Mitch Gookins 7 September 2011 Assignment 2: MDA Paper FROM DUST - MDA ANALYSIS From Dust is a game that features weather and environmental simulations in small sandbox type levels whose core surrounds a god-like “breath” that manipulates these forces to help a tribe of humanoid NPCs achieve various objectives and survive. The mechanics of From Dust include a variety of both realistic and fictional forces and fauna. Dirt can be eroded and moved over time by interaction with flowing water and is the only material vegetation can grow on. Stone is the only non-manipulative material and cannot be eroded by water. Stone is created from lava and can only be destroyed by an explosive tree. Explosive trees are detonated from fire or lava, creating a small crater. Water gorges can absorb and hold water up to a certain threshold. The gorges expel all their stored water when met with too much water or a fire source. Fire trees evaporate water and set fire to nearby vegetation. Water sources are infinite water emitters that can be blocked with enough dirt cover. Lava sources are infinite lava emitters that cannot be blocked. A typical map starts with a group of villagers the “breath” directs to a totem to build a village. The level is won when all totems have a village and the villagers reach a special migratory cave entrance. The level is lost if all villagers and villages are destroyed. Building villages at a totem unlocks their specific ability. “Evaporate” removes all standing water on the map. “Infinite earth” gives the “breath” unlimited dirt manipulation for its duration. “Put out fire” extinguishes all fires on the map. “Jellify water” temporarily stops water from flowing naturally. “Amplify the breath” temporarily boosts the speed and power of the “breath.” The last power, “engulf all,” temporarily lets the “breath” destroy any material. Villages can also learn to repel water and/or fire with the appropriate power found and brought to their village. A timer warns of incoming eruptions, tsunamis and other disasters. There are a number of dynamics that come into play in From Dust. Water gorges placed near a village strategically can automatically douse fires. Explosive trees and a fire source can be used to destroy otherwise impassible stone terrain. Flooding landscape can be stopped by blocking water sources with dirt. Tsunamis can be blocked by building massive walls of dirt or stone. Pre-carving paths in terrain can help influence the paths water and lava take as they flow. A well-placed fire tree can be used to mitigate damage from flooding and tsunamis. Redirecting water sources towards lava flows can buy precious time to stop widespread fires and lava related destruction. Powerful combos can be created by mixing powers like “amplify the breath” and “infinite earth” to create large walls of dirt quickly for instance. “Evaporate” is almost essential to use along with dirt when water sources are out of control. “Jellify water” can be used along with the “breath” to carve out temporary paths through large bodies of water so villagers can pass as well. From Dust‟s unique dynamics give the game a variety of aesthetics. Discovery is a large aesthetic to the game with beautiful and sometimes intimidating landscape to explore. Next to discovery certainly is the game‟s challenging aesthetic. With a constantly flowing and changing landscape with plenty of hazards, the game stays frantic from beginning to end. Almost equally important to the feel of the game is the freedom of gameplay. The wildly differing ways to manipulate the world gives a strong sense of expression. In conjunction with this, freeform gameplay makes replaying a level rewarding and supports its submission aesthetic in playing the game as a pastime. The world‟s strange yet familiar fauna and people create a fantasy aesthetic as well. Finally, the narrative aesthetic to From Dust is a somewhat cryptic account from the villagers in the form of text aided cut scenes at the beginning of levels. Even though the story is admittedly simple, one cannot ignore the overarching narrative in the humanoids‟ struggle to survive and their reliance on the player‟s guidance as the god-like “breath.”LOST EARTH: EVOLUTION - MDA PROPOSAL Lost Earth: Evolution is an open world first-person shooter that takes place on an apocalyptic Earth created from the massive impact of an extra-terrestrial body of alien origin. Decades after the impact, the remnants of the human race live in small colonies underground in large caverns and cramped bunkers. They survive only through the efforts of the „surfacers‟ – the humans bold enough to weather the mutated surface of the planet in search of resources and more importantly, answers. The mechanics of Lost Earth: Evolution consist of a mix of survival, combat, and player-driven narrative mechanics. „Surfacers‟ must take care of themselves when outside the few human havens. Players must eat, drink, and sleep to stay alive and alert. While provisions are not difficult to come by, clean safe provisions are much harder to locate. Mutated food and water satisfy a player‟s needs but slowly mutate the player themselves. Mutated players are more resistant to the surface environment and can survive longer but become increasingly outcast by other humans. Non-mutated characters cannot survive as long on the surface but progressively gain renown with human colonies that provide better equipment. Regardless, the mutated or „pure‟ character advances by completing quests, killing various creatures, or discovering resources to obtain alien salvage and mutagens to be used on abilities with varying requirements and mutated/pure variants. Combat consists of melee and ranged weaponry including repurposed tools such as the auto-pickaxe, heavy rivet gun, and arc welder. Although rare, other traditional small arms can be found as well such as pistols, shotguns, rifles, etc. All weaponry however can be upgraded similarly to the same system as ability upgrades. Alien salvage can be used to technologically enhance weaponry while mutagens adapt and live on weapons to give them various properties. Briefly reviewing some of the weaponry, the auto-pickaxe reacts to impacts by generating a secondary thrust that penetrates defense. The heavy rivet gun pins enemy body parts to objects while the arc welder temporarily stuns enemies