From late September 2011 to early December 2011 I was working as a Game Design Consultant for a small Iphone studio called GameDesk. I was brought on the team to help improve gameplay elements on two existing projects and to help design a third currently unreleased title. I wrote a blog post that talked about my time working on the first project Aero!. This blog post will focus on the other two games I worked on during my time at GameDesk.

   The first game I am going to talk about is Thermbot. Thermbot was a game where the player is given the task of making their own thermometer where they can compare and chart the differences in temperature between two objects. The player would also learn about how temperature works on a molecular level. 

 My job was to play the game and analyze it. Figure out what was needed to take this from a prototype phase to a presentable build. Part of that job was to systematically break down any problems with gameplay, user interface, game design, etc.

  I made sure to play the game "blind". I sat down with the game with no instructions of help from anyone on the team. I wanted to get the reaction of a first time player.
 
   What immediately stood out to me was the lack up a proper User Interface (UI). Thermbot starts out as a few parts to the right of the screen. The player is told to "build" the robot which is clear enough, the trouble starts once the robot is built. He just stands there and becomes a part of the background rather than a something the player can interact with.

  The player is then with little to no indication is tasked with placing "coins" in his coin slots. I had a hard time understanding that the things on the left side of Thermbot were coins, besides being round there was no indicator. My suggestion for this was to add something above the coin case that simply read "Coins".

   Once the coins are added to Thermbot we begin to see how hot or cold they are on the thermometer. The coin slots were arranged in what I found to be a confusing manner. Here we have "High/Low/Mid" coin slots but to me it should read "High/Mid/Low". It made no sense to me that we would add the temperature that goes in between the high and low after the low.

   There were a lot of problems concerning the readability of the game. Players need to be able to quickly identify what was going on in the game because as an educational game the player is losing time learning if they have to spend time figuring out what they need to be doing. The coin slots almost blend in with Thermbots design. I suggested that we make them stick out more so players would be able to understand what it was withing an instant.

   Part of the problem in my opinion was that you were asking players to places coins in a coin slot. If the player can't identify the coins, how are they supposed to identify the coin slot?

  This was going to be a tough nut to crack. This game is supposed to be educational and fun. The problem I saw here besides the UI and tutorial was the fact that the game had no real gameplay to it. The only thing the player was doing was dropping coins into a slot to measure temperature and chart molecules. The only form of any interaction was when the player dropped a coin that was too hot(such as lava) into Thermbot it would cause the thermometer to break. I felt that there was a lack of feedback given to the player created a disconnect between what they are doing and what is happening on screen. We need to bring the player back into the game. The game doesn't do a good enough job of introducing the player to the character of Thermbot.

  In my opinion, a character based game there should be a focus on the character. The problem I saw was that the game was more about the thermometer rather than the bot. Whenever the player does anything in the game Thermbot would remain motionless. I suggested that when the player begins to interact with Thermbot his eyes light up, he moves and reacts to what the player is doing to him. I imagine that when you add lava to his thermometer and it explodes he would be surprised and jump back. Maybe his eyes follow the the players mouse around as he waits for the player to make their next move. There needs to be some sort of feedback, music or reward when we interact with this character.

  One small thing I suggested was making the build part of Thermbot more interesting. He is just kind of floating to the side of the this machine. I suggested that the simple addition of a box, if we can have him in a box mixed with another few robot parts we already have the player interacting, solving a puzzle which is much more dynamic way to introduce the character. We are now introducing the character with a sense of exploration. He is a character who is in pieces and needs the player to a bring him to life. In his current state he is just a machine.

 As a character Thermbot came off as well, robotic. He was a character that had no emotion, fears, hopes or dreams. He wasn't a character that players would be able to get invested in, and if the players were not interested in the main character they would have little reason to continue playing.

 One of the main problems concerning Thermbot was that the fundamental gameplay wasn't there. It wasn't really a game. Anything I was suggesting was just icing on an uninteresting cake. The only gameplay mechanic was to select coins and drop them into a coin slot. Chart the temperature and study their effect. Thing is this game is not meant to be played by a child but to be used as a visual aid for a teacher in front of a class.

- At the start of the game it might be more interesting to have the Thermbot parts inside of a crate instead of just lined up.
- Thermometer on chest should be blinking and have an arrow that would tell the player to click.
- Reword the tutorial. We should focus on things one at a time.
- When the tutorial starts we should welcome the player, let them know this is the tutorial
- The first thing we introduce is the thermometer. At this point in the game we would have their thermometer become highlighted.
- To ensure the player knows what the thermometer is we should make them click on it. Once they have done that the info box should have an arrow appear. the arrow once clicked should allow for the player to continue with the tutorial.
- The second part of our tutorial should introduce the player to the Coins. At this point we should have the lights for the coin case should light up.
- We then should have the game point out the coin slots on the robot.
- After hitting the continue arrow the player should be asked to grab a coin and drop it into the the test coin slot. The arrow for the test coin slot should be animating at this point.
- Once the player is made aware of the coin case and the coin slots they are encouraged to select select a coin and place it in the slot.
- When the coin is in the slot it should be more obvious to the player
- The coin ejection button should be better explained.
- Fix the steam, spoon and soup. We should make it that the spoon, soup and steam are already set up but then we make texts pop up.
- Show an example of a solid, liquid and gas. Too much reading.
- The player should be rewarded. Thermbot's eyes could light up or there is some sort of audio that plays.
- Make the robot more of a factor in Thermobot.

