Pulse

1. Gameplay

Pulse is a single player living world game although you could co-op with a friend if you wanted to. In Pulse the player takes control of a racer who uses motorized roller blades in the fiercely competitive world of underground street racing. When you start out your player character has fairly substandard parts. As the player wins races they will gain money or additional parts that they can sell or equip on their own Pulse Blades. This game uses a system of movement in the vain of Assassin’s Creed allowing the player to skate up walls or wall run. There are missions in the game similar to any other living world game. Different race teams control different areas of the city. Before the player can take on these teams they must first form a team. The way to forming a team to defeat other free agents and they will join you since you are the stronger racer. Once the player has a team you’ll have to defeat other teams to gain control over areas of the city. Teams are ranked and top shelf teams will not complete with the low class teams. The goal of the game is to take control of the entire city and or complete all the story missions.

1.1 Inventory of game parts

Pulse Skater: (Player Pawn) The player gets to choose what their character looks like and if the player pawn is male or female. The player character can equip Pulse Blades basically motorized roller blades. The player also can modify the individual parts in the Pulse Blades to create more speed better turn radius and other things. The player also has the ability to Tool up existing parts provided that they have two of the same part. Parts do degrade with use so tooling will keep the player in top form. The player uses an active movement system allowing them to get around the world with speed and ease. The player also has a since of style depending on how they are dressed. The style rating will determine the speed boast they get for doing tricks.

Free Agents: (NPCs) In the world the player will find Free Agents of varying skills. If the player challenges these Free Agents to a race and wins the Free Agent can be absorbed into the player’s team. Teams are five people so the player needs to win four others before they can start a team. If the player wishes to race a Free Agent they must wager something greater or equal to the value of what the Free Agent is wagering.

Skate Shops: (Locations) In various places through out the city are legal and non legal providers of Pulse Blade parts. These parts can be purchased and of course the better the parts the higher the price. There are cloths to put on the player character to increase the style rating. The shop also carries magazines that if the player buys will increase the player character’s tool rating. Different shops carry different levels of goods. It is also possible to pay a shop keeper to repair your Pulse Blade parts. Players may buy or sell items at the shops.

Cloths: (Equipment) Clothing can increase the style rating of the player character. Higher style means that the player character gets a faster and or longer speed boast after doing a trick.

Pulse Parts: (Equipment) A Pulse Blade is made of the following parts. Boot, this controls the drift turn radius. The wheels determine the max speed and turn radius. The grind plates control how easy it is for the player to maintain a grind. The micro motor determines the max speed and acceleration. Shocks determine jump height drift turn radius and normal turn radius. These various components of a Pulse Blade depending on the quality of the item will raise or lower the stats of the final product. Some items affect multiple stats and so some will have a high benefit with a small or large penalty to the other stat.

Magazines: (Collectables) While it is possible for the player to buy magazines at Skate Shops there are however many magazines hidden through out the world as collectables. Magazines will allow the player character’s tool rating to increase letting them repair their equipment with a higher proficiency so the equipment will last longer.

Pulse Teams: (NPCs) Groups of riders control different areas of the city. Before the player can take them on they must form their own team of five riders by defeating at least 4 Free Agents. To challenge a team to a race you’ll have to travel to their area and speak to them about a race. So you have to beat them on their home turf. Their area also may give you a clue to the specialty of that team. Then you’ll have to wager something equal in value to their wager. Once a challenge is made and the race is over you can not challenge that same team again for a certain amount of game time. At any time deemed necessary by the player, they can remove characters from their team but the team can not compete with less than 5 members. To prevent the player’s team from only having a limit of five members there is space for two alternate members.

Team Rank: (Score) If a team loses 3 consecutive matches in a row to teams that are equal in rank that team’s standing will drop a rank. The highest rank is A class and the lowest is F class. If your rank drops below F class your team will chose to disband and you’ll have to form again. If your team wins three consecutive matches against teams of equal standing your team will be promoted by one rank. Also if a lower ranked team beats a higher ranked team then the lower team and the higher team will switch standings.

Team Reputation: (Score) This is also sort of a currency in the game. As your team wins races you’ll gain reputation points. The more respected you are by other racers the less you’ll have to wager in real goods to enter into a race. The catch is that if you use Reputation as a wager you won’t gain any of reputation points for winning and if you lose, you’ll lose all of the reputation points that you wagered to the benefit of the other team. Reputation also will allow you to enter some of the most exclusive Skate Shops and challenge teams above your own team’s rank. You’ll also get a discount at some shops if your reputation is high enough.

1.2 Player Movement

Active Movement: (Vault) If the player is skating and they run into an object that is waist high they will vault over the object to maintain the direction they are going. This may seem strange because it is a race but the idea is to keep them heading in the same direction. The drawback is that vaulting over an object IS slower than jumping over that same object. So if you’re to lazy to jump over the obstacle then you’re more likely to lose the race.

Active Movement: (Horizontal Wall Run) If there is a gap next to a wall it is possible to use the Pulse Blades to wall run across the gap. While in a Wall Run the player can jump perpendicularly to their current Wall Run if needed.

Active Movement: (Vertical Wall Run) If there is a high wall it is possible for the player to face the wall and run up the wall with the help of their Pulse Blades. If the wall is too high the player will jump and head in the opposite direction that they came. If the wall is shorter than the max height then the player will vault up onto the roof.

Jumping: The player can jump to avoid obstacles. While jumping it is possible to execute a trick to gain a speed boost when they hit the ground.

Drifting: If the player is in mid jump they can continue to hold the jump button and tilt the control stick in the direction (right or left) they wish to drift this allows them to take corners tighter and still maintain a good speed. While in a drift the player can steer to control their movement but steering is limited.

Grinding: If there is a hand rail or other grind-able object the player can jump onto the rail and follow the rail. You’ll have to maintain the balance so you don’t fall off the rail. It is possible to do tricks on the rail but it makes it more difficult to maintain the grind but you will gain a boost of speed when you’re off of the rail.

Vertical Grinding: If there is a vertical poll it is possible to grind up the poll. Then jump off when the player is where they want to be.

Half Pipe Jump: It is also possible to jump at the edge of a half pipe and gain momentum on the way back down. While in the air it is possible to do a trick to gain even more speed.

1.3 Game Board

The game board is a living world city. Picture the living world in skate only with really fast roller blades. Cars are a hazard and so are pedestrians.

2. Setting up the game

The player will get to pick the gender of their character and the looks of them too. Choose from some basic cloths.

2.1 General course of play

The Player starts the game with a basic pair of Pulse Blades and then has to go through tutorials about movement in the game world. Then they are free to do whatever they want. They can explore the world or compete against Free Agents or complete story missions. When they have enough free agents defeated to form a team they can then start to challenge other teams for territory, reputation and parts. In their travels through the world they will find stronger Free Agents, better equipment, better Skate Shops and higher class teams. When all of the story missions are done they can choose to stop playing or continue and defeat all of the teams in the city to gain control of all the territory in the city.