HFTR Early GDD

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==Homefront 2 Product Description==
=== A Core FPS Focusing on Guerilla Warfare ===
*In January 2025, Korea invaded America.
*Now, 4 years into the occupation and with the help of their superior technology, the KPA are in total control.
*A gritty depiction of an oppressed America
*Unite the Resistance and lead the Guerrilla war against the occupying KPA forces.
=== Game Pillars ===
* Guerrilla Warfare : Sabotage, ambush, surprise, deception, mobility 
* Asymmetric Warfare : Resistance homebrew versus advanced military tech 
* Guerrilla Toolkit : Build tools and weapons using materials scavenged 
* Fight for Liberty : Not a military conflict, a civilian revolution
=== Immersive Open World FPS ===
* FPS Meets Open World: Crytek FPS Visual Fidelity In An Open World. See section “Product Content” for further details. 
* RICH Interactive Environment : Philadelphia Under KPA Control 
* Build your Resistance Team : Recruit allies by earning their allegiance 
* Homebrew and RPG LITE : Scavenge for materials, build weapons, hack phones and drones
=== Co-Op Experience ===
*Two - Four player action : Seamless Drop In / Drop Out Experience with your friends
*Form a resistance cell : Collaborate to accomplish systemic gameplay objectives
*Personalised experience : Play as your own highly customisable Guerrilla fighter
*Limitless Replayability : Dynamic missions and activities create a constant Stream of content
*For further details please check Coop Vision section.
*The co-op design will be available for MS4. Scope for customisation and replayability to be part of this design.
=== CryEngine Visual Excellence ===
* DX11 based rendering
* Physically based rendering
* Large Scale Ambient Occlusion
* Dynamic Real Time Weather
* Realistic Characters
==Product Content==
=== Open World / Missions ===
* 1x Red Zone - (large vehicular open world approx 2km x 2km)
* 4-6x Yellow Zones - (smaller urban open world approx 300m x 300m)
* 5x Story Mission Levels See Story Section for more information.
* 1x Resistance HUB level
* Total target play time 20 hours
* 2 hours total SP mission
* 2-3 hours per yellow zone
* 5 hours red zone
===Weapons===
* 6x Base Resistance Weapons
* 17x Resistance Weapon Variant Parts
* 9x KPA Weapons
* 3x Melee Weapons
* 12x Guerrilla Toolkit Parts
* 11x Weapons Attachments
* 5x Explosive Types
* 9x Misc Assets (Grapple, HMG, etc)
=== Vehicles ===
*11x Vehicles
=== Drones ===
*5x Drones
=== Characters ===
* 4x Main/Cinematic Characters
* 15x Unique, Non-Cast Characters
* 7x KPA Classes
* 72x Male Generic Heads
* 70x Females Generic Heads
* 157x Civilian Torso Variants (male & female)
* 30x Resistance Torso Variants (male & female)
=== Cinematics ===
*8x Mission Bookend Cutscenes
*5-6x Cinematic, Flashback Sequences
*Target Total Cinematic time 30-45 minutes at state of the art performance capture with professional performance actors (please refer to Crysis3 and Ryse for comparable target quality)
The metrics give an indication of overall scope - exact numbers are likely to vary based on evolving gameplay requirements and gameplay tuning. Crytek reserves the right to deviate from these numbers in justified cases, however, the overall scope, or quality will be not reduced (i.e. reductions in some categories will be offset by increases in other categories, or quality).
==Game Vision==
First and foremost HomeFront 2 is a game about inciting revolution in a KPA occupied Philadelphia. Successfully achieving acts of subterfuge and revolution unlock additional areas of Philadelphia and help progress the story. The narrative of Walker and Brady provides a compelling context and “human story” layer to the player’s actions in the systemic game world.
At this point we envisage unlocking the yellow zones one by one. The player can traverse the entire world (yellow zones and red zone) by streaming technology. Locking zones and parts of zones is a mechanism for player progression and will be tuned at alpha.
To incite revolution the player will be performing gameplay in both the red and yellow zones. Acts such as –
* In the yellow zone:
** Destroying KPA infrastructure such as assaulting KPA police stations and subverting KPA drone control centres
** Establishing and growing resistance cells by enrolling at Safe Houses. Creating the resistance communications network.
