A tale of two castles (fr_05)¶

Quest Index - Language: english - french - polish - italian

Version: 1.00
Status: NeedsReview
Location: France - Loire

Journey to the Loire Valley to visit two very different castles: a strong defensive fortress and a magnificent royal palace

Content¶

Subjects:

Additional Cards¶

Castle Chinon
Château de Chinon is a strong stone fortress on a hill above the river in the Loire Valley. Long ago, kings stayed here and Joan of Arc came to meet the future king of France.

Quest Script¶

See the full script here

Words¶

Activities¶

• (none)

Tasks¶

• (none)

Gameplay¶

• Difficulty: Normal
• Duration (min): 10

Credits¶

• Anne (France) (content)
• Fabio Cecere (Italy) (design, development)
• Lucie Paillat (France) (content, design)
• Stefano Cecere (Italy) (content, design, development)

Game Design Notes¶

Journey to the Loire Valley and help Cat find the perfect outfits to visit two very different castles: a strong defensive fortress and a magnificent royal palace.

Medieval adventure exploring French castle heritage. Discover defensive architecture at Chinon and royal luxury at Chambord while collecting knight equipment and prince items. Learn about drawbridges, parapets, medieval life, and Loire Valley's 200+ castles.

Mission The player must visit two distinct castles on the Loire river. In each castle, they will embark on a scavenger hunt to find a complete outfit that is appropriate for that castle's function (a knight's armor in the defensive castle, a prince's finery in the pleasure castle). By finding the items, the player explores and learns the purpose of each castle's unique architecture.

Knowledge Content¶

• Dual Function of Castles: To understand that castles aren't all the same; some are built for war (defensive), and some are built for living and parties (residential/pleasure).
• Architectural Vocabulary (Defense): To identify and learn the purpose of a drawbridge, keep, ramparts, loopholes, and portcullis.
• Architectural Vocabulary (Pleasure): To identify and learn the purpose of a royal bedroom (with canopied beds), formal gardens, a ballroom, and a facade with many large windows for light and views.

Assets¶

• Environments:
• A serene country environment representing the banks of the Loire River.
• A detailed model of Château de Chinon, emphasizing its strong, defensive features (high walls, few windows, stone textures).
• A detailed model of Château de Chambord, emphasizing its elegant, decorative features (large windows, ornate rooftops, gardens).
• 3D Models
• Knight's Outfit: Helmet, Armor, Sword, Bow, Arrow.
• Prince's Outfit: Feathered Hat, Lute (musical instrument), Dancing Shoes, Masquerade Mask.
• Sounds: River ambiance, castle soundscapes (echoing stone halls in Chinon, faint ballroom music in Chambord), a "quest item found" sound.

Flow¶

The Mission: The quest begins on the bank of the Loire River. The Boatman is with his boat.

Boatman:
"Bonjour! My friend Antura wants to visit the famous castles of the Loire, but he doesn't know what to wear! Can you help? First, take my boat to the fortress of Chinon and find the perfect outfit for a strong knight."

First Castle: Château de Chinon (Defense)

The player travels by boat to an imposing stone fortress. A sign at the entrance reads: "Château de Chinon: A Fortress for Defense." The "Knight's Outfit" checklist appears.
* The player explores the castle to find the items, which are placed near relevant architectural features:
* The Bow and Arrow are found near a loophole (a narrow window for archers). A pop-up explains: "Loopholes let defenders shoot arrows out, without letting enemy arrows in!"
* The Helmet is on the parapet walk, high up on the castle ramparts.
* The Sword is inside the central tower, the Keep.
* The Armor is located just behind the portcullis (the main iron gate).
* Bonus: At the top of the keep, the player can click on a catapult and launch a stone into the river.
* Cutscene: Once all items are collected, a short, fun cutscene plays showing Antura proudly wearing the full suit of knight's armor. The Boatman's voice says: "Excellent! Now Antura looks like a real knight! Let's go to a very different castle: the magnificent Château de Chambord."

Second Castle: Château de Chambord (Pleasure)

• The player travels by boat to an elegant, beautiful palace with many windows and gardens. A sign reads: "Château de Chambord: A Palace for Parties and Princes." The "Prince's Outfit" checklist appears.
• The player explores the castle to find the items:
  • The Dancing Shoes are in the center of the grand Ballroom.
  • The Masquerade Mask is on a table in the castle's main courtyard where guests would arrive.
  • The Lute (musical instrument) is found in a luxurious room with ornate decorations.
  • The Feathered Hat is in the Royal Bedroom, next to a large canopied bed.
• Cutscene: Once all items are collected, a cutscene shows Antura looking dashing in his full prince's outfit, complete with a hat and lute.

Conclusion: The player is automatically taken back to the Boatman on the river.

• Boatman: "Bravo! You found the perfect outfits. Did you see how different the two castles were? One was a strong fort, and the other a beautiful palace. This region is famous for them - there are over 200 castles along the Loire River! You have a great eye for history!"