Full Sail University 1

Design and Development Analysis by Devin King

Gameplay Pitch

Introduction
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an action adventure video game released by
Bethesda Studios for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. The elder scrolls,
also coined Skyrim for short, are the fifth installment in the Elder Scrolls
series and featured sandbox style gameplay like its predecessor, The Elder
Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The audiences for this pitch are people who are fans of
Skyrim, the Bethesda development team, personal friends, instructors of the
Game Design program at Full Sail University, and my fellow peers.

You play as a legendary dragonborn set in a tundra country called Skyrim

where a civil war between the Empire and the countries natives the
Stormcloaks has recently started. While waiting to be beheaded by the
Empire for conspiracy and treason, the ritual is interrupted by the
appearance of a dragon, believed to be extinct. From there the game begins
and the player is off to the races.

The Current Problem

A problem with Skyrim is its limited functionality and gameplay with the
famous dragons. When the player approaches a dragon segment of the
game, they are limited to only fighting the dragon with, swords, maces,
daggers, spells, axes, bows, shouts, and crossbows. The experience is fun for
the player at first, but later becomes repetitive, inconvenient, or to a certain
degree annoying. The dragons set on a timer, arrive and prevent any
progression of the story, quest, or desired task the player has set out to do.
Once a dragon arrives it must be fought and slain or the player must fall in
order to leave the event. To solve this problem and others not yet stated, a
new design element is needed.

Solution
Dragon companions are a design element that features new and exciting
experiences to players and fans everywhere. When the player fights a
dragon and defeats it, the player is confronted with dialog from the dragon
giving the choices of absorbing its soul or keeping it as a companion or
follower. If the player chooses to spare the dragon and have it as a
companion or follower a new array of systems become available. The first
Full Sail University 2
Design and Development Analysis by Devin King

time a player does this the dragon will start dialect with the player informing
them of their new abilities and uses with dragon companions.

Implementation
When the player interacts with the dragon using the action button, in the
case for PC its the E key, the player will mount up upon the dragons back
and a small animation sequence begins showing the dragon taking flight
from the ground. The player will have the ability of flight with their dragon
companion as another dialect from the dragon starts informing the player of
in flight controls. The player can fly about anywhere in Skyrim, with the
exception of walled cities, land to mount off, stand on top the dragon to cast
spells or shoot arrows (once the player has acquired the perk), command the
dragon to cast its breath (fire, Ice, lightning, and plague), speed up, slow
down, engage in surface attacks, or engage in aerial combat against other
dragons. In addition to flight the player will unlock new skill trees for flight
and dragon abilities as well as a new shout to call upon the dragon for
summoning or to dismiss the dragon to be called upon later.

Conclusion
The dragon companions design element will bring new experiences to
Skyrim granting better immersion with dragons, replay ability for the general
player base, and inspire creative minds around the world. In addition to the
previously stated, dragon companions will be the foundation for future
content and expansions involving the new design element.