Game-Level Design SimEP (Environmental Protection)   Introduction Protecting the environment is every citizen’s responsibility. Through promoting a sustainable EP lifestyle, this computer game (SimEP) helps to inspire every citizen to become an “environmental protection ambassador”. Available data shows that Hong Kong’s existing landfills will be full within the next decade one by one. Indeed, this is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed. We throw away 17,000 tonnes of solid waste every day in Hong Kong, a colossal load that takes 340 double-decker buses to transport. It is high time to do some serious thinking. What are we going to do with our solid waste when the landfills are full?   You can start reducing waste by changing your daily habits. In Sim EP, you ¾ the EP Citizen ¾ have a goal to preserve and cherish your existing living environment and extend the life of landfills by arresting the growth of solid waste. As long as we join hands, we can all enjoy a cleaner, healthier and more pleasant living environment. We must not allow the environment to deteriorate. Each of us is obliged to do his part to protect the environment. You can decide the living environment of the EP City---clean, healthy and pleasant or totally messy. The choice is all in your hands.   About the Game Stand up and be counted on, EP citizens! Build you own environmentally friendly dreamland and give new life to the EP City. You can make it happen!   After you log-in the game, you will see a landfill countdown clock. You must help your local community extend the life of the landfill that is filling up fast. Just like in real life, you need to eat, rest and enjoy leisure ….. Every important thing you do (e.g. reading newspaper, emails, TV advertisements) can add EPF Value, which can extend the life of the landfill. On the contrary, every inappropriate thing you do (e.g. straight replacing out of order electrical appliances instead of repairing them) will accelerate the filling up of landfill. When the countdown clock reaches 0 year 0 day 0 hour, your local landfill will have no more space for waste. Then the game will be over.           EP Top Ten Chart The system will record the player discovering the highest number of Hidden EP Stars within the set time. Whoever gets the highest number of EP Star is the winner. However, if more than one player has the same highest number of EP Stars, the winner will be determined on the basis of EPF Value. If EPF Value is also the same, then it will be decided by Landfill Life that the player has prolonged.   Game Modes   This game is available in two modes : Beginners and Advanced. Roles for the Beginners mode are “Kid Sister, Kid Brother, Elder Brother and Elder Sister”. Roles for the Advanced mode are “Dad and Mom”. There are more tips in the Beginners mode, so you can acquire environmental knowledge progressively. However, if you want a more challenging game to put your environmental knowledge to the test, then the Advanced mode should be your choice. When executing commands in the Advanced mode, there will be no tips whatsoever. When you make a wrong selection, the system will deduct your EPF Value immediately. Can you stand the heat?         Playing the Game   Players have to log in with their account number to enter the game. When logging in for the first time, players will need to create a new account. This account records the player's progress made on the game. When the player leaves the game, the system will automatically record all relevant data including the scores. When you access the game next time, it will start from the point where you left off the last time.   First time players who have logged in successfully will be asked to select the roles of EP Citizen they wish to play in the game. Then the game begins. One useful tip : The Payoff Value for different roles completing different tasks varies considerably.   Lifestyle   The starting screen is the player’s home. You can control the EP Citizen you have selected to move around or do some of your favourite things, e.g. watching TV or playing mini-games. You can also go out for a walk or go shopping, etc. There are few restrictions on what you can or cannot do, but remember one thing, everything you do may affect your living environment and add burden to the local landfill. It is important to think before you act! Do you want to be a responsible citizen or a selfish one? The outcome is yours to decide.   As in real life, the game progresses from day to night. During the day, you can maximise the use of natural light, cut down on lamps/lighting devices and turn off lights that you do not require. By night, you can also switch off lights that are not required. Use electrical appliances correctly and turn off lights, air-conditioners and electric heaters when you leave a room. Choose electrical appliances with Grade 1 or Grade 2 energy efficiency label. In the long run, this will realise energy savings. Otherwise you will receive a hefty electricity bill.   