1. Design Direction and Objectives The goal of Antilia is to immerse the player in a rich interactive world and culture which they can explore, participate in, and have a satisfying impact upon.

Artistic Direction

Audio Direction

Gameplay System Objectives

Gameplay systems are the interface through which the player explores and experiences the world and simulation of Antilia. Gameplay systems must be inviting to new players, intuitive to learn, and a joy to interact with. Information the player needs must be easy to find, and actions the player is likely to take should be anticipated and clearly presented

Guidance for development decisions - good design means teaching the player what information they need to know and how that information will be communicated to them. In a good design the player can make well informed choices that result in predictable success or failure. Good design can include room for experimentation, but the result of an experiment should be clearly communicated

I would like to focus our efforts in design on creating a game that is engaging in multiple ways, including but not limited to “fun”. Like telling a good story, our game design should be seasoned with a variety of activities that are engaging and rewarding in different ways.

Communicating Intent Through Design

By nature of Antilia’s simulation engine and original game mechanics it is unavoidable that the game will present numerous elements to the player which require learning. In making decisions, design should favor solutions that are fun, intuitive, and easy to understand.

When designing the game’s environments, effort should be made to clearly indicate the nature of the environment, such that the player is not frustrated in trying to determine where they should or should not go next.

Environmental design should communicate the following:

• The relative danger or difficulty to expect in the region, including enemy creatures.
  
• The types of puzzles that should be expected in the region.
  
• The potential reward for exploring the region.
  

To accomplish this will require designing a “language” - a set of patterns and recognizable motifs that the player will encounter throughout the region and associate with that experience.

Narrative Themes

The simulated world of Antilia can provide a self-reflective context in which a variety of stories can be told. The stories told through Antilia should be positive in nature - they should have a positive point or serve a moral lesson. Negative images and sensitive topics should be approached with care.

Antilia’s NPC simulation could serve as a strong foundation for themes in which the success of individual NPCs contribute in a meaningful and measurable way to the success of larger populations. A guild or city in which a lot of individual NPCs are under-performing will result in poor performance for those groups.

World Design

The world should be designed to inspire curiosity and creativity in the player. Success in developing the world will require effective use of lore and culture, attractive visuals, a strong sense presence in atmosphere, and carefully crafted audio cues.