QZ
GoldRush
OVERVIEW
Our protagonist is a 19-year-old Chinese young lady, Jasper. In 1850, her family comes to America to make money and to find a better life. Jasper can speak English while her father can’t, so Jasper had been helping her father with a job working on the railroads. One day Jasper and her dad go to work. While jasper is taking a break an explosion happens on the railroad and her dad died. She goes back home and her family have a funeral to celebrate their dads life. After a few weeks Jasper realizes that they need to find more money if the family was going to survive without her father. Jasper hops on a wagon and goes to the gold country. She finds a mine shaft and falls down in. She must find enough gold to make it home and support her family. Players through the use of tools to collect gold. The gold collection game is driven by exploring the map through the action animations.
RESEARCH
Inspiration
The discovery of gold nuggets in the Sacramento Valley in early 1848 sparked the California Gold Rush, arguably one of the most significant events to shape American history during the first half of the 19th century. As news spread of the discovery, thousands of prospective gold miners traveled by sea or overland to San Francisco and the surrounding area; by the end of 1849, the non-native population of the California territory was some 100,000 (compared with the pre-1848 figure of less than 1,000). A total of $2 billion worth of precious metal was extracted from the area during the Gold Rush, which peaked in 1852. ------ History.com
Mindmap
GAME DESIGN
Game Background
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Time: 1850 California Gold Rush
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Location: From the Qing Dynasty (China) to American
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Person: 19-year-old Chinese young lady, Jasper
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Story: Her family comes to America to make money because they need the money to cure the little brother’s illness. Jasper can speak English while her father can’t so Jasper had been helping her father with a job working on the railroads. One day an explosion happens on the railroad and her dad died. Her family has a funeral to celebrate their dad's life. Jasper realizes that they need to get more money if the family was going to survive without her father. At the saloon, she hears of “gold in them hills” and Jasper is inspired to be a strong independent adult, and she decided to disguise herself as a male and join the California Gold Rush under her father’s name. Upon arrival in Jamestown, she is met with the harsh reality of roughing it in the wilderness and knows she is in a cutthroat land. A few days into working the gold mines, Jasper falls down an unmarked, abandoned shaft. She finds a lantern and a pickaxe amongst the rubble and begins trying to find her way out of the shaft. She must find enough gold to make it home and support her family. She runs back to the saloon when she gets out of the mine shaft. People catch a glimpse of her huge gold rock and try to rob her of it. She escapes and returns to her family in San Francisco with gold in tow.
Game Flow Diagram
Introduction Cutscene Part:
1-1. Introduction Cutscene/ intro animation
1-2. The family moves to America
1-3. Family in a new home
1-4. Daughter and dad go to work on a railroad
1-5. Explosion of railroad
1-6. Funeral of dad
1-7. Family coming on hard times
1-8. The main character hops on a wagon to go to gold country
Game part:
2-1. Start of game
2-2. Main character falling down a mine shaft
2-3. Character get tools and mine for gold
2-4. Find a certain amount of gold in the mine shaft
2-5. Must find the way out of mine shaft
2-6. Rocks falling
2-7. Dynamite
2-8. Out of mineshaft
2-9. Go to the saloon to buy a ticket for home
2-10. In saloon everyone chase Jasper
2-11. Jasper get out of the saloon
2-12. Hop on a wagon
End Cutscene Part:
3-0. Cutscene/ ending of the game
3-1. Girl jumps out of a wagon
3-2. Runs home to mom and brother at home
3-3. Credits – link to the main menu
Confession for Cutscenes:
Character Design
The avatars are styling the hair of the game's main character, Jasper, at different times. This style is more Chinese because the story takes place in China and the United States. She is a lovely girl, strong from the burden of her family. The last mask was a clown mask designed for Jasper to wear as a man.
This version is a cuter version of the Japanese style. It is more elaborate in detail than the previous version and has a pet for the main character to help her find gold. The sickle in her hand is her tool. On the left, designed with Chinese characteristics of the peace symbol for her.
Version 2: The style of this version is more American, and Jasper has become even more handsome. We kept the second version of the tool but removed her pet because she was too poor to keep a pet. This version of Jasper wore leather boots, a trench coat, and a cape.
Finally, we considered it would be inconvenient to wear masks and cloaks in real work, so we abandoned the cloaks. The characters are represented in 3D models.
Main Character
Name: Jasper
Age: 19
Info: She was able to sacrifice herself to change into a man’s suit and followed with her father to make money. After her father accidentally blew up, she turned her grief into strength and tried to survive in America. She got the gold mine news accidentally, she felt this is an opportunity and went up this road courageously.
Non-player Character
Name: Tina
Position: Gold miner
Name: Bob
Position: Loli’s father Saloon’s owner
Name: Sam
Position: Gold miner
Name: Ann
Position: Gold miner
Name: Loli
Position: Saloon’s waiter
Name: Yang
Position: Jasper’s brother
GAMEPLAY
This is a single-player game. When the player enters the game, the player will see an introduction animation to show the game background and story. After that, the player needs to find the tool first and then find a way to go to Dungeons. Players will adventure and have the experience of darkness and climbing difficulties in dungeons. Of course, to succeed in finding gold, the strategy is as important as operational ability. Torch props will appear randomly, and until the player finds enough gold can go out. Then there will be a story animation to promote the end of the game.
Press Q to quit
Press S + Command to save game
Press enter to enter/exit Bar
Direction keys control the movement direction
Press space to jump
While jumping press & hold L or shift to hock on to surfaces with the pick axe.
When Jasper arrived at mine shaft, she would fall in the water. The player needs to help her get out of the water and keep going.
When the sign appears, it means Jasper is on the right way. This sign writes “Abandoned”which means something old would appear.
When Jasper running few minutes, player would see an old woodhouse. If player come in they would see there is a letter on the table.
The piece of paper reads “ I the writer of this note want you to know that you were lucky to survive that fall, good thing there was that conveniently placed water to break your fall, and that there is exact 14 pieces of gold and a cool pick axe that will help you to gather the gold”.
The gold are hiding anywhere, and it has pretty shiny light.
Here is a tool to help Jasper to get out of the mine shaft, when Jasper is close to the tool enough, she would get it.
