Kitsune GDD GrantFlannerygrantflannery.com/pdf/Kitsune_GDD_GrantFlannery.pdf · control and customization unprecedented in a fighting-action title, the breaking of bones is about

11/26/08 Kitsune for Xbox 360, Final GDD v1.1

Page 1 of 28 Confidential Copyright 2008 Grant Flannery

KITSUNE1



1. HIGH CONCEPT ...................................................................................................................... 3 1.1. The Pitch ................................................................................................................................ 3 1.2. The Core Concept .................................................................................................................. 3 2. GAME DESIGN AND SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................ 4 2.1. Story Preface ......................................................................................................................... 4 2.2. Story ....................................................................................................................................... 4 2.3. Main Player Characters ......................................................................................................... 4 2.4. Story Mode Overview. ............................................................................................................ 5 2.5. Sixty Seconds of Play – An Excerpt from Single Player Story Mode ..................................... 7 2.6. Control Specifications .......................................................................................................... 10 2.7. The Basics. .......................................................................................................................... 11 2.8. Basic Stand-Up Attacks. ...................................................................................................... 12 2.9. Advanced Stand-Up Attacks. ............................................................................................... 12 2.10. Dazed Attacks .................................................................................................................... 13 2.11. Downed Attacks: ............................................................................................................... 13 2.12. Grappling Attacks. .............................................................................................................. 14 2.13. Running Attacks ................................................................................................................. 14 2.14. Ground Attacks. ................................................................................................................. 15 2.15. Advanced Defense. ............................................................................................................ 15 2.16. Weapon Use and Defense ................................................................................................. 16 2.17. Environmental Attacks and Defense. ................................................................................. 16 3. ENEMY OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................... 17 3.1. Enemy Types ....................................................................................................................... 17 3.2. Artificial Intelligence. ............................................................................................................ 19 4. GAME RULES ........................................................................................................................ 20 4.1. Winners / Losers .................................................................................................................. 20 4.2. Scoring ................................................................................................................................. 20 5. CORE GAME SYSTEMS SPECIFICATIONS......................................................................... 21 5.1. Collision and combat. ........................................................................................................... 21 5.2. Move Customization ............................................................................................................ 22 5.3. Skill Progression. ................................................................................................................. 22 6. SIGHTS AND SOUNDS ......................................................................................................... 23 6.1. Camera ................................................................................................................................ 23 6.2. Visual Depiction ................................................................................................................... 23 6.3. Sound. .................................................................................................................................. 24 6.4. Music .................................................................................................................................... 24 7. LEVEL STRUCTURE PLAN .................................................................................................. 25 8. KEY ART TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINE FEATURES .......................................................... 26 9. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS .................................................................................................... 27 10. IMAGE NOTES ..................................................................................................................... 28



1. HIGH CONCEPT 1.1. The Pitch: Kitsune immerses the player in the ultra-violent world of a small town

ready to go up in figurative flames. Encompassing a range of hand-to-hand combat control and customization unprecedented in a fighting-action title, the breaking of bones is about to become up-close and personal.

This excerpt of a Final Fight arcade flyer depicts the heritage and violent style that Kitsune seeks to deliver.2

1.2. The Core Concept: Kitsune kicks ass, providing the player with a sense of

participating in the stylized chaos of an all-out bar brawl or street fight. A three-dimensional, third-person take on the intense, side-scrolling beat ‘em ups of the past, the expanded mechanics and customization in Kitsune translate into lasting single and multiplayer replayability.

The player assumes the role of Jake Lisowski, a “bouncer for hire” who comes to a small, Rust Belt town in 199X after stabilizing business in one of south Chicago’s seediest joints. Driven primarily by cash, he is wooed to a trouble small town in the Midwest after taking a lucrative offer. Having grown up in a Polish neighborhood in Chicago’s South Side, Lisowski dropped out of Chicago University’s economics program after realizing his penchant for fighting and cash was satiated by bouncing in the most undesirable of establishments.

Not physically imposing in terms of size, Lisowski is often underestimated by a potential opponent leading up to physical conflict. A collegiate All-American wrestler coupled with his independent study of Muay Thai, Lisowski will often dynamically disarm and neutralize any over-grown, meth-fueled, adult adolescent who shows up to the bar looking to cause problems. Standing a solid 5’ 9”, 170 lbs, he is compact yet explosive enough to take down the bigger man. He has built a reputation as a relatively unassuming, yet dangerous brawler who finds far more than be bargained for in Star City, Indiana… Pick up and play accessibility seamlessly blends with a deep and robust one-versus-many combat engine. Join a friend in coop to take down degenerate hordes. With tight controls, hundreds of fighting moves, environmental weapons, the “Bonebreaker” critical submission system, and waves of unique enemies, Kitsune provides a one-of-a-kind, white-knuckled, fighting experience.



2. GAME DESIGN AND SPECIFICATIONS

Platform: Xbox 360 Genre: Beat ‘em up / Action / Fighting Number of Players: up to 2 2.1. Story Preface: Traditionally, the story that surrounds a typical “beat ’em up” makes no effort

to cover that is some sort of clichéd afterthought, “Let’s get a guy in a white muscle shirt, jeans, taped fists, and tennis shoes to not call the cops, go into the street, and start beating down what look like rejects from the Village People in an attempt to save his kidnapped girlfriend.” It is either that or an interpretation of The Warriors meets Fist of the North Star localized for a Western audience. Or in the case Rockstar’s last beat ‘em up attempt, literal use of The Warriors.

