THQ's Homefront 2/City Hall

**Previous mission:** Fairmount

**Next mission:** Wetlands

## Overview

**Document Status: Yellow [Requires updating to match timeline document] [Date: 4 Nov. 2011]**

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## Timeline

**Document Status: Yellow [Pending sign-off review] [Date: 3 Apr. 2012]**

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In this level we need to convey the following:

* The significance of Kim Jung-Un (will also be foreshadowed previously)
* Why the team that were going to Wetlands have been diverted here
* The actions of the rest of the team performing the assassination attempt
* The preparations that were made for this attempt since the rumours that Kim Jong-Un was going to come to America
* Why the mission is a success despite the principle target escaping
* Foreshadow the mass reprisals against civilians that the KPA will carry out following this attempt
* Where is the traitor in all this?

## Level Background Questions

**Document Status: Yellow [Will need updating subject to signed-off timeline document] [Date: 4 Nov. 2011]**

### Level Style

* Time of Day? (night, Dusk, Dawn, etc)
* Atmosphere? (Dusty, Foggy, Overcast, Rainy, Sunny, etc)
* Mood? (Eerie, Mysterious, Comforting, etc) Wind whistling, discomfort of being so high up

### Environment Storytelling

* KPA Occupation
	+ Stage of the KPA occupation? City Hall and building in immediate vicinity are considered green zone, surrounding area is yellow zone
	+ Signature effect(s) of the KPA occupation? (Famous Statues swapped or wrapped in Korean flags, Art Museum now KPA headquarters, etc.)
	+ The Effects of the Curfew on the Mission? (Is a curfew in progress and, if so, what are the signs? Does the player have to avoid being spotted by the KPA because of a curfew or can they move freely?)
* EMP
	+ Any Visible Effects of the EMP? (Plane crash, abandoned cars, etc)
* "Horrors of War"
	+ What depicts the "horrors of war"? (traitors hung from lampposts, Civilians being shot, Remains of bodies, Prison Camps, etc)
* “The Familiar becomes Alien” (Repurposed Environment)
	+ What has been repurposed under KPA rule? (Football stadium -> Heating centre, School -> Homeless shelter, Shopping Mall -> Refugee camp, etc) City Hall and Wanamaker building have been repurposed for KPA administration of the East Coast
	+ What are the elements of the level that drive home a foreign occupation of a familiar land? (Korean signposts where American signs used to be, Propaganda posters, etc)

### Resistance Involvement

* What group is used in this mission? (Survivalists, Gangs, Techies, etc.) Anarchists
* Are there any links to other groups? (Working with the Intelligence, Tech groups, etc.)
* What main Goal is the group trying to achieve (why are they involved in the mission)? (help injured/protect civilians, Protect their Patch, etc.) Assassinate high-ranking KPA official
* What is the motivation for the player helping this group?
* What is the reason for the mission? (Provide an ambulance service for injured civilians, Steal the rocky statue, spy on the KPA, etc.) Strike a blow against KPA organisation and weaken morale
* How does the resistance group act towards the player during the mission? (friendly, distrustful, forceful, etc)
* Where is the resistance cell based? (Abandoned warehouse, Hospital, Uni, etc) Rooftops of buildings and underground subway system
* Where do you meet the resistance cell? (if this is different to the HQ)
* How does this mission help the setup of the Invasion? (it builds a relationship between Technology group and the survivalists, Disables the defences, etc)
* How is the story advanced by this mission?
* What role does the McGuffin play in this mission?

### Visual Highpoints

* What are the WOW moments? (Collapsing building, Train crash, etc) Rocket attack on the City Hall, a collapsing building during the escape(?)
* What is the "Back of the Box" visual? (Vista on high-rise, KPA ships in the dock, View from the art museum, etc. Most back of the box visuals should have concept art and be linked to in here) Rooftop vista

