I have submitted my map idea to the Unreal Tournament forums for feedback from the community and am awaiting replies.
https://forums.unrealtournament.com/showthread.php?23292-CTF-DM-CyberMall
Monday, 21 March 2016
Thursday, 17 March 2016
Design DunDoc and Trello
To present the design and track development I have created a DunDoc and a Trello.
Trello Board: https://trello.com/b/wFWyxcPd
Tuesday, 15 March 2016
Game Design Document Research
To ensure a game development project goes smoothly and to ensure that all involved at all levels, not just hose on the dev team, but including management, marketing, etc. are on the same page, a Game Design Document should be produced.
This document lists in detailed, but understandable language, all of the features of the game, including story, characters, environments and levels, gameplay, art description, sound, user interface and controls as well as what needs to be coded.
This document lists in detailed, but understandable language, all of the features of the game, including story, characters, environments and levels, gameplay, art description, sound, user interface and controls as well as what needs to be coded.
Saturday, 12 March 2016
Presentation modification
As part of my peer feedback I had to modify my presentation to help people who may not have a full understanding of the Cyberpunk theme.
I added a extra slide to the middle of my presentation to help with this and obviously I would also talk about it in detail if I were to present again.
Monday, 7 March 2016
Presentation Peer Review - Action Plan
The only major complaint about my presentation is that it should have made a point of describing what the Cyberpunk theme entailed for people who were not in the know.
To rectify this I will add an extra slide with a brief bullet pointed description of Cyberpunk with references to non-gaming cyberpunk franchises, for example Bladerunner, Akira, etc.
For my map design, the general feedback was positive with no immediate design changes suggested by the peer group. Although this may change later down the line, I will not be modifying my map design at this point.
To rectify this I will add an extra slide with a brief bullet pointed description of Cyberpunk with references to non-gaming cyberpunk franchises, for example Bladerunner, Akira, etc.
For my map design, the general feedback was positive with no immediate design changes suggested by the peer group. Although this may change later down the line, I will not be modifying my map design at this point.
CyberMall - Map idea presentation and peer reviews
Today I presented my map proposal to the class. This was to inform them of my map theme and design idea, the Cyberpunk Mall.
Presentation Peer Review
From the peer review of the actual presentation, I found the feedback to be extremely positive, citing that I spoke clearly and was very concise and to the point with how my information was presented. Everyone got what I was trying to convey. The main small criticism was that in my presentation I didn't help people who may have been less familiar with concept of cyberpunk. I could have made a single extra slide explaining the concept with a couple of non-gaming references to this concept, such as using Bladerunner and Akira.
General Peer Feedback - Idea
Later in the lesson, we had a peer review cycle on the actual map idea and theme. Based on feedback from other classmates, the reaction is again extremely positive, with people interested in the design and theme and even one person saying they would help me work on assets if the design got taken any further.
Direct Peer Review - Idea and Questions
In a forum post, I asked for feedback on the general layout, whether some interaction would be beneficial to the map and maybe the introduction of a timed event, for example a power cut. In general people were happy with the layout, but it was suggested that it could be a little linear. I had considered adding some corners into the map layout earlier, but I thought it best to wait until after some gameplay tests to make changes to the map layout. For suggestions on interaction, I received the suggestion of lifts, which again is something I had considered and even have spaces on my map for them to go, but again I had decided to wait for some playtest feedback before adding these. The power cut idea was considered to be good in general, but that there should be a reason for it.
Conclusion and Evaluation
In all I am pretty happy with how today went, with positive reactions to both how the presentation was given and the map idea itself. I think I can improve in a few areas, as I could have given my presentation a bit more practice and I know now that in presentation that I shouldn't assume that everyone knows what something is, even if everyone you know does.
Sunday, 6 March 2016
Presentation creation 3
I felt that my presentation was missing a really standout thing.
I remembered that paintovers were common for level prototypes, so I tried my hand at it.
I took a greyscale render of a section of the level
Then I just used photoshop to paste in photographic elements and paint over and some layer filters for the glows, and the result is below
I remembered that paintovers were common for level prototypes, so I tried my hand at it.
I took a greyscale render of a section of the level
Then I just used photoshop to paste in photographic elements and paint over and some layer filters for the glows, and the result is below
Friday, 4 March 2016
Presentation Creation 2
I took the Maya models I had made for the prototype level mockup and changed the colour scheme to match my presentation.