Like many of the beat ‘em up classics, Kitsune is based on the notion of “arcade quality game play” first and having “fun”. But this doesn’t mean that some relative semblance of a feasible story can’t be fleshed out to help immerse the player in the experience. The “beat ’em up” and a decent story do not have to be mutually exclusive. And yet, borrowing from nearly every bad martial-arts / action movie from the 1980’s still isn’t a bad idea…

2.2. Story: The collapse of manufacturing work in unassuming Star City, Indiana has left the

population economically susceptible to nefarious, coercive forces deciding their fate. Unemployment, alcoholism, and other drug use (primarily crack cocaine and heroine) grip the residents. Bribery and corruption negate law enforcement. Such problems have left this town a site for, among other decaying institutions, an increasingly seedy bar known as the Sly Fox.

A newly enlisted bouncer arrives there to find a depth of depravity that has seized the town. The violence, corruption, and drug-trafficking go much further than that of unemployed, uneducated, testosterone-filled yokels out of control at a tavern, strung out on “smack” and “crack”. The world of Kitsune depicts a lawless, hyperbolized vision, similar to that of a late 1980’s evening news cast depicting stylized urban blight, violence, and drugs. The manifestation of this is “The Organization, which essentially “governs” the town. Ultimately, the bouncer must evolve from someone who is simply “in it for the money” to a figure with greater purpose.

2.3. Main Player Characters: There are two avatars initially available for use in Story Mode.

Lisowski3

Jake Lisowski is the “bouncer” and main protagonist in Kitsune. His rust-colored hair and unassuming dress does not intimidate at first, but his crooked nose, cauliflower ears, and neck scars suggest he’s no stranger to a fight. Coupled with his steel glare and cold-blood, Lisowski is prone to unleash hell when provoked. A closer look reveals his body serving as a canvas for an elaborate, nine-tailed fox (or Kitsune) tattoo. This image from Japanese folklore coils down from his back down around his forearms, serving as homage to his Polish surname and preoccupation with Japanese mythology. Unknown to Lisowski, he will begrudgingly mirror the imagery that adorns him and become what he has sought to avoid: a protector of



those unable to defend themselves.

Jorge

Jorge is a “promoter” and a grizzled Brazilian martial arts practitioner who also trains Lisowski for a price. He once worked on the automotive line assembling transmissions. Once that dried up he began operating Vale Tudo training and fights in an abandoned warehouse. “The Organization” typically leaves Jorge relatively autonomous as long as he provides a hefty cut of the profits he generates from the bets and blood flowing on his “arena” floor. Jorge proudly wears a bandana depicting Brazilian national colors. His gray, gnarled dreads and blind right eye belie his strength and exceptional technique. There is little wasted movement in his game; his wealth of experience gives him a fight I.Q. advantage in any skirmish. When “The Organization” gets too deep into Jorge’s pockets and gets personal, he decides to help Lisowski by biting the hand that feeds.

2.4. Story Mode Overview: Kitsune focuses on performing violent techniques in one-versus-

many hand-to-hand fights. Techniques are selected from a gradually increasing arsenal of relatively easy-to-perform fighting moves as the player guides Lisowski through multiple, linear levels of the Story Mode. A Tutorial takes place at Lisowski’s initial bouncing gig in Chicago during his last night prior to recruitment to Star City. This highlights the initial controls, on-screen indicators, and nature of play. Each area will have its share of challenges in the form of enemy attack waves. Successfully knocking out or disabling these enemies through combat and use of the surrounding environment is the primary goal. The nature of the depraved forces preying on the citizens of Star City is revealed to Lisowski as the player guides him through this mode. Jorge is also available in the one or two player mode. Two-player mode is available through Xbox Live or system link (no split screen).

Screen mock-up with HUD The player moves Lisowski in each level through a variety of interior and exterior areas as viewed on the main game play screen. Lisowski is capable of a wide range of offensive and defensive striking, submission, and grappling moves to neutralize enemies. Certain contextual situations also allow the use of weapons and obstacles in the immediate environment.



Pressing various face buttons and the Directional Pad (D-Pad) or Left Analog Stick provides the majority of Lisowski’s offense. The player can produce customizable combinations that leave enemies in a sea of broken bones and crimson, but button-mashing does not carry the player very far. The Left Bumper issues defense commands against attempted grapples and submissions. The Right Bumper defends against strikes. A well-timed button press (within a fraction of a second) elevates a regular blocking or evasive maneuver to an interception of an arm or leg and allows for further immediate input to turn momentum against the enemy. The end of each level poses a significant challenge or boss for Lisowski to take down.

The main HUD reduces screen clutter to maintain a sense of immersion. A running count of Breakpoints (Image 003), Cash (Image 004), and a Bone Breaker Meter (Image 005) featuring Critical Nodes occupy the upper-left of the screen. Damage to Lisowski and enemies is reflected through their detailed, individual textures and selling of injuries. Break Points are awarded through a scoring system that tabulates a score based on how rapidly, efficiently, or spectacularly the player deals damage to specific enemy types. Breakpoints determine the availability of moves, which can be purchased at the Customization Screen. Lisowski is awarded Cash in fixed amounts per downed enemy. The player uses cash to pay for training that enables Lisowski to incorporate new striking (Muay Thai, Karate, Boxing or brawling), submission (Jiu-jitsu, Aikido, Catch wrestling), and grappling (Greco-Roman, Sambo, Pro-Wrestling style) techniques into his arsenal.

Bonebreaker Meter

The Bone Breaker Meter continues to increment based on successful attacks. The more varied, stylish, and effective player attacks are, the better the meter increments. Reaching a Critical Node on the Bone Breaker Meter allows the player to inflict a debilitating Bone Breaker attack on the enemy. In turn, Break Points tally up greater amounts. Environmental Attacks in particular spur more Breakpoint opportunities. These are mostly contextual, based on Lisowski, enemy, and environmental obstacle position and enemy status. They often incorporate excessive force (e.g. slamming an enemies head through nearby car window, taking and slamming their head/extremity using a car door, etc.)



