Idea Info Name: Enforcer Index: Primary Category: Action Submitted: 5/24/2003 2:20:29 AM Written By: TheNewMan Game Architecture and Design: A New Edition Book Highly Recommended !

3rd Person Action/stealth game

Plot
The player character is called Joe "The Bullet" Caponi, who is basically a slightly more talented than usual thug. His ex-gang boss has been killed and his old gang scattered or killed by rival gangs. He accepts this as street law and moves on and is lucky enough to be hired as an enforcer for a big-time crime syndicate. After the first couple of missions, basically bashing punk's heads in to keep them in line, his talent is noticed and he is chosen to do high-risk assassinations of the boss' enemies (of which there are many).

Later on, you are entrusted with the killing of political and other public figures to forward the boss' political ambitions. This in turn makes the police interested in you and by the end you will likely be the most wanted man in the city. Your face will be recognised and police and SWAT teams may well be sent after you. Add on to that a rival appearing on occasion and stealing your kills and trying to kill you and your problems are great.

At the end of the game, the police pressure is too great and your boss tries to double-cross you now that his path to being mayor is clear. Your final mission is to assassinate your ex-boss during his acceptance of being mayor speech (EXTREME security!) and escape (if you can!).

Stealth
At this point Joe is an unknown figure, meaning if he acts appropriately, he can blend into certain areas. With weapons concealed, he can appear as 'just another punk' in low-security gang areas, meaning he does not have to fight. In bigger gangs, he can even ask for directions from other punks! ('message for the boss- where's he now?' kind of thing)

However, should Joe act out of character, pull out his weapons, be seen in a high-security area (anywhere near anyone important) or be otherwise discovered, then the combat starts.

Note that Joe CAN fight his way from the beginning, but as there is no in-level health, it may make things harder.

Of course, later on when Joe's notoriety grows, it becomes much harder to sneak around.

Joe can enter a level in a disguise to help with stealth (a doctor in a hospital level for instance), but he cannot change clothes mid-mission other than to shed a disguise back to his street clothes.

When Joe is sneaking around, when he enters a new room in disguise or looks round a door frame into a new room, then the game time freezes and the camera looks around the room at anything important (guards, cameras, people who might see through the disguise etc), representing Joe scoping out the room.

Once the political levels start up, Joe gets an earpiece that can relay directions, changes in circumstances (target moving, police arriving etc) to cope with the bigger levels and professional foes (bodyguards, building security, police and SWAT etc).  It can also relay info when Joe is scoping out a room ('That's the target's brother- totally paranoid, don't even try to sneak past him')

Also, should a development occour (alarm goes off, rival appears, Joe about to be run over or blown up by a rocket etc), the game time freezes and the camera flips round to see Joe being angry, terrified, determined etc).

Also, between each level Joe spends time in the base talking with the other punks who first give Joe no respect because of his 'failed' past, but gradually like him, then respect him then fear him.  This should help the player see just how far Joe has come, with certain recurring personalities.  (Of course, he'll have to kill all of them in the last level!)

Combat
The combat is primarily gun-based (at the basic level, think Max Payne). Joe is limited to 'light' weapons (pistols, a small sub-machine gun etc- must be concealable in clothing), although he can on occasion get either a shotgun or assault rifle he cannot run whilst firing, only walk or stand still, plus they have very limited ammunition. (Joe dumps his weapons when they are empty while under fire- no time to reload! Either draws another weapon from belt or must loot the dead). Such a weapon is so big that it is the only weapon Joe can use as long as he holds it, it also means he cannot act innocent to get past enemies without a fight as the weapon cannot be concealed.

There are plenty of games around that use slowmo (bullet time or whatever). This game also uses this, albeit in a different way. The game goes slowmo and Joe takes reduced damage only when doing 'cinematic' stunts. eg sliding down bannister while shooting, shooting while lying on top of moving trolley (or similar), diving through glass, running along a narrow ledge etc. With some of these (bannister, ledge etc) the player will need to use the movement controls to balance the player to avoid falling off, although weapons fire can also be used to balance Joe using recoil.

Joe can also interact with the environment eg kicking a nearby bin into an enemy to distract them and knock them a couple of steps back. This works by pressing the action button, an aiming cursor appears which can be moved for about 1 second in slowmo before the kick/punch takes place, reverting to real time once the kick takes place.

Another skill is the use of cover. When near an object that can be used as such (crate, pillar etc), a button can be pressed that makes Joe take cover behind it. The targeting cursor can then be moved around. When the cover button is pressed again, Joe pops out only as far as is necessary to shoot there, and the player can shoot. A third press returns Joe to cover to repeat the process. Moving away from the cover ends the covering. Caution though: against well-equipped foes, they will probably use grenades to flush you out should you remain stationary too long and even punks can keep you pinned down with pitol fire and flank you.

Examples of usage:

Joe at top of stairs in hospital down to first floor used in target's recovery after operation.

Slides down central bannister (slowmo)- goons guarding stairs killed. Player balancing Joe, any shots at Joe have reduced chance of hitting and do less damage.

Joe lands near the bottom, leaving slowmo. Nearby punks react to sound and swarm to stairs.

Joe dives onto nearby gurney [thanks Biz], sending it (and him) rolling down the main hall and into slowmo again. Joe kills punks as they emerge. No balancing required.

Outside the room, Joe ditches his ride (leaving slowmo), dumps his empty pistols, cartwheels towards room, grabbing pistols midway (and getting more slowmo- ONLY because of grabbing pistols) and dives through the window (entering slowmo a fourth time). Kills nearest goons, more left. Joe lands, leaving slowmo. Seeing a line of seats back-to-back down the middle, Joe jumps on top of the backs of the seats and starts running precariously down them, entering slowmo AGAIN. While balancing, Joe shoots the remaining goons in the room. Unfortunately, Joe misbalances and falls of the backs with one enemy still standing, causing him to leave slowmo, drop his weapons and be vulnerable. Fortunately, there is a small bin nearby which Joe kicks into the goon, who is distracted long enough for joe to draw another pair of guns from his waist and shoot him.

Enemies start entering the room, so Joe uses the chairs as cover and picks them off while they are in the open.

Etc. As you can see, the aim is to create a highly cinematic feel with liberal use of the environment nearby. Joe should constantly be on the move and rarely will he have (or be able!) to kill every enemy on the map, using stealth can get you deep in and staying mobile will prevent enemies left behind from catching up.

Hope you enjoyed reading. Comments desired.