master of elements design document

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Game Design Specification

VERSION 3.0

DECEMBER 14, 2005

Jon Carlson, Heather Case, Chris Emond, Arnold Feener, Paul Gunn, Kaylene Jetmore,

Chi Kong, Spencer Lee, David Malpica, Eric McVinney, Ian Moore, Mark Kittredge,Roberto Moreno, Matthew Perrett, Michael Suavillo, Man-Chui Szeto, Bill Wu

Copyright Senior Project Planning, AICASF, Fall 2005


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High ConceptMaster of Elements is a multiplayer free-for-all where the player gains size and power by

consuming elements.

Game SummaryMaster of Elements is set in a primal world where the players battle in fantastic and

highly detailed environments of hostile wilderness. Each player controls a Cypher, a

small creature that wishes to become the ruling being of its primal world. Only throughbuilding monoliths of power around the world can that goal be realized. The battles

against the Shard Guardian NPCs and other players rage through massive environments

with rivers, mountains, plains, fiery volcanoes, and geysers.

In Master of Elements, the player collects elements from the environment around them as

they search for the shards, becoming successively larger and stronger. The game is oneof intense elemental combat, exploring the world from many different perspectives, and

balancing the elements to become the elemental you wish to be.

The player's main task in Master of Elements is to collect the shards found in the worldand to bring them back to the central place of power to build a monolith. The player

starts as a child-sized Cypher creature with weak abilities and collects successively larger

and larger elements to grow into a massive elemental with great powers. The gameplayis centered on collecting elements and shards and battling other elementals and the

guardians of the shards, using various powers depending on the kind of elemental the

player chooses to be. Each element has another element that cancels it out, an element itis strong against, and an element it is weak against. During the game, the player can shift

from one elemental type to another by collecting allied elements, but must avoid players

and NPCs of their opposing elements.

The player is rewarded with new abilities as they become larger and stronger elementals.

They can change between the nine different types of elementals by balancing the types of

elements they pick up. This adds a level of complexity to the choices they makethroughout the game. Collecting the shards also grants the player more firepower that

they can bring to bear on their enemies. The player feels powerful in revisiting areas they

were previously too weak to handle and being able to draw power from the elementsthere, eventually absorbing lakes, massive boulders and such. This raises the player's

sense of competence by giving the player new abilities along with appropriate new

challenges. This lets the player feel like they earned their abilities and rewards.

Master of Elements is easy to pick up and play with simple, intuitive controls. The game

uses the familiar first person shooter control scheme in a third person perspective so that

the player can see their elemental grow and change. As they gain new abilities, they arehighlighted on the screen so the player receives immediate feedback.

Master of Elements is a game suitable for any modern 3D engine. Because of theimaginative gameplay and explorative freedom, it will appeal to action gamers of all

Copyright Senior Project Planning, AICASF, Fall 2005 2


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ages, as well as role-playing gamers, and lovers of fantasy games. The realistic

environments and incredible-looking elementals will capture the imagination of the

players, and make for some truly exciting and unique marketable imagery. Master of

Elements will keep players coming back for more.

Game StructureThe game structure ofMaster of Elements is similar to most multiplayer first person

shooters, such as Unreal Tournament 2004.

After starting the game, a user selects any number of the game maps to play, and may

change relevant options. Some of these options include random level ordering and thePlayer Cap switch. The user then starts the match, which begins in the typical UT2004

waiting for players mode. Players then may log into the game. Once the minimum

number of players for that map is filled, the option to start the match appears to each

player. Any player may then start the match.

Players beyond the maximum capacity for a level cannot log in, assuming the player who

initiated the game left the Player Cap option switched on. At the end of the match, eachplayer sees who the victor was and the status (size, type and shards) of each other player.

The next map in the sequence (or a random map from the chosen list) is then selected and

loaded. If the current number of logged in players is beyond the map's capacity (andPlayer Cap is on), or not enough players are logged in, the game say so, and skip to the

next map on the list with the correct capacity, giving a message stating so. The matches

continue until the player who initiated the game ends the game.

General Art DirectionThe environments should reflect the color scheme of the elemental power most dominantwithin it. Typical color schemes are: browns, dark reds, and grays for earth; blues,

greens, and grays for water; green grey and sky blue for air; and reds and oranges and

browns to black for fire. Elemental areas within other elemental areas (oases) shouldclue the player at a distance with a lighting change, with the environment gradually

shifting to the new element type.



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Executive Summary

Air, Earth, Water, Fire: specialize in any of these four elements, or master them

all. Take on your foes by becoming a Primal Fire Elemental, or merge Fire and

Earth to evolve into a Lava Elemental.

Use the Elements to your advantage Master of Elements has a unique game playsystem. Use Water to put out Fire, or Air to bring Earth to its knees. Attack other

elementals to drain their power, and add it to yourself.

Collect Elements, Gain Strength Master the elements by absorbing them fromthe surrounding environment. Acquire new abilities, increase your size and

strength, become the master. Use the Air Elementals gust to push enemies away,

or shake the world with the Earth Elementals Avalanche ability.

Explore the World of the Elements Battle in six unique domains, each tailoredto a specific element. Roam through lush and rocky terrains of Earth. Soar high

into the clouds where the Air Elementals reside.

Conquer the Elements Online Master of Elements supports up to 16 players.

Simple Intuitive Controls Master of Elements uses a first-person control

scheme, but from a third-person perspective.

The target audience is Teens. Master of Elements contains graphic violence that

might not be suitable for young people. Older audiences will enjoy the



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extraordinary game play with the elemental system. ESRB rating may change in

online play.

Master of Elements is designed for the Unreal engine. It can be developed most

efficiently on the PC, but can be easily ported to other systems.

The Purpose of this DocumentThis design document establishes a foundation for the creation of levels for ElementalMadness. Included here are the basic gameplay mechanics, storyline, general art

direction and style guide, representative artwork, and an outline of each of the proposed

levels. The objective is to provide direction and guidance for the creation of full-fledged

levels of the game in Unreal, as would an actual complete game design document.

In general, this work focuses on art style and level design, assuming the game itself will

be built on top of the Unreal engine. As a result, certain gameplay elements are assumed.



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Table of Contents



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Gameplay Mechanics

Being the ElementalIn Master of Elements, there are four different elements. Fire, represented by flames,

lava, oil, dry wood, and coals; Water represented by ice, mist, puddles, rivers, and lakes;

Air represented by tornadoes, dust devils, and areas of wind, where leaves and otherthings are being blown about; and Earth represented by the stones, pebbles, and loose

boulders in the world. The player starts as a mouse-sized elemental spirit called a

Cypher. The Cypher begins with four empty meters, representing the amount of eachelement that the player has collected. A Cypher starts out by picking up pebbles, small

twigs, dewdrops, and small gusts of wind to begin to take the form of one of the

elements. With growth, elementals leave behind smaller pickups in favor or larger ones;the small ones dont do any good after a while.

Collecting two level 1 pickups of any element grows the player to size 1. From size 1 on,

the player can gain an addition level of size by consuming two pickups equal to their

current size, or six pickups one size smaller than their current size (for example, a size 6player would need two size 6 pickups or six size 5 pickups to advance to size 7.) Players

can only acquire pickups that are equal to or one size level lower than their size; otherpickups outside that range are either too small to gain any power from or too large to

collect yet. The maximum size for any player in a given map is two sizes larger than the

maximum pickup size, as the player will no longer gain power from any pickup on themap at that point (for example: a map with size 12 pickups would allow for a player of

size 14, but no larger.)