At the end of the level, bonuses are awarded for player performance and Lisowski’s move set can be tweaked and altered to suit the style of the player at the Customization Screen. Lisowski trains in an abandoned warehouse where underground Vale Tudo fights take place. Jorge shows Lisowski new techniques for a price. New techniques and move set adjustments can be practiced here. Subsequent plays through the Story Mode allow the player to try different techniques in their move sets.

2.5. Sixty Seconds of Play – An Excerpt from Single Player Story Mode:

Lisowski -

Player Raven – Enemy

type Screen mock-up; displays in game scenario

The player views a brief, real-time cut-scene introducing the main avatar, Lisowski. He approaches his first evening of work as the bouncer on the floor of the dingy Star City tavern, the Sly Fox. The bartender shows concern over a developing situation where a billiards-playing patron, a local biker thug breaks a cue in drunken frustration. The same customer shoves the bartender upon being reprimanded and orders him to bring another round. The patron’s actions are encouraged by three additional burly, whiskey-fueled cohorts. Lisowski must step in to diffuse the situation, but those who have worn out their welcome will not go quietly.

Intercepting and reversing an enemy attack with a pool cue

The player moves Lisowski (black figure) in real time with either the Left Stick or D-Pad. A thug (green figure) initiates an attack with a pool cue. With a properly timed press of RB, Lisowski intercepts the attack. Immediately following this act, pressing X and A simultaneously breaks the cue in half. A portion of the shattered cue in hand, retaliation with a back fist strike sends the assailant down in a spray of blood and lost teeth. Breakpoints, a form of numerical technique currency, are issued for the successful player attacks. The Bonebreaker meter fills significantly for successfully defending a high-powered attack. The player leaps from the couch, clapping Cheetos-stained hands together in joy over the spectacular K.O. just witnessed! Yet several enemies remain.



Five-hit roundhouse combo

A five-hit combination (covered in the Tutorial) in unleashed towards the nearest approaching enemy, knocking him down. Two additional enemies continue to approach simultaneously, so a decision needs to be made. The player can continue a grounded attack on the downed enemy at his own peril, or stand up to the other remaining enemy. Attack durations and crowd control are constant considerations while playing.

Block

Elbow out of rear grapple

Standing up to face the two oncoming assailants, holding RB initiates a blocking animation which deflects damage from an incoming punch combination. However, the other enemy opens his attack with a grappling animation. The player fails to properly time an LB press to deflect or reverse the enemy grapple attempt. Lisowski, now wrapped up from behind, is pummeled by the other enemy with a series of lefts and rights. The Bonebreaker meter is decremented by the successful enemy attacks. Lisowski still has substantial health, so when the player presses A, he uses both feet to kick the enemy away his front. A timed press of RB performs reverse elbow smashes which stun the rear enemy, resulting in Lisowski’s release.

Four-hit uppercut combo

Another four-hit combo pops the forward enemy up with and uppercut. This sends him back into a cocktail table, breaking it into pieces.

Lisowski selling fatigue / injuries

The player realizes Lisowski is hurt as he sells his injuries; too many successful consecutive enemy attacks or damage results in a K. O. Lisowski actually regains health over time. There is no on-screen meter indicating his or the enemy’s exact health status. Textures and animations represent damage to specific body parts and accumulated damage. Lisowski my clutch a body part, have bruises or a bloody face and clothes.



Lisowski connects with a running punch

The third enemy is now rising to his feet, with a dazed enemy remaining behind Lisowski. Using R trigger and pressing towards the dazed enemy sends Lisowski into a sprint. Pressing A delivers a bone-crushing right hand, downing the enemy. Since the Bonebreaker meter has now filled a critical notch; the player can now use a Bonebreaker maneuver.

Lisowski uses grapple strikes and finishes the enemy with a Bonebreaker Technique

X-ray-style images such as these briefly appear when Bonebreaker Techniques are used to emphasize the nature of breaking bones. Here are examples of a broken leg (left) and broken neck (right).4

The player moves Lisowski toward the newly risen, yet weakened enemy. Grappling the enemy with B put the enemy in a front headlock. Taps of the X or A buttons deal a series of Muay Thai-style knees. Simultaneously pressing X and A puts the enemy in a guillotine choke, which is a Bonebreaking Technique, or a submission that neutralizes enemies. The accumulated critical notch is utilized. A Breakpoints bonus is reflected in the total Breakpoints with fanfare. A semi-transparent X-ray image of a skull appears in the corner of the screen to dynamically illustrate the cracked vertebrae in the enemy’s neck. The attack is replayed from multiple camera angles to allow the player to revel in the carnage.

A brief cut-scene starts. The bartender, who has been watching the fight from behind the bar, comments in astonishment. Meanwhile, the remaining thug escapes through the bar entrance to spread the news of the conflict. The bartender tells Lisowski that things will get worse, and that the violence will certainly escalate as a result. Breakpoints are tallied and bonuses are issued for the commendable player performance. The Customization Screen is presented with Jorge’s makeshift arena as the backdrop. This screen displays the move slots and various positions allowing the player to use Breakpoints to purchase new available moves that unlock with successive level completions. Moves can be swapped, altered, added, or removed during this segment between levels. More action awaits the player. Let’s take a detailed look at the basic controls.



