THQ's Homefront 2/Exploration Drivers

## Overview

**Document Status: Red [Requires a further detail pass before a formal sign-off] [Date: 3 Apr. 2012]**

All the levels should look to contain all of the following as a high level goal.

* Inventory Items
	+ Homebrew scavenging materials
	+ Weapon Modification Blueprints
	+ Weapon Attachments
	+ Ammunition crates
	+ Weapon / arm Decorators
	+ Resistance Phone data cards
	+ All craftable items can also be found (IED's, Drone Traps etc)
	+ Medical supplies (depending on the final battlefield surgery system)

* Environmental Storytelling
	+ In a row house in Samaritan every room is crowded with beds etc but one room is totally bare, even the floorboards are stripped and there is a large stockpile of wood ready for burning when winter starts to bite

* Additional interactive scripted scenes
	+ Level fiction enhancers
	+ Hope Inputs
	+ Moral choices
	+ Human cost stories

* Social Interactors
	+ Friend's Geo-tags
	+ Friends Phone data cards
	+ Combined crafting blueprints

* Environment
	+ Hidden routes
	+ Resistance stashes (hidden rooms)
	+ Work Benches
	+ Resistance Weapon Drops (unless you carry all weapons all the time)

* Counter Propaganda Opportunities
	+ Screens to hack
	+ Posters of Kim Jong-un to spray paint over
	+ Propaganda loudspeakers to destroy

* Counter Propaganda Source Material
	+ Inspiring images that can be photographed
		- The Liberty Bell (shipyard)
		- An American flag draped shrine to former glory (samaritan)
		- Independence Hall (independence hall)
		- The Rocky statue (fairmount)
		- The William Penn statue (City Hall)

## Exploration Drivers

**Document Status: Green [High-level collection of early ideas] [Date: 20 Oct. 2011]**

### Goals

* To drive the player out of the main gameplay areas.
	+ This will provide a larger sense of scale in our levels and assist in creating a more believable, diverse world.
* To provide a sense of exploration and intrigue.
	+ We will offer a change of pace in levels, a strong purpose and rich environments as reasons to investigate.
* To provide an alternate method of narrating the story of the Homefront universe.
	+ The fiction of Homefront can be reinforced through strong attention to detail across the entire level.

Ultimately we will create mechanics and a supporting fiction that inspires the player to explore the levels in Homefront and help realise deeper, more fulfilling levels.

### Core Gameplay

Some core gameplay mechanics that will assist exploration.

* Secondary objectives
	+ Activating some of these could be less straightforward
* Vistas as ancillary rewards
* VVV points for combat advantages
* Intel gathering outside of combat
* Environmental puzzles such as hidden entrances
* Optional routes to an objective

### Resistance Caches

* Contains ammo and weapons (possibly unique)
	+ Signposted with Resistance symbols
	+ Hidden or in plain sight with a hidden entrance
	+ Delivered via EU air drop
* Fits well within context of Resistance
* Scalable
	+ Could be a simple ammo crate to a full bunker of goodies

Examples:

### Air Drops

* Flown in by EU air support
* Signposted by flares or simply by noticing the drop
	+ Drop can be within peripheral vision but lands out of reach, encouraging exploration
* Contains weapons, ammo or unique, bespoke items.

### Resistance Symbols

IDEA 1: PLAYER SHARED MESSAGING

* Players can spray tags in the game world which is shared across a network (or just your friends list).
* Other players playing the game, when connected online, can see a selection of these tags.
	+ Tags can be “reapplied” as a method of voting on tags to reinforce the message and appear in even more peoples games.
	+ Tagging or reapplying a tag that the community agrees on is a method of gaining intel.
	+ Limited to a small number per mission, with emphasis on the most “popular” tags
* Supports the idea of the ”Resistance Community”.

Examples:

Ammo nearbySafehouse nearbyKPA nearbySniper nearby
IDEA 2: INTEL GATHERING

* Symbols in the game world can be photographed by the player (smartphone?)
	+ Capturing images of symbols unlocks intel or rewards.
	+ Can fit together to solve viral puzzles
	+ Tell a parallel story to the player’s

Examples:

Assassin's CreedDeus ExThe Conduit
### Environment Narrative

* Isolated environments that tell a story
* Enhances sense of discovery
* Supports local stories of struggle

Examples:

A hidden room behind a wall in a brothel in Deus Ex Human Revolution. The room conveys the story of a pervert who was spying on clients.A dead poker player in Fallout: New Vegas. The scene conveys the story of a card shark who dealt 5 Kings and was murdered for it.
### Collectibles

* Individually unique items that tell short, personal, localised stories.
* Appeals to completionists
* Fits within context
	+ American Idols, Memorabilia, Propaganda Posters, Voice of Freedom recordings
	+ Placed in locations where they can explain about the immediate area
	+ Could tie in to flashback cutscenes
	+ Has tangible rewards such as unlocks

### Ambient Moments

* Unique moments of narrative
* Animated scenes that act as auxiliary rewards
	+ Awards player with unique story insights
* Could make reference to previous player actions
	+ - Mass Effects television broadcasts, Deus Ex newspapers

Deus ExHalf Life 2Hitman Absolution
### Parallel Story

* Elements in scenes, hidden or otherwise, that narrate a story running in parallel to the player’s of a specific Resistance fighter.
	+ Can tie in to other exploration drivers
	+ Adds context to collectibles

ItemsCollectiblesEnvironment Narrative