Haze/Nectar Gameplay

__NOTOC__
==Some Questions==
*How does nectar affect my gameplay experience?
*How do we solve the problem of the player losing his nectar abilities when they change sides?
*What are all the different nectar states about?
==Nectar Overview==
*Combat enhancer developed by Mantel Corp.
*Administered to all troopers via satellite-controlled intravenous injection
*This makes them the best soldiers in the world
*However, users are also blinded to the reality and horrors of their situation
*Nectar deprivation causes immediate awakening to the reality of the situation, often causing madness and psychosis
*Rather than simply being a scripted and narrative elements, nectar will impart abilities based on player's performance and play style (Player Domination ↑ ↓ Nectar Abilities)
==Nectar Abilities==
*Basic combat gameplay loop:
**Survival → Strategy → Survival → Eliminate Target → Survival
**Anticipate → Locate → Destroy 
**Abilities related to each loop
***Survival - Anticipate = Nectar Foresight
***Strategy - Locate = Nectar Perception
***Eliminate Target - Destroy = Nectar Focus
==Nectar Abilities==
===Nectar Foresight===
*The ability to anticipate danger
*Occurs when the player is under threat from:
**Imminent explosions (rockets/grenades)
**Incoming gunfire
**Enemy melee attacks
===Nectar Perception===
*The ability to locate enemy forces
*Occurs when the player:
**Kills an enemy
**Remains static for a period of time
===Nectar Focus===
*The ability to destroy an enemy, by focusing the player on just them
*Occurs when the player:
**Zooms in on a character
**Uses the iron sight aim on a character
==Systemic Elements==
*Hold on a minute… You said the Nectar gameplay was systemic!
*Original proposal based on 'Dominance' of battlefield:
**The greater the player's dominance of the battlefield, the less nectar they are administered.
*But how do you measure dominance?
*Would probably measure dominance using factors such as:
**Player health
**Number of enemies nearby
**Player's shooting skill
*However...
**Hard to create a useful equation from numerous variables that bear no relation to one another.
**Very hard to balance
*It would be easier and more readable if we could link each ability to a single factor, e.g.:
**Player health → Nectar foresight
**The lower the player's health, the better their Foresight ability gets.
*This makes nectar adaptive.
*Adaptive? Huh?
**Nectar does not simply enhance all abilities all of the time; instead it enhances whichever ability the player needs the most.
*Nectar Foresight:
**The lower the player's health, the larger and more intense the filter indicating danger
*Nectar Perception:
**The greater the number of enemies near the player, the more intense the highlight on each
*Nectar Focus:
**The longer the player spends aiming at a character, the more intense the focus effect
==Rebel Gameplay==
*First off, a couple more reminders…
*Meaning of HAZE:
**“The clean, hi-tech war is a lie”
*Player experience needs to be expansive, not reductive
**i.e. We should give the player more and more new toys as they go through the game, not take them away
*Boo! I've stopped using Nectar, and now my cool abilities are gone!
*Or are they...?
*The player will now keep their Nectar abilities when they change sides!
*What!? How!?
*'Nectar' abilities actually have 'nothing' to do with nectar
*They are just human senses working at their height in combat; a sixth sense, or combat awareness
*Nectar's combat-enhancing capabilities are all Mantel propaganda; all it does is blind people to the reality of their situation
*In other words… Nectar is a lie
*As Teare explains:
**“Oh, and just so you know, those 'special abilities' they said it gave us? You might have noticed you've still got them. Just thanks to good old-fashioned adrenaline. Nectar was never about making us tougher soldiers. It was about making us compliant.”
*The player can thus continue to use Foresight, Perception, and Focus
**Obviously, they are no longer called 'Nectar' abilities
==Nectar States==
*In gameplay terms, there are three different 'Nectar' states:
**Nectar normal (normal state for a trooper)
**Reality (normal state for a rebel)
**Nectar withdrawal (state reached when a trooper is deprived of Nectar)
===Abilities ===
*Which abilities are available in each of the different states?
