Jazz Jackrabbit 3

Game Specification

Features

3D Sound Effects
There will be many more sound effects than in J1 and J2. These effects will serve to warn players what awaits them on the next platform. If there is a battle nearby, players will be able to tell what weapons are being used and in what direction the action is. Additionally, players will be able to hear enemies as they approach them, allowing them to plan their attack.

Background Music
Each level can be linked to one or more music files to help establish the setting. These music files—or tracks—can be faded in and out or switched at any time via scripting. This allows for the music to become dramatic when a boss approaches or creepy when in dark places. It will help to set and change the mood within a level.

Artificial Intelligence
Enemies will be artificially intelligent both with predefined—instinctual—behaviors and scriptable actions. They will be able to navigate levels just like the player, and will be more likely to give chase than in previous games. Enemies will be self-aware, meaning they will attempt to preserve their lives if possible. They will communicate with one another and react to what is going on around them. If they run into trouble, they’ll call for help, or sometimes offer to help you in exchange for their life.

Vehicles
Players will be able to control various simple vehicles. These will include old favorites like the airboard and copter, as well as new things like tanks, submarines, and rubber tires.

Scripting Language
Everything from in-game events to enemy behavior will be completely scriptable. The scripting language will likely be based on JavaScript.

Idle Animations
All characters (good or bad) will have various idle animations for different positions they’re in. For example, they might have a few animations while standing, a couple while hanging from a rope, and one while riding in a vehicle. Baddies will have idle animations that can only be seen by sneaking up on them unnoticed.

Ambient Sounds
Each level will have its own distinct set of ambient sounds. For example, on a beach you might hear roaring waves, while in a jungle you would hear birds and wild animals. These sounds occur randomly, but can be scripted to occur with more or less frequency as desired. They can also be filtered in various ways. Additionally, it will be possible to specify multiple sets of ambient sounds to be played at different locations within a level.

Palette Switching
Via scripting, it will be possible to swap out palettes for both sprites and tilesets. This will allow transitions from day to night, or otherwise allow scripted events to affect the appearance of an entire level.

Creatures
In addition to the player’s characters, baddies, and bosses, there will be various neutral creatures throughout the game. These creatures can be attacked, and some will attack back, but most will simply run away.

Effects
Dozens of special effects will be scriptable. These include particle and ray explosions, light effects, smoke, fire, bubbles, etc. Each effect will be extremely customizable to achieve limitless results.

Gameplay

Movement
Players will be able to move very quickly, as in J1 and J2. However, Jazz3 will also provide the option to move slowly to allow for easier control during hand-to-hand combat. All players will of course be able to stand, duck, walk, run, and jump, as well as the additional moves explained below.

Special Moves
Each character will have a special attack, and a special jump. The attack is performed by ducking and pressing the jump button, while the special jump is performed by pressing the jump button while in the air. These moves will be unique, but well balanced, so as not to give one character an unfair advantage.

Hand-to-Hand
Each character will be able to perform various hand-to-hand combat attacks and defenses when they aren’t holding a weapon. By pressing the space bar, players can punch or perform a general attack. By holding down and pressing the space bar, players can kick or perform a low attack. By holding up and pressing the space bar, players can perform an upward attack. By holding the shift key while performing any of these moves, the user instead attempts to block or deflect an attack.

Weapons
Several weapons can be collected during gameplay, each of which has unique benefits and drawbacks. Some classic weapons will return, and some new ones will appear also. Returning weapons include the Blaster, Blue Bullet Bouncer (improved explosion), RF Missiles, Seekers (updated to reduce effectiveness), Toaster, and Freezer. New weapons include the Pulsar Mines (affects everything in a large blast radius), Shard Mines (sends shards in random directions after explosion), and Contact Grenades (explode on contact).

Projectiles
In addition to the standard weapons, many objects can be picked up and thrown. While this generally does little damage, it can be used to egg someone on or throw them off as to your location. For example, if you throw a rock over someone’s head, they might hear it and go to investigate. Projectiles are picked up by holding down over the object and pressing space. Objects can be thrown by simply pressing space. Holding shift and pressing space will attempt to catch a projectile that has been thrown at you.

Objects
Many objects can be collected and used during gameplay, including shields, lights, homing devices, etc. Objects are selected using the [ and ] keys and used with the ~ key.


Interface
There are four main game interfaces: main menu, mission control, level, and cinematic. The main menu will provide the player with options to save, load, quit, or adjust game settings. In mission, control, the player must select a character to use and a path to follow. Within a level, players can perform moves, switch players, view items, and perform various other actions. During cinematics, players are provided only the option to watch or skip the movie.

Main Menu
The main menu is what the player will see every time he launches Jazz3, ends a game, or presses escape during a game. It provides the player with the following options: Start Game, Load Game, High Scores, Options, and Quit.

Mision Control
Mision Control is a simple interface that displays the status of all team members and provides the option to view the team inventory or begin one of the available paths. Each path is complete with a description of the environment, and the details of the expected opposition.

Level
During a level, the user may press escape to activate the main menu, or some other key to display inventory items. They may also press the tab key to switch characters, or any of the others keys mentioned in the Gameplay section to run, jump, shoot, etc.

Cinematic
Sometimes, at the beginning and end of a path or between levels within a path, cinematic sequences will be played. These sequences serve as rewards to the player, as they will reveal key portions of the storyline. If a player wishes to skip a cinematic sequence, he can press the space bar any time after it starts.

Rules

Members of Team Jazz do not die. If their health runs out, they are simply teleported back to mission control and replaced by another member of the team. Once defeated, team members must wait through a period of healing until the current path has been cleared or canceled.

Players may switch their current team member at any time during a level. All weapons and goodies are available to all members, regardless of who collected them.

Multiplayer games will support only a single character controlled by each player. These characters can then be teamed up in any way desired.

Level Design

Levels will be designed in such a way that provides a great deal of variation between difficulties. On the easiest setting, for example, goodies will be more plentiful, baddies and bosses weaker, and in some cases, entire portions of levels will be cut out.

Levels will be very large, taking time and effort to complete. Within a single level, the player can be both inside and outside several buildings on the ground, underground, and in the air. There will be several different paths players may take, each varying in difficulty and reward level.

Levels will be played in groups. For example, when the player chooses a path from mission control, he will be required to play several sequential levels in order to continue to another path.

Levels will not contain dead ends. While everything the player does within a level has consequences, they will never get the feeling they’ve made the wrong choice and have to start over. While they may make things more difficult for themselves, they will always be able to complete the level regardless of their actions.

Secret levels will be made. These levels will provide weapons and goodies that cannot be found on the normal levels.

All levels will be replayable at any time. Even after the player has completed a path, he may still return to the path and try to discover secret levels or other bonuses. Levels will maintain some level of state once completed. For example, you will be able to challenge baddies and bosses again, but once destroyed, a laser cannon will never come back. Additionally, some goodies may not reappear once a path has been cleared.

Copyright © 2003, Brandon Gano
Jazz Jackrabbit is a trademark of Epic Games.