humorous and well written story

- Choices and consideration of elements such as NPC’s

- Freedom to explore and experiment with items due to the acceptance of a wide variety of words and actions (perhaps overdone with beyond zork but nevertheless an intriguing option)

- Well executed puzzles for the player to explore

I think all of the above points would make for excellent goals for my own reinvention of Zork, but my thoughts at the moment are to move away entirely from the Zork mythology built up by the franchise and take those points – what made the games good, and apply them in a much more modern method. As forementioned with the Zork 1 playthrough I felt that narrative is an important structure but at the same time having a basic scenario and allowing the players to make their own choices is an invigorating element that could also be considered given the joys (and sometimes sorrows) of the adventure game books.

Points of future research: The Point and Click Genre – modern games which have gained success from this: (Ace Attorney Series, 9 Doors 9 Persons 9 Hours, Hotel Dusk).

(Alec Meer review sourced from) http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/04/02/grue-some-zork-remake-live-horrible/ (accessed 05/10/2011)

 (Timeline sourced from) http://www.thezorklibrary.com/history/00-timeline.html (Accessed 04/10/2011)

(Other useful information) http://www.thezorklibrary.com/history/00-resources.html (Accessed 04/10/2011)

Images:
http://www.cdaccess.com/gifs/screen/zorkinq4.jpg

http://images.macworld.com/images/news/graphics/139768-legendsofzork_original.jpg

http://www.untoldentertainment.com/blog/img/2009_08_26/zorkZero.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjq0JAHcqBAADshT9XYBikLlPIPPrCOfKB3P_VE-m5ifM6Yn4QtFlbkE3HIIPQvAhtCVz1uDEiRAJVBeW_hEqWTYxNR2SbtDCWjIElzfuEB_u5kfziDsLdu20U84lBljOeWcP851Fqpg/s1600/won.GIF

http://www.emuparadise.me/GameBase%20Amiga/Screenshots/Z/Zork_III_-_The_Dungeon_Master.png