 	Nectar Normal	Reality	Nectar Withdrawal
Foresight 	Yes 	Yes 	No
Perception	Yes 	Yes 	No
Focus 	Yes 	Yes 	No
===General Visuals=== 
*What visual effects are associated with each Nectar state?
 	Nectar Normal	Reality	Nectar Withdrawal
Saturation 	High 	Medium 	Low
Grain Filter 	None 	Slight 	High
Field of View 	Wide 	Wide 	Narrow
Blood Hit fx 	None 	Medium 	High
Bloom 	High 	Medium 	Low
Motion Blur 	High 	Medium 	High
Particle Decay	Slow 	Medium 	Slow
===Audio=== 
*What audio effects are associated with each Nectar state?
 	Explanation 	Nectar Normal	Reality	Nectar Withdrawal
Separation 	Separation between sounds 	High 	Medium 	Low
Random Anomalies	Echoes, muffled voices etc. 	None 	None 	High
Distortion 	Distortion of sound 	None 	None 	High
Screams/groans 	From dying/injured characters 	None 	Medium 	High
Music 	Music style 	Rousing 	Normal 	Oppressive
Squadmate Shouts 	Volume of shouts from squadmates	Loud 	Medium 	Muffled
Enemy Shouts 	Volume of shouts from enemies 	Quiet 	Medium 	Loud
==Summary==
*There are three core Nectar abilities:
**Nectar Focus
**Nectar Foresight
**Nectar Perception
*These enhance the very core of the FPS experience
*They are adaptive, altering based on a player's current situation
*However, they are not Nectar abilities at all – merely combat abilities
*Thus, the player can keep them when they change sides
*Difference of Nectar states is strongly supported by gameplay, audio and visual tools
==Appendix 1: Complete Nectar FX Grid==
===Player as Marine===
 	See Marine (on nKTR) 	See Marine (reality) 	See Rebel (on nKTR) 	See Rebel (reality)
Clothes 	Bright & patriotic 	Dull – regular army colours 	Brighter 	Less saturated, dirtier
Armour 	Full, brand new 	More used / battered 	N/A 	N/A
Logo Perception 	Heroic 	Ambiguous - Hint of something bad 	Aggressive 	Neutral
Blood/Mud/Sweat 	No 	Yes 	No 	Yes
Specularity 	High 	Low 	High 	Low
Masks/Faces 	No Mask. Face fresh and clean	No Mask. Face gaunt and tired 	Scary/Masked. 	No masks. Player can see their fear
Overall perception	Powerful, clean, heroic 	More human, but traumatised and/or sadistic depending on character	Tribal, animalistic. Classic computer game 'bad guy foreigners'.	More human, vulnerable.
===Player in severe withdrawal (swamp level)===
 	See Enemy Marine	See Squadmate
Clothes 	Undecided 	Dull – regular army colours
Armour 	Undecided 	More used / battered
Logo Perception 	Undecided 	Ambiguous - Hint of something bad
Blood/Mud/Sweat 	Undecided 	Yes
Specularity 	Undecided 	Low
Masks/Faces 	Undecided 	No Mask. Face gaunt and tired
Overall Perception	Terrifying 	Nervous, edgy
===Player as Rebel===
 	See Marine (reality) 	See Marine (drugged by marines)	See Rebel (reality)	See Rebel (drugged by marines) *
Colour of clothes 	Darker army colours 	As withdrawal 	Less saturated 	Undecided
Colour of armour 	More used / battered 	As withdrawal 	N/A 	Undecided
Logo Perception 	More sinister 	As withdrawal 	Heroic 	Undecided
Blood/Mud/Sweat 	Yes 	As withdrawal 	Yes 	Undecided
Specularity 	Low 	As withdrawal 	Low 	Undecided
Masks/Faces 	Masked, scary - zombies	As withdrawal 	No masks, emotional	Undecided
Overall perception	Brutal, unthinking 	Terrifying 	Heroic underdogs 	Vulnerable
*Depends on effect of drug. Should it make your own side appear scary or vulnerable?
