The Game Design Specification for The Soprants

Part 1. The Design 

The game's genre and key features
    Adventure game with an real ants perspective based on a 3D rendering engine.

A short description of the experience you want to give to the player
    A mafia story in underground world (but no guns, no cars, or no money).

What kind of look-and-feel do you want?
    Ant state (interactive part) – realistic ant looking and insect behavior
    Soprant state (cinematic part)  - stylized mafia character looking and human behavior 

How will you structure the game?
    Different Missions in different stages.
	1st stage – exploring the nest and figuring out which room you must hook wire up.
	2nd stage – helping the foraging job with other ants and spying their secret act.
	3rd stage – (in progress) final mission for preparing the battle between two mafias. 

Will you need an engine or a tool?

• Blender for prototyping interactive parts

• Maya for 3D animation and rendering cut-scenes.
  

Will you acquire a license to some well-established intellectual property, or create your own?
    Inspired by The Sopranos, but not necessary to acquire the license to use for educational purose.

What platform(s) will you develop for?
    Prototype works on Blender, which runs on Windows/Linux/Mac OSX.

*Background story (include storyboard for the game's intro cut-scene)
  The relationship between two mafia ants.
  The mafia family – the boss, the soldiers, and the workers.
  The ant's business – foraging, cutting lead and growing fungus.

*Cast of characters.
  You – spying in the red ants' nest.
  Your agent – watching you to support your missions.
  Ant workers – working in/out of the nest.
  Ant soldiers – mainly protecting the nest and sometimes work with the workers.
  Ant queen – the boss of the red ants.

*List of the game's environments and the missions taking place in each.
  In progress



(Game Design Process)

Part 2. The Product 

A list of the animations, 3D models, textures and other graphics which need to be produced
(In progress)

A list of the algorithms which must be developed to implement/upgrade the game engine

•   Preprocessed game environment objects – polygon geometry from the real ant nest.

•   Ant's behavior AI – a pheromone based ant foraging simulation. 

(Maybe in consideration)

• Sample background music.

• The soundtrack for the game trailer (a montage from the game interactive/cut-scenes)

Part 3 The Graphics

*Style sheets and color schemes (i.e., pantone) for your characters and monsters. 

*Style sheets for the major objects, vehicles and props.

*Maps of the levels and environments.

*Background drawings.

*A storyboard for the intro and for any other cut-scenes/animation sequences in the product.


Part 4 The Screenplay

• Non-linear flowchart for the 1st and the 2nd stage.

• Some sample scenario for cut-scenes in the stages.