Software Design Document
This document is a bridge between the Game Design Document (GDD) and Software Design Document (SRS). While the GDD outlines the conceptual overview such as gameplay mechanics, story, and artistic vision of "Rule and Munus," this document combine it with explaining the technical specifics like architecture, algorithms, and implementation strategies necessary to develop the game. We can divide the purpose of the document as follows:
- Guiding: Providing a framework for developers, enabling the transition from design to implementation.
- Ensure Consistency: Ensures arrangement between the concept of the game and the technical application by defining specifications.
"Rule and Munus" is a turn-based strategy game set in an isometric 2D world. It blends elements of tactical RPGs and roguelikes. The gameplay revolves around two phases: “Peace Phase” and “War Phase.” The standout feature of the game is the adaptive AI system controlling the King of the Gladiators. This AI evolves in parallel with the player, analyzes their strategies, and grows in strength to provide a continuous and challenging experience. We preferred the dice-based mechanics to add an element of chance that influences most of the features from crafting outcomes to combat scenarios. The project aims to offer a replayable experience that combines strategic depth and dynamic gameplay.
- Doç. Dr. Gül TOKDEMİR - Advisor
- Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Talha KARADENİZ - Advisor
- Arş. Gör. Sezer UĞUZ - Advisor
- Dorukhan YILDIZ – Designer, Developer
- Sezer Can EKİZ - Developer
- Ömer YURTALAN - Developer
- Semih OĞUZ - Developer
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| AI (Artificial Intelligence) | A computational system designed to mimic human-like decision-making. In this game, the King of the Gladiators is controlled by a human-like AI that adapts to player actions. |
| Action Points (AP) / Stamina | A resource consumed by the player or AI during combat to perform actions such as attacking, defending, or using skills. |
| Dice Mechanics | A feature where dice rolls determine the success of actions, quality of crafted items, and outcomes of events. Examples include d20 for material gathering and d100 for item crafting quality. |
| Encounter | A random event during the War Phase, where the player faces an enemy or gathers materials based on dice roll outcomes. |
| Heuristic-based Decision-making | A method used by the game’s AI to make decisions based on simplified rules rather than complex calculations, balancing performance and adaptability. |
| Isometric | A visual perspective used in the game to present the town and combat scenes, offering a pseudo-3D appearance on a 2D plane. |
| Peace Phase | The gameplay phase focused on town management, crafting, and character development. |
| Roguelike | A sub-genre of games characterized by procedurally generated challenges, randomness, and a high degree of replayability. |
| Stat Points | Points allocated by players to improve their character’s attributes, such as Strength, Dexterity, or Intelligence, enhancing performance in combat and other activities. |
| Turn-based Combat | A combat system where players and opponents take turns performing actions based on available resources like action points. |
| War Phase | The gameplay phase where players gather materials, engage in combat, or participate in the Colosseum. |
| User Interface (UI) | The visual and interactive components of the game that allow players to perform actions, manage inventory, and navigate game menus. |
"Rule and Munus" get inspired by several games, integrating their notable features to create a unique experience:
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Swords and Sandals:
- Features adapted: Gladiatorial combat and character progression mechanics.
- Implementation: Participating in the gladiatorial tournaments under the name of "Munus" and a level-based progression system.
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Loop Hero:
Features adapted: Town-building and resource management elements.
- Implementation: Players can construct and upgrade buildings, manage resources, and craft items.
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Dungeons and Dragons:
- Features adapted: Dice mechanics and fantastic themes.
- Implementation: Dice rolls influence combat, crafting, and resource gathering, adding randomness. Fantastic themes such as character attributes, classes, races and skills.
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Divinity 2: Original Sin:
- Features adapted: AI opponents and turn, and action point-based combats.
- Implementation: The Decision of the AI opponent of Divinity is strategic, and situation-based that’s what we wanted from “King of the Gladiators”. The combat scene has its own turn mechanic and opponents of both sides will take actions based on their stamina like action points.
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Sid Meier's Civilization VI:
- Features adapter: Turn-based strategy.
