Experience Design Document Possible Overarching Experience Names: Timeline, Great Moments The Lincoln Experience (working title) Version (1.0) Created (June 27, 2016) Last Updated (July 11, 2016) Table of Contents Project Overview 1. Executive Summary 2. High Concept 3. Core Gameplay 4. Genre 5. Target Audience 6. Team Members/jobs/contact info Game Overview 1. Overview 2. Story 3. Character 4. Environment 5. Level Overviews Gameplay 1. Combat 2. Abilities 3. Score 4. Power-ups Menu Layout 1. Color Scheme 2. Game Title Screen 3. Legal Info 4. Menu Screen 5. Tutorial/Instructions 6. Credits 7. Game Win 8. Game Over 9. High Score 10. Level Select Game Layout 1. Camera Setup 2. Game Controls 3. Game Mode(s) 4. Player Count 5. Hours of Gameplay Project Overview Executive Summary "The Lincoln Experience" is an education-based historical adventure experience for GearVR and all VR compatible headsets, highlighting realistic reenactments of historical events. High Concept Explore a plethora of famous historical events in different time periods all over the world, and experience what it would be like to take a step back in time from a first-person perspective. Core Gameplay Walk and teleport as a first-person spectator within a noteworthy, historical event. Discover facts and information about the people and the time period within each experience, and interact with the environment as if you were actually there. User return to a "Library of Alexandria" or "Hall of Gods" type menu to explore and discover more experiences. Genre Historical non-fiction, Education, Adventure Target Audience VR  gamers age 11+ Team Members/Jobs/Contact Info Sarah Barrick, Producer/Developer @SarahReedSC Game Overview Overview Act as a first-person spectator at some of the world's most well-known historic events. Story (detailed) Intro There is no intro. Menu Users enter into the app already placed in the "center" of the library/hall of gods. Upon initial startup, a small firefly/ball of light floats in front of the user to get their attention. Gazing at the sprite and tapping the side of the headset (if GearVR) activates a brief tutorial that teaches the user how to walk (arrow buttons), teleport (gaze and single-tap) and to zoom in/out of objects (double-tap). After the tutorial is completed, users are free to roam around the library/hall, reading experience placards (by double-tapping) and selecting an experience. When an experience is selected, the screen slowly fades to black and a soft, wind-whooshing sound plays - indicating to the user that they are being "transported" into the experience. Experience 1: The Gettysburg Address (Working Title: The Lincoln Experience) Users will experience Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Addrress from a first person perspective amongst the crowd at the cemetery dedication in Gettysburg, VA. "Imagine entering into a moment, like the afternoon of November 19, 1863. You find yourself on a pitted dirt road alongside a cemetery, Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The tension in the air is palpable, the crowd around you electric with excitement. You can hear the sound of gravel crunch beneath your feet, your breath getting louder as you move your way through the throng toward a wooden stage. Heavy footsteps fall on the newly adjoined wood, and you turn your sight toward the sound. Above you stands a tall, tired looking man, wearing a black coat and top hat. "Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation..." words ring out into the crowd, piercing every heart in attendance with their truth and solemnity." Experience 2: Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" Speech Users will experience MLK's I Have a Dream speech from a first person perspective amongst the crowd on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Experience 3: Gladiator Match at the Colosseum in Rome (80 CE) Users will experience what it's like to watch a gladiator match from a first person perspective amongst the crowd in the Colosseum of Rome, Italy. Experience 4: The Cave Art Paintings of Lascaux (10,000 BCE) Users will experience the creation of early man's first cave paintings from a first person perspective as a tribe member inside the cave at Lascaux. Experience 5: Joan of Arc and the Battle at Orleans (1429) User experience TBD. Experience 6: The Sack of Rome (1527) User experience TBD. Experience 7: Completion of the Great Pyramid of Giza (2560 BCE) User experience TBD. Character This is a single-player experience. The user enters the world from a first-person spectator perspective, and has minimal interactions with NPCs (minimal script variance) that can share a few facts about the event or time/place. Environment As historically accurate and highly detailed where possible, with low-polygon environments available for mobile devices. Inspirations and Influences God of War, Sid Meier's Civilization, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln @ Disneyland, Gladiator, Timeline (book and movie), Shadow of the Colossus Experience Overviews Possibly remove this section - not needed? Intro: narrator and 2D menu prompts teach user how to move through 3D library, read/zoom on busts/experience overview cards, and to enter/exit an experience. Main Menu: User can return to this menu at any time. 1. TBD 2. TBD Gameplay Combat There is no combat. Abilities User has the same set of abilities throughout game, as learned in the tutorial. Walking or movement around an experience by teleporting. Score There is no scoring, only unlocking of levels. User can return to any level they have so far visited. Power-ups There are no power-ups. Menu Layout The main menu can be reached at any time from inside of an experience by tapping the back button on the GearVR, the menu displays four 3D text menu options to choose from: rewind, fast forward, pause and return to menu. To select a menu option, the user gazes at one of the options and taps once to select. Color Scheme Color scheme will vary between experiences, but every effort will be made to avoid anything too bright or harsh on the eyes. All experiences will be crisp and as real to the user as if they were actually present in the moment. Game Title Screen Short, animated clips of historical events. Images start as faded, motionless then become colorful "alive" as the app loads content. Fixed-position VR camera (player can look around, but not move around.) Legal Info This can be displayed when the game is downloaded and in the app store page. Menu Screen Same as Menu Layout. Tutorial/Instructions On the first play-through, the player starts in a tutorial level before going to the main planet-menu. In this level, a spirit-guide appears and instructs the player on basic movement and teleporting, as well as seed planting. The spirit guide is a small animal/spirit that talks to the player and reappears periodically as the game progresses, to reveal parts of the story and give advice. This spirit attempts to always make eye contact with the player, and begins speaking each section of their story once the player is looking at them. Each Level will have a "comfort level" indicator, of both VR sickness and movie ratings (MA, PG, etc.) Credits Credits are listed on the app store page, in-menu object and at the end of every experience (assuming different dev teams on each story.) Game Win There is no winning. Game Over User is returned to menu after an experience ends, there is no "game completion." High Score There is no scoring. Level Select The back button brings up a menu, with options to pause, rewind or fast forward through the experience, or to return to menu. Return to menu teleports the user to the main library menu. This can be done at any time. From there, they can select any of the experiences they have unlocked or purchased in their library, indicated by spot-lit busts (these are timed gaze-targets that glow brighter when selected.) From within the library menu, tapping the back button quits to the Oculus Home. Game Layout Camera Setup VR first-person camera Game Controls Gaze-fuse targets; reticle; touchpad tap and hold to teleport, use arrow pad to walk; double-tap touchpad to zoom in on an object; back button to bring up options menu, and from there to return to library or quit to Oculus Home; volume control buttons. Inventory There is no user inventory. Game Mode(s) There are no modes. Player Count Single-player game. Hours of Gameplay 2-7 minutes per experience, with progress saved automatically. When you quit the game and come back, you start inside the library menu, with the option of teleporting to any experience you have so far unlocked. Total minutes of gameplay varies, with player encouraged by the app to enjoy experiences in multiple sittings.