THQ's Homefront 2/Samaritan

**Previous mission:** Shipyard

**Next mission:** Independence Hall

## Overview

**Document Status: Yellow [Updated. Requires discussion and sign-off] [Date: 16 May 2012]**

1/5
## Timeline

**Document Status: Yellow [Will need updating to match latest mission design] [Date: 22 Nov. 2011]**

1/7
## Level Background Questions

**Document Status: Yellow [Will need updating to match latest mission design] [Date: 1 Nov. 2011]**

### Level Style

* Time of Day? Dusk/Night
* Atmosphere? Raining
* Mood? Tense, frenetic, unruly

### Environment Storytelling

* KPA Occupation
	+ Stage of the KPA occupation? Yellow zone.
	+ Signature effect(s) of the KPA occupation? Propaganda efforts from the KPA such as billboards, murals, posters and leaflets.
* The Effects of the Curfew on the Mission? Curfew would be in full effect - patrols, drones, watchtowers would all be present.
* EMP
	+ Any Visible Effects of the EMP? Looted shops and homes, abandoned vehicles would be scrapped and repurposed, player’s vehicle could be an old (EMP proof) or cobbled together.
* "Horrors of War"
	+ What depicts the "horrors of war"? The player’s main objectives would be the most prominent indicators of “Horrors of War” – women in labour with no medical care, ruthless KPA punishing weak and innocent civilians, looters and criminals taking advantage of civil unrest, starved and diseased population.
* “The Familiar becomes Alien” (Repurposed Environment)
	+ What has been repurposed under KPA rule? The juxtaposition of the occupation against the iconic Philly streets would be the main transformation, as well as spacious locations like car parks that could have been repurposed by criminals into black markets or by the KPA into refugee camps.
	+ What are the elements of the level that drive home a foreign occupation of a familiar land? Korean signage and propaganda littering the city, KPA tannoys could be broadcasting information and warnings to citizens, authoritative Korean presence in the form of KPA drones, patrols and checkpoints. Any rations and equipment that are in functional use would be Korean by design.

### Resistance Involvement

* What group is used in this mission? The Samaritans
* Are there any links to other groups? They’re a passive group and don’t involve themselves with other more aggressive resistance cells.
* What main Goal is the group trying to achieve (why are they involved in the mission)? Their main goal is to provide for and help the populace in dire need of assistance that isn’t provided by the occupying Koreans.
* What is the motivation for the player helping this group? After the events of the start of the game, the player is looking to help the resistance effort in any way he can, and learn about how he can exact revenge against the Koreans.
* What is the reason for the mission? To defy the oppression of the Koreans by aiding civilians in order to gain civil support for the resistance.
* How does the resistance group act towards the player during the mission? Grateful due to the danger inherent in providing support to the resistance.
* Where is the resistance cell based? Hospital.
* Where do you meet the resistance cell? Having barely made it out of the intro mission alive, the Samaritan resistance group help you back on your feet, where you learn about their goal to help the civilians in need.
* How does this mission help the setup of the Invasion? It sets the player on his path to aiding the resistance effort proper as well as establishing the resistance as a force for good amongst the populace.
* How is the story advanced by this mission? This mission is the player’s first step on to the path to discovering the resistance cells and how he can get answers about the McGuffin.
* What role does the McGuffin play in this mission? It serves as a navigation aid as well as giving the player information on resistance caches and hidden routes in the area.

### Visual Highpoints

* What are the WOW moments? The visual “wow” factor would come from the occupation’s desecration of Philly as opposed to any large scale cinematic events.
* What is the "Back of the Box" visual? Iconic Philly streets and rowhouses and the effect the occupation has had amidst an Autumnal pallet.