Players can also only carry a number of shards equal to their current size level.

Balancing the ElementsWhen an element meter is more than 20 percent larger than any other, the player becomes

a Primary elemental of that type: the meter glows to show it, and the Cypher character

turns into the elemental. If the player can get two affiliated element meters in balance(within 15 percent), they become a secondary elemental if those two meters are not

smaller than the other elements. The secondary elementals are Lava (earth + fire), Ice

(air + water), Mud (earth + water), and Lightning (fire + air). As a Primary or Secondaryelemental, touching an element powerup that is opposed to the elemental does damage to

that player. To become either kind of elemental, the player must have a minimum total

number of elements. Otherwise the player remains a Cypher.

If the player can keep two opposing elements in balance (within 15 percent), the player is

a Void elemental if those two meters are not smaller than the other elements. In this

state, the player does not take damage from any element powerup. This means that it iseasier to be a Primary elemental when small, but at larger sizes, it is easier to be a

Secondary elemental or Void. If the Void elementals two highest meters are Earth and

Air, they are in Defensive mode and all the elementals attacks deal half damage, anddamage dealt to it is reduced to half. If Fire and Water are the highest meters for a Void



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elemental, the elemental shifts into Offensive mode where all its attacks are doubled in

damage and damage dealt to it is doubled as well.

Player Size and MovementPlayers begin at 1 meter tall. Players gaining size levels increase in height by 1 meter per

level, and move at a speed equal to 1 plus half their size level. Thus, size 10 players

would be 11 meters tall and move at a speed of 6, allowing them to move across the mapfaster, reach greater heights and leap over larger gaps in the terrain. The sizes the player

can be range from 0 (a Cypher) to 14 (a God elemental). When the elemental gains

enough elements to earn a new size category, they immediately change in size. Every

four sizes the elementals look changes. 1-4 is small elementals, 5-8 is medium, and 9and above is god-sized. The player can only carry a number of shards equal to the

players size.

Elemental Types

As players collect elemental pickups, they change into a variety of different elementaltypes. Consuming pickups of just one type, or a majority of that type, turns the player

into that kind of elemental (for example, a player with all Water elemental pickups, or a

larger percentage of water pickups than any other type, becomes a Water elemental.)Collecting an even number of two non-opposing elemental pickups turns the player into a

hybrid elemental:



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Water and Earth: Mud elemental

Water and Air: Ice elementalFire and Earth: Lava elemental

Fire and Air: Storm elemental

A player who collects an even number of all elemental pickups becomes a Void

elemental. A Void elemental with a majority of Water or Earth shards becomes a

defensive Void elemental, while a majority of Fire or Air shards turns the player into anoffensive Void elemental (see Combat below.)

Coming into contact with an elemental that is opposite to the players current elemental

type causes the player to take damage equal to the level of the elemental, as the twoopposing elements cancel each other out:

Water: opposes Fire

Fire: opposes WaterEarth: opposes Air

Air: opposes EarthMud: opposes Fire and Air

Ice: opposes Fire and Earth

Lightning: opposes Water and Earth

Lava: opposes Water and AirVoid: no opposing elements

For example, a Water elemental touching a size 6 Fire elemental would cause the playerto take six damage. An opposing pickup two sizes smaller than the player has no effect

and is not consumed, and a pickup larger than the player makes them lose a pickup equal

to their size. The advantages and disadvantages of the elementals are these:

An Earth Elemental moves slightly slower, but has knockback resistance.

An Air Elemental moves much more quickly, but takes more knockback damage.

A Fire Elemental takes damage in water, but can swim in lava quickly, without

damage.

A Water elemental can swim really fast in water, but takes double damage in lava.

Secondary elementals gain the advantages and disadvantages of the two elements

they represent. At high levels, they lose the disadvantages of both elements.

A Cypher deals and receives weak damage from all others, and can never really die,

just be reduced to zero elements. A Void elemental deals and receives medium damage from all others unless in

Offensive or Defensive mode. Void elementals move at an average speed on landand in water and lava. They also take normal damage from Lava



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Pickups



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Combat

Upon gaining a new level, players have a number of hitpoints equal to 4 times their size

level, and deal base damage equal to their size level plus the number of shards they havecollected. Thus, a size 12 player would have 48 hitpoints and would deal 12 damage on

every hit. Losing those 48 hitpoints would drop the player down to size 11 and restart the

player at 44 hit points. An elemental who loses a level drops a random element pickupsof his new size (of a type the elemental is currently carrying) and one of the size below.

Dealing enough damage to cause the opposing elemental to not be able to carry the

number of shards they are carrying makes them to drop the most recently acquiredshard(s). A player taking enough damage to be shorn of all their elements is reduced

again to a miniscule Cypher, and they have to build up again. Gaining a size level

restores the players hitpoints to the standard 4 times their current level. Depending on

the elemental type of the player and the enemy the player is attacking, the damage causedis adjusted as follows:

Fire and Water deal 200% damage to one another. They are opposing elements.

Earth and Air deal 200% damage to one another. They are opposing elements.Fire deals 150% damage to Air and 50% damage to Earth.

Earth deals 150% damage to Fire and 50% damage to Water.Air deals 150% damage to Water and 50% damage to Fire.

Water deals 150% damage to Earth and 50% damage to Air.

Damage to an elemental of your own type is normal.

Void deals normal damage to all elemental types (standard) OR50% damage to and from all elements (defensive) OR

200% damage to and from all elements (offensive)

Secondary elementals deal damage and take damage as if they were the average of the

two elements against the opponent. Thus, Water attacking Lava would deal medium

damage, and Ice attacking Lava would deal medium damage as well.

Building the MonolithOnce a player has collected the required number of shards, they can go to the nexus to

build a monolith. When the player has the required number of shards, they gain a new

ability, the ability to channel energy into the nexus, creating their monolith. The player

has to get the monolith up to 100% to win (or 100 hit points). Channeling energyconstantly into the monolith increases it by 2 points per second. Players can stop a

monolith-building player by either destroying the monolith or knocking the player down

a size category. If the player loses any of their shards, they lose the channeling ability.

Level DesignThe levels are massive enough that the largest elemental possible in the level still has a

decent-sized level to explore. There are areas that only elementals of a certain size can

experience, and a few that only elementals of a certain type can as well. Each level has a

differing number of shards required to build the monolith, though an equal number of



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each elemental shard is always required. For example, a level that needs four shards to

win would call for one of each type, while a level that requires 12 shards would need

three of each.

Some shards are hidden in places only small elementals can get to, meaning they are

good for starting elementals, but larger elementals have to compete for fewer and fewershards. This gives weaker elementals places to run and hide from the more massive

elementals, though massive elementals will most likely ignore the tinier ones.

Levels give the players the opportunity to become any size of any elemental they wish

(up to a single maximum size for the level). There are levels of various sizes to

accommodate differing numbers of players. By collecting the required number of shards

of each type and the minimum total shards, then going to the central victory location andbuilding their monolith, the player wins the level.



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Elemental AbilitiesElemental Abilities are special attacks players can use. Each element has three elemental

abilities. These abilities have a cool-down time, so players can not constantly use them.The three abilities are classified into three groups: Minor, Major, and Special. Elementals

acquire the Minor ability at size one. The Minor ability is a weak attack, but it does not

use elemental energy. The major ability is acquired at size five. By sacrificing a smallamount of elemental energy, the Major ability deals more damage. At size nine, the

special ability is available for use. The special is not an attack, but rather its a character

enhancement.

Earth

Melee orientated elemental and tougher than the others. Strong melee attack, weakranged attack.