The Game Map   The city map encompasses : home building, office, shopping centre (ground level), shopping centre (1/F), school (classroom), school (corridor), school (tuck shop) and convenience store.   The home is made up of : living room, bedroom 1, bedroom 2, bathroom and kitchen.   Some of these places are shut down at night. You have to wait until the next morning to continue.       Basic Role Status Bars   Energy Factor (EF) ¾ Every player is given a certain value of energy when the game begins. This represents the player’s physical strength. The Energy Factor will drop with time, i.e. about 30 minutes in real time. When you have used up your Energy Factor, you must stop and rest. The system will automatically record your data. The Energy Factor is not accumulative. Therefore every player can only play this game for 30 minutes each day.     Environmental Protection Factor (EPF) ¾ This is the player’s EPF value (i.e., environmental protection experience). The higher EPF Factor you have, the stronger your environmental awareness is. When an EP Citizen reads something about environmental issues, this factor goes up by 1 point. Higher EPF Factor helps to prolong the life of your local landfill.   Wastefulness Factor (WF) ¾ The system monitors the lifestyle of the role character you chosen. When you waste food, water, electricity or shop thoughtlessly ….. it carries out appraisals. A high Wastefulness Factor directly affects your EPF Value.     Happiness Factor (HF) ¾ The role characters in this game are like real people. They have different moods. When they learn how to cherish resources, they will get excited. Contrarily, they will be unhappy when they know they have wasted resources. When Happiness Factor is extremely low, the EP Citizen may take frantic actions, such as throwing all your furniture away. Apart from costing you a fortune to buy new items, these actions also make your EPF Value nose dive and send your Wastefulness Factor soaring.   Game Events   Unraveling Mysteries for New Knowledge : What can a player do to extend landfill life? What actions are needed? How does one go about it? This game contains a wealth of information on environmental protection. Yet players have to find their ways to it. What can we do to better preserve limited resources--Waste separation? Shop wisely? Use green shopping bags? Impose waste disposal charge? Extend landfills? The answers are hidden in various events. Use your brain power and unravel the mysteries.   Read newspapers : There are different environmental protection news every day Email : You receive emails about environmental protection issues from time to time TV Advertisements : The EPD has produced many publicity videos on environmental protection Mini-games : The EPD has launched 6 environmental protection mini-games   Don’t forget, you need a certain score with mini-games to go to the next level.   - Landfill Puzzle                         : Need to pass 2 levels with a total EPF value over 200 score.   - Waste Separation is simple       : Need to pass 3 levels and with recyclable items over 50.   - Garbage Truck Discovery        : Need to extract 10 or more recyclable items within 1 minute and 30 seconds together with the wasteful factor less than 3.   - Super Recycling Ball               : Need to pass 5 levels and accumulate 12 recyclable items with 5-stars.   - 3-coloured Cyber Bins           : Need to pass 3 levels with the accumulative score of 500 or more.   - Green Snapshots                     : Need to pass 3 levels with the accumulative score of 250 or more.   Needs of the EP Citizen   Hunger : When your role character feels hungry, he/she must eat or else he/she will be unhappy. Ring for home delivery or cook to satisfy the hunger of your EP Citizen. To cook, click the refrigerator to get ingredients then prepare food. Rest : The EP Citizen needs to sleep. Click the bed to go to rest. Hygiene : A dirty EP Citizen is not healthy physically and mentally. Please let your EP Citizen take a bath or shower and wash his/her hands frequently to keep clean. Cleanliness : Keep your home clean at all times and the EP Citizen will stay healthy. Click the mop to clean your home. Entertainment : The EP Citizen needs entertainment to maintain a good mood. Click the sofa to watch TV. Learning : The EP Citizen can acquire information about how to save resources during the day. Discarding Waste : Some items will get broken. You have to dispose of them appropriately. Maintenance : Home appliances may go out of order as time goes on. The player has to decide whether to repair them or get new ones. Shopping : There are 2 ways to shop in the EP City ¾ visiting a shop or purchasing online. The EP Citizen must enter the shop to make purchase if you chose the former.

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