I then did some renders for the top-down and 3D.
I then did some renders for the top-down and 3D.
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
Presentation creation 1
I wanted my presentation to look professional, so I created a thematic logo for my map.
It's mainly using the inner and outer glow layer filters for the wireframes and the text is custom gradients and outer strokes.
It's mainly using the inner and outer glow layer filters for the wireframes and the text is custom gradients and outer strokes.
Tuesday, 23 February 2016
Map Conception - Prototype development 4
At this point I thought I was finished with my design concepting, but I couldn't help feeling there was something needed, just a little tweak.
I felt the central area, the circle, was being neglected, like it was just a route through instead of being like a meeting point or where the battle could turn.
I talked to one of my friends, who played a lot of UT99 and has been a long time fan of the Unreal franchise, to get his opinion on my map design.
Overall he liked the layout and thought it could be a fun map if developed further. He liked the elements I had taken from the popular old-school maps.
We talked about what could be changed and the feeling I was having about the central room. We finally agreed that all that was really needed was some vertical gameplay and something to fight over.
For my final map revision, I removed the middle pillar and added one of the ramp elements.
Again, I was planning on putting an item in the centre to bait players into using the area. My friend said it would be good if on this central point there was a large health pack in CTF, so that flag carriers would have something to keep them going on a flag run, the risk being that other players would know they might go here, or placing the UDamage here in DM so the players would fight over it.
I am pretty confident this will be my last revision as I am due to present my work to the class in a few days.
Sunday, 21 February 2016
Map Conception - Prototype development 3
At this point I feel the map development is coming along nicely, but I feel there is something fundamental missing from my current iteration.
While the horizontal layout is getting the feel I want, taking as it is inspiration from the Facing Worlds design element, I think the vertical gameplay of Deck 16 is missing. The gantrys should connect between the two levels vertically in some way.
I decided that short ramps with small central points would fit better with the Mall theme than the long ramps of Deck, while getting the same result.
These small central platforms would also serve as placement points for weapons or pickups, as 'bait' to make the player want to change level or direction.
At this point I was pretty happy with the design and so I added some clutter and walls to help with showing how it might play.
I added pillars in to help with line of sight interruption, and the green areas are places for possible lifts, should the design require them later. I think before adding lifts in I would do some level blockouts and get gameplay feedback from actual playtesting later down the line.
Friday, 19 February 2016
Map Conception - Prototype development 2
After thinking on my first prototype for the map, I felt the pathing was quite linear, so the next step was to mix it up a bit.
My first iteration on this map design was to create an offset, so that there was more choice for the player and that it wasn't as easy for each team to see where players would go.
The straight corridors I felt were quite boring and linear, plus it was too open to long range weapons dominating, which would make the CTF gameplay quite frustrating on both attack and return.
I will return to developing the map later.
Wednesday, 17 February 2016
Map Conception - Prototype development 1
With my theme and concept chosen I began to concept out my map.
I began by doing a simple top down sketch of what I thought the map could look like.
I thought this motif was a good start, but I wanted to get across the idea of verticality in the level, so after thinking for a bit I moved to Maya to continue with the conception.
After a bit of work I had a first iteration 3D concept for the map.
This model gave me a good idea of where I wanted to head with the map and gave me something to think on.
I began by doing a simple top down sketch of what I thought the map could look like.
I thought this motif was a good start, but I wanted to get across the idea of verticality in the level, so after thinking for a bit I moved to Maya to continue with the conception.
After a bit of work I had a first iteration 3D concept for the map.
This model gave me a good idea of where I wanted to head with the map and gave me something to think on.
Monday, 15 February 2016
Idea - Filters and Key Questions
A game design needs to pass these 8 filters to be considered 'good enough' for market. These filters are not meant to put people off, but are there to help them nurture an idea. If a filter fails, how can they re-factor the idea to make it fit? A fail is not a game over for the project, but an opportunity to re-think.
I will apply these filters to my map design and Unreal Tournament.
Filter 1: Artistic Impulse
This is the 'feel' of the game, if something is 'right' you just know in your gut.
Key Question: “Does this game feel right?”
