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--- redleaf_game_design [2010-06-01 16:28] – created davegriffiths
+++ redleaf_game_design [2010-06-17 08:04] – davegriffiths
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-This is an initial game design for 'redleaf' - a permaculture game for social networking platforms. Needs a new name, based on the [[red leaf]] ideas, but directed in a slightly less confrontational direction.
+======Germination X======
+This is an initial game design for Germination X - a permaculture game for social networking platforms. Based on the [[red leaf]] ideas, but directed in a slightly less confrontational direction.
 Very rough hand wavy stuff, feel free to poke in new directions.
@@ Line 18: / Line 20: @@
 {{:redleaf-sketch-desc.png|}}
-======Guilds======
+======Player Guilds======
-  - Guilds have experience points.
+  - Player guilds have experience points.
   - You increase your guild's experience points by growing succesful plants, listening to your companion is essential to do this well.
   - The more experience points your guild has, the more diverse types of seeds you will able to collect, seeds will appear on plants that are more difficult to grow.
@@ Line 29: / Line 31: @@
   - Energy is used up by roaming, looking for seeds.
   - Energy is replenished by eating harvested food.
-  - You can't directly eat food you have collected, only that picked for you by other people.
+  - You can't directly eat food you have collected, only that given to you by other people.
-  - When you harvest plants, you choose who to give it to. They will have to be a friend, but not necessarily have to be a member of your guild, or even someone currently playing the game - this will be an invitation.
+  - When you harvest plants, you have to choose who to give it to. They will have to be a friend, but not necessarily a member of your guild, or even someone currently playing the game - this would act as an invitation.
   - If you run out of energy you die. This is seen as a noble act of replenishing the garden with your composing matter. You can respawn, but at a cost to your guild's experience.
+//Notes: To run out of energy while harvesting for other people could be annoying - perhaps a less extreme form of this could be to keep the required donation to other players, but also take a small power up yourself. Needs testing in game.//
 ======Pattern of play======
+[to be expanded]
   - Start game, select to join existing guild.
-  - Look around, seeds can be found around some of the plants you find.
+  - Look around, seeds can be found around some of the plants you find, you try picking them up.
-  - Plant seeds in good locations (guided by your personal permaculture companion)
+  - You plant seeds in good locations (guided by your personal permaculture companion)
-  - You see some plants that belong to your guild, and look ready to harvest. You click on the plant to collect the fruits or vegetables.
+  - You see some plants that belong to your guild, and they look ready to harvest. You click on the plant to collect the fruits or vegetables.
-  - Select friend to give the harvest to. They also receive a recipe that can be used with that type of vegetable (in real life).
+  - A menu appears with your friends on it, you select one to give the harvest to. You also choose from a choice of recipes that can be used (in real life) with the type of vegetable you are sending them.
 ======Permaculture companion======
-You will be aided in your planting by a companion who can help point out good areas to plant your seeds in, and explain why, based on the permaculture system below.
+You will be aided in your planting by a companion who can help point out good areas to plant your seeds in, and explain why, based on the permaculture system below. The role of the companion will be to explain permaculture through the game.
-They will not force you to do anything, but express dissatisfaction if you refuse to listen to them.
+It would be interesting to use a social network platform for experimentation and collecting feedback from the public. Players might be able to choose from a selection of companion types, or have them randomly assigned.
-The relationship of the player with the companion are what I'd like to focus on for testing.
+The relationship of the player with the companion should be a focus for testing. The companion could follow the model of the companion character Yorda in the Ico game, slower and needing attention from the player in some way. This way the companion will require a little investment of time - even if it's just waiting for it to catch up. I'd like to explore whether this actually increases feelings of attachment - especially if it's use to you and knowledge are not clear to begin with and are gradually revealed.
-The companion could follow the model of Ico's companion character Yorda, and be slower and need attention from the player in some way. This way the companion will require some investment of time from the player - even if it's just waiting for it to catch up. I'd like to explore whether this increases feelings of attachment - especially if it's use to you and knowlege are gradually revealed.
+Possible companion forms:
+  * An insect.
+  * A wise old man/woman.
