Construct city sections
Time till completion: 1 week
Responsible: Shelby/ Ricardo
Create Items
Time till completion: 2 week
Responsible: Shelby
Visor logic
Time till completion: 2 week
Responsible: Shelby
Skybox and Terrain
Time till completion: 3 week
Responsible: Shelby
Intro
Time till completion: 3 week
Responsible: Shelby
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Weeks contribution
This weeks contributions were reading up on game interface, searching through blendswap for viable items to use in the game, and brainstorming and trials of how to design the comic book style story telling for the game.
Homework 11: Chapter 13
1) Describe the user interface in your game
- The user interface for our game will consist of the physical input being the use of a keyboard and a mouse where as the physical output will be very visor like since the game is intended to have a computer feel similar to Tron and The Matrix. The mapping of the game will consist of a stealth meter on the left side of the screen at the bottom as well as two arrow inventory menus on either side of the screen. The world of this game is very semi apocalyptic think growing technological society yet also the downfall and demise of the human race and anything with feelings. Due to he apocalyptic nature the game will be set in a ruined cityscape based very much on the quartile style of Paris, France. The world of this game will be shown through a visor like interface almost like looking through a video camera. The controls will be very simple and easy to reach on a keyboard, we hope to make the controls so that no accidental mistakes are made such as hitting the space bar and doing something wrong in the game. Due to the games stealth roots, not very much detail has gone into what happens if caught since the goal is to avoid confrontation.
2) What role will the interface play in your game
- The interface will set the mood for the game, without the proper interface our game could fall short or be overly complicated.
3) Intuitive interfaces give a feeling of control. How easy (or hard) is your interface to master?
- I believe that after a short time of playing the interface should be easily understood. The hardest concept will be just getting to know what moves what and so on. The menus and meters are very straight forward as to keep that clean, hard style of technology.
4) Will your players have a strong influence over the outcome of the game? Please describe? If not, how can you change this?
- Yes the players will hold utmost control over the game outcome as well as the game play. This game is geared to be almost decision based so what the player does will have a very significant effect on how not only their experience playing the game is but also how they end the game. Being that if they choose the forceful murderous path, the ending will be cold, but if they choose the path of stealth, they could be rewarded with a bittersweet ending. Either way the game is planned to have a lose lose situation.
5) Players like to feel powerful. Do the players of your game feel powerful? How could this be improved?
-It is understood the want to have power playing a game however the appeal of the apocalypse is the lack of control you have. Its not out of the ordinary for any "end of the world" type of game to have a factor of no control and randomness. Therefore there will be a sense of small power in our game yet nothing significant being as the player has no real control over whats going to happen in the end, just how abruptly it happens.
6) What does the player pick up and touch?
- The player will be able to open doors and move objects and as distractions can pick up items such as a brick or a bottle or push a trashcan. These items can be used as melee weapons as well.
7) Does the interface map to actions in the world? How?
- The interface will help lead the player to plot furthering events by taking them through the snail shell shaped city. While moving they will encounter challenges such as dealing with the AI or passing through a barrier. however, they will not be aware of these challenges until they are close to them as to promote the idea of randomness and the feeling of suspense.
8) How does your interface let the player see, hear and touch the world of the game? Could this be improved in order to make the game world more real to the player's imagination?
- As with every scare piece of media, sound plays an important role as well as the lack of sound. I think for this game we need to find the balance of sound to help build the suspense and achieve the goal of shocking the player. The player will see the world and be able to interact with it but beyond that we have not explored much into the use of the interface to further immerse the player into the world. As with every game, improvement is possible so yes this feature could be improved on through more engaging actions or sights.
9) The idea interface is invisible to the player. Does your interface cater to the players desires? What are these desires?
- The interface caters to how we believe the player should experience the game, we are crafting the interface to mirror what we as gamers would want to see when playing a game. Now we are aware we have little time to make this game and it will certainly not be anything near what we have envisioned since we see a game that has major selling story line potential. As we see it, the players desires are to move quickly and easily through the game, to be able to find useful objects and use them efficiently. We want the controls to be simple and easy for everyone to understand.
10) Can your interface be used without the players thinking? Is it natural?
- I think that since our game is based off the computer that for those used to console games like myself that there will be a slight learning curve given that controlling the keyboard can be difficult. However, once that curve is fixed, the player should be able to navigate throughout the game with ease. Naturally we plan on making the movement buttons near each other so that the player can better move and every thing can flow smoothly.
11) Assuming you can do what you want, how would you make your interface more natural?
- I think that to make the interface more natural, the player should not need to look down or have to pause to try and find something. We want the player to easily move along menus and move through the game as if they are actually in the technology apocalypse, to do this everything should be easily accessible and can be done in a swift motion.
12) What kind of feedback does your interface present to the player? What do the players want to know? How does the interface relate to the player's goal? Will it help achieve that goal?
- Our game will hold a feedback that when reaching a milestone will give the player feedback but until then the player should feel alone and outnumbered. We believe that if the game is too guided then it could easily become boring and at that point not worthy of the players time. For instance, when the player reaches the entrance to a building they need to get to, they will then receive directions pushing them towards their milestone and since the game map will b shell shaped then there should not be much confusion on how to get there. The player will want to know how to get there and at what time, any thing else is up to the player. The interface, for a complex game idea, is very simple and user friendly because as stated before we want this game to be fluid or 'juicy' as the book calls it, not dry and overtly complex. The overall game goal will be achieved but hopefully through other details like music and design and stealth we can achieve the game designer goal of producing the feeling and thought process we want our game to give off.
13) Is the interface feedback continuous? Why or why not?
- The interface is feedback continuous to a certain extent but like stated in the previous answer, we want the player to feel some sense of alone-ness meaning they should feel like the game is not on their side. Our game will straddle the line between being feedback continuous by giving the players the info they need to move forward but will stop with its lack of further major help so that the player isn't felt to prodded and planned along.
