@jarrodmedrano/claude-skills 1.0.2 → 1.0.4

package/.claude/skills/level-design/themed-environments.md

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+# Themed Level Environments
+
+Based on Chapter 5: "Hell, Hyboria, and Disneyland" by Scott Rogers.
+
+## The Evolution of Themed Levels
+
+Themed video game levels are environments designed to a particular subject matter, bringing together: character, location, story, enemies, mechanics, hazards, art, events, and music.
+
+> "These themed levels are the playgrounds of our dreams."
+
+---
+
+## The Ten Classic Tropes
+
+### 1. Outer Space
+**Origin:** Spacewar! (1961) and the black CRT screen
+
+**Why it works:**
+- Black screens naturally suggest space
+- Vector-drawn stars look great on CRTs
+- Simple geometric ships (no animation needed)
+- Physics-based gameplay natural
+- Infinite bounds make sense
+
+**Modern usage:** Star Fox, Geometry Wars, space stations
+
+---
+
+### 2. Fire and Ice
+**Origin:** Dragon's Lair (1983) for fire; Ghost 'N Goblins (1984) for ice
+
+**Why they work:**
+- Killing with fire = collision box + art overlay (cheap to implement)
+- Low-friction surfaces = physics tweak
+- Perfect timing puzzles (break player rhythm)
+- Wide array of thematic enemies
+- Strong color palette (red/blue) for visual distinction
+
+**Design advantages:**
+- Fire: Lava pits, flame jets, fire-breathing enemies
+- Ice: Slippery surfaces, icicle hazards, yetis, hypothermia
+
+---
+
+### 3. Dungeon/Cavern/Tomb
+**Origin:** Colossal Cave Adventure (1976), Rogue (1980)
+
+**Why it works:**
+- Tileable wall textures (memory efficient)
+- Traps without explanation needed
+- Treasure without justification needed
+- Easily repeatable art assets
+- Expected danger creates tension
+
+**Modern usage:** Every RPG ever, roguelikes, action-adventures
+
+---
+
+### 4. Factory
+**Origin:** Donkey Kong (1981), Modern Times (1936 film influence)
+
+**Why it works:**
+- Moving obstacle courses
+- Easily combined and repurposed hazards
+- Scalable difficulty through speed/complexity
+- Mechanics adaptable to any setting
+
+**Factory mechanics in non-factories:**
+- Moving platforms (tombs, space stations)
+- Conveyer belts (any industrial setting)
+- Turning gears (clockwork, machinery)
+
+**Modern usage:** Super Mario Galaxy, Little Big Planet
+
+---
+
+### 5. Jungle
+**Origin:** Pitfall! (1982)
+
+**Creation story:**
+> "I drew a stick figure... put him on a path... Where is the path? Let's put it in a jungle. Why is he running? [draw treasures, enemies]" — David Crane
+
+**Why it works:**
+- Flexibility of dungeons without dull colors
+- Exotic traps (quicksand, pits)
+- Exotic creatures (crocodiles, snakes, scorpions)
+- Colorful outdoor environment
+- Fluid movement (vines, branches, logs)
+
+**Mechanics:** Swinging vines, tree platforms, rivers with moving logs
+
+**Modern usage:** Crysis, Uncharted
+
+---
+
+### 6. Spooky
+**Origin:** Haunted House (1972 electromechanical), Ghost 'N Goblins (1984)
+
+**Why it works:**
+- Perfect for mood and story
+- Most adaptable trope
+- Combines easily with any other theme
+
+**Spooky combinations:**
+- Space + Spooky = Derelict spacecraft
+- Fire + Spooky = Hell
+- Urban + Spooky = Haunted city
+
+**The survival horror genre:** Sweet Home (1989) → Resident Evil, Silent Hill
+
+---
+
+### 7. Pirate
+**Origin:** Pirates of the Caribbean (Disneyland attraction, 1967)
+
+**Why it works:**
+- High-action gameplay ready
+- Melee combat natural
+- Treasure = clear rewards
+- Ships = interesting level geometry
+- Always pairs well with spooky (skeleton pirates)
+
+**Genre spread:** Simulation (Sid Meier's Pirates), platformer (Hook), action (Black Kat), puzzle (Zack & Wiki)
+
+---
+
+### 8. Gritty Urban
+**Origin:** Double Dragon (1987), influenced by Streets of Fire (1984)
+
+**Why it works:**
+- Real-world familiarity
+- Players understand context immediately
+- Modern stand-in for dungeon exploration
+- Can be improved or destroyed by player
+
+**The gangster game genre:** GTA, Saints Row
+- Sandbox worlds modeled on real cities
+- Player choice: improve or destroy
+
+---
+
+### 9. Space Station
+**Origin:** Major Havoc (1983)
+
+**Why it works:**
+- Sci-fi dungeon equivalent
+- Tech-based mechanics (force fields, airlocks)
+- Alien/robot enemies expected
+- Spectacular visual effects possible
+
+**Influence:** Aliens (1986 film) → System Shock, Halo, Dead Space
+
+---
+
+### 10. Sewer
+**Origin:** Mario Bros. (1983)
+
+**Creation:** Miyamoto was told his character looked more like a plumber than a carpenter. He put Mario in "a crab/turtle/firefly-infested sewer."
