Blog 8: Independent Component 1 Proposal

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

Just as there are for books, films, and even architecture, there is a pre-production for video games, which is exactly want I want to focus on for my first independent component. Pre-production in video games is where the concept development and design - storyline, mood boards, characters - take root so that a interactive medium may grow into a full-fledged game, however simple it may be. Since the start of senior year, I have been wanting to dive into the process of making a video game using the RPGMaker software my brother had given me, but thanks to my mentorship and research that Senior Project entails, I have back-pedaled to realize that there is much more than just coding the game with the software; video games games, throughout modern history, has evolved beyond just Pong and mechanics to entertain the player. Our standards have been raised to the point where video games can pass as an artistic medium.

I want to understand the experience of this creative aspect of game design, where brainstorming is the default state of mind and the most spontaneous ideas have potential. I want to make this component so that, by the end, I have a detailed outline that will be ready to accompany me in the actual production process when that time comes. Of course, in this aspect of game design, there are certain things that must primarily be tackled.

The following is what I want to accomplish:
- Storyline: What is the plot of the game, and what are the lessons and themes that will play throughout with the player?
- Map outlines: I will sketch out and design a virtual recreation of the I-Poly campus, to which the game will be based on.
- Mood boards: Because I want the game to be of the puzzle-horror genre, what filters/mechanics can I use to maximize this experience? 
- Puzzles: The game is going to be designed so there are 16 main puzzles, 1 per core classroom the the virtual I-Poly setting. This will also connect to the plot.
- Character designs: I definitely want the character to be fictional, so they will have a customized sprite as well as portrait to accompany the player all the way through.
- Audio distribution: An essential to ever horror game is the use of sounds. At my disposal are public domain audio clips. How can I use them to maximize the player experience in a horror setting?

All of this will be compiled into a Game Design Document (GDD).

Thanks to my mentor's textbook, Game Design Workshop, I have actually found a proper description and process in which I plan to execute this independent component. In the book, it's known as the Brainstorming and Physical Prototype steps in the process known as Iteration (the design, test, and evaluation of the game-making). Brainstorming simply refers to setting the player experience goals, deciding in what game concepts we want inside of the game.

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

This process will take a myriad of media: text for the storyline and plan for audio distribution, graph paper for the map outlines, and sketches/drawings for the mood boards, puzzles, and character designs. Each and everyone can be documented by either photos or screenshots. I will spend a certain amount of time in a given day, which will help me in my documentation of my hours. Each one is a small endeavor; there are 6 sections total. It is a pretty safe bet to say that each aspect will take an average of 5 hours to complete, and the compilation make take extra time.

3.  Explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

As mentioned before, game design has a great potential in society as an interactive, immersive medium. That is not to say that there aren't just games that are designed solely as brain-candy and are built to entertain, but there is a pool in the game industry that also tries to work beyond that. For me, I want to have an experience, even if it is that of a beginner, in designing video games. It is no different from someone who plans out a book, a movie, or even a building. There is so much behind the many products in our world, and creating a GDD will definitely serve as proof of that. Many memorable aspects of video games all are somehow derived from an idea that was made in pre-production, and that process is something I am deeply interested in.

4.  Update your Senior Project Hours log.

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