design document: the irrational tenth

Game Design Document for:

The Irrational Tenth

Revolt in the Desert

All work Copyright ©2010 Vancouver Film School

Written by Michel [email protected]

Portfolio: http://www.bigapple3am.com

Version # 1.3

Copyright (C) 2010 Vancouver Film School – All rights reserved

Saturday, April 08, 2023Table of Contents

DESIGN HISTORY__________________________________________________________________4

GAME OVERVIEW__________________________________________________________________5

HIGH CONCEPT_______________________________________________________________________5PHILOSOPHY_________________________________________________________________________5COMMON QUESTIONS_________________________________________________________________6

FEATURE SET______________________________________________________________________8

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS_________________________________________________________________8GAME LOOP OVERVIEW________________________________________________________________9MOVEMENT_________________________________________________________________________10COMBAT SYSTEM____________________________________________________________________11SPECIAL ABILITY MICROGAMES_________________________________________________________16CHARACTER CLASSES AND CUSTOMIZATION______________________________________________19ABILITY FOCUS______________________________________________________________________23MAGIC SYSTEM_____________________________________________________________________26WORLD MAP_______________________________________________________________________29

GAMEPLAY DETAILS______________________________________________________________33

USER INTERFACE - CONTROLS_________________________________________________________33BATTLE SETUP PHASE________________________________________________________________34COMMAND MENU____________________________________________________________________35VICTORY CONDITIONS________________________________________________________________36REWARDS__________________________________________________________________________36

GAMEPLAY WALKTHROUGH_____________________________________________________37

OVERVIEW_________________________________________________________________________37BEAT CHART_______________________________________________________________________39

CAMERA___________________________________________________________________________40

OVERVIEW_________________________________________________________________________40DETAILS___________________________________________________________________________41ROTATION__________________________________________________________________________42

GAME CHARACTERS______________________________________________________________43

OVERVIEW_________________________________________________________________________43UNIQUE CHARACTERS________________________________________________________________43GENERIC UNIT GENERATION___________________________________________________________43

ENEMIES__________________________________________________________________________44

ENEMY GENERATION_________________________________________________________________44BATTLE GROUPS____________________________________________________________________44ENEMY LIST________________________________________________________________________45MINIBOSSES________________________________________________________________________46FINAL BOSS________________________________________________________________________46

THE GAME WORLD_______________________________________________________________47

OVERVIEW_________________________________________________________________________47BATTLE GRID_______________________________________________________________________47

MULTIPLAYER____________________________________________________________________49

Michel McBride-Charpentier 4/8/2023The Irrational Tenth


OVERVIEW_________________________________________________________________________49GAME OPTIONS_____________________________________________________________________49BATTLE SETUP______________________________________________________________________49PLAY______________________________________________________________________________50GAME TYPES_______________________________________________________________________50

GAME HELP_______________________________________________________________________51

MUSIC AND SOUND EFFECTS____________________________________________________52

SOUND DESIGN OVERVIEW____________________________________________________________52SOUND EFFECTS____________________________________________________________________52MUSIC_____________________________________________________________________________52

APPENDICES______________________________________________________________________53

APPENDIX A: RESOURCES AND RESEARCH_______________________________________________53APPENDIX B: COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS___________________________________________________54APPENDIX D: ITEMS__________________________________________________________________57APPENDIX F: GAME INTERFACE – MENUS________________________________________________59Appendix G: Game Interface – Wireframes________________________________________61



Design HistoryThis is a brief explanation of the history of this document. Each version of this

document is based on when a document is released for feedback/review, or major changes/additions have been made.

Version 1.00August 3, 2010

Initial pass at design.

Version 1.1August 17, 2010

Updated Common Questions Added Competitive Analysis Appendix Added Music and Sound Effects Added Victory Conditions Added Rewards Added Flow Charts Appendix Updated World Map details Added The Game World/Battle Grid Added Beat Chart Added Game Characters Updated Character Classes with XP and level up details Added Movement Added Combat Added Appendix D: Items Added Enemies Added Screen Wireframes Added Battle Setup Phase Added Command Menu Added Multiplayer Added Game Help

Version 1.2 Added reference photos to Character Classes and Customization Updated Enemy List with Falcon and Sand Cobra Updated Combat System with Unconscious Unit details Added Game Loop Overview

Version 1.3 Various minor clarifications and corrections Rearranged some sections

Game Overview



High Concept"Revolt in the Desert"

In this isometric, turn-based strategy game the Arab Revolt led by T. E. Lawrence is re-imagined with mythological beings and powers on the side of both the friendly Arab rebels and the enemy Ottoman Empire. Levels are laid out as a grid and battles are fought by giving movement and attack orders to a small group of soldiers in an attempt to satisfy one of several types of victory conditions. By winning battles you gain experience points and powerful items for your characters that will allow you to eventually liberate the capital city Damascus and win the war.

Philosophy

A Fantasy World Like No Other

The Irrational Tenth rejects all orcs and elves and other Tolkien-inspired imagery in order to present a truly original and fleshed out fantasy world. One of the most fascinating true stories of the First World War and elements of Arabian mythology and folktale are combined to create an alternate history world that players will want to immerse themselves in.

Easy to Pick Up, Hard to Put Down

Levels are designed to last 10-15 minutes so that a large time commitment is not necessary to pick up the game and see some progress. However, as anyone who has become engrossed in a turn-based game knows, the recurring thought of “one more turn” can often add hours on to what was intended to be a short play session. This design philosophy is not about creating an addictive game based around shallow rewards, but one where the gameplay and unfolding narrative is so compelling that players will always want to see what’s going to happen next.

Genre and Platform: A Perfect Match

The iPad’s portability, relatively large display area, and touch interface makes it the ideal platform for turn-based games that revolve around selecting points and menu items as opposed to continuous analog control. In the next few years the iPad is going to attract an increasing number of these kinds of games (see Competitive Analysis), as well as an increasingly large install base. Designed with the iPad in mind from square one, this game will get in on the ground floor of this emerging market and serve as a benchmark for how touch controls can be done properly with games that have a bit more depth of interaction than the typical casual App Store game.



Common Questions

What is the game?

The Irrational Tenth is an isometric, tactical RPG influenced by roguelike games, in that each level is procedurally generated and when characters die they stay dead. You control a group of characters that gain experience through combat and can be equipped with armour and weapons. Combat is turn-based and on a grid, putting the player's focus on thoughtful positioning and team management. Each character also has a special ability that activates a WarioWare-style microgame that tests the player's twitch skills and provides a kind of gameplay pacing that is not found in the traditional tactics RPG.

What's a "microgame"?

A microgame is a short 3 second game with exactly one goal that tests the player's reflexes. See the Special Ability Microgames feature section for more info.

What do I control/ Who Am I?

You control a group of soldiers based on the British/Arab army that T.E. Lawrence is famous for leading in the First World War. The player takes on the role of an omnipotent general personally directing each character on the battle grid, but is personified in-game as the T.E. Lawrence-inspired leader. In the alternate history of the Irrational Tenth Arabian folktale and myth is real, so you can recruit wizards and mythical beasts and spirits in addition to normal Bedouin soldiers.

What is the premise/story?

The year is 1916 and the British Empire has sent one of their officers to aid the Arabs in starting and winning their revolt against the oppressive Ottoman Empire. The ultimate goal is to liberate the capital city of Damascus, but the Turkish army stands in the way and a series of battles must first be fought across the desert.

How many characters do I control?

You control between [1 and 6] characters in any given level. You can have [16] characters in your army pool from which to draw upon when setting up at the beginning of a level. There are far more than 16 unique characters possible, however, as they can be dismissed or killed and new ones randomly generated and recruited.

Where does the game take place?

The game is set all over the Arabian peninsula during the First World War. It is an alternate history where magic exists and Arabian myth comes to life. Levels will take place in a variety of environments including cities, villages, oases, rocky canyons, sand seas/dunes, and more.

What are the Goals/Objectives of the game?



Long Term Travel to and liberate the capital city of Damascus Defeat the city's garrison, made up of the game's toughest enemies

Mid-Term Recruit units to serve in your army Acquire experience and equipment for your units

Short Term Satisfy the victory condition(s) in individual battles Kill enemies without losing units of your own

What is the main focus?

The main focus is on achieving the victory conditions of the turn-based, self-contained levels. Players will manipulate their chosen characters one at a time in order to defeat the enemy army, or otherwise satisfy the victory condition. The focus is therefore on the tactics of tactics RPG —Positioning, attacking, defending, etc. Character customization and party management is also an important, but secondary, focus.

