Ported GDD to website and edited it.

Author: codercommand

content/arcade blog/arcade GDD.md

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+title = 'Arcade GDD'
+date = 2023-09-01
+draft = false
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+
+Copyright, Rian Rutherford, 2024, All rights reserved.
+
+![Image](gavin-rothery-concept-piece-1-energy-landed-group-closed-v010.jpg)
+> ^ Concept art by Gavin Rothery [source](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/bKXE2G).
+
+# Background
+
+This game was inspired from [Demise]({{< ref "demise" >}}), which you can read about in [Origin of Arcade]({{< ref "origin of arcade" >}}).
+
+
+
+# Concept & Gameplay
+
+You pilot an agile spaceship in 3D person that flies like an RC drone. You fight in a platoon of three people against two other platoons (3v3v3), using different homing and lock on projectiles, or weapons, to shoot down opponents in chaotic fights with lots of explosions.
+
+
+
+# Design Philosophy
+
+1. Gameplay should feel arcade like in the sense of quick & short action.
+2. Simple controls, even someone who doesn't play games should be able to play too.
+3. Weapns should use lock on or homing mechanics.
+4. Projectiles can't be fast. They need to be faster than player movement to kill players, but slow enough that you can react in some way.
+5. Everything should be clearly telegraphed and give the player time to react or process, this includes a death they cannot escape. Death isn't fun when it's instant, but it funny when you are given the freedom to observe and/or move about without being able to affect the outcome.
+6. The player should spend as little time dead as possible. Death timers should not be more than 5 seconds probably. _This is dependant on many factors and isn't a hard rule._
+7. Target gameplay duration of a match should be approximately 10 minutes.
+
+
+
+# Target Platforms
+
+1. Windows
+2. Linux
+3. PS4
+4. PS5
+5. Xbox
+6. Steam Deck
+7. Switch (Not required, but preferrable if possible)
+
+
+
+# Tech Stack & Implementation
+
+1. Client/Game Engine - https://heaps.io/
+2. Server - made using [Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org/) with minimal dependencies.
+3. No physics engine/runtimes will be used on the server or client.
+4. Server authoritative gameplay.
+
+
+
+# Game Mechanics & Features
+
+##### Dual Piloting
+
+When testing [Demise]({{< ref "demise" >}}) at the Falmouth Games Expo, I found parents would sometimes dual pilot. One person might control when to shoot, and the other would control movement. I believe this could be made an interesting game mechanic.
+
+This mechanic would work in the same way as having two TV remotes and fighting over which channel to watch with your sibling. Both players have full controls and could control the spaceship solo, but they're also able to work together and delegate between them who's controlling what.
+
+_The implementation would likely work by allowing two people to use input from different controllers if they're playing from the same device. Getting this to work for two players connected over the internet would have to be experimented with. If the game doesn't do movement prediction and all movement is calculated on the server, then this would be really easy to do for players connected over the internet too._
+
+
+##### Omnidirectional Movement
+
+Spaceships should be able to move in all directions including backwards just like with quadcopter drones. Different spaceships will be better at moving in certain directions, certain atmospheres, etc... This does not mean you can't move in a certain direction, but your spaceship and environment will affect movement speed or drift in certain directiosn, etc... 
+
+
+##### Physics Inspired Movement
+
+Spaceships should have their movement based on multiple variable like velocity, acceleration, air friction, etc... There should be different spaceships with different configurations so they have advantages and disadvantages based on play style, map, or location in the map.
+
+
+##### Counter Measures
+
+You should be able to shoot down/destroy other projectiles, including your own and your teammate's with your projectiles. When this happens an explosion or other VFX should happen.
+
+
+##### Loadouts
+
+Unique combinations of projectiles can be used. Spaceships will have a carrying capacity, and they can select which guns, missiles, etc... they want to carry. When selecting a missile type, gun, etc... they can choose how the ammo capacity for the individual guns/missiles are divided up.
+
+For example a player could do: 10 Standard Missiles, or x4 Standard Missiles & x2 Micro Nuke Missiles.
+
+_Note - the player's loadout won't change during gametime unless it is a mechanic that's part of the gamemode._
+
+
+##### Limited Ammo
+
+All ammunitions are limited, and you must collect more from points of interest on the map. This allows for resource management and planning of flight paths by the player.
+
+When spawning the player should have an estimated 1/3 their maximum capacity of ammo. This allows for the player to be effective, but also rewards players who stay alive longer and control points of interest on the map to have an ammunition advantage.
+
+Collecting more ammo will likely be done via some sort of pickup, this is because it creates an opening of vunerability when a player has to fly a predictable path, making them an easy target for other players.
+
+
+
+# Graphics & Aesthetic
+
+Undecided and requires experimentation, one option is the stylized high definition inspired route. Could be low-poly, high definition, etc... The map would be a mix of realism and arcade/arena with holographics for ammo top ups and other objectives.
