Game Spec Decisions: Clinical Trial Simulation Design

Let's nail down the game specifications in detail, guys! We'll be using the GAME_DESIGN_REVIEW.md document as our guide. Our initial goal is to complete Scene 1.

Core Gameplay Loop

The primary actions we want players to take are:

• Reading the scenario.
• Making choices.
• Observing how their assets fluctuate based on those choices.

We're keeping it simple – no complex puzzles or action game elements needed. Our aim is to mirror the real-world clinical trial process as closely as possible. To keep the game engaging and fast-paced, we'll be streamlining or replacing any tedious aspects.

Our main focus will be on presenting players with dilemmas related to asset management and ethical considerations. Think tough choices that make you sweat!

Deliverables

We'll start by saving our work as Markdown files. If a particular topic gets too broad, we'll create separate files for each theme to keep things organized.

Scene 1: Deep Dive

Let's break down what needs to happen in Scene 1. We need to consider:

1. Scenario Setup

• The Initial Situation: What's the starting point for the player? What resources do they have? What's the immediate problem or opportunity they face?
• Characters Involved: Who are the key figures in this scene? What are their motivations? How do they interact with the player?
• Narrative Hook: What's the event or piece of information that pulls the player into the scene and compels them to act?

2. Player Choices

• Meaningful Decisions: What choices will the player be presented with? These should directly impact their assets (e.g., money, reputation, research progress) and raise ethical questions.
• Consequences: What are the immediate and long-term consequences of each choice? How will these consequences be communicated to the player?
• Branching Paths: Will the player's choices lead to different paths within Scene 1, or will they converge back to a central point?

3. Asset Management

• Types of Assets: What resources will the player be managing? (e.g., funding, staff, patient well-being, public trust).
• Asset Fluctuation: How will the player's choices affect these assets? We need a clear system for determining the impact of each decision.
• Visual Representation: How will we visually represent the player's assets? (e.g., numerical values, charts, progress bars).

4. Ethical Dilemmas

• Moral Gray Areas: Where can we introduce ethical dilemmas that force the player to weigh competing values? (e.g., prioritizing profit vs. patient safety, allocating limited resources).
• No Easy Answers: The goal is to present situations where there's no clear "right" answer, forcing the player to consider the trade-offs.
• Impact on Reputation: How will the player's ethical choices affect their reputation and relationships with other characters?

5. Game Mechanics

• Scenario Presentation: How will the scenario be presented to the player? (e.g., text-based dialogue, visual novel style, simple animations).
• Choice Selection: How will the player make choices? (e.g., dialogue options, button clicks, drag-and-drop).
• Feedback Mechanism: How will the game provide feedback to the player about the consequences of their choices? (e.g., text updates, visual cues, character reactions).

Example Scenario Ideas for Scene 1

Let's brainstorm some concrete ideas for Scene 1, keeping in mind our core gameplay loop and focus on ethical dilemmas.

Scenario 1: The Promising New Drug

• Situation: A pharmaceutical company has developed a promising new drug for a life-threatening disease. Initial trials show positive results, but there are some potential side effects.
• Characters: CEO, lead scientist, ethics board member, patient representative.
• Choices:
  • Accelerate the trial process to get the drug to market faster, potentially cutting corners on safety testing.
    • Consequences: Increased profits, faster relief for patients, but higher risk of unforeseen side effects and potential lawsuits.
  • Conduct more extensive testing to minimize the risk of side effects, but delay the drug's release.
    • Consequences: Slower revenue growth, delayed relief for patients, but lower risk of side effects and reputational damage.
  • Target the drug towards a specific patient population with a higher likelihood of success, potentially excluding other groups who could benefit.
    • Consequences: Higher success rate in trials, faster regulatory approval, but ethical concerns about unequal access to treatment.
• Ethical Dilemma: Balancing the potential benefits of the drug with the risks of side effects and the ethical implications of prioritizing certain patient groups.
• Asset Management: Funding, research progress, patient well-being, public trust.

Scenario 2: The Unexpected Outbreak

• Situation: During a clinical trial for a new vaccine, an unexpected outbreak of a related disease occurs in the local community.
• Characters: Lead researcher, public health official, local community leader, concerned citizen.
• Choices:
  • Continue the trial as planned, arguing that the vaccine could ultimately prevent future outbreaks.
    • Consequences: Potential for faster vaccine development, but risk of exacerbating the current outbreak and alienating the community.
  • Pause the trial to investigate the cause of the outbreak and ensure the vaccine isn't contributing to the problem.
    • Consequences: Delays in vaccine development, but increased trust with the community and a better understanding of the outbreak.
  • Divert resources from the trial to help contain the outbreak, potentially slowing down research progress.
    • Consequences: Improved public health response, but slower vaccine development and potential financial losses.
• Ethical Dilemma: Balancing the need for scientific progress with the immediate health and safety of the community.
• Asset Management: Funding, research progress, community trust, public health.

Scenario 3: The Data Integrity Issue

• Situation: A junior researcher discovers a potential data integrity issue in the clinical trial data. The issue could cast doubt on the validity of the results.
• Characters: Lead researcher, junior researcher, statistician, regulatory agency representative.
• Choices:
  • Ignore the issue and hope it doesn't come to light, potentially jeopardizing the integrity of the trial.
    • Consequences: Faster publication of results, potential financial gains, but risk of scientific misconduct and legal repercussions.
  • Investigate the issue thoroughly, potentially delaying the publication of results and damaging the company's reputation.
    • Consequences: Increased scrutiny, potential delays, but greater transparency and accountability.
  • Attempt to subtly correct the data to avoid raising suspicion, potentially manipulating the results of the trial.
    • Consequences: Faster publication of results, but high risk of being caught and facing severe consequences.
• Ethical Dilemma: Balancing the pressure to publish positive results with the responsibility to ensure data integrity and scientific accuracy.
• Asset Management: Funding, research progress, scientific reputation, legal compliance.

Next Steps

• Prioritize Scenarios: Let's decide which of these scenarios (or a variation thereof) we want to focus on for Scene 1.
• Flesh Out Details: For the chosen scenario, we need to flesh out the characters, choices, consequences, and ethical dilemmas in more detail.
• Design the User Interface: How will the scenario be presented to the player? What will the interface look like? How will the player interact with the game?
• Implement the Mechanics: We need to implement the core gameplay mechanics, including scenario presentation, choice selection, and feedback mechanisms.

Let's get cracking, folks! We got this! Woo-hoo!