Elliot Gray- Brief 3

Elliot Gray- 1704178

Brief Three- Thought Experiments

Level Design- The Ticking Time Bomb experiment

Overview

In essence, the ticking-time bomb experiment asks the subject if they would torture a man who knows the location of a bomb that would destroy a city. In the level the player will have a five minute time limit and will be faced with punching the man to gain the information. If the player chooses to torture the man then the more they hit him the more he will beg them to stop and plead for his life. If the player decides not to hit him then behind him a wall of screens will show increasingly distressing images of the panic in the city the bomb will go off in.

Mechanics

Since the game is in VR, the player will see their hands and a man tied to a chair in front of them. Behind the man is a wall of large screens playing various news channels. The room the player is in is mostly in shadow with a spotlight on the man with the glow of the screens behind him. The player will be able to physically punch the man in the face and if they do it enough the man will tell them where the bomb is and the timer will stop. If the player does not hit the man the screens will show the city’s reaction to its imminent destruction which will involve riots, people trying to escape, crying children, etc. which get louder the longer the player manages not to hit the man.

Visual Design

The basic visual design will be realistic with a realistic depiction of a man and real-life videos on the screens. Due to the darkness of the room, not very much will be visible and so there won’t be much detail in anything apart from the man, the player’s hands and the content on the screens.

Narrative

·         The level starts with the man saying:

“There’s no point in hitting me, I’ll never tell you where the bomb is”

·         Then the timer will start screen and the screens will turn on and show the player what’s going on in the city.

·         The content on the screens will get more and more distressing as time goes by

·         If the player starts to hit the man he will start howling in pain, crying and his face will become more bruised and bloody as time goes by.

·         After the timer ends, the screen will go to black and the screen will read “Level complete”

Outcomes

If the player tortures the man to get the location of the bomb then this will make them more likely to “win the game” and get the job

If the player refuses to hit the man then this will make them less likely to “win the game” and get the job

Modifiers:

·         If the player hits the man before the screens turn on (before context is given to the situation) then this will negatively affect the result

·         If the player changes their mind after half the time has gone to hitting the man, this will positively affect the result

·         If the player changes their mind after half the time has gone to stop hitting the man, this will negatively affect the result