As we only have a few months to complete this project, its important to know what we will prioritise and realize what we can realistically complete in this time frame.

One resource I used to help with this is looking at previous WSA Final Major Projects at WSAGames.com.

Priority Content

Things that will be in the game, non-negotiable.

Dynamic Player and Platformer Mechanics

Platformer Islands

There will be at least 3 Islands that must be completed with platforming to beat the game. Depending on how development goes, we can add more islands which provides more potential for unlocking more movement abilities:

1. Starter island, this is where the player character wakes up after being saved by a stranger from a storm
   • Acts as a tutorial as the player learns the controls to platform from the starting area to the village (A hub area for the game)
   • The player will unlock their first ability once they arrive at the village
2. The first island the player gets to using astronavigation
   • This island will have at least 3 ‘rooms’ (Essentially smaller levels within the island) before getting retrieving a piece of their magical fishing hook
   • Once the player returns to the village, they use this piece to slightly repair their fishing hook, unlocking a new movement ability
   • This movement ability will allow them to access a new area of the hub island that will tell the player how to access the next island
3. The ‘final’ island where the player retrieves the last piece of the fish hook
   • When they return to the village, they can fix their fish hook completely (The game ends here with a cutscene
4. If we think we can fit more levels in, they will go in between islands 2 and 3 (The bullet points above)

Phase 3 – Star Game Prototype 2

Astronavigation

These are puzzle sections between islands where the player looks around and decides where they go, doing this successfully will get them to the next island.
The player will learn how to use the stars to navigate by:

• Listening to NPCs around the village
  • Songs, Chants, Stories etc.
• Talking to NPCs around the village
• Finding scrolls with information on them
• Possibly talking to gods themselves

Week 12 – Star Navigation Prototype

Cuttable Content

Stuff secondary to the priority content, stuff we still really want in the game. But can also be removed if neccessary.

Narrative Sections

There will be two cutscenes in the game, [Outlined in this post] one at the very beginning (Explaining the player character’s current situation) and one at the very end (Seeing off the player character as they have fixed their magical fish hook):

1. Cutscene 1 at the very beginning of the game
   • The player character gets washed up on a beach during a storm
   • They are saved by a stranger who knows of their ‘secret identity’
   • When the player character wakes up, the stranger tells them that strange things have been happening to the neighbouring islands (Because the magical fish hook’s pieces have influenced them) and tells the player character that what they seek is on those islands
   • They tell the player to go to the Village on the other side of the island
2. Cutscene 2 at the end of the game
   • The player character’s magical fish hook is completely fixed
   • They thank the stranger for their help
   • They sail off

Additional Content

Stuff that has been brainstormed and thought about implementing, but isn’t important enough to be prioritised.

1. Additional Islands
   • As there are 7 player movement mechanics [Scroll up] there could be more islands to introduce more of these mechanics gradually
2. Collectables/Artefacts [In this post]
   • Artefacts that could teach the player more about Polynesian culture
   • Collectable secrets that could be found in platforming sections (Like the strawberries in Celeste)
3. More NPC Interactions