Trans Agent X 🌈 💕

Trans Agent X is a sci-fi video game about transgender people re-visiting post-apocalyptic earth searching for a lost artifact.

Every enemy in the game depicts a narrative fragment of "treatment" transgender people in norway suffered in Rikshospitalet. These fragments were collected from the norwegian transgendered community, norwegian media, and personal experience.

The video game explores topics of growth, healing, and trauma. Here is the list of charater dialogs and sayings, these are accurately produced from the assesments of 'treatment' transgendere people in norway received.

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This game is part of a norwegian pride art 2022 project under the submission of PKI. The only known requirement at the time of writing is that it should represent the organizations' members with a 'pro-trans' theme. This will be done with symbols and other imagery, and hopefully through gameplay.

Nominated for 'Best newcommer' Spillprisen award in 2023

The release date is the 20th of May.

This game will be for desktop only and is best played with a controller. The game will be displayed among other art using a pc, screen, and controllers.

Available in norwegian and English.

Read on below for project specifics.

1. Game Design Document
2. Credits
3. Project Comments
4. Other
5. Project Kanban Board

Game Design Document 💖

1. 💙 Overall Vision

   • Write a short paragraph explaining the game:

     Top-down bullet-hell dodger. The players control an avatar from above and need to dodge incoming attacks with various actions.

   • Describe the genre:

     Bullet hell dodger

   • What is the target audience?

     The average player is assumed to be casually playing for a couple of minutes. It's also presumed there will be more spectators than players. The game is appropriate for children older than 8 (maybe?), although the average age is deduced to be 20-30.

     Therefore I'm wanting to create a game that is fast and easy to enjoy, and that has visible pride and trans imagery and symbols.

   • Why play this game?

     The challenge presented is to survive an ongoing bullet hell. Players may take multiple actions to do so, scaling with the difficulty. The game is also wanting to bring forth the feeling of community and perseverance with being LGBTQAI, especially transgender.

2. 💜 Mechanics: the rules of the game world

   • What are the character's goals?

     To survive an ongoing bullet hell. (And also rescue other rainbow characters?)

   • What abilities does the character have?

     This is subject to change. A controller has four iconic buttons:

     • Dodge: swoop forward, momentarily becoming invulnerable.
     • shield
     • ?
     • Boom! cleared the screen (with the help of allies?)

   • What obstacles or difficulties will the character face?

     Multiple enemies with different abilities present interesting gameplay. Picking up experience points and leveling up.

     Environmental challenges like line of sight and jumping over spikes(?)

   • What items can the character obtain

     No items, but perhaps abilities will be available after earning some experience points?

   • What resources must be managed?

     Experience points, health points, cool down on actions, (saving other characters?)

3. ❤️ Dynamics: the interaction between the player and the game mechanics

   • What hardware is required by the game?

     • Desktop needs to have a functional mouse, keyboard, and screen. Controllers are also supported. This game will not require a powerful computer.

   • What type of proficiency will the player need to develop to become proficient at the game?

     Physical Coordination Challenges:

     • Speed and reaction time
     • Accuracy and Precision
     • Learning which actions to best solve the immediate challenge

   • What gameplay data is displayed during the game?

     Life hearts, and an experience progression bar. (Possibly a combo counter?)

   • What menus, screens, or overlays will there be?

     • A splash screen showing the author of the game.
     • A menu screen showing play and options (maybe also the logo of PKI?).
     • The options screen feature both a music slider and an audio slider.
     • Game over screen

   • How does the player interact with the game at the software level?

     The player is offered the buttons of a standard controller.

     

     As for now the left stick and pad will be used for movements and the 4 colored buttons for actions. 'A' will be the dodge button.

4. 💚 Aesthetics: the visual, audio, narrative, and psychological aspects of the game

   • Describe the style and feel of the game.

     Fast-paced, simple graphics, classical video-game esthetics.

   • Does the game use pixel art, line art, or realistic graphics?

     Cute pixel art with a minimalistic palette.

   • What style of background music, ambient sounds will the game use?

