Fairy Sorcerers: Taboo's Quest(working title)

Just writing up a game document on a game I'm currently trying to create in order to get a better idea for game creation and work on my programming abilities.

Game Name: Fairy Sorcerers: Taboo's Quest
Group: Chris Dunson(Programmer/Designer/Animator/QA Testing), Gypsy Dunson(Artist), and Breanna Loree(Composer/Sound Design).
Date: 05/17/09

Game Concept
Fairy Sorcerers: Taboo's Quest is the first in a series of games exploring the intertwining fate of four unique magic users. This game centers on the adventure of Taboo, a young druid girl, before she meets her future allies. The evil Dark Magician has sent his minions to capture Taboo's staff, because without it she can not use her most of her magic and therefor poses no threat. Unfortunately for him Taboo is craftier then she appears.

This game is a 2D side scrolling platform game. The player must control Taboo and use her shape shifting abilities to over come obstacles her natural form can not over come. The game is linear in play consisting of 16 levels too explore, 4 bosses to fight, and hidden areas to find. Most of the game play consists of avoiding pitfalls, defeating enemies, swinging from vines, jumping from geysers, and collecting treasure.

Feature Set
Taboo's natural form consists of many basic abilities such as: Running, roll attack, jumping, climbing, and switching to a different form.

Taboo's Dinosaur Form. This form is meant for heavy combat and using strength to destroy hindrances.

Taboo's Phoenix form. This form allows Taboo to fly and burn anything in her way.

Taboo's Snow Leopard form. This form is incredibly fast and controls the element of ice.

Taboo's Wolf form. This form has situational abilities depending on the environment.

Genre
This game is a platforming game. It takes many elements from previous games of the platform genre and combines them.

Target Audience
This game is meant for the casual and newer players, while offering enjoyable challenge for old school gamers. The game is meant to be simple, fun, and easy to pick up and play while presenting a challenge for those looking for it.

Game Flow Summary
The game starts off with a small skip-able intro presenting the story. The player takes control of Taboo and is presented with simple challenges to understand Taboo's abilities. As the game progresses you unlock Taboo's alternate forms which allow you to access more areas in previous levels and equipping the player with the abilities to overcome future enemies. The game is fast paced, but doesn't punish the player for slowing down if they choose to.

Look and Feel
All the characters in the game are drawn and created by Gypsy Dunson. The art is cute and simplistic along with gentle and simple tunes. The controls are straightforward and help the game achieve a pleasing, non-intimidating feel.

Objectives
The over all objective is for the player to help Taboo reclaim her staff from the evil Dark Magician. To do this she will need to travel across the dynamic environments of the isle she lives on until she reaches the Magician's lair. Most levels ask only for the player to start from one side of the level and to reach the other side. A few levels require Taboo to defeat a boss or mini-boss to continue on. There is also a lot of ancient treasure scattered across the island that the Dark Magician has decided to take. Taboo will find herself with something special if she collects it all.

Physics
The physics are simple. What goes up must come down... unless it can fly.

Movement
Movement differentiates between Taboo's forms. Her standard form is best suited for most tasks and can smoothly run, jump, and climb up vines. The Dinosaur form is slower and can not climb. The Wolf form travels at normal speed, but can not climb. The Phoenix form moves at a decent speed and flies over obstacles. The Snow Leopard form is very fast and can run up vertically at certain points.

Objects
All of Taboo's forms interact with objects differently. Only Taboo's standard and Dinosaur forms can lift, carry, and throw certain objects. While the other forms use their elemental abilities to interact with other objects.

Actions
Most actions are carried forth seamlessly with the action command. Allowing Taboo to do a great deal of actions. The idea is to keep things fast, simple, and fun.

Combat
There is much combat in the game between Taboo and the many minions of the evil Dark Magician. Each of Taboo's forms have a basic attack to overcome most enemies. Heavy combat falls onto the Dinosaur form which strings together fast and strong attacks into combos to vanquish foes.
Boss battles are more of a learning process as the player dodges attacks and waits for the enemy to expose a weak point to strike for massive damage.

