Steel Ornithopter

1. Gameplay

Gameplay consists largely of flight combat with the player performing realistic flight maneuvers. If the player wants to perform a barrel roll or a summersault they have to actually input the commands via the controller not press one button. The Game would function with simulated physics. Players will be able to design their own flying machine by gaining the parts from enemy Ornithopters. So as the game progresses a player may have set up various Ornithopters for different situations. The game is also part RTS because the player has to scout out potential base locations and paint the target if they want to start a base in that location. The using a command menu the player could issue orders to squadrons of Ornithopters and ground forces.

1.1 Inventory of game parts

Steel Ornithopter: (The player craft.) An Ornithopter is a flying craft that flies like a bird. The wings of the Ornithopter can be locked allowing the player to use the boosters on the back of the craft. The boosters could otherwise not be used for prolonged flight but can be used to quickly gain speed to catch an enemy craft. With the wings locked the player's Ornithopter would maintain a very forward movement. However with the wings unlocked and flapping the craft would be able to glide side to side and be much more maneuverable. This would allow for strafing runs but the locked wings would allow for faster movement between locations.

Enemy Ornithopter: (Enemies) These Enemy Ornithopters with various configurations will oppose the player progress through the missions. When you destroy an Enemy Ornithopter it may drop a Spare Part. This part will be added to your Hanger but can't be equipped until the end of the battle.

Spare Parts: (Experience Points) When an Enemy is destroyed it may drop a Spare Part. These will be collected after the level is over. You can only change your Ornithopter's part configuration when you are in the Hanger.

Component Ornithopter Design: (Player Weapons and abilities) An Ornithopter is made out of the following components. A Cockpit (determines armorments), Wings (determines maneuverability), Engine (determines speed), Fuselage (determines boosters). There are also Guns and Boosters but these components must be placed on a Cockpit or a Fuselage. Every component has a number of hit points add all of the hit points together and you'll have the total hit point value of the craft.

1.2 General Course of Play

Prior to the mission start the player may set up a configuration for their craft. Generally there are 3 classes of parts for an Ornithopter; a bomber class allowing the player to have less maneuverability but greater attack strength with guns, missiles and bombs, a fighter class that has medium attack power and is great for dog fighting, and a interceptor class that has lower over all hit points but is highly maneuverable and flies at high speeds. Players may save multiple different configurations in their hanger.

When the mission starts the player will have to choose what craft to pilot into battle. Depending on the configuration of the craft they will have to spend money to deploy into battle. The initial deployment funds for each mission are predetermined. The first goal that the player will have is to find resources for their side. Using a secondary weapon to 'paint' the target the player will mark where they want their forces to gather resources. Once a cluster of resources has been painted a command center will be flown in and placed near the resources to gather them. While it is being flown in the structure will have to be protected until it has arrived in the painted area. Then resources will begin to be gathered.

Now that the player's side has resources they can begin to deploy more squadrons into the battle. The squadrons that the player deploys will be from the saved inventory from their hanger.

The player can now fly in additional structures to aid them in the battle against the enemy base. These structures could be things like a radar site. A radar site would allow the player and allied forces to better see enemy movements on the radar. Or build a defensive structure to use anti aircraft guns to shoot down enemy Ornithopters. Or bring in a tank factory to deploy strong ground forces. Another possible option would be a missile silo that would allow the player to use when they are lazing a ground target. These structures would aid the player in the battle or harm the enemy forces.

Once either the player forces or enemy forces are defeated then the mission will end. At the end of the mission all of the parts that the player got for shooting down enemy Ornithopters would be added to the player's hanger.

2. Gameplay Controls

The left analog stick would steer the craft as is typical of any flight game. Pressing L3 would lock the craft's wings allowing the player to boost and barrel roll. The right analog stick would allow the craft to strafe left and right but also up and down. The huge advantage to this is that if an enemy tries to escape your guns by making a sharp right turn. To keep them in your sights you would also turn right but using the right analog stick you would strafe left keeping them in you sights. The player craft would also be able to do this with up and down. The strafe
mechanic would also allow for maneuvering in ways that are not possible in typical flight games.
Pressing the back button would put your Ornithropter under AI control and allow you to
enter the command mode. Issuing orders to squadrons, builder units, and tank ground
forces.

2.1 Gameplay Stats

The different pieces of your Ornithropter would give your overall craft different
stats. The wings of the Ornithropter determine the turn speed of the craft. The engines determine the max speed. The cockpit determines what armaments and number of them the craft can carry. The boosters determine the strafe speed and boost speed. If you equip certain types of parts like say from a bomber you may have a penalty in overall speed. The idea behind the penalty is to balance out the parts so that no set of parts becomes too powerful.

3. Multiplayer


This game would contain a set of single player missions that would allow the player to
create multiple Ornithropter designs. It would also contain multiplayer game types as well. Teams of players would command base operations and fly against the enemy team. Teams would compete for resources to build their bases and defenses while trying to destroy the enemy base. Players would need to strategize their attack plan by determining who would function as a bomber and who would protect them. There would also be a command ship game type where one team with a command ship must protect their command ship from enemy fire until the command ship is with in range of the enemy base. The other team on defense would do everything in their power to bring down the enemy command ship. Then the teams would switch. Then there are of course the have to haves like death-match and team death-match.