14) Please describe the concept of interface modes? Does your game have multiple modes? Please explain (Lens #60).
- Interface mode to explain in easier terms is basically the switch and change of functionality of thekeys for the game for instance if space makes you jump normally,if you go to an object then space could make you select and pick up the object therefore changing the interface mode. Our game will have some interface modes to help lessen the number of keys needed to play but it will most likely be large buttons like space or enter that will hold multiple modes as to not confuse players with needing to memorize actual letter keys. To elaborate of Lens #60: Modes we need in our game would be means of movement, means of picking up or selecting objects, means of protection, means of distraction, means of fighting, and means of communication when needed. These multiple modes are important for making the interface easier as well as helping the game flow. We will most likely combine the pick up and select mode as well as the protection and distraction just for less complication. Obviously the player will not need every mode at once so therefore certain modes may be collapsed or not used constantly which will make the interface less cluttered and the game more maneuverable. As stated before, some interfaces will be combined and rightfully assumed as being overlapped. The game play will be so that if the player walks up to a wall he can try and jump by pushing space however if he goes to a bottle he can push space to select. we did not feel that this combination of modes would be difficult for the player to understand and therefore to not need to be expressively highlighted.
As usual, please state in your blog (separate entry if possible), your contributions to your team's game.
- The user interface for our game will consist of the physical input being the use of a keyboard and a mouse where as the physical output will be very visor like since the game is intended to have a computer feel similar to Tron and The Matrix. The mapping of the game will consist of a stealth meter on the left side of the screen at the bottom as well as two arrow inventory menus on either side of the screen. The world of this game is very semi apocalyptic think growing technological society yet also the downfall and demise of the human race and anything with feelings. Due to he apocalyptic nature the game will be set in a ruined cityscape based very much on the quartile style of Paris, France. The world of this game will be shown through a visor like interface almost like looking through a video camera. The controls will be very simple and easy to reach on a keyboard, we hope to make the controls so that no accidental mistakes are made such as hitting the space bar and doing something wrong in the game. Due to the games stealth roots, not very much detail has gone into what happens if caught since the goal is to avoid confrontation.
2) What role will the interface play in your game
- The interface will set the mood for the game, without the proper interface our game could fall short or be overly complicated.
3) Intuitive interfaces give a feeling of control. How easy (or hard) is your interface to master?
- I believe that after a short time of playing the interface should be easily understood. The hardest concept will be just getting to know what moves what and so on. The menus and meters are very straight forward as to keep that clean, hard style of technology.
4) Will your players have a strong influence over the outcome of the game? Please describe? If not, how can you change this?
- Yes the players will hold utmost control over the game outcome as well as the game play. This game is geared to be almost decision based so what the player does will have a very significant effect on how not only their experience playing the game is but also how they end the game. Being that if they choose the forceful murderous path, the ending will be cold, but if they choose the path of stealth, they could be rewarded with a bittersweet ending. Either way the game is planned to have a lose lose situation.
5) Players like to feel powerful. Do the players of your game feel powerful? How could this be improved?
-It is understood the want to have power playing a game however the appeal of the apocalypse is the lack of control you have. Its not out of the ordinary for any "end of the world" type of game to have a factor of no control and randomness. Therefore there will be a sense of small power in our game yet nothing significant being as the player has no real control over whats going to happen in the end, just how abruptly it happens.
6) What does the player pick up and touch?
- The player will be able to open doors and move objects and as distractions can pick up items such as a brick or a bottle or push a trashcan. These items can be used as melee weapons as well.
7) Does the interface map to actions in the world? How?
- The interface will help lead the player to plot furthering events by taking them through the snail shell shaped city. While moving they will encounter challenges such as dealing with the AI or passing through a barrier. however, they will not be aware of these challenges until they are close to them as to promote the idea of randomness and the feeling of suspense.
8) How does your interface let the player see, hear and touch the world of the game? Could this be improved in order to make the game world more real to the player's imagination?
- As with every scare piece of media, sound plays an important role as well as the lack of sound. I think for this game we need to find the balance of sound to help build the suspense and achieve the goal of shocking the player. The player will see the world and be able to interact with it but beyond that we have not explored much into the use of the interface to further immerse the player into the world. As with every game, improvement is possible so yes this feature could be improved on through more engaging actions or sights.
9) The idea interface is invisible to the player. Does your interface cater to the players desires? What are these desires?
- The interface caters to how we believe the player should experience the game, we are crafting the interface to mirror what we as gamers would want to see when playing a game. Now we are aware we have little time to make this game and it will certainly not be anything near what we have envisioned since we see a game that has major selling story line potential. As we see it, the players desires are to move quickly and easily through the game, to be able to find useful objects and use them efficiently. We want the controls to be simple and easy for everyone to understand.
10) Can your interface be used without the players thinking? Is it natural?
- I think that since our game is based off the computer that for those used to console games like myself that there will be a slight learning curve given that controlling the keyboard can be difficult. However, once that curve is fixed, the player should be able to navigate throughout the game with ease. Naturally we plan on making the movement buttons near each other so that the player can better move and every thing can flow smoothly.
11) Assuming you can do what you want, how would you make your interface more natural?
- I think that to make the interface more natural, the player should not need to look down or have to pause to try and find something. We want the player to easily move along menus and move through the game as if they are actually in the technology apocalypse, to do this everything should be easily accessible and can be done in a swift motion.
12) What kind of feedback does your interface present to the player? What do the players want to know? How does the interface relate to the player's goal? Will it help achieve that goal?
