“Crank the Weasel”

 

 

Health System

Brian Silva

 

Design Overview

Chickens provide Weasel with “life” energy.  Weasel must have at least one chicken in his belly in order to survive.  Weasel’s health is represented by a row of HUD graphics (light bulbs, each with a chicken silhouette).  Whenever Weasel is hurt, he coughs-up a semi-digested chicken.  Weasel must then chase after and catch a regurgitated chicken as it runs around like crazy before exploding.  Each time Weasel is hurt, a light bulb turns off.  Each time Weasel eats a chicken, an “off light bulb” turns back on.  Once Weasel coughs-up all his chickens, he pulls a bucket from his pants and kicks it (dead weasel).

 

Detailed Design

  1. Chickens
    1. Need ability to place chickens in level

                                                               i.      In the open playfield

                                                             ii.      Inside trashcans

    1. “Calm” chickens (unaware of Weasel) will idle in place

                                                               i.      Quietly clucking

    1. Chickens do not regenerate after being eaten or exploding

                                                               i.      Only regenerate upon level reset or re-entry

    1. Chickens run like crazy from a nearby Weasel

                                                               i.      Feathers fly about

                                                             ii.      Chicken chase music plays (attached to chicken)

                                                            iii.      Chicken will squawk while running

                                                            iv.      Chicken will run sooner if Weasel isn’t sneaking (percept radius TBD)

                                                             v.      Chicken won’t run as soon if Weasel is sneaking (percept radius TBD)

                                                            vi.      While running straight ahead, chickens will take a 90° left or right turn every 10 feet (TBD)

o        If chicken runs into a wall, chicken should ricochet off wall and continue running

o        Occasionally, chickens will jump and flap while running (every 3 seconds or so)

o        If chicken falls off of world, chicken is eliminated from playfield

                                                          vii.      Chickens run for 10 seconds (TBD) before exploding

o        “Poof” explosion SFX

o        Particle feather and smoke burst

                                                         viii.      Chicken will explode prematurely if it touches “severe injury” collision

  1. If Weasel catches a chicken, he automatically eats chicken
    1. Simply touching a chicken will cause Weasel to ingest it (no special animation needed)

                                                               i.      Loud squawk SFX

                                                             ii.      Particle feather burst

  1. A set of light bulb HUD graphics will represent the number of chickens Weasel has in his belly
    1. Consumed chickens are represented by illuminated light bulbs with a chicken silhouette
    2. HUD graphic is located in the top left of screen

                                                               i.      Light bulbs slide down onscreen (cascading one after the other) upon starting new level/stage, level reset, injury, eating chicken

o        “Clink” SFX plays for each light bulb coming to rest

    1. At the onset of a new level/stage or reset, the health HUD will slide onscreen

                                                               i.      Light bulbs slide down onscreen (cascading one after the other)

o        “Clink” SFX plays for each light bulb coming to rest

    1. Whenever Weasel coughs-up a chicken (injured), one light bulb will turn off

                                                               i.      HUD graphic immediately slides down and one bulb turns off

o        SFX of light turning off

o        Light bulbs soon slide back up off-screen (after 5 seconds, TBD)

    1. HUD graphic slides onscreen whenever a chicken is consumed

                                                               i.      HUD graphic immediately slides down and one bulb turns on

o        “Bing!” SFX

                                                             ii.      Light bulbs soon slide back up off-screen (after 5 seconds, TBD)

    1. Health HUD remains onscreen if Weasel's belly is near empty (1 chicken left)
  1. 5 chickens fill Weasel's (initial) health meter 100%
    1. If Weasel collides with a chicken while his health is full, the chicken will emit particle feathers

                                                               i.      Chicken will runaway and explode after 10 seconds

  1. Weasel will cough-up one chicken whenever he’s injured
    1. Minor injury causes Weasel to cough-up chicken while standing on the ground

                                                               i.      Gagging/coughing SFX

    1. Severe injury causes Weasel to flip up into the air

                                                               i.      Gagging/coughing SFX

    1. Chicken comes flying out of Weasel’s mouth (specific animation frame)

                                                               i.      Loud chicken squawk

    1. Weasel can chase after and recover dislodged chicken
    2. Dislodged chickens follow same rules as all other “crazy running” chickens (see above)
  1. Weasel's stomach growls when near empty (1 chicken left)
    1. Growl SFX
    2. Squiggly lines emanate from his belly (particle effect)
    3. While idling, Weasel holds his belly and looks weakened
  2. Weasel is killed if injured with only one chicken remaining
    1. Weasel performs appropriate injury animation
    2. Chicken instantly explodes once Weasel coughs it up
    3. Weasel pulls bucket out from his pants, places it on the ground and kicks it

