I was just looking through the story we planned out at the start of Outpost 2, way, way back, and it's interesting to see where we've stuck to things and where we've gone off on a tangent ( And also how things were different in my head to the reality ).
So here's the plan for the first three levels you'll have seen in the demo ( Via our Facebook page )
Intro:
20:32
Starts with computer screen. Telemetry data scrolls up, then the word “Warning” flashing in red ( Think old dos like screen. This is a screen on our ship powered by Haily, monitoring Lee’s shuttle ).
Voice over by Lee “The shuttle’s breaking up, I’m going down”. *static*
Fade to black
( This could even be before the title screen ).
Welcome to Haven:
18:14
Same as first level in Haven, just this time you control Jameson. Gets the player used to collecting different items, opening doors and movement.
Staff Canteen:
This needs to be in two distinct parts, the kitchen / storage area and then the eating halls.
The first area we will introduce the info cards / terminal. It’ll be a slow tutorial area, couple of “Tanks” and facehugger aliens. Also a small fire is burning which will push the player out of that area ( “That’s spreading to the gas line, we should really move” ).
From this we’ll go into the long corridor like eating areas, and it’s going to kick off. The sprinkler system goes off, the lights short out, and then I want all the tables / chairs to flip over as aliens burst through the floor ( Picture the library scene in Ghostbusters ).
Along with that the kitchen area will blow up, creating a wall of flame behind the player. Basically I want this to be a forced sprint to the end of the level.
We’ll reach a more secure area when Haily has to hack the door closed for you, so you have to hold them off whilst she does that ( Maybe the aliens attacking you can come out on fire ? ).
At the end of the level we run into one of the mini-bosses from the first game. At this stage the player won’t have the fire power to deal with it, so we’ll let them try for a little while, then a cut scene where something bigger ( Possibly unseen, I’m thinking spider like legs bursting through the floor ) will come crashing in and kill our big bug.
Planet side:
21:06
We’re back with Lee on the planet, debris strewn around, the red flares from Swarm etc.
Haily tells us she can’t collect you as the magnetic storm which caused the shuttle to crash stops her getting too close for an extraction, but that there’s a structure near by.
This is the “Maze” like planet level, simple A>B. I’d like to introduce different baddies on here.
Squize.