Sunday, March 3, 2013

Outline for the First Term Paper

I. Introduction
a. Introduce the video game “Super Smash Bros. Brawl.”
b. Basic rules: Smash attacks, damage in percentages, controller, and the camera/television screen dictates the edges where the characters can get ‘knocked out.’
c. Hypothesis: “Super Smash Bros. Brawl,” and its preceding instalments, break most physical laws of the natural world to simulate an immersive, fast-paced, action-packed four-player fighting game.

II. The higher percentage of damage on your character, the lighter the character becomes.
a. Instead of health gauges present in classic arcade fighting games, Super Smash Bros. Brawl uses a percentage system, which usually starts at ‘0%’ in most game modes. The percentage increases whenever damaged and at varying degrees depending on the cause of damage, or attack.
b. Most characters can be knocked out, or sent flying, between 150% and 300%, but the gauge is capped at 999%. A character with only 20% damage will be able withstand an attack and still land within the arena.
c. A character with 600% - 999% damage will fly at an incredible speed with a strong enough attack.

III. Superhuman strength and abilities, but no blood.
a. Each character in the game has superhuman strengths and abilities which can be seen when receiving damage from an opponent. Contrary to a normal punch, a punch (or any standard attack) in the game will cause characters to react with an exaggerated pose showing major discomfort, sometimes even in mid air.
b. Characters are resistant to magma and sharp, legendary blades.
c. Instant rejuvenation is also inherent in each character. No character shows signs of damage, except through the percentage gauge. When a character is knocked ‘off-screen’ their percentages are reset at 0%.

IV. The jumping/falling arcs (trajectory) of each character is controlled by the players with little consideration to their inherent weight.
a. Each character design is informative of the weight of the characters, but when each falls, they fall at a uniform speed when the player does not interfere with the trajectory. The arcs of their jumps correspond to their weight, which is one of the only game mechanics that follow the laws of gravity in the natural world.
b. Players have the option holding on the jump button to gain height in jumps, or of pressing/holding ‘down’ on the joystick  when a character is in mid-air to make them fall faster to the ground. Even the heaviest characters can jump superhuman heights.
c. Arcs of certain moves can be altered by moving the joystick during their execution, which include superhuman spinning, flipping and jumping.

V. Every world/arena is consistent with each other as long as there is a platform to fight on.
a. Gravity is always going down towards the platforms which the player fight on.
b. Nearly each level is on a different world, but the rules of the game apply similarly to each one. Some levels are underground surrounded by lava, and others are located in the upper atmosphere of a world.

VI. Conclusion
a. The game is more about fast-paced action, giving the player control over their character’s trajectory while maneuvering through levels.
b. The more the merrier.

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