#047 GAD BA6: Mini-Design Document

Bot Battles - Mini-Design Document

1.0 Contents:
2.0 Game Overview:
3.0 Setting:
4.0 Narrative:
5.0 Gameplay:
5.1 Playing Styles:
5.2 USP:
5.3 Objectives:
5.4 Target Market:
5.5 Project Scope:
5.6 Character Progression and Customization:
5.7 Controls:
5.8 Interface:
6.0 Platform:
7.0 Game Word:
7.1 Map:
7.2 Environment and Assets:
8.0 Advanced Gameplay:
8.1 Customization:
8.2 Attack List:
8.3 Health & Repairs:
8.4 Power Ups:
8.5 Robot Statistics:
8.6 Weapons and Statistics:
8.7 Experience Points:
8.8 Ingame Credits:8.9 Microtransactions:


2.0 Game Overview:
Bot Battles is a medium paced beat em up/tactical game for the mobile handset platform, inspired by the television show Robot Wars. Players build and customise robots in a variety of ways, upgrading and adding weapon to build the ultimate fighting robot. Players are pitted against each other in an online game, where the object is to destroy your opponent as quickly as possible while sustaining the least damage.


3.0 Setting:
The game takes place inside an arena, full of hazards that can be used to the players advantage such as flame pits and pneumatic flippers. Placed on top of a run down building, the arena provides many strategic places for players to push their opponent off the edge, performing an instant kill.


4.0 Narrative:
Bot Battles is a TV show that is hosted world wide. Players come to show off their fighting machines and do battle to be known as the best robotic battler. No reward is given, as the knowledge of knowing that you are the best is more than enough.

5.0 Gameplay: 

5.1 Playing Styles: 
The play style is completely down to the player, whether they rush into combat to overwhelm their opponent or instantly run to perform guerrilla attacks. Customisation allows the player to tailor their robot to suit their needs/play style, finding a balance between speed, damage and nimbleness.

5.2 USP: 
As mobile handset devices get more powerful, it opens up a new window of gaming platforms. From an early stage mobile phones had games on them, starting with tetris, up till now when A and AA games are available to play on your mobile phone. Bot Battles aims at the higher end of A to the medium end of AA titles, providing users with a visually appealing and highly interactive game. The user downloads the app and can instantly begin battling their bot online with another player, earning points and experience to better themselves in the world of Bot Battles.

5.3 Objectives:
The overall objective is pretty simple, defeat the enemy bot in battle. To do so you will undoubtedly need to upgrade and customise your robot to turn it into the ultimate bot fighter.

5.4 Target Market:
As the game depicts no gore or violence against sentient beings, it is suitable for any player to play. There is no minimum or maximum age, but of course it will appeal to a certain age range of approximately 10-25 years old. There is no verbal interaction with other players, avoiding the issues of offencive language and online predators.

5.5 Project Scope: The features and characteristics of the project will make the game a unique and new experience for the players. Currently, there are no robot wars styled games available on the android and iOS app market, whether they be 2D, 3D or online. The introduction of such a game would be a new style of game to the market.

5.6 Character Progression and Customisation: 

5.7 Controls: 
The controls will be comprised of a digital joystick, displayed at the bottom left side of the screen and 2 buttons placed for weapons on the bottom right of the screen. Players control the direction and movement of the robot with the joystick and activate the weapons with the two buttons. Depending on the weapon, the buttons will have a cool down period.

5.8 Interface and UI:

The interface will be simple but informative. The controls are placed at the bottom of the screen, accompanied by a circular radar at the top left/right (depending on the players choice) and an ammunition bar (if required) in the center at the top. The style of the interface/ui will be consistent with the style of the game, metal with a few bright colours and typical RC control layout.

The radar will display the enemy robots location when they have caused damage to you, and continues to be displayed for 5 seconds. The duration that the player sees the enemy for can be increase by upgrading.


6.0 Platform:
The platform is key to the success of this game, produced as a Android/iOS game for handheld devices, the complexity of the game models and ease of the controls are vital. Controls must be easy to use as well as being placed in an area of the screen that does not block the actual game itself. Models must be low poly, within a predetermined poly budget and textured by visually full but small texture map.


7.0 Game Word:
7.1 Map: 
The map is of a simple design, mixing a blend of hazards, safe spots, and structures to break line of sight. Based on the top of an abandoned building, populated with a few rooftop structures and textured with realistic textures.

7.2 Environment and Assets: 

The rooftop itself is flat, with partial walls around the edges allowing gaps for players to push each other off of. Amongst the flat rooftop there are fire and drop pits, placed to assist the players in winning their battle. There is also a slalom course styled spike area, designed to allow players a quick escape at the sacrifice of some damage to their bot, or a way to lure their enemies into a painful encounter. The last danger is comprised of a pneumatic flipper, placed at the edge of the roof to flip unwary bots off of the roof. Not everything is there to damage the player though, there are power up spawn points, which spawn 3 different power ups (see Power Up section).