At this moment I certainly feel that the CyberMall map proposal is the best one for me at this moment. The Theme feels good and the design is coming together well.
Filter 2: Demographics
This is who the game is aimed at. It could be an age group or people with certain interests.
Key Question: “Will the intended audience like this game enough?”
I think that my intended audience (25+ gamers who played UT99) will like my map. The design is influenced by classic maps and has a focus on balance, which are things these gamers appreciate.
Filter 3: Experience Design
This refers to the experience of playing the game, which includes gameplay, aesthetics, theme, balance, etc.
Key Question: “Is this a well-designed game?”
I like to think that I can design a good level, though this is only coming from a gamer experience point of view, having never actually designed a map before. I feel the aesthetics and theme will come through well in my map, and balance is something it is being designed from the ground up to achieve.
Filter #4: Innovation
What are you doing that's different, what will set you part from the competition.
Key Question: “Is this game novel enough?”
I think while it Cyberpunk a tried and true theme, there are not a lot of other maps using it at the moment. This could be due to the fact it is difficult to get right!
Filter # 5: Business and Marketing
How well is this game being marketed to users and how is the audience being engaged. How can we make the product appealing to potential customers and achieve sales.
Key Question: “Will this game sell?”
At this early stage the only 'marketing' which can be done really is engaging with the community. Putting the idea out there and gaining interest and critique. If people remain interested then they may become customers by downloading the map and having some fun with it.
Filter 6: Engineering
How will the final product be achieved, what technology and manpower will be required. Can it even be achieved in the current situation or climate.
Key Question: “Is it technically possible to build this game?”
I think this is the most difficult to answer in regards to the map. There is a potential for requiring a lot of assets and a lot of design passes on the map itself. This is a huge undertaking for one person. I am prepared for this challenge though!
Filter #7: Social/Community
In addition to something being fun, does it engage the players in social aspects? interacting with other players or even just talking about it to people.
Key Question: “Does this game meet our social and community goals?”
I think that if people start putting my map on their servers and players are playing it and having fun, then the social and community goals will have been fulfilled.
Filter #8: Play testing
Do people playing the game actually enjoy it.
Key Question: “Do the play testers enjoy the game enough?”
This is a difficult question to answer at an early concept stage, though I will say I am trying to design the best map I can.
I will apply these filters to my map design and Unreal Tournament.
Filter 1: Artistic Impulse
This is the 'feel' of the game, if something is 'right' you just know in your gut.
Key Question: “Does this game feel right?”
At this moment I certainly feel that the CyberMall map proposal is the best one for me at this moment. The Theme feels good and the design is coming together well.
Filter 2: Demographics
This is who the game is aimed at. It could be an age group or people with certain interests.
Key Question: “Will the intended audience like this game enough?”
I think that my intended audience (25+ gamers who played UT99) will like my map. The design is influenced by classic maps and has a focus on balance, which are things these gamers appreciate.
Filter 3: Experience Design
This refers to the experience of playing the game, which includes gameplay, aesthetics, theme, balance, etc.
Key Question: “Is this a well-designed game?”
I like to think that I can design a good level, though this is only coming from a gamer experience point of view, having never actually designed a map before. I feel the aesthetics and theme will come through well in my map, and balance is something it is being designed from the ground up to achieve.
Filter #4: Innovation
What are you doing that's different, what will set you part from the competition.
Key Question: “Is this game novel enough?”
I think while it Cyberpunk a tried and true theme, there are not a lot of other maps using it at the moment. This could be due to the fact it is difficult to get right!
Filter # 5: Business and Marketing
How well is this game being marketed to users and how is the audience being engaged. How can we make the product appealing to potential customers and achieve sales.
Key Question: “Will this game sell?”
At this early stage the only 'marketing' which can be done really is engaging with the community. Putting the idea out there and gaining interest and critique. If people remain interested then they may become customers by downloading the map and having some fun with it.
Filter 6: Engineering
How will the final product be achieved, what technology and manpower will be required. Can it even be achieved in the current situation or climate.
Key Question: “Is it technically possible to build this game?”
I think this is the most difficult to answer in regards to the map. There is a potential for requiring a lot of assets and a lot of design passes on the map itself. This is a huge undertaking for one person. I am prepared for this challenge though!
Filter #7: Social/Community
In addition to something being fun, does it engage the players in social aspects? interacting with other players or even just talking about it to people.