** Completing a series of open world quests, such as assassinating key KPA leaders or stealing intelligence documents.
** Other gameplay loops within the open world such as –
*** Encouraging resistance propaganda (graffiti)
*** Freeing resistance prisoners from KPA police stations
*** Interrupting KPA “beatdowns” of civilians
** Good Samaritan opportunities, interacting with and assisting oppressed civilians.
*In the red zone we have guerrilla focused action:
** Player interaction with persistent resistance versus KPA skirmishes
** Drone tower subversion (modular combat section)
** Sabotaging drill site depots (modular combat section)
** Epic story mission, ambushing KPA armored column
** Ambushing persistent KPA vehicle presence within red zone
** Side missions and open world quests that focus on the red zone guerrilla activities
As the KPA infrastructure is diminished within an individual open world zone (either red or yellow), the level of “uprising” within that zone can increase. It should be noted that whilst there is no “HUD” based manifestation of the uprising meter it is reflected and witnessed in the game world through rebellious acts by US citizens and a general breakdown in KPA control. For example, skirmishes between revolutionaries and KPA police increase in frequency and ferocity.
Whilst we see the populace rise up within the open world zone(s), progress is also reflected in the HUB. The HUB is an underground station the resistance have setup, hidden from the KPA. In the HUB the player can attend to progression management, preview overall game progress and acquire further missions.
Periodically the player mission board in the HUB will reveal the opportunity to complete a story mission. Story missions (unlike side quests) unlock sequentially and progress the overall story, reflecting the uprising state witnessed in gameplay. The requirements of these story missions may take the player into previously inaccessible open world zones, thus unlocking them and allowing the player to begin inciting revolution in those zones. Depending on the story event, some story missions take place in stand-alone locations (“levels”) but these are designed to appear seamless with the fiction and gameplay of the systemic open world zones. Story missions often require the completion of open world tasks (prerequisites) before the mission is available.
Within the open world zones there are many other “exploration drivers” to provide compelling gameplay and encourage exploration and interaction with the game world. Some of these give deeper insight into the HF2 IP and KPA occupation. Others are based around appealing to “completionist” players or simply around action and core FPS gameplay.
The gameplay structure of inciting revolution within each zone within Philadelphia, story progression and unlocking new zones continues until Brady, the player character, reaches Independence Hall and the dramatic conclusion of the story for HomeFront 2. Completing this is the “win condition” for the game, but the player is free to continue playing within the open world and tying up any loose ends or side quests (an “endless” mode). Alternatively, the game can be started again with the player keeping their current level and upgrades (new game plus). This is simply the player trying to complete the game a second time, with carried over character progression.
==The Co-Op Vision==
See the “Co-Op” section within this document for more information on features etc. 
Co-Operative Multiplayer in HomeFront 2 is distinct from the single player game mode and is accessed through a separate menu option from the main menu. Co-op is designed as a seamless drop in and drop out experience, however this is not intended to be a MMO experience. 
Players will engage in an instance of the open world that belongs to the first player to start Co-Op. Other players can join that instance and progress together (or separately) through available quests and open world activities, some of which will be multiplayer specific. When a player leaves that instance, they will retain any character/skill progression for use in future games.
Within the HUB several multiplayer specific quests may be available at any given time. These are framed within a very “lite” narrative giving context as to how they tie in together. Once that batch of quests has been completed, another set will be unlocked with a new narrative explanation, and so on and so forth providing long term multiplayer specific content. Quests can be auto-generated by swapping out features such as names, objective/target locations, difficulty etc.Example multiplayer quests would include actions such as – 
* Assassination of targets
** Example scenario - Retribution 
*** tasked with eliminating a KPA officer responsible for recent civilian executions, players must...
*** Find his itinerary situated inside a police station
*** Gain access to a locked down sector where he is located
*** Ambush his patrol vehicle and kill him
* Reconnaissance, such as gathering intel or following a target.
* Retrieval of items deemed important for the resistance. 
For example, a multiplayer quest which requires gathering intel on a known collaborator (“Preston”), before assassinating him. A different combination of the same elements might require assassination of a KPA spy (“Luke”), before gathering KPA intel from his body. 
This represents the current plan and will be subject to a tech prototype and proving out in gameplay. 
Our vision for Co-Op is to use the systems and mechanics of our open game world but in a way which does not “pollute” the single player story. Co-op is a separate mode from SP. Therefore progress in coop will not affect SP and vice versa. Both SP and Coop use the HUB for progress in their respective modes.
==Game Features==
The following Game Features shall be considered as Major Features
===Core FPS===
HomeFront 2 builds on Crytek's reputation for FPS expertise and fidelity by combining it with an immersive, systemic open world.