  One issue I came across was getting the tutorial right. The first time I played there was not tutorial. We were able to get it in the next iteration of the game and I found some interesting concerns. When the player is shown the tutorial they have the ability to skip though it all and miss everything they need to know about the game. I suggested that we make it that the tutorial can't be skipped. That we tell the player what to do and have them do it on screen so they have some context to what they are doing. There was concern that this would slow down the pace of the game but I felt that for an educational game we need the player to know what was going on. Another concern I had was that when the tutorial goes away we can't open it up again. I made the argument that there should be a way to open up the tutorial again so the player can go over a section they missed or didn't comprehend. I also mentioned that there should be a tip icon that pops up to help guide the player along if they get stuck.

   Thermbot is now available for download through GameDesk's official website.

   Geoscience was the third game I was working on at GameDesk. My job was to research and design games based of geosciences. that would be fully functional on the Iphone, Ipad and Kinect. This project was a ton of fun to work on and was the first time I had a chance to design something with the Kinect in mind.

 I presented and pitched all of these ideas at one point or another during my time at GameDesk. The objective of these games are to be fun and to teach the player. Not an east task but I think I found a good balance between the two with many of the games.

   The first thing I did was sit down and began to sketch out an idea for a game where you would control the flow of magma. I knew I wanted to make a volcano game but something that educated the player on the positive things volcano did. There weren't going to be any villages being destroyed by the lava in this game.

One of my early ideas was a "pipe dream" style game where the player would have to guide the magma toward the volcano so it can erupt.

  Using the Iphone's touch  screen the player would mix the magma together to get the volcano going. In the first few stages in the volcanoes like this would be very important. The faster the player mixed the faster it would grow. Once it reaches the surface the player would have to mix the magma up to cause an eruption so they can begin to form an island. 

   once an island is former the player would now be tasked with keeping the volcano from destroying the uninhabited island. The player would have to open up vents on the side of the volcano to allow pressure to be released.

  Another one of my early ideas was a game where the player would play through the rain cycle. The player would start as vapor and eventually form into a cloud. As a cloud they would then use the touch screen to use the winds to guide them to nearby areas that would need rain.

  The rain game in my mind was a winner. It thought the player about the rain cycle while also giving them a clear objective and challenge to accomplish.

   It is game that I still would want to make if I had the chance. The mechanics are simple and it works fluidly with the Iphone's touchscreen.

   This is one of my greatest ideas. Mountain maker came to me in a vision. I thought about how tectonic plates collide in the earth to form mountains. I thought about how that can be mimicked through the use of a Kinect system. If the player were to bring their hands together like they were shaping clay it would be just like moving the plates together.

   Mountain Maker had the player fully interacting with the game with the use of the Kinect. With the Iphone or Ipad players would use their fingers and hands to carefully shape and smooth out the fine details.

   This game was based off of the moon's gravity affecting the flow of the tides. I had this idea where the player would control the moon itself by sliding it up and down the screen to adjust the height of the water inside of a water lock.

   The object of the game is to safely get the boats to the other side without there being a hue traffic jam on the water. If too many boats crash or get stuck the game is over.

   Players will have to use the moon effectively to keep the flow of boats going. The objective of this game would be to teach the player how the moon's gravity affects the tides here on earth.

  We wanted to start the game off with a bang.  We thought it would be interesting if on the kinect system we have an intro where the player using the gestures of a conductor guides particles in space together until they begin to form a planet.

   While the player is putting this planet together we would have orchestral music playing. This part of the game would then be followed by the creation of the moon.

   The erosion game involved charting paths and watching how rivers form and affect the areas around it. The objective of this game would be to teach the player about erosion and how a stream can become the Grand Canyon.

   I had an idea for a wind erosion game that would have been more of a wind erosion simulator. The player would use wind to carve and shape stones into beautiful looking yardangs, landforms and ventifacts. At the time of this idea's conception I didn't have specific goal in mind beyond shaping the stones and making beautiful rock formations.

  A game idea I toyed around with was a game where you have a small crew of construction vehicles that would be moving minerals and material from a factory to different layers found in the earth.

 The idea behind this was that it would teach the player what makes up these layers of the earth. Players would have to transport and excavate material from these layers and move them to the factory to be converted into the proper material.

 The player would start off with three different construction vehicles. A dump truck for transporting, an excavator for excavation and a bulldozer for flattening and moving things. 

   This game was something I and another person on the team came up with. The idea was that we would have early pieces of continents floating through the water and the player would be tasked with putting them back together like a puzzle. The only clues that would tell the player would have would be the fossils of animals and plants. So not only does the player need to piece together the continents but the fossils of animals and plants they found. The game would teach the player about continental drift, flora and fauna of these ancient continents.

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100
​

   From late September 2011 to early December 2011 I was working as a Game Design Consultant for a small Iphone studio called GameDesk. I was brought on the team to help improve gameplay elements on two existing projects and to help design a third game called Geoscience.

  One of the first projects I was assigned to work on was a project called Aero. The purpose of this game is to teach the player about the science of flight through the act of playing as a Wandering Albatross simply known as Albatross.

  I began to study Albatrosses, I wanted to know as much as possible so I can make a fun and educational experience that not only taught the player about flight but also taught them about Albatrosses and the ecosystem they come from.

  The game didn't have a tutorial when I first started working on it. The game just had you taking control of an albatross and steering it's wings with little context as to why or how. There wasn't a story and the game just drops the player behind the controls of the albatross. The first thing I did was write a simple story of a curious albatross that decides to leave it's nest in search of a bigger world. Along his travels he will learn about his people and the other inhabitants of his world. The story was simple and I wanted it to be very atmospheric. Something that would instantly get people engrossed in the world. The more people were invested in the world the more they would be open to listening to the educational lessons this game had to offer.

