Revision as of 20:32, 6 October 2009

.xo	Bundle – [ Rollcats.xo]

Eric Jordan, Flo Hufsky, Van-Lang Nguyen

ROLLCATS™[1]!!!

Rollcats is a stylish, physics-based puzzle game designed for the OLPC XO Laptop. It was developed by Team Awesome Monkeys of the 2008 Physics Jam with contributions by many others.

The first playable demo will be on display at the OLPC office (1 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA) during the afternoon of August 31st 2008.

Plot

All is well in the world of Rollandia until a harrowing shriek in the distance sends chills down the spines of its peaceful inhabitants, the Rollcats. Shortly after, hundreds of Rollcats suddenly go missing without a trace. One brave Rollcat, The Hero, sets out on a life-altering journey to determine the cause of the vanishing Rollcats. Oh, the suspense, the drama, the horror!

Rollcats of Rollandia

Cats on wheels. Yup. All of whom speak only in LOLCat. They live peacefully amongst themselves in Rollandia. They love catnip, long walks on the beach, and ROCKIN' PARTIES! Invite them! Not available from Monday through Sunday.

Legend has it that a hermit Rollcat in the jungle[2] has mastered what no other Rollcat thought possible: flight, baby. FLIGHT. But... 'tis only a legend.

Gameplay

Rollcats is a physics-based puzzle game from a side-scroller point of view. It can be played by yourself or cooperatively with a friend on the same machine. In each level, The Hero must find and talk to the lost Rollcat and help them find their way home. You control both The Hero and the other Rollcat. Obstacles separate the Rollcats at every turn. The Hero must work together with the other cats to find their way out of the obstacles. Every Rollcat The Hero meets will reveal a clue that brings The Hero closer and closer to the cause of the disappearances.

Screenshots

Development

This section needs to be refined at some point.

This Months's To-Do List

* Refactor Code
  * Separate Physics Components & Static Sprites/Objects
* Improve OLPC Performance
* Level Editor
  * XML Level Format Spec
* Finish Sprite Library

Feature Wishlist

* Booby Traps:
  * Spinning Blades?
  * Swinging Rocks/Stumps
  * Spikes that pop out of the ground
  * Revolving spiked pillars
  * Trap doors
  * Projectile traps (e.g. arrows shooting out of the wall)
* Enemies? 
* Weapons? (e.g. Rollcats w/ Rocketlaunchers)
* RPG-Elements (e.g. Rollcat upgrades!)
* Support for Side-Scrolling (meaning larger levels)
  * Zoom out or what?  
* Support for two cats searching for third cat
  * Must work together, step on each other, bounce off each other, etc
* Better audio for Rollcat motor sounds

Appendix: Level Preview Mockups

Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5

Appendix: Images

Activity Icon

Appendix: Credits

Team Awesome Monkeys

Eric Jordan
(providing support) Flo Hufsky
Van-Lang Nguyen

Other Contributors

Brian Jordan (as the voice of angry cat)
SJ Klein (as the voice of happy cat)
Bobby Powers (general support)
Alex Levenson (advice) -- and code if you'd like
Contribute and add yourself here! :)

Footnotes

[1] Rollcats is not really trademarked. Yet.
[2] Urban jungle.