- Our game will hold a feedback that when reaching a milestone will give the player feedback but until then the player should feel alone and outnumbered. We believe that if the game is too guided then it could easily become boring and at that point not worthy of the players time. For instance, when the player reaches the entrance to a building they need to get to, they will then receive directions pushing them towards their milestone and since the game map will b shell shaped then there should not be much confusion on how to get there. The player will want to know how to get there and at what time, any thing else is up to the player. The interface, for a complex game idea, is very simple and user friendly because as stated before we want this game to be fluid or 'juicy' as the book calls it, not dry and overtly complex. The overall game goal will be achieved but hopefully through other details like music and design and stealth we can achieve the game designer goal of producing the feeling and thought process we want our game to give off.
13) Is the interface feedback continuous? Why or why not?
- The interface is feedback continuous to a certain extent but like stated in the previous answer, we want the player to feel some sense of alone-ness meaning they should feel like the game is not on their side. Our game will straddle the line between being feedback continuous by giving the players the info they need to move forward but will stop with its lack of further major help so that the player isn't felt to prodded and planned along.
14) Please describe the concept of interface modes? Does your game have multiple modes? Please explain (Lens #60).
- Interface mode to explain in easier terms is basically the switch and change of functionality of thekeys for the game for instance if space makes you jump normally,if you go to an object then space could make you select and pick up the object therefore changing the interface mode. Our game will have some interface modes to help lessen the number of keys needed to play but it will most likely be large buttons like space or enter that will hold multiple modes as to not confuse players with needing to memorize actual letter keys. To elaborate of Lens #60: Modes we need in our game would be means of movement, means of picking up or selecting objects, means of protection, means of distraction, means of fighting, and means of communication when needed. These multiple modes are important for making the interface easier as well as helping the game flow. We will most likely combine the pick up and select mode as well as the protection and distraction just for less complication. Obviously the player will not need every mode at once so therefore certain modes may be collapsed or not used constantly which will make the interface less cluttered and the game more maneuverable. As stated before, some interfaces will be combined and rightfully assumed as being overlapped. The game play will be so that if the player walks up to a wall he can try and jump by pushing space however if he goes to a bottle he can push space to select. we did not feel that this combination of modes would be difficult for the player to understand and therefore to not need to be expressively highlighted.
As usual, please state in your blog (separate entry if possible), your contributions to your team's game.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Homework 10
For homework 10, I made a danger meter for our game. The meter consists of a torus shape what changes colors from a neutral blue to a dark red. It was made through creating a torus shape and then deleting the inner rim and adding color and key frame animation to complete a meter that shifts color. The original idea for the meter is to be cut into 5 pieces and as the player approaches the danger, the colored piece that signifies how close will be added onto the existing one beforehand. This would result, if the player were in danger, with all the colors stacked. This is the eventual goal, however, we have yet to figure out how to cut the pieces with out actually deleting them as well as how to edit the colors so that they show up on the layers we plan on making for each segment. So for now we have a simple color changing bar that suffices what its needed for. For this weeks contributions, I made this cool down meter, downloaded the first scene area, and created some of the characters.
This is the link to my video on youtube for this homework. For some reason my voice over was reverted back to music so the post contains the detailed description of what the video said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw0aycM-9KU
This is the blue level of the meter meaning the player is safe and far from danger
This is the green level which signifies danger is close by
And then the yellow meaning danger is approaching fast
Orange is the warning that the player has very little time to leave
And finally dark red meaning the player has been spotted and must now fight to survive.
This is the link to my video on youtube for this homework. For some reason my voice over was reverted back to music so the post contains the detailed description of what the video said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw0aycM-9KU
This is the blue level of the meter meaning the player is safe and far from danger
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Week 10/8 Game update
For this week most of my team and I have been working hard to gather the things for our presentation. For this week I have used MakeHuman to create our main character as well as working on the side character and many of the AIs and NPCs. I have also downloaded the landscape that we will be using for the beginning of the game and showing on Friday. I will be creating a cool down menu tonight and tomorrow for my team that should work when the main character is in danger. Other than minor team disputes and personality differences, I think our team is rallying and really getting things hammered out.
Homework 9: Balances
When designing a video game, there's much more than meets the eye. Not only must the game designer know how to use the software but he must also work to keep the game balanced so that game play runs smoothly. Many components must come into play for a game to be balanced, twelve of these components are the most common and can be found universally in any game.
Game Fairness is the first type of game balance that must be looked at and concerns both symmetric and asymmetric games. In order for a game to be symmetric, all players must be given equal resource and powers. Where as an asymmetric game will simulate real life situations, give the player more chances to personalize,and level the playing level between the player and the opponent. This balance of fairness in the game can only be achieved once the game is playable and will take a process of trial and error to achieve the right level.
As game fairness is concerned in our team's game, I believe that our game will have a more asymmetrical style than a symmetric one. This is due to the more realistic take we took on the environment and the world of our game. Our game is set on future earth in the midst of a apocalyptic disaster. This asymmetric balance will let the player explore our vast world and make different decisions each time that will have a profound effect on the ending. Lastly our game will not have planes in which character attributives can be choose and swapped, reliance on our main characters start off strength and strength he gains throughout the game.
The second type of balance is: Challenge vs. Success, meaning the game designer must find the perfect balance that the game isn't too difficult so that it becomes frustrating nor too easy so that it becomes boring. In order to help prevent these problems, we can increase the difficulty gradually with the characters increased success ass well as making it possible for players to zip through the easy parts of the game relatively fast. Always an option is letting the player choose their difficulty which is what most games nowadays are doing. However, even with these strategies, we are still faced with what to do about the difficulty of the game over time. This is a matter of preference for each designer as to how many people they want to be able to complete their game. One again its all about balancing. For our game, I feel that, due to time constraints, we can't make this game as difficult as I feel it should be. This game has the potential to be very much like some of the big name games we know today but must be made easier and shorter than it really deserves to be. I think if we were to take this game further then we would most certainly include a difficulty choice as to appeal to everyone and not a set group.