Wielding “home brew” resistance weaponry the player takes on the role of a Guerrilla fighter – not a super soldier, taking down a much more powerful and technologically advanced opposition. To this end HomeFront 2’s core FPS mechanics are tailored to tactical play and Guerrilla warfare. Stealth, cover and resourcefulness during combat are fundamental to the combat experience.
=== An Emergent Open World ===
A core pillar of HomeFront 2 is its’ open world structure encouraging emergent gameplay. Philadelphia under KPA control is broken up into a series of colour coded “zones”. 
Red Zone – These areas of the city are designated as disease ridden waste lands. During the US downturn and the “Knoxville” Flu epidemic the US government quarantined these sections of the city in an attempt to control the outbreak. The KPA, unable occupy the entire United States, have largely left these areas alone and patrol them primarily with their Drone technology.
The red zone is largely ruined and inhospitable, with activities based around assisting rag-tag groups of resistance fighters, civilians, and disrupting the KPA presence in the area. Frequent guerrilla skirmishes between KPA and resistance will be more prominent in the Red Zone, as will environmental hazards such as gas. Each neighbourhood will have a slightly different makeup of activities which complement the style and location of the neighbourhood within the fiction. 
Yellow Zones – These zones are where the population is now concentrated. They consist of checkpoints, food lines, refugee camps and KPA infrastructure. The local populace largely go about their business as best they can here, closely monitored by the ever watchful KPA.
Each yellow zone is themed around a different aspect of the fiction. For example, a downtown prison district, and the collaborators district where KPA collaborators are offered a slightly better quality of life. The yellow zones will typically offer greater density of content than the red zone, and the style of gameplay is centered around creating disruption while remaining hidden in plain sight. Activities such as speaking to/interacting with civilians will be much more prominent here.
Green Zone – A heavily guarded area designated for high ranking KPA, their families and staff. Also houses US ‘turncoats’ – translators, cooks, engineers etc. Power, water and food are readily available.
Green zones are only accessible through our key story moments, namely when accessing City Hall and Independence Hall. They are not “systemic open world locations” which allow repeated gameplay and are tightly controlled to provide the most compelling cinematic moments possible. 
Each zone is a living eco-system combing dynamic real time weather and time of day with systemic layers of KPA and Civilian interaction. Civilian behaviors are not scripted but controlled by a dynamic population system. However civilians will have appropriate responses to player interaction. As an example the KPA may choose to beat down a civilian performing graffiti.The player interacts with this eco-system through their resistance activities – saving the civilian from a KPA beat down or other examples such as assaulting KPA towers and checkpoints, ambushing convoys and other insurgent activities. Typically the pay off for successful interaction with the player would be to gain some resistance points, contributing to the overall uprising system.
==== Guerrilla Toolkit ====
The Guerrilla toolkit encourages the player to experiment with creative solutions to in-game scenarios, allowing them to truly role play as a Guerrilla fighter and offering a wide variety of options to the player while simultaneously not forcing any of them.
With the use of the GTK a player may assault a police station in a variety of methods. Direct attack, using Molotov's, or a low key approach using bolt cutters to access a side entrance or a RC car to subvert the security systems. 
Scavenging and Crafting
Valuable items, especially technology are hard to come by in occupied Philadelphia. To counter-act this, the resistance are skilled at scavenging items and re-purposing them into tools and weapons for insurgency. Crafting takes the form of combining objects to form a new purpose, or customizing existing objects.
Item combination and customization is done in real time, combining items such as batteries, explosives, chemicals and shrapnel to create a device with properties dependant on its makeup. 
Smartphone
The smartphone is a key component in the player's equipment set, delivering important information and providing a range of world interaction abilities centered around Guerrilla warfare and resistance activities. 
The Smartphone primarily operates through the use of “apps”, which can be acquire and upgraded throughout the game. These include - 
* Camera
* Sonar
* Text Messages (used to the delivery of missions or info updates)
* Map
* Hacking (drones, KPA terminals)
Tools
* IEDs
* Distraction Tools
* EMP devices (for disabling drones)
* RC Cars
* Pipe Bombs
* The resistance truck
=== The KPA ===
Drones
Drones provide the KPA technological advantage over the resistance, keeping the population oppressed through performing key KPA roles, including combat roles. Others perform social policing and monitoring of the populace. 
As well as being operated by the KPA, drones can be hacked by the player and used in combat to expand tactical gameplay. 