Some other ideas and thoughts
* When in severe withdrawal or later deliberately drugged by the marines, the player's perception of characters could switch between extremes to heighten the players sense of confusion – for example a character would look normal one second and then appear monstrous the next. This could apply to both friendly and enemy characters.
* Question as to whether 'reality' when the player is a rebel should be 'better' than 'reality' when the player is a marine but their nKTR is cutting out (i.e. When playing as a marine the player's high drops straight into a comedown phase rather than reality). Does it go High -> Comedown -> Reality or High -> Reality -> Comedown -> Reality ?
* I think perhaps the best idea is to have 4 stages of drug withdrawal:
** High (everything shiny and nice)
** Comedown (slightly more hellish than reality – some subtle hallucinatory effects)
** Withdrawal (really buggin' out – only really applicable to swamp level but applicable for when the marines drug you later too)
** Reality (once you come out the other side and join the rebels)
* Do we have enough time to really get the most from all this drug stuff now the player no longer uses drugs as a rebel?
==Appendix 2: Gameplay Events and General Perception Differences ==
 
File:Hazeinfo000.png|Press this button for proper viewing of the tables.
General Perception Differences 	Screen Effects 	Post Screen Effects	Particles / Decals 	Special Effects 	Camera 	Anims	Sound effects 	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	Higher colour saturation, slight soft-focus around screen edges, some motion blur, lots of bloom. 	n/a 	Particle effects should be more 'floaty' and hang in the air more	Subtle vertex shader distortion of entire scene and/or characters 	Wider FOV 	- 	n/a 	Sound perception is more focused (eg some sounds have all the low-end taken off, others have all the high-end removed so that they are highly separated)
Reality/Comedown (Marine) 	Low colour saturation, subtle grain/noise, less motion blur. Subtle trippy patterns overlayed, less bloom. 	n/a 	Particles have real weight to them 	- 	Narrower FOV (difference very subtle)	- 	n/a 	Sound is more 'normal'
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	Lowest colour saturation, grain/noise, more motion blur. Stronger soft focus around screen edges Stronger bloom and trippy patterns overlayed. Possibly shifting depth of field.	n/a 	Particle effects should be more 'floaty' and hang in the air more	Less subtle vertex shader distortion of entire scene and/or characters	Subtly shifting FOV 	- 	Odd audio anomalies – muffled voices, echos etc.	Sound perception is focused, but the focus shifts (eg individual sounds will shift from high to low pass filtering over time). Distortion.
Reality (Rebel) 	Medium colour saturation, very slight grain?, less motion blur, some bloom. 	n/a 	Particles have real weight to them 	- 	Narrower FOV (difference very subtle)	- 	n/a 	Sound is more 'normal'
--
Player hit by bullet 	Screen Effects 	Post Screen Effects 	Particles / Decals 	Special Effects	Camera 	Anims 	Sound effects 	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	Bloody border / red tint +  mild blur (very brief flash) 	None 	Small hit particles (not blood – more like a game)	- 	Mild jolt in direction of impact 	Impact from force of bullet but no reaction from player.	Unimpressed grunt (“is that all you got?!”) 	-
Reality/Comedown (Marine) 	Bloody border / red tint + motion blur then DOF blur 	DOF blur effect fades over medium time	Blood spread on clothes 	- 	Pronounced jolt in direction of impact	Player obviously in pain 	Horrible fleshy wound sound (loud) and scream/shout from player.	Slightly muffles (low-pass filter) then fades back in time with blur fade.