The third balance type is: Meaningful Choices, also known as making the player make choices that will then affect the outcome of the game in its entirety. As with most people, I feel that a game should make you question your decisions and make hard choices. A game is all about transporting you to a new place therefore you should have to make decisions you wouldn't normally have to make, it's all about the package of the game. The use of a dominant strategy could easily kill the game play experience for the player since with this choice that is clearly better than all that is given, theres no real decision to be made. As the book states "the game has been solved" even if its early in the game. Now this is not to forget the triangular choice between high/low risk and high/low reward. I believe these are more along the superficial side since they have no question of character but they are important for the game play. However, its not to say that these cant be made meaningful by adding the reward being someones life saved, as with any choice it can be made much more dire. Our team game centers solely around this idea of choices. Choices are what fuels our games storyline, if you make a choice in the first level, you may very well end up killing tons of people in the last level due to that choice alone. Our game really makes the player question themselves and their morals. By using all these choices it makes for a much more connected game play as well as a thrilling experience.
The fourth type is: Skill versus Chance, meaning how much actual gaming prowess does the player need to finish something versus are they just getting lucky like playing poker? By adding this 50/50 shot it adds excitement to the game as well as a dash of frustration when things don't go your way. Overall its a significant part of keeping the balance of it all. For the team game, it will require skill to pass through objects and puzzles as well as fight off the AI creatures, however, the player will have no means of knowing or controlling when an AI will pop up and try to reboot them. By doing this we have both the skill and the chance we need to successfully keep a steady balance of our game.
Fifth on the list is: Head versus Hands, or how much of the game play is mashing buttons or fancy finger work and how much of it is stratagizing and deep thinking. Although there needs to be a balance, it is understandable if the physical side takes over some on certain games however, it is up to the designer to match that physicality with mental problem. These mental puzzles give the player a nice break from the constant use of the controller and fighting things to actually sit down and try and work out a problem. Now these puzzles don't necessarily need to be like Sudoku or an actual puzzle, they could easily be how you would reach a platform or whether you can time your shot to hit the target. With this knowledge its not too difficult to keep these opposites in balance. Our game will require fighting the AIs, however, since our game has strong roots in psychology we have put more puzzle / mental features rather then the physical. Now this could mean figuring out how to open a door through hacking or navigating your way through the Paris like quartiles of the bombed city.
Type six is: Competition versus Cooperation which is exactly how it sounds in the fact that its the human drive of competition and its opposite instinct of cooperation. These two instincts are seen very often in gaming whether it be the fierce competition of Mario Kart or the tag teaming cooperation of League of Legends, both play a key role even though they are so different. By having this quality of utilizing both parts then it provides a teaching opportunity for the player that competitions fun but in some cases cooperation is your best bet. By having competition in the game, you can not only appeal to people who play games professionally but also to the newbies who just happened to pass by the game in the store. For our game we have a sidekick sort of being who will help the main character move along throughout the story and we can instill instances where they must work together to pass an obstacle as well as having the normal competition that's present in every game.
The seventh balance type is: Long versus Short meaning whether the game takes days to beat or a mere couple of hours. I personally believe this balance is extremely important when it comes to designing a game since I personally and many people I know hate the two extremes of this. A game that is too long can become boring and monotonous such as the Lego games where you may have beat the storyline however you have thousands of achievements to complete before the game is fully beat. Where as the opposite is a short game which leaves the player disappointed and craving more, as well ass often times these games have under developed stories that leave the player with more questions than answers. Unfortunately the main factors that decide how long a game will be is the conditions it takes for the player to win versus the conditions needed to lose. Perhaps this one is the most important balance type because this can make or break a game and can alter the perception the player has for not only he game but also the designer. Unfortunately as discussed earlier, the game our team is creating is going to be woefully short compared to its potential. The game we are making should have enough levels and game play to last roughly 10 minutes yet this game has the story and the potential to be a game that with enough time put into it, could easily take days to fully beat on its own.
Type eight is the Balance of Rewards meaning how does the designer intend on rewarding the player for completing the objectives. As stated in the book, games are a way of judgement and people want to be judged. As so, people wan to be rewarded for successfully playing the game and this could range from many different things such as praise, the always used points, extra play in the game, and much much more. Now on the question of how to balance these rewards, its simple and the same approach that is taken with children; Give them a reward for doing something good but be sparing with them since if you give too many they'll lose their effect. If a player keeps seeing a special cut scene for completing a task, hes going to eventually get bored with it and not want to play the game. For our game we decided to go a different route for rewards. Our reward aspect of the game is a sense of safety, a sense that you can take a breath and collect your bearings before being thrown back into the distopian world. Since our game is a survival/stealth/ psychological game, this minor break the player gets will play into all those factors; They can stay safe during the small check in so they don't have to worry about the chasing AIs, they no longer have to worry about staying hidden, and they are given a reward that makes them want to keep playing and lures them into a false sense of security almost for waiting by the safe point will most likely be a large horde of AIs ready to steal away that safe feeling.
Balance type nine: Punishment goes hand and hand with type eight rewards. With getting a reward, you can also get punished for not doing something right. This balance type is only natural and actually will make the player enjoy the game more if they can get in trouble just as easily as they can get praised. Using punishment can make getting items in the worth even more if the player has the chance of getting them taken away from them. Punishment can also create a thrill of doing something bad for the player and taking a risk as well as adding an extra bit of challenge to the game that are not naturally in the storyline such as getting sent back to a certain check point. There are many types of punishment that designers can put in a game to balance out the rewards factor, some of them are: Shaming (telling them "Bad Job" or "Missed Shot"), Losing the rewards (having points lost, getting resources taken away), Shortened game play, End of game play (game over), losing an advantage, and getting setback. If these punishments are used lightly concurrently with the rewards, the game can actually condition the player into doing a certain action needed for the game. In the teams game, we have yet to settle on a definitive punishment but we have talked of using setbacks, lose of valuable resources, and added difficulty when going back to play such as a horde of AI's close by.