     Upbeat chiptune music fit for fast action.

   • What is the relevant backstory for the game?

     The player controls a transgendered character (possibly changing gender when performing actions?) fighting for their right to exist in an ongoing barrage of attempts to remove them, (and saving other characters?)

   • What emotional state(s) does the game try to provoke?

     A fast and exciting can-do attitude to master the gameplay. Anger towards enemies, (and solidarity towards characters to be saved?)

   • What makes the game fun?

     Mastering the gameplay with its fast-paced challenges, intentions, and actions. And engaging in transgender pride art.

5. 💛 Development

   • List the team members and their roles, responsibilities, and skills.

     This project will be completed individually; graphics and audio will be obtained from third-party websites that make their assets available under the Creative Commons license, and so the main task will be programming and creating some graphics.

   • What equipment is needed for this project?

     A computer (with keyboard, mouse, and speakers) and internet access will be necessary to complete this project.

   • What are the tasks that need to be accomplished to create this game?

     This project will use a simple Kanban board hosted on the project's GitHub page. The main sequence of steps to complete this project is as follows:

     • Setting up a project scaffold
     • Programming game mechanics and UI
     • Creating and obtaining graphical assets
     • Obtaining audio assets
     • Controller support
     • Polishing
     • Deployment

   • What points in the development process are suitable for playtesting?

     The main points for playtesting are when the basic game mechanics of the level screen are implemented, and when it is visualised. The questions that will be asked are:

     • Is the gameplay and UI understandable?
     • Is the gameplay interesting?
     • How do the controls feel?
     • How is the pace of the game?
     • Are there any improvement suggestions?

   • What are the plans for publication?

     This game will be made available for free on desktop. It will be advertised to various indie game-portal websites (LibGDX, Reddit, ...). Gameplay images and a trailer video will be posted and marketed via social media.

Credits

• Level tiles by Hyptosis.
• Music by frankum on freesound.org.

Project comments

Menu music acts as an intro to your game, but also as an outro. When players are done playing, they oftentimes end back again to the menu.

Inspiration

This video was a great inspiration.

Flip animation

I made this cardboard flip animation for the player, but not sure it fits this game...

val duration = .15f
addAction(Actions.sequence(
    Actions.parallel(
        Actions.scaleTo(.025f, 1f, duration),
        Actions.color(Color.BLACK, duration)
    ),
    Actions.parallel(
        Actions.scaleTo(1f, 1f, duration),
        Actions.color(Color.WHITE, duration)
    )
))

360 animation

This code gives the player a 360 run animation, inspired by Enter the Gungeon.

private fun setAnimation() {
    if (!isMoving() && !isState(State.Idle))
        setAnimationAndState(idleAnimation, State.Idle)
    else if (isMoving() && !isState(State.RunningN) && (getMotionAngle() in 70f..110f))
        setAnimationAndState(runAnimationN, State.RunningN)
    else if (isMoving() && !isState(State.RunningWEN) && ((getMotionAngle() > 45 && getMotionAngle() < 70f) || (getMotionAngle() > 110f && getMotionAngle() < 135f)))
        setAnimationAndState(runAnimationWEN, State.RunningWEN)
    else if (isMoving() && !isState(State.RunningWES) && ((getMotionAngle() <= 45 || getMotionAngle() > 290) || (getMotionAngle() < 250f && getMotionAngle() >= 135)))
        setAnimationAndState(runAnimationWES, State.RunningWES)
    else if (isMoving() && !isState(State.RunningS) && (getMotionAngle() in 250f..290f))
        setAnimationAndState(runAnimationS, State.RunningS)
}

Credits

• Basslines 1.wav by pcruzn
• Cinematic Suspense.wav by chimerical
• Space Horror atmosphere loop by PearceWilsonKing
• Vintage Elecro pop loop by frankum
• Pad, Ambient by Andrewkn
• Cinematic Boom Impact Hit 2021 by EminYILDIRIM
• Arp V - Frankum - Frankumjay by frankum

Other

For other project specifics check out the commits.

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