Key Question: “Does this game meet our social and community goals?”
I think that if people start putting my map on their servers and players are playing it and having fun, then the social and community goals will have been fulfilled.
Filter #8: Play testing
Do people playing the game actually enjoy it.
Key Question: “Do the play testers enjoy the game enough?”
This is a difficult question to answer at an early concept stage, though I will say I am trying to design the best map I can.
Rule of the Loop
The rule of the loop is quite simply the iteration and progression of an idea into a fully formed product.
It is the cycle of 'test and improve'. Make a change, test it, make another change, test it again, and so on until it is as good as it can be.
The most important questions when doing this kind of iteration are:
How can I make every loop count?
How can I loop as fast as possible?
The Informal Loop:
1. Think of an idea.
2. Try it out.
3. Keep changing it and testing it until it seems good enough.
But we can make it better and more formal see below.
The Formal Loop:
1. State the problem.
2. Brainstorm some possible solutions.
3. Choose a solution.
4. List the risks of using that solution.
5. Build prototypes to mitigate the risks.
6. Test the prototypes. If they are good enough, stop.
7. State the new problems you are trying to solve, and go to step 2.
How this relates to our map brief is creating our blockouts, having a playtest, changing some things, seeing how it affects the gameplay and the feel.
This can also relate to art assets. creating initial placeholders, then getting more defined details before reaching the final object after several visual passes.
It is the cycle of 'test and improve'. Make a change, test it, make another change, test it again, and so on until it is as good as it can be.
The most important questions when doing this kind of iteration are:
How can I make every loop count?
How can I loop as fast as possible?
The Informal Loop:
1. Think of an idea.
2. Try it out.
3. Keep changing it and testing it until it seems good enough.
But we can make it better and more formal see below.
The Formal Loop:
1. State the problem.
2. Brainstorm some possible solutions.
3. Choose a solution.
4. List the risks of using that solution.
5. Build prototypes to mitigate the risks.
6. Test the prototypes. If they are good enough, stop.
7. State the new problems you are trying to solve, and go to step 2.
How this relates to our map brief is creating our blockouts, having a playtest, changing some things, seeing how it affects the gameplay and the feel.
This can also relate to art assets. creating initial placeholders, then getting more defined details before reaching the final object after several visual passes.
Map Design Techniques
On the college VLE, we were given some resources to research map design.
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/195069/deathmatch_map_design_the_.php
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5zZ2hj5tJ4
The main important things of a map are flow, balance and the rule of 8.
The rule of 8 is that the flow should always be made up of the number 8, no matter how abstract the shape.
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/195069/deathmatch_map_design_the_.php
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5zZ2hj5tJ4
The main important things of a map are flow, balance and the rule of 8.
The rule of 8 is that the flow should always be made up of the number 8, no matter how abstract the shape.
Demographics
Demographics are a way to loosely group types of people to simplify the target audience of a particular product, in our case, a videogame.
The most common ways to section people off is by age group and by sex, but other criteria like interests can also be used.
According to the ESA findings, the average age of a gamer is 35, much higher than one would expect.
http://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ESA-Essential-Facts-2015.pdf
The demographics of Unreal Tournament are the 18-25 demographic and the 25+ range, though this range is always increasing due to the average age of an Unreal Tournament fan getting older.
For my map, I think I want to go for the upper 25+ bracket of Unreal Tournament player. Someone who played the original and likes the classic maps.
I feel the Cybermall, with it's cyberpunk theme and 80's influences coupled with a simpler classic map design could win over this demographic.
The most common ways to section people off is by age group and by sex, but other criteria like interests can also be used.
According to the ESA findings, the average age of a gamer is 35, much higher than one would expect.
http://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ESA-Essential-Facts-2015.pdf
The demographics of Unreal Tournament are the 18-25 demographic and the 25+ range, though this range is always increasing due to the average age of an Unreal Tournament fan getting older.
For my map, I think I want to go for the upper 25+ bracket of Unreal Tournament player. Someone who played the original and likes the classic maps.
I feel the Cybermall, with it's cyberpunk theme and 80's influences coupled with a simpler classic map design could win over this demographic.
