Children of Zork (Working Title)

After talking with Mark the other week, I'm looking at making some changes and additions to the game design.

Originally I was thinking of the typical War-torn setting with civilisation still around but sparse. Now I'm looking at developing a near completely desolate planet and no mutated humans.

The first redeveloped idea was: Energy resources ran out while the player was in a cryogenic chamber with its own internal power source. Civilisation died out due to lack of power and a social decline. Eventually the power source for the player would run out and they'd awaken from their chamber and find themselves alone in the world (at first).

However, Mark also touched upon the idea of having an out world. So while the player has their set game to play through, when they are out on the street or online, they can play a multi player option.

So from exploring that idea more, I've developed my final idea.

ZORK is a global corporation that is researching methods of space colonisation due to the Earth becoming low on resources and less stable to live on. They've built space colonies that are orbiting the Earth and on the moon and are in the process of getting people ready to take them up there. In a number of ZORK facilities around the Earth there are a number of cryogenic pods. They contain people that put themselves forward for testing out being transported to the space colonies. However, before they were ready to be sent out, the Earth started erupting and a mass evacuation took place without the use of the pods.

Each ZORK facility holding room (known as the Ark) is buried deep underground with extensive security systems as the cryogenic pods are powered by a compound the scientists discovered which is as volatile as nuclear energy but not radio active and is more efficient, lasting longer. When the natural disasters started to occur, the Arks automatically shut off all entrances looking people out as well as in.

In each Ark there are 10 capsules consisting of 5 males and 5 females. Many years later (undisclosed but at least 50 years) the pods start to shut down and automatically open as the power ran out. The security system for the room has already stopped working and so the players first task is finding a way out of the room (through vents or wedging the door open).

Depending on the path the player took to leave the room, they'll end up in different places.

- Some areas of the facility will be flooded and the player can attempt to swim through it but if their oxygen runs out before they escape, they can die right away.

- There is a series of tunnels that connect to other buildings in the city which the company incorporated as a discrete entrances. A few of the tunnels lead to houses outside of the city so that player could end up walking for a long time and feel lost.

Throughout the facility and outside world, the player may come across skeletons.

there are some signs that other people from the pods may be around and have survived as when the player wakes up there are a few pods open already. This is to support the idea of an out-game mode.

The game will have multiplayer features and make use of the Nintendo Streetpass.

The other people players meet when out with the DS will appear every now and then in game as NPCs. If the player manages to find them, they can get a copy of a random item the passing player has on them (such as a copy of a weapon or clothes.)

When the players connect through wireless and the internet they enter eachothers games in a similar manner to Dark/Demon Souls and Journey. The players can choose to help each other or not with solving problems in a similar way to Portal 2 and Little Big Planet. They are able to trade items which can than be installed into their single player game. Maps in multiplayer worlds are random and contain better items such as food and ways of cooking foods but the more valuable items will only be reached with the co-operation of other players.

In the multiplayer world, only 1 other person will be in your world at a time but players do not have control of who it is.

For the iPhone and 3DS the system will make use of Meditated Reality.