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	Bloody border / red tint + motion blur then severe DOF blur + slight desaturation	DOF blur effect fades over long time 	Blood spread on clothes (more blood?) 	- 	Large jolt in direction of impact 	Player in extreme pain 	Horrible fleshy wound sound (loud) and scream/shout from player 	Muffles (low-pass filter)  then fades back in time with blur fade
Reality (Rebel) 	Bloody border / red tint + motion blur then DOF blur 	DOF blur effect fades over short time 	Blood spread on clothes 	- 	Pronounced jolt in direction of impact	Player obviously in pain 	Horrible fleshy wound sound and scream/shout from player 	Slightly muffles (low-pass filter) then fades back in time with blur fade
--
Player narrowly missed by bullet 	Screen Effects 	Post Screen Effects	Particles / Decals	Special Effects	Camera 	Anims 	Sound effects 	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	- 	- 	- 	- 	No jolt 	None 	Bullet whizzing past ear (quieter) 	-
Reality / Comedown (Marine) 	- 	- 	- 	- 	Mild jolt as if camera is avoiding bullet 	Flinch 	Bullet whizzing past ear (loud) 	Really fast low-pass filter as bullet whizzes past?
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	Extra motion blur on jolt	- 	- 	- 	Pronounced jolt as if camera is avoiding bullet	Jumpy, panicked flinch	Bullet whizzing past ear (very loud)	Really fast low-pass filter as bullet whizzes past?
Reality (Rebel) 	- 	- 	- 	- 	Mild jolt as if camera is avoiding bullet 	Flinch 	Bullet whizzing past ear (loud) 	Really fast low-pass filter as bullet whizzes past?
--
Grenade lands near player 	Screen Effects	Post Screen Effects	Particles / Decals	Special Effects 	Camera	Anims 	Sound effects 	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	- 	- 	- 	- 	- 	Player puts up arms to shield himself (in correct direction)	Other squad members warn player (before explosion)	-
Reality / Comedown (Marine) 	- 	- 	- 	Subtle vertex shader distortion of scene and characters in a 'wave' from point of impact.	- 	Player puts up arms to shield himself (in correct direction)	Other squad members warn player (before explosion)	-
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	- 	- 	- 	Vertex shader distortion of scene and characters in a 'wave' from point of impact. 	- 	Player puts up arms to shield himself (in correct direction)	Other squad members warn player (before explosion)	-
Reality (Rebel) 	- 	- 	- 	- 	- 	Player puts up arms to shield himself (in correct direction)	Other squad members warn player (before explosion)	-
--
Player hit by grenade 	Screen Effects 	Post Screen Effects 	Particles / Decals	Special Effects 	Camera 	Anims 	Sound effects	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	Bloody border / red tint +  mild blur (very brief flash) 	None 	- 	- 	Mild jolt in direction of impact followed by slight sway (short) 	Player staggers slightly 	- 	Slight low pass filter which eventually fades back to normality
Reality / Comedown (Marine) 	Brief black/whiteout followed by bloody border / red tint + DOF blur 	DOF blur effect fades over medium time	Blood / burns 	Subtle vertex shader distortion of scene and characters in a 'wave' from point of impact.	Pronounced jolt in direction of impact followed by severe sway, disorientation (mid)	Player is knocked to ground	- 	Strong low-pass filter which eventually fades back to normality
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	Brief black/whiteout followed by bloody border / red tint + severe DOF blur + slight desaturation	DOF blur effect fades over long time 	Blood / burns 	Vertex shader distortion of scene and characters in a 'wave' from point of impact. 	Severe sway, disorientation (long) 	Player is knocked to ground	- 	Very strong low-pass filter which eventually fades back to normality
Reality (Rebel) 	Brief black/whiteout followed by bloody border / red tint + DOF blur 	DOF blur effect fades over short time 	Blood / burns 	- 	Severe sway, disorientation (short) 	Player is knocked to ground	- 	Strong low-pass filter which eventually fades back to normality
--