CyberMall Map - Mood Board Conclusion
After creating 3 mood boards for this map, I have taken a selection of images from each and created a mood board conclusion.
https://uk.pinterest.com/aconlan0468/unit-75-cybermall-conclusion/
https://uk.pinterest.com/aconlan0468/unit-75-cybermall-conclusion/
Saturday, 13 February 2016
SWOT Analysis
SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.
It is a way to gauge the market against your product by analysing your product's Strengths with regard to what it can give to the market, Weaknesses regarding where it falls short or areas it doesn't cover, Opportunities are areas where the product can exploit a gap in the market, give customers something they want, and Threats are competitors, are there similar products on the market, etc.
With regard to my product, it is the CyberMall Unreal Tournament Map.
Strengths:
Compelling theme
Fans of classic style maps
Map balance
Weaknesses:
Could be difficult to develop alone or with only a small team
New to Unreal map making
Could be difficult to gain attention as a new map creator
Opportunities:
Gap in the market for a map with this theme
Classic style maps seem to be popular
Many competitors maps do not get past the prototype stage
Threats:
Other map developers
Other maps
Users may not enjoy the map
Being new to map making could negatively affect feedback
It is a way to gauge the market against your product by analysing your product's Strengths with regard to what it can give to the market, Weaknesses regarding where it falls short or areas it doesn't cover, Opportunities are areas where the product can exploit a gap in the market, give customers something they want, and Threats are competitors, are there similar products on the market, etc.
With regard to my product, it is the CyberMall Unreal Tournament Map.
Strengths:
Compelling theme
Fans of classic style maps
Map balance
Weaknesses:
Could be difficult to develop alone or with only a small team
New to Unreal map making
Could be difficult to gain attention as a new map creator
Opportunities:
Gap in the market for a map with this theme
Classic style maps seem to be popular
Many competitors maps do not get past the prototype stage
Threats:
Other map developers
Other maps
Users may not enjoy the map
Being new to map making could negatively affect feedback
Friday, 12 February 2016
Mood Boards
To help with the design process I have created a few mood boards for my map ideas.
CyberMall mood boards
Malls Mood Board
https://uk.pinterest.com/aconlan0468/unit-75-malls/
Cyberpunk Art Mood Board
https://uk.pinterest.com/aconlan0468/unit-75-cyberpunk-art/
Neon Mood Board
https://uk.pinterest.com/aconlan0468/unit-75-neon-mood-board/
Cave system mood board
https://uk.pinterest.com/aconlan0468/unit-75-caves/
CyberMall mood boards
Malls Mood Board
https://uk.pinterest.com/aconlan0468/unit-75-malls/
Cyberpunk Art Mood Board
https://uk.pinterest.com/aconlan0468/unit-75-cyberpunk-art/
Neon Mood Board
https://uk.pinterest.com/aconlan0468/unit-75-neon-mood-board/
Cave system mood board
https://uk.pinterest.com/aconlan0468/unit-75-caves/
Thursday, 11 February 2016
Problem Statement
The problem statement asks what problem, or problems are we trying to solve?
The following questions are based on the problem statement for a full game, but I will try to answer them in relation to my map in Unreal Tournament.
● Have I been making assumptions about this game that really have nothing to do with its true purpose?
I feel the purpose of Unreal Tournament is to kill, survive, score points. The purpose of a map is to facilitate this in the most fun and fair way for the player.
● Is a game really the best solution? Why?
I think that a game is the best solution to resolving the problem of killing for enjoyment... because the alternative is illegal...
● How will I be able to tell if the problem is solved?
The problem is solved if I produce a fun map for Unreal Tournament which people enjoy playing.
These questions help to develop and define the idea in an efficient way, quickly reaching a conclusion.
The following questions are based on the problem statement for a full game, but I will try to answer them in relation to my map in Unreal Tournament.
● Have I been making assumptions about this game that really have nothing to do with its true purpose?
I feel the purpose of Unreal Tournament is to kill, survive, score points. The purpose of a map is to facilitate this in the most fun and fair way for the player.
● Is a game really the best solution? Why?
I think that a game is the best solution to resolving the problem of killing for enjoyment... because the alternative is illegal...
● How will I be able to tell if the problem is solved?
The problem is solved if I produce a fun map for Unreal Tournament which people enjoy playing.
These questions help to develop and define the idea in an efficient way, quickly reaching a conclusion.