Avalanche (minor) - Elemental smashes the ground with his fists. Anyone within

a certain radius is stunned; deals light damage.

Stalagmite (major) The Earth Elemental summons a giant stalagmite from the

ground. The stalagmite deals moderate damage. Stone Skin (special) - For a few seconds the Earth Elemental takes half damage.

Air

Relies on hit and run attacks to survive. Strong ranged attack, weak melee attack.

Gust (minor) - Pushes enemies that are in front of the elemental back and does

moderate damage. Can push people off ledges for extra fall damage.

Tornado (major) - Air Elemental summons a large tornado. The tornado sucks innearby players, and deals light damage

Flight (special) - The player can fly for a limited time.

Fire

Hybrid of close-combat and ranged, but is stronger at melee.

Meteor (minor) - Tosses a fireball and when it hits the ground it causes damage to

the area around it and sets any player caught in the blast on fire, which does low

damage over time.

Blazing Aura (major) - Anyone within a few feet of the elemental takes damageover time, the closer to the elemental, the greater the damage.

Ignite (Special) - Fire Elemental can jump higher and move faster.

Water

Hybrid of close-combat and ranged, but is stronger at ranged.

Hydro (minor) A jet stream of water shoots out of Water Elementals arm. The

attack deals moderate damage, and knock back enemies.

Tsunami (major) - A ranged attack that damages any enemies in its path andslows their movement speed for a few seconds.



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Evaporate (major) - Elemental can teleport a short distance.

Ice

A pure range class relies on damaging enemies from a long distance.

Icicle Blast (Minor) Shoots multiple icicles out from the Elementals arm. Dealsmoderate damage.

Entombment (Major) Freezes nearby enemies in a tomb of ice. While entombed

enemies can not take damage, but they cannot attack or move.

Ice Shield (Special) Crystallizes water particles in the air to create sheets of

floating ice around the elemental. The shield absorbs half the damage, and lasts

for ten seconds. Heavy damage may lower the shields life time.

Mud

A hybrid of melee and ranged, but focuses more on melee.

Decayed Turf (Minor) The Mud Elemental hurls a large piece of turf. The attack

does light damage, but poison the enemy. Poison additionally deals mediumdamage over five seconds.

Swamp Engulf (Major) - The Mud Elemental converts its nearby surroundingsinto black swamp. Non-mud Elementals in the area suffer a loss of speed and take

light damage.

Earth Meld (Special) The elemental fuses into the ground and disappears. Inmeld mode, they can go through any part of the level. However they cannot attack

or pick up items, unless they un-meld.

Lava

A pure melee class focuses on getting up close to enemies and dealing a lot of damage.

Lava Bomb (Minor) Throws a ball of molten lava that explodes on impact.Deals medium damage.

Hell Raiser (Major) Columns of fire shoots up from the ground near the Lava

Elemental. The attack deals heavy damage.

Super Jump (Super) Uses a small amount of energy to enable the Lavaelemental to jump higher.

LightningHybrid of melee and ranged, but is stronger at ranged.

Chain Lighting (Minor) Shoots a bolt of lighting that has a chance of bouncing

to other enemies. The bolt deals light damage.

Thunder (Major) - Summons a large bolt of thunder from the sky, and hits the

target. Deals a large amount of damage.

Dash (Special) Enables the Lightning Elemental to dash for a short time.



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Character Concepts

Air ElementalA mysterious creature that moves along the wind currents of the land. Though it would

seem impossible to harm with normal weapons, but due to the Cyphers technology,

hurting the Air Elementals is as simple as hurting anyone else. The Air Elemental canmove quickly when it is within a wind current, but it is difficult to navigate. It can attack

with either a gale that can cut or push away its foes with harsh blowing winds.



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Earth Element

Big, strong, yet slow in movement. Covered with stones, moss, and plant vines to hold it

together, the Earth Elemental is like a colossus. It can toss huge stones with the baseattack, or stomp on the ground to stun foes for a few seconds. Think of Swamp Thing

with rocks sticking out when creating this character.



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Fire Element

Lean, mean, and a total destruction machine! She can torch down (think flamethrower)

certain obstacles or foes with her base attack, or create a fire trail behind her with hersecond attack. The Fire elemental is covered in flames, and smoke follows in her trails.

A good way to figure out what she looks like, look up Magic the Gathering Fire

Elemental in Google.



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Water Element

Tall, transparent, and has a smooth exterior. It doesnt really have a face, just etched out

eyes that stare. The Water elemental can easily avoid enemy attacks due to its agility,and can slow down foes with its water attacks. It can also use its second attack on the

ground to help it reduce the damage from a lava pit or make the enemy slide into the lava.



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Lightning Element (Fire + Wind)

Fast, sleek, and deadly when it lands its attacks! Energy surges throughout its body, also

making it able to leech off of anything electrical. Its main attack is the Precise Bolt,which does a lot of damage if it hits, but the reload takes time. The second attack has a

chain gun effect with smaller bolts, and hits for much smaller damage.

Mud Element (Water + Earth)

Medium sized, yet stocky elemental that can easily glide across the ground. The MudElemental is vulnerable to fire and lightning attacks, so choosing this element can be

dangerous. Somewhat resembling the Earth Elemental, most of the exterior is replaced

by transparent water vines and has more plant life attached to it. Its base attack is a ball

of poison mud, which sticks to the foe for five seconds and drains him/her five hit points.Second attack is a bigger ball of mud, and it slows down the enemies within the hit

radius.

Lava Element (Earth + Fire)

More related to the Fire Elemental, but a bit bigger, slower, and stronger. The strengthincreases while the defense decreases. Covered with molten rock with lava spewing from

the cracks, this Elemental is very dangerous in close combat. Base attack is a fireball,

and when it hits either a foe or a wall, it explodes like the Flak gunshot. Second attack is

stomp on the ground and a column of fire coming up.

Ice Element (Water + Wind)A smooth exterior, but with sharp edges. The face seems to be an ice sculpture of a

womans face. The base attack is an icicle that fires from the hand, which does minimal

damage. The second attack is an ice beam that freezes foes for a few seconds. Think ofthe Ice Titan from Hercules.

NPCs

Dumbulo- Earth

Bigger than all other Elementals and NPCs (except Drakol), this monster is a half breedof a giant elephant and a man. Dumbulo is one of many that are hunting down the

Cyphers. His kind is very powerful, yet very slow moving. They can charge or swing a

club wildly.



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Bog Knight- Mud

Once a vile death knight in an ancient realm long ago, he was known to rape queens anddrink the blood of kings. Hearing a legend of a goblet that gave eternal life, the death

knight sought it out for years Then coming upon it and drinking from it, he was

tricked! It was a false legend created by a trickster God that stripped him of death,leaving him to roam the realm forever The death knight grew tired of walking among

mortals, and decided to rest in a foreign land until the end of time. Yet fate decreed that

it was not so, and he was awoken once again by the Cyphers who tried to extract themystical energies from the land.

The Death Knight was split and transformed in many skeletal knights by the Cyphers

machines. They wield unholy powers that zap life from their foes, and call upon theswamps insects to feast on any victims flesh. The Bog Knights are the same size as a 2nd

class Elemental, yet move a bit faster.

Thantilis- Air

A sad and twisted tale for such honorable hunters. Once proud and strong group huntersof a warrior tribe in a distant land, they fought against the Cyphers who tried to extract

the lands power. During the battle, an extracting machine blew up next to a group of

hunters, which changed their faces and minds. The remaining tribe saw them to be

unreliable to fight in battles and too twisted to look upon, thus they banished theunfortunate hunters from the tribe. Seeking a way to regain their original form, they

found a tower that said to contain vast knowledge and secrets of the world.

