In this single-player, real-time, strategy game set in some near future the player must aid a non-player character in escaping their captors. The player has no contact with the escapee other than a directional beacon, which the client doesn’t have to follow if they wish.

Through the players use of surveillance of the site, hacking tools and communication with the escapee the player must get their client out while avoiding security personal and other hazards. The player must act quickly to free the prisoner before their control window closes. The player gains money from each job, when completed successfully, to buy new tools, hardware and faster cracking software.

The player has control over their system much like a regular computer. They can view the currently running procedures and available system resources. Through their operating system tools they can invoke and kill procedures.

The entire game is viewed through an informational console with which the player deploys programs, directs the escapee and views the overall escape situation. The informational console will look like an old CRT display to add to the "low" hi-tech feel.

As an operator, your aim every mission will be to help the incarcerated person to escape the area. The object will be obtained by compromising the captor’s security and using it to your advantage. Certain parts of the captor’s control system will be harder to control than others. You can use your collected programs to open windows of time to control a certain device. Plan ahead or else the program may take too long to work for your purpose.

The long-term goal for the operator is to collect money to purchase more programs and hardware. By strengthening and diversifying their arsenal of programs missions will become easier to complete. A mission’s difficulty is directly proportional to the amount of money earned for completion of it. With better system resources the player’s system has more value associated with it, which allows them to run more programs.

The view is a 3-dimensional wire-frame over black background. The display is 640 by 480 as a default, but scaleable to larger sizes.

Visually, Operator will simulate an old CRT display with a "low" hi-tech feel. The display will switch colors depending on the current state of the mission (i.e. red for alert, green for okay, etc). There are two other minor views: pre-game mission selection and post-game upgrade purchase.

In-Game View

In the in-game display there will be three content areas: main view, overall view and information view.

Main View

The main view will have a zoomed perspective of the sub area selected. Through this view the player can select objects in the sub area and perform various functions on them from pop-up menus, including launching programs, directing the escapee, flushing a toilet, etc. When the user selects an object a small informational description appears in the bottom corner of the main view.

Overall View

The overall view displays the complete model of the area. By clicking a sub area the main view will zoom in and focus on that sub area.

Information View

The information view contains game state and current running programs on the system.

Before each level the player must choose a mission to attempt to complete. They are given a listing of missions to chose from which are close to their current skill level. This will simulate the player gaining a reputation for doing their work. Every level has an associated payment, synopsis and minimum systems requirements.

In each level, or mission, the player must quickly gain a general understanding of the environment available to them and begin to plan a strategy to free the captured person. The player can use their entire arsenal of programs to help free the escapee. The escapee’s starting location and pickup zone are displayed on the map. The mission is not completed until the escapee is within the pickup zone.

After the mission is completed the player can choose to use their earnings to purchase more programs or hardware upgrades. This is done through the post-game upgrade purchasing view. The user has a complete listing of all available upgrades, even though they may not be able to afford them yet.

In the beginning of the player’s career they are given a generic program of each type. As they make money they can afford more specialized programs which work faster and longer than the generic programs. The player can terminate any program they invoked at any time. Every program has a cost associated with running it on the players system, which is divided into memory and processor needs.

Complete Control Program

The target device becomes a slave to the player. This makes all actions available to this device available to the user. After this program is applied all messages sent to the device are forwarded to the player. They must then manually respond each of the messages to avoid detection. Someone who knows an access code to the device can override this program.

Power Program

The power program toggles the target device’s power on or off. Anyone who has access to the physical device can toggle the power on or off. The building system administrator can override this program from their console.

"Crazy" Program

The target device effected by this program will randomly do things, or act "crazy". This program cannot be overridden, unless it is powered off, but the way in which the device will act is unknown to the player.

Code Breaker Program

This program returns access codes to a password or key protected device. How long the code is good depends on when the device or building system administrator changes it. Things such as SecurID cards will change on a steady interval, whereas a building systems administrator’s computer access code can change whenever he deems it necessary. It is unknown to the player how long the key will be good for.

Blocking Program

This program makes the target device totally unresponsive to any requests. This is different from the Power Program, in that it still "looks" like it is on. Only when the device is powered off then back on will it stop ignoring commands.

Protection Program

The building system administrator can run programs that can attack your system. The protection program helps your system resist these attacks. If not properly protected your system can become inoperable for a small period of time.

Memory

Memory units are used by a procedure for it’s entire life cycle. Memory units are expanded by integer amounts. There is only one type of memory available, which makes mixing speeds of memory impossible.

Processors

Processor usage by each program varies over its life cycle. Processor unites are expanded by integer amounts. There is only one processor speed so all processor units are the same.

Every device, which is controllable to the player, has an initial and continuous cost associated with controlling it. The cost is paid by the player’s programs cumulatively, which allows weaker programs to still control expensive items.

Doors	Alarms
Elevators	Motion Sensors
Lights	Sprinkler System
Toilets & Bathroom fixtures	Heat/AC
Computers	Card Key Access
Robotic Cleaning Devices	Video Surveillance Camera
Robotic Guards	Guards Communication Devices
Artificially Intelligent Programs (AIP)	Escalators

The player can control most hazards to the escapee. There are some that cannot be controlled, such as guards and the building system administrator.

Guards	Robotic Guards
Building System Administrator	Motion Sensor
Video Surveillance Camera	System Admin
AIP’s	Sound Detectors

The pop-up menu, which is invoked when selecting an object, is dependent on the object’s capabilities available to the player. The options change when different programs are run on the device. There are a few standard actions, which are present at all times in the pop-up menu. They are as follows.

Run Program

After selecting this option the player is given a choice of which programs will work on this object.

Place Directional Marker

After this option is selected the escapee will try there best to reach the object. Be careful how you place your markers, it may get them going in the opposite direction you want them to be going.