LEVEL DESIGN / BLOCK OUT :
Netherscape - Level: Underground Station

DETAILED INFORMATION:

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Story
Location/Setting

Mission Objective

Gameplay Mechanics

Special Mechanics

Victory Conditions

Failure Conditions

Mission Assets

 

 

Story

To the ordinary eye, New York City is the epitome of the urban landscape with its tall towering buildings and dirty streets littered with trash, but there is something under the surface of all that stone and steel - A supernatural world where magic is real and fantastical creatures exist. Most of the time, the real world and the magic world keep to their corners, but from time to time, the lines cross and that's where you come in. 

 

Your name is Jake and you have been recruited by Triskele, a special organization whose sole purpose is keeping the lines from crossing. You are a Nethermancer, one who can access the power of the Nether and use it to manipulate objects, see behind the veil, and cast spells. Most of that ability focuses on the dead, which in your line of work, unfortunately, seems to be really useful. Being a teenager is hard enough, but being a Nethermancer is an added problem you didn't ask for. School, homework, the wild wild west of hormones and your foster family to deal with and yet here you are being tasked with trying to keep normal people from being nothing but smears on the wall and keeping the monsters under the bed from creeping out.

 

Today, all you wanted to do was get home from school, have some Poptarts and maybe play a video game or two before starting your totally unfair amount of homework… You’re riding the train, listening to music when it gets interrupted by a call from Hester, your Handler from Triskele’s HQ, telling you that you have to investigate a strange incident in the subways. In her clipped tone, she gives you the information about it, which isn’t a hell of a lot.

 

“From what we can determine, someone… or something, was hit by a subway train. The station was evacuated and closed down as paramedics were called to the scene to transport a victim to Mount Sinai. The paramedics never left the station. Jake, you’re closest, so we need you to go and find out exactly what happened and what we are dealing with… and if it’s something we have to handle...”

               

Annoyed at the side trip, you get the information transferred to your phone of the location and head over there. As Hester stated, the station is closed to the public, so at least you don’t have to worry about some random stranger to trip over. You trot down the stairs, slipping in the earpiece that will keep you in communication with Hester... and that’s when you see all the blood... 

 

Now here you are, standing in a bloody mess with no signs of life and no idea what made the mess or whose blood it is. Hopefully you’ll be able to figure it out without donating your own blood to the scene.

 

Location/Setting

Present day New York City with Urban Fantasy aspects. While the mundane world exists, there is another world that lies beneath it all, where magic and the supernatural exists. Keeping the mundane and supernatural at peace requires those with special skills to make sure civilians not only know nothing about the other world, but are protected from it... That job is yours.

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Mission Objective

Find out what happened in the station, identify what caused it and capture it.

 

Gameplay Mechanics

Use your abilities to investigate and follow a larger narrative. Solve puzzles and use stealth as necessary to gain clues and stay alive to reach your objective.

 

Special Mechanics

Puzzles and use of 'Nethermancer' skills to manipulate the dead and to cast spells. 

• Nethermancer abilities:

  • Dark Sight - timed ability, allows you to see beyond the veil to witness moments in time connected to high emotion or violent death

  • Death Nudge - timed ability, allows you to manipulate the dead to do a single simple task. Requires cool down period

  • Living Print - See where living people have touched or left an imprint

These abilities would grow in time and expand as player advances and gains new spells

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Victory Conditions

• Capture the Red Cap and survive.

 

Failure Conditions

• Death by the Red Cap.

• Escape of Red Cap

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Mission Assets:

 

Scripts

• Code for keypad to electrical closet

• Interact with keyboard in security

• Simple triggers for IGC’s and In Game Events

• Limit players movement in certain areas of level

• Player interact with objects in sections of the mission

• Magic spell activations by player

 

Programming Needs

• Redcap goes through cycle of behavior between draining blood and searching basement

• If redcap detects player, immediately attacks

 

VFX

• Blood on the floor

• Dark Sight sparkle in air to indicate use of the spell

• Redcap’s look

• Steam from water heater

 