The tenth type of balance is: Freedom versus Controlled experience meaning does the player have full reign over exploring the world and can do levels at his choosing versus having a set path that they must stay on and can only go from one objective to the next, essentially no freedom. This is a very important feature to balance being that too much freedom allows the player to get easily side tracked from the story line and the objective needed to be completed like in Skyrim and Oblivion. Adversely if the game is too controlled then the player will feel locked down and merely going through the motions rather than experiencing the game. Games are meant to be interactive meaning the player should be in control not the game. By not having a proper balance the game can be too hectic or too bossy, which will severely affect the players opinion of the game. The book decides that more controlled is better than more freedom however, I agree with this to some extent because playing a huge game with no set path is frustrating but the freedom is nice to have once in awhile and can be refreshing to people that have played many of the highly controlled games out there. Our game leans more on the controlled side, however we unintentionally set it that way due to the time constraints. I personally like freedom but I know some of my team members like the controlled atmosphere and so I think our game has a slight aspect of freedom but not nearly to the extent as games like Skyrim.
The eleventh type is: Simple versus Complex which is a very thin balance to have. To have a game be simple can be both an insult and a compliment whereas complexity can be intriguing or just confusing. That is why it is key to have a nice mix of these two although much of this type is gamer preference. Some people like long complicated games where as others enjoy the simpler things that have one job and that's to make you have a good experience. Duely under the title of complexity are the different types of complexity; First is the innate complexity which means that the very components and rules of the game are complex in themselves, this type of complexity is not really a good thing. This is because it is usually the fault of the designer being to in depth at one thing liek the bases behind the game. Because of theese complex rules, more rules would need to be added to balance the problem. Th esecond type is emergent complexity which is the good kind. This is the type of complexity that is seen as "intriguing" or "rich". They usually rely on a simple, understandable rule set that opens up into a very complex and deep situation that the player must deal with. This type of complexity is the type that results in the title of being simple yet complex and thus creating the paradox that is the title of this balance type. Along with the two types of complexity, designers must watch out for becooming too artificial in theirr game and making the experience very fake and vice versa with the natural side. The way this can be balanced is to start the game slow and speed up as the story progresses and increasing difficulty as the game moves on. With these complexities the game should hold a certain elegance that tells the player if the designer succeeded in creating the balance betweeen the two opposites. In our game,we lean more to the complex side, however, we are finding that simple is the way to go given the constraints of the class. Hopefully we will cut some more later on since he components still seem too deep for a game of this small scale and the time we have to do it.
Finally the last type of balance is: Detail versus Imagination meaning figuring out which details should be given and what should be left to the players imagination. If this is not balanced then the game risks becoming boring and too layed out ass well as robbing the player of the experience they should have imagining the parts of the game. Some ways to keep this balance is to only put details of what the designer can do well, in other words if the designer can make a character very intricate then it should be in there however if the area of the antagonist is too detailed the player has nothing to imagine and therefore is not truely experiencing the game as they should. Th enext way is to give enough details that allow the players imagination to creat ethe rest, meaning the player can then decide for himself those leftover details and can enjoy the game in their own way with their own imagination not the thoughts of the designer. Also if its something that most everyone knows what it looks like then there is no need togo into mega detail in the game such as a car or a city street. This task of creating this balance can be hard for designers since they want to put their vision out there and bring the game to its fullest potential yet they havetoleave the game some what incomplete so that the player can then finish it for themselves. For our team game we, at the moment, have a very intricate story that has the possiblity of being able to let the players imagination run wild but since wee have thought up this idea and are creating it, I have the feeling that we are going to face trouble later on with keeping this balance since we are so connected to the game.
The third balance type is: Meaningful Choices, also known as making the player make choices that will then affect the outcome of the game in its entirety. As with most people, I feel that a game should make you question your decisions and make hard choices. A game is all about transporting you to a new place therefore you should have to make decisions you wouldn't normally have to make, it's all about the package of the game. The use of a dominant strategy could easily kill the game play experience for the player since with this choice that is clearly better than all that is given, theres no real decision to be made. As the book states "the game has been solved" even if its early in the game. Now this is not to forget the triangular choice between high/low risk and high/low reward. I believe these are more along the superficial side since they have no question of character but they are important for the game play. However, its not to say that these cant be made meaningful by adding the reward being someones life saved, as with any choice it can be made much more dire. Our team game centers solely around this idea of choices. Choices are what fuels our games storyline, if you make a choice in the first level, you may very well end up killing tons of people in the last level due to that choice alone. Our game really makes the player question themselves and their morals. By using all these choices it makes for a much more connected game play as well as a thrilling experience.
The fourth type is: Skill versus Chance, meaning how much actual gaming prowess does the player need to finish something versus are they just getting lucky like playing poker? By adding this 50/50 shot it adds excitement to the game as well as a dash of frustration when things don't go your way. Overall its a significant part of keeping the balance of it all. For the team game, it will require skill to pass through objects and puzzles as well as fight off the AI creatures, however, the player will have no means of knowing or controlling when an AI will pop up and try to reboot them. By doing this we have both the skill and the chance we need to successfully keep a steady balance of our game.