2.6. Control Specifications Xbox Controller

Basic controls are predicated on exact, more arcade-style digital controls. Use of an arcade style stick, such as the Hori EX2, would be recommended for this game and its input is color-coded. The default controller layouts differ based on the type of controller used. However, the movements mentioned throughout this document default to the stock Xbox controller : Left analog stick, D-pad or Joystick– Move the player in a range of directions. Stock player movement would be digital in nature, so on or off; one default movement speed. Right analog stick – N/A X, B – Light attack; while standing, running, enemy on the ground, grappling enemy; use of weapon A, X – Strong attack; while standing, running, enemy on the ground, grappling enemy; use of weapon; confirms menu selection B, Y – Grapple; while standing, running, enemy on the ground, grappling enemy; throw weapon/item; cancel selection/previous menu Y, Right Bumper (RB) – Action/contextual action/pick-up, discard weapon Left Bumper (LB), Left Trigger (LT) – Block/reverse grapple Right Bumper (RB), Right Trigger (RT) – Block/reverse strike Left Trigger (LT), Left Bumper (LB) – Switches the camera directly behind the player Right Trigger (RT), A – Run Start – confirm menu option/ pause game Move lists and options can be accessed from the pause screen. Back – cancel menu option/ pause game

Hori EX2 Arcade Stick



2.7. The Basics: Get around the levels of Kitsune with basic input.

Walk: Press the Left Stick or D-pad to move Lisowski 8 directions at a default walking speed. He will automatically “lock on” to face the nearest enemy. Run: Press the Left Stick or D-pad while holding RT run in a specific direction. Releasing the direction and remain holding RT to continue to run. Release RT to stop. If no direction is pressed while pressing RT, Lisowski defaults in the lock-on direction of the nearest enemy.

Quick Attack: Press X to perform a quick striking attack. Results are based on player, enemy, and environmental context as well as Left Stick or D-pad movement and timing in a combination window. These often set up more powerful attacks. Heavy Attack: Press Y to perform a heavy striking attack. Again, results are based on player, enemy, environmental context as well as Left Stick or D-pad movement and timing in a combination window. These take more time to pull off and may be best set-up with Light Attacks. Grappling: Press B to initiate grappling the enemy in a front headlock. This sets up close-quarters striking, submissions, and throws. Stronger enemies need to be weakened prior to grappling them straight away.

Blocking a strike: Press RB to block / defend enemy strikes and weapon attacks. Not all attacks can be blocked (Image 015). Grapple and ground strikes are also mitigated by RB. Evading a grapple: Press LB to side-step through the hands of an enemy’s grapple attempt (Image 019). A successful dodge will leave the enemy vulnerable for a few frames as he recovers. Ground mount and guillotine attempts are also evaded with LB. Evasive maneuvers: Run and tap either RB or LB to perform an evasive maneuver such as a forward roll or handspring (Image 020). Add style to your attacks and make the enemy look foolish! Camera: Press LT to reorient the camera slightly above and behind Lisowski. See section 7.1 for specifications regarding the camera.



2.8. Basic Stand-Up Attacks: To really kick ass, the player strings together various potential attack combinations.

This starts as a three-punch combination (two jabs and a body shot) with three presses of X within a timed, “combination window”. A fourth press can be either X, A, or towards A resulting in different finishes. Success with any of these possibilities results in the same outcome, knocking the enemy down. Ground attacks are available for downed enemies and are covered in section 2.10.

2.9. Advanced Stand-Up Attacks: More complex combinations can be used to incur different enemy conditions. Exploiting these conditions may result in prolonged combinations inflicting greater damage. Strikes that incur these conditions also have guard-crushing capabilities to open up enemies that turtle.

Here, the fourth move following the standard X, X, X combo is towards X, resulting in a right hook that dazes a standing enemy. This dazed enemy status provides a different context for further player attacks.

The fourth move following the standard X, X, X combo is away X, resulting in a low kick that drops the enemy to one knee. This downed enemy status provides another, different context for further player attacks.



2.10. Dazed Attacks: Hit the dazed enemy hard!

A dazed opponent is temporarily left open with no defenses, and can be struck with various Quick or Heavy Attacks combined with Left Stick or D-pad input. These typically knock the enemy down and deal extra damage.

Even more attack options are available to the player when a standing enemy is dazed. Press towards B or away B when facing a dazed enemy to perform bone-crunching throws and slams. Surrounding enemies can also be knocked down or dazed from a collision with a throw. Press B with no Left Stick or D-Pad input to grapple the weakened enemy in a headlock for more attacks. Press X and A simultaneously to perform a Bonebreaker technique that consumes a Critical Node. The technique in this instance breaks the enemy’s arm with a flying jujigatame, or cross-style arm bar.

2.11. Downed Attacks: Down on one knee, the enemy is wide-open for devastating attacks.

Again, more devastating attack options open up to the player with this downed enemy status. Press X or A for a Quick or Heavy Attack to throw respective strikes. Press B to lift then drop the enemy on the back of his head. Press X and A simultaneously to perform a Bonebreaker technique that consumes a Critical Node. The technique in this instance is a triangle choke that causes the enemy to pass out.



2.12. Grappling Attacks: After grappling a standing enemy with B, another tier of close

quarters strikes, throws, and submissions is available to the player. The second player character, Jorge, demonstrates these techniques.

Out of a front headlock position, press X or A and perform accompanying Left Stick or D-pad input to perform various strikes. Lighter strikes can be combined and repeated; heavier strikes do more damage and typically knock the enemy down. Press away X to specifically attack encroaching enemies while maintaining a grapple position. In this instance, the kick can daze a standing enemy, buying the player time to finish off the grappled enemy. Press towards B to throw an enemy in the direction Jorge faces. This can be used as a method of crowd control since hits are registered when flying bodies collide with other nearby enemies. Press X and A simultaneously to perform a Bonebreaker technique that consumes a Critical Node. Here, another enemy is taken out of commission with a broken arm.

