Story Intro

I began drawing out the scenes in Flash for the animated intro to the game, using the storyboard as close reference to help me compose the shots.

Paint-Ed Intro Trailer Experimentation

Me and my Team went out to film the new idea of making Live Action to represent our game followed by the animation. Dominic was the Director, Radhika was the cameraman or shall I say Camera woman, and I was the Actor. We had a little assistance with the help of Asher to poke at the specific time to make the tug effect. This is just a work in progress piece until we decided not to go with the trailer idea and replace it with making a visual and verbal review instead to explain how the game works.

Ed Dash Attack Experiment

This is all the sprites joined together to make this sequence. I thought of adding the artwork in the background which was my guide to animating Ed's Dash Attack.

Gameplay Summary

Ed’s aim is to fill all levels with colour in order for him to progress with the game and allow access to the main boss to defeat him and his fears. Each level has a reference to different eras/locations, and have environmental themes as well e.g. desert.

Each level will have swarming ‘ink-leeches’ to act as the enemy. Theses are the main obstacles in allowing Ed to progress. Killing ink leeches with a wide range of different attacks with his pencil will make them explode on impact, forcing their paint to slowly fill colour across the surrounding environment.

To make the game enjoyable as well as have an acceptable duration, Ed would have to throw 4-7 hits to kill each leech. Mini bosses are a bit harder as they will need approximately 35 hits to be defeated. Beating the Mini-boss will be the equivalent of killing around 10 leeches and therefore will fill up more of the level’s colour. Ed would have a limit of attack combinations whilst in mid air (max 3 attacks).

The main aim for Ed is to rid the level of all the leeches i.e. kill them using various attacks, and also to find and collect special artefacts hidden within the level. The collecting aspect allows Ed to progress onto completing the level by unlocking the mini-boss. It stands in the way of Ed progressing onto the next level. So the player must collect ALL of the artefacts in order for the mini-boss to be available to fight

It’s up to the player in which order the 2 tasks will be performed. Either kill all the ink leeches and then look for the artefacts, or collect the artefacts first and then kill the ink leeches. The player can also do it simultaneously, at the same time, (kill and collect). Either way, both task must be done.

The base area is only to draw the access points (warps) to go to a new level.

There also lies the ready made warp of the boss but not accessible until completion of levels.

When returning to base mode after completing and filling the level with paint/colour, the warp would be filled with the colour representing that era with floating bubbles.

The player has the freedom to draw the warps anywhere in base mode just as long as it’s drawn on the floor to give a sense of freedom.

The player will also have the freedom to go back to any completed warp, but just to browse around the level with colour and to see all the rubbish and props left behind of all the ink leeches representing that era.

To show victory of every level, back in base mode, you will be able to see the specific prop/helmet of that era hung on the ‘victory wall’. You will make a collection as you complete every level. Once the player has completed the whole game, they would have the option to wear any of the helmets by the touch of the stylus. This would show the satisfaction of their achievement.

This journey is like a representation of Ed overcoming his fears and doubts. The bully figure is like his inner torment in a way. The bully rips up his comic book that he worked hard for to buy. The comic book represents his dreams being destroyed of becoming an artist one day. His aim is to recover his self-esteem and self worth.

Concept Sketch: Ed's Brain

This is a rough sketch of how Ed's brain might look like. i kind of went for a mechanical look as well as trying to incorporate some organic feel in to it with all the wires to resemble veins or even vines. Its supposed to be some sort of 'viewing dock' as well.. which i thought would be interesting when the creature is trying to explain what has happened - he can show the damage that's being done via the screens in the middle - very much like a surveillance system a security guard may use. i tried to show an element of chaos and destruction in this pic, and the fact that the creature cannot cope with it all and therefore needs Ed's help to restore things back to a more efficient routine.

Concept Skecth-Brain Conversation

This is a quick concept sketch of Ed speaking to his mind controller in the center of his brain. This is the shot where the brain asks for Ed's assistance to save his own imagination by destroying the viruses prevent drainage of colour and energy.

Concept Sketches: Ed's Imaginary Friend

Experimentation-Blob Mood Colours

Ink-Leech Props ideas

Attack Combination Sprites

I started to lightly sketch out the movement of Ed when he attacks with his in game weapon (pencil). I used my imagination to capture his every movement frame by frame which will

come in handy when It comes to animating the attacks. After finishing the three different attack, I went over the rough outlines to make each frame stand out.

Posted by Christopher Alarcon