GCPP:Proposal-Herring

{{Grand Crafting Puzzle Project round 3
 * codename = Herring
 * username = Estam
 * extra contact =
 * game concept = Project Herring is a strategic visual-spatial puzzle mostly influenced by Shipwrightery.

The concept is a laborer assembling commodities to produce a corresponding product.


 * objective = Move piece(s) or row(s) of pieces and affix them to create appropriate patterns before sending the assembled product to the right end of the board.


 * gameplay =

The Puzzle Screen
The puzzle screen is divided into two portions. The upper portion is where the pieces are manipulated to create appropriate patterns, which are shown in the lower portion of the screen.

On the center of the upper portion is a hexagonal area called initial field which contains a set of triangle-shaped pieces which are randomly generated. Each piece represents any of the raw materials cloth, wood, iron, stone, and hemp. The number of pieces varies depending on pirate standing--higher standing means more pieces.

The lower portion of the screen shows about (depending on pirate standing) six (6) randomly selected patterns. These patterns represent furniture which would be completed by assembling pieces found in the upper portion.

Assembly Area
The assembly area (AA) is a hexagonal area which includes the initial field and additional spaces on every side of the initial field. Inside the assembly area is where piece(s) or row(s) may be moved. If a piece goes out of the AA, it would be removed from the board. Specifically, if a piece breached the top or bottom border of AA, the piece would be removed from the board and would be reused for the next set of pieces but as a lower quality piece. If a piece breached the right side border of the AA, it will either be accepted as a product if it is part of an accomplished pattern or will be treated as a wasted piece. This tests players in efficiency on manipulating the pieces and at the same time would be useful for desperate situations.

Accomplishing a Pattern
Each piece could be moved in six directions: left, right, diagonally upward-left, diagonally upward-right, diagonally downward-left, and diagonally downward-right. This is done by selecting one piece with mouse1 (or the left mouse button by default) and dragging it along the direction or, alternatively, selecting a piece and pressing either A, D, Q, E, Z, or C corresponding to the six directions given above. If a piece is moved with other pieces along its direction, these pieces would also be moved in the same direction.

By moving the pieces, a player could accomplish any of pattern given on the set by having first the pieces in the AA arranged the same way the pieces in the pattern are arranged, but not necessarily with the same rotation as that of the given pattern. This is because the patterns could be rotated, which means a single pattern could be accomplished in at most six (6) different angles.

When the pieces are already positioned properly, they should be adjoined or affixed to each other to be considered as one product. Affixing can be done by pressing mouse2 (right-clicking by default) on two adjacent pieces. A single piece can be affixed to all three other pieces it is adjacent with. When pieces are affixed to each other, moving one piece would automatically move the other affixed pieces in the same direction. Note that affixing can be done with any two adjacent pieces and not only to the pieces that are to be used for accomplishing a certain pattern.

After the pieces are properly affixed, at least a piece-part of the product should be sent pass the right side border of AA called the finished product zone. The whole product would then be removed from the board and at the same time the corresponding pattern would also be removed, automatically, from the set of patterns.

Once a product has been accomplished, the new set of pieces which is a combination of randomly generated pieces and low quality of reused pieces will be added to the initial field. These new pieces would come in groups of horizontal rows from the left side of the screen aligned to the rows of the initial field. These will push the other pieces rightward until there are pieces at the rightmost end of the initial field. During this process (called rolling phase), it is possible for pieces to be wasted or products to be accepted.

Miscellaneous Information

 * Pieces cannot go pass the left side border of AA
 * When affixed pieces goes outside the AA by the top or bottom section, they will be reused pieces for the next set but no longer affixed.
 * When a reused piece (either solo piece or part of an affixed group) goes outside the AA by the top or bottom section, it becomes a wasted piece.
 * Two or more products can be sent at the same time to the finished products zone. This is called product bundling.
 * Combos can be made during the rolling phase once another product has been pushed by the new set of pieces to the finished product zone.


 * scoring = Every pattern completed counts toward score which varies depending on the pieces the built product has. The more pieces the pattern requires, the higher the score will be. The better quality the pieces are in the product, the more score will it gain.

There will also be deduction from score. This occurs when pieces are sent to be reused or are considered to be wasted. Time also gives little effect in the puzzle as being idle could result in reduction of score.

To score more, doing combos and product bundles would greatly be essential.


 * variability = As the puzzle progresses, fancy pieces which have higher quality will appear. These pieces will gain higher score if part of a product. The more fancy pieces a product has, the better score. There are also selected patterns which gives additional bonus score if all pieces are fancy such as a wardrobe becoming a fancy wardrobe instead. Also, if these pieces go outside AA to the reusing sections, they become ordinary quality pieces instead of low quality. However these pieces deducts more score when wasted.


 * end criteria = The session ends when a certain number of products have been made.


 * difficulty scaling = Patterns requiring more pieces will be added in selection. Also, already affixed pieces would appear in the initial field and new sets.


 * known problems =

Program Bugs

 * None yet

Puzzle Development

 * Possible patterns are still yet hardly being determined considering "conversion" of furniture into patterns composed of triangular pieces.
 * The puzzle may be found illogical for furnishing as each session intends to create several products which would only contribute as a labor to a single furniture order.
 * The rarity of pieces not yet made up.


 * notes =


 * images =


 * discussion = Puzzle Codename: Herring

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