The Block Chronicles/Wiki/Project Overview

This document details how The Block Chronicles will be developed. The details are ever-changing as the members decide where to take the game. If you are a member of The Block Chronicles project and have objections or suggestions to what is posted here, please discuss the change in our IRC channel before editing.

Design

Setting and Theme

The game is set in a lower-class city, in modern times, with rampant crime problems. The theme is similar to that of the Grand Theft Auto series. The player is free to roam a vast city with no storyline restricting the player. Players have free choice to engage in criminal activity including theft, murder, and distributing controlled substances.

Style

Graphics are 2D with 80 degree 3rd person view and will sometimes be intentionally of low-quality for the comedic effect. For instance when an NPC is shot he might pop into a gruesome death sprite, unexpected in such graphics. A blend of the common 2D RPG and excessive violence is a key theme.

Controls

The player uses his mouse pointer to direct the orientation of his player and uses WADS or arrow keys to move forward and back, and sidestep. Much focus is put into making a smooth-playing game where the players feel empowered over their character's movement.

Development

Content

Game content will be added solely using Lua and map files. There's a strict barrier between the engine and content. For instance, creating an NPC will be done by created by linking to a NPC Lua script with links to sprites and integers designating time and stats vars.

Technologies

Technologies include: SDL, Lua scripting language and OpenGL.

Code Structure

Singleton design pattern is used extensively for easy object communication.

Map Layout

Maps are to be designed with text files and ID sheets with links to Lua scripts for any AI. A level editor will be developed later on. The final format of maps is still being discussed.