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Project:

SSS

Concept:

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Prototype:


COMING SOON!

 Development Notes:    

     Leveraging procedural systems and design not only to increase development and balancing, but to create a platform on which gameplay can be expanded upon to make a variety of gameplay modes and unique experiences with each play-though. 

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     These concepts and system elements will be further expanded upon to be the groundwork for Psyware Games forthcoming project...

Project:

Mystic Ninja

Concept:

     Players step into the shadows as Ayakage—literally, the “Vivid Shadow”—a deadly ninja wielding mystic powers and shrouded blade skills. With abilities like blink and trans-location, she strikes from the unseen, eliminating foes before they even grasp her presence.

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     The world is under siege by malevolent forces, as demonic manifestations of death taint innocent souls and spread chaos. Ayakage undertakes dangerous missions, facing off against nightmarish foes such as Oni-Tengu, the sinister Void Witch, and Dread Lord Ma-Ji. Each battle brings her closer to a cataclysmic showdown, where she must prevent the merging of dimensions—an event that would unravel reality itself.

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     Time is running out, and the fate of her world teeters on the edge of oblivion. Ayakage's fight is not just for survival, but for existence itself!

Trailer


COMING SOON!

 
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Pitch
Deck

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ELEVATOR PITCH

Spiritual successor to Tenchu : Stealth Assassins,
+ with light manipulation and magic skills.

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MORE SPECIFICALLY…

A stealth ninja game with a mix of some mystical elements to give the player interesting traversal skills to strategize, manipulate, deceive, and assassinate their intelligent enemies to complete their mission

*This is not a combat focused game or souls-like.

・Grappling Hook
・Blink
・Translocate

・Light Source Manipulation

・Camouflage

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WHO IS IT FOR?

Experienced gamers who are looking for a new stealth experience with a twist, as well AI that provides a strategical challenge that stays fresh.

 
Assassination games ≅ Puzzle games

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FOCUS

-Enemy A.I. systems that are built intelligently to challenge the player to strategize multiple ways to achieve their goals.

-Dynamic enemy placement and A.I. states and functions that create emergent gameplay.

-Art Style to enhance and intertwine with mechanics

-Minimal HuD to keep the player in the game. (i.e. No Minimap. )

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LEVEL DESIGN EXPERIENCE

     Navigate and explore a variety of environments and settings constructed with Level design to compliment the players traversal skills, control of light sources and to ability to blend in with their environment. Each progressive stage Increases the challenges pushing the player to explore and strategize in a variety of ways to utilize their skills to accomplish the mission. ​

LEVEL DESIGN (Dynamic Enemy Placement)

Design through modular approach, using building blocks and interlocking patterns rather than meticulously placing each individual element piece by piece.

LEVEL DESIGN (Dynamic Enemy Placement)

CONCEPT:

 

Rather Than meticulously plan each and every enemy placement, build a procedural system which can be used to strategically spawn the enemies within a set of parameters to design the level and the experience, while also keeping the gameplay dynamic, such that after one completed playthrough the level is not “solved”.

 

This will increase both initial fun and replay value, while also not deterring from the players “competence level up” as main objectives can remain static, or within certain bounds, and the stage remains the same. After a failed attempt the player will still gain advantage due to knowing the stage layout.

 

Layered on top of the dynamic A.I. system (alert stages behavior changes) This should create a unique experience for the assassin on each attempt or play through.

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Static Guards Spawn Area

LEVEL DESIGN (Dynamic Enemy Placement)

Light Source

Ranged Guards Spawn Area

Patrol Guards Spawn Area A

Patrol Guards Spawn Area B

Melee Patrol Enemy

Melee Static Enemy

Ranged Patrol Enemy

Ranged Static Enemy

Guard Relief (Mechanic)

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A.I. Alert Stages

Coupled with Dynamic enemy placement, create a comprehensive advance A.I. system in which each NPC reacts to changes in their environment, and communicate with other NPCs to create an experience that results in emergent experiences of the player versus the team of NPCs.

Level 1: Idle/Low Alertness :: Business as usual

Behavior: Routine Patrol and Low Vigilance

Level 2: Suspicious/Moderate Alertness :: Something is off.

Behavior: Increased Vigilance and Reactivity

Level 3: Alert/High Alertness :: There’s a ninja here!

Behavior: Changed patrol routines and heightened awareness.

Level 4: Max Alertness :: That asshole killed my friend and called my mother a #@%&!

Behavior: Vigilantly search for, hide from, and seek vengeance on Ayakage.

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ART DIRECTION / STYLIZATION

Highly stylized visuals with high contrast for gameplay readability

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Other Notes

-Ayakage is a ninja. She can move on standard ground at any speed silently. Skills such as projectiles Kills and other environmental interaction may make noise.

-“Tall grass camouflage” is ridiculous.

-Lure Enemies with Sound and light manipulation

-Verticality is essential to the level design.

-The game should be relatively easy to progress, difficult to master

-They Story will be expressed by situation and mood alone. They player will get this context from Ayakage’s mission briefs, which she receives by scrolls that arrive to her base. There will be no voice lines.

-Items and exploration: Explore to find hidden items in the levels.

-RPG and power-up/growth elements: NONE

-Once an enemy knows something is awry, they will not forget.

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ARAGAMI

+ Expands upon the stealth mechanics by incorporating literal traversal through shadows
- Level design is not all that vertical and also very linear. This ruins the open sandbox element and doesn’t give players the option to really strategize their infiltration

- Enemies kill you when spotted.

HITMAN

+ Excellent innovation that encourages player creativity

+ Interesting Level design mechanics, New setting with innovative and dynamic gameplay, Multiple ways to achieve your goal.

- Events/Levels A.I. are totally scripted.

SIMILAR WORKS

ASSASSIN'S CREED

+ Excellent ability sets, traversal and integration into different environments, providing a wide variety of experiences and locations
- No real strategic player driven goals in terms of the stealth gameplay.

- Tries to be everything with overwhelming story elements, as well as the ability to just fight through stages to achieve your goal, making it no longer truly a stealth game

TENCHU

+ The one, true original assassination game.

+ The main inspiration for this game.

- The A.I. is stupid. They forget they are under attack

- Combat and traversal clunky by todays standards.

FREE DEMO!

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Organized by former Team Ninja member Jesse Noble, Psyware Games is a new small scale indie developer whose mission is simple. Make great games with excellency and efficiency. Composed with only veterans of CG, Systems and Game design having shipped multiple AAA tittles, we aim to focus on the most important elements of game design: The Fun.

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