   When I began working on the tutorial I looked at real life albatrosses for inspiration. I researched how an albatross begins to take flight. I researched how they take off, how they land, how they use air currents to travel long distances. I began to translate the everyday life of an albatross into a game. What better way to teach the player than through gameplay?

  One thing that I felt didn't make sense was that this game was that it was character based but the main character is just known as "Albatross". He has no identity and I found that to be a bit jarring. How is the player supposed to become invested in the main character if the protagonist isn't given a name? I promptly named the Albatross "Aero", it only made sense.

   The wingspan of a wondering albatross is anywhere from eight to eleven feet. This means that albatrosses rarely flap their wings when they fly. They flap their wings mostly when preparing for take off or landing. These majestic birds use air currents to travel long distance with little or no energy needed. We needed to teach the player that flapping was not how they were supposed to fly. They would need to make use of the air currents in the world.

  The way albatrosses use air currents is by slope and dynamic soaring. Slope soaring is when the albatross flies near the surface of something such as the waves or cliffs to catch the wind currents that rush over them. This allows the albatross to glide along the current without having to flap it's wings. 

   Dynamic soaring is when the albatross gains altitude and descends rapidly so when it comes back down it gains speed. The diagram below demonstrates how this works. It was important for me to understand this because we have to teach the player how to make use of this techniques in game so they can keep Aero flying for long periods of time. 

   If the player is flapping Aero's wings in order to travel than they didn't learn about how albatrosses fly. If the player does succeed in using these technique the benefits are immediate. They can travel quicker and faster in the game world. With this game we are teaching the player how to play the game but also about albatrosses. If we weren't teaching them on two levels than we were not successful in our mission.

Below is a video from an early build of the game being demonstrated by GameDesk Programmer Richard Harrington.

   Below are some notes I took after playing through of the game for the first time.

- Game Begins
- Aero is sitting in his nest.
- A blue prompt appears over his head.The prompt flashes over his  head slowly, urging the player to touch it.
In white slightly opaque font it the words "Get up" / "Stand Up" / "Rise" / "Stand"
- Once Aero stands up two blue prompts appear over him. Once again with the opaque font the word Walk can be seen in both of the blue circles.
- The letters and the circle flash lightly 
- Arrows also radiate from the circle. They pulsate out from all directions to tell the player that the bird can walk forward, right, left and back.
- The player will utilize both thumbs to make Aero walk. Aero is operated like a tank when he is on ground. He needs both thumb pads/prompts to be moved forward in order to walk forward. If the player were to have the right thumb pad moving forward the the left pad down/back Aero will begin to turn right.
- To teach the player how to walk we have a very simple and clear path for the player to take. We have the player walk down a simple path leading from the nest to an open runway.
- Once the player reaches the runway a prompt will appear over head that reads "initiate take off" , "Fly" , "Take off"
- Once the player activates the take off they are told to move the thumb pads up and down in order to get Aero to flap his wings and run down the runway.
- The thumb pads on the bird have the words "FLAP!" inside of them during this sequence.
- Once the player takes off they will be introduced to the flight mechanic. Just like with walking, if the player were to move one wing forward and one wing down it will shift the direction/altitude of Aero.
- Once the player is in the air they will need to fly through different sets of rings that will test the players aptitude for flight.
 Set one : Very basic. The player needs to fly in a straight line.
Set two: the player needs to fly straight, than make a right and left turn
Set three: The player needs to fly up, down, left right, and do a u-turn to complete this set.
- Once all these sets are done the player has completed the main tutorial.
- The goal of the tutorial is to ensure the player understands the basics of flight.

  In an early build I played the player needed to fly into a ring in the sky. Flying to this ring felt like a chore because there was nothing in the world to gauge distance. It felt as if I was just floating in place, as if I wasn't going anywhere and that I would never reach my destination. I quickly took notes on what we can do to fix some of these issues.

  Below is a gallery of slides I made for a presentation on new game mechanics and ideas for Aero. My first week at GameDesk had me researching and studying the game and the albatross. I was to present an hour long presentation on my new ideas for Aero and Geoscience.

   My job was to come up with a constant stream of ideas. I would sit down and sketch my ideas down into my notebook constantly and when they needed to be presented I made simple images in Photoshop to display my ideas clearly and concisely. When it comes down to game/level design your work doesn't need to look gorgeous, it just needs to properly communicate you're idea.

   I spent a lot of time redesigning Aero's HUD during my first few days on the project. It was a challenge to come up with a look that would be minimalistic and unobtrusive while still giving the player all the info they would need.

   I kept the altimeter on the left side of the screen but I made it a bit simpler. Instead of an arrow to tell us where the wind was blowing I added a windsock in it's place. This would function in the exact same way but now we are being guided but something instantly recognizable instead of an abstract object. Finally I added a compass below Aero so the player knows what direction they're headed.

Gameplay mechanics:
- Making the in game world into a living and breathing habitat.
- Making slope and dynamic soaring a larger part of game play.
- Allowing Aero to take off and land on any of the islands in the game world.
- Adding an element of exploration. Players find collectibles that teach them facts about albatrosses and their habitat.
- Allowing players to land on the water to rest and regain energy.
- Allowing travel to other areas such as New Zealand and the Prince Edward Islands.
- Objectives that encourage flight, education and exploration. Example: Your nest is destroyed so you must travel to nearby islands to obtain materials for your nest. In this mission we encourage players to fly, explore the environment and learn what albatross nests are made of and located.
- Possibly avoiding predators such as the Skua and Petrel.
- Each level would have a Pipit bird. When the player locates it the bird will sing a song to the player.