While in the grapple position, press LB to switch to a rear grapple position. From here, more strikes, throws, and submissions can be performed.

2.13. Running Attacks: Sprint towards an enemy and knock his block off!

Run with RT then strike an enemy with X or A. Quick Attacks may daze an enemy; Heavy Attacks typically knock the enemy down. Press B to perform a running throw or grapple. Here, Jorge drives an enemy face-first into the ground. Running attacks are particularly effective on dazed enemies. And yes, by pressing X and A simultaneously while running, Bonebreaker Techniques are available (not pictured).



2.14. Ground Attacks: Inflict more pain after knocking an enemy down, but not out.

Strike a grounded enemy with X or A. Press B to set up for a series of “ground and pound” offense.

Press X or A to perform mounted ground strikes. Incur as much damage as possible until the enemy squirms away or is knocked out. Press B to transition to a front headlock / ground guillotine. This produces another context for different attacks. From this position, as with all others, if a Critical Node is available, press X and A simultaneously to execute a Bonebreaker Technique.

Again, more strikes, throws, and submissions can be performed from the grounded guillotine position.

2.15. Advanced Defense: Anticipate enemy attacks to turn defense into offense.

A well-timed press of RB may intercept certain enemy strikes instead of merely blocking. This happens during select key frames just before an attack connects, and provides the player with an offensive opening. However, not all enemy strikes can be intercepted. Lisowski intercepts an enemy punch and retaliates with respective player input to inflict damage. Jorge is able to intercept a kick and deal damage with respective player input. These counters must be performed within a very small window before the enemy escapes the player’s brief grasp.



A well-timed press of LB may intercept certain enemy grapple attempts instead of evading them. Again, this happens during select key frames just before a grapple connects, and provides the player with an offensive opening. However, not all enemy grapple attempts can be intercepted. Lisowski traps the enemy’s arms; quickly press B to launch the enemy with an overhead throw. Press X or A to strike or X and A simultaneously to use a Bonebreaker Technique (not pictured). The window for the player to perform strike, grapple, and weapon intercepts correlates with the capacity of the Bonebreaker Meter. The greater this capacity, the greater the window of frames to intercept attacks.

2.16. Weapon Use and Defense: A bar stool, beer stein, or pool cue can be plenty

effective in the right hands. Weapon use is primarily “one and done”. A successful strike or throw results in a dazed condition for the enemy. Follow up and combine attacks!

Pick up a weapon: Press Y when Lisowski is near an object or weapon to pick it up. Press Y again to discard it. Strike / swing: Press X or A to perform different strikes with a weapon (pictured). Throw: Press B to throw it at the enemy. Reverse: Gamble and time a press of the RB to intercept an incoming weapon attack. Press A to shift momentum in your favor.

2.17. Environmental Attacks and Defense: The player can use environmental obstacles to change up ultra-violent tactics. For example, when fighting in a parking lot, different attack contexts may appear when engaged near a parked car.

B (dazed enemy, near car) Lisowski opens car door and slams enemy head in the door (pictured). Towards B (dazed enemy, near car) While a dazed enemy stands near a parked car, press towards B to put the enemy head first through a car window. RB (near door of car, enemy attacking) In the same manner as a strike intercept attack, a well-timed press of RB while Lisowski has his back towards a car allows him dodge an enemy punch instead of grabbing his arm. This results in the enemy putting his fist through a car window. Quickly press B to then slam the enemy’s arm in a car door.



3. ENEMY OVERVIEW 3.1. Enemy Types: The majority of featured enemies are of the “popcorn” variety. They attack in

waves and have substandard skill sets when compared to the player character. Stronger “mini-bosses” appear at the end of level subsections. End bosses appear at the end of full levels.

Enemies range from bikers fueled with a breakfast of home-cooked rock and shots of Jack, to mysterious, martial arts tough guys in the upper realm of “The Organization”. Let’s take a look at a few of these rejects:

Raven

Raven likes his women as cheap as his whiskey. He rides a custom Narley Stevenson and has a penchant for picking on smaller guys, so he thinks he’s bad-ass. A low-level “street-teamer” for “The Organization”, he runs his own small crew that is all about drugs, gambling, and general misconduct. Raven dishes out punishment with a formidable left-hand, and due to his 6’ 8” stature he tosses most opponents around with ease. He likes to hang out with degenerate stoner and wannabe rapper, Clint.

Clint

Clint “Casper” Graham is a southern-fried idiot who was Carver High’s All-American point guard until he started hitting the bong way too often. Still donning his old jersey, he’s another low-level degenerate of “The Organization” who likes to push others around and brag about his “rappin’ skillz”. Clint is often heard saying “damn, bro!”, and is easily recognizable with his lame mohawk, pawn store jewelry, and 40 oz. of malt liquor. Eschewing dignity for effectiveness, he will sink to the lowest levels to gain an advantage in a fight.



Haywood

Haywood is a “gangsta” extraordinaire who is never too far from a food source. He grew up in Star City with a long standing family history as his Uncle Zed runs the most acclaimed BBQ joint in the tri-county area. Famous for its home-grown, pulled-pork, most patrons don’t realize the nature of operations that Haywood oversees on Zed’s farm. Let’s just say that if “The Organization” wants to make someone “disappear”, a trip to Zed’s pig farm is guaranteed… Haywood’s general demeanor seems fairly jovial considering the murder he carries out for a living. Those who disrespect his business, Adidums, or sweet, high-fade pay the penalty. Haywood’s fists are loaded with gold, and imprints from their impact last for days.

