Mars Game Connectivity System Innovations
DESIGN NOTE:
Players start the game using the RPG (Fighting) system first, and then when that gameplay is done, the player is prompted to build a hospital to heal their wounded:
In the RPG (Fighting System) the player clears (unlocks) three areas. 2 areas are workable, and a third area is filled with natural obstacles (crater) so nothing can be built on it (presently).
Let's use the "Magic Tapping Finger" as often as we can to avoid lots of dialogue breaks.
Step 1:
Build Dome Tutorial
• Players learn how to select and place a dome building
￮ Hospital (in this case)
• Players have two areas to choose from to place their hospital (later on they can move it somewhere else) either 1-B or 2-A (the two cleared areas from 1st Step).
￮ If we let the player clear three areas, then I suggest it is area 2-B, but there is a large crater there, so the hospital can't go there.
A | B | C | D | |
1 | Rocket / Spaceship | Area Cleared | X | X |
2 | Area Cleared | Area Cleared but blocked | X | X |
3 | X | X | X | X |
4 | X | X | X | X |
Short Dialogue:
A short Dialogue Plays instructing the player to build a Hospital Dome.
ORDER | CHARACTER | DIALOGUE |
1 | PROF WHIZ | You have wounded soldiers! Quickly, set up a Hospital Dome to heal them. |
2 | PROF WHIZ | Tap the Supply Icon, and then select the "Hospital Dome" from the list. |
3 | PROF WHIZ | You can place the Hospital Dome in any of the "cleared" areas. |
• The player successfully places their hospital.
• They are then prompted to do the Connectivity Feature Tutorial.
Step 2:
Connectivity Feature Tutorial:
Oxygen Pipeline (OP) System:
Short Dialogue
ORDER | CHARACTER | DIALOGUE |
1 | PROF WHIZ | Eureka! Now, you have to connect the Oxygen Pipeline so your crew can breath. |
2 | PROF WHIZ | Ensure that the Oxygen Pipes are connected to both the Rocket (Oxygen Source) and the Hospital. |
• The player learns to place their Oxygen Pipeline (OP) System, and their Conveyor Belt (CB) System(*Oxygen first).
• The player connects the Oxygen Pipeline from the Rocket to the Hospital using straight Oxygen pipes.
￮ Straight Oxygen pipes can be placed either vertical or horizontal, depending on the direction.
• Once they are done, the player sees a GREEN "O2" TRIANGLE appear showing them that it is working.
Step 3:
Conveyor Belt System (CB System)
The Conveyor Belt (CB) system is fairly similar to the Oxygen Pipeline (OP) System.
The biggest differences are:
• 1) CB System has an ON/OFF switch as too many supplies is critical.
• 2) CB system eventually will have multiple directions
Short Dialogue
ORDER | CHARACTER | DIALOGUE |
1 | PROF WHIZ | Fusion! Next, you need to deliver medical supplies to the hospital. |
2 | PROF WHIZ | Domes have only so much space, so be sure to not send too many supplies. (0/5) |
3 | PROF WHIZ | Be sure to connect the ON/OFF switch belt first. |
• The Player connects the CB System
￮ Starting with the ON/OFF Belt, and so on.
￮ Once connected, the GREEN "CB" TRIANGLE appears
￮ The player is then prompted to "turn on" the conveyor belt via the magic "tapping finger" (no dialogue is required)
￮ The player then sees 5 Medical supply boxes go across the conveyor belt. (counting: 0/5, 1/5, 2/5, 3/5, 4/5, 5/5 as they slowly go across.
￮ The player is then prompted to "turn off" the conveyor belt.
Step 4: Do it Again
The player is then prompted to build their Housing Dome in the cleared area they didn't choose for the Hospital (this way the player learns twice. Teach and Do Design theory.
Short Dialogue:
ORDER | CHARACTER | DIALOGUE |
1 | PROF WHIZ | Fusion! Next, let's place your Barracks Dome, and connect oxygen and supplies to it. |
• The player gets to choose from the one (of the three) cleared locations that they didn't put the hospital in, to place their Barracks Dome.
A | B | C | D | |
1 | Rocket / Spaceship | Area Cleared | X | X |
2 | Area Cleared | Area Cleared but blocked | X | X |
3 | X | X | X | X |
4 | X | X | X | X |
• They then add oxygen and conveyor belts to the Barracks Dome.
• But, this time, the conveyor belt system asks for 20/20 items to move over, so the player is prompted to do the Heal Function Tutorial.
Short Dialogue:
ORDER | CHARACTER | DIALOGUE |
1 | PROF WHIZ | Fusion! This will take a while . In the meantime, let's go to the hospital to heal your crew. |
• The player learns how to Heal their troops in the hospital using the "magic tapping finger".
• When all of a sudden the screen starts flashing red. A building is at critical RED TRIANGLE STATUS.
Example of what is happening:
• Too many supplies are being delivered to the Barracks, and it is in danger of breaking.
• 30/20 supplies. If it reaches double (40/20) it will break.
• The player is prompted to turn off the CB system to the Barracks.
• As long as the player turns off systems, then over time, the counter will go down. (25/20, 24/20, 23/20, and so on, until it's green again.
• In the event of damage, then the player would:
￮ Step 1: turn off the system
￮ Step 2: remove the damaged part
￮ Step 3: replace the damaged part
￮ (if needed) Step 4: Turn back on the system
Step 5: The Warning System Explanation
• When a part of the connection system is connected, the warning system is activated.
GREEN TRIANGLE
￮ When a connectivity system is first connected, this appears briefly to indicate it is functioning
YELLOW TRIANGLE
￮ Appears if:
￮ 1) Damage has occurred to a connectivity system (repair/replace)
￮ 2) Too many supplies/Water/Fuel/etc... are being delivered.
RED TRIANGLE
￮ Appears if:
￮ 1) A situation is critical and immediate attention is required
Example from another Game:
Warning Triangle Symbols:
Each part of the Connectivity System has Warning System Icon associated with it.
• Oxygen = O2
• Conveyor Belt = CB symbol
• Power (Electricity) = power cord
• Fuel = Fuel symbol
• Water = H2O symbol
• etc...
Warning System Work Flow:
• If there is ever any damage or supply issue with the Connectivity system, then the Warning System starts.
• If the YELLOW "O2" TRIANGLE issue is NOT resolved in a set time frame, a RED "O2" TRIANGLE will appear (and RED glow on the screen or the player map), as the situation is now critical.
• If the issue is not resolved, that DOME (or machine) will break and need to be replaced.
Example using Oxygen:
• Example: If the Oxygen source (tanks) is low,
• a YELLOW "O2" TRIANGLE will appear warning the player it is low.
• If the player adds more Oxygen source (tanks), the YELLOW TRIANGLE turns back to a GREEN ONE.
• If the player ignores the issue, then a RED TRIANGLE appears, warning it is critical.
• After X amount of time, the building/machine/vehicle/etc... That has the RED TRIANGLE breaks and needs to be replaced.