drawing a mental blank.
This is our third year, semester two, interactive media project.
A side-scrolling adventure game made in Flash, where the player is a pencil who must complete a series of puzzles and challenges to overcome his owner's tendencies to procrastinate.
The Nevernudes are...
Esther, game designer; Kate, programmer; and Michelle, artist.
In the top right-hand corner, you'll find links to certain aspects of our game, including the game itself. If you need to reload a Flash swf file, just right click and reload from there :) Under the Main drop down menu, you'll find each of our individual Digital Curation exercises, as well as above (where our names are highlighted).
We're very excited to announce this is now an iPhone/iPad application!
A side-scrolling adventure game made in Flash, where the player is a pencil who must complete a series of puzzles and challenges to overcome his owner's tendencies to procrastinate.
The Nevernudes are...
Esther, game designer; Kate, programmer; and Michelle, artist.
In the top right-hand corner, you'll find links to certain aspects of our game, including the game itself. If you need to reload a Flash swf file, just right click and reload from there :) Under the Main drop down menu, you'll find each of our individual Digital Curation exercises, as well as above (where our names are highlighted).
We're very excited to announce this is now an iPhone/iPad application!
schedule.
Week 1: Paper prototyping and character design
Week 2: Presentation One. Research programming and Facebook integration, assess risks and finalise in-game challenges.
Week 3: Begin Flash prototyping.
Week 4-6: Building assets and testing.
Week 7: Presentation Two. More building assets and levels.
Week 8: Facebook integration.
Week 9: Finishing touches, bug fixes.
Week 10-11: Polishing, adding extra features if time allows for our wishlist.
Week 12: Final Presentation.
Week 2: Presentation One. Research programming and Facebook integration, assess risks and finalise in-game challenges.
Week 3: Begin Flash prototyping.
Week 4-6: Building assets and testing.
Week 7: Presentation Two. More building assets and levels.
Week 8: Facebook integration.
Week 9: Finishing touches, bug fixes.
Week 10-11: Polishing, adding extra features if time allows for our wishlist.
Week 12: Final Presentation.
info v2
Set on a person's desk (yours, maybe...) the story plays out in the Person's homework notebook.
The Person is asleep on the desk, or daydreaming. Either way, the Person is not doing their homework and is at the risk of failing if they don't pull an all-important all-nighter. Along the lines and across the pages, scribbles and rough handwriting, is a level laced with distractions that the player's avatar, a Pencil, must overcome in order for the Person to submit their assignment on time.
There are 5 levels all up; each level represents the different stages of procrastination a person goes through when they're trying to complete their homework. The Pencil must maneuver around the scribbles and mindless doodling, and defeat task-specific challenges to move on to the next level.
Levels will move regardless of the Pencil, to represent time. If the player can't keep up with the screen, they have effectively fallen off the page and died.
Level 1
This first level has a simple layout in order for the player to become accustomed to the player controls of the Pencil. This is the beginning of the all-nighter.
At the end of the level lies...
Distraction #1: Online Chat
The player has 30 seconds to close all the chat windows that randomly pop up and prove that they will not be distracted by their friends.
Level 2
Much like the first level, Level 2 is not very difficult. Due to the fast-paced nature of Distraction #1, play testing found the level needed to revert back to a slow and simple layout. As the levels aren't too long either, it gives the player more time to get used to the controls.
Distraction #2: The Munchies
The player must not make a mess in the kitchen during a scheduled snack break, by catching all the popcorn in a bag for 30 seconds.
Making a mess results in more time wasted cleaning up.
Level 3
There are more obstacles to avoid in Level 3, and the player must work a little harder at moving around.
Distraction #3: Who's calling?
The player has 30 seconds to block calls that will keep them from completing the assignment at hand. In Whack-A-Mole tradition, the player can only "whack" people with telephones (or the telephones themselves), and will lose if they hit up to 3 innocent characters (objects, characters not holding telephones).
Level 4
A much more difficult level to maneuver, as it speeds up after 10 seconds.
Distraction #4: Braaaaains
In this challenge, the player must avoid the fast moving television screens for 30 seconds as they zoom past your living room floor. The player is represented by a brain with blinking eyes, to indicate a) the level of concentration that is needed, b) the opinion that TV rots your brain. In this case, TV is dangerous to anyone who can't afford to waste time.
Level 5
The final level in Drawing a Mental Blank, features a little more psychedelic artwork and confusion on the Person's part. There are more roadblocks and the player has to really concentrate to keep up with time, as it speeds up after 10 seconds.
Distraction #5: Day dreaming
Challenge 5 involves the player flying through some crazy coloured skies, and attempting to avoid clouds that cause day dreaming.
Win/Lose
If the player fails to complete a challenge or falls off the page, they will be greeted with a LOSE screen.
After beating a challenge, the player receives a WIN screen.
Final Grade
At the end of the game, the player will receive an overall grade which shows how well they performed.
Completing 2 out of 5 challenges successfully gives the player an F;
Completing 3 out of 5 challenges successfully gives the player an E;
Completing 4 out of 5 challenges successfully gives the player a B;
Completing 5 out of 5 challenges successfully gives the player an A;
They are then given the option to play the game again.
The Person is asleep on the desk, or daydreaming. Either way, the Person is not doing their homework and is at the risk of failing if they don't pull an all-important all-nighter. Along the lines and across the pages, scribbles and rough handwriting, is a level laced with distractions that the player's avatar, a Pencil, must overcome in order for the Person to submit their assignment on time.
There are 5 levels all up; each level represents the different stages of procrastination a person goes through when they're trying to complete their homework. The Pencil must maneuver around the scribbles and mindless doodling, and defeat task-specific challenges to move on to the next level.
Levels will move regardless of the Pencil, to represent time. If the player can't keep up with the screen, they have effectively fallen off the page and died.