It was all lies when they climbed to the highest floor, only to finding nothing but a

winged demon! After winning the fight, the hunters gained the demons power which

granted them faster agility and a bow and arrow.

They are as small as the size six Elementals, but much stronger and more agile. Uses a

bow and arrow for a weapon. Their first attack is a charged shot, and the second is multi-shot.



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Zer-Ar Nefrit- Fire

Rumored to be the failed servants of a Fire-beetle king, these runaways became kings of

their own land. Able to wield the powers of flame, they had no trouble at all killing anyof their foes. Not as big as Dumbulos tribe, but just as dangerous . Their base attack is a

fire blast, and the secondary attack is a whip.

Bigfoot- Ice



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Lives high up in the Snowy Alps, awaiting helpless victims. This twisted group of

creatures shows no mercy to anyone, and their bloodthirsty rage is uncontrollable. Has

ice breath attack, or hits with an ice club.

Nkrumah- WaterA vicious tribe of water warriors that can swim fast, and are known to slay foes within

seconds. They usually wait for the victim to be at the waters edge before they strike.

Nkrumahs jab with their spears for minimal damage, and side swipe, hitting for mediumdamage.

Griffons- Lightning

Who said all Griffons were loyal and holy creatures? These beasts were abused andmistreated by a wicked wizard, but ate him when he was too careless with the leash.



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Now soaring through the skies looking for their next meal, the Griffons can summon

lightning, or perform a dash attack.

Manticors- Lava

A funny looking creature, yet very deadly with its stinger. Has the face of a monkey, thebody of a lion, wings of a bat, and the tail of a scorpion. The Manticors are able to

summon mini volcanoes that emit flames, or to sting if an enemy gets too close.

Drakol- Void

Fury of the unholy thunder, god of bloodshed, turmoil, and damnation, Drakol is the

bastard king of all evil. He clashed against many ancient Gods, raping all worlds of theirmajestic beauty, and showing no mercy to any life. Tragedy follows as soon as his

named is whispered, rain of blood covers the land, and the souls of the damned rise as he

enters into a world. Pride of demons reaches its peak, and Drakol claims all in his

victory.

The only way to fight against this vile tyrant is to be a minimum of size seven, and readyyour courage. Hes bigger than the Dumbulo, fast moving, and has high defense. His

base attack is a large bone lance that fires from his hand, the second is a rush of damned

souls coming from his shadow. Winning against him will only be for obtaining one of

each shard.



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Story SynopsisNot long after the universe came into existence, gases coalesced into stars, and their

gravity caused great planets composed of heavy matter to orbit around them. On onesuch planet, conditions were just right for lifeand so life flourished. Unlike most

worlds, however, this one lived in a very real sense. Sentient and connected to all life on

the planet, this Entity watched over the cycle of life and death to ensure that all wouldstay in a state of balance, and that life would maintain itself without action.

Over the course of time, a new kind of creature appeared on the world. These beings,who came to call themselves Cyphers, were aware of their surroundings like the Entity,

but were also driven by powerful curiosity to learn all they could about the world they

lived on. Essentially a peaceful people, they lived in relative harmony with theirenvironment, and so did not require any serious observation on the part of the Entity. At

one point, they learned how to harness the raw, fundamental components of existence to

make themselves stronger, larger, and more powerful than they had ever dreamed

possible. To this end, they erected towering monoliths around the planet in key locations

to draw the very essence of the world to the surface. These monoliths brought forthobjects of concentrated elemental power, which the Cyphers named shards. Consuming

the shards at a monolith would allow a Cypher to become a being of godlike power, withmastery over all the elements and life itself.

The Entity, fearing the balance of life would be irrevocably disrupted by the actions ofthe Cyphers, created powerful Guardians to oppose the progress of any cypher who

attempted to collect what power the monoliths had drawn. In addition, he had the

Guardians tear down the monoliths so that no more essence could be drained from the

planet. The Cyphers, who had never thought the world itself would rise to obstruct them,were terrified. Many advocated abandoning the plan entirely and letting the shards return

to the earth. However, the most ambitious of the Cyphers ignored these pleas for peaceand set out to gather the elemental shards that had appeared, so as to become the mostpowerful beings the world had ever seen. None would stand in their path to godhood

not the Entity, not his Guardians, not even their fellow Cyphers! Others, realizing that

not acting could doom the world, ventured forth to oppose their power-hungry brethrenand destroy the monoliths once and for all.

And the Entity, vowing to wipe clean the Cyphers from the world if the balance becameimperiled, watched the growing conflict carefully, waiting to see if his intervention would

be necessary



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Specific Art Direction

Temples of Elemental Power Each temple should be of a classical Greek design;

stepped base leading up, columns, slanted roof, and the statue or icon representing

the power in the middle. The size should be smallish, like a shrine, so it should be

no more than 20 feet or so per side. The exception is the combined temple, whichis larger sized.

Monoliths The monoliths are all different in appearance, but all share commoncharacteristics: they are the largest feature in the landscape, and are often the

centralized feature. For example, the Air Monolith has been illustrated as a spire

of crystal, while the Earth Monolith is large stones stacked one atop the another.

Lighting and environment the overall exterior lighting is a generic, middle-of-

the-day sunlight. The internal lighting schemes shift slightly toward one of the

elemental colors, as appropriate. Assuming the Unreal engine is used, rain effectsare appropriate in Water areas and lightning in Air areas. The environmental

background noises also reflect the environments; wind whistling, fire crackling,

water susurrating, and earth rumbling.

Style Guide



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The typeface for the cover is Abaddon for the words master and elements, and the

typeface Angst for of. All future logos and copy should be in a style similar to the

main logo. The typeface within the game can be the Unreal standard typeface for ease ofreadability.



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Level SummariesMasters of the Elements is composed of five levels five large environments, each with

its own geographical character and gameplay goals and possibilities. A summary of eachof these levels follows.

Avalon

The island of called Avalon is a majestic land filled with mystery and wonder. The

Monolith Nexus is located on the central island, high above on the cliffs. There are atotal of four spawn points for the players, each located in the four different environments,

Earthly Mound, River of Magma, Crystal Lake, and the Snowy Alps. Tall bridge-like

roads extrude from the ocean, creating a path for the Cyphers to cross. The EarthlyMound is a huge hill of broken earth and mud. The Earth Elemental starts in this area.

The Crystal Lake is frozen and void of water life. The Water Elemental starts in this

area. The River of Magma is the path of testament for beginning warriors to see if they

can withstand the wrath of flame and heat. It runs through many different steps of

terrain, but the river itself can be walked on by all tiers of Elementals. The FireElemental starts in this area. The Snowy Alps is located in the north, where strong winds

blow across the snowy landscape.

Canyon of Ancients

The Canyon of the Ancients is a massive winding canyon where the ancient Cyphers first

discovered the secret of bonding with the elements. Some of the old ruins are still there,worn by the passage of time and the previous destruction of the monoliths. The climate

is dry and arid, with huge, rocky mountains and deep crevasses. A river flows throughthe canyon into two small lakes. A small waterfall feeds the river in the northeast. Thecanyon is split into three levels. The bottom level is where most of the river lies. The

second level borders the bottom, slowly sloping outward towards the outer canyon walls.

The third level borders the second and is bounded on the other side by the impassiblecanyon walls. Some caves and structures are carved into the solid stone walls of the

canyon. The monolith nexus is up in the mountains along the canyon.