M. Edgar

M. Edgar recently returned from Japan where his professional shoot-fighting career has earned him the unoriginal nickname, “Deadly Gaijin”. Tempered in rigorous Japanese dojos, he combines lethal kicks with Strong Style and jiu-jitsu knowledge. Once trained by Jorge, M. Edgar returned to Star City to serve “The Organization”, for which his hot temper and physical ability is well-compensated. He can often be found competing in the local, underground Vale Tudo fights where he has severely crippled opponents and worse…



3.2. Artificial Intelligence: Offensively and defensively, the player character has statistical advantages over any single member of the relatively low-ranking enemy waves occupying the “front lines”. Since the earliest incarnations of the genre starting with Technos’ Renegade, the priority of the enemy AI is to use their advantage of sheer numbers to “trap” the player. Individual AI tendencies are supposed to result in emergent “mob mentality”.

Bosses display more comprehensive offensive and defensive techniques. They are more inclined to intercept techniques and perform Bonebreaker Techniques of their own. Bosses then appear as standard enemy characters as the player progresses through to the later levels of the game. This maintains a transitive relationship with the player avatar’s increased statistical strengths and increased arsenal of techniques.

The enemies in Kitsune are imbued with tendencies activated by flags based on individual percentages assigned to attack types. Player character status, individual enemy health status, and fellow enemy position and quantities determine enemy attacks. For example, if a player character is knocked down with greater than 60% health within the enemy’s line of sight (120 degrees in width within a set radius distance), the default enemy may have downed attacks set to execute at certain percentages. These percentages may change based on certain aforementioned conditions (such as player health). Setting the player health in another range elicits different behaviors, as health correlates with downtime:

Player status: Knocked down

Enemy behavior

> 60% health; nearest enemy

> 60% health;

not nearest enemy

<= 60% health, > 30% health;

nearest enemy

<= 60% health, > 30% health; not nearest

enemy

<= 30% health; nearest enemy

<= 30% health;

not nearest enemy

Move to attack position: Light Attack %

20% 0% 40% 15% 10% 25%

Move to attack position: Heavy Attack %

10% 0% 20% 5% 30% 20%

Move to attack position: Grapple % (ground mount)

5% 0% 20% 0% 60% 20%

Move to a randomized spot at a set radius from downed player and await player’s rise to feet

65% 100% 20% 80% 0% 35%

Enemy AI behavior sample breakdown These percentages could fall under greater flags that perform mass tendency alterations, such as aggression, cowardice, etc. The overall attack tendencies then fluctuate based on a flagged status, such as health or enemy numbers, to provide more seemingly organic enemy behaviors.



4. GAME RULES 4.1. Winners / Losers: The victory condition is to take out the heart of “The Organization” which

has its grip on the town. Through hand-to-hand combat violence, level by level, mission by mission, the player attempts to further weaken the Organization to reach the victory condition. This too, may provide the player characters with fulfillment or redemption

Losing occurs if the player avatar is knocked out. A knock out is sustained from repeated, successful enemy attacks. The scope of damage varies depending on the type and quantity of attacks registered, in addition to the amount of defensive statistics the player avatar has. Damage is registered through textures and overall player presentation, NOT a bar or meter that displays health.

The player may continue when knocked out and start at the beginning of the last level reached. Saves are available in between levels. Overall, the Story Mode should take the player roughly 6 to 8 hours to complete.

4.2. Scoring: Each successful move results in a base score depending on the executed move and the type of enemy attacked. To score Breakpoints effectively in Kitsune, the player must vary attacks, dispatch enemies quickly, and defend well. Button mashing or spamming the same attack multiple times within a timed window is discouraged and penalized with less potential Breakpoints. In other words, a Double Dragon-style elbow-fest is frowned upon by the scoring algorithm. Enemy A.I. also reacts unfavorably and will tend to predict spammed attacks. Varying use of Bonebreaker Techniques and Environmental Attacks is encouraged as Breakpoint bonuses result from their use. Cash drops are generally fixed and depend solely on the type of enemy knocked out.

Breakpoint and relative Cash bonuses are calculated at the end of a level based upon avatar health conditions multiplied by the number of enemies knocked out. Some levels portions feature fixed areas where multiple enemies knocked out within a certain amount of time incurs a bonus based on a value and multiplier for ticks left on the clock.



5. CORE GAME SYSTEMS SPECIFICATIONS

Games, particularly fighting titles, are sapped of fun if collision detection is sloppy or if player input is not responsive. Replayability can also suffer if there are “too few moves”, or ways of beating people up.

5.1. Collision and combat: The collision detection has to be spot on to properly reflect the priorities for striking, blocking, countering, and guard-crushing. Accurate collision and physics is also crucial in presenting immersive environmental damage.

As illustrated in sections 2.7 – 2.17, the basic combat engine revolves around the status relationship between the player, the enemy(s), and the environmental context. For example, when referencing the controller interaction model previously discussed in sections 2.7 – 2.17, and the player avatar (Lisowski) and enemy are both standing, the following button combinations offer different results depending upon type of input other factors:

X, X, X, X Jab, jab, body shot, left hook (knocking the enemy down) X, X, X, towards X Jab, jab, body shot, right hook (which results in a standing, dazed opponent) The left hook combo finisher acts as a quicker, single-hit strike that does decent damage, plus it knocks the enemy down upon impact. This causes more immediate downtime for the enemy and provides an opportunity for the player to deal with another oncoming attacker.