Fifth on the list is: Head versus Hands, or how much of the game play is mashing buttons or fancy finger work and how much of it is stratagizing and deep thinking. Although there needs to be a balance, it is understandable if the physical side takes over some on certain games however, it is up to the designer to match that physicality with mental problem. These mental puzzles give the player a nice break from the constant use of the controller and fighting things to actually sit down and try and work out a problem. Now these puzzles don't necessarily need to be like Sudoku or an actual puzzle, they could easily be how you would reach a platform or whether you can time your shot to hit the target. With this knowledge its not too difficult to keep these opposites in balance. Our game will require fighting the AIs, however, since our game has strong roots in psychology we have put more puzzle / mental features rather then the physical. Now this could mean figuring out how to open a door through hacking or navigating your way through the Paris like quartiles of the bombed city.
Type six is: Competition versus Cooperation which is exactly how it sounds in the fact that its the human drive of competition and its opposite instinct of cooperation. These two instincts are seen very often in gaming whether it be the fierce competition of Mario Kart or the tag teaming cooperation of League of Legends, both play a key role even though they are so different. By having this quality of utilizing both parts then it provides a teaching opportunity for the player that competitions fun but in some cases cooperation is your best bet. By having competition in the game, you can not only appeal to people who play games professionally but also to the newbies who just happened to pass by the game in the store. For our game we have a sidekick sort of being who will help the main character move along throughout the story and we can instill instances where they must work together to pass an obstacle as well as having the normal competition that's present in every game.
The seventh balance type is: Long versus Short meaning whether the game takes days to beat or a mere couple of hours. I personally believe this balance is extremely important when it comes to designing a game since I personally and many people I know hate the two extremes of this. A game that is too long can become boring and monotonous such as the Lego games where you may have beat the storyline however you have thousands of achievements to complete before the game is fully beat. Where as the opposite is a short game which leaves the player disappointed and craving more, as well ass often times these games have under developed stories that leave the player with more questions than answers. Unfortunately the main factors that decide how long a game will be is the conditions it takes for the player to win versus the conditions needed to lose. Perhaps this one is the most important balance type because this can make or break a game and can alter the perception the player has for not only he game but also the designer. Unfortunately as discussed earlier, the game our team is creating is going to be woefully short compared to its potential. The game we are making should have enough levels and game play to last roughly 10 minutes yet this game has the story and the potential to be a game that with enough time put into it, could easily take days to fully beat on its own.
Type eight is the Balance of Rewards meaning how does the designer intend on rewarding the player for completing the objectives. As stated in the book, games are a way of judgement and people want to be judged. As so, people wan to be rewarded for successfully playing the game and this could range from many different things such as praise, the always used points, extra play in the game, and much much more. Now on the question of how to balance these rewards, its simple and the same approach that is taken with children; Give them a reward for doing something good but be sparing with them since if you give too many they'll lose their effect. If a player keeps seeing a special cut scene for completing a task, hes going to eventually get bored with it and not want to play the game. For our game we decided to go a different route for rewards. Our reward aspect of the game is a sense of safety, a sense that you can take a breath and collect your bearings before being thrown back into the distopian world. Since our game is a survival/stealth/ psychological game, this minor break the player gets will play into all those factors; They can stay safe during the small check in so they don't have to worry about the chasing AIs, they no longer have to worry about staying hidden, and they are given a reward that makes them want to keep playing and lures them into a false sense of security almost for waiting by the safe point will most likely be a large horde of AIs ready to steal away that safe feeling.
Balance type nine: Punishment goes hand and hand with type eight rewards. With getting a reward, you can also get punished for not doing something right. This balance type is only natural and actually will make the player enjoy the game more if they can get in trouble just as easily as they can get praised. Using punishment can make getting items in the worth even more if the player has the chance of getting them taken away from them. Punishment can also create a thrill of doing something bad for the player and taking a risk as well as adding an extra bit of challenge to the game that are not naturally in the storyline such as getting sent back to a certain check point. There are many types of punishment that designers can put in a game to balance out the rewards factor, some of them are: Shaming (telling them "Bad Job" or "Missed Shot"), Losing the rewards (having points lost, getting resources taken away), Shortened game play, End of game play (game over), losing an advantage, and getting setback. If these punishments are used lightly concurrently with the rewards, the game can actually condition the player into doing a certain action needed for the game. In the teams game, we have yet to settle on a definitive punishment but we have talked of using setbacks, lose of valuable resources, and added difficulty when going back to play such as a horde of AI's close by.
The tenth type of balance is: Freedom versus Controlled experience meaning does the player have full reign over exploring the world and can do levels at his choosing versus having a set path that they must stay on and can only go from one objective to the next, essentially no freedom. This is a very important feature to balance being that too much freedom allows the player to get easily side tracked from the story line and the objective needed to be completed like in Skyrim and Oblivion. Adversely if the game is too controlled then the player will feel locked down and merely going through the motions rather than experiencing the game. Games are meant to be interactive meaning the player should be in control not the game. By not having a proper balance the game can be too hectic or too bossy, which will severely affect the players opinion of the game. The book decides that more controlled is better than more freedom however, I agree with this to some extent because playing a huge game with no set path is frustrating but the freedom is nice to have once in awhile and can be refreshing to people that have played many of the highly controlled games out there. Our game leans more on the controlled side, however we unintentionally set it that way due to the time constraints. I personally like freedom but I know some of my team members like the controlled atmosphere and so I think our game has a slight aspect of freedom but not nearly to the extent as games like Skyrim.
