Game Design Document

Game Summary

Title:

Ebonmire

Genre:

Third-person Over-the-Shoulder Hack and Slash Adventure/Puzzle

Version:

v. 3.0

The Big Idea:

The game follows an adventurer as he attempts to get to the end of the dungeon
and collect the treasure at the endthat is if they can get past the traps and
monsters first! Dungeons are procedurally generated upon the start of the game
with props, enemies, and traps randomly dispersed throughout the level according
to the selected difficulty. Monsters and traps are going to be guarding the treasure
with a boss or big team fight happening at the end where the players goal is
located.

Category:

Taking cues on combat from Dark Souls/Bloodborne, Dark Siders, Dragon Age:
Inquisition, and For Honor. The overall tone however is more on a lighter tone as it
is in keeping with games such as Fable to help the game to appeal to younger
audiences as well.

The game has both single and multiplayer, however these function more akin to the
Rainbow Six: Siege set up for single player than as an actual campaign usually seen
in the genre.

Platforms:

To be released only on the PC via Steam.

License:

Potentially have to pay Wizards of the Coast for use of the 3.5 OGL if that becomes
an issue. Otherwise this is going to be a new IP with its own myth, legends, and
storyline. The only other license issues might be for software. This type of game
lends itself to a franchise easily with new dungeon environments, weapons,
creatures, and player options expanding the scope and further developing the world
for the players to explore and become fond of.
Play Mechanic:

The player can move, jump, and crouch using the usual PC controls for the genre.
They are able to manage an inventory system that they are able to tailor to their
potential dungeon prior to entering, as well as allocate skills or purchase armor and
weapons using gold collected during dungeons. Once inside however, the player is
only able to use the gear that theyve brought with them or whatever else can be
scavenged during the play through, this is going to force players to consider
carefully what items, weapons, armor, and gear they plan to take with them and
then have to think on their feet to complete what challenges lie ahead. In
multiplayer this will also make communication between the party extra important as
not having a certain item could potentially spell doom for the would be adventurers.

Technology:

Maya 2016, zBrush 4R7, Unity 5.3.1f, Mudbox2016, Substance Painter 2,

bitmap2Material, Substance Designer, Quixel Suite 2, xNormal 3.19.2, Adobe
Photoshop CC 2015.5

Target Audience:

Casual to hardcore PC gamers in the 14-40 age range

Key-Features & USPS (Unique Selling Points):

Procedurally generated dungeons ensure that the gameplay is never exactly

the same every time.
Rich immersion provided by the rich, High-Fantasy setting.
Character options are almost unlimited.
Players are challenged to think ahead and to play diligently so they wont get
lost. What good is a treasure chest if you cant find your way out to sell its
contents?
Combat is going to of a frantic but slow pace to build tension and keep
players on their toes.

Marketing Summary:

Demo that allows for 5-6 randomly generated dungeons to pique the interest
of the community.
Allow players to have access to the OGL to help them get interested as well
as get them engaged with the IP.
The game is quick and easy to get into as it doesnt require much in terms of
having to beat a campaign or worry about On-Rails style of gameplay.
..But it still has a ton of room for really dedicated or serious players to nail
down strategies and tactics to be able to crush higher difficult dungeons
either solo or with a party.
 With player choice and exploration being lauded and rewarded, the game will
be able to provide a real sense of an open, vibrant, and living world even
though its confined to a dungeon.
The Core Concepts:

Player Choice vs. The Unknown

Central to our overall gameplay experience, the player is forced to
make decisions about weapons, armor, and equipment prior to entering into
the dungeon without being able to make changes once they start; this makes
the meta and communication (if playing multiplayer) key to the success or
failure of a run.
High Stakes Combat
Players and enemies alike are only able to take a few hits before they
are killed, this forces the solo player to play both smart and cautiously to
prevent any untimely deaths and for party players to coordinate with one
another in order to ensure that multiplayer combat is survivable for the party
given that there is friendly fire. While health potions are available, they are
randomized in with the dungeon generation so that players are given to
relying on knowing that they have a given number and can play recklessly.
The Unknown
A major concept that forms the basis for the feel and overall level
design is the idea that the players are going into the unknown to battle
monsters and avoid traps to get the treasures that are lying deep within a
dungeon, consequently our game uses procedural generation to generate a
randomized dungeon every time that a player selects their chosen
environment and difficulty. With this in mind it forces the players to always
be on their toes every time they start a new run because there is statistically
never the same dungeon twice.

Characters:

Player:
The player is able to create their character from a selection of races, deciding
their sex, customize their looks, as well as being able to outfit their characters
weapons, armor and equipment in order to tailor it to their preferred playstyle and
aesthetic. Story wise the players are either solo or a party of adventurers that are
plunging into the unknown dungeons across the world of Ebonmire in the pursuit of
riches, prestige, and power. Their agendas are up to them and the game allows for
players to express themselves via the aforementioned character customization and
the styles of play so that every player is better able to immerse themselves in the
role they choose to take up both in gameplay as well as the game world as a whole.

