This week, I added on to the initial playable concept prototype to include one of the game mechanics mentioned in the meeting last week, namely the idea that turning the ring would determine which lights were being manipulated. The game now has seven different sets of the elements and the plankton.
Here are some screenshots:
Initial state:
Like before, touching a ring will send a light moving down. Clicking a ring that you are touching (which in the real model could be represent touching the bottom side of the ring) will send the light moving up. As the light moves down, it gets brighter until it reaches the optimal brightness, indicating the proper amount of an element the plankton needs. If the amount of an element exceeds the optimal level, its light will get dimmer as it gets even lower. As the amounts of the elements come into balance, the brightness of the plankton increases, becoming brightest when the elements are all at the proper level. If the elements start going out of balance, the brightness decreases.
An in-balance plankton:
Turning the ring to a different light (represented in the prototype by pressing a number from one to seven) determines which plankton and its elements are being manipulated.
Manipulating a different set of lights:
The total system is in balance when all the planktons lights are at their brightest.
Winning state:
I hope this game idea is suitable both in getting the player to understand what to do without instruction, as well as getting the message of balance across.
