4. Gameplay and Mechanics

4. Gameplay and Mechanics

Define exactly what players can do, how they do it, and how the system responds to their actions.

4.1 Gameplay

4.1.1 Game Progression

• Main Progression Path: (Chapters / Map Exploration / Level Unlocking / Star Rating, etc.)
• Player Lifecycle Stages: (Newbie → Growth → Maturity / Competitive)
• Content Unlock Pacing: (Daily / Weekly / Version updates)

4.1.2 Mission / Challenge Structure

• Mission Types: (Main / Side / Daily / Weekly / Event Missions)
• Mission Templates: (Objectives: Collect, Kill, Escort, Race, Puzzle, etc.)
• Difficulty & Reward Tiering:
• Automated Generation Rules: (For long-term LiveOps content delivery)

4.1.3 Puzzle Structure (If Applicable)

• Core Puzzle Mechanics:
• Difficulty Curve:
• Tolerance & Hint System: (To prevent blockers)

4.1.4 Objectives

• Short-term Objectives: (Per session / Per login)
• Mid-term Objectives: (Days / Weeks)
• Long-term Objectives: (Character growth, Collection, Leaderboards, Achievements)
• Alignment with Business & LiveOps Goals:

4.1.5 Play Flow

• Session Flow: (Entry → Prep → Gameplay → Settlement)
• Round / Wave Structure: (For Tower Defense, Roguelike, etc.)
• Interruption & Resume: (Reconnection, Pause, Offline Rewards)

4.1.6 Core Thrill Loop vs Meta Loop

• Core Thrill Loop:
  • Describe the micro-level "Action-Feedback" high-frequency loop (e.g., Aim-Shoot-Headshot Feedback).
  • Define "Dopamine" release points and pacing.
• Meta Loop:
  • Describe the macro-level resource accumulation and growth loop.
  • How does the Core Loop drive the Meta Loop? How does the Meta Loop feed back into the Core Loop?

4.2 Mechanics

4.2.1 World Rules & Physics

Global Rules

• Time System: (Day/Night cycle, Time scale)
• Environmental Rules: (Weather, Terrain effects, Gravity changes)
• Scale & Measurements: (Scale ratio and measurement units)

Physics Details

• Basics: Gravity, Collision, Friction settings.
• Key Interactions: Bouncing, Destruction, Projectiles, etc.
• Performance & Cheat Prevention: (e.g., Server-side validation)

4.2.2 Movement

General Movement

• Movement Modes: (Walk / Run / Jump / Roll / Dash / Fly, etc.)
• Speed & Acceleration Rules:
• Stamina / Resource Consumption & Recovery:

Other Movement

• Special Moves: (Climb / Glide / Grapple / Teleport)
• Interaction with Level Design:

4.2.3 Objects

Picking Up Objects

• Pickable Types: (Items, Resources, Equipment)
• Pickup Range, Auto-pickup Rules & Animation Feedback:

Moving Objects

• Movable Rules: (Boxes, Mechanisms, Vehicles)
• Collision & Blocking Logic:

4.2.4 Actions

Switches and Buttons

• Trigger Conditions: (Step, Attack, Interact, Remote trigger)
• States: (One-time / Resettable / Timer)

Picking Up, Carrying and Dropping

• Carrying Limits: (Weight, Quantity, Stamina cost)
• Throwing Rules: (Parabola, Hit detection)

Talking & Reading

• Interaction Range & Trigger:
• UI Presentation: (Bubble / Dialogue Box / Full Screen)
• Skipping & Log History: