Patchwork Playgrounds
Audio Design Document For:
Take Recess Off The Playground
Sound Design by Jimmy Steorts
Written by Jimmy Steorts
Version 1.0
6/4/2007
Table of Contents
Game Overview 3
Sound Concept 3
Overview 3
Sound Style/Theme 3
Sound Design Goal 4
Character Audio 5
Overview 5
Movement 5
Power-ups/Objectives 5
Power-Ups 5
Objectives 6
Objective Specific Sounds 7
Environments 7
Overview 7
Winter Wonderland 7
Mountain 8
Castle 8
Music 9
User Interface 10
Speech 10
Character Select 10
Winner 10
Loser 11
Being Shoved 11
Wish List 11
Forest Level 11
Game Overview
Patchwork Playgrounds is a freeform multiplayer game where players create their own experience as they collect new rules and objectives in the arena. These rules alter the context of the game and allow for endless hours of exciting gameplay. Objectives can be offensive or defensive forcing players to employ many different strategies to reach their goal. This creates a different play experience each time. Some of the objectives the players will be faced with are: tag, scoring in nets, king of the hill, dodgeball, and foiling other players. As players complete their objectives they receive points, which are tallied at the end of each round to determine who receives a point towards the overall match. At the end of all of the rounds, the player with the most round points is deemed to be the victor.
Patchwork Playgrounds will have a plethora of unique fun sounds that will correlate with the visual style. The five main characters are all child-like and the game is intended to recreate the feeling of playing these games out on the playground. As such, sound effects are very cartoony and exaggerated. A lot of the sound is incorporated into user feedback. Examples of this are picking up objectives, completing a portion of an objective, completion of an objective as a whole, the start of a new game, etc.
Music for Patchwork Playgrounds is meant to make players feel pumped up as they’re running around and competing against each other in the arenas. This means light hearted and fun Electronica, likened to that of Ratatat (see Wildcat), mixed with something fun like Snowboard Kids.
Speech in the game is given to the five characters to make them easily distinguishable and can be used to add a good sense of humor to the characters. As mentioned, the five characters are child-like (early teens) and their voices match accordingly.
Sound Concept
Overview
Sound will play a very key role in our game. It is instrumental in establishing the overall theme of the game. In the following sections I will outline exactly what that theme is and how it can be achieved.
Sound Style/Theme
Patchwork Playgrounds is a game about experiencing games and activities from our childhood. As such, the sounds in the game can draw on all kinds of childhood experience. These can be things such as cartoons/movies, childhood songs/music, toys, etc.
In keeping with this theme, environmental sounds do not need to be hyper-realistic but will seek to aid in drawing players into these environments. The environments should replicate something from within a Disney movie.
Many of the sounds are intended to draw attention to a particular aspect of the gameplay. These interactive elements of gameplay increase understanding of what’s happening through a familiar sound instead of players needing to read something to figure out what’s going on. Some examples of when these will occur are picking up items and completing objectives.
Sound Design Goal
The goal of the sound in Patchwork Playgrounds is to recreate that childhood experience for players as they encounter the different aspects of the game. At the same time it exists as a directional tool for making the players aware of what is happening to simplify gameplay elements.
Character Audio
Overview
The characters within Patchwork Playgrounds are all unique visually but share the same abilities when it comes to gameplay. As such they will share a sound bank for everything except their voices.
Movement
Sound effects for general movement are very basic. The default sound in Unreal for running will suffice so footsteps don’t need to be done. Additionally there is no need for a sound effect for an idle state as players should never stop moving. There are however a few specifics that will need to be covered. The player will need sounds for power-ups/objectives and the pushing and shoving.
Power-ups/Objectives
Power-Ups
· Speed – The player’s speed is increased to two times normal running speed. The effect for this initially should be as if an engine is winding up and getting higher pitched as it progresses. The effect should last for about three seconds. For the duration of the speed increase there is a high pitched whoosh.
· Super Jump – The player is able to jump twice their normal height. The effect that will happen every time the player jumps will sound as if they are jumping on a cartoon trampoline.
· Super Strength – The player is able to throw the ball farther. The effect of this power-up is the sound of mountains moving and volcanoes erupting.
· Gravity – The gravity power-up decreases the gravity in the arena. The effect of this is the opposite of the speed modifier. The same winding but descending in pitch.
Objectives
Objectives do not need individual sounds denoting types but there are a few special things about them. The first is that there are two types: single player and multi-player. There need to be two different sounds for these when they are picked up. This effect should be two variations on chimes, either altering pitch or adding different effects to one of them.
The second trait about objective sounds is a sound for when a player completes a portion of the objective. This can be the same for all of the objectives so just one sound is necessary. The sound should be a bell ringing or a high pitched ding. This sound needs to be simple and almost go unnoticed so it doesn’t get repetitive and annoying for the player. It should be similar to when Vana White touches the screen on Wheel of Fortune to turn over a correct letter.
The next part of objectives is for when time runs out. There need to be two sounds, one when they complete it successfully and one when they fail. The fail is easy and should be a game show type buzzer. It should be something that will mock the player and take them down a peg. And for when they complete an objective, just the opposite. It should be a “ding ding ding!” similar to getting a question right on a game show.