Player taking fire under cover 	Screen Effects	Post Screen Effects	Particles / Decals 	Special Effects	Camera 	Anims 	Sound effects	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	- 	- 	Not much – cover seems fairly impervious to bullets	- 	- 	None 	- 	-
Reality / Comedown (Marine) 	- 	- 	Bits flying off all over the place 	- 	Particles hit camera 	Flinch 	- 	-
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	- 	- 	Bits flying off all over the place 	- 	More particles hit camera	Jumpy, panicked flinch	- 	-
Reality (Rebel) 	- 	- 	Bits flying off all over the place 	- 	Particles hit camera 	Flinch 	- 	-
--
Player adrenaline low 	Screen Effects 	Post Screen Effects 	Particles / Decals	Special Effects	Camera 	Anims	Sound effects 	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	Screen effects continue from last bullet hit until adrenaline recharges slightly	- 	- 	- 	FOV pulls in slightly?	- 	Voice warning(?) 	-
Reality / Comedown (Marine) 	Screen effects continue from last bullet hit until adrenaline recharges slightly	Effects pulse in time with wheezing	- 	- 	FOV pulls in slightly?	- 	Voice warning, wheezing 	Low-pass filter continues from last bullet hit
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	Screen effects continue from last bullet hit until adrenaline recharges slightly	Effects pulse in time with wheezing	- 	- 	FOV pulls in slightly?	- 	Broken sounding voice warning, wheezing	Low-pass filter continues from last bullet hit
Reality (Rebel) 	Screen effects continue from last bullet hit until adrenaline recharges slightly	Effects pulse in time with wheezing	- 	- 	FOV pulls in slightly?	- 	Wheezing 	Low-pass filter continues from last bullet hit
--
Player health low (on last chunk) 	Screen Effects	Post Screen Effects	Particles / Decals	Special Effects	Camera	Anims 	Sound effects	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	- 	- 	- 	- 	- 	Injured walk?	- 	-
Reality / Comedown (Marine) 	- 	- 	- 	- 	- 	Injured walk?	- 	-
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	- 	- 	- 	- 	- 	Injured walk?	- 	-
Reality (Rebel) 	- 	- 	- 	- 	- 	Injured walk?	- 	-
--
Player health and adrenaline low 	Screen Effects 	Post Screen Effects 	Particles / Decals	Special Effects	Camera 	Anims	Sound effects 	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	Screen effects continue from last bullet hit until adrenaline recharges slightly	- 	- 	- 	FOV pulls in more than when just adrenaline low	- 	Voice warning(?) 	-
Reality / Comedown (Marine) 	Screen effects continue from last bullet hit until adrenaline recharges slightly	Effects pulse in time with heartbeat (stronger pulse than when just adrenaline low)	- 	- 	FOV pulls in more than when just adrenaline low	- 	Voice warning(?), wheezing and heartbeat 	Low-pass filter continues from last bullet hit (more intense than usual)
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	Screen effects continue from last bullet hit until adrenaline recharges slightly	Effects pulse in time with heartbeat (stronger pulse than when just adrenaline low)	- 	- 	FOV pulls in more than when just adrenaline low	- 	Broken sounding voice warning, wheezing and heartbeat (very loud)	Low-pass filter continues from last bullet hit (more intense than usual)
Reality (Rebel) 	Screen effects continue from last bullet hit until adrenaline recharges slightly	Effects pulse in time with heartbeat (stronger pulse than when just adrenaline low)	- 	- 	FOV pulls in more than when just adrenaline low	- 	Wheezing and heartbeat 	Low-pass filter continues from last bullet hit (more intense than usual)
--
Player shooting 	Screen Effects 	Post Screen Effects	Particles / Decals 	Special Effects	Camera	Anims	Sound effects 	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	Some slight overexposure?	- 	Big-ass muzzle flash (ref: Robocop / Aliens)	- 	- 	- 	Big and booming 	-
Reality / Comedown (Marine) 	- 	- 	More realistic muzzle flash 	- 	- 	- 	Harsher sounding	-
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	- 	- 	n/a 	- 	- 	- 	n/a 	-
Reality (Rebel) 	- 	- 	Slightly exaggerated muzzle flash 	- 	- 	- 	Harsher sounding	-
--
