javidx9 "future" codejam ideas

# initial

want to do something vr, webxr as that's what i'm into at mo

with code jam game is first thing that comes to mind

simplest option is something physics - great, simple, fun games - and something
like catching a ball already involves planning and anticipation of future

i also like this because i've been trying to see how to use more test automation in 3d
and i haven't done anything with a significant time component, testing motions or
chains of interactions over time, which would be interesting to me.

would also be nice if leverage webxr to give a browser experience not just for headset
so more people can have a go

taking the simplest idea further into future, perhaps something like multiple ppl or agents
throwing and catching towards an objective, like making runs, receiving and throwing on,
to a next person that has made a run - starting to sound a lot like basketball or rollerball :)

## stretching ideas - time manipulation

are there more interesting ideas about time manipulation (e.g. bullet time) that we
can think around?  some starters...

* time going backwards

[tbc]

* having an outcome and going back in time in sections to make it happen?

[tbc]

* the same, but going back as short a time as possible to prevent outcome?

[tbc]

* a little research about what time manipulation features games have already had, to spark ideas

- wow Braid did lots of stuff, never played it tho :/

[tbc]

* something about extending anticipation starting with catching - as simplest case that
everyone intuitively understands - to further and further anticipation in time

[tbc]

* enemies being great at prediciting future so that you have to be pretty random or use their anticipation against them?

oh dear, maybe that's just pacman :/

* enemies have time manipulation capability 

they turn back time so you have to use different strategies against them - gives a natural mechanism for repeating
a level but it getting harder?

* adventure mechanism: send information back into past

getting further in game is about acquiring information, that can then be sent back (by restarting the game with your
new information). requires generation of the world and game so that information is not re-used by just dying and
restarting... this would work nicely with dystopian...

sort of had this once in an adventure game called "corruption" where there was a specific sequence of events that you
really need to work out to make things happen - observe people doing things at certain times...

so, simplest cut of this would just be non-generating and allowing multiple plays - sounds more feasible for jam...

## pivot ideas

* climate simulation - don't attempt real world simulation, but setup simplified "worlds" with known mechanisms
  and see e.g. how finely balanced they tend to be - tipping points, points of no return - maybe as a game, where
  you have to take actions to try and keep things balanced?

* future dystopian authoritarian society game - been wanting to make this for a while, not sure if too big scope
  for this jam - basically like an old prison break or POW camp break game with stealth and making sure ppl aren't
  watching but there is an extra level that it's not just guards and police but informers so it's hard to know who
  to trust as you try and get in contact with and work missions for the underground... i think this would work well
  immersive in VR the gameplay would probably take a while to work out, but maybe for code jam could get an example
  mission in a narrow context such as a building, which is a bit more like its camp-escape inspiration...

* flying cars and hoverboards - what would actually happen if these become commonplace.  might actually be complete
  chaos.  thinking probably cityscape with buildings with some height to give some extra constraints for interest.
  throw in a few accidents and mechanical failures and crazies.
  either (i) just simulate some of the chaos; or (ii) (too much for this jam probably) doing traffic managemnt, put
  in lanes / corridors to try and keep some sort of sanity.

# making a decision :/

## catching something

i really like the idea - fun game etc. work really well in VR but much harder to be natural/fun in normal browser...

so basically rules this out unless i can make work for browser: would have to do something like make an assumption about the plane
you're going to catch in, so can translate 2d position to it... maybe then VR mode can use same restriction (robot hand catching?
tracks to mouse/controller position and grabs when you click/grab).

one sub-idea is to have a mini replay of the catch so you can tell how you've missed or how to catch
cleaner, which is a frustration for me in timing / aiming games (and real life).

potential steps:
1 - prototype in browser, click in plane to catch - is it fun?
2 - VR headset version, 2d plane - still fun?
3 - after catch, throw to next (again throwing is future - maybe throwing is where this should start? seems simpler... maybe )

reworked steps:
1 - prototype in browser, click in plane to throw - must be moving target - is it fun?
2 - VR headset version, 2d plane throwing at target - still fun?
3 - add in catching (target was being thrown to)
4 - rethrow to next target (either another agent or a final target....)
5 - extend into future... maybe by following a plan (sequence, maybe timing, of who throws to who?)?
...hmmm preset motion passing ball to target... sounding like dystopian future roller ball game - futureballz? fyootchaball?

ok footchaball i'm liking it, removing natural throw mechanic for some sort of ball-gun / scoop catcher
kind of metallic cylindrical arm with recoil animation on throw...

problem is... i'm not feeling this whole thing...keep getting drawn back to dystopia...

