Important Information

Preface

The Senior Capstone Project will engage the seniors of the STEM class of 2019 in challenging projects over the course of the school year. The focus of the projects is to create sustainable and socially conscious solutions to problems ranging from prosthetic arms to reusable pads. 
For my project, I have decided to create a game, Morel's Fables, targeted toward the growth of children.

Problem Statement

Most games today for children ages 6-11 are either for entertainment or educational purposes. In other words, though kids' mathematical and reading skills are improving, there are very few games that will help them grow socially. In a world with growing tensions (political economic, and social) and dispersed communications (such as through social media), empathetic interaction with others will become increasingly important.

Mission Statement 

In a world where social and political tensions are exceedingly high and exacerbated by a myriad of other factors, it is important for people to be able to communicate well with others in order to advance our society. Inherent in the ability to cooperate with others is the capacity for inspiring trust. Thus, it is paramount for children to learn, at an early age, the importance of morals and social interaction.

Over the course of the school year, I will develop a game aimed towards the age range of 6-11 years old. Initial development will begin around November, and last until February. The purpose/goal of this game is to target the social growth of children and teach them universal morals. Furthermore, the game will also include portions to develop mental abilities. Therefore, children will gain valuable skills in both coordination and social interaction. 

Ultimately, I would like my project to be able to teach children to work with others and interact with them positively in order to better prepare them for life in the future.  

Premise

The game will be a mix between an RPG and a visual novel. In other words, the player will not only  explore a world and interact with the surroundings, but also interact with characters and have dialogue options that will lead to branching paths. In this way, children will remain engaged while also learning that there are consequences to actions, and that "choosing the wrong action" can lead to unpleasant consequences. The game will have a simple artstyle—I aim to develop an artstyle similar to another Gamemaker game, Undertale. As for music, I want to add music with a medieval theme for portions containing adventure.

In terms of story, the game will follow the main character, Morel, as he explores a fantasy world with a helper character, Dove. The purpose of their journey is to collect the scattered pages of the Book of Fables, whose destruction has led to the loss of morals in the world. Will Morel and Dove be able to gather all the pages? What will Morel learn on his journey?

For more information on the premise of the game, please visit the Junior Presentation tab.  

Sustainability

As the game is electronic, it will have no detrimental impact on the environment. 

Essential Learnings

• Coding
• Game Development
• Character Design
• Plot Writing
• Sound effects
•  Time Management

Bill of Materials

• GameMaker Studio 2 (Game Engine) 
• More will be added as project is worked on.