Fortune City

Fortune City Waterfalls contains four main areas. Fortune City itself is a city built on a

split waterfall. The city is expansive and modern. The city is broken up into two primary

locations. The majority of the city is placed on the High Ground above the waterfall,while the rest is located at the bottom of the waterfall on the Low Ground. Two

volcanoes bracket the High Ground portion. The leftward volcano spouts only natural

lava. The rightward volcano spouts only steam. In between, the High and Low Groundare various ways of transporting to and from each section of the city. These include rock



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paths, man-made bridges, hot air balloons, and using the waterfall itself. At the bottom

of the waterfall is Lake Prosper. The Low Ground portion of the city is located

downstream. A giant whale is a guardian of the city (Low Ground portion), and holdsmany shards and items for the player to collect.

Great Plains

An endless sea of grass and rolling hills, the Great Plains is a place of great power where

the Cyphers placed one of their many monoliths. Since the monolith began drawing

elemental shards to the surface, the ground beneath it has mysteriously sunk, leaving theelemental power conduit resting in a massive bowl-shaped depression. A deep canyon

nearby is riddled with caves and small passages that connect throughout the area, and

high hills give observers a clear view of the landscape. This ecosystem is both expansive

and delicate, and as such the Entity has summoned many Guardians to protect the



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landscape from rampaging Cyphers.

Lost Sanctuary

The Lost Sanctuary contains five major realms: Air, Earth, Water, Fire, and Void. The

Air realm is floating high above the other realms. It is connected to the ocean and VoidRealm through small bridges and stairs. The Water Realm is connected to Fire and Void

through a series of rocks. The Fire realm is connected to Void through a stone bridge.

Also, the Fire Realm is partly merged with the earth realm. The Earth Realm is

connected to the Void by a long rope bridge. Each realm is connected to the Ocean. Themonolith nexus is located inside of the Temple of the Four Elements in the Void Realm.



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Level Designs

AvalonMap Size: Small

Number of players: 3-6Shards of each element required to win: 3

Maximum Pickup Size: 9

Back Story

The island of called Avalon is a majestic land filled with mystery and wonder. TheCyphers discovered this island through a test run of one of their portals, and began to

extract the mystical energies from all over. Little did they know that ancient and powerful

warriors protected the land when its in danger There were numerous attacks on the

extracting machines that the Cyphers built, and it seemed that these warriors could not be

stopped. So the Cyphers decided to leave the land for good, leaving it scarred and in ruin.

However there was a portal left open by accident when the Cyphers escaped, andunnoticed by Avalons protectors Many years later, the portal was once again used by

the power hungry Cyphers to obtain more of the mystical energy, and the ancient

warriors now protect some of the shards.

Level Summary

The Monolith Nexus was built on the central island, high above on the cliffs. There are a

total of 4 spawn points for the players, each located in the 4 different environments,

Earthly Mound, River of Magma, Crystal Lake and the Snowy Alps. Tall bridge likeroads extrude from the ocean, creating a path for the Cyphers to cross. If a WaterElemental wishes to walk on the ocean, it can not cross the extruded bridges, because

they also act as walls to limit the advantage of the Water Elementals movement.

Each of the power-ups for each element is within the space of where they start. However,

the small size power-ups are close to the spawn points, whereas the bigger power-ups are

put further away for the player to venture out. For example, the big fire power-ups wouldbe located somewhere near the earth area. There are passageways/bridges that would be

too small for the big elementals to cross, and there are bridges too high for the smaller

elementals to get on. Some of the terrain are closed in enough for a smaller elemental to

move around in and dont give enough space for a bigger elemental to get in. There arehigher planes that small elementals can not jump up onto, yet the bigger elementals can

easy step on up.



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Maps



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Areas

Each spawn point is located in each elemental area.

Earth Area

The Earthly Mound was considered holy ground for the mystics that once lived on

the island, but now its nothing more than a huge hill of broken earth and mud.The Earth Elemental starts in this area.

Water Area

The Crystal Lake was once a lake filled with beauty and plenty of water game, but

now most is frozen and lost most of its water life. The Water Elemental starts in

this area.

Fire Area

The River of Magma was and still is the path of testament for beginning warriors,only for those who can withstand the wrath of flame and heat. It runs through

many different steeps of terrain, but the river itself can be walked on by all tiers ofElementals. The Fire Elemental starts in this area.

Wind Area

The Snowy Alps is located in the north, where strong winds blow across the

snowy landscape. A Cypher can obtain both Ice and Wind pick-ups if he/she

chooses to. On the eastern part of the island, a larger Elemental can climb on thehigher ground to gain more shards, yet face bigger NPCs.

Art Direction

Imagine a land once filled with magic and beauty, turned to ruin and now starting to

regain what it once was. Each Elemental area is heavy to what it is, for example the Riverof Magma would have volcanoes surrounding some of the edges, lava rocks some of the

pathways, heat emitting from the river itself. The sky is clear with the sun overhead, and

birds flying around. There arent any sort of housing structures or temples, not even

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Asset List

Air Pick-Ups

1. Gust of wind (With leaves)

2. Gust of wind (With snow)3. Tornado (over land)

4. Hurricane (over water)

Earth Pick-Ups

1. Small rocks

2. Boulders3. Jade

4. Diamonds

Fire Pick-Ups

1. Coal2. Oily puddles

3. Dead trees4. Dead plants

Water Pick-Ups

1. Coral

2. Sea Shells



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3. Huge Starfish

4. Sea Sponges

Non Pick-Up Meshes

1. Ghost ship

2. Snowman3. Steel/metal bridges

4. Volcanoes

5. Small and large animal bones6. Tombs

7. Bog/swamp

8. Moss

9. Birds10. Plateaus



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Canyon of AncientsMap Size: LargeNumber of Players: 8-16Shards of each element requires to win: 3

Maximum Pick up Size: 12

Back Story

The Canyon of the Ancients is the massive winding canyon where the ancient Cyphersfirst discovered the secret of bonding with the elements. Some of the old ruins are still

here, worn by the passage of time and the previous destruction of the monoliths.

Level Summary

The climate is dry and arid, with huge rocky mountains and deep crevasses. A river

flows through the canyon into two small lakes. A small waterfall feeds the river in the

northeast. The canyon is stepped in three levels; the bottom level is where most of theriver lies. The second level borders the bottom, slowly sloping outward towards the outer

canyon walls. The third level borders the second and is bounded on the other side by theimpassible canyon walls. Some caves and structures are carved into the solid stone walls

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Maps



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Areas

The Canyon of the Ancients has multiple ledges along the canyon, making for a stepped

effect. Players start in the upper canyon surrounding the Monolith Nexus. Of course,theres not much in the way of powerups their size there, so they will be drawn down into

the canyons or out into the various elemental areas. There are passages and rooms carved

into the cliffs themselves that serve as good places to pick up shards for low-levelplayers. Once players hit size four or five, they will no longer fit in most passages, but

they can climb back up onto the middle cliffs. There they can battle NPCs for more

shards and elements, eventually being able to get to the various ledges that require sizeseven, eight or nine for better shards. The water enters the canyon in the Air section, as a

double waterfall that flows over the upper plateau. This area is somewhat hidden from

the rest of the level via clever zoning, so should not adversely affect the performance.

Air Section

The Air area is up in the mountains in passes and valleys above the massive

canyon. Here also is the waterfall, where a level 8 Minitaur guards an air shard.

Mid-level Bigfoot prowl the inner passes, guarding the shards and elements therefrom the Cyphers. There are also various small interior areas in the Air area with

some shards to be found for smaller characters.

