Introduction

This document describes a game called "The Second Great Schism Starring: Average Joe".  The game itself is a simple side scroller in which you run from left to right, avoiding obstacles that lie in your way.  It will employ simple sprite-based animation, tiled backgrounds, collision detection, physics, memory management and basic 2D game techniques.


Technology

The game will be developed for the Windows Platform using Direct X to render the images.  Artwork will be made on the iPhone using Sketches 2 © app, because I can't draw, but am ok with the stylus and the iPhone.


Back Story

Joe is a torn soul in West Siberia.  It is the year 2047, and the Catholic church has had a rough go of it lately.  When the Super Pope got the Cardinal commission to grant him the power to overrule the Great Pope, the church took an immediate split much like it had done almost a millennium ago.  The people in Western Siberia, whose ties with the Orthodox Church of Russia had been cut almost 30 years prior, are in uproar over which faction's side to take.  Joe does not want to choose sides in the bloodshed and terror that is destroying his country, he wants to run east, run east over the Bering Strait, straight to America where he is convinced religion and rule are separate.  Run Joe Run!


Objective

Joe's objective is to escape Siberia in one piece.  During the game, Popes, Cardinals and the occasional religious item lying in the road get in his way.  He knows his time is short so he must run as fast as possible, eluding all dangers in his path.  Don't slow down too much Joe, leave that world of despair behind you, and get yourself over to a life of opportunity in the West.


Gameplay

This game is a sidescroller where Joe can run only right, because if he were to look back, surely he would be captured by the Catholic guards who would make him choose a side in this bloody battle.  He can run and jump, because what human cant.  He will get to take a break every time he reaches a new part of the Strait, one where he can rest because he is in a persecution-free zone.


He has to be careful though, because out of nowhere often pop secret Christian spies who want to capture Joe because they need him on their side of the battle.  Being smooth and slick, these spies hide in the ground and pop up when they see Joe coming.  Sometimes Joe will find red sneakers, and everyone knows red is the fastest color there is, so he will be able to run faster.  Good things don't last forever though, so don't be too dependent on those shoes.

The gameplay is rather simple.  Run, run and run some more.


Controls

Space bar- Jumps the character

Were you expecting more?


Graphical User Interface

Splash Screen- The Splash Screen will consist of a Start button and a previous high score.  There will also be a button to display the back story of the game so the user can understand why exactly he is running.  What else can the user want to know in a game that's so simple?


In-game menu-

There is very little need for the in game menu.  It will have three options.

New Game- Once the player has lost his current game, under file he will find 2 options, one of which is new game, which will start a new game.

Exit- The second option he will find will be to exit the game.  If he presses this button, unsurprisingly it will exit the game.

About- This will predictably display information about the game.


In-game GUI

There will be popes, cardinals, and other religious objects popping out of, or laying on the ground.  You'll need to jump over the black hats of religious significance (to the Jewish faith) or avoid the pope with a pitchfork (he's been driven to the dark side by his devilness), along with many other religious symbols such as Buddhist scriptures that you can trip over or even a Confucius statue that has been carelessly left in your path.  Joe, keep running and reach for the stars, the Stars of David that is!


Artwork

The artwork for this game shall be original artwork.


You will need 2 sprites for Joe, one with him with his left leg in the air, and one with his right leg in the air, to simulate the running.  There will also be the floor on which he is running (the Bering Strait) and various objects of religious significance that he is avoiding.  There will have to be a drawing for the persecution-free zone, and that would be about it, since the game mostly takes place on the Bering Strait.