Menu and User Interface Sounds:

• Menu introduction music.
• Possibly a noise for when the mouse hovers over each option, as a click or pop.
• Feedback for when a menu option is picked, similar to above. These can be universal.
• Feedback for when the pause button is pressed in game.
• The atmospheric sound would have to be lowered in intensity when the pause button is pressed in game.
• All of above can be done with piano keys.

Character Based Sounds:

• Footsteps, on soft soil/sand and on hard stone. After having talked to Joe, he highlighted how there should be a number of footstep noises that the game can variate between to make them seem varied. It would break the immersion if the footstep sounds were all the same.
• Landing grunts from jumps
• Grunting/climbing/falling/jumping
• Breathing when running
• Drowning noises
• Falling ‘swoosh’.
• Possibly landing crunch.

Level Specific:

Level 1:

• Level one begins at a beach, and a sufficient atmosphere could be added here. We’re looking at using a mix of rain and wind sound effects to create the beach ‘wash’ effect.
• There is a mixture of wood, stone and sand on this level, which could mean adding multiple types of footstep noises.
• Seagulls can be heard throughout the level, regardless of inclusion.
• There is some water here, so the splashing sounds would be required.
• Light water trickle effect, like a stream running? (low priority)
• Door opening sound  (low priority)
• A heavy box being pushed along stone or wood.

Level 2:

• Level two is entirely set inside.
• Sewer atmosphere.
• There is a point in which this level opens up into a large cave, could introduce a light wind noise?
• Water drains and refills in this level. Like a giant bathtub.
• There is a crane that holds a box, and when you flick a switch it lowers and raises. A sound to represent this would be good.
• A change in atmosphere when the character goes underwater, possibly just dim the music?
• Bubbles?
• Splashes and swimming sounds.

Level 3:

• Back outside for this level, this has an aqueduct

Level 4:

• When the power is taken, there is an earthquake.
• Wind atmosphere for the tower, where it is muted slightly.
• Material changing, from wood to stone and vice versa
• Digital build up (analogue sound) when you approach the artifact. Like a crackling?

Drowning Scene: (low priority)

• Storm noises
• Drowning noises

• !Movement
• !Animation (left, right, jump forward, jump up)
• Grabbing

Sound

• !Sound Effects (jump, run, splash)
• !Background Music
• Layered Sounds
• Looped Music
• Random Loops

Level Loading

• !Initial loading
• Loading throughout the level

Water

• !Water will raise and lower.
• !Swimming in water.
• !Transitioning between
• !Drowning timer
• !Able to breath when head is out of water.
• Low water levels able to walk about in without transitioning to a swim animation (can get around this by not making low water levels
• Splashes when you transition

Collision Detection

• !Collision Detection
• Broad and narrow phases for performance
• !Moving Platforms
• Different Surfaces
• Slopes

Material Changer

• !Wood/Metal
• Water/Ice
• Wood/Fire
• Change Transition (can be whatever, really)

Other

• Ability to Set or unset Objects as Platforms
• Pause function
• Character movement during pause
• Camera

The concept of this introduction scene would be a no win scenario, the player is not intended to be able to beat the ‘drowning mini game’ but at first it would be presented as though they could. I am hoping that this would initially frustrate the player, I want the game to be frantically paced and in this respect it would really draw out emotion and adrenaline. At the end of the mini game, I’m considering including a ‘retry?’ and ‘continue’ button, in the hope that this might throw people off and get them to retry their chances of survival. This scene will help illustrate how hopeless the main characters struggle against the tide really is, and exaggerate how powerful a force the sea really is. The inclusion of the two options is something I’d like to test, and I shall be creating a rapid prototype over the weekend so I can get people to try it out.

Inspired by an article in Edge, I want to force the user’s interactions with the control scheme in this section to be difficult and uncomfortable. In the article, it discusses making the player hold down an awkward combination of keys to establish in their minds how awkward a position their character is in (hiding inside something, or behind cover). On this idea, I am furthering this by making the user hold down an awkward set of keys with one hand to ‘hold their breath’ and tapping between another set of keys to try and swim. There is a small element of game theory behind this (and those who spot it would be even more encouraged to test it out again) where you could decide between holding your breath but making it difficult to press the buttons or swimming to the surface quicker. It’s a basic problem solver, but as their is no actual solution it creates an interesting player dilemma.

Currently, I am considering how this scene will work visually. In my mind, the concept is one of the better ideas I’ll have implemented in Aether, but as an introduction it is important that it entices my audience’s curiosity. I want them to consider the introduction, and why it is how it is. Visually, it has to be interesting, otherwise a majority of my audience might not have the patience. I think this is a problem with Flash in general, where the main audience for Flash games are looking for something quick and fun, if Aether was on a different system, it might be a different consideration. Frustration is something I want my audience to feel, but that might be an issue on the same problem, turning people away from the narrative before it has really brought into the main game elements. I consider this to be an artistic piece as much as a game, however, and I am more involved with the narrative, with this in mind I am not worried about the frustration issue.

The difficulties of creating a true introduction are important to consider, but an introduction where the main character drowns really sets the tone. It starts the story off quite darkly, and powerfully, which is why I think it is a marvelous introduction to the chapter based on water.

Visual Inspiration:

The light effects in this tech demo are really effective:

Bubbles rising a lot.

White particles

• http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/commercials/2009/12/drowning-dancer.jpg
• http://afod.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/drowning.jpg
• http://farm1.static.flickr.com/12/18302432_d253891f53.jpg

Drowning:

“Saved by nymphs”

“I am compelled down this path by something, outside of my own will.”

Press left to run left.

Press right to run right.

He sees the cursor and follows it, confused.

“What is this?”

More designs are posted in the full post below, click on them to enlarge.

Working with vector styled graphics means that a minimalist theme would work well

I want to make a clear juxtaposition between the beauty of nature and the concrete, minimalist design of the city itself. Atlantis may have been a utopia, but it was always a man made one, and without perspective I think even great designers now tend to create ugly, formal structures.

I will be using the colour palette to highlight this. Toned out colours will be all over the once great Atlantis, where things that may have been colourful once have been

I hope to use the flowing capabilities of water right next to the neatness of the man made structures like the Aqueduct I shall be hinting throughout the level. Then, when the player sees the aqueduct he can see the beauty mixed with the ugliness.

I think Flower, a downloadable game on the Playstation 3, does a marvelous job at highlighting a careful balance between nature and construction. It shows a reclamation, and that reclamation is not passive, it’s controlled by the player.

This is one of the songs I have found from the list of artists suggested, and I like

Another awesome background piece that really sets up a progressive, but passive feeling.