What’s different?

Characters and levels are procedurally generated in a roguelike fashion, meaning no two games are exactly alike and replaying the game over and over will always provide something new to be learned or experienced. The battle system also incorporates microgames which serve to break up the mental gameplay of the tactical grid battles with brief twitch-based challenges.

What does the title mean?

It's from an essay about the Arab Revolt that T.E. Lawrence wrote in 1920:

"Nine-tenths of tactics are certain, and taught in books: but the irrational tenth is like the kingfisher flashing across the pool, and that is the test of generals."

It seemed appropriate because the game is based on the Arab Revolt, it is a "tactics" game, and these tactics are "irrational" because they involve magic powers and mythical beings from Arabian mythology.

What's a "roguelike"?

Roguelikes are a sub-genre of games based on the old dungeon crawler RPG Rogue. It is known for being the first game to procedurally generate almost all the game content and have permanent player character death that can't be prevented by loading a saved game. Games such as The Irrational Tenth that are influenced by roguelikes share these fundamental features.

Feature Set



Feature HighlightsThese are the main features that distinguish the game from others in the

same genre, listed in order of priority.

Movement and Line of SightTile height and line of sight rules provide a tactical advantage in acquiring

“the high ground.” However, these also allow for certain blind spots which units on low ground can take advantage of. Deciding how to take advantage of the terrain in various combat situations is just as important as having favourable unit stats. Weaker units can, in fact, win battles through better positioning.

Special Ability MicrogamesEach unit has a special ability unique to each unit type that will activate a

twitch-based microgame that lasts 3 seconds. Each special ability will have several microgame variants. If the player successfully performs the stated action within the 3 seconds then a bonus will be given to the special ability.

Character Classes and CustomizationThere are five classes that determine a unit's base stats and equipment

restrictions. There is variety in stats and appearance within classes, so no two units are identical or even necessarily useful in the same way. Units in the player's army can be customized with armour/clothing, weapons, and various other items. These are received as rewards for winning battles and killing certain enemies. Equipping these items will alter the unit’s appearance in the game in addition to providing various stat bonuses.

Ability FocusEach unit is able to focus on a specific action or ability (ie. movement, attack,

defense, range, etc) for a small additional bonus. The more units the player has focusing on the same action within a certain range, the larger the bonus will be. It takes a full turn to switch focus.

Magic SystemSome units can use magic spells for combat or support. More powerful spells

aren't learned by gaining experience, but by having more units focus on "magic". There are three schools of magic: Attack, Support, and Summon. Magic-using units are limited to using just one of the schools.

World MapBetween battles the player has the freedom to move across the world map.

This serves as a "mission select" as there are optional levels that the player can choose to play and no predetermined path that must be taken to reach Damascus.



Game Loop Overview

World Map Phase Party Management

o View unit statso Equip items

Mission Select/Travelo View info on different destinationso Travel to destination and begin battle

Battle Phase Battle setup

o Victory condition is revealedo Place units in starting positiono View enemy unit types and location

Battleo Give orders to units (Attack, Move, cast spell, etc)o Each unit has one turn in which they are given

orders and perform the action.o After every unit on the battle grid has had a turn,

including enemies, the round endso New round startso Repeat until victory condition is met or failed.o Rewards of XP and items are given, return to

World Map Phase and repeat.

See the Gameplay Walkthrough section for a more detailed breakdown of the game flow.



MovementWhen the player selects the Move action from the Command Menu, the tiles

that are available to move to are highlighted directly on the grid. The player selects a destination tile and the unit will move there, taking the shortest path.

A unit may move once per turn. It can only move to tiles that: Are not "impassable" (see Battle Grid - Tiles) Fall within the range of the unit's Movement Stat. Are not occupied by another unit or enemy.

Movement Possibility Diagram

The above diagram illustrates how a unit's "legal moves" are calculated. X is the unit with a Movement Stat of 4 The black tile is impassable The striped tile has a Movement Value of 2 Every other tile has a Movement Value of 1 White = Height 0 Light Grey = Height 1 Dark Grey = Height 2 Yellow Dots = Legal Moves

Movement RangeMovement range is determined by comparing the unit's movement stat with

the movement values of the tiles around it. With a Movement of 4, the unit can move a maximum of 4 tiles with the default value of 1, or 2 tiles with a value of 2, etc.

Tile HeightIf the height difference between tiles is greater than 1 the unit cannot move

there, or must take a path that goes along tiles that transition in steps of 1. In the diagram you can see how the unit's movement "south" is limited because of the height difference in tiles. In order to move down, the unit must first move to the light grey intermediary step.Flying Units ignore all limitations but cannot "land" on impassable tiles.



Combat System

Overview

Damage is calculated in the following way:

[Base Attack Power] + [Equipment Bonus] - [Target Defense] + [Random Range(-5, 5)]

The result is subtracted from the target's HP. If HP is <= 0 on an AI unit it is killed. If HP is <= 0 on one of the player's units it is knocked unconscious. A

subsequent attack of any damage will permanently kill it Unconscious units have no turns and can perform no action. Another unit

must use an item or spell to revive them. If they are not revived by the end of the battle their fate is determined by the

battle result.o If the battle ends in defeat: All unconscious units are permanently

killed and removed from the player's army.o If the battle ends in victory: All unconscious units remain in the

player's army but must sit out the next [1] battle.

Melee

X is a melee unit with an Attack Range of 1.

White Tile = Height 0 Light Grey = Height 1 Dark Grey = Height 2

Melee Attack Range

When the attack action is selected from the Command Menu the player is able to choose an enemy unit on a neighbouring tile. Melee units cannot attack diagonally.

As the above diagram demonstrates, a unit cannot attack an enemy standing on a tile with a height difference of more than 1.



Combat System (Cont'd)

Ranged Basics

Ranged Attacks use basic line of sight. Can attack diagonally If a unit had an Attack Range of 4, its effective range would be a box

surrounding it that is 9x9 tiles (4 tiles in each direction, plus diagonals)

Ranged Elevated Ground

Range 2 Unit on Elevated Ground

Any unit on the lower ground 2 tiles below the attacker cannot be reached. This "safe" area is only for the tiles directly next to the higher ones. If the attacking unit's range was 3 it would be able to hit units 3 tiles to the

south.

Range 3 Unit on Elevated Ground



Combat System - Ranged (Cont'd)

Ranged Elevated Edge

The safe area detailed on the previous page is not applicable if the attacking unit is 1 tile away from the lower ground (on the edge of the elevated ground

Standing on the edge therefore allows the unit to attack any enemy within range without restriction

Ranged Unit on Elevated Edge




Ranged Lower Ground

A ranged unit on lower ground next to a higher tile can attack targets on the elevated edge, but nothing past that.

In the below diagram, even if the unit's range were 5, it would not be able to "see" beyond the elevated edge.

Range 2 Unit on Lower Ground

The following diagram shows a unit with Range 3 on lower ground. Because it is not immediately next to the higher tile, it can attack enemies

beyond the edge.

Range 3 Unit on Lower Ground




More Line of Sight Rules

Range 4 Unit with tiles of different heights

Y = Range 4 Unit White Tile = Height 0 Light Grey = Height 1 Med Grey = Height 2 Dark Grey = Height 3

The diagram shows how tiles can block a unit's line of sight. Despite having a range of 4, the unit cannot attack the tile on the far left because it is Height 0 an there is a Height 2 tile in the way.

The right side of the diagram shows that even though the Height 2 tile prevents the unit from attacking an enemy on Height 0, an even further Height 2 tile can still be reached.

The top of the diagram has a Height 3 tile that blocks the unit from attacking anything on the Height 1 tile behind it.



Special Ability MicrogamesEach class has a special ability which only succeeds if the player wins a 3

second long microgame. It takes two full turns for the special ability to recharge and be available to use.

The Special Ability action is activated from a unit’s Command Menu.

Class Special Ability On Success On Fail

Swordsman

Flurry Attack The damage of three normal attacks

Attack misses and the target enemy gets an

immediate free counter-attack

Rifleman SnipeDouble range and

damage of two normal attacks

Attack misses and Rifleman cannot attack

next turn

Assassin Sneak AttackDamage ignores

target Defense rating

Attack misses and Assassin Movement stat is halved

next turn

Wizard Mirage

Two duplicate illusions of the wizard are created until the

casting unit's next turn

A random enemy is given two illusions that last until

the wizard's next turn

Holy Man MeditateMagic power is

doubled on casting unit's next turn

Holy Man cannot use magic next turn

Using a special ability randomly selects one of three different microgames. Each enemy unit has art to be used in the microgames where an opponent appears. There is a 3 second timer along the bottom of the screen that counts down from 3 to 0. The only instructions given are the action required (Slice! Dodge!, etc) for 2 seconds before the timer countdown begins.