KPA Police
Operating primarily in the KPA occupied “Yellow Zones”, KPA police operate from police stations within the Yellow and Green zones, patrolling neighbourhoods, using drones to gather intelligence and performing raids on suspected safe-houses. They will respond aggressively to any perceived insurgent behavior, forcing the player to think carefully about their actions in these areas. 
KPA Infantry
The bulk of the KPA occupation force consists of the fighting infantry and vehicle/drone support. These operate from strongholds and patrol the Red Zone in limited numbers, skirmishing with resistance fighters and wiping out suspected insurgent bases. They also monitor the local populace in the Yellow Zones, operating checkpoints, drone towers and responding to militant threats. 
=== Driving ===
Vehicles play a significant part in showing a believable game world, although most civilian vehicles have been destroyed or impounded by the KPA since the occupation. The resistance use heavily customized trucks to travel around the dangerous red zone, and the player can also make use of these.
=== A Resistance Uprising ===
A true reflection of the player’s actions and progress through the game world comes in the form of the uprising or “revolution level”. It portrays the intensifying insurgency of the civilian population through an agnostic system controlling a variety of game world events. The “meter” is not displayed directly to the player, but does feedback in the form of realistic “cause and effect” in world events. These include civilians becoming more positive towards the player and hostile to the KPA, new activities unlocking, safe houses unlocking and more frequent dead drops. Activities which raise the revolution level include taking out KPA towers, destroying the police station, graffiti spreading and setting up resistance communications. 
=== Exploration Drivers ===
HomeFront 2 contains many level components which encourage the player out of the main gameplay areas and which provide a larger sense of scale in levels. They provide a sense of exploration and intrigue and are an alternative method of narrating the story of the HomeFront universe. 
Examples include – 
*Core gameplay drivers, such as environmental puzzles or optional routes for objectives. In the comms loop the player can try to overpower the KPA in the front door or climb up the scaffold at the side of the building.
*Resistance Stashes. These contain valuable scavenge/crafting items and are signposted with Resistance symbols.
*Scavengables are items the player can find and collect in order to craft Guerrilla Toolkit tools. Examples of scavengables include batteries, circuit boards, chemicals, explosives. These combine to form the GTK items.e.g. combine an explosive and a can to create a pipe bomb. Further to this bartering and exchanging items can be done at market stalls.
*Backstory moments, which can be identified using the camera on the smartphone. Taking a photograph of the scene will expose information from the Resistance Database about the location or events that occurred there.
*Notes and journals, which contain accounts from American civilians describing their personal first hand experience of the occupation. Once discovered, these can be accessed through the Resistance Database.
*Ham Radios. These Radios will be relaying underground Resistance information, including reflecting the latest story beats, the feelings of the Americans towards the resistance and how the player has affected the game world.
*Propaganda Loudspeakers are located around the open world and broadcast pro-Korean propaganda to the American populace. Destroying these increase hope and belief in the resistance.
=== Player Progression ===
Further details to be designed and delivered in Milestone 5.
Enabling the player to customize and buy-in to their role as a Guerrilla fighter is important for longevity and immersion in the game world. There are several avenues of progression and customization available to the player including –
* Weapon customization 
* Player leveling and ability progression
* Smart phone upgrades
==Story==
===Synopsis===
Ethan Brady is drawn into the world of the Resistance when hero of the People - and the KPA's most wanted criminal - Ben Walker hijacks his car. Walker is soon captured by the KPA but Brady, who managed to escape into Philadelphia, decides to join the Resistance struggle with cell leaders Jack Parrish, Dana Moore and the Humanitarian Doctor Sam Burnett.
The Resistance are trying to start the Second War of Independence and need Walker to inspire the people to rise up. Getting him back is a top priority. Walker's trial is announced to take place at Independence Hall and the Resistance see their chance to mount a rescue.
The Resistance infiltrate the Shipyard to intercept a shipment of large automated assault drones called Goliaths and steal one to use in their attack on the Hall. The Resistance use Brady as bait and, having bypassed security, attack the trial. However they've been tricked by the KPA and lured into a trap, only just managed to get away.
The Collaborator Mayor is going to broadcast a video of Walker denouncing the Resistance and urging the people to accept KPA protection. This has to be stopped or all hope of a revolution is lost. The Resistance reach the Mayor's office at City Hall, killing the Mayor and stopping the broadcast. In its place they deliver their own rousing message, urging the people of Philadelphia to make a stand.