### Gameplay

* Level Theme
	+ What is the central gameplay theme of the level? (an inherent fact about what the player is doing from moment to moment eg. rescuing hostages, vehicle combat, stealth infiltration, etc) Sniping guards, traversing between rooftops, assaulting an interior space, high-octane escape
* Objectives
	+ What are the primary objectives of the level?
		- Eliminate KPA guards to allow resistance members to plant IEDs
		- Launch RPG decoy attack on City Hall
		- Snipe remaining KPA soldiers until KPA reinforcements enter IED kill-zone
		- Assault the (top floor) atrium of the Wanamaker building
		- Eliminate KPA Official
		- Escape to subway station
	+ Do the primary objectives need to be done in a fixed order? Over watch for resistance planting IEDs can be done in any order
	+ What are the secondary (optional) objectives? Paint KPA armoured vehicles for a rocket attack (allowing resistance fighters to escape)
* Guerrilla Warfare
	+ What elements of this mission convey the Guerrilla warfare feel? IEDs, Extreme Actions, Distraction
	+ What guerrilla warfare abilities are used during the mission?
* General Gameplay
	+ What are the different gameplay sections of the level? (section 1 = sniper section, section 2 = armed vehicle attack on the KPA, section 3 = chase, section 4 = on-rails section, etc) Section 1 = sniper and traversal section, Section 2 = ambush, Section 3 = assault, Section 4 = escape
	+ Is the player accompanied by AI during any of these sections? Anarchist members planting IEDs on the ground, also joining in the assault on the Wanamaker building
	+ Roughly how would you describe the pacing of each section? (section 1 = quiet scene setting, section 2 = high action shoot-out, section 3 = frantic escape, etc) Section 1 = slow paced sniping and traversal between points, Section 2 = medium pace long range combat, Section 3 = intense interior combat, Section 4 = high-action escape
	+ What choices does the player have available during each section? (In section 1 the player can go through the warehouse or bypass it, in section 2 the player can stealth by AI undetected or go in guns blazing, etc) Sniper over watch from multiple different vantage points when resistance planting IEDs (player has a timeframe for sniping to provide challenge), assault the atrium from different entry points (down the rooftop stairwell, rappel down the side of the building, etc)
	+ How long do you envision each section taking to complete?
* Level Mechanics
	+ What are the different mechanics the player will need to use during the mission? (escort an AI, sniping, planting C4, vehicle driving, controlling a drone, etc) Sniping, advanced traversal using methods such as zip-lines (investigate issue of getting back up to higher buildings) and rappelling, painting a target
* Moral Choice
	+ What moral choices does the player have to make during the mission? (Rescue the civilians from execution or stay out of sight? Steal medical supplies from the KPA or take an easier route around that location? Etc) Moral choice in choosing to perform secondary objective: save some civilians being rounded up or help resistance members escape KPA blockade
* Puzzles
	+ What are the puzzles in the level and how does the player solve them? (Turn on the power to lower a bridge? Find a fork lift truck to boost up to an upper floor window, etc) Potential to use a crane to access certain rooftops (help with mission pacing)

### Gameplay Highpoints

* What is the stand-out gameplay moment (high point) of the level? (sniping assassination attempt of Kim Jong-un, intense speedboat chase, blowing up a KPA military base, etc) Assassination attempt of KPA official
* What gameplay style / moment / mechanic do you feel is unique to this level? (getting to control a Goliath from a helicopter, painting targets for ally AI, etc) Advanced traversal (zip-lines, rappelling), long-range sniping

### Vehicles/Equipment

* What Does the Player Use?
	+ Drones? (Spider-bot, etc)
	+ Vehicles? (Goliath, etc)
	+ Traps? (Tripwire mine, etc)
	+ Weapons? (M4, AK47, SA80, etc) Sniper rifle, RPG
	+ Pickups? (Ammo types, mines, grenades, etc)
* What Does the Enemy Use?
	+ Drones are used? (Surveillance-bot, etc)
	+ Vehicles are used? (Tank, etc) Helicopters, APCs
	+ Traps are used? (Decoy, informant, etc)
	+ Weapons are available? (T3ak, Scar, etc)

### Characters

* Allied NPCs
	+ What resistance cell characters are in the level? (Group leader, Undercover Soldier, etc) Anarchist soldiers
	+ What non-cell NPCs are needed? (Dockworkers, civilians, etc)
* Enemy NPCs
	+ What KPA enemy types are in the level? (Basic Military, Elite military, Police, KPA, etc)
	+ What other enemy types are there? (Gangs, US-KPA enforcers, etc)

### Collectables/Unlockables?

* Does the level environment / setting lend itself to any types of collectibles? (KPA propaganda, American treasures, etc)

### Multiplayer

* Will this level work for Multiplayer? (Is it big enough? Does it have multiple routes to get around? Will it work for vehicles? Could it work for Ground Control as well as TDM? etc)

Unsuitable for ground vehicles; potentially could support infantry and helicopters depending on the amount of rooftop play area and the ease of traversal between buildings

* What area will be used for the MP component? (Park and water section of the map, Include image if necessary and ref)
* More to be added...