WEEK_2
Nathan Scullen or Nskul14 which is my Xbox gamertag here.
Anyway I'm here to do some work apparently.
Activity 1:
Done I hope.... don't know if this is set up correctly will assume so.
Activity 2:
Playing and reporting.
- In the 70’s: http://www.inthe70s.com/games/index.shtml
- MAME (emulator): http://mamedev.org
- http://www.rom-world.com
THE GAME:
BREAKOUT
- Interactivity – what is the
Interactivity = a conversation (action – reaction – action cycle)
The core gameplay of BREAKOUT is to have a fast reaction time and be able to hit the ball without letting it fall, when the player hits the ball by moving their mouse side to side to control a paddle it bounces off in the opposite direction.
- Concept – what is the BIG THEME (playing tennis, being in space etc)
- Often concurrent to the concept, what form of
spatial arena is present
I can't detect a spatial arena
- Goal – the overall point / outcome of the game
The overall goal/ point is to get the Highest score by destroying the most blocks and losing the least lives.
- Challenge – the manner in which interactivity is designed to be difficult / unpredictable
The challenge comes from the speed of the ball and small size of the paddle, this version had options to change these factors which changes the difficulty, however regardless of the current setting of the speed sometimes when it deflects it picks up extra speed making the default speed difficult.
It is also sometimes unpredictable how the ball will bounce. Losing the life will deduct 1 form your life pool of 3 and a problem is that the ball will start regardless of whether the player is ready or not.
It is also sometimes unpredictable how the ball will bounce. Losing the life will deduct 1 form your life pool of 3 and a problem is that the ball will start regardless of whether the player is ready or not.
- Story: Are there any story elements within the
game? Consider any differences the original platform might have made to
experience of the game?
There is no real story elements.
Discussion:
·
Which is the most
important aspect in your opinion (in these early games) and WHY?
The most important aspect of these early games is to have a solid core concept. Unlike modern games which have grown and so has the power of the machines that run them that use a large variety of complex layers, aesthetics, graphics, etc.
They had to be simple and intuitive and most were designed for the style of play in arcades.
The most important aspect of these early games is to have a solid core concept. Unlike modern games which have grown and so has the power of the machines that run them that use a large variety of complex layers, aesthetics, graphics, etc.
They had to be simple and intuitive and most were designed for the style of play in arcades.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakout_(video_game)
Activity 3 Design Studio
This design challenge is taken from Brenda
Braithwaite’s blog[1]
Materials – paper, post-it notes, pens – could be done
on whiteboard.
Optional – provide students with an ‘engine’ – A3
graph paper
Mechanic device – dice or spinners
Organisation - pairs or small teams dependent on size
of class
Challenge – Race to the end / Destination
Step 1: understand
the basic pattern – players need to start at point A and get to point B,
because it is announced as a race, one player must win.
Our team first wanted to have a theme to help us make the game have more impact.
...
After the theme was decided then influences such as the DayZ mod where players must survive at all cost in a free roam area clouded the teams mind.
Much discussion was had about the way to do a free roam board game.
...
The lecturer then checked up on us and told us that we had actually lost sight of the basic pattern and the start to finish mechanic.
...
It was decided then that the players had to go from the start to the finish(Hospital). With the zombie(player with the lowest dice roll) starting at the hospital in their attempt to stop(infect) the other players making them into zombies.
...
If the player makes it to the hospital they are the winner and subsequent players are 2nd, 3rd etc. However if the original zombie and their infected team-mates manage to infect all players then the original zombie is the winner.
...
After the theme was decided then influences such as the DayZ mod where players must survive at all cost in a free roam area clouded the teams mind.
Much discussion was had about the way to do a free roam board game.
...
The lecturer then checked up on us and told us that we had actually lost sight of the basic pattern and the start to finish mechanic.
...
It was decided then that the players had to go from the start to the finish(Hospital). With the zombie(player with the lowest dice roll) starting at the hospital in their attempt to stop(infect) the other players making them into zombies.