The right hook finisher, hitting deep enough, may multi-hit (collision is detected early on in the frames) and it also has guard-crushing abilities. Most importantly, it dazes an enemy if the preceding body shot lands and he is unable to block the right hook at all. What the right hook gains in potential additional damage and set-up capabilities comes at the expense of slightly more input complexity and time (maybe a fraction of a second, but that can be a huge difference in the flow of the fight) on the part of the player.

Another example involves enemy status or context altering interpretation of equivalent player inputs:

B (standing enemy) Puts enemy in a front headlock for Grapple Attacks B (standing enemy near car) Slams the enemy’s head in a car door Here the context controls the nature of the attack given the same input. Environmental objects or entities project a radius that checks the nature of events. This area, coupled with fulfilled Boolean conditions such as enemy presence, status, and player input triggers canned animations for certain attacks (such as smashing heads in car doors).

Additionally, grounded, dazed, and downed enemy statuses are timed by individual health statistics and counts. There less available health, the greater amount of time an enemy spends in a vulnerable condition (dazed, down).



5.2. Move Customization: Customization is available between levels to manipulate the ways the character fights. The Customization portion is centered on the quantity of Break Points acquired during play. Breakpoint totals determine the unlocking of new moves as the player progresses through the games. These moves are purchased with Cash.

Player characters will have the same fundamental “move templates” available, although not initially filled to capacity with techniques. Existing techniques in the default move sets can be swapped out for new ones purchased with Cash. Button combinations, status of the player, enemy placement and quantities, environmental conditions, and weapons will all be subject to customization through these templates. Here are some options given a specific combination:

Condition: Standing facing ready enemy X, X, X, X (Jab, jab), body shot, left hook (knocking the enemy down)

X [Jab (current)] change to: Short elbow Left hook Horizontal Chop Short knee kick Etc.

This would be applicable to all scenarios, with the list(s) expanding as the player progresses. The player tests the combination in Jorge’s training area before continuing on to the next level. By the later levels of the game, the player character maxes out combo possibilities and becomes the type of fighter the player prefers.

5.3. Skill Progression: Building up an individual skill set based on six basic statistical categories. Level progression dictates availability of these statistical enhancements. Each category addresses a particular offensive or defensive trait that can be raised a maximum of 6 levels (increments). These upgrades are purchased in increments with Cash. They are relatively expense when compared to some moves. Subsequent increments also increase in price (an estimate of 150% per increment).

Striking: increases numerical damage from striking moves by a fixed percent per increment Grapple: increases numerical damage from throws by a fixed percent per increment; increases grapple and ground mount time allowances in frames in relation to enemy damage Submission: increases “Bone-breaking” damage from submissions by a fixed percent per increment Defense: reduced in damage taken from enemy attacks by a fixed percentage per increment Health: increases overall capacity for total sustained attack damage by a fixed percentage per increment Speed: overall movement and some striking frame speeds are increased by a fixed percentage per increment Critical: Adds a Critical Node to the Bonebreaker Meter, for a maximum of 9; also increases the amount the meter fills per successful attack by a fixed percentage per increment



6. SIGHTS AND SOUNDS Gritty, visceral graphics and sound play important roles in Kitsune. 6.1. Camera: The primary perspective is a third-person, behind-the-back view. The camera is

elevated and panned out far enough to reveal foreground and a field of vision on all sides of the avatar. Player-controlled, “on-the-fly” camera control is provided as well. A fixed camera may be required in situations to provide with the best game play perspective, especially concerning interior shots. Overall, securing a proper camera system is integral to the game play.

The default camera starts out slightly above and behind the player, but does not maintain a strict behind-the-back view as it follows the avatar during the course of action. If the player continuously moves in one direction or stops input altogether for about one full second, the camera will swing in back behind the player. Otherwise a press of LT aligns the camera to the default position.

6.2. Visual Depiction: Overall, the tone of the art is expressed through a muted, somewhat

monochromatic master color scheme in the vein of Epic’s Gears of War 2 (Image 052) or Rockstar’s Manhunt. The color red is emphasized to depict the splatter of blood from high impact strikes. Grimy bars, seedy parking lots, and rural and urban decay permeate the levels.

Gears of War 25

Manhunt6

Interior shot of a steel mill in Gary, IN Aerial shot of a factory in Gary, IN7



A collage of images featuring dilapidated portions of Gary, IN8

6.3. Sound: Exaggerated sound effects in Kitsune may be most important to the actual player

immersion. Sense of weight is important in communicating the degree of violence and physical damage absorbed by the human body. A snap, crackle, and pop of bones coupled with sickening thuds needs to be heard when arms get jerked out of sockets and necks are broken. In game dialogue amidst characters during cut-scenes and game play keep the player abreast of avatar and enemy status.

6.4. Music: This takes a prominent role in assisting with the atmosphere of Kitsune. Industrial

(i.e. Ministry), metal (i.e. Pantera), and “gangsta rap” (i.e. Geto Boys) tunes from the time period accompany the derelict environments in the game, music of this type helps to emphasize the game’s violent motif. Industrial music is particularly befitting due to the influence of Chicago’s own Wax Trax! Records in the 1980’s with bands such as several Ministry side projects and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult.



7. LEVEL STRUCTURE PLAN The general structure of the game is level based with arcade-style progression. The game world is primarily linear; the player to moves from point A to B without back-tracking to previous subsections. The player physically moves and battles the enemy to get through the various subsections of the levels. These are defined scrolling subsections that are passable once all attacking enemies are defeated. This is NOT an “open”, sandbox, or free-roaming game world. Some real-time cinematic or transitional screens are used to illustrate longer distance travel and intermittent trips back to the Sly Fox.