Enemies:
Enemies are divided up into two main groups: minions and bosses. Minions
are lower-level enemies that are at or below the power of the player character(s);
they have a variety of appearances with sex, race, and equipment able to be
randomly assigned upon game startup. Bosses are similar to minions but with a few
key differences, first they are a challenge at the end of the dungeon that is intended
to be a tough fight for the player so they tend to have above average stats,
weapons, armor, and tend to be physically imposing as well. They are also a few
levels of difficulty above the player with the difficulty scaling depending upon the
number of players present at the time, this ensures that they wont just be able to
be overwhelmed by four players attacking simultaneously. Like minions, bosses
also vary in terms of their sex, race, and equipment to ensure variety as the
player(s) progress through the game.

Obstacles:
The dungeon itself is a perilous opponent even without the presence of
minions and bosses attempting to impede the players progress towards the loot at
the end: traps, puzzles, and the maze-like nature of the layout all contribute to
make the difficulty of the run greater. Players will have to contend with pits, arrow
and blade traps, collapsing ceilings, fires, explosive glyphs, bear traps, among other
things as they navigate around, all of these can be disabled or avoided if the
players are attentive and pack the proper gear to handle what they come across,
however given the level of unknown present in every play through there is always a
sense of urgency and hesitancy that keeps the players on their toes.

Worlds:

The game takes place in the High Fantasy world of Ebonmire, an expansive
continent that opens up many possibilities for the players to explore on their
dungeon delving expeditions. From coastlines to mountains, jungles to highlands,
and deserts to tundras, Ebonmire offers a rich lore filled excursion for players to
discover the secrets of the ancient gods, the plethora of the monsters and creatures
that inhabit the wild places of the world, and to trade and be social with one
another in the hubs that are scattered around the varying regions.

Gameplay:

Combat:

Combat is set up in such a way as to give the player some freedom with their
approach while at the same time force the player to confront the mortality of their
character; this is done via an assortment of weapons and armor that is available to
the player(s) as well as to the minions/bosses. Players and enemies alike are only
able to take ~2-4 hits before they die depending upon their armor and weapon
choice. Armor is broken up into light (the best mobility at the cost of protection),
medium (a nice middle ground), and heavy (the best protection at the cost of
mobility). Weapon choice affects combat in the following ways: overarchingly there
is the choice between melee and ranged weaponry. Melee weapons can only be
used up close and personal and give the player the ability to parry/block incoming
melee attacks for reduced damage while ranged weapons can be utilized a further
distances with the target being unable to parry/block to reduce damage but this
comes at the cost of being able to parry melee attacks yourself making it much
more deadly to engage targets up close.

Weapons:

Players (Enemies) will have access to the following weapons:

Melee:
Sword and Shield (Mace and Shield)
This melee combo provides a greater parry/block bonus to incoming damage
at the cost of your own damage dealing potential.

Warhammer (Axe)
This two-handed melee weapon offers immense up close damage while only
offering adequate protection when parrying incoming melee attacks.

Ranged:

Crossbow (Bow)
This ranged weapon offers a faster fire rate than the black powder weapons
but this comes at the expense of raw damage potential

Wheel lock Pistol (Blunderbuss)

This ranged weapon is able to punch holes in all but the most heavily of
armored enemies but with a longer reload between shots than the spritely
stringed weapons.

Movement:

Player movement is broken up into several different categories: walking,

running/sprinting, crouching, jumping, swinging, balancing, and climbing.
Movement is hindered by armor with heavier sets impeding the player more than
those that are lighter in nature; this is to allow for the player to make a decision
based upon a speed vs. protection dichotomy that further enhances the role of
player choice and its impact upon the play experience.

Story:

The story of the game is more open-ended than most in the genre as it
follows that player characters as they delve deep into dungeons to find wealth,
fame, and prestige to make their livings as the adventurers and (anti)heroes that
they are. Lore discovered while exploring the dungeons that are present in the
various regions as well as what is learned from completing them/vanquishing the
monsters therein to learn more about the game world, to gain hints about upcoming
content, to help influence player decisions in terms of gear and equipment, and
overall gameplay strategies.

Ebonmire is a continent that hides many secrets and dangers for only the
bravest of adventurers to discover at their own peril. Magic and

Controls:

Movement:
W Move Forward
S Move Backward
 D Rotate Right
A Rotate Left
E Strafe Right
Q Strafe Left
Space Jump
Left Shift Sprint
Ctrl Crouch

Combat:
MB1 Attack
MB2 (hold) Parry (Melee Weapons Only)/Aim (Ranged Weapons Only)

Environmental Interaction:
F Use/Interact

Miscellaneous Controls:
Esc Pause Menu
M Map