MeditateMicrogame Description Gesture

Combine!

There are three points of coloured light randomly distributed: a yellow, blue and green. The player must pinch the yellow

and blue points together to create a green, then pinch the two greens

together.

Pinch

Avoid!

8 points of coloured light move around the screen in a random pattern. The

player must drag a white point of light from a crystal on the left side of the

screen to the hand on the right without touching any of the coloured ones.

Drag

Wait! The same setup as Avoid! but the player must not touch the screen at all.

Do Nothing



Special Ability Microgames (Cont’d)

Flurry AttackMicrogame Description Gesture

Slice!

A dotted line appears on the screen, along which the player must swipe

their finger. A sword follows the path. It lasts 1 second, after which another one in a different location appears,

and then a third final one after that. If the player fails to swipe any of the

dotted lines they fail. The dotted lines appear in random locations.

Swipe

Dodge!

The player must swipe up, down, left, or right, depending on the angle of attack coming from the opponent.

The opponent makes the attack move at a random time during the 3 second length of the microgame. If the player

dodges in the wrong direction or before the opponent makes their

attack move, they fail.

Swipe

Rotate!

Two curved dotted lines appear, forming opposite quarters of an

invisible circle 400 pixels wide. They must be simultaneously touched and traced out with the player’s fingers.

Two-Finger Rotate

SnipeMicrogame Description Gesture

Zoom!

A tiny silhouette appears at a random location. The player must reverse

pinch that exact location to zoom in before the 3 second timer runs out. Zooming in at the correct location

reveals the opponent.

Reverse Pinch

Target!

Targeting sights waver in random directions around a central point and the player must drag to readjust and steady the aim. If not on target at the end of the 3 seconds, the player fails.

Drag

Unjam!

The bolt on the side of a rifle is jammed and the player must quickly drag back and forth on it 10 times in

3 seconds.

Drag back and forth quickly



Special Ability Microgames (Cont’d)

Sneak AttackMicrogame Description Gesture

Reflect!

Sunlight is reflecting from a mirror into an angle-appropriate direction. The player must drag the mirror so the reflecting beam of sunlight hits the eyes of the

opponent.

Drag

Hold and Release!

The player’s assassin unit and opponent appear on the screen. The player must

touch and hold the assassin and release in the 1 second window when the opponent

shifts from guarded to relaxed. This window of opportunity occurs randomly

within the 3 seconds.

Touch and Hold

Stab!

The assassin appears on the left of the screen and the opponent on the right. The player must tap anywhere 15 times. Each

tap moves the assassin closer to the opponent until reaching him.

Tap Repeatedly

MirageMicrogame Description Gesture

Touch All!

Five points of magic light appear randomly on the screen. The player must touch all of them at the same time before

the 3 second timer runs out.

Multiple Touch

Separate!

Two points of magic light appear together in a random location on the screen. One is

yellow and one is blue. Two open hands are on the left and right sides of the

screen with a coloured ring on each hand. Which ring is blue and which yellow is

random. The two points of light must be swiped, or flicked, onto the hands before

the timer runs out.

Two Swipes

Catch!

A green point of magic light appears randomly on the screen. The same hands as in Separate! must be brought to the

green point by swiping them there.

Two Swipes



Character Classes and Customization There are five character classes that determine a unit's stats and equipment

restrictions.

Recruitable units are randomly assigned a class when generated (see Game Characters - Generic Unit Generation).

The Swordsman is a powerful "tank" that fights with a variety of melee weapons up close.

The Rifleman can only use guns and is a bit easier to kill than the swordsman. He can hold his own in close-combat by using his rifle as a club or with a bayonet, but is best when attacking from a distance.

The Assassin has the strongest close-combat attacks but dies easily. He has the highest Movement skill to make up for his low HP and Defense.

The Wizard has a medium range for his spells, but they are extremely powerful and can turn the tide of battle. He is extremely weak and his melee attack should only be used as a last resort.

The Holy Man is similar to the Wizard but can use Support Magic in place of the Wizard's Attack Magic.

Class Armour Weapon Restrictions Magic Schools

Swordsman

Up to Heavy 1 and 2-handed melee only —

Rifleman Up to Medium Rifles only —

Assassin Up to Light 1-handed melee only —

Wizard Clothing Only Staves Only Attack and Summon

Holy Man Clothing Only Staves Only Summon and Support

The class base skill values are modified by various spells and equipped items. See Appendix D: Items for detailed charts.

Class Base Skill Values (randomly initialized from range)

HP Movement

Defense Attack Magic Range

Swordsman

45-60

3-4 10-15 5-10 — 1

Rifleman 30-40

3-4 10-15 5-10 — 4-6

Assassin 30-40

4-5 5-10 10-15 — 1

Wizard 15-25

2-3 1-5 1-5 10-20 3-5

Holy Man 15-25

2-3 1-5 1-5 10-20 3-5



Character Classes and Customization (Cont'd)

Each unit has four equipment slots: Armour, Weapon, Misc, and Usable Item. All items fall into one of these four categories (see Appendix D: Items).

A unit's appearance in-game changes based on the kind of Armour and Weapon equipped. The Misc and Usable Items do not have any visual effect on the unit.

Each unit begins with a default Armour and Weapon based on their character class, but no Misc or Usable items. The base appearance of a unit (when no armour is equipped) is a traditional thawb robe with kufeya headwear, in a variety of colours and patterns (see Middle East Clothing Glossary in Appendix A: Resources and Research).

T.E. Lawrence in traditionalArabian dress

Khanjar Dagger



Character Classes and Customization (Cont'd)

Class Default Armour Default Weapon

Swordsman

Breastplate Bedouin Sword

Rifleman Leather Coat GEW 88 Rifle

Assassin Goat Hair Coat Khanjar (dagger)

Wizard Bisht(Cloak)

Walking Stick

Holy Man Bisht Walking Stick

Items can only be equipped on units through the Party Management screen (shown below) accessed from the World Map (see World Map Phase). Once in a battle, equipment cannot be added or removed from units.

1. Portrait of currently selected unit

2. Unit Name, Class, and stats

3. Currently equipped items and also buttons for choosing new equipment

4. Portraits of other units in player’s army in “Cover Flow” arrangement. Swipe to centre on new unit and tap to select.

5. Button: Close Party Management and go to World Map

Usable Items can only be used from the Command Menu in battle.

If a unit dies in battle every item it was wearing is lost and not returned to the player's pool of items.

XP and Leveling UpLevel XP Required

(total)Stat Adjustment

1 — Base stats2 50 [1-6] HP, [1-3] Defense, [1-3] Attack, [1-3] Magic3 100 [1-6] HP, [1-3] Defense, [1-3] Attack, [1-3] Magic4 200 [2-6] HP, [1-3] Defense, [1-3] Attack, [1-3] Magic



5 350 [2-6] HP, [2-3] Defense, [2-3] Attack, [2-3] Magic6 550 [3-6] HP, [2-3] Defense, [2-3] Attack, [2-3] Magic7 800 [3-6] HP, [2-3] Defense, [2-3] Attack, [2-3] Magic8 1100 [4-6] HP, [3] Defense, [3] Attack, [3] Magic9 1450 [4-6] HP, [3] Defense, [3] Attack, [3] Magic10 1850 [5-6] HP, [4] Defense, [4] Attack, [4] Magic

The XP reward for each enemy is detailed in the Enemies section.

Magic is only increased upon leveling up if the unit is a Wizard or Holy Man class.



Ability Focus The intent of the focus system is to allow units to become stronger in one

specific skill together, but with a penalty to an opposing skill. The following charts show the variables that will modify unit skills for each focus type: Movement, Defense, Attack, Magic, and Range.

