Concept, Genre, Scenario - extracts from the Game Design Document

Okay, so for the next few posts I'll be providing extracts from the Game Design Document (GDD).  The GDD is a living document - i.e. a work-in-progress in and of itself.  I've mentioned some of the high level stuff already, in previous posts, so apologies for any repetition.  I just thought you might find it interesting to see the first draft GDD, and so we can see how things change over the course of the actual development.

So, without further ado, the opening page of the document:

CONCEPT

Cursed to forever search for buried treasure, the spirit of the Dread Pirate Bartholomew ‘Booty’ Roberts roams the catacombs of the The Under - a nightmarish realm hidden beneath our very streets.

GENRE

Dread Pirate Booty is a rich, physics-based 2D platformer / RPG which uses geo-location, real world time & weather to procedurally generate environments based on the player’s actual location - turning real-world streets into the catacombs the character traverses.

It has been designed to be as rich and immersive as any RPG, with detailed, cogent, equipment, crafting and skill / character progression.  But in a beautifully illustrated 2D environment to keep the game build affordable.

Procedural generation in this way affords players the opportunity to experience their real-world location like never before.  And journey to other parts of the world all from the comfort of their chair.

This project is an attempt to capture the essence of the best RPGs and the pen & paper games they were based on, utilising clever, procedurally generated content to provide an ongoing gaming experience players can enjoy for months or even years.

Dread Pirate Booty is likely to include in-game purchases. Freemium or possibly Paymium.

SCENARIO

Players take the role of the spirit of the historical figure - The Dread Pirate Roberts - known affectionately as Booty to us.  A factual figure immortalised in cult fiction such as The Princess Bride.