The Purposes and Functions of components of Game Engines

Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Produce a glossary of terms specific to the methods and principles of Video Game Design and Video Game Terms. Using a provided template, you must research and gather definitions specific to provided glossary terms. Any definitions must be referenced with the URL link of the website you have obtained the definition.

You must also, where possible, provide specific details of how researched definitions relate to your own production practice.

Name: RESEARCHED DEFINITION (provide short internet researched definition and URL link)

DESCRIBE THE RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCHED TERM TO YOUR OWN PRODUCTION PRACTICE?

IMAGE SUPPORT (Provide an image and/or video link of said term being used in a game)

VIDEO GAMES / VIDEO GAME TESTING

Demo A game demo is a freely distributed piece of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_demo

As mentioned in the researched definition a demo game is the way to if you have produced a game and if you want to sell it. The concept is that the developer distributes a part of the game for free for the consumers so they can play the game and see if they like it before they buy it. Tis would be a great way to let people know about the game when I make my own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKodb5WtbSw

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Beta A beta test refers to the distribution of pre-release game software to a select group of people so that they can test the game in their own homes. The beta version of a game is as close to perfect as the company can make it, but any bugs, glitches or other issues discovered in beta testing will usually be addressed before the game's official release.

http://www.techopedia.com/definition/27136/beta-test-gaming

A beta would be an ideal thing to do when I make my own game. I could distribute a free beta version of the game for the people who are interested in playing and testing the game. This could help me to find out if there are any bugs or glitches in the game, so I can fix them before the final release of the game.

Alpha A very early version of a software product that may not contain all of the features that are planned for the final version

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/alpha_version.html

Releasing an alpha version of the game can help me get ideas on how to make the game better from the consumers. Since this is an early stage of the game, most of the games content could be changed.

Pre-Alpha Pre-Alpha is a standard term to denote a number of interim milestones between prototyping and alpha, each

Just like the alpha, releasing a pre alpha is a good idea to see if there needs to be any changes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTaIk7akOUw

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of which includes new functionality and/or game content.

http://www.whatgamesare.com/pre-alpha.html

done for the game. Because this is the earliest stage of the game anything can be changed.

Gold A game has "Gone Gold" when the final master copy has been produced at the developer and sent off for replication, packaging and shipment. The game is not yet released, but it will typically be around 2-3 weeks (sometimes less) before it begins appearing on store shelves and online pre-orders arriving at doorsteps.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gone%20Gold

This would be good news for a game developer, to see your game being shipped ready to be sold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yel042Nb5e8

Debug Debugging is the routine process of locating and removing computer program bugs, errors or abnormalities, which is methodically handled by software programmers via debugging tools. Debugging checks, detects and corrects errors or bugs to allow proper program operation according to set specifications.

http://www.techopedia.com/definition/16373/debugging

Debugging is a must if you find bugs and glitches in your game during the time of the alpha or the beta. This would help me produce a 99% bug/glitch free game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCqQrREbQo4

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Automation Implementing test automation for mobile application development process is the best way to gain agile, effective use of resources and time for testing. Automation auto testing a game through a softwarehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_testing#Test_automation

Automation is a would be a good thing to consider when I make my game, so that I won’t have to consider hiring game testers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5U3HwpD1Ec

White-Box Testing

White-box testing is a methodology used to ensure and validate the internal framework, mechanisms, objects and components of a software application. White-box testing verifies code according to design specifications and uncovers application vulnerabilities.

http://www.techopedia.com/definition/3891/white-box-testing

White box testing could be a good thing to do to find out vulnerabilities in my game that allows people to cheat and use glitches to their advantage (Game resource glitches)

Bug A software bug is an error, flaw, failure, or fault in a computer program or system that causes it to produce an incorrect or unexpected result, or to behave in unintended ways.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_bug

Bugs could make any game bad even an AAA title. So as a developer my aim is to have less bugs in my game as possible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3g2840zXKY

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_testing#Test_automation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_testing#Test_automation


GAME ENGINES

GAME ENGINES

Vertex Shader

A programmable function in display adapters that offers graphics application programmer flexibility in rendering an image. The vertex shader is used to transform the attributes of vertices (points of a triangle) such as colour, texture, position and direction from the original colour space to the display space. It allows the original objects to be distorted or reshaped in any manner.