+
+The game should target laptop hardware to make it widely accessible.
+
+(This subject should be expanded, or an art bible created, when there is a better idea of art direction.)
+
+
+##### User Interface
+
+The game should reduce UI as much as possible, and only use it where needed and keep it simple. The player HUD when piloting a spaceship should also be simple/basic.
+
+
+##### Default Spaceship Design
+
+I think this shapeship shape/silhouette would be cool for the base/default spaceship in the game:
+![Image](gavin-rothery-concept-piece-1-energy-landed-group-closed-v010.jpg)
+![Image](gavin-rothery-concept-piece-8-colour-schemes-black-v006.jpg)
+> Images from [Crusader Ares Starfighter concept for Star Citizen.](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/bKXE2G)
+
+##### Eye Thrusters
+
+Because the spaceships are omnidirectional, they should have 8 or more steering thrusters that look like eyes. These thrusters can pivot inside their sockets based on the direction the player is moving.
+
+Example image of a spaceship from the side. As you can see it has eye thrusters that are turning backward to help with going forward. If the player was trying to slow down, then they would face forward.
+
+![Image](rocket_graphic.png)
+
+
+
+# Gamemodes
+
+1. 3v3v3 - player vs player.
+2. Free for all, 4-8 players all kill each other without teams.
+
+Friendly fire should be a toggleable option for matches, and 3v3v3 is the primary/core game mode.
+
+
+
+# Lore/Story
+
+Nothing planned atm, and doesn't matter for now because the plot is not the game hook.
+
+
+
+# Target Audience & Other
+
+(research needed)
+
+Probably want the game price range to be somewhere between £5 to £15. My game might be slightly more expensive than other indie games with this same amount of content because this game has server costs. The game will need to keep servers running for a few years with one time purchases.
+
+Also intend on releasing a game demo. The demo will have 1 spaceship and 1 or 2 weapons along with access to the base gamemode (3v3v3). Players will not be able to unlock anything or have a time limit when playing on the demo.
+
+
+
+# Purchasables
+
+There is no intention for conventional micro transations, but it might be worth giving players the option to upload custom skins for their spaceships for a fee or subscription. The biggest problem with this would probably be moderation of custom skins. Then again this can probably be done for free with no server costs, so I'm unsure.
+
+---
+
+<br>
+<br>
+<br>
+
+# GDD Extended
+
+Everything from this point on is extra information that doesn't have to be in the GDD, but I want it here anyway.
+
+
+### Weapons Ideas
+
+All most projectiles should be slow enough that a player has enough time to react, turn 180 degrees, and shoot it down with another projectile.
+
+
+##### Standard Missile
+
+Scans for a target and chases the closest target. This includes other missiles, not just spaceships. The missile does medium damage to the target it hits. This missile does not have AOE damage.
+
+
+##### Micro Nuke Missile
+
+Scans for a target and chases the closest target. This includes other missiles, not just spaceships. The missile explodes in an AOE when destroyed by another missile, reaches the end of its life, or hits a target. The missile does huge damage to everything in an AOE. The missile is slower than most others.
+
+
+##### Triple Missile
+
+You shoot a missile that breaks into 3 smaller missiles, each doing 1/3 the damage of a standard missile. The missile and smaller missiles have the same behavior as the _Standard Missile_.
+
+
+##### Cloud Rocket
+
+A missile that shoots in a straight line, if it detects a missile in it’s range it will explode creating a smokescreen This smoke screen stops missiles from tracking their target while inside the smoke. Missiles in the smoke tranvel straight till they leave.
+
+
+##### Rocket Barrage
+
+The player can shoot lots of small rockets like a machine gun or rocket pod. These rockets have poor turning making them bad at hitting targets suddenly changing directions. 
+
+{{< youtube N4JhkjtCnVQ >}}
+
+
+##### Gravity Void Missile
+
+A missile that creates a gravity void sphere (like a black hole) when it’s near an enemy spaceship or missile. It lingers in the area for a long period of time, and pulls stuff towards it. It does not cause damage to anything it pulls in. The gravity void is intended as a type of crowd control ability and large AOE map control ability.
+
+
+
+### Level & Environment Design Ideas
+
+##### Moving City/Moving Ground
+
+When close to the ground as you move above it, structures will appear out from the ground in front of you and disappear again behind you.
+
+Specifically the structures will achieve this by moving up and staying out fully extended a second or two before the player moves past them, then will move back down into the ground.
+
+One variant idea of who this moving ground could be as you fly over a desert, the sand jumps to form pillars or other shapes when you’re near the ground. The plot/logical reasoning is because the sound bounces from the acoustic sound of the spaceship, example:
+
+{{< youtube Q3oItpVa9fs >}}
+
+
+##### Multi Atmosphere
+
+Levels can have multiple atmospheres with different amounts of air friction/air density.
+
+1. Space no friction
+2. High altitude low friction
+3. Low altitude high friction
+4. Water/Other extreme friction
+
+The friction in the air could also scale with a gradient or use a curve graph to have a wide array of frictions at different altitudes scaling differently.
+
+
+##### Fog Level
+
+Foggy level where fights look like lots of small dots flashing in a cloud.