Game Design Document (First Draft)

Codename: Shipyard Shenanigans

Team: BluePrint Productions
Age Rating: 11+
Virtual Reality, physics-based crane game.
Unreal 4, 3DS Max, Maya, Mudbox, Adobe Photoshop

Storyline Introduction / Basic Gist

As the player, you will be working in the busiest dock in the world. Take control of
J-Dawg who has recently been promoted to crane operations manager. It is his
first day on his new position and must gain respect with his boss. It is vital that
he makes the day go smoothly as time is money.
With a blatant disregard for the safety of our co-workers, J-Dawg has one job!
STACK CRATES!

Our Vision
Our vision is for our game to be aesthetically appealing to the eye. Since our
project surrounds VR we want it to be all about the experience. We want to keep
Game Feel high and to introduce the player to an open simulated functional
dock.
There will be no HUD for our game, instead the player will start inside the cockpit
of the crane itself. The player will be sleeping, to wake the player up you must
wiggle the joystick. When the player wakes he will be in a beautifully textured
cockpit which is cluttered with assets including joysticks, TV's, mileage counters,
radios, notice boards, cans and bottles.
Overlooking the player will be the dock. In plain view of incoming boats which
the player must stack via the incoming side controller cranes. Lorries will bring
shipping containers into the dock, the side controller cranes will then
automatically move the shipping crates into the playable area. The player must
then use a joystick to control the main crane to move the crates from the loading
bays onto the boats.
The player will gain Points (see Points System section) for each different
Setdown they achieve. The points will be awarded as dollar icons on a mileage
counter which the player can physically see within the cockpit.
Notice boards will indicate what is going on to the player along with showing
them the controls. A number of televisions will also be visible which will show
different camera angles of the dock. These different angles will be helpful for the
player to see things that are outside of the First Person Virtual Reality view such

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Game Design Document (First Draft)

as seeing exactly what height the clamp is at and how many shipping containers
they have sitting in their loading bay.

The team + Positions

Our team consists of seven members, three artists, three programmers and one
GDPM student.
Artists
Callum Rennet
Matt McEwan
Ross Philip

Programmers
Alex Levick
Philip Wilson
Jolyon Stone

GDPM
Daryl Shields

Control
The player will be in control of a large crane. The crane will be capable of moving
from left to right along with moving a clamp up and down. The player will also be
able to increase and decrease the height of the clamp in order to pick up
shipping containers and move them where indicated.
Joystick Controls:

Controls clamp:
Up & Down
Joystick Controller

Up

Left

Right

Crane Movement:
Left & Right

Down
5 Main Buttons:
Button 1: To Increase the clamp height.
Button 2: To Decrease the clamp height.

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Game Design Document (First Draft)

Button 3: Attach / Detach shipping container.
Button 4: Look at / Zoom in to Television's.
Button 5: Send ship on early.

Possible Win / Lose Scenarios

Win Conditions
Points System
Completing the level
When the day is complete

Lose Conditions
Player will lose if they crash too many
ships
If players points reach -100

We want to define the game as more of an experience compared to a solidified

win or lose game. If the player loses we still want them to have fun doing it. [This
section will change throughout development].
HUD
There will be no visual overlay HUD in Shipyard Shenanigans; player will start
within the cockpit of the crane.

TV Screens will be mounted to show player alternative views. (Positioning

of crane clamp, positioning of boats etc.).
A mileage counter will be visible where the player earns dollars for
Setdowns.
A number of LED lights. (which light up and buzz when a boat is incoming).

Game Mechanics / Event Timeline

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Game Starts (Player is in Cockpit + Can see boat and Dock).

Boat Spawns (End of Map on Water).
Boat moves (While Floating) to dock. [10 Seconds?]
Boat Stops Moving (Still Floating up and down gently). [Stays at dock for
1 minute]
Player loads boat with crane.
Next Boat Spawns + Moves towards dock. [Same amount of time as
before, while floating].
First boat moves out of dock and away from view behind the main crane.
[Player gains dollars for loading boat].
Player starts loading second boat.

[TIMELINE WILL CHANGE MAJORLY THROUGHOUT DEVELOPMENT}

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Game Design Document (First Draft)

Boat Types
1. Small boats = 1 Minute of loading.
2. Larger boats = 2-3 Minutes of loading [Larger boats already have
shipping containers; player must place containers in correct spaces].
Points System
Points will be awarded to the player via a mileage counter above the players
head inside the crane cockpit. Points will be converted to money and are
awarded for different setdowns. Setdowns are determined by how well the
player places each shipping container onto the boat. For example, how straight
the container sits on the boat, what height it was dropped from, how well it fits in
compared to already existing containers.
Setdown = When the player places a container onto the boat.
Clean Setdown = When the player places a container in the correct position.
Points awarded= $5.
Sketchy Setdown = When the player places a container close to the correct
position. Points awarded = $2.
Failed Setdown = When the player fails to place the container correctly: = $1. [Minus 1 dollar]
(Failed Setdown comes from many different outcomes, such as:

Player dropped it from too high a height.

Not set on correct space.
Crate fell into the water.
Wrong boat).

Scripted Events / Animations

Once game starts, Lorries drop off containers into main DUMP.
Alternative crane moves crates from DUMP to side cranes.
Side controller cranes move crates into Loading Bay [playable area].
(Where the player can reach with the crane).
Side controller cranes run on tracks which allow them to move a certain
distance along with being able to clamp objects.

Minimum Viable Product

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At the end of our deadline the minimum we will deliver will be a full working
prototype to which:

Has a fully simulated and functional dock.

The player will be able to fully control their crane.
At least 10-15 minutes of game play.
A complete lit and aesthetic looking world.
Maximum Viable Product

At the end of our deadline the maximum we are hoping to deliver will be a full
working prototype which:

A smooth fully simulated dock to which the player has as much

functionality as possible.
At least 20 minutes of GOOD & FUN gaming.
A revised bug free prototype.

NOTES: NON FINISHED STATEMENTS:

We are wanting to keep the game as fun as possible and have interpreted "a
blatant disregard for the safety of our co-workers" into being able

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