Prototype 2 Has Begun -- Week Ending 24 Sep

Within a week of completing our first prototype, we have already banded together in new teams and started work on the second of four game projects for this semester. Let me introduce you to the new hotness...

The Team
- Team/Developer Name: Team Repel
- Members
     - Ashley McMillan
          - Job: Artist
          - Status: Girl Power!
          - Skills: Charming toons and polished fairy tales
     - Kamron Egan
          - Job: Engineer
          - Status: Superhuman
          - Skills: Handling more work than should be humanly possible
     - Chris Bright
          - Job: Engineer
          - Status: Spread Shot
          - Skills: XNA master
     - Troy Johnson
          - Job: Producer
          - Status: Comfy Chair
          - Skills: Sticky-noting

The Prototype (or, what we hope turns into the beginning of a legitimate game)
- Title: Prince Alarming's Repelzel (Repelzul?) Rescue (We still haven't determined how we plan on spelling the captive princess's name.)
- Status: Alarmingly Charming
- Skills: Teaching freshman mechanical engineering concepts (We hope this turns out to be true.)

This time, our game is meant to be used to teach freshman mechanical engineering concepts. Perhaps it could be used for in-class exercises, perhaps as homework, perhaps simply as a practice tool. Whatever its eventual use, it must be complex enough to actually teach while still being as fun and engaging as a video game is expected to be.

We were able to pitch our concept to a ME faculty member during the week: Prince Alarming is trying to rescue Princess Repelzel by launching himself from a catapult into her tower window (apparently her hair isn't long enough, after all). Of course, she's not that easy to win over, so she requires him to collect goodies and treats of monetary value during his flight. If he doesn't have enough cash when he reaches her, she tosses him back out so he can try again. Unfortunately, Alarming isn't quite smart enough to figure out the engineering and physics behind his catapult, so he employs his best friend, Sir Wingman, to do the calculations and set-up for each launch (players essentially take the role of Wingman).

With that premise, we now have plenty of work to do--figuring out the best type of catapult to implement into the game; setting up a market and upgrade system; and creating beautiful, goofy art to tie it all together.

Check back often for updates on the progress of our educational game. Hey, you might even learn a thing or two.

- Troy