The Cursed Quest (working title)

Unto this were all the knights sworn of the Table Round, both old and young.

Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d’Arthur

Table of Contents

Summary 2

Game Goals 3

Key Features 3

Target Demographic 4

Game Structure 4

Main Characters 6

Art Direction 8

Production Plan 10

The Team 11

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Summary

The Cursed Quest is an isometric single player RPG set in Camelot during the Reign of King Arthur. The player will embody Sir Cederic, a Knight of the Round Table who, after completing his last task for King Arthur, accepted a monetary reward thus breaking the Code of Chivalry. Because of his greed, he has been cursed by Merlin with conditional blindness: he can no longer see the castle of Camelot and, therefore, cannot take his seat at the Round Table. As Sir Cederic traverses seven strategy-based quests, he must weigh his decisions carefully, for he is constantly being weighed by the “Scales of Chivalry”. This is a game that calls the player to make the chivalrous choice over all else in order to regain honor, lift the curse, and be welcomed back to the Round Table.

In each of the seven quests, Sir Cederic will receive the aid of other key figures from Arthurian Legend: Queen Guinevere, Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, Sir Perceval, Sir Galahad, Sir Bedevere, and Merlin. They will also face some of the great villains of Arthurian Legend as they encounter Morgan Le Fay, Mordred, the Green Knight and the Black Knight. In each quest, Sir Cederic, along with his companion, will play an important role in many of the key moments in Arthurian mythology. As he traverses the English countryside, Sir Cederic will also find chivalrous opportunities to aid other NPCs in distress. At times, he must choose between strategic approaches: stopping to help a villager or staying focused on the primary quest; storming a castle or entering through a secret passageway; outwitting an adversary or confronting an adversary in battle. In instances where battle is necessary, the game will utilize a turn-based tactical combat system in which the player will organize their characters on the grid and strategically decide when and how to attack. Sir Cederic must carefully weigh each decision; likewise, his choices will be weighed on the three-tiered “Scales of Chivalry” to determine his virtue, wisdom, and bravery. Each choice that Sir Cederic makes will determine whether he is truly worthy of a seat at the Round Table.

Players who reach the end of the game will view one of two possible cut scenes based on the “Scales of Chivalry”. If the Scales are unbalanced, if Sir Cederic successfully completes his quests but fails to fully develop each of the three categories of chivalry, then he will view a short animation showing Sir Cederic laying his sword on the Round Table with the other Knights and Merlin followed by closing credits. If, however, the Scales are balanced and all three categories of chivalry have been fully developed, then the player will see the full cut scene showing Sir Cederic welcomed back to the Round Table and offered the Siege Perilous, the place of honor reserved for the knight who finds the Holy Grail. Because he has shown himself to be truly worthy, Sir Cederic will be tasked with leading the Round Table until King Arthur returns.

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Game Goals

MORAL INSTRUCTION The best RPG experiences are those that create an immersive experience. My problem with most RPG games is that players are often tempted to run through town murdering anything in their way. To combat this issue, the main goal of The Cursed Quest is to create that immersive narrative that will not only entertain the player, but also give the player a sense of moral instruction. It is our goal that by encouraging the player to make the chivalrous decision in game, they will develop a sense of chivalry and moral turpitude outside of the game.

EDUCATIONAL In addition to encouraging personal growth, the game will also teach the player some of the primary elements of Arthurian Legend. While this game will take certain liberties, the quests and the game structure itself are set up to mirror the source materials as closely as possible so that a player who becomes truly interested in the Arthurian mythology might be drawn to explore the works of Thomas Malory and other poets in the Arthurian canon.

DEVELOP PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS In order to be successful, the player must sometimes think outside of the box. It is not always best to choose the obvious path. By challenging the player to consider the different options and weigh the consequences of each decision, we are also reinforcing problem-solving skills. Our overarching goal is to create a game that is both educational and entertaining.

Key Features

IMMERSIVE STORYLINE The immersive story based on Arthurian legend is the driving force of this game. The player will experience the excitement and responsibility of being a knight in King Arthur’s Camelot. They will learn that all decisions and actions come with consequences and, therefore, they must think through their options and decide which is the most chivalrous in that situation. Most challenges in the game have multiple solutions for the player to choose between. Whether the player is deciding how to access a location or deciding how to respond to an NPC in a dialogue tree, all of their decisions will be weighed and affect their outcome.