Enemies shooting 	Screen Effects	Post Screen Effects	Particles / Decals 	Special Effects	Camera	Anims	Sound effects 	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	- 	- 	Reduced muzzle flash (weapons should look puny in comparison to marine firepower)	- 	- 	- 	Puny sounding 	-
Reality / Comedown (Marine) 	- 	- 	Slightly exaggerated muzzle flash 	- 	- 	- 	Harsher sounding 	-
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	- 	- 	Lots of dynamic lighting flashing around the dark swamp 	- 	- 	- 	Harsh and distorted	-
Reality (Rebel) 	- 	- 	More realistic muzzle flash 	- 	- 	- 	Harsher sounding 	-
--
Enemy hit 	Screen Effects	Post Screen Effects	Particles / Decals 	Special Effects	Camera	Anims	Sound effects	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	- 	- 	Small hit particles (not blood – more like a game)	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
Reality / Comedown (Marine) 	- 	- 	Blood spread on clothes. Damage decals. 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	- 	- 	n/a 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
Reality (Rebel) 	- 	- 	Blood spread on clothes. Damage decals. 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
--
Enemy killed / disabled 	Screen Effects	Post Screen Effects	Particles / Decals 	Special Effects	Camera	Anims 	Sound effects 	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	- 	- 	Small hit particles (not blood – more like a game)	- 	- 	Standard videogame deaths – instantaneous. Corpses fade. 	“Uh!” 	-
Reality / Comedown (Marine) 	- 	- 	Blood spread on clothes. Damage decals. 	- 	- 	Horrible long deaths – incapacitated but not dead – spasms. Corpses stay 	Screams, pleading etc.	-
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	- 	- 	n/a 	- 	- 	n/a 	- 	-
Reality (Rebel) 	- 	- 	Blood spread on clothes. Damage decals. 	- 	- 	Horrible long deaths – incapacitated but not dead – spasms. Corpses stay.	Screams, pleading etc.	-
--
Squadmate hit 	Screen Effects	Post Screen Effects	Particles / Decals 	Special Effects	Camera	Anims	Sound effects	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	- 	- 	Small hit particles (not blood – more like a game)	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
Reality / Comedown (Marine) 	- 	- 	Blood spread on clothes. Damage decals. 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	- 	- 	n/a 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
Reality (Rebel) 	- 	- 	Blood spread on clothes. Damage decals. 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
--
Squadmate killed / disabled 	Screen Effects	Post Screen Effects	Particles / Decals 	Special Effects	Camera	Anims 	Sound effects 	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	- 	- 	Small hit particles (not blood – more like a game)	- 	- 	Instantaneous but heroic deaths – they hit the ground hard. 	“Uh!” 	-
Reality / Comedown (Marine) 	- 	- 	Blood spread on clothes. Damage decals. 	- 	- 	Horrible long deaths – incapacitated but not dead – spasms. Corpses stay	Screams, pleading etc.	-
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	- 	- 	n/a 	- 	- 	n/a 	- 	-
Reality (Rebel) 	- 	- 	Blood spread on clothes. Damage decals. 	- 	- 	Horrible long deaths – incapacitated but not dead – spasms. Corpses stay	Screams, pleading etc.	-
--
Squad reactions to orders 	Screen Effects	Post Screen Effects	Particles / Decals	Special Effects	Camera	Anims 	Sound effects 	Sound filters
On nKTR (Marine) 	- 	- 	- 	- 	- 	Fists punching the air etc.	Gung-ho 'Hell Yeah!!!'	-
Reality / Comedown (Marine) 	- 	- 	- 	- 	- 	Nods, subdued responses. 	More subdued 'Sir.' 	-
Withdrawal (Marine) / Drugged (Rebel)	- 	- 	- 	- 	- 	n/a 	n/a 	-
Reality (Rebel) 	- 	- 	- 	- 	- 	n/a 	n/a 	-
Description of effects
*DOF blur: (just an idea, needs trying) Depth of field effect where the focal point moves quickly from the far distance to right near the player (faster recovery from hit = faster movement). Alternatively could be a simple blur effect around the edges of the screen where the radius adjusts from small to large.
Other thoughts and ideas
*Can we keep the reticule steady but still jolt the camera? The camera jolts on a near miss are a nice idea but might be irritating if they affect aim
==References==
*nectar_gameplay_v1.odp (02/06/2006)
*nectar_effects_grid.ods (19/01/2006)