### Gameplay

* Level Theme
	+ What is the central gameplay theme of the level? Tense vehicle based rescue whist evading KPA curfew.
* Objectives
	+ What are the primary objectives of the level? Aiding civilians in need.
	+ Do the primary objectives need to be done in a fixed order? The aid objectives can be taken in any order until the player is funnelled towards the final objective.
	+ What are the secondary (optional) objectives? Assisting with civilian conflict/aid situations that present themselves to the player as they drive around the level.
* Guerrilla Warfare
	+ What elements of this mission convey the Guerrilla warfare feel? Hidden stashes and routes would help convey the feel of the resistance operating guerrilla style amongst the KPA, as well as lots of hobo style graffiti markings that communicate areas like safehouses to the player. The majority of guerrilla warfare actions such as sabotage/hacking/traps won’t be available to the player at this stage in the game.
	+ What guerrilla warfare abilities are used during the mission? The core ability in use for the most part would be the anti-propaganda toolset that allows players to sabotage things like KPA broadcast equipment and posters.
* General Gameplay
	+ What are the different gameplay sections of the level? Section 1 = open vehicle based area with the player driving around between objectives amidst the curfew. Section 2 = rescuing injured civilians and humanitarians that are trapped inside the shelled apartment blocks.
	+ Is the player accompanied by AI during any of these sections? The Samaritan cell is present alongside the player for the entire mission.
	+ Roughly how would you describe the pacing of each section? Section 1 = a mixture of tense slow paced vehicle movement around the streets with more high action attack/defence sections at each objective. Section 2 = more intense rescue section moving between apartment blocks in order to rescue civilians.
	+ What choices does the player have available during each section? Section 1 = player can approach the objectives in any order as well as choose to take on incidental secondary objectives. Section 2 = the apartment blocks exist in an open area allowing the player to move as they choose between each crisis as it occurs.
	+ How long do you envision each section taking to complete? Section 1 = 40 minutes. Section 2 = 15 minutes.
* Level Mechanics
	+ What are the different mechanics the player will need to use during the mission? Section 1 = Vehicle driving, core anti-propaganda guerrilla mechanics – gameplay would generally involve working in conjunction with AI to save civilians/kill attacking Koreans.
* Moral Choice
	+ What moral choices does the player have to make during the mission? Prioritising the initial objectives over which is more important – not all targets that require aid can be saved. Secondary objectives that present extra risk can be ignored at the expense of civilian life/possible rewards. The player could also choose how he interacts with the more inflammatory resistance cell at the end of the mission – whether to kill them to save lives or not. During the apartment block attack at the end of the level, the player could also choose to help injured KPA as well as the civilians.
* Puzzles
	+ What are the puzzles in the level and how does the player solve them? Environmental puzzles could present themselves in some of the aid objectives – for example having finding hidden routes through buildings, platforming puzzles on top of the rows of houses, and HL2 style environmental puzzles associated with gaining access to resistance caches.

### Gameplay Highpoints

* What is the stand-out gameplay moment (high point) of the level? Intense race against the clock to save as many civilians as possible in the apartment block siege at the end of the level.
* What gameplay style / moment / mechanic do you feel is unique to this level? Relatively free roaming vehicle section aiding civilians is a unique concept to the mission.

### Vehicles/Equipment

* What Does the Player Use?
	+ Drones? No.
	+ Vehicles? Main Samaritan vehicle used by the resistance.
	+ Traps? No.
	+ Weapons? Early game weapons (pistol, submachine gun). Maybe special non-lethal weapon for unruly civilians (taser?)
	+ Pickups? The odd grenade available in resistance caches, possibility for upgrades to the vehicle (strobe headlights to blind people).
* What Does the Enemy Use?
	+ Drones are used? Basic surveillance drones used to inform KPA of player location.
	+ Vehicles are used? Jeeps.
	+ Traps are used? No.
	+ Weapons are available? Pistol, submachine gun, mounted machine gun. Suppressive non-lethal weapons such as tear gas and batons.

### Characters

* Allied NPCs
	+ What resistance cell characters are in the level? A small group of Samaritans.
	+ What non-cell NPCs are needed? Civilians (lots).
* Enemy NPCs
	+ What KPA enemy types are in the level? Basic KPA, drones.
	+ What other enemy types are there? Criminals, police.

### Collectables/Unlockables

* Does the level environment / setting lend itself to any types of collectibles? KPA propaganda, improvised machinery for RPG-lite unlockables.

### Multiplayer

* Will this level work for Multiplayer? Yes.
* What area will be used for the MP component? Mixture of the apartment blocks and street (most of it).
* More to be added...

### NOTES

* The city should feel populated. There are few civilians on the streets after curfew but they can be heard inside their homes. Lights are on and some civilians are at their windows. They should react and scream when gunshots are fired nearby.

#### Call Ideas

* **Shot man**
	+ A man has been shot in Ritten Square Park. You must race to help him. On arrival the paramedics need to begin treatment on the ground. You need to attract the attention of KPA patrol drones and keep them occupied long enough for the paramedics to help the man.
* **Pregnant woman**
	+ You are called out to assist a woman who has gone into labour and is having complications. When you arrive a Security force member is on the scene and is refusing to let the woman break curfew. The woman and baby will die unless they get to the hospital. You must kill the security force member to get them out.
* **sick child**
* **heart attack**
* **domestic**
* **House fire**
	+ A house fire has broken out trapping its occupants find an alternative way to get into the building and get the family out. Then ferry them to the underground hospital for treatment.
* **Steal and distribute food**
	+ The KPA control the distribution of rations to those who follow their direction. You must raid their supply depot, steal the food and distribute around the neighbourhood.
* **Smuggle people in from the red zone**
	+ The KPA do not allow travel between the city’s zones. You must use the resistance tunnel network to reach the refugees at the border and show them the way in.