What is a Game? 10 Questions
Defining a 'Game' is not an easy task, which is why we use the 10 questions to help us conceptualise and define what we are trying to achieve. The 10 questions encompass games as a problem solving activity.
I will be answering these questions specifically to define our given brief, which is to make a Deathmatch or Capture the Flag map for the game Unreal Tournament.
Q1. Games are entered wilfully.
In the context of Unreal Tournament, the player wilfully enters battle against AI or other players.
Q2. Games have goals.
The goal of Unreal Tournament is to score more points than the opponent, either by killing them or scoring more points.
Q3. Games have conflict.
The conflict in Unreal Tournament is the battle between the player and the opponents, be they AI or other players.
Q4. Games have rules.
The Rules of Unreal Tournament are in DeathMatch, it's kill or be killed. In Capture the Flag, the enemies' flag must be captured and returned to base to score points.
Q5. Games can be won and lost.
Winning and losing in Unreal Tournament is the whole meaning of the game. More points or kills must be scored than the enemy to win, otherwise the player loses.
Q6. Games are interactive.
In Unreal Tournament, the interaction is player movement, collecting of powerups and weapons, and firing of said weapons. The game maps have simple collision based interaction for doors, lifts and other objects, but there is no advanced inventory system or player interaction except for with bullets.
Q7. Games have challenge.
The challenge of Unreal Tournament is effectively the difficulty setting of the AI or the player skill of the opponents, as well as the player's skill at aiming the weapons and avoiding death.
Q8. Games can create their own internal value.
The internal value in Unreal Tournament is the scores, the kill count, the player stats and the need to improve on those stats.
Q9. Games engage players.
Unreal Tournament engages the player by presenting the player with the challenge of defeating the opponents through skill.
Q10. Games are closed, formal systems.
The closed systems of Unreal Tournament could be interpreted as the maps, the weapon balance, the abilities of the player. This one kind of links up with Rules in a way.
Under these definitions, we can conclude that when playing Unreal Tournament, we are solving the problem of winning a match against the opponent.
I will be answering these questions specifically to define our given brief, which is to make a Deathmatch or Capture the Flag map for the game Unreal Tournament.
Q1. Games are entered wilfully.
In the context of Unreal Tournament, the player wilfully enters battle against AI or other players.
Q2. Games have goals.
The goal of Unreal Tournament is to score more points than the opponent, either by killing them or scoring more points.
Q3. Games have conflict.
The conflict in Unreal Tournament is the battle between the player and the opponents, be they AI or other players.
Q4. Games have rules.
The Rules of Unreal Tournament are in DeathMatch, it's kill or be killed. In Capture the Flag, the enemies' flag must be captured and returned to base to score points.
Q5. Games can be won and lost.
Winning and losing in Unreal Tournament is the whole meaning of the game. More points or kills must be scored than the enemy to win, otherwise the player loses.
Q6. Games are interactive.
In Unreal Tournament, the interaction is player movement, collecting of powerups and weapons, and firing of said weapons. The game maps have simple collision based interaction for doors, lifts and other objects, but there is no advanced inventory system or player interaction except for with bullets.
Q7. Games have challenge.
The challenge of Unreal Tournament is effectively the difficulty setting of the AI or the player skill of the opponents, as well as the player's skill at aiming the weapons and avoiding death.
Q8. Games can create their own internal value.
The internal value in Unreal Tournament is the scores, the kill count, the player stats and the need to improve on those stats.
Q9. Games engage players.
Unreal Tournament engages the player by presenting the player with the challenge of defeating the opponents through skill.
Q10. Games are closed, formal systems.
The closed systems of Unreal Tournament could be interpreted as the maps, the weapon balance, the abilities of the player. This one kind of links up with Rules in a way.
Under these definitions, we can conclude that when playing Unreal Tournament, we are solving the problem of winning a match against the opponent.
4 Basic Elements of a Game
As part of the research for this unit, I used the documents provided to read up about the elements of a video game. The resource stated that there are 4 main elements that make up a game, which are Mechanics, Story, Aesthetics, and Technology. While these elements are the major parts, they can be broken down further into more granular elements. These 4 parts are intrinsically linked and no part is greater than the other when creating a complete interactive experience.
Mechanics.
