A Dog's Dream : Adventure Games : GD Video Game Design

Idea Info

Name:
A Dog's Dream
Index:
Primary
Category:
Adventure
Submitted:
9/1/2003 3:22:13 AM
Written By:
bizpimp

A Dog's Dream
9/1/2003 3:22:13 AM
By: bizpimp
Show all Game Ideas by this Member
Category: Adventure Games

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The title of my game is A Dog’s Dream.

Story:

In the town of Pleasantville, a fairly new breed of hero has taken the law into his own hands, or paws for that matter. When criminals come into your town, it is up to you to stop them! Man’s best friend is not so friendly when it comes to disrupting his home...

Deeogee’s primary goal is to restore Pleasantville with the tranquility and assured happiness it once had. To make this possible, Deeogee patrols the town of Pleasantville, doing all that he can to bring peace to the people. Using his super senses, he has taken it upon himself to capture and imprison all criminals who dare to dismiss his dream.

Gameplay:

Play the role of Deeogee, a dog that may seem as a typical house pet, but in fact is a heroic and mettlesome pooch. Using his preeminent perception and phenomenal sense of smell, Deeogee can spot any criminal walking the city streets.

Pleasantville: A nonlinear, simulated town consisting of day and night effects and a simulated civilization. On account of an internal clock, a day in Pleasantville is accellerated to twenty-four minutes! Pleasantville is filled with a variety of things. Most vehicles, bicyclists, joggers, etc. are out during the day, while the lawbreakers and fugitives wander at night.

On the wealthier side of Pleasantville, the people have a daily routine. Some have jobs, hence driving to work, some take a morning stroll to the market, etc. So you see, night or day, Pleasantville is always filled with life.

Daily Patrol: During the day, the people of Pleasantville are out and about. Help these people get around or simply greet them as they wander past. During Deeogee’s daily patrol is the best time to perform good deeds, as there are much more interactive civilians than at night. Although most criminals act at night, Deeogee patrols during the day, just in case...

Nightly Patrol: On his nightly patrol, Deeogee will come across a variety of incidents. When Deeogee senses an unlawful act nearby, a large, yellow arrow will appear at the top of the screen. This arrow points to the direction in which an incident is located. For example: If a bank robbery is taking place, following this arrow will lead Deeogee to the Pleasantville Bank. When Deeogee is pursuing correctly, the yellow arrow will brighten. If the player is traveling in the wrong direction, the yellow arrow will dim. Sniffing the ground may help Deeogee to pick up on a specific criminal’s trail, or find a clue, causing the yellow arrow to brighten once more (the player may have to do this several times if the trail is lost). Once the player is within feet or has reached the destination, the yellow arrow will then turn red and appear directly above the incident.

Good Deeds: On Deeogee’s daily patrol, a random of act of kindness may help people take a step closer to a peaceful Pleasantville. Whether Deeogee helps an old lady across a busy street or returns a wallet to the rightful owner, these are considered good deeds. When a good deed is appreciated, it will add to Deeogee’s prestige among the citizenry of Pleastantville; thus, Deeogee’s Popularity Meter will rise (mentioned later).

Heroic Acts: Pretty self-explanatory. Deeogee can perform heroic acts, on account of his super abilities. Whether he dives for a child in busy streets, helps a kitten down from a tree, or rescues someone form a burning building, these heroic acts are far more adventurous than patrolling Pleasantville. As do good deeds, heroic acts raise Deeogee’s Popularity Meter, but with a greater effect (mentioned later).

Criminals: Subsuming a heart of justice, it is only right that Deeogee takes it upon himself to end all unlawful acts that obstruct his aspiration. Along Deeogee’s nightly patrol, you will find that his home town, Pleasantville, isn’t so pleasant after all. Numerous criminals wander the city streets, holding up liquor stores, robbing banks, etc. Stop these criminals before Deeogee’s dream is no longer feasible!

Once Deeogee has defeated a numerous amount of criminals, his name will appear in the Pleasantville NewsPaper. Although this can raise Deeogee’s Popularity Meter (mentioned later), this will also alert other criminals; causing them to seek out, destroy, or even capture Deeogee when he least expects it! While the average criminal may decide to take matters into his own hands, the wiser one may report Deeogee to the local Dog Catcher or Animal Control.

Experience Points: Performing certain actions will contribute to Deeogee’s super abilities. When a certain number of Exp. points has been obtained, Deeogee can then activate one of his super abilities. A list of categories, which Exp. points can be applied to, is listed below:

Speed- Chasing the neighborhood cats of Pleasantville will increase Deeogee’s speed. (During the chase, a timer will appear at the top of the screen- the longer the chase the greater exp. gain. Maximum chase time is 45 sec.) When enough Exp. points have been earned within this category, Deeogee’s super ability “Super Sprint” can be activated.