Earth Section

The Earth section is the southwestern section of the map. The river winds

through it, and similar to the Fire section, there are interiors for sizes up to threeand four, ledges for four and up, and upper ledges available only to nine sized

players. There are some interiors up on the higher ledges that can fit much larger

players, but are all guarded by fierce NPCs

Fire Section

The Fire section consists of the southeastern portion of the canyon as well as FireGulch. The fire section of the Canyon of Ancients has a few small interiors

available to ransack for shards for low-level characters. The same section also

has some high ledges only available to size seven and above, holding some moreshards. Fire Gulch is another smaller canyon that goes off to the east of the map,

infested with mid-level fire beasties. It can only be reached by size six or better

players. The innermost section of it is too narrow for sizes larger than nine,

however. The shards for larger players are up on massive pillars in the valley andguarded by powerful griffins.

Water Section

The Water section contains two small lakes. In the center of the larger lake is an

island that is guarded by a few medium level NPCs. There are small temple areas

for low level players, though one is up on a high ledge: it can be reached by goingthrough some of the Air passages or by running along the ledge from the

Monolith Nexus area.



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Art Direction

The Canyon of the Ancients was heavily inspired by the Grand Canyon, and the ancient

city of Petra, Jordan. The ground is red rock, and scrub scatter the plateaus above thecanyon itself. Near the river is lush with green plants, but the rest of the terrain should be

somewhat barren. All the ledges slope upward slightly towards the taller area because of

fallen debris.

Asset List

Elemental PickupsAir

Gusts of wind (leaves scattering about)

Gusts of wind (dust scattering)

Dust Devils

Large tornadoes

Earth

Columns

Broken Columns

Stalactites/Stalagmites

Small stones Medium stones

Large stones

Stone ArchwayFire

Dry sticks

Dry brush

Coal



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Small Dry trees (snag)

Large Dry trees (snag)

Water

Dripping Water

Puddle

Streams Pool

River

WaterfallsOther Static Meshes/Effects

Hovering vultures



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Fortune CityMap size: LargePlayers: 7-14Shards of each element required: 6

Maximum pickup size limit: 12

Back Story

Fortune City is a city build on a waterfall. The city is expansive and modern. Norwegianarchitecture make up the village homes on the outskirts, while tall skyscrapers and statues

fill the inner city. Fortune City Waterfalls contains four main areas. Fortune City itself is

a city built on a split waterfall. The city is expansive and modern. Gas, coal, and fire are

the main fuels within the city. Norwegian architecture make up the village homes on theoutskirts, while tall skyscrapers and statues fill the inner city. Clydesdale Square, located

in the heart of the city above the waterfall, is the main location where players converge

once they have accomplished the prerequisite tasks.

Level Summary

The city is broken up into two primary locations. The majority of the city is placed on the

High Ground above the waterfall, while the rest is located at the bottom of the waterfall

on the Low Ground. Two volcanoes surround the High Ground portion. The leftwardvolcano spouts out only natural lava. The rightward volcano spouts out only steam. Sun

rocks are spread near the rightward volcano, and mist bubbles float close to the leftward

volcano. Sun rocks are yellow, heated rocks that absorb the suns energy and emit fire-

like plasma. In-between the High Ground and Low Ground are various ways oftransporting to and from each section of the city. These include rock paths, man-made

bridges, air balloons, and using the waterfall itself. At the bottom of the waterfall is LakeProsper. Lake Prosper is infested with fire-breathing fish, wind blowing dolphin, and agiant whale. The Low Ground portion of the city is located downstream. The giant whale

is a guardian of the city (Low Ground portion), and holds many shards and items for

the player to collect.



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Maps



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Areas

Whale Shards

Shards on top of the whale are available to smaller characters. The whale is not

bothered by smaller characters, which allow them to collect the shards unscathed.

To provide a challenge to medium and large sized characters, the NPC whaleswings his tail and matches his strength to the characters size, when engaged.

Medium and large sized characters can access two areas in the whale. The mouth

and the stomach both contain shards. Medium sized wind shards are located in thewhales stomach. Debris and sunken ships are located in the whales stomach,

allowing for more scenery while looking for shards (the throat would be too

cramped). NPC guardian animals protect these shards. There are sail ships, pirate

ships, and the blow organ within the whales stomach. The blow organ can propelthe character out of the whale through the blowhole. Medium earth shards are

available when the character does this. The whales tongue and teeth act as

guards.

Volcano Shards

Various NPC guardian animals guard the shards on the volcanoes. The leftward

volcano, located on a crater has a large fire type shard within it that is only

accessible when the player is at the maximum size. The crater acts as a

distinguishing feature that aesthetically helps separate it from the other volcano.Maximum size characters must break the volcano in order to retrieve the shard.

There is no guardian for this shard. Shards designed for medium sized players lie

on the top of the volcano. Earth and fire type guardians protect the shards. Caveswithin the base of the volcano have shards for small players. The guardians in the

caves are fire type.

The rightward volcano also has a large fire type shard that is only accessible to

maximum sized players when they break the volcano. There is no guardian for

this shard either. The rightward volcano features two openings with wind andwater guardians in the middle. Medium sized players must travel to the top of the

volcano to find shards. Water guardians protect these shards and they cannot be

beaten by small players. These shards are accessible primarily to medium sized

players. Shards for small players lie near the bottom of the volcano. Fire typeguardians protect the shards floating in the steam caves.

City Shards

Earth shards are primarily located on the Low Ground portion of the city, while

wind shards are located on the High Ground portion of the city. Shards are inbuildings and monuments. The sizes of the shards are proportional to the size of

the object they are in. Shards in large skyscrapers are for large players, shards in

fountains are for small players, and so on. Stairs and other means of transportation

for small players will end halfway up the large skyscrapers. NPC human



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characters guard shards of all sizes in both sections of the city. Ground guardians

are the main obstacles for small and medium sized players, while air guardians are

the main obstacles for large players.

Art DirectionFortune City is a very vibrant and modern city. The buildings are based off Norwegian

architecture. There are many fountains, sculptures and landmarks scattered around in the

city. The whale is large and powerful. There are 16th century, dirty sunken ships anddebris inside the whale. The volcanoes have rugged paths that are encrusted with molten

lava. The surrounding rocks are filled with jewels, yet are scuffed and dirty. The waterfall

is saltwater with many colorful, live animals.

Asset List

Static Meshes and Effects

Whale

Sunken ship

Cargo debris

Dolphins

Seals



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Bridges

Buildings

Stairs

Chairs

Tables

Cups Fountains

Air balloons

Air vehicles

Land vehicles

Boats

Sculptures

Rivers

Big waterfalls

Lava eruption

Lake Large island

Pickups

Air

Gusts of windTornadoes

Birds swirling in circles

Dust devils

Earth

RocksBoulders

Small island

Fire

Lava rocks

Lava gooVolcanoes

Coal

Water

Vent of steamPuddles



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Streams

Little waterfalls

Icicles



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Great PlainsMap Size: MediumPlayers: 4-8Shards of each element required: 2 (8 shards total)

Maximum Pickup Size: 7 (max player size 9)

Back Story

An endless sea of grass and rolling hills, the Great Plains is a place of great power wherethe Cyphers placed one of their many monoliths. Since the monolith began drawing

elemental shards to the surface, the ground beneath it has mysteriously sunk, leaving the

elemental power conduit resting in a massive bowl-shaped depression.