Improvements:
- Adding distinct landmarks.
- Simplifying the Heads Up Display.
- Changing the wind direction indicator from an arrow to a windsock.
- Aero would make noise depending on the situation.
- If the player does an impressive aerial maneuver, completes a mission, etc he will cry out in joy.
- If Aero is getting tired he will cry out in pain so the player knows that they need to rest.
- Adding texts to the thumb pads so the player has a clearer understanding of what they do.
- Make air currents more visible and clear to the player.

   My personal challenge when I was working on Aero was to make it fun and educational. I think that educational games are categorized as not being fun or engaging. The feeling I aimed for with this game was a cross between the game Flower and Tony Hawk. I wanted the flying aspect to be instantly rewarding with a very soothing and mellow atmosphere. Everything in the game had to reinforce flight, exploration and education.

   The game would give players objectives such as gathering materials to build a new nest. This mission teaches the player about what materials go into an albatross nest and it has the player flying around the game world exploring nearby islands. Another mission I came up with was to help a hungry penguin by flying out to sea and catching some fish for him to eat. This mission introduces the game mechanic of fishing and teaches players what fish penguins eat.

  If the controls and atmosphere were right the player wouldn't even realize they were playing an educational game. They would not think about it simply as an "educational" game but as an experience.

   As of November 28th, 2012 Aero launched a KickStarter campaign to fund the game.

  While working at GameDesk I often rode my bike to the office. It was a part of my daily routine. A trick I developed while riding my bike was to ride up the sides of driveways and peddle down them to gain a boost of speed. While working on this game I realized that this technique I had been using was my version of dynamic soaring.

  Overall I felt that my time on Aero was well spent. The game has a unique vibe and I think the goal of teaching through game play is awesome. I am glad that I was a part of it and I hope my feedback and input have a noticeable and positive impact in the game.

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100
​

   Aquarium is a demo I developed while I was in school. The object of the game is for the player to raise a pet goldfish. As the player progresses they can use money to purchase things such as additional fish, decorations and bigger aquariums.

   This demo was made for a school project. The project was to teach us about working with outsourcing. The project had us create a game that would be made for the Iphone platform. I competed against fellow students. I had to give a demonstration of the game in front of students and faculty. The votes were placed by students and a few of the professors. Ultimately I came in second place. I got 13 votes with the winning game receiving about 15.

   Unfortunately the project went nowhere. We got in contact with people willing to make the winning game but for reasons unknown to me the professor and the students on the winning team lost contact with them. I still have the working demo of my game so I decided to share it.

  The demo allows for players to take care of a single goldfish inside of a ten gallon tank. The player is able to decorate the tank with the decorations given. The money mechanic is not in the demo. The demo's purpose was just to show off that everything I was talking about was possible. I did all the art for it. Ideally it would all be really well done 2D or 3D assets. My friend Jeremy Lobdell helped me with a lot of the programming. We're not programmers but he has a better understanding of ActionScript than I do.

   When I designed the HUD I tried to keep it clean and simple. I wanted everything to be clear to the player. In fact the only thing that isn't too clear is the net. The net allows for players to place decorations in the map but in the full game it would of allowed for players to add and remove fish from your current aquarium.

Decorating: The decorations box is where the player keeps all of their decorations. All decorations when not in use are stored here in the box.
 
  Certain Decorations are part of a theme or set. Having a complete set of decorations in your tank can have positive benefits on your fish.

Feeding: Feeding the fish is done simply by clicking on the fish flakes icon. Players need to be careful to not over feed the fish else they will die. If the player doesn't feed the fish it will die.

Cleaning: Over time the aquarium will get dirty. The player can clean the aquarium by clicking on the sponge. If the tank is allowed to get dirty the fish will die because the water would no longer be inhabitable. The player can buy a water filter to help keep the tank clean.

 If the tank is not kept clean is is susceptible to tanks pests such as invasive plants and parasites.

Fish Weekly Catalog: This is where the player can buy new decorations, fish and tank helpers. It is updated on a regular basis with new decorations and items.

Fish Status and Emotional State: As you take care of your fish his status and emotional state will change. When the fish is selected his status will be shown. It will let you know what kind of mood they are in and what they need to be happy. The longer a fish is happy the longer it will live.

   If your fish is bored you could decorate the tank and give it something to explore. If your fish is hungry you can feed them. Sometimes the fish will get worried or scared. This might mean that they are not getting along with their tank mater and will need some help.  The fish you care for can have a wide range of emotions and statuses. Some fish prefer warmer water, lots of plants and etc. These factors and more can affect their happiness.

   Each fish will have specific characteristics. Such as temperament, Habitat, happiness, personality these characteristics will be affected by the aquarium itself and the other fish in the tank. Some fish are nocturnal so will prefer a hiding places and other like to swim and prefer more space to race around the tank. The player will be able to name there individual fish if they choose to.

 Fish Bio Example: Goldfish
Bio: A simple fish that is the starter pet for Gold fish just about everyone. Requires little care
Temperament: Friendly / schooling fish
Happiness: 50%
Habitat: freshwater ponds
Cost: $1
Lifespan: 1 year
Food: Fish flakes

  Each fish has a bio featuring it's stats, needs,cost and etc. Players can find the bios inside of Fish Weekly Catalog. 

Species of Fish:

Fish temperaments: Dictate how your fish will behave and interact with other fish. Fish can have up to two temperaments.

