From 289d311fa80fa3a33388943ed12f36ae8922ccdc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: ratface Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2025 13:46:17 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Add GDD.md --- GDD.md | 143 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 143 insertions(+) create mode 100644 GDD.md diff --git a/GDD.md b/GDD.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c8a53c1 --- /dev/null +++ b/GDD.md @@ -0,0 +1,143 @@ +# Cosmic Caravan +## Game Design Document + +### Core Concept +A roguelike adventure game where players manage a caravan through an apocalyptic world, balancing cozy village preparation with urgent expeditions as cosmic horror threatens to consume everything. + +### Genre & Inspirations +- **Primary Genre:** Roguelike/Action-Adventure +- **Inspirations:** Stardew Valley (village life), Monster Hunter (preparation), Oregon Trail (caravan travel), Dark Souls (combat), Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (expedition structure) + +--- + +## Core Game Loop + +### Phase 1: Village Preparation +**Duration:** Player-controlled, but time pressure increases nightly + +**Activities:** +- Explore home village and surrounding biome +- Complete fetch quests and resource gathering +- Craft and upgrade equipment +- Accept requisitions from local guild +- Manage caravan supplies and crew + +**Mechanics:** +- Real-time day/night cycle +- Relationship building with NPCs +- Crafting system for gear and caravan upgrades +- Resource management (food, materials, gold) + +### Phase 2: Expedition +**Duration:** Variable based on requisition and player choices + +**Core Systems:** +- **Caravan Management:** Real-time movement across procedurally generated wilderness +- **Combat:** Action-based encounters with monsters and threats +- **Survival:** Resource consumption, weather, terrain hazards +- **Problem Solving:** Environmental puzzles (broken bridges, quicksand, etc.) + +**Requisition Types:** +- **Delivery:** Transport goods between settlements +- **Hunting:** Eliminate specific monsters or threats +- **Scouting:** Explore uncharted wilderness areas +- **Urgent:** Combat cosmic horror manifestations + +### Phase 3: Decision Point +**Options:** +1. **Return Home:** Teleport back to village, process rewards, full Phase 1 reset +2. **Continue:** Accept new requisition from current location + - **In Cities:** Full selection of appropriate requisitions + - **In Wilderness:** Limited to scouting missions + - **In Frozen Zones:** Only urgent requisitions available + +--- + +## Cosmic Horror System + +### The Eclipse Timeline +- **Night 1:** New star appears in sky +- **Night 2:** Star begins to eclipse +- **Night 3:** Full eclipse achieved, first frozen circle appears +- **Nights 4-6:** Circle expands across map, consuming settlements + +### Frozen Zone Effects +- **Towns:** NPCs become unresponsive, shops inaccessible +- **Monsters:** Increased strength and aggression +- **Environment:** Visual corruption, audio distortion +- **Progression:** Circle grows steadily, making areas permanently inaccessible + +### Victory Condition +Players must complete urgent requisitions to fight through frozen zones and destroy the Eldritch horror at the circle's center before the map is fully consumed. + +--- + +## Core Mechanics + +### Caravan System +- **Mobile Base:** Rolling headquarters with upgradeable components +- **Crew Management:** Hire specialists with unique abilities +- **Supply Logistics:** Food, medicine, ammunition, repair materials +- **Customization:** Armor plating, weapons, comfort upgrades + +### Progression +- **Character Skills:** Combat abilities, crafting expertise, social connections +- **Caravan Upgrades:** Enhanced durability, speed, cargo capacity +- **Knowledge Accumulation:** Map data, monster weaknesses, optimal routes +- **Reputation:** Standing with various guilds and settlements + +### Requisition System +- **Difficulty Scaling:** Rewards and challenges increase with distance from home +- **Location Dependency:** Available missions determined by current settlement type +- **Time Pressure:** Eclipse progression affects mission availability and urgency +- **Chain Opportunities:** Strategic route planning for multi-requisition runs + +--- + +## Technical Considerations + +### Procedural Generation +- **Wilderness Maps:** Terrain, resources, encounters, weather patterns +- **Settlement Variation:** Different guild offerings, NPC personalities, local specialties +- **Threat Distribution:** Monster spawns, environmental hazards, cosmic manifestations + +### Progression Persistence +- **Between Runs:** Character knowledge, some equipment, unlocked settlements +- **Within Runs:** Caravan upgrades, relationship progress, map exploration +- **Cosmic Resets:** Eclipse completion triggers world state changes + +### Difficulty Scaling +- **Natural Progression:** Distance from home increases baseline challenge +- **Time Pressure:** Eclipse advancement creates urgency without artificial timers +- **Player Choice:** Risk/reward balance through requisition selection and route planning + +--- + +## Art Direction + +### Visual Themes +- **Village Life:** Warm, cozy, pastoral aesthetic +- **Wilderness:** Varied biomes with realistic but fantastical elements +- **Cosmic Horror:** Progressive visual corruption, impossible geometries, color distortion +- **Eclipse Progression:** Sky changes provide constant visual reminder of approaching doom + +### Audio Design +- **Ambient:** Natural sounds in wilderness, village life audio in settlements +- **Combat:** Impactful weapon strikes, monster audio cues +- **Cosmic Influence:** Distorted audio in frozen zones, building tension through sound design +- **Music:** Dynamic scoring that responds to location type and eclipse progression + +--- + +## Success Metrics + +### Player Engagement +- **Session Length:** 6-night cycles create focused, completable experiences +- **Replayability:** Multiple paths through procedural world, various strategies +- **Skill Development:** Players improve at resource management, route planning, combat + +### Emotional Arc +- **Preparation Satisfaction:** Village phase provides calm planning and anticipation +- **Expedition Tension:** Travel phase delivers challenge and discovery +- **Cosmic Dread:** Eclipse progression creates escalating pressure without frustration +- **Victory Relief:** Successfully stopping cosmic horror provides meaningful catharsis \ No newline at end of file