CSS 385Introduction to Game Development

Lecture 2

Yusuf Pisan

Edublogs - blogs

You can, but don't have to, join the "class"

use "My Class > Join a Class" and search for "yusufpisan" and then "Send a request to join" the "Games and Beyond" blog.

Password to see classmates blog is: ___________

Making Your First Game: Practical Rules

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHMNeNapL1E

Role of Game Designer

Advocate for Player - player experience

● Playtesters - early testing

Passions and Skills

● + Communication, Teamwork, Process, Inspiration

Playcentric Design Process

● Player Experience Goals - what do you want them to think/feel● Iterative Design - design, test, evaluate, repeat

Innovation

● Independent Games Festival

Designers You Should Know -- see Chapter 1

Fail and Fail Again

https://officechai.com/startups/51-failed-games-rovio-created-angry-birds-now-going-public-1-billion-valuation/

Iterative Design1. Brainstorming

Short description of player experience goals

2. Physical Prototype3. Presentation (optional)

Secure funds

4. Software PrototypeUsing different software/platform, maybe just clickable web pages

5. Design DocumentationMaking sure everybody on the team shares the same goals - not necessarily a big static document

6. Production

Exercise: Rock-Paper-Scissors based game

Share your games - Combine Groups

1. 4 players2. Clues to actions3. Added betting4. Points + 2 faces5. Progress bar6. 2 hands7. 4 elements - different symbols8. Group game - leader9. Drinking

10. Team Based - no player elimination

Combine groups

Make a new rock-paper-scissors based game - possibly incorporating some elements of previous game

On the index paper

Everybody's name

Rules of your game - sufficient detail so somebody else can play it

Exchange rules

Play game in front of class

How is it different than the intended game?

What did they miss, interpret differently?

Do you think they had an emotion in-mind for the player?

If so, what emotion?

Creative Process - 1

Thoughts are associative – new ideas by combining others

Finding patterns - Will Wright game based on ant colonies

In your brain vs on the internet - cannot associate ideas if they are not in your brain

Read, ask questions, investigate

A believable rumor - width of railroad tracks

https://www.truthorfiction.com/railwidth/

Creative Process - 2

Play - board games, card games, AR/VR games, role-playing games, standup-comedy, improvisation

What we know about creativity

1. Intense emotional involvement2. Struggles and fails3. Distracted period4. Solution leaps to the front (seems obvious in hindsight)

Creative Process - 3

“Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration” –

Edison

Enjoy the 1% because everything else is hard work

Emergence comes from ideas contributing, adding to each other

Rip your idea to pieces before others get a chance!

Creative Process - 4

Once you have an idea

– Is it really good?

– Worth spending time and money on?

– Even if “rehash” should bring improvement to original and new challenges

– Discuss with someone that can appreciate the idea

Creative Process - 5

Target Audience

• Gather feedback from colleagues

• Think about core objectives

• List the challenges

– Will help determine genre

• Determine how player will interface

• Define unique features, essential to gameplay

– Has features been done before? If not, is there a

reason why not?

• Consider theme (not graphical theme)

• Solidify in two- to three-page document

Creative Process - 6

Never design by committee

– But blend of “like-minded” people can be very effective

• Meet with team with one-pager

• Keep early meetings focused on design and not on technical

• Write all ideas down, may come in handy later

• Incorporate changes into 2-3 page document

• Move on to Concept Document

Iterative Design - 21. Brainstorming2. Physical Prototype3. Presentation (optional)4. Software Prototype5. Design Documentation6. Production

Exercise: War OR Slapjack based gamehttps://www.bicyclecards.com/rules-tags/accumulating-game/

Make sure you play the game with original rules first!

What is a Game?

Movie?

Toy?

Puzzle?

● A Closed formal system that● Engages players in structured conflict and● Resolves in uncertainty in an unequal outcome

What is a Video Game?

What do we gain/lose moving to video games

Lose: physical pieces, physical interactions, social interaction

Gain: real-time, immersive, complexity

Video Games

● Involve players - no zero person game● Making decisions● Needs a Goal

“When a designer is asked how his game is going to make a difference, I hope he … talks about gameplay, fun and creativity – as opposed to an answer that simply focuses on how good it looks” – Sid Meier

(Civilizations, Railroad Tycoon, Pirates)

Approaching Game Design

● Used to be taught as art - game design cannot be taught● BUT, art can be taught● Art has technical disciplines - music, film, poetry● Game Design as an art form is the best approach

Game Design Practices can be learned

Game Theory

Branch of economics

Mathematically analyzed to determine payoffs

Assumes rational players

Players want to maximize their potential utility

Using logic to solve problems

Game Theory is not sufficient, but can be useful in analyzing games (rock-paper-scissors)

GameplayAdventure game: knight, dwarf, priest, thief

• During combat, knight and dwarf in front, thief fires arrows

• Priest casts spells (assume all cost the same)

– E-bolts (do damage equal to sword)

– Band-aids (heal equal to sword)

• Which spell should Priest cast?

– Against single opponent (they are equal)

– Against opponent with 6 arms (bolts)

– Against many opponents with weak attacks (bandaids)

● Can always decide which is better● Not so interesting

Gameplay - Making it Interesting

• Now, suppose

– Band-aids still affect single target but ebolts have an area affect

– E-bolts do less damage, but armor doesn’t make a difference

• Now, which spell should Priest cast?

– Answer isn’t as easy. Interesting choices.

● Good gameplay.

“A game is a series of interesting choices.”

Sid Meier (pirates, civilization…)

Before Next Class

Readings -- see syllabus

Submit UFO 2D tutorial - due before class next Tuesday. Be ready to demo your modified game in-class.

Extra Extra: Maze

Most older games contained mazes. Players had to tediously map out the maze using pen-paper

Think of mechanics that make making the maze graph a puzzle in itself.

● Maze wraps around● Pass through the same point, but actually in different parts of

the maze