Friendly- Will be accepting to other fish species
Territorial- Often will claim a spot of the tank as its own, might bully smaller fish that enter that area. Mostly solitary
Schooling fish- Lives happier with fish of its own kind or in a school of 5 or more
Predatory- Will often prey on fish smaller then itself
Active – Often will be seen swimming constantly
Bully- Will pick on or attack smaller fish
Peaceful- Gets along with any kind of fish but is prone to be bullied
Nocturnal- Is most active at night
Hardy- Gets along with other fish and is less prone to disease or parasites
Guardian- Smaller fish will often school or feed next to this fish to avoid bullies
Shy -  Likes to hide.

Tank Helpers: Tank helper are fish that you can place in your aquarium that will assist the player in balancing the ecosystem and removing tank scum and pests.
 
   List of tank helpers
- Mini crab
- Cleaner shrimp
- Sucker catfish
- Black mystery snail

Themes and decoration sets:
Cowboy theme- Featuring a saloon and a cow skull for fish to swim in
UFO theme- Featuring a crashed saucer with bubbles coming out and little aliens
Classic theme- The classic plastic castle and deep sea diver are back
Pirates them- Featuring a sunken pirate ship and a treasure chest full of booty
Ancient Rome theme- Featuring colossal pillars and statues
Horror theme– Zombies, Skeletons, vampires and werewolves and a haunted house to swim in
Thailand theme- Featuring beautiful statues and temples
Egyptian theme- Pyramids and sarcophagi and all other kinds of neat decor

   Additional themes and sets can as the player progresses.

    There are many varieties of fish and what I would call unlock trees. For example your starter Goldfish will always be available to purchase but when you unlock bigger aquariums there will be more fish but the fish themselves will have unlock trees. For example by taking care of your goldfish you unlock the bubbly eyed goldfish and by taking care of the bubbly eyed goldfish. Once you complete an unlock tree you can unlock a secret fish.

  For the project I designed what would be a less cluttered HUD for the Iphone. This design would utilize the touchscreen. This game was made with the technical limitations of the Iphone in mind. I also designed it so that it would appeal to the casual player but would also have the depth for a players that seek a richer experience.

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100
​

   Here is an idea I had for a game,It's called Knights vs Ninjas (If you couldn't tell). The game has a very simple premise. The Idea is that you pick your character, Knight or Ninja and embark on a journey through Arthurian legends and medieval Japan to find a mysterious treasure and do battle with your rivals. In the short the plot is just something that gets our characters fighting.
 
   Visually the game is a mix of Castle Crashers and Super Smash Bros. The gameplay is also very similar. Players engage in arenas that take place in Medieval England and Japan. The player who can defeat enough opponents by either depleting their hit points or knocking them out of bounds is the winner. The game goes up to four players and will feature a quick single player story mode for each character. The single player is more or less used as a way to teach the player the gameplay concepts and mechanics.

Sword and Shield Knight - He is the most well rounded character on the Knight's team. He is easy for a beginner to pick up and learn. He has good offense and defensive capabilities.

    His weapon upgrade is a flaming claymore sword. He looses a bit of speed but deals more damage. His defense also increase slightly.

Stats:
Defense: 7/10
Attack: 7.5 /10
Speed: 7/10

Mace Knight - This night is clad is heavy armor and is the slowest. His mace deals a lot of damage but he swings at a slower rate than the other knights.

   His weapon upgrade is a giant mace that has a wide arc when swung. These attacks deal massive damage when they connect but are easily dodged. 

Stats:
Defense: 8.5/10
Attack: 9 /10
Speed: 6/10

Archer -  The archer specializes in ranged attacks and speed. The archer also has the highest jump of all the knights and can double.

   The upgrade to the archer is a crossbow that fires flaming arrows. The cross bow is slower than his bow but it deals more damage and the flame arrows have a small Damage over time effect (DoT).

Stats:
Defense: 7/10
Attack: 7.5/10
Speed: 9/10

Spear Knight - The spear knight is a good combination of quick attacks and speed at a cost of armor. He can charge his attacks for more damage but these attacks will leave him vulnerable.

   His weapon upgrade is a lance. The lance has increased range allowing him to reach enemies that would normally be out of reach. The lance isn't much stronger than his spear but it does slightly boost his defensive properties. 

Stats:
Defense: 6.5/10
Attack: 8/10
Speed: 8.5/10

Sword Ninja - The sword ninja is the most well rounded ninja. He is quick and has good defensive capabilities. Although not as well armored as his Knight counterpart he is much faster.

   His weapon upgrade is a second sword. With the second sword is capable of attacking faster without losing speed or jumping ability. His attack power is slightly decreased when he has his second sword equipped.

Stats:
Defense: 7/10
Attack: 7.5/10
Speed: 8/10

Sickle Ninja - The sickle ninja can attack quickly up close but his ranged attacks are weak. His weapon upgrade attaches a chain in between his sickles allowing formore range. The sickles are also flaming adding a slight damage boost and DoT.

Stats:
Defense: 6.5/10
Attack: 8/10
Speed: 8.5/10

Longbow Ninja Monk - This ninja specializes in long range attacks. His bow does more damage than the bow of the Knight's archer. His bow takes more time to charge but can deal significant damage.

   His weapon upgrade is a hankyu (a short bow). This allows him to move around the map with greater ease and to fire more arrows much more rapidly but it deals less damage.

Defense: 7.5/10
Attack: 8.5/10
Speed: 7.5/10

Staff Ninja - The staff ninja does not have a lot of defense points but he can strike quickly and precisely. His attack power is much more limited due to his weapon having no blade but he makes up for it with his speed.