8.0 Advanced Gameplay:
8.1 Customisation: 
Bots can be customised in a variety of ways both to suit the players game style and desired aesthetic. There are multiple weapons mounted at both the front and top of the bot, with a possible expansion of rear mounted weapons. Each weapon can be further upgraded to be more effective in battle whether is be power, range, speed or ammunition.

8.2 Attack List:
The attack list is simply comprised of two buttons (possibly 3 with the addition of rear weapons). They are placed at the bottom right of the screen, styled after RC Controller buttons. Each button will operate the corresponding weapon such as front mounted weapons or top mounted weapons.

8.3 Health & Repairs:
Bots start off with 100 health points, which can be upgraded later to 150 and 200. During a battle the bots will inevitably take damage, which can be left to repair over time (1 health point per second) or can be repaired instantly at a cost of in game credits (1 health point per credit).

8.4 Power Ups:
Within the arena there are several power up spawn points, these points will spawn power-up boxes that can be used to the players advantage. There are only 3 power up boxes at any given time, so some spawn points might be empty while others are not. There is a health power up, that repairs the players bot by 30 health points. There is a ammunition power up, the replenishes 50% of the players ammunition (if required), and there is a credits power up, that gives the player a 250 credit award.

8.5 Robot Statistics:

Component:	Tier 1:	Tier 2:	Tier 3:
Battery	100% Speed	125% Speed	150% Speed
Armor	100 Health Points	150 Health Points	200 Health Points
Wheels/Tracks	100% Tracktion	125% Tracktion	150% Tracktion
Motor	100% Power	125% Power	150% Power
Radar	5 Seconds	10 Seconds	15 Seconds

8.6 Weapons and Statistics: 

Weapon:	Tier 1:	Tier 2:	Tier 3:
Pneumatic Spike (lvl 1)	5 Damage	6 Damage	7 Damage
Spiked Drum (lvl 5)	5 Damage/ps	6 Damage/ps	7 Damage/ps
Shunt (lvl 10)	+10% Tracktion/Power	+15% Tracktion/Power	+20% Tracktion/Power
Circular Blade (lvl 15)	7 Damage/ps	8 Damage/ps	9 Damage/ps
Chain Saw (lvl 20)	9 Damage/ps	11 Damage/ps	12 Damage/ps
Chain Gun (1)	14 Damage/ps	16 Damage/ps	18 Damage/ps
Flame Thrower (lvl 15)	16 Damage/ps	18 Damage/ps	20 Damage/ps
Rockets (lvl 30)	2 Rockets ~ 10 Damage Each	4 Rockets ~ 10 Damage Each	6 Rockets ~ 10 Damage Each

8.7 Experience Points & Levels:
Experience points are earned by winning and even losing battles. Below is a chart showing how experience points are earned.

Objective:	Point Earned:
Win a battle	100 Points
Lose a battle	20 Points
Win a battle in less than 100 seconds	1 Pointer per second under 100 seconds.

Earning experience levels up your robot, allowing you to buy stronger and more powerful weapons. Below is a chart of the experience required per level:

Level:	Points Required:
2	500
3	1100
4	1800
5	2600
6	3500
7	4500
8	5600
9	6800
10	8100
11	9500
12	11000
13	12600
14	14300
15	16100
16	18000
17	20000
18	22100
19	24300
20	26600
21	29000
22	31500
23	34100
24	36800
25	39600
26	42500
27	45500
28	48600
29	51800
30	55100

8.8 Ingame Credits:
Credits are earned, just like experience, by winning and even losing battles. Below is a chart showing how experience points are earned.

Objective:	Point Earned:
Win a battle	100 Points
Lose a battle	20 Points
Win a battle in less than 100 seconds	1 Pointer per second under 100 seconds.

Credits can be used to buy and upgrade weapons, as well as your robot. As the player progress through the game, they will be pitted against strong opponents. Upgrading their robots is essential, or they will inevitably be defeated.

Below is a cost for buying and upgrading weapons and robots.

Weapon/Robot	Tier 1 Cost	Tier 2 Cost	Tier 3 Cost
Pneumatic Spike (lvl 1)	N/A	1000	2000
Spiked Drum (lvl 5)	1,000	2000	4000
Shunt (lvl 10)	2000	4000	8000
Circular Blade (lvl 15)	3000	6000	12000
Chain Saw (lvl 20)	4000	8000	16000
Chain Gun (1)	2500	5000	10000
Flame Thrower (lvl 15)	5000	10000	20000
Rockets (lvl 30)	7500	15000	30000
Battery	N/A	5000	15000
Armor	N/A	6000	18000
Wheels/Tracks	N/A	10000	30000
Motor	N/A	15000	45000

8.9 Microtransactions:
With most game apps, there are microtransactions that allow the user to purchase in-game items or currency. While the initial design will not include microtransactions, it is possible to implement them at a later stage. Players would be able to purchase experience points, credits, and even weapons for a small charge.