Homework 6: Elements and Theme

1. For each of the four elements of the Tetrad, explain how it is addressed by your game. If one of the four elements is not used, please state this.

•           Mechanics: Our mechanics will hopefully enhance the experience of exploration and mystery in our game. These include puzzles, deadly obstacles, a non-linear game structure, and the ability to collect important items which enhance either the plot or increase the player's chance of survival. The player should feel eerily alone but self-reliant.
•           Aesthetics: We haven't really started building the visual elements of the game yet. I think that we will be limited in the creation of convincing aesthetics because we don't have anyone who specializes in that area. It is probably the most daunting aspect of the game to me, especially since great aesthetics in games have always been very important to me. Ideally, though, the aesthetics of our game would be eery and isolating, also foreboding and ominous.
•           Story: Our story is a work in progress, but we have a good framework. It is a mystery about a scientist who caused everybody in the city to disappear while experimenting with a new technology or weapon. The player will find herself in the aftermath and be presented with what happened. The interesting story of how and why it happened (the events leading up to the event) will be revealed by journal pages which the character must find in order to progress to a final confrontation with the antagonist.
•           Technology: We have decided to give our game a 2D sidescrolling camera persepective. While this limits exploration, it is much more feasible for the scale of this project and it makes platforming easier for for the developers and the player. The believability of our world will be directly related to how well we are able to master modeling, animation, and texturing.

2. Do the four (or less) elements work towards a current theme? 

•           If it was up to me, there would be two main themes for the game: the fear of finding yourself alone, and the experience of solving a mystery. I think the team is on the same page, or at least close to being on the same page. I think that the separate elements of our game will work together well to reinforce these themes, keeping in mind my doubt about the aesthetics. I think, on the mechanics side, that making the game somewhat difficult and unforgiving (but fair) would go a long way.

3.  In your own words,  describe the meaning of a "theme", and how does it differ from an "experience" (see book for examples in Chapters 2 and 5).

•           I have always been taught as an English student that a theme is the central idea of a narrative. Games are more complicated than narratives, so the definition of theme must be different. I would say that a theme in a game is a central idea created by a combination of all of its elements. FOr example, if I wanted a cybernetic theme, I would have a futuristic story, futuristic aesthetic designs including art direction and score, a technological looking user interface, and high-end graphics. The mechanics could reinforce the theme by creating missions that involve using/fixing/destroying computers/robots/other technology.

4.  What is your game's theme?

•          I think the simplest expressions of our game's themes are isolation, exploration and self-reliance. They all kind of go together as one supertheme. For a game with similar themes, see The Last of Us  by Naughty Dog.

5. What are the elements in your game that are meant to reinforce this theme?

•           The lack of ordinary people in the city is a major story/mechanics aspect of this theme. The presence of traps and omnipresent danger could also contribute mechanically. Aesthetically, I think that we should choose a grim-looking color palette, but one that is unique. Perhaps the environments could portray sudden disappearance -- objects left in disorder where people were using them when they disappeared (crashed cars in the street, a vacuum cleaner left in the middle of a hallway, trays of food on the floor, etc. The journal pages and the pieces of a gun hidden throughout the game will contribute to the exploration theme in a mechanical way and will tie into the mystery/discovery aspect of the story. I hope that the character will be able to move freely back and forth between a couple of buildings to create at least some illusion of freedom//agency.

6. What is it about your game that you feel makes it special and powerful?

•  I believe our game is compelling because it will allow players to experience a sequence of events which is plausible and terrifying, but is unlikely to happen in real life. The game's experience should resonate with several human fears and longings, such as feeling isolation, desiring answers and accountability, building confidence and self-reliance, etc. The gameplay should also be excellent, thrilling, and satisfying.