   His weapon upgrade is a flaming Naginata. He is able to deliver a good amount of damage quickly and his defense points go slightly without the loss of speed.

Defense: 6/10
Attack: 7/10
Speed: 8.5/10

   Power-Ups are dropped on the map randomly throughout the match. They are dropped occasionally and there are no more then one dropped on the map at a time. Players can choose when to activate their power-up during the match. To prevent one player from obtaining all the power-ups players can only hold one at a time. Once the power-up is used it is immediately discarded.

-  Weapon Upgrade
- Speed Boost
- Invincibility

Weapon upgrade - This power-up is dropped randomly throughout the map just like the other power-ups. This power-up upgrades the players character with a more powerful version of their weapon. For example the knight with the sword and shield gets a claymore and the staff ninja gets a naginata. This power up ends up after about thirty seconds.

Speed Boost -  The speed boost power-up is dropped randomly throughout the map just like the other power-ups. This power up doubles the speed of any character that uses it. This power up ends up after about thirty seconds.

Invincibility - The invincibility  power-up is dropped randomly throughout the map just like the other power-ups. This power up makes the player completely invincible to all and any attacks for thirty seconds. The player that picks up this power-up loses the ability to double jump as long as it is active. This power-up is immediately turned off if the player falls off the stage or goes out of bounds.

Health - When picked up the player will regain hit points.

- Jump
- Double Jump
- Ranged Attacks
- Melee
- Dodge

Jump and double jump - Players are capable of jumping as a means of traversal and as a means of dodging incoming attacks. If a player would like to double jump all they need to do is hit the jump button again once they are in the air.

 Every character in the game can jump and double jump. Depending on how heavy the character is determines how high they can jump and double jump. Ninjas are well suited for jumping where as the knights are better at defending themselves from attacks.

Ranged Attacks - Every character has a ranged attack. Ranged attacks are attacks that can be done from a safe distance to attack an opponent. Certain characters specialize in ranged attacks. The knights and the ninjas both have an archer character that specializes in ranged attacks.

Melee Attacks - Every character in the game has melee based attacks. Certain classes specify in melee fighting. Melee attacks can be utilized in combination of one another to unleash devastating combos.
 
  Different characters have different melee attack speeds. Some characters can attack quickly and in great succession where others have a longer wind up time but deliver more damage.

  Dodge Ability -  The dodge allows the player to utilize a quick burst of speed either forward or backwards to dodge an oncoming attack. This ability is used by tapping right or left quickly.

   What makes this ability fun is its potential to be incorporated into combat and area traversal. Combat wise we can use it to quickly get behind and enemy and attack them. We can use it to jump back and then strike with a powerful counter blow. If we are up against an enemy with ranged attacks we can use the dodge to close the distance without being hit.

   The doge can even be combined with the jump and double jump ability. It can make aerial dodges and even mid air combos where player can knock an opponent in the air, dodge behind them and land a powerful blow before landing to the ground.

   This ability can be used for traversal as well. The player can use it to cross a map faster or to help get across a pit or obstacle in the map. This ability gives the player a lot of options and it adds another level of game play and skill. It is an ability that is easy to learn but hard to master.

- Solid
- Can jump through
- Destructible
- Sloped
- Hazardous
- Slippery
- Jump-pads
- Moving
- Water

Solid - These are things in the level that can not be phased through. Players can jump on these pieces of terrain but can not phase through them or break them. Most stages are comprised of this kind of terrain.

Can Jump Through - These are things that the player can jump through and jump down from. Things such as tree branches, crates, floorboards and etc.

Destructible - These are things in the level that can be destroyed if they take enough damage. Things such as trees can be knocked over and destroyed. Certain crates can be broken up as well.

Sloped - Sloped terrain is hard to run up but easy to run down on.

Hazardous - There are things in the environment that are dangerous. Things such as fires, pits, dragons and etc. These things can either injure or kill the player if they were to walk into them.

Slippery - This refers to parts of the terrain that are either covered with ice, mud, ooze etc. These things cause the player to slide around a bit and lose some traction. This isn't necessarily a hazard, in fact it can be used in conjunction with the speed boost the player will send them self flying across the map.

Jump-pads - These are places in the terrain that act as a trampoline. Players can jump on these pieces of terrain to get a extra jump boost.

Moving - These are pieces of the terrain that move. Certain maps will have moving terrain pieces. Such as crates, logs, boats etc. These pieces of terrain can be destructible or solid.

  Water Terrain – This terrain type is used to help break up the battlefield a bit. The way it functions is fairly simple.
When the player is in the water there ability to jump will be slowed. The player can use the dodge to quickly traverse through the water. The speed of players walks and runs are slowed in water.

  Water is also something that can be used to extinguish flames. If a player is hit by a flaming arrow they can hop into the water to put out the flames. The same would happen if the player was holding a flaming weapon. If they were to walk into the water it would be put out.

  This level is based on the Arthurian legend of Excalibur. The level is set in the deep mystical woods of medieval England. The woods are thick and light can barely shine through the trees. This forest where the legendary blade rests, set in stone. The sword will be in the background visible to the players. Sunlight will shine down on it as leaves gently fall down around it.

  The other parts of the forest are very dark and moody. There will be lots of space for close and long range combat. Players can jump into trees to continue fighting or to sit back and launch long range attacks from the safety of the treetops.

  To the right of the map is a small pit with a log in it. The log rolls up and down this pit and any player unlucky enough to make contact with the log will take damage. It rolls at a fairly slow pace and it easy to avoid with a simple dodge or jump.