The final aspect of the objective pick-ups is to do with the multi-player games. When a multi-player game objective is picked up it overrides all current single player objectives. However, to keep the player from feeling disoriented, there is a 5-second countdown to let them know a game is about to begin. There need to be sounds to accompany this countdown. A simple beep will suffice. Some of the objectives teleport the players to a spot in the map in order for a race to start or so they will be in position for the dodgeball game. A cool sound effect is definitely in order here. The effect should sound like the player has been sucked through a portal with some nice thick low frequency.
Objective Specific Sounds
Within the types of games the player is playing there will need to be a few different sound effects.
Shooting – The player will need some kind of feedback for when they throw the ball. A nice low frequency whoosh will do nicely here.
Dodgeball – The player will be getting hit by balls. This presents the perfect opportunity for that rubbery reverberation provided by the dodge balls everyone has come to know and love.
Pushing other players – This can be done in any objective and is just a fun way for players to get under each other’s skin in a relatively non-violent way. The sound for this will be a combination of sound effect and voice over. Each character has a unique reaction to being shoved to the ground. However, the characters will share a sound for a good scraping of a knee. This sound can be fairly realistic of someone hitting the ground and sliding a bit. The type of surface they fall on is not incredibly important but to add realism having two would help; one for soil and one for a solid surface such as concrete.
Environments
Overview
Within Patchwork Playgrounds, there are five unique environments. Each one corresponds to a character and serves as their “home arena.” As such, the sounds will be fitting to each arena.
Winter Wonderland
The Winter Wonderland level is exactly that. A winter paradise littered with candy and delicious treats. It is a place that rings in the holiday day after day. It is pretty much what I imagine where Santa Clause lives to be like (and he does exist.)
The first sound needed is for players sliding on ice in their shoes, as much of the level contains ice. Additionally, the goals in this level are simply snowmen. A sound is needed for when they are hit with a ball (rubber meets snow.) Additionally the sound of a snowman collapsing, which is just snow falling on itself.
The only ambient sound necessary is sleigh bells. These will be played randomly throughout the level and will remind the player where they are should they ever forget.
Mountain
The mountain level of Patchwork Playgrounds is loosely based on the French Alps. The area where play takes place is an amphitheatre carved out of the side of one of the mountains. The open face of this amphitheatre looks out over the forest level below.
There are only a few sounds needed for this level. One is a nice sharp cold wind. Another absolutely necessary sound is the bleating of goats. There needs to be a roaring waterfall as well as the sound of a geyser/hot spring erupting. The geyser/hot spring is used as a lift to get up to the second part of the level. The final sound needed for this level is the sound of falling rocks. All of the goals for the players to throw the balls into are made of rocks and when they score in one the rocks collapse to close off that particular goal.
Castle
The castle is a broken piece of its former self, now uninhabited by anyone. However, it is a nice place for a Patchwork Playground’s arena. Inside the castle are reminders of its former glory.
The fountains still gush with crystal clear water and require sound. Additionally, the goals in this level are made by holes in the walls and once scored in a portcullis slams shut. There will need to be a nice heavy sound effect for this. The player needs to feel the weight of this gate slamming shut. A very light breeze that works its way in and out of the broken castle walls will also be a nice touch.
Music
The music for Patchwork Playgrounds needs to be as fun as the rest of the game. It also needs to make the player(s) feel excited about what they’re doing. There are several ways to achieve this sound.
· Light and simple melodies
o The first place I started researching for this was cartoon theme songs. Namely popular 90’s cartoons that appeared on Saturday mornings that people would recognize. This is a great resource for creating nostalgia of one’s childhood as I experienced firsthand researching it.
· Driving but not overbearing beats
o The drums should not be anything like drum n’ bass nor any complicated time signatures. The essence of the drums is to create a framework for the rest of the music and to keep it moving.
· Friendly and warm tones
o All of the instruments used should sound happy and fun. As well, all songs should be in major keys to keep things upbeat.
A link to Ratatat was given above as well and this exemplifies the kind of style we’re looking for. The reason this fits is because Ratatat embodies fun in their music.
The songs will be interchanged within all of the levels. Each level does not need its own music. Songs should be no longer than 2 min and 30 sec.
User Interface
Here is an example of what our front end could look like. In the interface there will be music playing from the game. Sound effects for the front end should be simple. When the player is navigating through the menu there need to be two effects. One for when they switch to another option and one for when they choose an option. These sounds will be the same as the ones described in the Dodgeball section of the Objective Specific Sounds.
Speech
Speech in the game is meant to be another fun aspect and a way to give the characters more of a personality. The speech will be unique to each character and consist of one liners. However, each character will have the same conditions for when they speak the sound. The categories are as follows:
Character Select
· Hans – “This will be fun.”
· Cressida – “I’m too good for you.”
· Tubbs – “Oooh! Do you want some chocolate?” (said with a full mouth)
· Russ – “Let’s pound some nerds!”