- Implementation: Peace and War Phases are our main turns the player will take actions depending on the current phase. These inspirations provide the basis for the game while allowing us to innovate on the mechanics.
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Theme:
- A high-fantasy world where players take on the role of an exiled hero rebuilding their life in a foreign land.
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Genre(s):
- Turn-based strategy, tactical RPG, and roguelike.
- Concept: *The game emphasizes replayability through dynamic gameplay and dice-based mechanics by combining strategic decision-making and resource management with turn-based combat and a dynamically evolving AI opponent.
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Platforms:
- PC (primary development focus), with potential for console support in the future.
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Audience:
- Lovers of tactical RPGs, turn-based strategy games, and roguelikes.
- Players who enjoy fantastic characters and strategic gameplay.
- Steam users who are seeking innovative single-player experiences.
"Rule and Munus" will adopt a straightforward monetization model:
- The game will be published on Steam as a premium product.
- Players can purchase the game for a one-time cost, granting full access to all features and content.
- No microtransactions or additional purchases will be required, ensuring a fair and complete experience for all players.
Depending on the main story, the player’s character is exiled from the Kingdom of Gladiators by the King, takes refuge in a town, and is elected Mayor as time passes. Players create a character based on his/her preferences (class, race, name, etc.) and the game starts in this small town that can be named in the beginning, at Peace Phase with some initial items and materials. The main questline is defeating all opponents at the coliseum, climbing stages till facing the “King of the Gladiators” and beating him to overcome exile.
"Rule and Munus" is structured around two phases:
- Peace Phase:
- Players rule the town, focusing on resource management, town-building, and character progression. Actions include constructing and upgrading buildings, crafting and trading items, and allocating stat points to improve their character’s abilities and prepare their character for upcoming challenges.
- War Phase:
- Players gather materials and engage in turn-based combat with encounters ranging from regular enemies to the AI-driven opponent, the King of the Gladiators. Players can also compete in gladiatorial tournaments at the Colosseum, climbing ranks to face progressively stronger foes.
These phases are linked, with the outcomes of one directly affecting the other. This cyclical structure encourages strategic planning.
The player is the controller of the main character of the story. It has the following properties:
- Inventory
- Stats
- Attributes
- Actions Basically, the player is the mayor, gatherer, fighter, and strategist.
Inventory:
- Helmet, Chest plate, Leggings, Ring, Necklace, Scrolls, Firsthand and Secondhand weapons are the equipment slots.
- Every slot is a tag. Tagged items are stored in the inventory by default. The player must equip the items.
- Materials are stored in the inventory by default just for inspection.
Stats:
- Strength: Increases the damage of hitting with the equipped item.
- Intelligent: Increases the maximum amount of Mana Points and damage of Skills.
- Constitution: Increases the maximum number of Health Points.
- Dexterity: Increases the amount of neglected damage while defending.
- Charisma: Decreases the value of buying an item and increases the value of selling an item on the market.
- Luck: Increases the chance of hitting, looting high-quality items, crafting high-quality items, and the amount of gathered materials. Attributes:
- Health depends on the Constitution. It can be regenerated by skills. The remaining health will be transferred to the next turn at War Phase. The player can refill it by ending the War Phase.
- Mana depends on the Intelligent. The remaining mana will be transferred to the next turn at War Phase. The player can refill it by ending the War Phase
- Stamina is constant at 80. Starts with 60 points at the beginning of combat. Unspent stamina will be added on the next turn but will not exceed 80.
"Rule and Munus" features a variety of player actions as outlined in the GDD:
- Town Management:
- Build new buildings.
- Upgrade existing buildings.
- Craft new items.
- Sell and buy items at the market.
- Allocate stat points to improve character attributes.
- Combat Actions:
- Attack by equipped weapons.
- Defend to reduce incoming damage.
- Use skills by consuming mana or scrolls.
- Move within the combat grid.
- End turn after using available stamina.
- Resource Gathering:
- Roll dice to determine gathering outcomes or trigger encounters.