Level Summary

A deep canyon nearby is riddled with caves and small passages that connect throughout

the area, and high hills give observers a clear view of the landscape. Prone to frequentthunderstorms, any tall vegetation is usually set ablaze before long, with cleansing fires

clearing out large sections of undergrowth at a time. This ecosystem is both expansiveand delicate, and as such the Entity has summoned many Guardians to protect the

landscape from rampaging Cyphers, though the brave and ambitious will surely find

ways to overcome them and gain the power they seek.



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Maps



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Areas

The monolith nexus is at the bottom of a bowl shaped depression. Four cave passages

connect to the depression, allowing players size three or smaller to sneakily move in andout of the area. The map has eight start locations that surround the monolith; four above

ground on the plains, and four in cave passages that lead out of the depression. Caves

connect to all parts of the map, giving smaller players numerous ways to move throughthe level that the larger players cannot get to.

Air Area

The Air area takes up most of the map south of the nexus, and consists primarily

of grassy hills and tall mesas. Three big hills have a triangular network of

passages that lead to a central room with a shard. An outcropping in the

southeastern corner can only be scaled by a size five or larger elemental, andleads to an above-ground cave passage that has a maximum height of size six.

Two other hills in the west hold shards for bigger elementals; one for size five or

larger players, and the other for size seven or larger players. Caves beneath the

Air area contain shards for smaller elementals.

Earth Area

The Earth area is in the northernmost part of the map. A long rock bridge extends

over a deep canyon, and in the middle of the bridge rests an Earth shard. The

bridge is tall enough that even a size nine elemental can walk under it, and the

canyon is low enough that only a size eight or nine element can jump out onto theplains above. Smaller characters can either take the ramps up, or use the network

of cave passages. Many shards are located in the caves, and a few are accessible

only by size four or larger players on top of rock pillars in the canyon. Thelargest Earth shard sits atop a massive mesa on the plains, and is only scalable by

a size seven or larger elemental.

Fire Area



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The Fire area is in the east. A massive hill in the eastern corner holds four shards:

one behind the hill accessible by any player; two separated by gaps that only a

size five or larger elemental can jump over; and one on the tallest part of the hill,surrounded by a very deep gap that only a size seven or larger elemental can

cross. Several others are located in nearby caves and pits.

Water Area

The Water area is to the west and northwest of the nexus. A massive mesa in the

plains is the location of the largest shards, and can only be acquired by a sizeseven or larger elemental. Two platforms ringed by gaps hold shards available to

size four or larger elementals, and one rock pillar in the canyon has a Water shard

at the top for size five or larger players. The caves in the Water area connect to

the Earth and Air areas, and contain many shards only accessible by size three orsmaller elementals.

Art DirectionWindswept, grassy plains, with short brush being the tallest vegetation. The canyon and

mesas are carved out of yellow limestone, giving the whole terrain a green and yellowcolor scheme. The water area is full of green, healthy grass, while the fire area is black

and ashen, with dry, flammable plant life.



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Asset List

General

GrassLow brush

Short trees

RootsMushrooms

Stalagmites/stalactites

Mineral deposits/crystals

Pickups

Air

Gentle breezesGusts of wind

Dust devils

Tornado

Earth

RocksBoulders

Piles of rocks

Pillar of stone

Fire

Dripping oil

Dry grassDry brush

Coal

Dead tree

Water

Dripping waterPuddles

Streams

Rivers

Lake



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Lost SanctuaryMap Size: LargeNumber of Players: 8-16Shards of each element requires to win: 3

Maximum Pick up Size: 12

Back Story

The Lost Sanctuary of the Four Elements was the ancient place where the GodElementals used to reside. When the Guardian destroyed the monolith nexus, a large

explosion of energy destroyed all Cyphers in the area. The Cyphers utopia eventually

sank to the bottom of the ocean, never to be seen again. However due to the rise of new

monoliths built around the world, the sanctuary has risen from the depths of the ocean.

Level Summary

The Lost Sanctuary contains five major realms: Air, Earth, Water, Fire, and Void. TheAir realm is floating high above the other realms. It is connected to the ocean and Void

Realm through small bridges and stairs. The Water Realm is connected to Fire and Voidthrough a series of rocks. The Fire realm is connected to Void through a stone bridge.

Also the Fire Realm is partly merged with the earth realm. The Earth Realm is connected

to the Void Realm by a long rope bridge. Each realm is connected to the Ocean. Themonolith nexus is located inside of the Temple of the Four Elements in the Void Realm.



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Maps



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Areas

Void Realm

The Void realm is a large mountain area where all of the elements are in balance.Small picks ups of each element can be found here. This area is a perfect place for

the beginning stage. Players can easily gather elements, and slowly make their

way out. There are small passages in the mountain for size one to six to takecover. At the center of the Void realm is the Temple of the Four Elements.

Air Realm

The Air realm are a set of floating land masses located North West of the VoidRealm. Land masses are connected by long sets of stairs. The Players can access

this area at any size. The area contains small to medium large pickups for Earth

and Air. Also there are some small to medium water pickups near the waterfall.On the other smaller floating islands, there are small temples, and ruins. Due to

little vegetation in this area, the Air elements attack is a lot more useful. They

can use gust of winds to blow enemies off the floating land masses. On the largest

floating land mass is theAir Temple.

Earth Realm

The Earth Realm is located on a large mountain located east of the Void Realm.

The Earth realm is over-run with vines and large plants. The area is scattered with

boulders of all sizes. The Earth area is populated with small and medium largepickups for Earth and Fire. Players of all sizes can access this area. The Air

element is at a disadvantage here. Since the area is filled with trees and

vegetation, it is difficult for air elements to get a clear shot. Near the top of the tall



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mountain is theEarth Temple.

Water Realm

The Water Realm is located south of the Air Realm. The water realm is a long

island scattered with small to medium-large Water and Earth pickups. There aresmall numbers of air pickups near the top of the island. The water area is

accessible to everybody, but Fire Elementals would have a hard time reaching the

area. Inside the large mountain of the Water Realm is the Water Temple.

Fire Realm

The Fire Realm is located southeast of the Void Realm. The fire area contains anactive volcano with a large lava river flowing from the top. The lava river

eventually merges with the ocean. The area contains small to medium-large Fire

and Earth pickups. Near the edges of the Fire Realm are small water pickups.

Even though there are water pickups nearby, the water element is at adisadvantage. The area is over flooded by molten lava, and flames bursting from

the volcano. At the center of the volcano is theFire Temple.



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Temple of the Four Elements

This temple is the center piece of the level. It is located at the top of the voidmountain. The temple is large and only size ten to twelve elementals can easily

enter through the main doors. The stairs that at the front of the entrances is too

high to jump over by elements under size six. At the center of the temple is the

monolith nexus. Although size ten to twelve elementals can enter through themain entrances, there are small holes and paths which smaller elementals can

enter through. Elementals size seven to nine have to jump up each stair to reach

the center of the temple.

Air Temple

The Air Temple located at the heart of the largest floating landmass. Much like

the temple of the four elements, it too has small paths and holes through which

elementals size one to six can access. Elementals size seven to nine can access theair temple by climbing up the temple walls, and dropping through a skylight. In

the temple, the Air Shards are located on a small pedestal; however surrounding

the pedestal is a giant hole. Only Size ten to twelve elementals can jump acrossthis huge gap.

Earth Temple

The Earth Temple resides high in the Earth Realms Mountains. Size ten to twelve

elementals can easily access it by jumping a series of ridges. Size seven through



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nine elementals have to climb up the tall treacherous cliff to reach the temple.

Size one to six elementals have small paths and holes through which they can gain

access. Inside the temple are the Earth Shards.