Level 1
This first level has a simple layout in order for the player to become accustomed to the player controls of the Pencil. This is the beginning of the all-nighter.
At the end of the level lies...
Distraction #1: Online Chat
The player has 30 seconds to close all the chat windows that randomly pop up and prove that they will not be distracted by their friends.
Level 2
Much like the first level, Level 2 is not very difficult. Due to the fast-paced nature of Distraction #1, play testing found the level needed to revert back to a slow and simple layout. As the levels aren't too long either, it gives the player more time to get used to the controls.
Distraction #2: The Munchies
The player must not make a mess in the kitchen during a scheduled snack break, by catching all the popcorn in a bag for 30 seconds.
Making a mess results in more time wasted cleaning up.
Level 3
There are more obstacles to avoid in Level 3, and the player must work a little harder at moving around.
Distraction #3: Who's calling?
The player has 30 seconds to block calls that will keep them from completing the assignment at hand. In Whack-A-Mole tradition, the player can only "whack" people with telephones (or the telephones themselves), and will lose if they hit up to 3 innocent characters (objects, characters not holding telephones).
Level 4
A much more difficult level to maneuver, as it speeds up after 10 seconds.
Distraction #4: Braaaaains
In this challenge, the player must avoid the fast moving television screens for 30 seconds as they zoom past your living room floor. The player is represented by a brain with blinking eyes, to indicate a) the level of concentration that is needed, b) the opinion that TV rots your brain. In this case, TV is dangerous to anyone who can't afford to waste time.
Level 5
The final level in Drawing a Mental Blank, features a little more psychedelic artwork and confusion on the Person's part. There are more roadblocks and the player has to really concentrate to keep up with time, as it speeds up after 10 seconds.
Distraction #5: Day dreaming
Challenge 5 involves the player flying through some crazy coloured skies, and attempting to avoid clouds that cause day dreaming.
Win/Lose
If the player fails to complete a challenge or falls off the page, they will be greeted with a LOSE screen.
After beating a challenge, the player receives a WIN screen.
Final Grade
At the end of the game, the player will receive an overall grade which shows how well they performed.
Completing 2 out of 5 challenges successfully gives the player an F;
Completing 3 out of 5 challenges successfully gives the player an E;
Completing 4 out of 5 challenges successfully gives the player a B;
Completing 5 out of 5 challenges successfully gives the player an A;
They are then given the option to play the game again.
info.
Engine: Flash (using ActionScript 3.0)
Set on a person's desk, the story plays out in the Person's homework notebook.
The Person is asleep on the desk, or daydreaming. Either way, the Person is not doing their homework.
Along the lines and across the pages, scribbles and rough handwriting lay the building blocks of a level laced with hidden challenges and puzzles, over three levels:
1. First Draft, 2. Mid-Semester Exam, 3. Final Presentation.
You, the player, (you are not the Person. Although technically you could be in real life) control the Pencil.
The Pencil doesn't want his owner, the Person, to fail, therefore he must complete the Person's homework by going through the levels unscathed and in a timely manner (because all things have due dates). The challenges and puzzles are in the form of the Person's distractions, and in the style of scribbles and mindless doodling.
Distractions cause you to lose concentration and waste time. To defeat them, the Pencil must complete the relevant challenge of the particular distraction. For example, daydreaming. The Pencil will encounter a foggy atmosphere where they must locate glowing items such as light bulbs to clear the way to the exit of a maze. All distractions are apart of the levels because they play an important part of every day procrastination.
Motivators help the Pencil complete challenges and the overall level. They can come in the form of food (health), extensions (bad motivator) or competition (good motivator). Food will be a collectable across the levels, and will build your concentration (alternatively, your health bar). Extensions are the easy way out and will help you, but ultimately also encourage slack behaviour. This will only grant you a little bit of extra time. Competition may be scary and can come in the form of a race, but it will give you a speed boost to help you complete the level faster.
Upon completion of the level, the player will be awarded points based on their performance in the challenges and the collectables they were able to pick up. An overall grade will be given, ranging from A+ to F. These scores will hopefully be shared among friends over Facebook.
Set on a person's desk, the story plays out in the Person's homework notebook.
The Person is asleep on the desk, or daydreaming. Either way, the Person is not doing their homework.
Along the lines and across the pages, scribbles and rough handwriting lay the building blocks of a level laced with hidden challenges and puzzles, over three levels:
1. First Draft, 2. Mid-Semester Exam, 3. Final Presentation.
You, the player, (you are not the Person. Although technically you could be in real life) control the Pencil.
The Pencil doesn't want his owner, the Person, to fail, therefore he must complete the Person's homework by going through the levels unscathed and in a timely manner (because all things have due dates). The challenges and puzzles are in the form of the Person's distractions, and in the style of scribbles and mindless doodling.
Distractions cause you to lose concentration and waste time. To defeat them, the Pencil must complete the relevant challenge of the particular distraction. For example, daydreaming. The Pencil will encounter a foggy atmosphere where they must locate glowing items such as light bulbs to clear the way to the exit of a maze. All distractions are apart of the levels because they play an important part of every day procrastination.
Motivators help the Pencil complete challenges and the overall level. They can come in the form of food (health), extensions (bad motivator) or competition (good motivator). Food will be a collectable across the levels, and will build your concentration (alternatively, your health bar). Extensions are the easy way out and will help you, but ultimately also encourage slack behaviour. This will only grant you a little bit of extra time. Competition may be scary and can come in the form of a race, but it will give you a speed boost to help you complete the level faster.
Upon completion of the level, the player will be awarded points based on their performance in the challenges and the collectables they were able to pick up. An overall grade will be given, ranging from A+ to F. These scores will hopefully be shared among friends over Facebook.
