Gameplay Journal #10: Brainstorming
For this final Gameplay Journal post, I’ll be brainstorming some ideas for my final project!
Idea #1
The first idea I have is about equality. Equality is something this country (and some parts of the world too) is sorely lacking. Everyone deserves an equal chance and to be treated with respect. I can communicate this value through traditional RPG mechanics as seen in classic Final Fantasy games with each party member having an equal chance to deal damage to enemies and/or heal each other. This could also lean towards cooperation. There’s a bunch of ways to communicate equality in the narrative too.
Idea #2
The second idea I have is compassion. Understanding what someone with anxiety goes through in any given day, whether it be during a car accident or living through a day during the COVID-19 pandemic as a nurse or an unemployed worker, it can teach us everything we know what it’s like to live with anxiety. I can communicate this value by having combat mechanics fighting off anxiety. I’m thinking about making this into a beat ’em up game like Streets of Rage.
You’ll play as an unemployed worker struggling to make ends meet while suffering from anxiety. I can visualize it by having the player move forward and defeat enemies that represent anxious thoughts and having the goal to be to survive waves of enemies, losing means being succumbed by a panic attack and winning means you avoided having the panic attack. Hopefully I can show the value of compassion by visually showing the silent battle that people living with anxiety fight on a daily basis.
Idea #3
The third idea I have is a game about the wholesome sense of community. Having a community of people that care about you and your well-being is important. I can communicate this value by presenting the player an island they can freely explore. The player would have to complete fetch quests for their neighbors / friends. You would handing off goods you picked up, trading items, and completing objectives for other people so they can use these items to help each other, I think this would help give out the sense of community.
Conclusion
So there you have it! These are some ideas I have for my final project. Idea #2 may be my favorite one given my personal experience with anxiety so it’s a high chance I’ll pick that one to be my project. I still haven’t thought about what game engine to use and quite frankly, I’m a little worried since I’m not the greatest at coding. But I do have some experience in using engines like Bitsy which doesn’t require coding at all (at least last time I used it). I’m excited to start this project and I hope I can communicate my chosen value clearly. ‘Till then!