                                                               i.      Metal bucket “clang!” SFX

    1. Weasel immediately falls flat on his back, hat held across his chest and kicks his legs straight up into the air

                                                               i.      Burst of dust

                                                             ii.      Whistling or whooshing SFX as Weasel falls backwards

                                                            iii.      Bodily impact with ground SFX

                                                            iv.      Stiffening board SFX

  1. “W” wipe out of scene
    1. “W” zeroes-in on Weasel

 

Design Outcome

·         Intended to encourage the player to consider the consequences of their actions before rushing headlong into danger

 

Entertainment Factor

·         Adds a much-needed sense of danger and risk-factor to gameplay

·         Fun to chase after chickens

·        Creates a secondary goal of managing Weasel’s health

 

Meshes

·         A chicken

·         A bucket

·         A trashcan

 

Terrains

·         A variety of chicken start locations per playfield

o        Free roaming

o        Trashcan

·         Health system and all it’s components are globally used in all levels

 

Textures

·         Chicken

·         Bucket

·         Trashcan

·         Chicken Light Bulb ON

·         Chicken Light Bulb OFF

 

Animations

1.       Weasel

a.       Minor Injury

                                                                           i.      Stationary on ground

                                                                         ii.      Coughing-up chicken (short, 1 sec)

b.       Severe Injury

                                                                           i.      Flip up into air

                                                                         ii.      Land flat on back

                                                                        iii.      Recover and jump back onto feet again

o        1 ½ seconds total time from landing on back to jumping onto feet again

c.       Death

                                                                           i.      Clutch throat while sailing directly upward

o        Coughing-up chicken in the process

                                                                         ii.      Land shakily on feet

                                                                        iii.      Reach into pants and pull out bucket

o        Raise bucket up high (for one beat)

                                                                        iv.      Place bucket on ground directly in front of Weasel

                                                                         v.      Kick bucket

1.       Bucket tumbles almost straight up and back down again

                                                                        vi.      Weasel immediately falls flat on his back

1.       Hat held across his chest and

                                                                      vii.      Kicks his legs straight up into the air

d.       Hungry Idle (holding belly, looking weak and hungered)

2.       Chicken

a.       Idle

                                                                           i.      Pecking at ground

                                                                         ii.      Scratching at ground

b.       Running

                                                                           i.      Panicked, crazed,

c.       Jump

                                                                           i.      Short leap while running

                                                                         ii.      Wings flapping

d.       Launched through air (kicked from trashcan or coughed-up)

                                                                           i.      Wings flapping

3.       Bucket

a.       Tumbling up into air and back downward

b.       Landing on ground

c.       Quickly coming to rest

4.       Trashcan

a.       Tumbling up into air and back downward

b.       Landing on ground

c.       Quickly coming to rest

 

Particles and Effects

·         Explosion of feathers and smoke

·         Feathers being tossed outward

·         Feathers floating downward

·         Explosion of smoke and debris (trashcan)

·         Burst of dust (Weasel impacting with ground)

 

Sounds

·         Quiet chicken clucking

·         Chicken chase music plays (10 seconds, something like “Turkey in the Straw”)

·         Panicky chicken clucks and squawks

·         Soft “poof” explosion (exploding chicken)

·         Loud chicken squawk

·         Glass “clink” (like light bulbs clinking together)

·         Light turning off (pull-chain)

·         “Bing!” (as in: “correct answer!”)

·         Gagging/coughing (one single gag, 1 sec)

·         Stomach growls

·         Kicked metal bucket “clang”

·         Metal bucket landing on hard ground

·         Short whistling or whooshing (Weasel fainting backwards)

·         Bodily impact with ground

·        Stiffening board (1 sec)

 

Tunable Variables and Parameters

·         Chicken’s perception of Weasel

o        While Weasel is sneaking

o        While Weasel is traveling faster than sneak

·         Chicken’s max run speed

·         Time before running chicken explodes

 

References

·         Trashcans

·         Screen Wipes

Health example 1

 

Health example 2

 

Health example 3

Health example 4