Idea Info Name: Safari Index: Primary Category: Simulation Submitted: 10/30/2003 6:39:16 PM Written By: milanbaros1987

As outlined above you take control of a customized character (gender, race, clothes, build, height etc to give a heightened sense of realism) and are given the job of safari guide and a large South African safari park.

The Safari Park is randomly generated before every game but the user influences the outcome by selecting the size, density of animals, plants, grass land, water, elevation etc in a similar way to Sim City but in 3D.  It also allows people with slower processors to increase the performance speed.  Each park must also include a hotel, which can be navigated on foot.  In the hotel mini games and tasks can be found.

The variety of wildlife would preferably contain all plants, animals and birds but as their behavior has to be programmed it is unlikely to occur.  The variety of wildlife can be set before each game and whether a certain species is included in a level can be left unknown to add an element of realism.

The most complex aspect of the game is in the behavior of the animals.  This would take a great deal of research and clever programming but if done poorly would damage the whole game.  Each animal must also be different and over time should reproduce, age, grow and die (through old age, injury or because it has fallen prey).

To travel around the park 3 vehicles are available and walking is also an option.  The three vehicles are jeep, helicopter and boat.  The control of the jeep is similar to that of the warthog in halo but not quite so indestructible!  Realism is the key so fuel and the physics of the vehicles will all be important but not to a degree where it spoils the gaming experience.

The game is separated into two main sections – photography and tourism. 

If photography is chosen you must use a digital camera to take photographs of certain animals and further into the game certain animals doing a certain activity (this may be strongly linked with time of day).  Through a marking system your photographs are marked by the computer based on relevance to those wanted etc.  The photos can then be sold to the magazines etc and if good enough they will continue to ask for your expertise but to an increasingly more difficult degree.  The amount received for the photographs depends on their score.  Any money earned can be spent on better cameras (better resolution and optical zoom) but you must also pay the safari park owner and this amount gradually increases and fluctuates depending on season.  The better the camera the better the photo and the more money paid by the magazines.  Failure to pay the safari park owner will result in game over.

If tourism is chosen you must take a group of tourists on safari.  Each group of tourists are interested in specific wildlife and it is your job to please them within the allotted time.  Each tourist will specify their preference of vehicle but all 3 can be used in one safari.  At the end of the safari you are scored on your ability to please the tourists.  Each tourist in the group will be pleased to a different degree depending on the wildlife seen.  Scores are ranked and can be placed on the Internet etc along with photographs.  Difficulty increases as time passes because you are given more and more specific tourists and the actual number of tourists increases from 1 at the start up to 8 thus making it more difficult to please the whole group.  To keep your job you must reach a certain amount of points per week.  The number of points required will also increase to make the game harder.

Progression through the game is rewarded by video clips of wildlife in action or in the case of plants pretty stationary.  Although this isn’t much it is not the focus of the game, which instead is purely enjoyment through discovery.