+  * A plant - could everything in the game be depicted in a vegetal form?
+  * Control - no companion, but the same information dispensed in "tool tip" like form.
 ======Permaculture system======
-Plants in the game will grow according to simplified permaculture planting rules. Plants are also arranged into guilds, of mutually beneficial plants. Each plant has something it offers (a function) and each plant also has something it needs (a weakness). For example, an extremely simple plant guild could consist of:
+Plants in the game will grow according to simplified [[permaculture]] and [[companion planting]] rules. As well as players, plants are also arranged into guilds, of mutually beneficial plants. The companion will teach you which plants are suitable for planting together and why - this will be based on real life examples. In [[companion planting]], each plant has something it offers (a function) and also something it needs (a weakness). For example, an extremely simple plant guild could consist of:
 ^ Plant      ^  Function         ^ Weakness                      ^
@@ Line 60: / Line 70: @@
 | Apple tree | Provides shelter  | Requires N2                   |
-In this way each plant benefits from proximity to the other, and forms a loop of dependancy. Not sure if this example is accurate - it's important that we use real examples.
+In this way each plant benefits from close proximity to the other, and forms a loop of dependency. Not sure if this particular example is accurate - it's very important that we use real examples.
 Pea needs -> Apple tree needs -> Turnip needs -> Pea
-More plants may form more complex relationships, but we don't need much more complexity to get the point across. So, areas planted out of balance will be susceptible to the plant's weaknesses, eg an area dominated by peas:
+More plants may form complex relationships, but we don't need much more complexity to get the point across. So, areas planted out of balance will be susceptible to the plant's weaknesses, eg an area dominated by peas:
 | P | P | T | P |
@@ Line 71: / Line 81: @@
 | P | P | P | A |
-Will be decimated by pests, and so on. A suitable pattern would be to mix them up more thoroughly:
+Will be decimated by pests, while an area lacking shelter would become damaged by harsh weather eg:
+| T | A | T | P |
+| P | P | P | P |
+| P | T | T | T |
+| P | P | P | T |
+A more suitable pattern would be to mix them up more thoroughly:
 | P | T | A | P |
@@ Line 80: / Line 97: @@
 ======Regions======
-Regions: The world is separated into regions (temperate, arctic, arid, mountainous, tropical), as your guild's experience increases, you can explore further and grow plants in multiple regions. Regions will have corresponding weather conditions, and pests.
+The world is separated into regions (temperate, arctic, arid, mountainous, tropical). As your guild's experience increases, you can explore further and grow plants in multiple regions. Regions will have corresponding weather conditions, and pests.
-Players from different regions will be able to give us feedback on growing conditions and ideas for new plants.
+Players living in different regions will be able to give us feedback on growing conditions and ideas for new plants and recipes.
 ======Weekly year seasons======
@@ Line 96: / Line 113: @@
 ======Boskoi connection======
-Needs much more thought, and a look at the boiskoi app, but some thoughts:
+Needs much more thought, and a closer look at the project from my point of view, but some ideas:
   * Plants discovered during foraging expeditions result in additional seeds being made available to your gardener guild.
   * Plants foraged in boskoi replenish your energy in the game.
-  * As your guild improves, so boskoi unlocks secret plants.
+  * As your guild improves, so boskoi unlocks secret plants in your city.
+======Road Map======
+  * Flash/HTML5 clientside isometric graphics engine [done]
+  * Large world navigation mechanic [done] [[http://www.pawfal.org/dave/live/wilderness/2/]]
+  * Persistent server process storing plant/world information [in progress]
+  * Integration with facebook
+  * User model
+  * Permaculture rule system running on the server
+  * Data driven plant descriptions/sprites with permaculture roles/needs - also recipes for each!
+Alpha testing: Seeing if the permaculture rules work for a simple system. Time now to iterate this until it's satisfactory. From this point on plants can be added in parallel to the development.
+  * Player guilds
+  * Player energy system
+  * First pass companion
+  * First pass boskoi/phone app integration
+Beta testing: Concentrating on the companion and player/guild dynamics.
+  * Visualisation of pestilence and weather
+  * More companion types
+  * Seasons
+  * Adding more regions