GCPP:Proposal-Gaper

=Puzzle Codename: Gaper=

Game concept
A unique, relaxing time-based puzzle where the player collects fish to help add a little fuel to the boat

Objective
Gather as many fish as possible with each drop of the hook. Prevent the hook from touching the bottom of the screen, or you lose your progress. Once you have gathered enough fish, a unit of Fresh Fish is added to the boat, which can be spent like rum.

Gameplay
At the start of the game, the screen is filled with fish in six different colors. Each row of fish faces in alternate directions. The cursor is round, compasses four squares, and rotates the fish selected. Click to rotate the fish and cause lines of fish to move forward. The timer on fish lines also ticks down with each click. Higher up lines move more often and deeper lines move more slowly. Lines that are about to move with the next click, light up.

The hook will drop every fifteen seconds. It falls down the center of the screen and when it hits a fish, it pulls up that fish and any fish touching it of the same color (that color-cluster of fish) Each fish pulled up, counts as one fish towards a full bucket. The duty indicator fills and changes color as you get closer to a full bucket. Each time the hook drops, the fish that come on screen change. The most common fish stops appearing, a new least-common fish starts appearing, and the other fish types get more common.

There is no way to speed up the hook drops, no matter how quickly or slowly you move the fish on the board. The puzzle can play itself to some extent, with the hook dropping as you sit chatting or doing something else - but if the hook hits the bottom, you lose all your progress towards a full bucket. So it's best not to leave it alone TOO long. {{ifdef||2=

Storyboard
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Scoring
At this time the game only scores by how many fish, in total, are pulled with each hook. Skill at the puzzle is primarily determined by how many hook-drops it takes to fill a bucket (Fish-per-minute) The low-intensity scoring system makes this a game with very little pressure to perform faster or better.

Variability
The return of the crab or puffer, sharks, nets, or starfishes may serve as bonus pieces. Large 2-wide fish (Lunkers) might appear. If you can hook these 2-wide fish, and they pull up the screen without being obstructed on the way, you score a new Fish Bludgeon.

End criteria
The game does not have an end situation. You lose your bucket and must start over if the hook hits the bottom. Each time you collect a full bucket you may start on another. You can play indefinitely, gathering fish for the vessel you are on... the puzzle is designed as an idle-time activity, for boats that are loading or for pirates with nothing better to do.

Difficulty scaling
There is no direct scaling for fishing. The game is designed to be a relaxing, stress free "aquarium style" game where you relax, line up matching fish, and chat while you help a little. If you do almost nothing except 1-2 clicks every 15 seconds to keep the hook off the bottom, you'll still provide a bucket of fish after 10-15 minutes of fishing. A more aggressive player will be able to provide fish much quicker. He will also have to contend with a screen that gradually empties of fish.

Puzzle type
Free-Use Duty Puzzle

Known problems
graphics are laggy (Visual Basic 2008)

Images
A visual walkthrough of a game of Fishing will be provided in a little while.