MOVEMENT FOCUSStat Stat modification by size of group with same, unbroken focus

1 (base) 2 3 4 5 6+

Movement +1 +2 +4 +6 +8 +10

Defense — — — — — —

Attack — — — — — —

Magic — — — — — —

Range — -1 -2 -3 -4 -5

DEFENSE FOCUSStat Stat modification by size of group with same, unbroken focus

1 (base) 2 3 4 5 6+

Movement — -1 -2 -3 -4 -5

Defense +1 +2 +4 +6 +8 +10

Attack — — — — — —

Magic — — — — — —

Range — — — — — —

ATTACK FOCUSStat Stat modification by size of group with same, unbroken focus

1 (base) 2 3 4 5 6+

Movement — — — — — —

Defense — -1 -2 -3 -4 -5

Attack +1 +2 +4 +6 +8 +10

Magic — — — — — —

Range — — — — — —



Ability Focus (Cont'd)

MAGIC FOCUSStat Stat modification by size of group with same, unbroken focus

1 (base) 2 3 4 5 6+


Defense — — — — — —

Attack — -1 -2 -3 -4 -5

Magic +1 +2 +4 +6 +8 +10

Range — — — — — —

RANGE FOCUSStat Stat modification by size of group with same, unbroken focus

1 (base) 2 3 4 5 6+


Defense — — — — — —

Attack — -1 -2 -3 -4 -5

Magic — — — — — —

Range +1 +2 +4 +6 +8 +10

Each unit's focus is initially set during the Battle Setup Phase. Unit's can choose any of the five focus skills, regardless of character class. It can only be changed at the beginning of a unit's turn, before any other action has been performed. Doing so will immediately end that unit's turn.

The currently activated focus is displayed in Unit Info (Appendix F: Game Interface – Menus). The skill number that has been increased by the focus is green and the skill being reduced is red.



Ability Focus (Cont'd)

For a unit to be considered in a group with an allied unit with the same focus they must be no more than 4 tiles away from each other.

Distance between units on a grid

In the above diagram example units are represented by numbers. The black numbers have an Attack Focus and the red 4 has a Magic Focus. Units 1, 2, and 3 form an unbroken chain because there are no more than 3 tiles between them. Note that 1 and 3 are not connected directly because tiles are not counted diagonally. Units 1-3 therefore each have an attack bonus of +4 and defense penalty of -2. The chain is broken by unit 4, which has a different focus than the others. Units 5 and 6 form their own focus group with an attack bonus of +2 and defense penalty of -1. If unit 4 were to change to an Attack Focus on its next turn, the entire group would be connected and receive the maximum bonus.



Magic System Magic spells are separated into three schools of magic: Attack, Summon, and

Support. There are 6 unique spells per school, cast from the Command Menu. As described in Character Class and Customization the Wizard class can use Attack or Summon and the Holy Man class can use Summon or Support.

The unit's school of magic is selected on the Party Management screen during the World Map Phase. It cannot be changed during a battle. A Wizard or Holy Man can only have one school of magic active at a time.

The type of spells available to the unit is determined by the number of units with a Magic Focus in its group (see Ability Focus). The more units in the group, the more spells are unlocked. For example, if a Wizard of the Attack School is in a group with 2 other units with Magic Focus then that wizard will have access to the twister, blind, and ignite spells.

It is not necessary for a Wizard or Holy Man to have a Magic Focus, but they will not be able to cast any spell without it. A change of focus may be a necessary temporary sacrifice in order to improve the Attack or Defense stats of other units.

Magic Spells by number of units in group with Magic Focus

1 (base)

2 3 4 5 6+

Attack Ignite Blind Twister Quicksand

Earthquake

Sandstorm

Summon Falcon Sand Cobra

Skeleton

Ghoul Ifrit Marid

Support Heal Protect Heal All Protect All Revive Bonus Turn

Ifrit (Fire Djinn) concept. The Marid is a Water Djinn.



Magic System (Cont'd)

Attack SpellsSpell Name Target Effect Damage Formula

IgniteSingle Enemy

Target is engulfed in flames and loses HP

HP lost = ([Magic Skill] + 10 - ([Target Magic

Skill]/2))

Blind Single Enemy

Target is blinded for its next turn and has reduced

attack accuracy

% chance of missing next attack = 60 +

Magic Skill - ([Target Magic Skill]/2)

Twister Any Tile

A twister appears on the targeted tile and remains

until the casting unit's next turn. It moves to an

adjacent tile every time a unit, friendly or enemy,

ends a turn, doing damage to any unit occupying the

space.

HP lost = ([Magic Skill] + 15)

Quicksand Any Tile

The targeted tile and four adjacent ones turn to

quicksand for a set number of turns. Any units on those tiles are unable to move for

the duration.

Number of Turns = ([Magic Skill]/3) rounded

Earthquake Any TileThe targeted tile and those in a 4 tile radius shake and

cause damage to units.

HP lost = ([Magic Skill] + 10)

Sandstorm None

A sandstorm occurs over the entire level and lasts

until the casting unit's next turn. It causes damage to enemies and has a chance

of blinding them every turn.

HP lost (each time a unit ends a turn) = ([Magic

Skill]/2

Blind Chance % (each time a unit ends a turn)

= [Magic Skill]



Magic System (Cont'd)

Summon SpellsSpell Name Target Effect Formula

Falcon Empty Tile

A Falcon unit temporarily joins the player's team and

can be given Move and Attack commands.

Turns Available = ((Focus Level - 1) + 1) *

[Number of Enemies]

Sand Cobra Empty Tile

A Sand Cobra unit temporarily joins the

player's team and can be given Move and Attack

commands.

Turns = (([Focus Level] - 2) + 1) * [Number of

Enemies]

Skeleton Empty Tile

A Skeleton unit temporarily joins the player's team and



Enemies]

Ghoul Empty Tile

A Ghoul unit temporarily joins the player's team and



Enemies]

Ifrit Empty Tile

An Ifrit unit temporarily joins the player's team and

can be given Move and Attack and Magic

commands.


Enemies]

Marid Empty Tile

A Marid unit temporarily joins the player's team and

can be given Move and Attack and Magic

commands.


Enemies]

Support SpellsSpell Name Target Effect Formula

Heal Ally UnitThe targeted unit's HP is

replenished a certain amount

HP Added = [Magic Skill] * (([Focus Level] - 1) +

1)

Protect Ally UnitThe targeted unit's

Defense skill is temporarily increased

Defense Skill Added = 5 + (([Focus Level] - 2) +

1) * 2

Heal All NoneAll allied units have their HP replenished a certain

amount

HP Added = [Magic Skill] * (([Focus Level] - 3) +

1)

Protect All NoneAll allied units have their Defense skill temporarily

increased

Defense Skill Added = 5 + (([Focus Level] - 2) +

1) * 2

ReviveDead Ally

Unit

Dead unit is revived on tile where killed with a low

amount of HP

Amount of HP to restore = [Magic Skill]/2

Bonus Turn Ally Unit Targeted unit is given an extra turn

None



World Map The world map shows the player's progress from the south towards Damascus

(ultimate destination and goal) and allows players to choose their path. The following map is representative of the area of the world that will be displayed:

Example of what the World Map screen will look like

Presentation

The full map is twice as long as it is wide, so the player can scroll by touching and dragging like one would normally scroll through text or a large image on the iPad. The blank desert area in the top right of the map is where the menu will appear that allows players to access Party Management or view details about selected points of interest (see Appendix G: Game Interface Wireframes).

The player begins in the southern city of Rabegh and the current position is marked by a small icon.

The initial state of the map shows only terrain and the names of major cities.

Fog of War

All places that can be selected on the map and traveled to (cities, villages, oases, etc) are called points of interest (POI) and are initially obscured by a fog of war.

The fog of war is permanently lifted in a "40 mile" radius (see example map scale for an approximation) around the player's current location. This radius is a tunable variable.



World Map (Cont'd)

Travel

The player can travel to any point of interest that has been revealed (see User Interface - Controls).

A dotted red line is drawn behind the player icon as it moves from one Point of Interest (POI) to another. If the player has already traveled between those two locations no new line is drawn.

The speed at which the player icon moves across the map is a tunable variable. In the example scale it would take 3 seconds to travel 20 miles.

Waypoints

A series of invisible waypoints are automatically generated if the player selects a destination that is nearer to a previously visited location than the player's current location. The main rule for waypoints is that the player icon will travel along existing paths (dotted lines) until it reaches the POI closest to the destination, at which point it will move to the final destination and create a dotted line if necessary.

Variable Tuning Value

Sight Radius(for fog of war)

100 pixels

Travel Speed Approx. 20 pixels a second



World Map (Cont'd)

Map Generation

Major Cities

There are 12 major cities that are visible on the unexplored map and not affected by fog of war. Their position remains constant in each new game and they use the City terrain tileset theme.

