Week 3

The practical for this was to design a game with a theme of territorial acquisitions. Adopting a space theme the design of the game focus on 5 factions warring over 3 planets. These 3 planet where surrounded by a series of nodes similar to a spiders wed, the a faction must travel.

The factions, coloured red/yellow/purple/yellow/green, have 5 units that can be used to acquire these nodes. after leaving your base you do battle or skip the enemy factions and make for the nodes. first to capture all five nodes wins.

You do combat with other player by rolling a larger number than them after battle has started with the same going for battles the node planets.

There were 3 portals for use by the faction each shape coordinated for easy use.


the game had flaws with the being of the map being to clustered and only one play actually having control planets


Games:

Castlevania is a side scrolling 80's game in which the player must Travers a  castle filled with the forces of evil. The main character must fit through waves of fishmen, hell dogs, bats, medusa head, pike men, dragon statues, ghouls, skeletons and jumper monkeys (there are are others but those are the enemies I saw personally). Each stage ends with a particularly tricky boss fight, the bosses I have versed so far are the giant bat, giant medusa head and the mummy twins. From the world map seen between the level loading I predict about 4 more boss battles probably of increasingly ridiculous hardness.

There a varietypof  secondary weapon to use side by side with your primary whip. So far these consist of a axe that arcs upwards, a straight flying knife, a straight flying, double hit cross boomerang, a freeze time pendent, downward arcing holy water. each power up weapon replaces the last so if you had the axe and picked up the knife you would no longer have the axe.

The alt weapon you use use up your heart counter, this requiring the player to collect hearts to maintain an advantage over the enemies are still a formidable threat even the full power whip as the delay between button press and whip can let enemies hit you,

There is one power up that does not replace your current alt weapon but is an instant use, kill all enemies on screen power up.

This game is really quite hard but very do able as long as your are trying... and maybe have the gods of luck ad happiness on your side.

Interactivity:

The core machanic of Castlevania is the are moving a across the screen in a  side scrolling action, jumping in a set jump arc, whipping and using your alt weapon.


Genre:

Castlevania genre can be described as an action adventure platformer.

Concept:

The concept of this game stated bluntly is jumping in a platformer and whipping what ever stops your progress.

Spatial arena:

The arena that this story takes place in a side scrolling castle ranging from it's battlements to it's dungeons. One thing of note is that the environments where quite detailed for such an old game. the small details really added an progressive atmosphere.

Goal:

The over all concept of the game is to get to the last boss Dracula and show him what for by giving him a flogging.

Challenge:

The challenge of this game comes from the delay your whip has, the pre-set jump arc and the well thought out enemies. In all environments there is a constant challenge from the constant barrage of enemies that are very, VERY annoying but still possible to beat.

This is one game where killing everything can feel like a challenge and not hlpless slaughter.

Narrative:

The over all story or Castlevania is you are part of a family of vampire hunters and have to stop Dracula every time he returns to earth.

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