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Pixel+shader

Using a vertex shader will help me to transform each vertex's 3D position in virtual space to the 2D coordinate as it shows on my screen. Using this can help me to change properties like position, colour and texture coordinates. As a developer, using this will help me produce some quality work..

Pixel Shader A pixel shader is a programmable function that allows flexibility in shading an individual pixel. Whereas vertex shaders can be used to completely transform the shape of an object, pixel shaders are used to change the appearance of the pixels.

http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/53754/vertex-shader

Pixel shader will help me produce more much more detailed objects for a game since it allows me to shade individual pixels.

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Post Processing

Post-processing (or postproc for short) is used in the video/film business for quality-improvement image processing (specifically digital image processing) methods used in video playback devices, (such as stand-alone DVD-Video players), and video players software and transcoding software. It is also commonly used in real-time 3D rendering (such as in video games) to add additional effects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_post-processing

Post processing will help me to get quality improved real time rendering for my game.

Rendering The term rendering refers to the calculations performed by a 3D software package’s render engine to translate the scene from a mathematical approximation to a finalized 2D image.

http://3d.about.com/od/3d-101-The-Basics/a/Rendering-Finalizing-The-3d-Image.htm

I will need rendering to test my game a produce my final game. Each 3d object in a game has to be rendered so this will be a lot in the production of my game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cZIaUEmnLI

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Normal Map These are images that store a direction, the direction of normal directly in the RGB values of an image. They are much more accurate, as rather than only simulating the pixel being away from the face along a line, they can simulate that pixel being moved at any direction, in an arbitrary way.

http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.4/Manual/Textures/Influence/Material/Bump_and_Normal

Normal mapping could be used in my game for giving the models some more detail to make it a detailed game overall.

Entity In computer games and game engines,

entity is a dynamic object such as

a non-player character or item.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entity

I will be using entities in my game because very object and character in a game is an entity, so a game is made by entities, without entities there wouldn’t be a game.

UV Map UV mapping is the 3D modelling process of making a 2D image representation of a 3D model's surface.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UV_mapping

I will be using UV mapping in my game to make NPC’s and character.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entity





Procedural Texture

A procedural texture is a computer-generated image created using an algorithm intended to create a realistic representation of natural elements such as wood, marble, granite, metal, stone, and others.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_texture

I would use procedural textures if I was going for a realistic looking game. Procedural textures looks good in game like the last of us because the developers are going for realistic look for the game.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Procedural_Texture.jpg/225px-Procedural_Texture.jpg

Physics Computer animation physics or game physics involves the introduction of the laws of physics into a simulation or game engine, particularly in 3D computer graphics, for the purpose of making the effects appear more real to the observer. Typically, simulation physics is only a close approximation to real physics, and computation is performed using discrete values.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_physics

Physics is arguably the most important part of the game. I will obviously be using physics in a game because all the movement in the game is controlled by physics. For and example if you jump in a game the time it takes for you hit the ground again is determined by physics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS9seZ_G6pU

Collision Collision detection typically refers to the computational problem of detecting the intersection of two or more objects. While the topic is most often associated with its use in video games and other physical simulations, it also has applications in robotics.

Collision is similar to physics and I will be using it to determine where the player can go and where the player cannot. And where the player can stand on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND7dj0UOrQU

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collision_detection

Lighting It creates atmosphere. It makes places look scary/cozy or warm/cold. It augments the three dimensional feel of objects and it creates composition and balance to lead the player's eyes around.

http://www.moddb.com/tutorials/lighting-in-game-environments-the-hows-and-whys

As lighting is a major part of a game I will have to have good lighting for the game to look as I intended. I will be using lighting o the change the feeling of the game. Either to makes I dark and gloomy r make it bright and delightful.

http://cdn.wolfire.com/blog/lighting.jpg

AA – Anti-Aliasing

Anti-Aliasing is a method of fooling the eye that a jagged edge is really smooth. Anti-Aliasing is often referred in games and on graphics cards. In games especially the chance to smooth edges of the images goes a long way to creating a realistic 3D image on the screen.

http://www.pantherproducts.co.uk/index.php?pageid=antialiasing

Anti-aliasing would be a good thing to use if you are going for a smooth and realistic look for our game since its smoothens out rough edges to give you game a smooth look.

http://forums.ni.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/23874i923C9AF031B29657?v=mpbl-1

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http://cdn.wolfire.com/blog/lighting.jpg





LoD – Level of Detail

Level of detail is a general design term for video game landscapes in which closer objects are rendered with more polygons than objects that are farther away.http://www.techopedia.com/definition/11791/level-of-detail-lod

Higher level of detail the better the game looks. So if are making a game the higher the detail is the better game you will make. Sure its time consuming for more detail in a game but in return you get a higher detailed game which looks better than a lower detailed game.

http://glasnost.itcarlow.ie/~powerk/3DGraphics2/Theory/levelofdetail.jpg

Animation A simulation of movement created by displaying a series of pictures, or frames.