World Map Reference showing 12 unique areas as well as major city

names and locations.



World Map - Map Generation (Cont'd)

Points of Interest

[48] Points of Interest (POI) are randomly generated at the beginning of the game to "fill in" the World Map. There are 12 Areas that are made up of 1 City and 4 POIs. These areas have variables that determine the difficulty of the battles that take place in them as well as how POIs are generated. Areas are not visible to the player on the world map.

AreaTileset %

DifficultyVillage Desert Rocky

Rabegh [25%] [50%] [25%] 1Yenbo [50%] [25%] [25%] 1Medina [30%] [40%] [30%] 1Wejh [40%] [30%] [30%] 1Tebuk [25%] [75%] [0%] 2Akaba [30%] [50%] [20%] 2Maau [50%] [40%] [10%] 2Jauf [25%] [75%] [0%] 2Azdak [60%] [20%] [20%] 3Amnan [70%] [0%] [30%] 3Deraa [70%] [10%] [20%] 3Damascus [80%] [0%] [20%] 3

The min and max distance between POIs that determines map "density" are also tunable values.

POI names are drawn from a master list of place names(Appendix of names to be added after graduation).

2 randomly selected POIs in each Area will spawn a recruitable unit after the player wins the battle there (see Game Characters - Generic Unit Generation).



Gameplay Details

User Interface - Controls

Overview

As an iPad game, it uses context-sensitive touch input. There are three main categories of interface elements: Menu Buttons, Units, and Tiles. The rule is double tap brings up an “Info” window and single taps are used for text menu buttons.

The menus and GUI elements that allow the player to give orders to units can be viewed in Appendix F: Game Interface – Menus.

Menu Buttons These include menu items and GUI buttons such as “Close”. Tap once to activate

Units Double tap any friendly or enemy unit to bring up its Info Window. Double tapping the unit whose current turn it is will bring up the Command

Menu.

Tiles Double tap any tile (grid space) to bring up the Terrain Info box. It can be

closed by tapping the “Close” button.

Moving the Camera Drag at any angle and release. The camera will move in the opposite direction

of the finger, as is standard in all iOS apps with a drag function (text with scrollbars, maps, etc).

Dragging will have no effect when the camera reaches its boundary as described in Camera - Details.

Rotating the Game View A two-finger horizontal swipe to the left or right will orbit the camera 90 ° (see

Camera – Rotation). Swiping to the left will rotate counter-clockwise and swiping right rotates

clockwise (in terms of compass directions)



Battle Setup Phase

Overview

Before the battle begins the player must choose and place units on the grid. It is possible to view the layout of the grid and see the enemy types and positions, but not their stats.

Viewing Units

The stats of every unit in the player’s army can be viewed. Scrolling through all available units is done in a similar way as on the Party Management screen (see Appendix G: Menu Wireframes)

The Grid

The camera can be moved around the grid normally (see Camera section), but the game is “paused” and the AI is not activated yet. The enemy units are visible.

A starting area consisting of highlighted tiles indicates where players may place their units. It is [3] tiles deep by [6] long and is positioned along an edge of the grid. A similar starting area within which enemy units are placed exists along the opposite edge. The position of the starting areas along their respective edges is randomly determined.

Placing Units

Units have restrictions on where they can be placed. They cannot be placed on impassable tiles and must be within the player’s starting area.

Drag the unit portrait from the viewing area to a valid tile on the battle grid. To remove a unit from the grid drag it back to the viewing area. Continue placing units until the maximum number of allowed units is reached Press the Ready button to end the Setup Phase and begin the Battle Phase.

See Appendix G: Wireframes for a mockup of a Battle Setup Phase screen.



Command Menu

Overview

The Command Menu appears when a player unit is selected on the battle grid on its turn. It can be moved around the screen by dragging it from its menu edge.

Move

Move the unit to another tile See Movement section

Attack

Order the unit to attack an enemy See Combat System section

Magic

Order the unit to cast a spell Only available if unit is a magic-using class See Magic System section

Item

Order the unit to use an item on itself or an ally Only available if the player has a Usable Item See Appendix D: Items - Usable

Special Ability

Order the unit to perform its special ability See Special Ability Microgames section

Change Focus

Change the unit's Focus Must be first action performed on unit's turn Not available after the unit performs an action See Ability Focus section

End Turn

Ends the unit's turn



Victory Conditions Each battle has a randomly assigned victory condition. The levels ends

immediately after this condition has been met.

Primary Goal DescriptionKill All Enemies Every enemy unit on the grid must be killed.Kill [Specific Enemy] A single, powerful boss unit must be killed. Survive [X] Turns The player must survive waves of very strong enemies for

a certain number of turns (between 30-50, these upper and lower limits being tunable values)

Reach Area The player must move all their units to an area along the opposite edge of the grid from which they start. This area is [5] tiles wide along the edge and [2] tiles deep. Its location along the edge is randomly determined during level generation.

Each level has a [50%] chance of also having a bonus goal. These goals are completely optional but provide an additional reward if completed.

Bonus Goal DescriptionDon't Use Magic No player units must use magicFinish Before Turn [X] Complete the victory condition before a certain number of

turns. Never appears with victory condition Survive [X] Turns.

Don't Use Items No player units must use itemsDon't Use Special Abilities

No player units must use a special ability

Don't Lose Consciousness

No player units must be knocked unconscious

Don't Lose Any Unit No player units must be killed

RewardsReward Items are flagged as such (see Appendix D: Items) and one is

randomly chosen when goals have been completed. Campaign Rewards are given in the World Map Phase when [2-4] battles have been won in a row.

Primary Goal Rewards Armour Weapon Usable Item

Bonus Goal Rewards Misc Item

Campaign Rewards Unlocks a new unit to recruit at last battle location Unique Item



Gameplay WalkthroughOverview

A walkthrough of the gameplay loop with actions that can be performed during each phase.

World Map Phase

Select Party Management Browse units in your army and view their stats Equip unit with an item in the Armour, Weapon, Misc, or Item equipment slots

if the player has items in global inventory. Close Party Management screen to return to World Map Select one of the visible destinations (points of interest) on the world map. If a unit is available to be recruited at this location you can select it to look at

its stats and recruit it to your army Select Travel button to move to that location or Back to choose a different

destination The player icon on the World Map will move along the map to the destination. Upon arriving the level will load

Battle Setup Phase

The victory condition and bonus goal for the level will be displayed until the player taps an OK button

The enemy units (just type, not stats) will be shown on the level grid Choose the units from your army that you wish to use in the battle and place

them one at a time within the starting area of the grid Press the Ready button when finished selecting and placing units to begin the

battle

Battle Phase

Select a unit and action from the command menu. Move: Select a tile to move to Attack: Select an enemy Magic: Select a spell and then a target friendly unit, enemy or tile Item: Select a target Special Ability: Select target then play microgame (see next sub-heading) Change Focus: Choose a new focus subject End Turn: Ends turn and begins turn of next unit or enemy in the queue Each unit may perform two actions (ie. Move and Attack, Move and Item,

Magic and Special Ability, etc) Change Focus may only be used at the beginning of a turn and automatically

ends it. Once every player unit has taken its turn the enemy units go through their

turns Repeat until victory condition is met or failed



Gameplay Walkthrough (Cont'd)

Microgame

View game instructions/goal Perform action within 3 second time limit If successful return to Battle Phase where special ability is activated If not successful, special ability is not activated and unit will automatically end

its turn

Results

The battle will end with a message proclaiming SUCCESS or DEFEAT depending on whether the victory condition has been met or not.

If there was a bonus goal, its result will be displayed. If the battle ended in defeat then return to the World Map If won, the reward item(s) will be shown before returning to the World Map

Repeat

Once back at the World Map repeat the above phases until reaching Damascus on the map and winning the battle there, at which point the game will end.



Beat Chart

Notes

There are 12 geographical areas composed of 5 levels each, for a total of 60 levels represented along the X-axis (see World Map - Map Generation)

Though progression appears relatively linear, the player actually has freedom to choose where to go next on the World Map. This chart represents ideal progression through each level of the game, but an actual gameplay experience may involve accidentally or intentionally going to areas that are too difficult and bypassing ones that are too easy.

"Excitement" is measured in terms of access to new equipment and items, more powerful units, more locations on the map to choose from, and more varied enemies.