The eleventh type is: Simple versus Complex which is a very thin balance to have. To have a game be simple can be both an insult and a compliment whereas complexity can be intriguing or just confusing. That is why it is key to have a nice mix of these two although much of this type is gamer preference. Some people like long complicated games where as others enjoy the simpler things that have one job and that's to make you have a good experience. Duely under the title of complexity are the different types of complexity; First is the innate complexity which means that the very components and rules of the game are complex in themselves, this type of complexity is not really a good thing. This is because it is usually the fault of the designer being to in depth at one thing liek the bases behind the game. Because of theese complex rules, more rules would need to be added to balance the problem. Th esecond type is emergent complexity which is the good kind. This is the type of complexity that is seen as "intriguing" or "rich". They usually rely on a simple, understandable rule set that opens up into a very complex and deep situation that the player must deal with. This type of complexity is the type that results in the title of being simple yet complex and thus creating the paradox that is the title of this balance type. Along with the two types of complexity, designers must watch out for becooming too artificial in theirr game and making the experience very fake and vice versa with the natural side. The way this can be balanced is to start the game slow and speed up as the story progresses and increasing difficulty as the game moves on. With these complexities the game should hold a certain elegance that tells the player if the designer succeeded in creating the balance betweeen the two opposites. In our game,we lean more to the complex side, however, we are finding that simple is the way to go given the constraints of the class. Hopefully we will cut some more later on since he components still seem too deep for a game of this small scale and the time we have to do it.
Finally the last type of balance is: Detail versus Imagination meaning figuring out which details should be given and what should be left to the players imagination. If this is not balanced then the game risks becoming boring and too layed out ass well as robbing the player of the experience they should have imagining the parts of the game. Some ways to keep this balance is to only put details of what the designer can do well, in other words if the designer can make a character very intricate then it should be in there however if the area of the antagonist is too detailed the player has nothing to imagine and therefore is not truely experiencing the game as they should. Th enext way is to give enough details that allow the players imagination to creat ethe rest, meaning the player can then decide for himself those leftover details and can enjoy the game in their own way with their own imagination not the thoughts of the designer. Also if its something that most everyone knows what it looks like then there is no need togo into mega detail in the game such as a car or a city street. This task of creating this balance can be hard for designers since they want to put their vision out there and bring the game to its fullest potential yet they havetoleave the game some what incomplete so that the player can then finish it for themselves. For our team game we, at the moment, have a very intricate story that has the possiblity of being able to let the players imagination run wild but since wee have thought up this idea and are creating it, I have the feeling that we are going to face trouble later on with keeping this balance since we are so connected to the game.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Homework 7
1.) Is the space in your game discrete or continuous?- I believe the space in our game would be continuous just because our game is not going to be 2 dimensional but rather 3D .
2.) How many dimensions does your space have? - There will be three dimensions to our space.
3.) What are the boundaries of your space? - Buildings will be boundaries in our game as well as possible vehicles. We have talked of using Star Trek like doors so these sliding doors that can only be opened upon a certain achievement will be boundaries. We have also discussing making the characters own lack of sanity become a barrier to where say he cant move or lift his arms because the whole trauma of the situation has become too much for him.
4.) How many verbs do your players (characters) have? What are they?- We will most likely have the basics of run forward, run backward, run to the left, run to the right, jump, walk forward, walk backward, walk to the left, walk to the right. We will most likely add extras that pertain to the theme of the game such as roll, hide, sneak, steal, hack, punch,and kick.
5.) How many objects can each verb act on? What are these objects? - We have discussed having our character be able to hack into rooms and open doors, as well as steal items and hide behind things. Therefore there is no definitive number of objects that our characters verbs can interact with but in the future I believe there will be many of them so that the game play is smooth.
6.) How many ways can players achieve their goals- Either by killing the AI zombies, not killing anything, killing the AI itself, or deciding to kill the virus instead.
7.) How many subjects do the players control? What are these subjects? - The player will be able to control the main character, perhaps the main characters partner, the use of the main characters hacking skills and other computer skills to navigate through the world. Along with that, the player will be able to control guns, and vehicles, computers,and much more when we begin to craft the game.
8.) How do side effects change constraints. - Side effects can either prolong a constraint or bypass them so that the character can move on in the game. For instance if the character opens door A, he may be able to go to the left side of the building but in the process of opening door A, door B closed and he is now blocked from the right side of the building. These constraints will make the player think and brainstorm how to bypass them or utilize them to their benefit.
9.) What are the operative actions in your game? - Walking and other range of motions such as moving backwards and running as well as being able to jump around.
10.) What are the resultant actions in your game? - Protect the side character from being exterminated, not killing an AI zombie, solely killing AI Zombies, not killing any innocent by standards, killing anything in sight, listening to the AI or to the Virus, killing the AI, or killing the virus.
11.) What actions would you like your players to do that they cannot presently do? (based on your current knowledge of Blender)- I would personally like to explore the background of our game being very technology backed so that perhaps our character can do some transporting, some transformation, and other futuristic things that isn't seen in many post apocalyptic games. We should really utilize how different our game is from the usual zombie/survival game.
12.) What is the ultimate goal of your game? - The ultimate goal is for our main character to reach the final stage and make a decision based on how they've played the game, that decision will then effect how the ending turns out.
13.) Are there short and long term goals? What are they?- As of now, there are no short term goals except to perhaps reach minor milestones in the level or to successfully pass through a certain area. The main long term goal, other than our ultimate goal, is to build the character and to progress in the story line.
14.) How do you plan to make the game goals known and understood by the player? - Well I think that our goals so far are very cut and dry and the same for most games of the action/adventure genre. Therefore I don't think we'll have an issue as to making these goals known. I think for our ultimate goal, that through playing the game and going through the story line, they will become aware of what the intended goal is.
15.) What are the foundational rules of your game? - So far we have decided that the character technically doesn't die but is rather rebooted at a previous location and has had all the previously earned gear or items taken away for him to re-earn as the player plays through again. We have also thrown the idea of maybe the AI zombies being impervious to harm being that they are purely robotic other than some minor human skin. Hopefully at this weeks meeting we can delve deeper into the inner workings of our game.
16.) How are these rules enforced?