THREE-TIERED SCORING SYSTEM The “Scales of Chivalry” are a key feature in this game. This scoring system will be continuously collecting data based on each of the player’s decisions. Was the decision virtuous or dishonorable, wise or foolish, or brave or cowardly? At the end of each quest the player will receive a weight in each category ranging from one to five. If any of the scales are below a three, the quest must be played again. On the quest completion screen, in addition to the scales, the player will see a populated list of their individual actions that affected that scale. The player will be able to use this knowledge to improve performance on future quests or as they replay a previous quest. The player’s overall value at the end of all seven quests will determine which ending they experience.

TACTICS-BASED COMBAT SYSTEM

ORIGINAL ART STYLE

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Target Demographic

It is our aim to reach a wide age range of PC gamers, from the younger ones who are just getting started to the older gamer who doesn’t typically have as much time as they used to due to work and family life. Our story and combat will be both engaging and entertaining to a wide audience. There will obviously be a pull for those players who have an interest in Arthurian Legend, but the gameplay will also appeal to the RPG gamers that are intrigued by a good, immersive story. The game will be designed for ages 12 and up and will be built for the PC which will initially limit our market to the PC gamer. According to Geoffrey Zatkin (Electronic Entertainment Design and Research), Steam has quickly risen to command a huge portion (41%) of the total share of video games that were sold in 2015. Our goal is to tap into that growing PC market share.

Game Structure

The game will progress through seven different quests. As previously mentioned, the player will always be accompanied by a fellow Knight of the Round Table. The pair will traverse through the current quest attaining items and conversing with NPCs to gain clues as to what they need to do next. There will be opportunities for the player to assist NPCs with other types of tasks while they learn more about the current quest that they are on. At times, the player will find themselves in battle situations where they must employ tactical decisions to overtake their adversary. We chose this turn-based tactical combat system because it is simple enough for an RPG player that isn’t looking for battle but is strategic enough to engage a player who enjoys the thrill of the fight. If a player fails to reach the end of the quest or realizes that they would like to employ a different strategy, they will have the ability to restart the quest from either their last save point or from the beginning of the quest. At the end of each quest, the player will discover how they measure on the “Scales of Chivalry”, which will determine if they must attempt the quest again or move on to the next quest. Below is a brief plot synopsis of the storyline and quest breakdown.

The game begins with a typographical cut scene with hand-drawn graphics portraying the story: In his first mission as a Knight of the Round Table, Sir Cederic retrieves a stolen flock of sheep for a family in a nearby village. When offered a reward of fifty silver, Sir Cederic happily accepts. Upon returning to Camelot, Sir Cederic is greeted by an angry Merlin. Because he has accepted pecuniary reward, he has broken the sacred Code of Chivalry. As punishment, Merlin curses Sir Cederic with conditional blindness: he can no longer see Camelot and, therefore, is unable to return to the Round Table. In order to break the curse, Sir Cederic must pass seven tests of virtue and honor, each based on the Code of Chivalry.

I. “To respect the honour of women” – Queen Guinevere has been captured by Mordred and imprisoned in his castle. Sir Cederic, along with Sir Lancelot, must rescue Guinevere and return her to Camelot. a. This level will act as a tutorial to familiarize the player with character controls and overall gameplay.

II. “To guard the honour of fellow knights” – Sir Cederic will help Sir Gawain, a fellow knight, find the location of the Green Knight, whom Gawain must face due to a previous agreement.

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III. “To protect the weak and defenceless” – Sir Cederic and Sir Perceval have been called to the aid of a neighboring village that is under attack by the Black Knight. They must outwit the knight and reopen the main road to the village, thus restoring the villagers’ means of trading with surrounding villages.

IV. “To serve the liege lord in valour and faith” – Sir Cederic must work with Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere to track down Morgan le Fay and retrieve Excalibur's scabbard.

V. “To keep faith” – Sir Cederic must aid Sir Galahad in locating the Holy Grail.

VI. “To obey those placed in authority” – Locate and return Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake so that King Arthur can enter Avalon and be healed of his wounds.

VII. “To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun” – In this quest, Merlin presents Sir Cederic with a foe that he never expected: an earlier version of himself who is motivated by greed and pride. Sir Cederic must battle this alter ego, either mentally or physically, in order to finally defeat his inner demons and embrace the honorable life of a true knight of the Round Table.

Alternate Cut Scenes: There will be alternate non-animated (Typographical) cut scenes based on the total points accumulated by the player after the final quest, one for each play style based on their score ratio. In each possible cut scene, the narrator (Merlin) will congratulate the player on lifting the curse and rejoining the round table. Merlin will also hint that the best knights are those that embody a balance of all three disciplines.

Those with an unbalanced final score will see a short animation of Sir Cederic laying his sword on the Round Table with the other Knights and Merlin, and that will lead into the closing credits.

