Game Design
Project Highlights
- Quirky game designed with the technology limitation in mind.
- Utilizes the tricky UNIX terminal "curses" library
- Arcadey keyboard "simulation" of a Doctor's job.
Heart Attack Victim - Defibrulation
One of the three "emergency" events (along with the Morphine Thief and the Bullet Wound), a heart attack victim needs to be handled immediately.
This ailment has two parts, one where you alternate pressing diagonal keys to "charge" the defibrillator and the second which you send the jolt of electricity shock into the patient.
Morphine Thief - Chase down the druggie
Occasionally a thief may break into the hospital and attempt to make off with some Morphine! A special "Catch Thief" meter appears to show how close you are to the crook.
Much like the classic Track & Field games of the old NES, the player toggles between two keys to make the Doctor sprint.
Suture - Sewing up cuts and lacerations
Sewing up lacerations and other wounds is common practice around the ER. Quickly sew up the cut and move on!
The keyboard sequence for this ailment has the player typing in a zig-zag motion up the keyboard, mimicing (in an arcadey way) the left-right motion of sewing.
Broken Bone Part 1 - X-Ray the Bone
The only two-part ailment, this common problem in the ER is the broken arm or leg. The first step in helping this patient is to take an X-Ray of the damaged bone.
The key press pattern for this event has the player pushing keys in pairs, going up and down the keys, "scanning" the bone for the break.
Broken Bone Part 2 - Wrap the Cast
Once you have the X-Ray finished the patient needs his broken bone set and cast. Wrap the cast and this patient will be completed.
The player must hit the keys in a circular pattern to mimic the wrapping of the bandage.
Gun Shot Victim - Retrieve the bullet
The last of the "emergenices", the bullet wound victim will die on the ER table if you do not retrieve the bullet in time.
The gameplay for this ailment is very different from the rest: instead of a preset pattern to memorize like other ailments, the keys presses are random.
Prescription Signature
One of the more mundane tasks of a doctor is to sign for medication, although, don't try to read the ASCII signature, you can't read a Doctor signature!
The keypress for signing is very straight-forward - the player types the name of the Doctor.