Design Document Eye Opener

document last modified: 12/12/05

author: Paul Schuytema
I. Core Overview
a. Summary
Eye Opener will put the player in control of an abandoned
comic strip character: a disembodied eyeball. The player
will play through both scrolling levels and adventure
levels as he attempts to find the power-ups and abilities
to break into and star in a published comic strip.
b. Key Aspects
The player will be able to control the Eye as it
rolls through horizontally scrolling levels.
Throughout the game, the Eye will gain more
abilities.
The Eye will be able to raid comic strip panels
for powerups and inventory items.
c. Golden Nuggets
Eye Opener is set inside the world of black and
white inked comic strips. The art will be hand drawn
and the visual tone will be reminiscent of classic
Sunday morning adventure comics.
The player will begin as a helpless eyeball, devoid
of any abilities but rolling, yet full of attitude
and moxie
II. Game Context
a. Game Story
The Eye, hurt by his abandonment, strives to take over
the Artists current comic strip. The Eye discovers a
hidden world between the panels of the comic that is
fraught with danger, but as her makes his way from panel
to panel, he is able to steal items from the comic strip
that provide him with more and more abilities.
Along the way, he encounters a robot head that he
discards as useless, but the head follows the Eye, eager
to join in his adventure.
Eventually, the Eye has enough abilities to blast through
the final traps set by the Robot Guard (who is protecting
the strip) and challenge the Guard himself. If he wins,

he will be able to replace the Guard in the comic strip,

much to the surprise of the Artist.
b. Back Story
The Eye was a character in a failed comic strip by the
Artist. The Artist crumpled up and tosses away his silly
design and begins working on a more interesting strip
featuring robots in a far away space station.
But the Eye will not be denied. When the Artist leaves
his studio, the Eye pulls himself away from his crumpled
paper and makes his way to the drawing table, determined
to find a way into the comic.
c. Primary Players
Eye The Eye is the main character and his quest is to
break into the new comic strip. He begins with virtually
no abilities and throughout the game, he steals items to
give himself more power.
Robot Head The Robot Head is an inventory item found by
the Eye. The head is useless to the eye, so when it is
abandoned, it takes on a life of its own, following the
Eye around and being both a help and a hindrance.
Robot Guard The Robot Guard is one of the main
characters in the comic strip that the Eye is trying to
infiltrate. He learns of the Eyes efforts and attempts to
set up traps to thwart the Eyes advance. The final
conflict of the game will be between the Eye and the
Guard.
III. Core Game Objects
a. Characters
Eye the Eye is a rolling eye and is the players alter
ego. The Eye may be augmented with a Weapon and several
Game Objects. The Eye can take X points of damage.
Robot Head Once found and discarded, the Robot Head
will follow the player around, making nonsense comments.
Robot Guard The Robot Guard is the guardian of the
comic panels. He will appear in several horizontal levels
and in the final arena comic panel. The Robot Guard can
take X points of damage.
b. Weapons

Bomb the Bomb will detonate and destroy all surrounding

objects. It will be triggered when the linked Detonator
is activated
Laser The Laser can be equipped to the Treads. It will
fire when the player taps the Enter key. The Laser adds X
amount of damage points to the Eye.
Turret the Turret cannot move. It will fire a modified
laser slug and will deliver X points of damage to what it
hits. If it hits a Bomb, it will detonate the bomb. The
Turret takes X points of damage.
c. Objects
Detonator
Image: standard plunge type detonator
Where Found: in the scrolling levelssome will be already
rigged to a bomb while others can be picked up
Behavior: each Detonator will be wired to a specific
bomb. When activated by either the Eye falling on it or
by the Eye using an action key on it, it will explode the
bomb. The Detonator will then also disappear.
Treads
Image: rolling robot treads
Where Found: in an early comic panel
Behavior: When activated, the Treads will fuse with the
Eye to allow him more mobility and greater speed. The
treads are also needed to equip the Laser and the Claw.
The Treads add X amount of damage points to the Eye.
Claw
Image: Robot claw gripper
Where found: later comic panel
Behavior: this item will equip on the treads and will
allow the Eye to pick up other objects such as pen parts.
This object also enables the use action. The Claw adds
X amount of damage points to the Eye.
Pen Parts
Image: various parts of a fountain pen (nib, pen body,
ink)
Where Found: in various comic panels and in the
horizontal levels
Behavior: The pen parts comprise the main quest of the
game. When all the parts are found, the pen can then be

used to activate access to the final comic panel to do

battle with the Robot Guard
IV. Conflict and Resolution
There are several types of conflict system in the game, with
resolutions as follow:
Bomb the Bomb will destroy all objects under and
immediately surrounding it when it detonates.
Laser the Laser will deliver X points of damage. Objects
affected by the laser: Eye, Robot Guard, Turrets
V. Artificial Intelligence
Eye Opener will feature limited artificial intelligence, but
the key behaviors are as follows:
Robot Head this head will move with the player (once found
and discarded). It will follow behind the player. It will
occasionally utter a speech balloon of robot gibberish. It
cannot be destroyed. The gibberish will actually provide the
clues for a lock puzzle.
Turrets the turrets will realize when the Eye is on the
same screen and will begin moving their barrels towards the
Eye, but will stop at a random approximation. They will then
fire a shot and will raise or lower the barrel depending on
where the shot landed in relation to the Eye.
Robot Guard in the early part of the game, the Robot Guard
will appear at the top of the screen, peering down from a
comic panel (uttering robot gibberish). He will slide back
and forth within the panel in a pattern and will drop a bomb
when near the Eye.
During the final battle, the Robot Guard will face the
player with an arm-fired laser much like the Eyes own. He
will move in the arena, seeking cover if a shot is fired and
moving to the open to fire on the Eye. The Robot Guard will
try to keep at least a distance of half the arena width away
from the player.
VI. Game Flow
(to be expanded)
a. Into Animatic
Introduces the game story and back story.

b. Horizontal Level One

This basic level will have Eye with no abilities and he
must discover that he can roll off ledges to trigger a
detonator.
c. Comic Frame One
In these initial frames, we see the robot guard and the
Eye will be able to pick up the Treads and the Pen Ink.
d. Horizontal Level Two
In this level, the Eye must use his treads to finish the
level and the Robot Guard will begin dropping bombs on
the Eye.
e. Comic Frame Two
In these frames, the Eye will find the Claw, the Pen Nib
and the Robot Head.
f. Horizontal Level Three
In this level, the Robot Guard will drop occasional bombs
and the Eye will also encounter turrets (dropped by the
Guard?). The Eye will use the Claw to solve a switch
puzzle to open the final door. He will be followed by the
Robot Head.
g. Comic Frame Three
In these frames, the Eye will find the Laser and the
final Pen component. The player must use the Pen to Exit
the final frame.
h. Horizontal End Level
This level will feature a rewiring puzzle, with the clues
provided by the Robot Head.
i. Comic Arena
In this frame, the Eye will do battle with the Robot
Guard for ultimate control over the comic strip.
j. End Game Animatic
This will show when the player defeats the Robot Guard.
It will show the Eye in the comic, the Artist returning,
not liking the comic and crumpling it up and throwing the
panels in the trash.
VII. Controls
The controls for Eye Opener will be very simple. There are
as follows:

Horizontal levels:
Key control for level, right and jump movement. Space bar to
grab with Claw. Enter key to fire with Laser.
Comic Frames:
Mouse over will highlight inventory objects. Left click will
place in inventory. Left click on object in inventory will
use object. Right click will drop object.