Mind- Safely guiding the citizens of Pleasantville across the busiy streets (mainly children) will not only raise Deeogee's Popolarity Meter, this will also increase his perception of oncoming traffic and other dangerous environments. When enough Exp. points have been earned within this category, Deeogee’s super ability “Super Sense” can be activated.

***NOTICE: ideas needed for additional Exp. categories***

Super Abilities: Deeogee is capable of numerous super abilities. In order to activate one of Deeogee’s super abilities, enough Exp. Points must be directly obtained toward the particular ability. Deeogee can perform his super abilities as long as the minimum requirement of Exp. Points is earned.

NOTE: The Super Ability button configuration does not differ from that of the regular button configuration, rather the actions are simply upgraded. A list of super abilities is below:

Super Snarl- Deeogee performs an ear piercing howl- effective against criminals while alerting nearby civilians (requires 30/100 Exp.)
Super Stealth- Enables Deeogee to appear unnoticeable- good for quickly creeping up on criminals. (requires 60/100 Exp.)
Super Sprint- Enables Deeogee to scurry at ridiculous speeds- good for catching getaway vehicles. (requires 40/100 Exp.)
Super Spring- While running, Deeogee is able to jump three times his size, and may appear as if he’s flying for a short period of time!- good for clearing large distances between obstacles. (requires 50/100 Exp.)
Super Sense- Enables Deeogee to detect nearby threats to either himself or innocent bystanders- Example: informs Deeogee when crossing streets. (requires 80/100 Exp.)

NOTE: No more than one of Deeogee’s super abilities can be activated or performed at a single time.

Button configuration: (the following controls are assigned to the PS2)

D-pad- Directional movement
R1-Super Ability
L1- bark
R2- crouch/crawl
L2- run
Triangle- show HUD
Square- jump
Circle- growl/ bare teeth/ attack
X- action button (sniff/ lick, pick up, etc.)
Start- Pause
Select- Inventory

NOTE: Button configuration is customizable to the player’s liking. Also note that I have no preferred configuration for any particular gaming console, the button configuration above is just an example.

Button/Control Descriptions:

Deeogee’s controls have effect on many objects and people. For example, growling at a criminal may cause him/her to back off, and growling at a child will cause him/her to cry and/or run away. You must use these controls carefully, as they may not fit the particular situation correspondingly. If Deeogee is too aggressive (using controls inappropriately), the locals of Pleasantville may report him to Animal Control, resulting in GAME OVER.

•Directional Movement- Whether it’s a D-Pad, keyboard and mouse, etc. the directional movement steers Deeogee in the direction he is facing (forward, backward, right, or left).

- Crouch: Holding this button causes Deeogee to lay flat with his paws forward. Using the Directional Movement causes Deeogee to crawl.
- Run: Holding this button while using the Directional Movement causes Deeogee to pick up the pace.

•Jump- When Deeogee is near a safe and stable object bigger than he is, pressing the Jump button causes him to leap into the air and land on the desired object. However, Deeogee cannot jump on a single object that is three times his size without activating the proper Super Ability.

•Attack- This button is only to be used when a criminal is threatening, robbing, or attacking an innocent person. Pressing this button once, when near a criminal, will cause Deeogee to growl furiously at the criminal. If the criminal disregards Deeogee’s growl, pressing this button twice will cause Deeogee to bare his teeth. Sometimes, criminals will run away after Deeogee’s first indication of attack, growling. Other times, growling may not be enough to scare the criminal, so Deeogee is given the option to bare his teeth. After Deeogee’s teeth are bared, most definitely, the criminal will either back off or run away. If the criminal runs away, Deeogee has the option of chasing and attacking the criminal. When the attack button is pressed a third time (usually when running after a criminal), Deeogee will pounce on him and bite his arm. NOTE: This button, as mentioned before, is only to be used against criminals. If the player tries to be funny and attack a child or innocent adult, Deeogee will be reported to Animal Control, resulting in GAME OVER.

•Action Button- The action button is probably the most useful of all Deeogee’s controls. This button has many purposes. Pressing the action button while near a person (child or adult) causes Deeogee to sit and lick his/her hand. Pressing it twice, while in the same situation, causes Deeogee to sniff and lick the person’s face (not all people like this), sometimes effectuating a laugh or giggle- causing Deeogee’s Popularity Meter to rise (mentioned later).

The action button may also be used to pick up certain items. When Deeogee stands over an object, pressing the action buttons causes him to lower his head and pick it up with his mouth. Most of the time, an object that is picked up activates the yellow arrow at the top of the screen. The arrow will direct you to the person or place that the item belongs to. For example, if Deeogee finds and picks up a woman’s purse, the arrow will appear- directing the player to whom the purse should be returned to. A good deed like this, will also cause Deeogee’s Popularity Meter to rise (mentioned later).