Those with a balanced final score will see the more elaborate final cut scene described below.

Final Cinematic Cut Scene: After defeating his evil alter ego, Sir Cederic’s conditional blindness is lifted, and he can once again see (and enter) Camelot. He enters the castle gates with mixed emotions: he has finally achieved what he always wanted, but with King Arthur gone, this victory is bittersweet. However, when he approaches the Round Table, he sees all of the remaining knights and Merlin waiting for him. Merlin tells Sir Cederic that the Siege Perilous, the vacant seat reserved only for the knight who locates the Holy Grail, is now his since Sir Galahad stayed behind with the Grail. Furthermore, his valiant and honorable efforts in the seven tasks have shown that he is worthy of leading the Knights of the Round Table until Arthur’s return.

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Character Roster

Below is a list of the major and minor characters that are integral to the storyline and gameplay. Each knight will have unique battle stats based on their abilities. The player will have the opportunity to strategically position where and decide when each character is used during a battle situation based on their skillset. The player will also have the use of spells and potions that they collect throughout other aspects of gameplay. Queen Guinevere is found in a couple of battle situations throughout the quests and is armed with spells and potions that Merlin has given her for protection.

Sir Cederic is the newest knight of the Round Table, which has always been his dream. On his very first mission, he makes a grave mistake in accepting a monetary reward for his services; he is cursed by Merlin for breaking the SIR CEDERIC Playable (Main) Code of Chivalry. Sir Cederic is a character who is initially ruled by greed and his own self-interests, but in order to become the knight that he wants to be, he must rise to the standards of knighthood. A powerful wizard and guide to King Arthur; Merlin does not tolerate knights who do not meet the ideals of the Round Table. He can be a little MERLIN/PEDDLER Non-Playable short-tempered. Merlin also goes undercover as the Peddler in order to serve as Sir Cederic’s guide for the seven quests. The Peddler reveals himself as Merlin at the start of the seventh quest. A knight of the Round Table: Sir Lancelot is King Arthur’s second in command and favorite. Though we do not directly address his affair with SIR LANCELOT Playable (Combat) Guinevere, there are some hints to their familiarity in the first, fourth, and sixth quests. Sir Lancelot is a bit of a jokester, but he takes his tasks seriously. King Arthur’s wife: Queen Guinevere is smart, strong-willed, and anything but a typical “damsel in distress.” Although she is captured in the first quest, she does not passively wait to be rescued. By the time Sir Cederic and QUEEN GUINEVERE Playable (Combat) Sir Lancelot arrive, she has already begun plotting her own escape. She uses her ingenuity to locate the key and her keen sense of observation to lead the knights through the back tunnels and toward escape. She will also play a role in attaining the scabbard in the fourth quest. A knight of the Round Table: Sir Perceval is feisty and easily angered, but he can usually set aside his emotions to finish the task at hand. He is larger SIR PERCEVAL Playable (Combat) in stature and could be considered an honorable brute. He will partner with Sir Cederic in the battle against the Black Knight in the third quest. A knight of the Round Table: Sir Gawain is large and muscular and never backs down from a challenge. He believes himself to be among the most honorable of knights, but his honor is greatly challenged as he prepares to SIR GAWAIN Playable (Combat) face the Green Knight. He prefers to work alone and is somewhat reluctant to accept assistance from Sir Cederic in locating the Green Knight in the second quest. A knight of the Round Table: Sir Galahad has a quiet strength. He is somewhat soft spoken, and his motives are entirely pure. He epitomizes SIR GALAHAD Playable (Combat) honor and valor. He will seek assistance from Sir Cederic in locating the Holy Grail during the fifth quest.

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A knight of the Round Table: like Sir Cederic, Sir Bedevere has a tendency to put his own personal gain above those of others. Sir Bedevere has never SIR BEDEVERE Playable (Combat) had to face his own greed, but the value of Excalibur is too much of a temptation for him to overcome. Sir Cederic must help him overcome greed and return Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake in the sixth quest.

The king of Camelot: as a young boy, he proved himself to be the true heir to King Pendragon by pulling a sword that was embedded in an anvil and KING ARTHUR Non-Playable stone. As King of Camelot, he establishes the Round Table with his knights who uphold the Chivalric Code. Though he does not play a huge role in the gameplay, his presence and legend are central to the storyline.

The sorceress of Avalon: the Lady of the Lake gives Excalibur to Arthur. She has an ethereal, waifish appearance and an almost song-like voice. She LADY OF THE LAKE Non-Playable accepts Excalibur from Sir Cederic and presumably takes King Arthur with her to Avalon.