# dystopia "futile"

## ideas / 

 - yourself - 3d immersive
 - dark, sombre
 - threat, tension
   1 cameras - keeping people isolated, maybe don't see other people, just hear them
   2 others - explicit threats, police etc.
   3 others - some help but could be informers / undercover
 - goal: make contact, join resistance, escape, revolt
 - other progress: acquire useful items (short term useful) or information (the most useful - mainly when to be where)
 - initially closed - simpler - closed in feeling - maybe escape to open air later
 
so initially this is going to be dark and isolated, sound is going to add a lot i think - maybe you can hear others, ppl
say sound can add a lot to immersion so good to try that - maybe get a lot of helpful cues from sounds. also racks up
tension.

## environment

so basically everyone housed internally in buildings. everyone kept isolated as means least chance of collaboration and
resistance. 

so you must have a living quarters... maybe opening shot is a beautiful future world but it's a virtual window in your
small dark abode.  maybe they wouldn't do that as it would give people too much hope.

everything is very controlled and you have certain times allotted for certain tasks - perhaps you get a 
certain amount of time in certain corridors, otherwise they will go into warnings and eventually shutdown.

so you might go to a room where you can get food supplies.

you might go to a room which is basically a shuttle to another complex.

scope for getting out of this might be a fault that can be exploited.

perhaps you work as maintenance so you have more scope - access, being outside room, tools - to cause trouble.  and maybe
the authorities know this so they keep close tabs on you.

# gameplay [optional in braces]

real time and space - but ability to fast-forward time through tasks

[pick character - male, female, other, ai...]

start out typical day

wake in cubicle

[ announcement of shower time commencing
  fog from water keeps things decent
  spend too long in shower get some warnings
  dress task (no mirrors, keep immersion, leave for reveal later) ]

"ready yourself for supplies acquisition, 0355" flash area on floor
door opens
enter corridor, arrows on floor
continues like this
doors on sections of corridor open ahead and close behind

messages - walls, audio
"accidents occur when citizens interact"
"disease spreads when citizens interact"
"keep safe, follow the rules"
"interaction brings dissatisfaction"
"synth sausages are healthy and delicious"
"there is no Javid"
"outside the corridors are more corridors"
"there is no room better than your room"
"there are [no] people with lower status than us"
"the corridors are for the lowest"
"the outside scares me"
"the outside would scare me"
"help me"

overheard - whispers - hmm, this requires that some people do interact - maybe you are isolated because you're high risk as the handyman
"[i hear] there's a handyman that walks around and fixes things"
"[i hear] there's a handyman that gets to go outside"
"the handyman works alone because he can't be trusted"
"did you hear footsteps?"
"did you hear somebody typing?"
"by Javid, i think i heard someone"
"i heard 0238 caused a weight violation when they could not hold down their synth sausage"
(footsteps)
(clanking)
(gurgling)
(typing)

maybe your jobs food delivery, handyperson, programmer (the game's own code :)) - 
perhaps you're a technical so you get to fix robots when
go wrong, fill in with their jobs while they're broken.
perhaps citizens do get to go out to pick up their food etc. as this
is a way of them getting exercise and not going so crazy

### gameplay snippet ideas
* rust patch on wall, maybe break through - lights flickering, maybe lights flicker on cctv - maybe cut/disconnect cctv?
* light on cctv means working
* toolbelt for jobs is in different room (for starters toolbelt just has screwdriver)
  - need to hand back in after jobs
  - gets checked by weight
  - eat food
  - eat tool and gag back up
  - replace tool with something else
* hide behind panel so beyond transit bubble
  - need to fool system that carried on to next section? 
  - maybe trolley? maybe works on final section?
* timing 
  - something happens at certain time where you need to exit corridor urgently - what is it?
  - maybe get asked to move into room to vacate corridor, can hack into cctv wires to see what it is?
  - future == anticipation... maybe working out daily routine is part of this...
* something with magnet, will get picked up by whatever is moving through corridor - maybe can fashion something
  from a cctv - replace cctv with dummy? and so we can see over cctv beyond our realm
* so there's maybe some sections or panels that don't have weight sensing, so that's where you can leave something 
  to get picked up?
* managing weight might be a key mechanism
  - kind of reasonable that this is a security mechanism - e.g. has evolved that way in self-checkout shopping
  - maybe the system allows you to drop some weight when you go to loo?
  - or gain some weight when you go to pick up supplies
  - so it's about substituting
* water pipes in walls - if can tap in can access substitute weight
* listen at door can get timings
* allow fast-forward time til hear something?.... or maybe the lights flicker when the corridors open/close... which happens
  around the time something interesting happens

### technical

- corridor
- locomotion - keyboard
- locomotion - controller
- lights
- corridors - static
- cctv
- whispers
- messages
- warnings (logic)
- corridor doors
- your room

- food room and pickup
- eat
- job room and tools pickup

- world generation ?
- jobs ?
- 


[further levels]
next level - some people interacting, larger spaces
next level - more people interacting, some open spaces