If Deeogee is standing in the middle of the street, on the sidewalk, near a fire hydrant, etc. and the action button is pressed, he may do a variety of things. For example: When near a fire hydrant, Deeogee will lift his right leg and relieve himself. Deeogee will perform many different things when the action button pressed for no apparent reason (this may interest the player, atleast until the same actions repeat themselves).

•HUD- Holding this assigned button will cause the HUD (heads up display) to appear. When this button is released, the HUD will disappear, as to not distract the player from gameplay. The HUD consists of Deeogee’s Life Bar, Popularity Meter, and a Clock.

Life bar- A vertical, colored bar representing the amount of health Deeogee contains.
When the Life Bar is blue (100%), Deeogee is in excellent health, he has not been damaged through any of the game’s many obstacles. When the Life Bar is green (80%), Deeogee is in good health, he is able to continue his daily patrol. When the Life Bar is yellow (60%), Deeogee’s health is considered satisfactory and will . When the Life Bar is orange (40%), Deeogee should be wary of his surroundings. When the Life Bar is red (20%), Deeogee is in a critical health state, he is in dire need of medical attention. When the Life Bar is black (0%), Deeogee is no more, GAME OVER.

Popularity Meter- Deeogee’s Popularity Meter represents how the people around him think and feel about him. The Popularity Meter is presented by a horizontal number line lying across the bottom of the screen. A small yellow star slides left and right on the number line, representing the people’s awareness of Deeogee. When the people know nothing of Deeogee, the small yellow star rests in the middle of the number line, a neutral point, on the number zero. On the left side of the zero are negative numbers; if the yellow star slides to this side, the people of Pleasantville are not fond or Deeogee at all. At the right of the zero are positive numbers; if the yellow star slides to this side, the people of Pleasantville adore Deeogee. If you haven’t already figured it out, when Deeogee performs good deeds, captures criminals, etc. the yellow start slides to the right side of the Popularity Meter. If Deeogee fails to participate in fighting crime and performing good deeds, or attacks innocent people, the yellow star slides to the left side of the Popularity Meter. If the yellow star reaches the left side’s end of the Popularity Meter, it’s GAME OVER for Deeogee. However, if the yellow star reaches the right side’s end of the Popularity Meter, the Pleasantville Police will recruit Deeogee and become a K-9 unit (foreshadowing a sequel!).

Clock- The Clock represents the time in Pleasantville. As mentioned before, a day in Pleasantville is accellerated to twenty-four minutes. During the first half of the day, Deeogee’s Daily Patrol begins. When night casts over Pleasantville, his Nightly patrol begins.

•Pause- Pressing this button postpones gameplay until the button is pressed once more.

•Inventory- Pressing this button displays Deeogee’s Progress Stats., Clues Inventory, and a Super Ability Chart.

Progress Stats.- These are results of the objectives which Deeogee has performed. Objectives will be noted as either “completed successfully” or “failed”. An objective currently in progress will be noted as “in progress”.

Clues Inventory- Some objectives require the player to find and arrange certain clues.
Within the primary Inventory, a second inventory appears. This inventory lists all the clues that Deeogee has found throughout the game.

Super Ability Chart: This chart displays the number of Exp. points gained and how much is needed to activate each of Deeogee’s super abilities. Descriptions of each super ability and explanations on how the player can gain Exp. points is featured here as well.

Pickups:

As mentioned before, Deeogee may find objects to be returned to the rightful owner. However, along his great ordeals, he may find more useful items, some items may even replenish Deeogee’s health!

•Doggy Biscuits- In the shape of miniature bones, these tasty snacks replenish 10% of Deeogee’s Life Bar.

(still need to list more pickups, any ideas?)

Obstacles:

Dodging cars and bicyclists are only two of the many obstacles you must look for on both your daily and nightly patrols. As hard as it is to stop criminals from robbing a bank, it may seem even harder, for a dog, to get there. Unfortunately, Deeogee has no protective gear but the hair on his back, so watch out for cars and other motorized vehicles when crossing streets. If the player is not cautious, Deeogee could get hit by a simple scooter.

Conclusion:

This game is played through a third person perspective in a nonlinear environment. In my opinion, it is suitable for the majority of audiences, as it does not feature animated blood and gore or vulgarity or any kind. However, this game does feature guns and animated violence. I hope you all enjoyed reading. Feedback is more than welcome. Only constructive criticism will be taken seriously.

Sniffing for clues, chasing criminals, and safely walking children across the busy streets of Pleasantville, are all in a day’s work.

Add your comment to this Game Idea

well, what do you think?
9/1/2003 6:29:33 AM
Comment by: bizpimp
I realize this is, by far, not my best work- as it only took a day to write. Nevertheless, it is still a game idea and I'd definately appreciate the slightest bit of feedback. Don't be afraid to rip this idea, as well as my others, into shreds. Constructive criticism only makes us better!

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