Economy
Taboo can sell the treasure she finds to one of two merchants. One pays more then the other, but plans to remove the ancient, deep in culture value, treasure from the island. You can use this money to purchase additional outfits for Taboo and furniture for her small cottage which you can organize as you please.

Secrets
A good portion of the treasure of the game requires you to back track with newly gained forms or good searching abilities. The player must collect all of the treasure and sell it all to the archeologist in order to unlock an extra level with an additional ending.

Back Story
The island of Ryudao has been for many centuries been one of peace and knowledge. The many inhabitants devote their lives to the pursuit of knowledge in all its forms. A couple generations ago magic was introduced by foreigners to the people of Ryudao. Despite the fact that magic seemed to disprove everything the people knew they embraced it and began studying anew. Quickly magic was adapted into the many lives of the islanders and some of them became masters of an aspect of magic.
One sorcerer chose to study the only forbidden school of magic. Dark magic. This sorcerer became very powerful and famous for his abilities. He was called the Dark Magician. Though many would say he is evil he would argue that he fights for the greater good. He never failed in anything that he did, so it is no wonder that he thought he could alter fate.
The Dark Magician was calculating a masterful plan that would give him control over the world. Curious if he could get it off he decided to peek into the future despite his disdain for divination magic. In his crystal ball he saw four sorcerers standing above his defeated body. Outraged by his future defeat to the hands of such young sorcerers he decided to try and change the future. He decided to start with the youngest, Taboo. This druidic sorcerer gained her power from her jungle staff. The obvious solution was to remove the druid from her power and see if he could subvert her to his will. So he began to plan a new scheme...

World
The world of Berathen is quite similar to Earth in atmosphere and its ability to hold life, but is in a far away galaxy. The planet is quite diverse in types of land and the small isle of Ryudao is a good example. There are vast deserts, lush jungles, snow covered mountains, and lava ridden plains filled with crags and fissures.

Characters
Taboo- Is a young, but powerful druid. She was born in the small village of Wichuj where the people practice are very traditional and close with nature. Taboo is a very kind hearted and innocent person. She is very strong in her beliefs and morals and views life with a care free attitude. Her abilities as a druid come to her naturally and is a young prodigy to her people. She takes it upon herself to protect her village from any threats that dare threaten it. Though living in such a peaceful land she has never actually had to use her magic to fight someone.

Kalila- Kalila is Taboo's older sister. Kalila aspires to be a powerful druid herself, but lacks the focus to practice regularly and therefor is only a novice druid. She is very jealous of her younger sisters abilities and accomplishments, but this does not hinder the true feelings of love Kalila has for her baby sister. Kalila strives to be care free and happy-go-lucky, but is insecure and cares very much how others view her and therefor adapts herself to fit in with the people around her. Kailia's greatest redeeming quality is her unwavering loyalty she has for her close friends and family.

The Dark Magician- No one knows who the Dark Magician is or where he comes from. He stays locked up in a floating castle of his own construction experimenting with forbidden dark magic. The Magic Guardians of Ryudao have tried multiple times to capture the Dark Magician and stop his forbidden arts, but none have succeeded thus far. The Dark Magician once shifted a typhoon from colliding into Ryudao that would of easily destroyed many lives and homes. If he did this for himself or to help others is a mystery.

Buyer- This man prefers to remain anonymous. He believes that names of any kind serve only to identify things. And in his type of 'business' it is better to remain nameless. He does, however, show a particular interest in Ryodao ancient treasure and is more then willing to pay nicely for it.

Xarth Flemton- Xarth is a master of alchemy and the Grand Librarian of Ryudao. In a magically advancing world he has noticed that the Wichuj way of life is being threatened and much of their land has been unfairly stolen from them. In an attempt to protect their culture he has begone collecting ancient tomes and sculptures and putting them in a museum for all the world to see. He hopes to heighten the world's awareness of these people and what they are being put through.

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Well this is what I have so far. There is still much I need to learn and am learning in this process. Wish me luck.