Talking
Some of the non-adversarial characters inAtomic Samwill be willing to talk to our hero,
if only for a sentence or two. If the player wants Sam to talk to a character, he should
press the Action key when near that character. These characters can fill in some of the
back-story of the world ofAtomic Samwhile making the levels seem inhabited and
interesting. Included among these characters will be “information robots,” inventions
of Sam’s age that provide helpful advice to humans. Beyond just obtaining information,
Sam will also want to talk to the characters that will be able to provide him with
rocket-pack upgrades.
Reading
The player may see different informational signs or posters displayed on walls. In order
to quickly zoom in and read these signs, the player can hit the Action key. These signs
may include maps, which will help the player navigate the levels, or “tourist informa-
tion,” which describes the history of the area that Sam is in.
Interactive Combat Environments
In addition to throwing his projectiles at his enemies, Sam will also be able to defeat
them by using parts of the level against them. The player can use the Action key to acti-
vate different events that will help incapacitate the various adversaries Sam is battling.
The levels inAtomic Samwill be full of these contraptions, some of which may take on a
Rube Goldberg-like level of complexity. Spotting and using these different setups cor-
rectly will be a major component of defeating the different robotic adversaries
throughout the game. Indeed, the player will be unable to defeat certain adversaries
without using these devices. In a way, these contraptions are “combat puzzles” in that
the player must solve them in real-time in order to figure out the best way to defeat
Sam’s enemies.
550 Appendix A: Sample Design Document:Atomic Sam