Water TempleThe Water Temple is located inside of the water realms island. The temple is

surrounded by a deep lake. Size ten to twelve elementals can gain access to the

temple by jumping a series of rocks to reach the center. Size seven to nineelementals have to jump a long series of small rocks to reach the temple. Size one

to six elementals have to find a small cavern entrance, and travel through of a web

of tunnels to reach the temple. Inside of the temple are the Water Shards.

Fire TempleThe Fire Temple floats over the top of the volcano. Size ten to twelve elementals

can jump across the gap to access the temple. Size one through nine has to cross athick rope connecting the temple and volcano. The ropes are a fail safe device, if

the temple should ever fall into the volcano. It is easier for size one to six to cross

the rope because they are smaller. However size seven to nine has a more difficulttime crossing the rope because they have to worry about balance. As the player

gets larger, it becomes easier to walk of the rope, and fall into the lava. Inside of



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the Fire Temple are the Fire Shards.

Art Direction

The Architecture in the level is heavily inspired by Ancient Greece. The temples haveelements from Greek/Roman Architecture. The four main areas would reflect the

dominating element. In the fire realm the land is scorched, and there is barely and life.

Dead plant life is littered through out the volcano. The water realm is an oasisenvironment. The island is a large mountain surrounded by sand. There is some

vegetation. The Air Realm is a chain of floating islands. Abandon ruins are scattered

through out the floating islands. The earth realm is a jungle environment. There is a lot of

foliage and shrubbery. The jungle sits on earth realms mountain. The temple of the FourElements architecture resembles the Roman Pantheon. Instead of having one entrance it

has four. At the top of the Pantheon is a large oculus at the center of the dome.



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Asset List

Void Realm

Temple of the Four Elements

o Greek/Roman Columns

o Greek/Roman Ruins

o Four Elemental Statues

o Dome of the Temple

o Four Faades to the Temples entrances

o Stairs

o Temple supports for the Interior

Realmo Destroyed Ruins

o Abandoned buildings

o Broken Parts of Statues

Fire Realm

Fire Temple

o Temple that houses the shards (Fire Style)

o Torches

o Temple Supports(Fire Style)

o Statues (Fire Style)

o Faade entrances

o Support ropes

Realm

o Stone Bridge

o Relief statues (Fire Style)

o Columns(Fire Style)

o Stairs (Fire Style)



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o Land Bridge

Water Realm

Water Temple

o Faade Entrance into the water cavern (Water Style)

o Temple Building (Water Style)o Columns(Water Style)

o Temple Supports(Water Style)

o Water Tunnel entrances/exits (Water Style)

o Small islands

Realm

o Small bridges (Water Style)

o Ice Statues/ Water fountain statue (water)

o Broken Ruins (Water Style)

Earth Realm

Earth Temple

o Faade Entrance into the cave (Earth Style)

o Fountain (Earth Style)

o Columns (Earth Style)

o Inner circular temple (Earth Style)

o Statues (Earth Style)

Realm

o Large trees

o Small land bridges

o Long rope Bridge

Air Realm

Air Temple

o Large faade for the main entrance (Air Style)

o two smaller facades for side entrances (Air Style)

o Temple supports (Air Style)

o Inner Temple structure (Air Style)

o Statues (Air Style)

Realm

o Stairs (Air Style)

o

Temple ruins (Air Style)o Floating Islands

Pickups

Air

o Gust of winds

o Cyclones

o Feathers



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o Hurricane

Earth

o Boulders

o Ruins

o Statues

o Stone Bridge

Water

o Waterfall

o Seashells

o Whirlpools

o Fountain

Fire

o Embers

o Dead trees

o

Coalo Dead/dry vegetation

o Dry Rope Bridge



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The opening screen



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Appendix A: Previous Design

Masters of Elements is the result of six weeks of concentrated effort by the AICASFSenior Project Planning class of fall, 2005. Due various personality conflicts and

disagreements over game design, the original concept generally referred to as The

Scourge was discarded half way through the quarter, but not after some good work hadbeen produced. Below are samples of that work.

Design ElementsThe following paragraphs include design drafts of various degrees of completion.

Prologue:

Nearing the end of World War 2, German scientists conducted experiments to

make the dead come back to life and to continue the battle for Germany. Through many

trials and errors, they were not successful in granting the Hitlers wishes. The Germanswere making progress, but were missing something vital from there experiments. The

bodies that were being experimented on would show signs of reanimation, but then wouldfall apart and liquefy. The scientists knew something was missing, a few key ingredients

for creating an army of super soldiers.

It was too late though; the Allied forces overran the Nazi army, and either stole ordestroyed the experiments they had set up in their facilities. Yet one facility stayed

hidden deep underground, where it held many of Germanys greatest secrets. A few days

before the war ended; Russian soldiers found an entrance to this secret lab and stole the

documentation of the experiments held within. Bringing them back to their governmentofficials, the Russian scientists busily worked to finish the work Germany had started.

With every passing year Russian scientists came closer to solving the dilemma athand. Soon the mutations were being successful with the help of nuclear technology; theRussian government wanted these beings to be the new soldiers of their army. Having to

go through numerous trials, experiments, and seeing their other kin being killed because

they were weaker than the others, the mutated experiments started to rebel against theirmasters. Remembering only fragments of their past human life, they now have the fire of

revenge burning in the. Gathering together in their cages, they plan for the opportunity to

strike back.

Story:

At the beginning of the Cold War both Russia and America sent spies to gatherinformation on each other. American spies have reported back to Washington with news

of an outbreak in a small Russian lab compound. They were telling of blood curdling

screams being heard from the vents around the building, and that people who oncewalked in and out stopped coming out. Being wary of what is to come if they lead their

troops into such a place, the American officials formed a team of professionals to find out

what exactly is happening. A chopper outside of the Pentagon awaited, and escorted theteam towards their destination. There, standing in the falling snow and looking ahead,



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your group must now face unspeakable dangers, and horrors that will chill your spine.

The Scourge is a race of mutated humans with developing powers, such as theability to regenerate their flesh and being able to infect their victims with the mutation.

There are five classes to the Scourge, which all have their strengths and weaknesses. So it

is up to the player to decide which class suites best to him/her. If all five players on theScourge side choose to be the Queen, then they must be prepared to face the human side

that might be more diverse in their class choosing.

Scourge Classes:

Meat Shield- These used to be humans become twisted and mutated into slow, massive,

flesh and boney giants. They either stay with the Queen or are the front line in battle.Their left arm is long and boney, with a huge bone blade to skewer any foe. As for their

right arm, its a big meaty shield to protect itself against enemy attacks. But it wont hold

out for long, because it will start to wear and tear on itself after many attacks.

Scourge Namir- Quick and deadly, the Scourge Namir is a lightweight that runs swiftly

on all fours. Its a tough target to hit, but can be killed with only a few shots. The SSsforehead is wide and bony, protecting it from head on attacks. It also has three claws on

each hand, and a tail to help keep balance. The shimmering grey scales and slim

extruding bones make it look sleek and symmetrical.

Scourge Aviators- Small, quick, and most annoying, the Scourge Aviators fly about to

scout new areas for the expansion of the hive. They shoot small needles that are sticky

with poison, but leave a trail behind the needle of where they shoot, making them easilytraceable to the Scourge Aviator. The Queen usually treats them like small birds, and

swats them away to stop the annoying humming noise they make.

Scourge Grunts- Newly developed of the Scourge, and less deadly than the rest. The

Scourge Grunts still maintain much the human hosts form, but have their hands replaced

with small boney blasters that f

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