- We will program it to where you are just restarted at like a previous save location or before a certain milestone so that its not simply game over.
17.) Does your game develop real skills? What are they? - Through the slight horror aspect of our game, the player can develop a heightened sense of what to expect and when to expect it as well as through the possible puzzles, the player can help sharpen their mental acuity. Lastly we hope to make the player question some hard psychological concepts on the nature of humans and our connection with technology. I think that this psychological goal will be the hardest to achieve because the amount of explanation it needs and the depth of it vary from player to player.
18.) Does your game develop virtual skills? What are they? - Th virtual skills so far could include killing zombie AI, learning to tune out things that don't need to be heard, learning what to pick up and what to leave behind, gaining strength and mental clarity in a Distopian world. Using the hacking skills the character has to break through many barriers to reach the ultimate goal.
As for the teams progress, 3 of us met last Friday to discuss the ides and try to pin point who all is doing what. We firmly decided to go with a very anime/Final Fantasy type animation style which I believe will work beautifully with the ideas we have going on and gives us a lot of design aspects to work with. I think we have nailed down a time to meet this Sunday to where we can begin working on the game together as well as help each other with any issues we are having.
2.) How many dimensions does your space have? - There will be three dimensions to our space.
3.) What are the boundaries of your space? - Buildings will be boundaries in our game as well as possible vehicles. We have talked of using Star Trek like doors so these sliding doors that can only be opened upon a certain achievement will be boundaries. We have also discussing making the characters own lack of sanity become a barrier to where say he cant move or lift his arms because the whole trauma of the situation has become too much for him.
4.) How many verbs do your players (characters) have? What are they?- We will most likely have the basics of run forward, run backward, run to the left, run to the right, jump, walk forward, walk backward, walk to the left, walk to the right. We will most likely add extras that pertain to the theme of the game such as roll, hide, sneak, steal, hack, punch,and kick.
5.) How many objects can each verb act on? What are these objects? - We have discussed having our character be able to hack into rooms and open doors, as well as steal items and hide behind things. Therefore there is no definitive number of objects that our characters verbs can interact with but in the future I believe there will be many of them so that the game play is smooth.
6.) How many ways can players achieve their goals- Either by killing the AI zombies, not killing anything, killing the AI itself, or deciding to kill the virus instead.
7.) How many subjects do the players control? What are these subjects? - The player will be able to control the main character, perhaps the main characters partner, the use of the main characters hacking skills and other computer skills to navigate through the world. Along with that, the player will be able to control guns, and vehicles, computers,and much more when we begin to craft the game.
8.) How do side effects change constraints. - Side effects can either prolong a constraint or bypass them so that the character can move on in the game. For instance if the character opens door A, he may be able to go to the left side of the building but in the process of opening door A, door B closed and he is now blocked from the right side of the building. These constraints will make the player think and brainstorm how to bypass them or utilize them to their benefit.
9.) What are the operative actions in your game? - Walking and other range of motions such as moving backwards and running as well as being able to jump around.
10.) What are the resultant actions in your game? - Protect the side character from being exterminated, not killing an AI zombie, solely killing AI Zombies, not killing any innocent by standards, killing anything in sight, listening to the AI or to the Virus, killing the AI, or killing the virus.
11.) What actions would you like your players to do that they cannot presently do? (based on your current knowledge of Blender)- I would personally like to explore the background of our game being very technology backed so that perhaps our character can do some transporting, some transformation, and other futuristic things that isn't seen in many post apocalyptic games. We should really utilize how different our game is from the usual zombie/survival game.
12.) What is the ultimate goal of your game? - The ultimate goal is for our main character to reach the final stage and make a decision based on how they've played the game, that decision will then effect how the ending turns out.
13.) Are there short and long term goals? What are they?- As of now, there are no short term goals except to perhaps reach minor milestones in the level or to successfully pass through a certain area. The main long term goal, other than our ultimate goal, is to build the character and to progress in the story line.
14.) How do you plan to make the game goals known and understood by the player? - Well I think that our goals so far are very cut and dry and the same for most games of the action/adventure genre. Therefore I don't think we'll have an issue as to making these goals known. I think for our ultimate goal, that through playing the game and going through the story line, they will become aware of what the intended goal is.
15.) What are the foundational rules of your game? - So far we have decided that the character technically doesn't die but is rather rebooted at a previous location and has had all the previously earned gear or items taken away for him to re-earn as the player plays through again. We have also thrown the idea of maybe the AI zombies being impervious to harm being that they are purely robotic other than some minor human skin. Hopefully at this weeks meeting we can delve deeper into the inner workings of our game.
16.) How are these rules enforced?
- We will program it to where you are just restarted at like a previous save location or before a certain milestone so that its not simply game over.
17.) Does your game develop real skills? What are they? - Through the slight horror aspect of our game, the player can develop a heightened sense of what to expect and when to expect it as well as through the possible puzzles, the player can help sharpen their mental acuity. Lastly we hope to make the player question some hard psychological concepts on the nature of humans and our connection with technology. I think that this psychological goal will be the hardest to achieve because the amount of explanation it needs and the depth of it vary from player to player.
18.) Does your game develop virtual skills? What are they? - Th virtual skills so far could include killing zombie AI, learning to tune out things that don't need to be heard, learning what to pick up and what to leave behind, gaining strength and mental clarity in a Distopian world. Using the hacking skills the character has to break through many barriers to reach the ultimate goal.
As for the teams progress, 3 of us met last Friday to discuss the ides and try to pin point who all is doing what. We firmly decided to go with a very anime/Final Fantasy type animation style which I believe will work beautifully with the ideas we have going on and gives us a lot of design aspects to work with. I think we have nailed down a time to meet this Sunday to where we can begin working on the game together as well as help each other with any issues we are having.
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