  Certain parts of the map may have muddy terrain that will cause the player to lose traction and slip. The sloped area at the left of the map is one such area where the player will lose traction.

Sword in the Stone : Version 1

   In my first pass at this level I wanted something with slightly varied terrain but I also wanted to keep it simple and balanced. I was looking at this map as being a map where novice players can learn to play the game. I wanted to include a few simple things such as a level hazard that wasn’t too punishing and some muddy terrain so the players gets and idea of what other stages might feature.

1. This sloped part of the map is covered with mud. This will make it hard for a player running up the slope to reach the top. If another player is already on top and is using ranged attacks this break the design. So what I did was I included a tree nearby so a player can avoid the slope and use the branches of the tree to jump toward the top of the hill.
   
   
2. The center of the map has a small pit full of mud. When players reach the center of this map they will end up sliding around a bit. The pit isn’t too deep, it is designed to be easily jumped over using the double jump or the dodge/evade maneuver. The trees nearby also allow the player to avoid the mud pit.
   
   
3. I wanted to add another game play element here. This tree has a low branch allowing a player to access it very easily so they can jump across the mud pit. The main functionality of this tree is that it is destructible. If the player were to damage it enough it will fall over to the left side of the map. This will effectively make a bridge for the players to use.
   
   
4. These trees are easily accessible to the player via the jump. Players can reach these trees very easily with a simple jump. The tree on the left allows the player to reach the top of the hill as well as clear the pit. The left tree gives the player enough height so they can avoid the rolling log.
   
   
5. The rolling log is a very simple to avoid level hazard. I included this because I wanted to teach the player that some maps will have level hazards. The log rolls back and forth slowly and is no real threat. If it hits the player it will knock off a few hit points but not much. Players knock their opponents into the pit to inflict damage.

Sword in the Stone : Version 2

    This version of the map is a bit more compact. I still wanted it to be simple but with the same variety. I still kept the rolling log in this version of the map but I made the area behind it much smaller. Combat is more focused toward the center of the map. I removed the destructible tree to accommodate for more space for the players to fight.

1. The slope here is much steeper. This makes being the one of top of the hill more of an advantage. The tree is still nearby as to help players get to top of the hill.
   
   
2. The pit is virtually the same as version 1. There is a slight change in its layout. The new layout is made to trap players in more but just like before the mud pit is easily avoidable.
   
   
3. The trees in this layout serve the same function as they do in version 1.
   
   
4. The rolling log is the same as the one from version 1. 

Sword in the Stone : Version 3

    This version of the map is a bit more expanded out. I wanted to keep the mud pit at the center of the map but I didn’t want it to be the focus. I added some space around it allowing more areas for the players to meet and do battle. I also felt that the are to the right of the rolling log was kind of boring so I added a bit more space plus a rock that the players can jump on top of. Overall this incarnation of the map felt stronger.

1. Added more space to the top and bottom of the hill.
   
   
2. Made the mud pit smaller and more even.
   
   
3. Moved around just a bit but identical in it's original functionality.
   
   
4. More room for the players to fight. I removed the destructible tree because I felt that it detracted from the action.
   
   
5. Made the log smaller so players can avoid it easier. Log rolls back and forth a bit faster since it is smaller.
   
   
6. Provides cover if you are standing underneath it. The top of the rock has some space to allow for combat.
   

Sword in the Stone: Version 4  

   This is the final version of the map. I made a lot of changes but I also kept some things from version 3. First thing I did was I changed the mud pit to be a river that flows through the map. This varies things up visually making it more appealing and it introduces water as terrain type. Now players have two kinds of terrain to play with. They have Slippery(mud) and water(extinguish flames). I also brought the destructible tree back in. It can be destroyed in order to make a bridge over the river. I moved it so it isn’t in the way of the the main combat space. I also returned the rolling log to its original size and speed. The rock has been slightly modified to give the players more space to fight on and around.

1. Same as the previous versions.
   
   
2. The river slows down players but it is small enough to be jumped over and isn’t a hindrance on the speed of the map. It doesn’t slow down combat.
   
   
3. Teaches the player that some parts of the environment are destructible. It also serves the same purpose as before, creating a bridge when destroyed.
   
   
4. Same as before but slightly moved around a bit to not be in the way of the player.
   
   
5. Main area for players to do combat.
   
   
6. Returned to its original size and speed.
   
   
7. Modified to allow for better combat experiences.
   

   What I wanted to do with this level was to build something that had more of a vertical flow to it. My focus was to make this level have lots of tiers that would have the player constantly moving up. What is interesting about this is that we can do so much with this idea. We can have the castle under siege as the players fight. We can have the level take place after a siege. There is so much we can do this level to change up the game play.

 Castle: Version 1

   This is my first pass at the map. I wanted to make it small but with lots of jumps. I feel that this design would keep the action constant. Players would be able to find one another easily but there are many escape routes. Just about every part of this map allows for ease of traversal down or up.

1. The idea here is to allow for players to come in and using the jump and double jump to easily scale the floors. They can do battle inside and on the roof. The roof will lead them out onto the hoarding. This keeps things flowing.
   
   
2. This is the second floor where melee heavy players will want to stay.
   
   
3. On a castle the hoarding is a wooden shield that protects the soldiers up on the parapets from arrows and projectiles. What I did here was add them above the parapets so that the players can use them to traverse the castle quicker and it gives players fighting on the parapets an option to escape. This also works if players are on top of the hoardings they can drop down to the parapets.
   