The player encounters the big city levels during the Tutorial and towards the end of the game. Big city levels reference sections of exaggerated Chicago and its outskirts. Some levels have a more “industrial” quality, representative of South Chicago and the Lake Michigan shore. Besides the tutorial, earlier levels play out in Star City. These levels show decrepit physicality of a town subject to the loss of manufacturing jobs and excessive regimented, economic blight applied by “The Organization”.

Level Structure Diagram (level designations are tentative)

Game play takes place in various building and city street settings. Key locations include the main bar and player HQ, the Sly Fox, as well as the “warehouse arena”. These are usually visited between the major levels of the game to save progress and perform character customization. Occasional “bouncing” and Vale Tudo “missions” are also available between the main playable levels, taking place at the Sly Fox and Warehouse areas. This structure is essentially an iterative loop. Each level has various subsections. For instance, the second “Streets” level starts out in the Sly Fox. The fight spills out into the parking lot out front, and then continues through an alley and into portions of the downtown area. The estimated amount of levels intended for the game is roughly 10 to 12.



8. KEY ART TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINE FEATURES A custom procedural animation engine [like"ANT" (EA’s ANimation Toolkit), used in Madden 2009] combined with canned move animations and Havok Physics. Team Ninja’s Ninja Gaiden 2, with its presentation of complex terrains and fast moving, multiplayer action has set a benchmark for third-person action games. A distinguishing feature that Kitsune would retain is the inability of the player to engage/disengage a manual “lock-on” of sorts. The engine handles this engagement automatically, with the avatar focusing on the nearest available enemy. The goal of the engine is to handle physics in real-time when applicable as opposed to the use of canned animations. The engine may need to favor lower background and character poly counts to dedicate processing power to handling physics computation if necessary. For example, the action and result of getting tossed through a plate-glass window should not appear the same every time. A consideration of the engine is to feature visible, location-specific damage, similar to car models and textures in modern racing games.

Lighting and particle effects will be used for dramatic or atmospheric effect, but so as not to distract the player from actual game play. No Tekken “hit sparks” or glowing “strike tracers” are intended for this game. Going the Virtua Fighter route is intended; more realistic sweat, dust, and facial/body contortions convey the success and failure of attacks.



9. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

Competition Kitsune

The Warriors: Solid combat, but with additional activities (stealing, tagging, etc.); more “sandbox” and mission inspired level designs; last generation visuals and sound; no digital control option; not for Xbox 360

Unique to X360 platform; direct focus on combat and fast action; fighting incorporates more environmental interaction; unique scoring, customization, and art direction; original IP

Ninja Gaiden 2: Exhilarating weapon-based melee combat; several different weapons to master; Karma system (scoring mechanism); no digital control option; no 2 player mode; somewhat excruciating difficulty / imbalance

Exhilarating hand-to-hand combat with digital control; environmental attacks and destruction; unique scoring, customization and art direction; multiple difficulty levels; lack of “cheap” and off-screen enemy attacks; multiplayer option

God Hand: Deep fighting mechanics and customization; no digital control option; no 2 player mode; brutally difficult; zany story; last generation visuals and sound; not for Xbox 360; limited availability?

Deep fighting with digital control; balanced difficulty; gritty, more serious story and art direction; state-of-the-art visuals, animation, audio, and environments; fighting incorporates environmental interaction; multiplayer option

SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis: Strengths Hundreds of moves with vast character

customization Brutal, ultra-violent combinations Destructible environments and

environmental attacks Gritty, visceral art direction

Weaknesses Not a “sandbox” type of game “Old-school” scoring mechanics may put

some modern or “casual” gamers off

Opportunities Bring the brawling genre back to the

gaming forefront? Ability for gamers to download new

content (new moves, characters, and stages)

Threats Potential imbalance or brokenness in

fighting mechanics slips through testing, especially considering the customization options present



10. IMAGE NOTES 1 Kitsune is a deity or spirit from Japanese folklore. It often represents wisdom, trickery, or guardianship. This sketch design is an approximation of Lisowski’s (a Polish surname itself a reference to “fox”) back tattoo; retrieved November 1, 2008 from Google Images; artist unknown; http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s125/Chaos_Unleashed/Kitsune.jpg. 2 Image from the European arcade flyer of Capcom’s Final Fight; obtained from The Arcade Flyer Archive November 1, 2008, http://www.arcadeflyers.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=4182. 3 This and other player and enemy character images are courtesy of the awesome character edit mode from Fire Pro Wrestling R (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_Pro_Wrestling_Returns) for Sony PlayStation 2. These are two-dimensional approximations used to convey rough character types and move sets. Thanks to Human and Spike for making the game. 4 Images from Sega’s Giant Gram 2000: All Japan Pro Wrestling 3 for Dreamcast / NAOMI. 5 Gears of War 2 image retrieved November 8, 2008 http://www.qj.net/uploads/articles_module/66673/gears_of_war_02_qjpreviewth.jpg. 6 Manhunt image retrieved November 8, 2008 from http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/08/24/manhunt4.jpg. 7 Aerial view of Gary, Indiana shore; harsh industry depicts style of some “big city” levels; retrieved November 10, 2008 from http://philip.greenspun.com/images/200606-i80-helicopter-trip/gary-indiana-lakefront-aerial-10.4.jpg. 8 Various images of Gary, Indiana that depict hypothetical portions of Star City and the outlying Chicago areas; retrieved December 3, 2008 from http://www.iconocast.com/000000000000003/Z2/News1_7.jpg

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Kitsune GDD GrantFlannerygrantflannery.com/pdf/Kitsune_GDD_GrantFlannery.pdf · control and customization unprecedented in a fighting-action title, the breaking of bones is about