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Introduction

In One Sentence

Artists duel for supremacy.

Abstract

Crayon Sketch is an artistic multi-player game where two or more players compete against each other by trying to match a predefined sketch using the stylus as a pen or brush.

Players all meet in the online lobby to find a match. Each match is a series of sketches that they are shown, one each round, and each player has to draw the exact same sketch. The players/artists score points for drawing fast and accurately.

Target Platform

The primary target platform is the Pandora^website open-source hand-held console which has a tactile touchscreen and stylus, well suited for such a game. The display is 4.3" 800x480 pixels. Pending the success of this platform, further consoles can be considered provided they have a tactile touchscreen and communications ability, or the game be converted to a single player game.

Target Audience

If you are able to describe a key-demographic please feel free to suggest it here. Your input will help develop this game.

Story

Story mode will help this game in single player mode (if such a mode will be developed). But I do not see how I can add a story to the game. If you (the reader) have any suggestion, please feel free to edit this page. You can also bring suggestions on the talk page.

Game Mechanics

This is an artistic game. Players are shown a sketch, and then have to recreate the same sketch using their device's stylus, drawing with a simulated pen. When all players are done, their sketch is superimposed on the other player's screen for comparison. The game then calculates which sketch fits closest to the originally presented sketch.

Alternative play modes: Players switch making the template sketch, and the other players have to fit as close as possible to the template sketch. In this game mode, the pen has limited ink such that the complexity is similar on all sketches. The amount of ink can be used to adjust the difficulty level.

The drawing mechanic can be extended to other available brushes which are seen in various paint programs, such that full fledged drawings could be part of the challenge. This will set higher demand on the scoring algorithm though.

Win and Loose Conditions

Each game consists of a predefined number of rounds. For each round, points are awarded for being fast in creating your sketch, and for fitting closest to the original template. At the end of all rounds, the player with the most points wins the game.

Scoring and Ranking

Points are given for sketching as close to the template sketch as possible. This is calculated by the game using mathematical best-fit models. I'm not exactly clear how to do this yet. Pattern matching? Hidden Markov Models? Least Squares fitting? Distance Transforms? Suggestions welcome. Points are also awarded for finishing quicker then the other players.

Scoring is as follows:

• Points are awarded based on the fit of the drawing
  • How closely it resembles the original
  • How many pixels used compared to template
• Points are deducted for each second after the first player finishes his sketch
  • This deduction is to be balanced such that it will not pay just to hit "done" while the others try and draw.
• Bonus points, special rounds, if you have any ideas please let us know on the talk page.

There are no values for the scoring yet as the math has not been decided on.

An online ranking system is used to rank all players. A player's rank is only increased based on which player he can win against, i.e. if he wins against someone of much higher rank then himself, he gets a high rank increase, however, if he wins on players of much lower rank, there is not much change in his rank. This system is inspired by the online ranking system of Track Mania Nations (including Forever).

Players cannot loose rank status. This is to avoid making the best players reluctant to play against poor players if they would loose their status at the top.

Level Structure

Sketches can be either monochrome or colored. They consist of simple hand-drawn lines, no shades. This section is open for discussion. Please help out by providing suggestions here or on the talk page. Sketch ideas would also be greatly appreciated.

Player Controls

The player has a stylus which he got along with his device. He uses this to draw on the surface of the device and the game simulates these drawing gestures as drawing with a ball-point pen, or pencil.

If drawings and brushes are added to the game, the player will have the ability to select colors, brushes etc. and draw artistically rather then sketches or caricatures.

Special Features

List of USPs (Unique Selling Points), i.e. what makes this game special:

• Artistic challenges.
• Challenge other artists to sketch at your level.
• Creative freedom.
• Focused on stylus' affordances

Visual Style

Visual style is mostly about what the graphics look like. The general theme. Where does the inspiration come from. Examples could be medieval times, futuristic space age, 80's arcade feel, manga, steam punk, cartoony, and so on. It governs (or is influenced by) the design of the game levels as well as the user interface, names, story, etc. and should give a consistent impression on the player.

If you have suggestions, do not hesitate to let us know on the talk page.

List of required graphics assets:

• Unique font befitting style (artistic, and various sizes)
• Main menu
• Logo
• Buttons and other GUI elements, i.e. visualization of the lobby
  • Ok
  • Cancel
  • Play
  • Send Message
• Various icons
  • Rank
  • Player
• Some backgrounds, optionally the material being drawn on

Audio Style

If you are an audio designer, please give your ideas to how the audio will immerse the player in this game. This regards everything from feedback sound effects, to background music.

List of sound effect assets that need to be created:

• Drawing background music
• Menu background music
• The pen moving across the surface (drawing)
• Time up warning
• Winning jingle
• Loosing jingle
• Positive button presses
• Negative button presses
• Lobby chat entries
• Lobby chat background music

Technical Specifications

Detailed work plan for the programmer(s).