A sorceress and King Arthur’s half-sister: out of hatred for Arthur, she steals Excalibur’s scabbard. She also who enchants the Green Knight to do her Non-Playable bidding. She will appear in disguise during the second quest, but will be the MORGAN LE FAY (Enemy) center of an intense battle over the scabbard in the fourth quest. She is dark and mysterious and quite eccentric in her mannerisms. Her inner hatred matches her outward appearance.

King Arthur’s illegitimate son: he hates Arthur for not acknowledging him from birth and seeks to destroy Camelot. He not only kidnaps Queen Non-Playable Guinevere in the first quest, but also delivers the mortal blow to King MORDRED (Enemy) Arthur prior to the sixth quest. Mordred has a bit of a snarl and mostly comes across as whiney, but his actions have deadly consequences and all in Camelot take his threats seriously.

Transformed into the Green Knight by Morgan le Fay to test the honor of King Arthur’s court: He wears a green-tinted suit of armor. Unlike other Non-Playable GREEN KNIGHT villains that must be defeated, the Green Knight is actually a good person (Enemy) who has been manipulated by an evil character (le Fay). He believes that his test is for the betterment of the Round Table.

One of Mordred’s followers: under orders from Mordred, the Black Knight blocks the only road into a village close to Camelot during the third quest. Non-Playable BLACK KNIGHT He threatens to kill anyone who tries to pass him on the road. Cut off from (Enemy) needed supplies, the townspeople are desperate to defeat him. He is bold, arrogant, and loathes King Arthur and his knights.

The towns will be populated with villagers of all shapes and sizes. There will be stereotypical peddlers, beggars, townspeople, blacksmiths, apothecaries, VILLAGERS Non-Playable bar wenches, and travelers. The player will be able to interact with some to help them with task or to find out information about the village or surrounding areas.

Guards will be present at all castles and the player will have to interact with them as the situation arises. Bandits or thieves will be found either in Non-Playable GUARDS/BANDITS villages or the paths between locations. If the opportunity presents itself, (Enemy) the player must combat them in order to help a distressed NPC or to advance within the current quest.

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Art Direction

Since the game focuses on the heavy themes of virtue and weighing one’s decisions, we wanted to use art that would help the game to feel more lighthearted and fun. The art style will involve stylized, exaggerated characteristics and attributes. Each main character will have a unique appearance and we plan to implement comedic elements into the game through dialogue trees and other events that occur throughout the narrative. Below is some of the art that has already been completed as well as some reference images for in-progress work.

Characters

The Peddler Merlin the Magician

Sir Cedric

Sir Lancelot Sir Perceval

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Bandits & Guards

Environment

The environment will be stylized and have a fun cartoon feel as well. Below is a reference to how the typical village will look.

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Production Plan

This game will be built with the Unity3D engine and will be designed for PC. The team is already using Slack and Trello for communication and task management, and we plan to use GitHub for source control. Below is an estimated production plan. All estimates are subject to change based on the team and planning meetings where the team will assign effort estimations to each task once we begin the scrum process.

Task Estimation Task Estimation

Environment 80 (days) Story Engine (Prototype)* TBD

-Concept* 10

-Terrain (modeled/textured) 10 Dialogue System TBD

-Villages (modeled/textured) 20

-Castles (modeled/textured) 40 Scoring System TBD

Character (Major & Minor) 310 (days)

-Concept* 30 Combat System TBD

-Model 40

-Texture 40 UI and HUD 15 (days)

-Rig 20

-Animations 60 Sound Design TBD

-Programming Animations 120

AI 70 (days) Visual FX TBD

-Pathfinding 20

-Behavior Triggers 20 Quality Assurance 20 (days)

-Dialogue Triggers 30

* = In Progress

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The Team

Below is a list of current members and vacant roles that are being recruited.

Director/Design Lead Jason Oualline Production Lead/ Natacha Nielsen Character Artist Art Lead Omar Field-Rahman Engineering Lead RECRUITING Environment Artist Bill Wong Environment Artist Min Seo Environment Artist RECRUITING Character Artist RECRUITING Character Artist RECRUITING 3D Generalist Aman Bajwa 3D Generalist Rodrigo Giacobelli 3D Generalist RECRUITING Rigger Justin Jennings UI/UX Matthew McGuinness Programmer Ross Adams Programmer Dan Sirbu Programmer RECRUITING Programmer RECRUITING Programmer RECRUITING Research/Dialogue Beth Oualline Sound Designer RECRUITING VFX RECRUITING College Station HS Modeling/Animation Advanced Animation Students

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