Faced with the loss of control of Philadelphia the KPA activate their last ditch defence and release vast gas clouds to blanket the city and kill all non-KPA. The Resistance must prevent the gas from being released, culminating in an assault on Independence Hall where the American flag is raised again for the first time in 4 long years.
== Missions - Main Thread ==
=== Introduction ===
Ethan Brady is driving a beaten up pickup through rural Philadelphia. As he waits in line at a KPA checkpoint an armed man appears at the window and gets into the car. He is Ben Walker, a notorious Resistance broadcaster, who is top of the KPA's most wanted list. Walker forces Brady to crash through the barrier and bullets begin to fly. The KPA mount a pursuit and Brady must use all of his driving skill to survive.
* Gameplay : Cinematic gameplay/driving sequence escaping from pursuing KPA vehicles - dramatic launch into the game Evading helicopter and other KPA weaponry.
* Target Duration 5-10 min
=== Samaritan ===
After meeting Walker and seeing the Resistance in action Brady decides to join to help push back against KPA rule. News arrives that the KPA are massing for an attack, and have discovered the Resistance HQ. Brady must help in evacuating the most vital equipment and mount an ambush against the advancing KPA.
* Gameplay : FPS action - Epic guerrilla combat ambushing a KPA vehicle column in the Red Zone. Work with other resistance fighters using unorthodox tactics to even up the odds in a large asymmetric battle. Heavy use of GTK and RC gameplay. 
* Duration : 15-25 mins
=== Shipyard ===
The Resistance set up a new headquarters in a mothballed subway station under the red zone. As they lost their heavy weaponry when they had to evacuate their last HQ they decide to steal what they need from the KPA. A shipment of Goliaths are scheduled to arrive at the docks. The Resistance embark on an effort to steal one.
*Gameplay : low key infiltration + FPS action:Resistance plan to infiltrate the shipyard, going in as a collaborator worker. Smuggle in resistance fighters/weapons, secure goliath, siege fight controlling goliath and fight your way out
*Duration : 35-45mins
=== Independence Hall ===
Walker, who introduced Brady to the Resistance, has been taken by the KPA. There is a public trial planned to occur at Independence Hall to send out a powerful message to anyone looking to stand up to the KPA. The Resistance storm the Hall but, instead of finding Walker, find only gas trap devised to kill them all.
*Gameplay : siege gun play: Captured by the KPA as part of a resistance plan. Break your way out and allow the resistance access to storm Independence Hall. Siege fight as tables are turned on the resistance.
*Duration : 20-25 mins.
=== City Hall ===
In a last ditch effort the remaining Resistance decide to try and inspire a revolution from the Mayor's own office at City Hall! They're going to try and stop the Mayor's propaganda messages and instead send out their own call to arms to the people of Philadelphia. The plan is to attack from the rooftops, using ziplines and a crucial element of surprise. 
*Gameplay : rooftop traversal + FPS combat + major assassination .Zipling and activating the Emergency Broadcast System on the rooftops around City Hall before storming the Mayor's office.
*Duration : 35 - 45 mins
=== Independence Hall Revisited ===
*Gameplay Final assault on Independence Hall to clear out the KPA and plant the US flag on the roof.
*Duration 15-20 mins
=== Finale ===
As a backup-measure the KPA have hidden giant chemical reserves under the Yellow Zones streets, capable of creating vast clouds of poison gas. As civilians begin pouring onto the streets in defiance of KPA rule the activation switch is flicked, and the mixing process for the gas begins. With no time to lose the Resistance rush out into the pitched street battles and try to stop the gas by burning the chemicals in their tanks. 
==Co-Op==
=== Specs ===
* Either 2 player or 4 player depending on gameplay and technical prototyping • Open world structure, with players able to freely explore both the Red and Yellow Zones 
* A variety of gameplay types from short, immediate challenges to longer, story-focussed scenarios 
* Class-based specialisation system allowing players to tailor their equipment towards specific abilities, making teamwork key to both success and survival 
* Personalise your character with outfit items, character skins and weapon decals 
* Clan system allows friends and strangers alike to form persistent Resistance Cells, with a global meta-game providing insight into how cells compare 
* Player experience, currency and unlocked rewards are shared across both co-op and single-player 
* Additional missions, challenges and items planned post-release
=== Monetisation Opportunities ===
* Further details to be included in Milestone 5. 
* New weapons • Further personalisation options including new gas mask decals, weapon stickers and clothing 
* Time-limited 'Progression' and 'Damage' boosts 
* New mission locations and scenarios 
* Upgrades will be implemented via data patching to the client, not via persistent servers.