The first level will be relatively easy but kick off with a bang (interesting units and enemies) to hook the player and show what they will encounter later on

One level in each area will contain a miniboss — this is the spike on the levels that are multiples of 5.



CameraOverview

The camera will provide an isometric bird’s eye view. It maintains a 5:4 aspect ratio at all times, so it will remain fixed when the iPad itself is rotated into portrait mode, but will flip “upside down” if the iPad is rotated 180°. The camera view can be dragged around to show different parts of the level or rotated around the grid to provide a different viewing angle.

Example of isometric bird’s eye camera

Summary

Frame Size 5:4 / 1024x768 (iPad Screen Resolution)

Amount of Visible Grid (camera height)

Corner-to-corner screen diagonal approximately equal to a row of 16 grid tiles

Player Manipulation ● Drag to Move● 90° Increment Grid Rotation



Details The amount of grid viewable within the camera frame (ie. camera distance

from the ground) is such that the x and y axes that intersect in the middle of the 16x16 grid fit precisely within the frame of the camera when centred on the grid origin point. See below diagram.

A level’s total possible viewable area is slightly larger than the rectangular area determined by the corners of the grid. The camera extents—or how far beyond the grid corners the camera can go before stopping—are determined by adding tunable variables for the left, right, top, and bottom that represent this extra distance.

A level’s total possible viewable area with the current view centered on grid origin.

Variable Tuning Value (pixels)

A : Left Margin 64

B : Right Margin 64

C : Top Margin 64

D: Bottom Margin 64



Rotation The grid can be viewed from 4 different angles at 90° increments. The player

can only rotate the camera 90° at a time in either direction, so switching to the opposite view will require two rotation commands (see User Interface – Controls). In the default view, the North side of the grid is in the top right.

The four viewing angles as represented by compass directions.

After receiving the rotation command, the camera will orbit the grid coordinates that its view is currently centred on. The length of time for the camera to smoothly orbit from its original position to the new viewing angle is 1.5 seconds.

Variable Tuning Value

Camera Orbit Speed [whatever lasts approx. 1.5s]



Game CharactersOverview

Many units the player encounters and recruits in the game are randomly generated, but a select few are given specific names and roles.

Unique Characters

Player Character (T.E. Lawrence)

The player character and a unit that can be used in battle If he dies the game is over Rifleman class Default Armour is the unique item British Army Uniform

Faisal and Abdullah

These two brothers are the player's allies and leaders of the Arab armies. Faisal appears during the Battle Setup Phase as a talking head and gives the

player the level's victory condition (see Victory Conditions). Abdullah gives the player information about the various points of interest on

the World Map (see World Map - Points of Interest).

Fakhri Pasha

The leader of the Ottoman Army and final boss. The player fights him in the final battle at Damascus (see Enemies - Fakhri

Pasha).

Generic Unit Generation POIs occasionally spawn a unit that the player can recruit (see World Map -

Points of Interest). A Class is randomly chosen and the unit generated based on the stats given in

the class template (see Character Classes and Customization). A name is generated from the master list of character names. The level of the generated unit is equal to: T.E. Lawrence unit level [+ or

-] [1].



EnemiesEnemy Generation

Enemies are generated in the same way as player units (see chart on next page)

They are assigned a level and acquire all the stat bonuses appropriate for that level

See Character Classes and Customization for leveling rules, which are also applicable to enemies

They can either be 1 level below the player's main character, the same level as the player character, or 1 level higher.

Which level an enemy ends up being is determined by the difficulty of the area the player is currently in (see World Map - Points of Interest)

The following chart shows the chance that an enemy will spawn at the different levels for the three different difficulties.

Area Difficulty

[Player Level] - 1 [Player Level] [Player Level] + 1

1 [50%] [30%] [20%]2 [25%] [50%] [25%]3 [20%] [30%] [50%]

Battle GroupsEnemies are not spawned directly on to the battle grid, but into a Battle

Group. These groups restrict which units will appear together. Therefore, when a level is generated, a Battle Group is randomly selected and the appropriate enemies generated for it.

Name Enemy Types Number (random range)

Army Swordsman, Rifleman, Assassin

[4-8]

Army + Magic Swordsman, Rifleman, Assassin, Wizard, Holy Man

[4-8]

Mythological Ghoul, Skeleton, Rukh [6-12]Magic + Jinn Wizard, Holy Man, Fire

Djinn, Water Djinn, Earth Djinn, Air Djinn

[5-10]

Magic + Myth Wizard, Holy Man, Ghoul, Skeleton

[4-8]

Army + Myth Swordsman, Rifleman, Assassin, Ghoul, Skeleton

[5-10]

Jinn Fire Djinn, Water Djinn, Earth Djinn, Air Djinn

[3-6]



Enemies (cont'd)

Enemy List Class Base Skill Values (randomly initialized from

range)

HP Movement

Defense

Attack Magic Range

Turkish Swordsman 35-50 3-4 8-12 4-8 — 1

Turkish Rifleman 20-30 3-4 8-12 4-8 — 4-6

Turkish Assassin 20-30 4-5 4-8 8-12 — 1

Turkish Wizard 10-20 2-3 1-3 1-3 8-16 3-5

Turkish Holy Man 10-20 2-3 1-3 1-3 8-16 3-5

Falcon 10-15 4-6 — 5-10 — 3-5

Sand Cobra 10-15 2-3 — 5-10 — 1

Ghoul 45-60 1-3 4-8 5-10 — 1

Skeleton 30-40 3-4 — 4-8 — 1

Rukh 65-80 4-6 — 10-15 — 1

Ifrit (Fire Djinn) 50-65 3-4 4-8 8-12 10-20 1

Marid (Water Djinn) 50-65 3-4 4-8 8-12 10-20 1

Earth Djinn 35-50 2-3 3-6 10-15 10-20 3-5

Air Djinn 35-50 2-3 3-6 10-15 10-20 3-5

Class Special Ability XP RewardTurkish Swordsman

— [5]*[Player Level]

Turkish Rifleman — [5]*[Player Level]

Turkish Assassin — [6]*[Player Level]

Turkish Wizard Same magic available to player unit [4]*[Player Level]

Turkish Holy Man Same magic available to player unit [4]*[Player Level]

Falcon Flying Unit [1]*[PlayerLevel]

Sand Cobra [3-5] poison damage on targets turn until healed

[1]*[PlayerLevel]

Ghoul Restore 5HP every turn [6]*[Player Level]

Skeleton Come back to life with half HP after [8] rounds

[4]*[Player Level]



Rukh Flying Unit [7]*[Player Level]

Ifrit (Fire Djinn) Immune to Ignite; Casts Ignite on melee hit; Flying Unit

[6]*[Player Level]

Marid (Water Djinn)

Immune to Blind; Casts Blind on melee hit [6]*[Player Level]

Earth Djinn Immune to Earthquake and Quicksand; Casts both

[6]*[Player Level]

Air Djinn Immune to Twister and Sandstorm; Casts both; Flying Unit

[6]*[Player Level]



Enemies (Cont'd)

MinibossesThere are 11 minibosses—1 for each area of the game world. The 12th and

final boss is detailed in the next section.

Boss Area

Class Level Battle Group

XP Reward Item Reward

Rabegh Turkish Swordsman

Player Level + [4]

Army [8]*[Player Level]

Persian Sword

Yenbo Ghoul Player Level + [4]

Mythological [8]*[Player Level]

Ottoman Coat

Medina Earth Jinn Player Level + [4]

Jinn [8]*[Player Level]

Random Unique

Wejh Turkish Wizard

Player Level + [4]

Army + Magic

[8]*[Player Level]

Ancient Staff

Tebuk Skeleton Player Level + [4]

Mythological [8]*[Player Level]

Modern Breastplate

Akaba Water Jinn Player Level + [4]

Magic + Myth

[8]*[Player Level]

Random Unique

Maau Turkish Assassin

Player Level + [4]

Army + Myth

[8]*[Player Level]

Enchanted khanjar

Jauf Turkish Rifleman

Player Level + [4]


M1903 Springfield

Azdak Rukh Player Level + [4]


Random Unique

Amnan Fire Jinn Player Level + [4]

Army + Magic

[8]*[Player Level]

3 Potent Potions

Deraa Air Jinn Player Level + [4]

Magic + Myth

[8]*[Player Level]

3 Potent Potions

Final Boss The final boss is named Fakhri Pasha He is a hybrid unit of 3 classes: Rifleman, Swordsman, Holy Man He can switch between sword or rifle depending on if his target is near or far,

and cast Summon or Support magic at any time He is Level 10 He is accompanied by the Army + Magic Battle Group

Base Skill Values

HP Movement Defense Attack Magic Range

100 4 20 20 30 1 or 8



The Game WorldOverview

World Map

The World Map is detailed in the section Feature Details - World Map. During this generation phase each location is assigned a tileset that is used for actual grid generation.

