Project Doc.txt

-- Project Jack --
Bullets with "?" means subject to change/discussion

Project Jack is a physics-based, 2D platform brawler. Each fighter will be 100% balanced in 
that everyone gets the same simple attacks, which do the same amount of damage. Since each 
character is a ragdoll, characters are animated by moving the limbs through code rather than 
through drawn animations. Also, each individual limb is assigned its own health, and when a 
limb becomes more and more damaged, it becomes more and more difficult to use (they will also 
eventually fall off).

In terms of art style, animating these characters will be difficult, so it'd probably be best 
to embrace a silly-ish theme. I like the original skeleton idea. Characters could be 
customizable, but probably only with cosmetics, as we need to keep the gameplay balanced. 
Refer to Cory's original ppt on the GDC group on myUMBC for more info.


-- Gameplay --

Again, each character gets the same set of simple attacks:
	- Punch/Kick
		* These are short-ranged, spammable attacks. Useful in close quarters.
	- Long ranged attack
		* If players become too cowardly and run away, this can be used to keep
			the action alive.
		? Set on a cooldown timer so it won't completely invalidate close-range
			attacks.
		* Hold button to aim, release to fire (may need to phase out keyboard
			control
	- Traps
		* Small bombs or mines that you can lay down. Will explode if anyone makes
			contact with them.
		? Ammo based, could be scattered around map
	- Depending on how playtesting works out, these are subject to change

Primarily deathmatch style gamemode:
	- 2-4 players
	- Each player has a certain number of lives
	- A player loses a life when they are incapacitated or knocked off the map
	- Game ends/winner is determined when only one player has remaining lives or timer runs down
	- If timer runs down:
		* Winner is person with most lives
		* Go into sudden death mode (melee only) if there's a tie for winner
			- Make sure timer is long enough to make this happen only
				occasionally, we don't want every game to be decided on a
				sudden death round
	- Maps would be mostly static
		* Single image (may or may not have an animated background)
		* Made up of invisible, rotated boxes to define floors/walls/etc.
		
Possible game modes (? means not necessary, mostly just ideas):
	- Team deathmatch
	- Free-for-all
	- Fugitive - everybody kill one guy who needs to survive until timer runs out
	? Some form of king of the hill
	? Single player horde w/ AI
	- Custom games
		* Map select
		* Variable gravity
		* Variable player strength (aka drunk bar-fight mode)
		* Variable game time
		* Sudden death mode
		* Select which attacks are available


-- Art style --

I have no real direction for this. Probably close to what Cory had in mind, not sure how levels will look though.

Fighter
	- Skeleton
	- Bones could get more and more cracked as they take more and more damage
		? Could be completely destroyed instead of falling off, but falling off
			might be funnier
	- Attacks
		- Small, cartoony force waves from punching and kicking
		- Explosions from traps could be a bunch of red/orange/yellow particles		

Character customization
	- Hats - hats are 100% necessary for the success of any game
	? Gloves/shoes
	- Colored bones (artists: just draw white bones, color can be changed through code)