- Attempt to flee or engage in combat if encounters occur.
- Dice Rolls:
- Use d20 rolls for material gathering and combat escape attempts.
- Use d100 rolls to determine the quality of crafted items. These actions combine strategic decision-making with randomness, enhancing the replayability of the game.
The primary objectives for players are:
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Win Condition:
- Defeat the King of the Gladiators, in the final Colosseum battle.
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Lose Condition:
- Although there is no permanent game-over state, players face setbacks such as losing resources and progress if defeated in combat. These setbacks challenge players to rebuild their strategies and try again.
"Rule and Munus" offers a cyclical gameplay loop blending strategic planning and tactical execution:
- During the Peace Phase, the player develops their town, manages resources, and improves their character for upcoming challenges.
- In the War Phase, the player gathers materials and faces turn-based combat scenarios.
- Participation in gladiatorial tournaments provides high-risk, high-reward opportunities to advance the story and character progression. This dynamic gameplay loop, supported by adaptive AI ensures a challenging experience for the player.
This architecture in system design refers to a methodology where software is built by assembling pre-defined, reusable components. Each component encapsulates a specific piece of functionality or behavior, with well-defined interfaces that govern how components interact with each other. This approach promotes modularity, flexibility, and reusability in software development. [1]
The reason we chose this architecture is to ensure that the system is modular, flexible, and sustainable. Component-Based Architecture allows components to be developed and tested independently. This enables each component to be designed more efficiently by focusing on its specific functionality. Additionally, the reusability of components speeds up the development process and reduces maintenance costs. In the long run, this approach will make system maintenance and expansion easier and more efficient.
Building construction is an important gameplay mechanism that allows players to unlock new features and functions. This includes gaining access to interactions with related NPCs, such as shops, blacksmiths, or quest-giving characters. Buildings also serve as symbols of the player's progress. For example, constructing a forge allows for weapon crafting, offering the player new strategic options.
Character attributes define the core abilities of the player character and have a significant impact on gameplay. These attributes include:
- Class: Shapes character's abilities and defines a playstyle (e.g., Warrior, Mage, Archer).
- Race: Offers diversity and provides special bonuses (e.g., Elves gain bonus Dexterity, Humans gain bonus Wisdom).
- Attribute: Strength, Intelligence, Constitution, Dexterity, Charisma, and Luck are attributes that affect a character's actions. Strength increases melee damage, Intelligence boosts mana points and the power of skills, Constitution affects maximum health points, Dexterity reduces chance of damage taken, Charisma influences the buying and selling value of items, and Luck improves attack accuracy and the amount of materials gathered.
Combat actions are the mechanics of battle. The core actions include:
- Attack: The character initiates an attack, supported by their stats and the weapon used.
- Defense: This involves using shields, dodging, or reducing incoming damage through counterattacks.
- Movement: Getting close to the enemy or retreating.
- Use Skill: Using special abilities such as magic, buffs, or control effects, typically consuming resources like mana or energy.
- End Turn: After using available stamina, the turn ends, and any unused stamina will be carried over to the next round, but will not exceed the maximum limit.
Resource management challenges players to effectively gather and allocate resources. The core elements of this system include:
- Gathering: Players collect materials by rolling a d20 dice. The roll determines the amount of materials gathered, influenced by a multiplier (e.g., 0.5x, 1x, 2x). This mechanic shapes the quantity and variety of resources players can acquire.
- Spending: Players use gathered resources to build structures and craft items. Effective resource management requires balancing short-term needs with long-term objectives.
The AI influences the game by controlling gladiators and encounters, especially in the Colosseum tournaments. Each stage has gladiators and a boss, with the final boss, "King of the Gladiators," using a dynamic AI that grows stronger as the player progresses. The AI adapts to the player’s tactics, improving its strength and kingdom based on shared actions like gathering and crafting. In combat, the AI reacts to the player’s strategies, adjusting its actions to create a challenging experience. The "King of the Gladiators" represents the final challenge, with the AI becoming more tough as the game advances.
[1] https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/component-based-architecture-system-design/