   
4.  I felt that just having the turret and the hoardings alone would leave the map a bit unbalanced. I placed the siege tower on the right side so players with ranged attacks can fight and have a vantage point. Since there are hoardings all around this allows for the melee based characters to reach these points and have a fair chance to fight back. This is balanced so that the lower part of the map is better for the melee based characters and the highest part of the map is good for the ranged characters.
   
   
5. The parapets is the middle ground where most players will come in contact with one another. This serves as the main area where players can move up or down.
   
   

Castle : Version 2

   What I did here was expand out the turret a bit and I also decided to add a room at the bottom so it gives the players another option for them. Before it was kind of a dead end with only one real exit route. This way the players can move into the bottom floor of the turret or exit through the stairs. I also added some crates in the turret so the player can easily jump to the next level. I moved the siege tower further to the right and made it a bit wider. Under the siege tower I added a few lower floors for more combat opportunities.

1. The turret has been expanded vertically and horizontally. This gives the players additional space to fight. There is now two doors. One on the parapet level and the second on the lower level.
   
   
2. The lower level has been expanded on the right side.
   
   
3. The hoarding functions the same as before but it is a bit more broken up so it is easier to read.
   
   
4. Siege tower is more fleshed out. The players can climb to the top of the siege tower and in the center.
   
   
5. The parapets are expanded to allow the players to transition between the different areas of the map easier.
   

   This level is set right in the lair of the dragon. I was inspired by some great reference pics of caves in from the countryside of England. I had an idea of creating a level that would have radically different terrain compared to the other two levels. I wanted the key set piece in this level to be the dragon's lair.  I want their to be a dragon that would come out of his cave and breathe fire on anyone standing in front of it's lair. This event would happen randomly on this map.

Dragon's Lair : Version 1

   This map is set in the countryside. Outside this dragon's cave is a destroyed village. It is burned to the ground. All that remains is a ton of charred stones. The map leads into the cave which is dark and cold. Inside the cave is the dragon.

Dragon's Lair : Version 2

   I decided to cut the village area out of the map and focus the map on the inside of the cave. I also decided that the cave shouldn’t just be the same old boring cave that is in the middle of the countryside or forest. I decided that visually a seaside cave is much more interesting.

    Making the map smaller allowed for much more focused combat. I was also able to add some more jumps and things around the map. The first version lacked variety. This new design gives the players enough spaces to jump and fight. The dragon's cave is off to the right side of the map allowing players enough space to keep out of range of the dragon's deadly flame.

1. This area allows for a good amount of combat.
   
   
2. This I the first groups of rocks and cliffs on the inside of the cave that the player can utilize to jump over the water or to take a good vantage point with a bow and attack other players from a safe distance.
   
   
3. The water here is low enough that it wont cause significant problems for the player but it will still slow them down. This pool of water can easily be cleared by a jump or dodge.
   
   
4. The cave is situated on the right side of the map. The players can fight in front of the cave but in doing so they are vulnerable to the dragon's flames. The dragon will release its fire breath randomly. The cave can not be cleared vertically with a double jump but a well timed dodge can allow the player to get out of the way of the fire.
   
   
5. The cliffs and rocks on this side allow for the ranged player to take position and land shots on their opponents.
   

Dragon's Lair : Version 3

   This version of the map focuses more on intense combat. I decided to make the map even smaller so there is no hiding from opponents here. I also added a few more hazards in this map. One wrong move and you can sink to your death. The real problem I found with this design is comparably more straightforward than previous versions.

1. This is just a small pool of water that will slow down players that are standing in it.
   
   
2. This is a pool of water with no bottom. If the player were to fall in and not attempt they die. This is placed next to the dragon's lair in a way that if the player were to get hit by the dragon's fire they will either take the full amount of the damage or they can attempt to dodge it by jumping into the pit of water.
   
   
3. The dragon and the cave are set further in the background.
   
   
4. There is a steep part of the terrain which leads into a pool of water. This is an easy place for the player to get trapped.
   

Dragon's Lair : Version 4

  So after some tinkering I was able to come up with what felt like the perfect size for this map. I immediately removed the bottomless pool of water and varied the terrain up a bit so no type of character has any sort of advantage, thus making it more of a balanced map. I also made the cliffs easily accessible. I moved the dragon’s lair back to where it was originally. I also thought that maybe if we were to see the dragon it would add some sort of tension to the map.

1. The cliffs on this side of the map allow for interesting jumps and map traversal.
   
   
2. Both pools of water are shallow enough for the player to jump out of with ease. They are also away from the dragon's lair ensuring that the player will not get stuck in the water.
   

Dragon's Lair : Version 5

   I took what I learned from version 4 and refined it. I made the first pool very easy to get out of and the second pool is a bit tougher but in no way is it a death trap. The dragons cave is wide but it also allows for a lot of combat outside of the cave. The cliffs on the left side stretch far enough that the player can double jump and dodge past the cave if they wanted to. The left side of the cave is opened up a lot more allowing for a variety of combat scenarios.

1. Cliffs are a bit more open and stretch further across the map allowing for easier traversal.
   
   
2. Pools of water are a small hazard but they are not fatal. Breaks up the terrain a bit and slows down the player.
   
   
3. Dragon's cave is wider but now has more ways to avoid it. It also has a lot of room in front so there are opportunities for combat.
   
   
4. This is the “mini arena” I call it this because I imagine that with this simple design it gives players a wide variety of places to attack from. Players can fight on the cliffs or do battle on the uneven terrain.
   

- Danny Q
@Dannylv100