Cornerstone Ideas

• Story driven game with a movie style plot structure, featuring a native American Apache character of Tommy Hawk

• Authentic native American character and elements (dream quests, mystical powers, etc.).  The level of attention should impress actual native Americans.  We need to do our research and be the Saving Private Ryan of video games.  Characters should speak the language, and we should take every opportunity to reveal the heritage that we can.  The Grandfather talking to Tommy is an ideal way to do this.

• Auto adjusting skill levels.  Just did this in Max Payne and we're doing it in DNF as well.  Max worked very well and we never heard any real negativity about it.

• Interactivity.  Everything in the world must be useable or breakable to reward the player for interacting with it.

• USE Key.  There must be a USE key that is context sensitive.  It could be used to open doors, operate machines, and in general interact with the world in any way.

• Medicine Cord.  Tommy's mystical powers via Medicine Cord given to him by his Great Grandfather.

• In head camera.  Above all else, camera for the player must reside mounted in the actual head of the model.  As far as I know, we were the first to do this back in '97 and we can still be the first to do it now.  We got it working very well and was extremely realistic.  The only compromise was doing all of Tommy's character animations properly to look correct from first person and high enough poly and detail, etc.  But it defiantly can and should be done.

• Confidence meter.  (for lack of a better name) should possibly be introduced in some way.  either this meter would be a sort of experience meter that would let you 'level up' giving you max health, defense, and powers, etc.  OR enable it so that with each kill you get, TH passively consumes thier 'soul' and when the meter reaches max, he gains a special power or ability that has a time limit or one time use before the meter will recharge again.  Need to be careful thought because DNF has "Ego" instead of health.  When you get hit, you lose Ego.  When you kill guys you gain various amounts of Ego.

• Gestures.  One defining feature would be to 'draw' simple shapes on screen (in the air) to cast the mystic spells (we actually had this in our docs long before Black and White did this feature).  Tommy Hawk would select his medicine cord (which holds all symbols of his current spells on the model which you see from first person).  selection will be just like selecting a weapon.  Tommy Hawk would hold it in his left hand up for the player to see.  Tommy Hawk's right hand would be out with his hands gesturing in a pointing position.  when you hold down the primary fire button, your mouse look goes away and Tommy Hawk's right hand essentially becomes a pointer on screen (perfect use of using the camera in the head).  the player then 'draws' a symbol on screen (with particles following slightly behind to make out the shape) and when the button is released (and if the symbol was created correctly), the spell will be cast.  all symbols should be very very simple.... circle, single line, wavy line, etc.

• We need a key gameplay element ala Max Payne's Bullet Time that every reviewer will mention.  Something new and never seen before in an FPS.  It only needs to be fresh for an FPS.  Even Bullet Time was seen in games before, but never featured in an entire game.

• Tommy's default weapon, the wrench, will also come in handy during some "fix it up" puzzles and operations.  (NOTE: (George)  I like the idea of using a default weapon as an interaction element later in the game to fix/operate things).

• Socketed Weapons.  Tommy finds crystals clusters in certain areas of the game (probably saurian or insectoid), emitting dynamic light. Tommy can smash them with his wrench or crowbar, and some of the pieces that break off are “prefect crystals” which he can pick up and use as ammunition/energy for his crystal-powered weapon.  (NOTE (George) - This old idea goes hand in hand with what HH wants to do with socketing weapons).

• Evoke Emotion from players.  Scott’s example of evoking emotion: You talk with one of the other Indians, will say Bob, when you are on the Trocaran shuttle—he goes off to do something for you. Once you are on the Trocaran mother ship, you run into him again, he’s in a cell and you talk about getting him out. Later, you come to a place where you can look through a window into an operating room—he’s screaming as he is being dissected. He sees you and screams for your help, but you can’t do anything.

Game feel

The tone and feel of Dark Harvest is that of a serious, dark science fiction game. We want the player to feel on-edge at all times. We also want to make the player feel as if he has been swallowed up in a fast moving, intense and dangerous story.

More than anything else, Dark Harvest will be a visceral game—threatening the player at every turn, creating a frightening mood by architectural design, ambient sound and dynamic game content.

When the player dives into Dark Harvest, he must feel that there is a lot at stake, and that he must act or he will die. There must be a constant pressure on the player to engage the world--to discover, fight, flee and survive. Dark Harvest must deliver that "sphincter-tightening" feel all all times.

The play must be breathless, awe-inspiring and thought provoking. The back of a player's hands should sweat and the player should fear dying. Once the game is completed, the player should feel that the story delivered the depth and satisfaction of a rich science fiction novel.