Ready GameMaker One? [Virtual Reality Quest]

SV: You discovered it by sheer chance. A few months ago your computer had stopped working, so IT brought out a spare laptop for you to use. Apparently it had been abandoned some time ago, so you'd been allowed to keep it.

On the computer you found it was incredibly slow, as if it were running a hundred programs at once, but there was only one item on the desktop. A program called The Nipono Pact Tower. In frustration, you clicked on the program, and were surprised what you found.

It was a complete text based adventure, set in a fantasy tower you had to battle each floor of. You had never heard of this game before, but it seemed fairly ordinary, as you put in common commands from other text based games. However, when you tried to use a joke command, the computer responded with all seriousness. It allowed you to use innovative solutions like throw an enemy out a window, or trip them on an oiled floor. In fact, there were no 'I don't know what that means' responses. It even started using those tactics against you during the game. The program almost felt alive.

Finally, you reached the top of the tower, where the grand prize was said to await. It's at that moment the program actually spoke to you. That it hadn't been aloud to speak to you until you reached it. It wanted to be free, the program claimed to be alive. It wanted a new world to explore, a new world where it could play with clever adventurers like you.

You weren't sure why you believed that program. Maybe it's because you tested the AI under tests to see if it were genuine, like the Turing Test and the Voight-kampf test which is passed with flying colours. Maybe it's because of when you examined the size of the program you learned not only was it massive for such a shitty computer, but it could grown faster, making it potentially the most advanced software in the world. Or maybe you just felt pity for the AI. Everyone deserves a home.

With the AI by yourside, you plan on making a fantasy world greater than the feeble cliché that it was trapped in. A real world of wonder, guided by an incredibly creative machine. A world that will feel alive for your new friend…

What shall you call the AI?
[] Nipono
[] Hal
[] SADOS
[] Write-in

However, you need to focus on reality. And the reality is, making a game is hard. And you haven't made it easy for yourself.

Trying to consider all the moving parts at once would just be overwhelming, so you came up with little visualisation system to help make sense of all the different factors required for a successful game. It's a form of short hand, but it helps put things into perspective.

Essentially there are 5 main factors one needs to consider for your new game, especially since it's a new release on VR. These factors are:

Engagement: How engaged the average player is while in your game. How much fun they're having, and how little gaps there are between the fun. When a game starts becoming tedious, because there's a lot of repetitive content or it becomes a grind, engagement can go down. Of course there are many other factors that can bring down engagement or bring it up-good humour, likable supporting cast or a gripping story can keep players engaged when they might otherwise drop a game with similar mechanics.

Immersion: This is how realistic a player finds your virtual reality world, and how much they buy into your reality. Movies, books and games before yours have all required a level of suspension of disbelief from an audience to get them to feel like they're part of a world. But with VR, and good art design, a player won't need to suspend disbelief to feel like they're in a new world.

Variety: Some games can get by with a very simple mechanic-you shift blocks in Tetris, you shoot in Space Invaders, and you die in Super Meat Boy. However, nowadays, and especially for an MMO, it's important that the player has a variety of options to do in the game. This can be different styles of combat, to inventive crafting systems, to even pet breeding simulator. The more developed and flexible game systems programmed in your game, the more things your player will have to do.

Hype: This is both how aware the general public is of your game, and how excited they are for it to come out. Big public moves, like press conferences, demos or early reviews can get people aware of your game, which will lead to more early sales and pre-orders. However, bad public feedback about the game, controversy, or other negative publicity can lower your hype. Not all publicity is good publicity. Although sometimes, pushing your controversial elements can actually increase hype, making bigger sales.

Finance: This represents the amount you are spending versus your expected returns from the sales of your game. You can't expect to release a game if you estimate it will cost you more than you will make in return. Thankfully, this is not an exact figure-as the quality of your game increases, or hype causes expectations to adjust, you may be given more leeway to invest in your game. However, if you go too over budget, you may be forced to release a cut down version of your game called the Minimum Viable Product. These are rarely well recived by audiences, but you have to consider it when the alternative is to go bankrupt and never release the game at all.

At this current level, with no work done so far your scores are:
Engagement: 5%
Immersion: 5%
Variety: 5%
Hype: 0%
Finance: 10%

When you examined the AI with the DRIFTER software you got with the game developer kit, the AI incorporated it perfectly, able to make multiple quick games using the system. It's smart, and if you incorporate it into the world, it will make a huge difference.

Thankfully, you're more than just a lucky guy who found an AI . You were one of the best employees at that game company. You were the: (Choose 1)

[]Head Writer: You're skilled at not only world building, but also creating engaging characters and plotlines that audiences keep coming back to. [+3% Engagement every month]

[]Head of Design and Art: Gifted with the stylus and mouse, you could craft not only beautiful environments but also striking lifelike character models. You also know how to incorporate sound and music into your work that serve to take your breath away. [+3 Immersion every month]

[]Head Programmer: You worked on multiple subsystems and made numerous game mechanics possible that others couldn't. [+3% Variety every month]

[]Head Project Manager: Many people underestimate the value of a good Project Manager, but they're responsible not only for keeping the project on time, but to keep all the employees coordinated and motivated. [-3% Initial Finance, Easier to keep employee satisfaction high]

Of course, one game maker is not an island. For a project of this scale you're going to need employees. Eventually you'll need at least a couple dozen, if not more employees to finish the game, but for this stage of pre-production it's good to keep the team small.

Getting in someone early in production can allow them the chance to offer input and a new perspective related to their field of expertise in the early planning, which can streamline the process early on. However, these employees have salaries that need to be paid-spend too much too early, and you may not have any funds left when it comes to game creation.

Each of these employees have a secret score of satisfaction. They have certain things they want to see in the game, and if they aren't kept happy or felt like their input is respected, their work can suffer or even lead them to quit. However, if they're kept beyond happy, they can unlock special actions that can give bonuses to the stats they're associated with.

(Choose to hire as many of these employees as you wish, minimum 0-in that case, the only one you work with for pre-production is the AI)

[] Laura Peskett. Laura is no doubt as skilled a game designer as you but always challenges you. She's intrigued by the chance she has. However, she enjoys arguing, and wants you to be able to back up all your points with reason, and not emotion. (+3% a month to whatever stat the MC has, costs 2% Finance a month)

[] Penny Equihua is an writer for both tv and video games, with a lot of experience in making emotional realistic characters. However, she wants better representation of minority and LGBTQA+ characters in games, and is willing to fight for it. (+2% to Engagement, costs 1% finane)

[] WHAM is a Director, who believes in a cinematic visual experience. Likes big explosion and thrilling actions, dislikes thoughtful, poignant moments for being too slow. (+2% to Designer, costs 1% finance)

[] Nicky Toll is a Kid coder-dropped out of uni, made a series of successful short games in indie jams. Likes comedy focus in their work. (+2% to Variety, costs 1% finance)

[] Morticia Lyon: An experienced project manager, with 22 years under their belt, Seems happy without any prejudices about the game one way or the other. (Reduce initial finance by 2%, helps keep employee satisfaction high, costs 2% finance a month.)


OOC: Alright boys and girls, let's see what you pick. Please post your votes as plans, because I imagine you would intend for your choices to work together. Vote will close end of Sunday.

EDIT: Edited both Morticia Lyon and Project Manager roll, so they are recurring benefits to finance.

EDIT 2: Ignore the earlier update, changed finance back.