Battle Grid

The Battle Grid is composed of 4 chunks of tiles that are created by level designers. These need to be designed in such a way that chunks of the same tileset can connect to each other so transitions are seamless.

Battle GridThere are four tilesets: City, Village, Desert, and Rocky. Each tileset has 16

unique chunks—four for each corner (4xNW, 4xNE, 4xSE, 4xSW) Each chunk is an 8x8 square of 64 (not all unique) tiles.

The battle grid for a specific level is generated by randomly selecting one of the four chunks from each corner grouping, from the appropriate tileset.

The full level divided into four chunks



The Game World - Battle Grid (Cont'd)

Tiles

Level designers can rotate tiles at 90° increments and adjust their height when creating chunks. The base grid is considered at height 0 and snaps in increments of 1. A tile can have negative height.

A height difference of 1 (for example, between 0 and -1 or 0 and 1) is considered a "step" that a unit can move across, but a height difference of 2 or more is effectively an impassable wall. Flying units are able to move without being restricted by tile heights (see Gameplay Details - Movement).

"Scenery" objects (foliage, rocks, etc) will be baked into tiles and not placed separately.

The following list of tiles is just a starting point and will be constantly added to based on input from level designers and artists.

Tile Number of Variations

Move Penalty

Sand 8 1Impassable Sand 12 ImpassableRock Ground 6 2Grass 4 1Shallow Water 2 2Deep Water 2 ImpassableWater to Sand Edge 2 2Water to Rock Edge 2 ImpassableTent Wall 4 ImpassableTent Corner 4 ImpassableTent Roof 4 ImpassableHouse Wall 6 ImpassableHouse Corner 6 ImpassableHouse Roof 6 ImpassableWell 4 ImpassableBroken Wall 4 ImpassableMarket Stall 4 ImpassableRailway 2 1



MultiplayerOverview

Multiplayer consists of 1vs1 battles played on the same device.

Game Options Tileset: City, Village, Desert, Rocky Victory Condition: CTF, Last Man Standing, King of the Hill Unit Level: Choose from 1-10. Determines unit starting stats, which are not

random within a range but the upper limit of the range so as to not be unfair.

Blind Setup?: Yes/No toggle

Battle SetupIf the Blind Setup toggle is set to "Yes" Player 1 chooses and places all his

units before passing it to Player 2, who does the same without seeing Player 1's units.

If the toggle is set to "No" players take turns choosing and placing a single unit, which is visible on the grid to the other player.

Each player has [20] points which they "spend" on units during the setup phase. The following chart lists all the units available in multiplayer and their point value.

Class Point Value

Swordsman [3]

Rifleman [3]

Assassin [4]

Wizard [5]

Holy Man [5]

Ghoul [3]

Skeleton [1]

Rukh [8]

Ifrit (Fire Jinn) [6]

Marid (Water Jinn) [6]

Earth Jinn [6]



Air Jinn [6]

Play Player 1 goes first (how players determine who is Player 1 is up to them to

decide before the Battle Setup) Players alternate taking single turns The turn order for units is determined by the order in which they were placed

on the grid; The first unit to be placed goes first, last goes last, etc. When a player hits "End Turn" on the Command Menu a pop-up notification

appears asking the player to pass the device to the other player.

Game Types

CTF

Each player has a flag "unit" that they place in their starting area during Battle Setup but cannot be moved except by their opponent during the game.

A flag is picked up by moving a unit onto the opposing player's flag. That unit cannot perform any action on its turn except "Move"

A flag is captured by moving the unit holding the opponent's flag onto the player's own flag.

The flag is returned to its original position if the unit holding it is killed. The game ends after a successful flag capture or if all the units on one team

are killed.

Last Man Standing

All of the opponent's units must be killed.

King of the Hill

A flag is placed at the exact centre of the map. The 4 tiles surrounding it are considered the "hill" for gameplay purposes, even if it is not actually a hill in terms of tile height.

Players gain a point for each consecutive turn that one of their units occupies the hill

If units from both players are on the hill no points are awarded to either of them.

If a player has no units on the hill his score is set to 0. Points are not reset if an opposing unit enters the hill.

The first player to reach [10] points wins.



Game HelpThe tutorial consists of a series of static screenshots with descriptive text that

walks the player through basic actions.

It is accessed from the Options menu screen.

Screen 1 - Movement: Explains how to move and how tiles have different movement values that work in conjunction with the unit's movement stat to determine its range.

Screen 2 - Melee: Explains melee combat Screen 3 - Ranged: Explains ranged combat Screen 4 - Magic: Explains how Holy Man and Wizard can only use certain

spells Screen 5 - Focus: Explains how units can Focus and how that adds stat

bonuses when grouped



Music and Sound EffectsSound Design Overview

The game score will be heavily based on traditional Bedouin music as played on the stringed rebab instrument (see Appendix A: Resources and Research - Music). The score will also draw on British Army marches, specifically The Voice of the Guns, but with an Arabic interpretation. This music is meant to evoke the history of the Arabic and Bedouin people and their mythology, with just a hint of underlying British Imperialism.

The purpose of the sound effects are to provide immediate and clear feedback to the player about the actions occurring in the game. In combination with visual effects the sound effects will help create a "juicy" game that makes each interaction by itself a little fun and rewarding.

Sound EffectsName # of Variations Description

Button Tap 1 A very short "click" Sound to be played when tapping menu buttons

Point of Interest Selection

8When a POI is selected on the world map, appropriate ambience plays (ie. city street, windy desert, camels at oasis, etc)

Battle Begins 1 "Ka-chung" call to actionInvalid Action 1 Played when invalid action is attempted

Victory 1 A short chime played upon completing the battle's victory condition

Defeat 1 A short chime played upon failing the battle's victory condition

Full list of sound effects for each unit to be added after graduation.

MusicLocation Played

Description Approximate Length

Loops?

Main Menu A brief track that is used as the game's theme music.

30-45 seconds Yes

World Map Ambient "neutral" music that is an expanded version of the main menu theme.

3-4 minutes Yes

Battle 1 Upbeat "march to battle" music that makes the player feel like they can accomplish anything.

2-3 minutes No

Battle 2 A more sorrowful track to be played when the player is losing or facing overwhelming odds.

2-3 minutes No



APPENDICESAppendix A: Resources and Research

FilmsLawrence of Arabia (1962)Dune (1984)Dune (2000 - miniseries)Children of Dune (2003 - miniseries)

BooksSeven Pillars of Wisdom, T.E. LawrenceDune, Frank HerbertOne Thousand on One Nights / Arabian NightsGods, Demons, and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia, Jeremy Black and Anthony GreenBook of Imaginary Beings, Jorge Luis Borges

GamesWarioWare: Smooth Moves (Wii)WarioWare: Touched (DS)Final Fantasy Tactics (iPhone/iPod Touch)Vandal Hearts (PSN, XBLA)Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (PSP)Skulls of the Shogun! (TBA)

WebArabian Mythology - Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_mythology)The Arab Revolt - Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Revolt)T.E. Lawrence - Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._E._Lawrence)Bedouin - Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedouin)Arabian Desert - Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_desert)Middle East Clothing Glossary (http://www.raqs.co.nz/me/clothing_glossary.html)

MusicThe Rebab instrument (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJx6vjaw6P8&feature=related)Traditional Bedouin Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIEHVrZWdUE)The Voice of the Guns (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWyfgqKAJv8)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWyfgqKAJv8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIEHVrZWdUE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJx6vjaw6P8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJx6vjaw6P8&feature=related

http://www.raqs.co.nz/me/clothing_glossary.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_desert

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedouin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._E._Lawrence

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Revolt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_mythology


Appendix B: Competitive Analysis

Final Fantasy Tactics Platform: iPhone/iPod Touch Release Date: September 15, 2010

Competitor Features The Irrational Tenth Features

The Irrational Tenth Response

20 different character classes

5 different character classes plus hirelings and pets

Fewer classes means they can be better balanced and made to complement each other. Depth comes through unit synergy, not variety.