+
+**Why it works:**
+- Modern dungeon stand-in
+- Deadly hazards (rats, alligators, toxic water)
+- Factory mechanics (fans, platforms)
+- Pipes provide entrance/exit points
+
+**Modern usage:** Metal Gear Solid, Oblivion, Left 4 Dead
+
+---
+
+## The Mexican Pizza Technique
+
+**Definition:** Combine two different tropes to create something fresh.
+
+**Origin story:**
+> "In 2001, Taco Bell introduced the Mexican pizza... Growing up in San Diego, I knew what Mexican food was and... what pizza was. But what the heck was a Mexican pizza?"
+
+### Examples
+
+| Combination | Result |
+|-------------|--------|
+| Fire + Graveyard | Maximo: Ghosts to Glory |
+| Jungle + Urban | The Last of Us, Enslaved |
+| Pirate + Zombie | Plants vs. Zombies 2 |
+| Space + Sewer | Aliens-style vent crawling |
+| Medieval + Hell | Dante's Inferno |
+
+### Why It Works
+- Players recognize familiar elements
+- Combination creates novelty
+- Mechanics from both themes available
+- Visual distinctiveness
+
+---
+
+## The Disneyland Influence
+
+### Themed Lands Concept
+Walt Disney's park design philosophy:
+> "I don't want the public to see the real world they live in while they're in the park. I want them to feel like they are in another world."
+
+### Dark Ride Design
+Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion:
+- Temperature-controlled environments
+- Vehicles directing view
+- Audio-animatronics synchronized to tracks
+- Complete immersion in artificial worlds
+
+### Application to Games
+- Complete thematic consistency
+- Every element supports the theme
+- Transitions between areas managed carefully
+- Player as "guest" experiencing designed journey
+
+---
+
+## The Hyboria Model
+
+Robert E. Howard's Conan world: Ancient civilizations packed into a compact continent.
+
+**Design advantages:**
+- Travel time compressed
+- Any culture accessible
+- Themed regions with distinct identities
+
+**D&D Influence:** Dungeons & Dragons adopted themed worlds → influenced video games → Gauntlet, Everquest, World of Warcraft
+
+---
+
+## Boss Enemies and Themed Levels
+
+### The Megaman Pattern
+Boss enemies' lairs match their appearances:
+- Fire Man lives in volcanic furnace
+- Ice Man lives in frigid lair
+- Bubble Man lives underwater
+
+### Design Synergy
+- Boss inspires level theme
+- Level theme supports boss mechanics
+- Player expectations set by environment
+- Thematic consistency reinforces both
+
+---
+
+## Building Believable Worlds
+
+### Sustaining Disbelief
+> "An important part about building a fantasy world is sustaining disbelief. Some of the best games... have one thing in common; you feel like the world was there despite you."
+
+### World-Building Questions
+- Why does this environment exist?
+- Who built/shaped it?
+- What happened here before the player arrived?
+- What would happen if the player never came?
+
+---
+
+## Summary
+
+1. **Classic tropes exist for practical reasons** — Technical advantages, clear mechanics
+2. **Combine tropes for freshness** — Mexican Pizza technique
+3. **Disneyland model** — Complete thematic immersion
+4. **Boss/level synergy** — Environment and enemy reinforce each other
+5. **World consistency** — Environment should feel like it exists independent of player