After a small break to write up the research essay in back to planning. Before I work out any level's actual flow I want to design the most important part of the game (in my opinion), the bosses. I am going to design more than I plan to make so that I have a few back up ideas to work with.
To start them off I'm thinking of their mechanics and then matching each boss to an appropriate level/theme. For example I created a boss design of a giant airship, so this one requires a large open area above the player to fight (Desert 2 will work perfectly for this).
I'm generating all the boss battles in the one task just to make it less confusing. Once I have designed the boss I then copy all of its info into the correct level's description in the design tree.
Ill paste the 3 designs I created now. I broke each boss down into sections (Like the adjudicator) to make it easier to read.
**Boss Placeholder Name**
T-rex
**Gameplay Type**
Lily
**Description**
A genetically modified T-rex with a small turret attached to a platform on its back.
**Attacks:**
Periodically charges from its current location towards the edge of the arena the player is closest to (relative to itself).
Periodically jumps from its current location towards the edge of the area. Similar to the charge.
Vomits up 2 types of eggs in sets of 3. Type 1 explodes on contact with anything into a circle of bullets. Type 2 spawns a mini T-rex on hitting the floor that chase the player along the ground.
Turret on its back fires mortars at the player (the explosion can damage the t-rex if close enough)
**How to kill:**
Avoid its attacks and get its health pool to 0.
**Arena Description:**
It will have several carnivorous plant platforms that let the player stand safely for 5 seconds until they snap closed and do damage. This is to force the player to move around instead of staying still.
These plants will be destroyed by the T-rex when it charges or jumps through them. They regenerate after a few seconds of being destroyed.
**Tactics:**
At this point the player will have the ability to dash/double jump. When the T-rex jumps they must dash underneath him to his original position. A similar tactic is used for the charge, the players must get on the provided platforms and dash over the top of the T-rex. Whilst its recovering from its charge/Jump they get a chance to deal damage to the turret on its back to deal extra damage.
The player can either stay on the ground and avoid attacks by jumping to the platforms as a reaction or jump between the platforms and fight the boss from above but this will be more difficult to do consistently due to the platforms attacking.
**Unlocks**
Unlocks Giant Fusion Battery mod for tank.
Unlocks Concept Image.
Unlocks Deflector Shield special for Lily.
**Boss Placeholder Name**
Titan's Fortress
**Gameplay Type**
Tank
**Description**
Titan's fortress is the code name for a battle orientated airship that protects the base inside the concord city area, it also reminds citizens of the constant eye cast over them.
The ship comprises of an almost full screen sized balloon (width wise) with 3 pods underneath. The middle pod comprises of a large laser cannon with full view of the battlefield that moves along a rail stretching the full length of the ballon and a set of ports for missiles to fire from. The 2 side platforms contain fast firing turrets and a large opening hatch to drop enemy units onto the battlefield.
**Attacks:**
The large laser cannon will follow the players position along the screen in a relative horizontal location. The laser will occasionally fire a very wide laser at the location of the player. This cannon stops moving towards the player 2 seconds before firing and begins visibly charging its laser.
The ports on the sides of the main pod will fire in turn every 10 seconds, the 3 missiles will have medium strength homing on and a slow movement speed.
The side cannons will fire single bullets every few seconds in the general direction of the player. Occasionally they will visibly charge up and fire a large burst of projectiles in a cone towards the player. These bullets move at a medium speed.
The opening hatches will drop land based enemies via parachute. These enemies can be destroyed before they get on the ground but will start firing weapons once they are halfway down their descent.
When only one section of the ship is left all functions from its turrets double in speed of use in a desperate attempt to destroy the player.
**How to kill:**
The boss' health will be split into 3 sections across the airship. The player must destroy each section to down the boss, however each section destroyed makes it easier to destroy the next as the turrets in that section will be terminally disabled. The middle section has 50% of the hp and the side sections have 25% each.
**Arena Description**
Arena for this boss is relatively simple, it has 3 platform sections that act as bunkers for the player (Similar to space invaders) and they will be destroyed when hit with enough player or enemy bullets.
**Tactics:**
The player must dodge and destroy the projectile barrage coming their way whilst focusing a section of the airship. The middle section will have the largest surface area and be the easiest to hit. When a section is destroyed the other sections are dealt 10% instant damage, so destroying both side sections would leave the middle with 30% hp.
The additional enemies spawned can be destroyed early to stop them being a problem or after they hit the ground when they are easier to hit. Only a maximum of four can be active at any one time.
The platforms are designed to offer some early protection against projectiles so the player has enough time to work out what they need to do.
**Unlocks**
Unlocks the Gattling Cannon mod for the tank.
Unlocks the Supercharged battery mod for the tank.
Unlocks Concept Image.
**Boss Placeholder Name**
Facility escape
**Gameplay Type**
Lily - Modified.
**Description**
After destroying her grandmothers invention lily finds the main control room of the facility. She accidently presses the self destruct button (giving her 8 minutes to escape) and flees towards the vehicle depo and steals a motorbike. The run to the depo should take roughly 2 minutes of the timer. The motorbike itself is equipped with twin machine guns and goes fast so a larger view distance is required.
**Attacks**
The track the player goes along at high speed contains a lot of easily visible traps that can be destroyed or jumped over.
The track itself is destroyed in parts and requires some basic platforming to get past.
(More can be added to this depending on how intense this basic set is)
**Arena Description**
The arena is the boss in this fight. It is focused on testing the players platforming skills.
**Tactics:**
Escape the facility before the timer runs out. The player will have roughly 6 mins to escape and a perfect escape should take 4 and a half minutes, which gives the player a bit of room to make mistakes. The bike takes a few seconds to reach top speed.
**Unlocks**
Unlocks Tank Girl outfit for Lily (Jungle theme)
Unlocks Permanent usage of the double jump/ dash abilities
Unlocks Rocket Pack I Mod for the Tank
Finally for this post, this is the current idea for the theme in the jungle level. I think it sounds more interesting than just a normal jungle with a few aggressive animals.
Art Theme for Jungle Levels:
The jungle levels will contain a large amount of artificial trees/plants with clear signs of 'fakeness' such as metallic unpainted sections or obvious piping. In certain places there will be robots using machines to make scrapped metal and a bit of paint into these plants/trees. Surrounding these artificial plants will also be aggressive plants that can be disguised as platforms or as exploding buds on the walls that fall down.
Everything in this forest will be some sort of experiment by the concord forces in the region in an attempt to recreate large natural areas. The only major animals required in this forest are the several dinosaur enemies but other prey animals and non-aggressive dinosaurs could be added later as flavor for the fake forest.