...
If the player makes it to the hospital they are the winner and subsequent players are 2nd, 3rd etc. However if the original zombie and their infected team-mates manage to infect all players then the original zombie is the winner.
Step 2: decide on
a principle theme / concept / narrative: What are the players racing toward (or
from)?
I had proposed the idea of Zombies as I had recently seen a trailer for the new series of the Walking dead. I thoroughly enjoyed the horror and the tough choices that had to be made by the characters in the show. I wanted to try and gather those same feelings. The whole team like this idea and we ran with it.
Step 3: HOW does
the racing happen – the game mechanic that allows players to move forwards?
Each player would throw a die and the corresponding number would be the amount of moves they could make. The zombie had a separate die. There were many paths that the players could chose and if the player wanted to they could also go backwards to chose another route.
Step 4: Add
CONFLICT to make the race more interesting – typical examples might be: Slowing
players down / Speeding players up / missing turns / gaining turns.
We decided to have special squares that if the player lands on it (not including the zombie) they would have to pick up a card these cards had basic board game effects that were part of the theme including things form zombie culture did positive (a shotgun that a player could hold onto to defend themselves.), negative (quicksand - wait out your next turn)and neutral things (swap with another player) etc.
This area was the easiest to expand upon designing more ideas for game cards.
This area was the easiest to expand upon designing more ideas for game cards.
Step 5: When you
have a rudimentary game – let others play and watch them - Where is the game
working? Where is it failing?
For the most part the players were enjoying themselves however a major issue was realised when one player got close to the finish(hospital) it was then decided to make it more difficult for the player to win that they must roll the exact amount to get to the finish line(if the hospital is 3 squares away they must roll a 3).
Combing this with the ability for players to chose to go backwards and chose another route this gave the player closest to the hospital a choice to go closer and hope that the next move they would get the exact dice roll or escape and come back later.
The player took their time to seriously consider the choice then chose to stay which unlucky for them allowed the zombie player to catch them.
Other alterations were made to various cards.
Combing this with the ability for players to chose to go backwards and chose another route this gave the player closest to the hospital a choice to go closer and hope that the next move they would get the exact dice roll or escape and come back later.
The player took their time to seriously consider the choice then chose to stay which unlucky for them allowed the zombie player to catch them.
Other alterations were made to various cards.
Have you designed for
yourselves or your players?
This game was designed firstly for us then it was refined for the players.
·
What is the
player’s interactive experience (e.g. how does the designed conflict help
engage)
The designed conflict changes the players experience forcing them to change their strategies, adapt and predict other players decisions and movements.
The designed conflict changes the players experience forcing them to change their strategies, adapt and predict other players decisions and movements.
·
is the challenge
too easy, does it have a degree of unpredictability?
Originally the game was realised to be too easy then the hospital issue was changed. Other minor issues with the cards were fixed. There is a great level unpredictability adding the element of surprise and re-playability (dice movements, Cards and player choices)
Originally the game was realised to be too easy then the hospital issue was changed. Other minor issues with the cards were fixed. There is a great level unpredictability adding the element of surprise and re-playability (dice movements, Cards and player choices)
·
is the theme /
concept / setting relevant in terms of mechanic or conflict?
The theme was woven into all mechanics as three was the zombie, the cards and then the board.
The theme was woven into all mechanics as three was the zombie, the cards and then the board.
Step 6: Write a
report on the game in Design Journals – practice communicating design concepts
– don’t forget to include VISUALS (diagrams etc)
Optional Step 7:
Digital design:
If you were redesigning this as a digital game, how would it change? Can
you think of digital versions of this simple “race to the end” gameplay?
If the game were brought to the digital realm I believe most things would stay the same however many aesthetics would change using graphics and animations for the cards and adding more cards new maps(game boards).
[1] The easiest game design exercise
ever (really), July 9, 2008
– Available: http://bbrathwaite.wordpress.com/2008/07/09/the-easiest-game-design-exercise-ever-really/
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