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/animation.html

Animations are used in almost every game ever made. Your character walking, a wheel rotating, movement, these are all in game animations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBFLY8twlPg

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http://www.techopedia.com/definition/11791/level-of-detail-lod

http://www.techopedia.com/definition/11791/level-of-detail-lod


Sprite A sprite is a bitmap graphic that is designed to be part of a larger scene. It can either be a static image or an animated graphic.http://www.techterms.com/definition/sprite

Spirits mostly appeared in retro type games that came for consoles like Sega genesis and Nintendo 64. So if I ever make 2d side scrolling game or a retro type game, I will us e a sprite.

http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Features/2008/05/Worst%20Celebrity%20Likenesses/Finished/051408_worstcelebrity_obs1--article_image.jpg

Scene A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main character's development, introduce characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutscene

Cut scenes are used in games with a story line or a side story. Using a cut scene may help for the developer to the give more information on what is happening in the story to the player. This may gradually help players to understand the story without them having read screens full of text for them understand the story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tEF_eXL9Xc

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutscene




http://www.techterms.com/definition/sprite

http://www.techterms.com/definition/sprite


Library A game library is the source of files for a game engine. It’s a collection of assets and script files

A library is in every engine, using an easier and faster way on making games so that you can take all you resources from the library without having to go find them yourself.

http://www.blendernation.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/choix-572x400.jpg

UI Visual part of computer application or system through which a user interacts with a computer or software. It determines how commands are given to the computer or the program and how information is displayed on the screen.http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/user-interface.html

UI is the user interface that the users of the software or the game interact with. So having a good user friendly UI for a game is plus side in a game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCPWd7roTNw

Frames Frames are individual pictures in a sequence of images. For example, a Flash movie you see on the Web may play 12 frames per second, creating the appearance of motion. Most video is shot at 24 or 30 frames per second, or FPS. FPS is often measured in 3D games as a way of checking how fast the graphics processor of a computer is.http://www.techterms.com/definition/

More frames in a game helps the player to experience a fluid gameplay. So as a game developer the you want to game as much FPS (frames per second) in your game as possible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSzCLf8tjP4

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http://www.techterms.com/definition/frame



http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/user-interface.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/user-interface.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/screen.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/information.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/program.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/user.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/computer.html





frame

Concept A concept is an idea for a game that includes what features the game is going to have, what genre game it is , what platform its on, what does the game look like and how the mechanics work in the game.http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~stewart/cs583/game-design/Game_Concept.htm

Every game developer made a concept of a game before they start started developing it. Without a concept of the game you wouldn’t know what to expect for the outcome of the game or even what it looks like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmMXXC_TdU0

Event An event is a discreet moment in the game loop where things are made to happen based on what you programmed for them.http://docs.yoyogames.com/source/dadiospice/000_using%20gamemaker/events/index.html

Nearly every game has events, they make any gameplay more interesting because it’s triggered by the player. Game developers also use this to help the player find out where to go next in a game. For an example, an opening door could mean that the player is supposed to go to wherever that door leads to progress with the campaign.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li-nTwFdBec

Pathfinding Path finding allows us to determine if and how we can reach one node from another. Additionally we can consider not only if two nodes are connected but also assign some form of cost to traveling between them. We can then search for not only the shortest path but also the cheapest, fastest, or safest.

Path finding if mainly is used by most games, mainly on NPCs to program them to take a specific path when moving. We could also use it on enemies to determine which path they should take to attack the player.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19h1g22hby8

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http://docs.yoyogames.com/source/dadiospice/000_using%20gamemaker/events/index.html





http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~stewart/cs583/game-design/Game_Concept.htm



http://www.techterms.com/definition/frame


http://wiki.gamegardens.com/Path_Finding_Tutorial

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The Purposes and Functions of components of Game Engines

Education

Transcript of The Purposes and Functions of components of Game Engines