DevBlog #1 - Verneantite, the Idea! news

This first devblog will be to show a preliminary idea of the game, this is still a very early phase, there will be some changes later on. In this DevBlog you will find the concept for the game, an early spec-sheet, the art and core mechanics that we want to implement.

DeadHeroStudios, Verneantite

This is a university project, developed in Undergraduate In Digital Games and Multimedia, 22/23, of the School of Technology and Management of the Polytechnic of Leiria. The team is composed of 3 elements, a Game Artist, a Game Programmer and a Game Designer.

The Game Concept!

The creation of a 2D vertical slice game, with a visual narrative story told by solving puzzles and exploring. Our objective is to make a Sci-Fi/Diesel-Punk themed game inspired in the HellBoy Comic Books Art Style.

The game objective is to collect the hidden items by solving puzzles and exploring the game map .These will reveal the images in the comic book panels, telling the story.

The Story of Verneantite

Around 200 years ago, when Mankind thought to be living in a peaceful world , technological,social and scientific advancement were being made, Mankind was entering a new era, and then overnight, war broke through. The war to take control of new energies. It started as a small one, but it took 12 years to end. In those 12 years of wars and with new technologies available, mankind had step further, and start making experience with the human body, injuries that would turn any human to be incapable of living a normal live,would be treated with Diesel-Punk Prosthetics, these prosthetics besides treating also enhance the user body in some way. Both sides explored prosthetics technology as a weapon. Tired of bloodshed, The Defenders, a group of countries that formed an alliance to defend countries that provided energy from being attacked, launched a nuclear attack on The Rebellion headquarters, a small group of neighbouring countries that were working together in order to achieve control of the World energy supplies. The war seemed to be over. The Rebellion ceased to exist, their countries were forgotten by the time. Facing the consequences of their leader's ambition the habitants that had survived were blocked at the borders by walls, and huge ramparts kept people from passing through. Small groups of survivors start to gather forming small societies/communities spread out in this land caged by walls. The years passed, and these communities/societies merged, giving birth to a new country, Verneantite. .The year is 2222 the place of Luytsi, Verneantite (Eastern Europe Country).

Early Game Spec-Sheet

The game will be single-player and developed for Pc, the controlores are GamePad and keyboard Mouse! We are defining it at the moment as a Top-Down, Puzzle, Narrative Adventure game, as the Art will be 2D, Cartoon influenced by German Expressionism and Mike Mignola’s works (Helboy).

• The character will be able to sneak behind enemies.
  
  

• The player will need to interact with the object in order to move it.
  

• Items will be a key element in the game narrative.

• The enemies will be spread out in the map, patrolling in an area, or blocking some path (Neutral State). - They will have two different ways of detecting the player: 1- A Visual Range- defined by area in a cone, that will gradually change over two colours depending on his current state and if detecting the player; 2- A Detection Range that will detect if the player can be heard or seen area in a circle.

• Enemy Behaviour- When the player is spotted in the Visual Range, the enemies will get aggressive.
  - When the player is out of both Ranges the enemy will return to his neutral state.
  - If the player enters the Detection Range, the enemy will lock in that direction.
  
  
  *Gif.3 - "Mark of the Ninja"*

• The game will have an Emergent Narrative way of telling the story, where in order to unlock the panels the player must go find, solve,explore or place something in the world game.
• When a panel is revealed, a part of the history will be revealed unlocking the next panels.
  
  
  *This is a early phase of the game, this post its a process of the work doing by the team in a small time period, from now on we will try to keep you updated, on the decission we will make and the progress of the game.Thank you and until the next DevBlog.*