projectTHREE: proposal
NEUROX [link to pdf]
Introduction
Neurox is exploring the idea of the power of the media/internet/tv. Information is everywhere, its surround us everywhere we go. We’re absorbing it even though we don’t know that we are doing it, we are. The player in Neurox will be able to control the character’s behaviour/mind and monitored how much information is being processed through the brain in order to make the right decision at the end of each stage/level. If the player fails to maintain a “healthy” level of energy/information, the player will fail at the end of the game.
Background
The idea of Information Overload refers to the state of having too much information, which could be from a rapidly increasing rate of new information being produced or an increase in the available channels of incoming information.
Game Levels/Environment
The Neurox game and environment will take place within the human brain. There are 3 different levels of the game, mild information overload, medium information overload and extreme information overload.
The environment of the game will take place in the brain system, the source of the conscious, cognitive mind.
examples of the enviroment
Level One: Your Mum
The first level is the “mild information overload”. The player will control the character in a “home” environment where his/her mum will be in control, telling you what do pick up, what to do and what to believe. The task as a player is to meet up with all those favours and chores. At the end, his/her mum as the “first boss” of the game will challenge the player.
Level Two: The Television
The second level is the “medium information overload”. The player will control the character in a room-type space/environment where there are televisions lying around, putting news and new information out non-stop. The task as a player is to decide which channels he/she want to receive the information from. There will be obstacles (Junk information) that the player have to destroy (draw energy out of them) or avoid it. At the end, the Television as the “second boss” of the game will challenge the player.
Level Three: The Internet/Information Master
The third level is the “extreme information overload” and the last level. The player will control the character in a “space” of pixels environment where there is a lot (overload) of information as well as new items. At the end the Information master will challenge the player, if the player succeed in destroying him, victory!
Player/Character
The player will start of as a wisp of energy. Using only itself to drain energy of the mobs (enemies) at the start, the wisp will slowly gain more power/special abilities from pick up items, mobs and boss’s drops and the information that is floating around the environment.
As the character, the wisp of energy slowly progress on to a higher lever, the character will transform depending on the player’s customisation. The player can extend and enhance the capacity of information and control over the character behaviour by picking up new “useful” information and weapons. The player can decide whether they want their character to have high defensive skills, or high attacking skills, or a mixture of both.
The energy (health points, hp) will be represented as KJ (kilojoules). Each player will start of with 100 KJ, which can be increased by a number of armour, or items people collect.
Each character will have a “Neurox Meter” that the player will monitored at all times while playing the game. It is a meter that determines the player energy and information capability. When the meter reaches the “crisis” point, it means that there is too much junk information and the character is using up all its energy to maintain that information. If the character is on low energy, he will start losing the “useful” information that shaped his character, ie his special abilities and he won’t be able to overcome the boss at that level. There is also a case where a player might choose to only receive junk information, as a result, the player will fail at destroying the bosses at each level as there wasn’t enough “useful” information in killing it.
Items/Information
There are 2 types of information: the “Junk” and the “Useful” information. When you absorb the “Junk” information, the junk will take up your energy and it could harm you in long term where as if you pick up the “Useful” information, you will earn special abilities towards your attack or defence skills. There are also items that will regenerate your energy (Energy Vessels) for a short period of time that you can pick up randomly from the environment.
There are two types of weapons, defensive weapons and attacking weapons. For example, if the player chooses to build up a strong defensive character, he/she will pick up mainly defensive weapons, energy shield. If the player chooses to build up a strong offensive character, he/she will pick up mainly offensive weapons, Electromega Gun.
Genre
- Action
- RPG
- Adventure
Platform
- PC
- MAC
- PlayStation 3
- XBOX 360