INTRODUCTION

This document describes a game called "Misuse of Magic", which is designed to be a simple, 2D side-scroller. The game will employ sprite-based animation, tiled backgrounds, collision detection, phyics specially gravity, AI, side scrolling & and basic 2D game techniques.

TECHNOLOGY

Misuse of Magic will be web game deployed to Firebase using JavaScript and the Phaser framework. Artwork will be mostly simple flat designs, and so we'll be using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Sketch for wire frames. Tiled will be used to create backgrounds and walls for levels. Music may be borrowed from the SBU Student Music Page. Otherwise, original music and sound effects will be made using Audacity and Ableton.

BACK STORY

Set in a future where wizards have mastered teleportation, society stretches across many planets. After failing a magical exam, Tzarha is sent into exile and lives on a desolate planet training her skills to one day return and pass. However, one day she is approached by an elderly wizard looking for a protege and she accepts. He studies magic that emulates scientific phenomena - in particular, gravity bending, pyrotechnics, and lightning. Unfortunately, power does things to those who have little self-control, and Tzarha is about to find herself on a life-changing journey. The player will control Tzarha as she goes on this journey to find the happiness she has lost.

OBJECTIVE

The objecive is to lead the character on her journey to self discovery. Along the way she will battle several types of enemies to gain strength. Her happiness is also reflected in her skintone, which is an icy blue that over time fades as she finds her happiness.

• Elemental Wizards (Fire, ice, water and air)
• Monsters
• Bosses/Mini-bosses

The enemies gain strength as she advances and later levels will not have weak monsters. In the first level, enemies can be killed in a single hit. In later levels, enemies will require multiple (2 - 3) hits to be defeated. Some enemies may have clothing that gives them resistance to certain types of spells. The types of immunity are shown by the clothing (Example, wizards immune to lighning will have a yellow tipped hat). The final goal is to clear all the levels and restore her happiness which is accomplished.

Each level will represent a stage in her journey. Most, if not all, of these levels will take place outdoors. The reasoning for this is that the environment may be able to affect magicians' powers. One example is that lightning magic can be more powerful during a thunderstorm. However, the rain would weaken fire attacks.

The first level will take place on Tzarha's desolate homeland. This is where she first becomes cold and takes out her anger on the small creatures around her. This level serves as an introduction to the basic mechanics of the game. The final level will be a final confrontation where she will realize what she has been seeking was with in herself all along. She will regain her normal appearnace along with her happiness.

GAMEPLAY

The game will work like a side scroller, with the main character able to run left and right, and jump up or down onto so we may scroll up and down. The levels will be designed using Tiled.

Each spell will have a strange effect as follows:

Spell in Use	Visual Effect
Flare	The target catches fire
Firefloom	A puff of smoke appears on the enemy. Disables fire magic
Vector	The enemy will fly in the direction drawn by the mouse
Reverse trajectory	The targeted object moves in the opposited direction
Zolt	Launches a lightning bolt at the enemy
Electromagnet	Attracts a enemy to a metallic object

There can be up to three skills active at a time. These skills are interchangable and can be activated via hotkeys.

CONTROLS

This game will be played using a keyboard and a mouse. Once started, use the following:

• A - Move Left
• D - Move Right
• W - Jump
• LEFT-ARROW - Move Left (same as A)
• RIGHT-ARROW - Move Right (same as D)
• UP-ARROW - Jump (same as W)
• ESC - Pause. This pauses the game and presents a pop-up window to the player asking them to continue when they are ready. If a game is not in progress, ESC does nothing.
• Z - Spell #1 : Pyro Spell
• X - Spell #2 : Gravity Spell
• C - Spell #3 : Lighting Spell

GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

As far as the GUI is concerned, we are considering the following:

• Splash Screen - The splash screen GUI simply presents the game name and a progress bar while the game is being set up. Once it's fully loaded it will automatically redirect to the menu screen


• Main Menu - this screen will be displayed automatically after the game loads from Splash Screen. It will allow the user start the game as well as go to a levels selection screen, a controls screen, and a help screen.

  



• In-Game Menu - While the game is in progress, we'll always have a game menu that allows the player to select from the following options:
  • Controls Screen - If pressed, the game will display an info screen that includes a description of all game controls.

    

  • Level Selection Screen - The user will be directed to a screen presenting the playable levels such that the user may select one to play. Note that the first time the player starts the game only the first level will be available and levels will have to be unlocked. Meaning, the user will have to complete the first to play the second. Locked levels will have a lock icon on them. Player will be able to scroll horizontally by clicking the arrows and see additional levels

    

  • Help Screen - It will give more insight about the back story of the game. This screen will also include information about the authors and game developers.

    



• In-Game GUI - While playing the following will be displayed at all times:
  • Health Bar
  • Spell Icons - The active spells will be shown with their remaining uses and an icon showing their type. If a spell is out of uses, a small warning icon will appear in that spell's upper left corner.
  • Exit - Will Exit game if pressed.
  • Help - Will display Help Screen if pressed.
  • Pause/Play - Freezes and unfreezes the game, allowing the user to pause gameplay.
  • Controls - If pressed, displays controls screen.
  • View Skill Tree - Allows viewing of the skills the user has. Also will allow the user to chose which skills are active for the hotkeys.
  

ARTWORK

All artwork in the game will be original. The following needs to be created:

• Main Character/Magician (Tzarha) - These are the animations:
  • Idle
  • Walking Right
  • Walking Left
  • Jumping Right
  • Jumping Left
  • Jumping Up
  • Casting a Spell Right
  • Casting a Spell Left
  • Taking Damage
  • Dying


• Enemies - Simple sprites, each require animations for:
  • Idle
  • Suspened in air
  • Pushed and blown to the right
  • Pushed and blown to the left
  • Death animation depending on spell
  • Taking damage
  • Attacking


• Level Door - Magician will start the game by tapping on one of the available level doors in level selection menu. Upon completion of each level main character will encounter and walk through the same door


• Ceiling, Floor, & Wall Tiles - Each room will have multiple floors and platforms to jump onto and off of. We'll use simple tiles for all walkable/collidable surfaces. These tiles will have to clearly define where the walkable surface is.


• Background Tiles - For non-collidable tiles that will go in the background of the game screen. The background will be different in each level to represent the storyline.

SOUND EFFECTS

All sound effects will be original. Sounds must be made to coincide with each of the following events:

• Walking
• Landing on a Platform
• Enemy Dying
• Enemy Damaged
• Casting Spell
• Magician Dying
• Magician Damaged
• Magician Healed
• Celebrating Win

MUSIC

Game Music will be added when time permits.

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