SFX

• Distant street level noise

• Buzzing from overhead fluorescent lights

• Cell phone touchscreen

• Entering keypad sounds

• Keypad unlocking

• Pressing key board keys

• Unlocking doors

• Footsteps in empty space on tiled floor

• Metal door opening

• Wood door opening

• Text alert sound

• Steps on wooden stairs

• Blood filling a bucket

• Redcap grumbling

• Body hitting cement floor

• Grunt of impact

• Interacting with items

• Vending machine hum

• Distant train rumbling

• Sound of Dark Sight

• Sound of Death Nudge

• Sound of Living Print

• Jangling keys

• Keys unlocking door

• Keycard opening door

• Flashlight clicking on

• Chains

• Padlock locking

• Door locking

• Foodsteps on cement

• Electrical hum

 

Animation

• Redcap draining victims

• Redcap walking around

• Doors

 

I-Props

• Garbage receptacle

• Dead Metro security guard

• Security office door

• Metro security guard cell phone

• Security computer keyboard

• Electrical closet keypad

• Walt Kelly’s keys

• Locked door

• Player’s cell phone

• Door to basement

• Mort Walker’s keycard

• Keycard lock

• Door to Mort Walker’s office

• Flashlight

• Door to hallway

• Metal pipe

• Crowbar

• Door lock

• Chain and padlock

 

Props

• Subway closed signs

• Turnstiles

• Soda machine

• Stretcher

• Garbage cans

• Circular bench

• Wall bench

• Metro Card machines

• Subway train

• Police barriers

• Office rolling chairs

• Security screens

• Desk

• File cabinets

• Shelves

• Table

• Paper

• Electrical closet machines

• Metal oil drums

• Stacks of wood

• Stacks of pipes

• Coils of wire

• Tools

• Small construction machinery - jackhammer etc

• Small cherry picker lift

• Odd props for shelves in utility room

• Bucket

• Office furniture

• Desk lamp

• Office chair

 

Playable Character List

Jake, a Nethermancer

 

Non Playable Characters

Hester, Jake’s handler at Triskele

Walt Kelly, electrical engineer survivor

 

Enemies

Redcap

 

In-Game Cinematics

IGC01

First person view of player entering the train station from top of stairs

IGC02

First person view of looking inside the security office through the front window

IGC03

First person view of being in security office while interacting with Hester and using security guard’s cellphone

IGC04

First person view of using cell phone for text chat with foster family

In Game Event

Body thrown at the bottom of the stairs

IGC05

First person view of moving into the basement, peeking around the corner and seeing the Redcap for the first time in big reveal. Then interacting with Hester.

IGC06

First person endgame moment as character talks to Hester

 

Objective Text

“Explore the station”

“Get into electrical closet”

“Open door to hallway to basement”

“Keep the Redcap confined and do not alert it to your presence”

“Knock out the Redcap”

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Voice Over

Dialogue

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Jake:

“I can’t believe I have to deal with this when I should be home having a Poptart.”

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Hester:

“Jake, the paramedics are radio silent and no one has heard from the on scene officer. We are keeping civilians out and holding off the authorities, but we need to know if this falls under Triskele’s purview. Find out what you can and report… And this time, try to follow protocol… I’ll give you further instructions as soon as you can tell us what happened.”

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Jake:

“I can’t leave till I figure out what happened.”

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Jake:

“I should look around some more before I try that.”

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Jake:

“It’s locked, I’ll have to try again later.”

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Jake:

“Whatever that train hit, it must have been made of steel to survive.”

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Jake:

“Ugh, gross!”

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Jake:

“I think I can get that friendly neighborhood dead guy to open up the door.”

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Jake:

“Last thing I need to do is start messing with construction sites. I don’t want to piss off Hester by wandering off.”

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Jake:

“I should check out that security office first.”

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Hester:

“Have you figured out what happened?”

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Jake:

“Yeah… lots of death and dying… probably looking at 4 definite dead… I don’t know, maybe more. All slashed.” 

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Hester: 

“That doesn’t mean it is Triskele business…”

Jake:

“Well I got a photo of something that may prove otherwise. Sending it to you now.”

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Hester: 

“This… isn’t good.”

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Jake:

“Color me surprised.  What the hell is that?”

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Hester: 

“It’s a Redcap. A goblin class creature with murderous intentions.”

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Jake:

“Yeah… I kind of got that part.”

