Post on 28-Dec-2015
Studio Practice• Level Design
• 3D-Content Generation
• Coding
• Conceptual Art (and Architecture)
• Project Management (3rd Year)
• Teamwork (3rd year)
• Theoretical Basis
This Module• Game Genres
• Game Design Theory
• Coding
• Advanced Techniques (Textures, Lighting,….)
• Matinee, Karma Physics.
• Construction of a ‘Level’
Game Genres• Adventure
• Action
• Role-Playing Games (RPGs)
• Strategy
• Simulations
• Sport
• Fighting
• God Games
• Educational
• Puzzle
Adventure Games• Story – based
• Rely on ‘Puzzle – Solving’
• Old = text-based Zork, New = ‘Point and Click’
• Not ‘real time’; Player moves at own pace
• Large ‘Complex’ world
• Good STORY
Action Games• ‘Real Time’
• FPS Quake, Halo, Unreal
• [Action-Adventure hybrid e.g. Tomb Raider]
• Not ‘cerebral’ – relies on ‘ adrenaline rush’
• Opponents = other players or NPCs
Role-Player Games• Player directs NPCs on a series of quests
• Increase abilities and strengths of NPCs
• Ultima, Final Fantasy
• Huge world
• Slowly unfolding story
• NPCs gain strength, armour, money to buy new equipment
Strategy Games• Player manages limited amounts of resources to achieve a pre-determined goal
• Command and Conquer
• Player balances what to build, how much ‘Tiberium’ to harvest … etc
• Real-Time Strategy (RTS) pitches player against NPC AI.
Simulation Games• Jet Fighter
• Helicopter
• ??
Sport Games• Reproduce ‘rules’ of sport
• Timescale – game, match or league ?
Fighting Games• 2 – person
• Session lasts only a few minutes
• Rapid learning though attacks and counters
• Slow learning through complicated combinations
God Games• Exploratory – No defined goals
• Player must experiment
• Player must ‘fool around’
• Sims
Educational Games• Learning while playing
• Younger audience
• ??
Puzzle Games• Intellectual Challenging
• Puzzles are an end in themselves
• No integration into a storyline
Game Genre Design• Adventure
• Educational
• Puzzle
Adventure Games• Combination of exploration and puzzle-solving
• Story – the player is the ‘hero’
• Story – interesting people, interesting places, doing interesting things
• Puzzle
• obstacles between hero and goal = ‘puzzles’
• temporary frustration
• helps player to progress
• Non-linearity = ‘choice’
• Exploration. Natural curiosity. Do not reveal all, let player explore!
Educational Games• Combination of exploration and puzzle-solving
• Story – the player is the ‘hero’
• Story – interesting people, interesting places, doing interesting things
• Puzzle
• obstacles between hero and goal = ‘puzzles’
• temporary frustration
• helps player to progress
• Non-linearity = ‘choice’
• Exploration. Natural curiosity. Do not reveal all, let player explore!
Puzzle Games• Not a single ‘brain-stormer’ but a series of puzzles
• Don’t make player feel stupid
• Provide grade hints
• Give player opportunity to learn
• Interaction allows ‘trial and error’
• Provide a sense of ‘accomplishment’
A Theory of Puzzle Games• Topology
‘Node’ = cluster of rooms
‘Link’ = a connection , a corridor
Topology (abstract)
Geometry (concrete)
A Theory of Puzzle Games• From Topology to Metaphor
‘Node’ = cluster of rooms ….
• The player
• A ‘local’ enemy
• Local pickups, triggers, movers, aesthetics
• Global parameters health, score
• Story telling ..
• On entry to node
• On exit from node
Workshop & Homework (1)• Split into Groups
• Research Game Genres - Examples
• Plenary Discussion (last hour of Workshop)
• Which Genres we Negotiate to Implement ?
• How can we implement these ?
• Scripted Sequences
• Coding
• Come up-to-speed on Coding (also homework)
Total Conversions - Coding• CBP5 (package)
• CBP5Pawn (class extends Pawn)
• CBP5Boy (class extends CBP5Pawn)
• CBP5Girl (class extends CBP5Pawn)
• CBP5Controller (class extends PlayerController)
• CBP5GameInfo (class extends GameInfo)
• CBP5HUD (class extends HUD)
• CBP5Scoreboard (class extends Scoreboard)
Wotgreal
GameInfo.uc
User.ini
UT2004.ini
Summary of Syntax CBP5.CBP5GameInfo
Package Class
.uc filefolder
Workshop & Homework (2)
• Read Code Examples with Tutor and Discuss
• Do the coding activities
Next Week• Each of us has chosen a Game Genre for the production of a ‘level’
• All of us have completed the ‘Coding’ tutorials
• There will be a short test at the beginning of the session to evaluate your coding.