Plenty of sidequests No linear "main story" path, players always choose where to go next

Players are able to create their own personal narrative as it is entirely up to them whether they try to win as fast as possible or take their time and explore

World map travel along paths and random battles

World map travel between points of interest

Paths are dynamically created between points of interest so they route the player takes to Damascus as documented on the World Map is up to the player

Shops and economy allow buying and selling of equipment

Powerful equipment that is always useful and never made obsolete by "+1" variants

The game is about tactics, not loot. Equipment is given as a valuable reward for good tactics. It has more meaning than equipment bought by grinding gold and eventually discarded.



Appendix B: Competitive Analysis (Cont'd)

Wakfu Platform: PC Release Date: TBA, currently in open beta Website: http://www.wakfu.com/en



Free-to-Play MMO Singleplayer roguelike Different audience and game experience. The Irrational Tenth is about replaying over and over with different units and challenges, not using the same units forever and constantly improving their skills

Continuous world, no transitions

Self-contained levels accessed through world map

World map and free travel between points of interest gives the sense of a larger world that exists outside levels

Large number of spells each with 100 levels of power

Relatively small number of spells in four categories

Each spell is tuned to be balanced and effective without the need to grind XP. Even the first tier spells are not made obsolete by subsequent ones

Different professions allow resource gathering and crafting

No non-combat abilities The game is about tactics and combat, not crafting and grinding resources


http://www.wakfu.com/en


Appendix B: Competitive Analysis (Cont'd)

Skulls of the Shogun! Platform: XBLA, PC Release Date: Q1 2011 Website: http://skullsoftheshogun.com/



Up to 4 player multiplayer Singleplayer The singleplayer experience will be more solid and fun without having to tweak stats for balanced multiplayer. The goal is to create a great roguelike, not competitive multiplayer game.

No grid restricting unit positioning

Procedurally generated grid

Though a grid exists, players will never encounter the same one twice. Levels in Skulls can be memorized and optimal positioning found, even if units have free movement.

Spend resources to summon units during battle

Battle Setup Phase allows players to select units from their army

A larger variety of units and enemies makes choosing the right units to send to battle an interesting decision. Units are also not disposable as in Skulls meaning players develop an emotional attachment to them.

Powerful general unit gains power as time goes on before using him, must be defeated to win

A variety of possible victory conditions and Focus System that allows certain units to become extremely powerful

A single goal is not as interesting as a variety of victory conditions on procedurally generated levels. Permadeath and the focus system means certain units in The Irrational Tenth have the ability to become extremely powerful and their loss as devastating to the player as losing the battle.


http://skullsoftheshogun.com/


Appendix D: Items

ArmourName Type Stats FlagsBreastplate Heavy Defense [+4] DefaultAncient Breastplate Heavy Movement [-1]

Defense [+8]Reward

Modern Breastplate Heavy Movement [-2]Defense [+12]

Reward

Goat Hair Coat Light Defense [+1] DefaultCamel Hair Coat Light Defense [+2] RewardOttoman Coat Light Defense [+3] RewardWorn Leather Coat Medium Defense [+2] DefaultHard Leather Coat Medium Defense [+4] RewardCustom Leather Outfit Medium Defense [+6] RewardBisht Clothing — DefaultExpensive Bisht Clothing Movement [+1]

Range [+1]Reward

British Army Uniform Clothing HP [+5] Unique

WeaponsName Type Stats FlagsWalking Stick Staff — DefaultCedar Staff Staff Magic [+10] RewardAncient Staff Staff Magic [+15] RewardKhanjar Dagger — DefaultSteel khanjar Dagger Attack [+10] RewardEnchanted khanjar Dagger Attack [+15] RewardBedouin Sword Sword — DefaultTurkish Officer's Sword Sword Attack [+5] RewardPersian Sword Sword Attack [+10] RewardGew 88 Rifle — DefaultGew 98 Rifle Attack [+5]

Range [-1]Reward

M1903 Springfield Rifle Attack [-5]Range [+2]

Reward



Appendix D: Items (Cont'd)

MiscellaneousName Type Stats FlagsApprentice Ring Ring [+5%] XP

[-5%] HPReward

Journeyman Ring Ring [+10%] XP[-10%] HP

Reward

Master Ring Ring [+15%] XP[-15%] HP

Reward

Enchanted Ring Ring Double Focus (unit counts as 2 in its focus grouping)

Reward, Unique

Peasant Pendant Pendant [10%] additional HP RewardBedouin Pendant Pendant [15%] additional HP

Defense [-4]Reward

Royal Pendant Pendant [20%] additional HPDefense [-8]

Reward

Enchanted Pendant Pendant Regenerate [5HP] every turn

Reward, Unique

Trader's Kufiya Kufiya/Scarf Movement [+1][-5%] XP

Reward

Traveler's Kufiya Kufiya/Scarf Movement [+2][-10%] XP

Reward

Soldier's Kufiya Kufiya/Scarf Movement [+3][-15%] XP

Reward

Enchanted Kufiya Kufiya/Scarf Unit always goes first Reward, Unique

UsableName Type Effect FlagsHealth Elixir Heal Restore [15-20]HP RewardAttack Potion Attack Buff Increase Attack Power

by [5] for 1 turnReward

Potent Attack Potion Attack Buff Increase Attack Power by [5] for 2 turns

Reward

Magic Potion Magic Buff Increase Magic Power by [5] for 1 turn

Reward

Potent Magic Potion Magic Buff Increase Magic Power by [5] for 2 turns

Reward

Defense Potion Defense Buff Increase Defense by [5] for 1 turn

Reward

Potent Defense Potion Defense Buff Increase Defense by [5] for 2 turns

Reward

Smelling Salts Revive Revives targeted unconscious party member with 10HP

Reward



Appendix F: Game Interface – Menus

Main Menu Flow Chart



Appendix F: Game Interface - Menus (Cont'd)

World Map Menu Flow Chart



Appendix G: Game Interface – Wireframes

Main Menu - Title1. Title Screen with game name and background image

2. Button: Load’s previously saved game. Only appears if there is a saved game.

3. Button: Go to New Game Prompt screen

4. Button: Go to Multiplayer menu screen

5. Button: Go to Options screen

6. Button: Go to About screen

Main Menu - New Game Prompt1. Title Screen background is faded

2. Menu buttons faded and deactivated

3. Pop-up Prompt for confirming New Game Action

Yes: Begins new gameNo: Return to Main Menu



Main Menu – Multiplayer

1. Map Type: Drop down menu of different tilesets (desert, city, village, rocky)

2. Victory Condition: Drop down menu of different game types, or victory conditions

3. Button: Begin the game

Main Menu – Options

1. Music Toggle

2. Sound Effects Toggle

3. Language drop down menu



Main Menu – About

1. List of development team credits

2. Copyright information

3. Button consisting of company logo and text that links to other games on the App Store.

World Map

1. Button: Go to Party Management screen

2. Button: Go to Main Menu

3. World Map can be scrolled up and down.Points of Interest can be selected on the map.



World Map – Point of Interest1. Name of selected location

2. A short descriptive paragraph

3. Button: Move player icon on map to location and begin battle

4. Close the info box and return to blank World Map

5. Button: Go to Main Menu

World Map – Party Management1. Portrait of currently selected unit

2. Unit Name, Class, and stats

3. Currently equipped items and also buttons for choosing new equipment

4. Portraits of other units in player’s army in “Cover Flow” arrangement. Swipe to centre on new unit and tap to select.

5. Button: Close Party Management and go to World Map



Battle Phase – Victory Condition

1. Battle Grid is visible but faded

2. Pop-up shows victory condition

3. Button: OK closes pop-up and goes to next screen

Battle Phase – Setup

1. Battle Grid fully visible. Ready button in corner begins battle.

2. Selected unit stats

3. Unit portrait and name/class. Can be dragged on to grid tile. Units on grid tile dragged here to be removed.

4. Arrows allowing tapping to scroll through new units. Alternatively, swipe to scroll.



Battle Phase – Command Menu

1. Command Menu Buttons

2. Menu appears when player unit selected on grid. Disappears when non-player unit area of grid touched.

3. Menu can be grabbed and dragged around to any position on the screen.

Battle Phase – Result/Reward1. Battle grid faded out

2. Message declaring Victory or Defeat

3. Unit Names and the amount of XP they acquired

4. Item reward if applicable

5. Button: Return to world map


design document: the irrational tenth

Documents

game overview

game loop overview

game characters

game world

sound design overview

game options

game types

game help