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Hester: 

“Jake, this is serious. They have extremely tough skin, are strong and very dangerous. They usually stick to their lairs and kill any who come in their territory.”

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Jake:

“This isn’t a new subway system… what the hell is it doing here?”

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Hester: 

“With all the new construction underground to expand the trains and do repairs after Superstorm Sandy, I’m guessing its lair must have either been disturbed or destroyed.”

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Jake:

“Okay...so… what do we do?”

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Hester: 

“I’ll send a team out immediately, but it will take some time to get there. Where is it now?”

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Jake:

“I don’t know.”

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Hester:

“Jake, you have to get any people you come across out of there and find it. Report in as soon as you do.”

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Jake:

“Hello? I know you’re in here.”

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Walt Kelly:

“Shut the door! Who the hell are you kid?”

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Jake:

“I’m here to help… You’re safe… Can you tell me what happened?”

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Walt Kelly:

“We thought it was some crazy jerk getting hit by a train… The police showed up with the paramedics and shut down the station. The paramedics were taking the body up to the ambulance, then it woke up and just… just started tearing into everybody. The p-police shot it, and it kept going… I barely made it… I managed to get in here to hide.”

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Jake:

“Did you manage to see where it went?”

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Walt Kelly:

“I peeked out a little while ago… I saw it go through the door across the way… the one that leads to the basement.”

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Jake:

“Then that’s where I’m going.”

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Walt Kelly:

“You’ll need the keys… The doors lock automatically when they close for security.”

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Jake:

“Thanks man… stay here. Keep the door locked till the authorities get here.”

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Walt Kelly:

“I’m not going anywhere… I only hope Mort is okay down there... “

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Jake:

“Hester… Hester… answer me! Hello!?"

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Hester:

“I’m here Jake. Have you found it?

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Jake:

“Yes… In the basement under the station... and it’s gross and it’s draining the blood from its victims and oh my god. So Gross.”

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Hester:

“Jake… are there any survivors?”

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Jake:

“Uh… yeah… on guy. He’s in the station upstairs, locked in the electrical closet. Hurt, but ok.”

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Hester:

“Good. I’ll notify the team… Meanwhile, you must figure out how to contain the Redcap. If it gets out, there’s no telling the suffering it will cause… And you have to make sure no one can get in there from the outside.”

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Jake:

“How do I contain it?”

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Hester:

“You have to figure that out. The Recap is almost impossible to hurt… unless its dying its cap… then its bald spot will be revealed. That is its one soft spot. Hit it and you’ll knock it out… Jake, you cannot let it leave the basement.”

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Jake:

“Great… Well the door behind me locks when its closed so I guess it’s just me and it down in the basement.”

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Hester:

“You’ll have to see if there are any exits it can access and block them off or lock them. I have to go. Good luck, Jake.”

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Jake:

“Good luck? That’s your parting advice? Good luck?  Well, it’s been a nice life while it lasted.

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Jake:

“It’s too dark in there and I have no idea what’s in there. I’m not going to stumble around in the dark with a deadly creature wandering around.”

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Jake:

“Sorry Mort… but thank you for the keycard.”

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Jake:

“This flashlight might be useful.”

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Jake:

“That leads to the construction area… The doors are locked so I don’t have to worry about that… And I don’t have time to worry about it right now.”

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Jake:

“This pipe might be useful.”

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Jake:

“I can use this to knock out the Redcap… if I can get a shot in before it kills me.”

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Jake:

This door locks from this side, so I’ll have to go back through Mort’s office to get back in the basement.”

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Jake:

These doors lead up to the street… I have to lock it somehow… Just in case anyone decides to try and come down here.”

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Jake:

“I have to go quietly or else it will be my blood dying that cap.”

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Hester:

“Jake? Jake!”

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Jake:

“You are so buying me pizza!”

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Hester:

“What?”

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Jake:

“The Redcap is contained and down for the count and I want pizza!”

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Hester:

“Good job, Jake. The team should be there shortly for clean up. And we don’t reward our people for doing their job with pizza. The satisfaction of a job well done and saving lives is enough.”

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Jake:

“Yeah? Well, I missed dinner, and there are a lot of dead bodies and blood, and I want pizza.”

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Hester:

“...I’ll see what I can do.”

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