The mechanics are in essence the interactions with the player. These are the parameters within which the gameplay can take place, what can and can't be done in the rules of the world, the story or the limitations of the character, or even the technology. It dictates how the player will progress and what interactions they have with the game world. This is the most solid link a game has with the player and these interactions are what can ultimately make or break a game.
Story
The story is what compels the player to continue, it is what dictates how the player will continue, or what leaves the options open for the player to decide. The story and mechanics are closely linked in that the rules of the world must be adhered to by the interactions, but also must also make sense in terms of the story.
Aesthetics
The aesthetics of a game are extremely important. It is the visual aspect of the game, the art style, the sound design, the player feedback. these are all what the player experiences most directly, as well as what is experienced by non-players (others watching the game being played, but not actually playing). While mechanics dictates how and why the player is continuing, this is how the story will be told most directly. In this area it is important to think about technology, as the target hardware will have limitations on what can be achieved visually as well as audio wise, and the designer needs to play to the strengths.
Technology
The technology of a videogame is dictated by the target hardware as well as the chosen engine. This can effect graphic and sound quality, as well as the complexity of interactions. Technology that can affect mechanics should be considered, for example the controller of the device being used, weather it be a keyboard and mouse, a standard controller or simply the touch-screen of a phone or tablet.
All parts are linked and no part is most important. All areas have considerations and affect all other parts in some way. These are things that must be considered when designing a game.
Mechanics.
The mechanics are in essence the interactions with the player. These are the parameters within which the gameplay can take place, what can and can't be done in the rules of the world, the story or the limitations of the character, or even the technology. It dictates how the player will progress and what interactions they have with the game world. This is the most solid link a game has with the player and these interactions are what can ultimately make or break a game.
Story
The story is what compels the player to continue, it is what dictates how the player will continue, or what leaves the options open for the player to decide. The story and mechanics are closely linked in that the rules of the world must be adhered to by the interactions, but also must also make sense in terms of the story.
Aesthetics
The aesthetics of a game are extremely important. It is the visual aspect of the game, the art style, the sound design, the player feedback. these are all what the player experiences most directly, as well as what is experienced by non-players (others watching the game being played, but not actually playing). While mechanics dictates how and why the player is continuing, this is how the story will be told most directly. In this area it is important to think about technology, as the target hardware will have limitations on what can be achieved visually as well as audio wise, and the designer needs to play to the strengths.
Technology
The technology of a videogame is dictated by the target hardware as well as the chosen engine. This can effect graphic and sound quality, as well as the complexity of interactions. Technology that can affect mechanics should be considered, for example the controller of the device being used, weather it be a keyboard and mouse, a standard controller or simply the touch-screen of a phone or tablet.
All parts are linked and no part is most important. All areas have considerations and affect all other parts in some way. These are things that must be considered when designing a game.
Mind Maps
To help with the design process and to help know what tools we have to work with I have Mind Mapped Unreal Tournament.
Wednesday, 10 February 2016
Unreal Research - Maps
When researching into maps already provided or in development for the new Unreal Tournament, I went in expecting predominantly Sci-fi/industrial maps with a few outliers of different theme. When I came to look, it seems that there is a dominance of maps based in Castles. 12 of the maps on the official site appear to be modelled after castles of some kind, with Sci-fi/industrial being second with around 10. Outside of that there are a few based on rock/natural formations, with the rest of the maps in early blockout or placeholder graphics stages, meaning the theme was hard to determine.
I also researched which maps were the most popular with the community. Two classic maps were repeatedly mentioned: Facing Worlds and Deck. I noticed that these were being updated and re-imagined for the new release of Unreal Tournament, meaning there is clearly a demand for old school style maps.
https://wiki.unrealengine.com/Levels_(Unreal_Tournament)
While a popular map, the main complaint about Facing Worlds was sniper domination, so I should take this into account when creating my map.
I feel like if I could capture this same feeling as the old maps with a new map, fixing the flaws of the old ones I could be on to a winner.
http://www.pcgamer.com/on-the-level-facing-worlds-unreal-tournament/
I also researched which maps were the most popular with the community. Two classic maps were repeatedly mentioned: Facing Worlds and Deck. I noticed that these were being updated and re-imagined for the new release of Unreal Tournament, meaning there is clearly a demand for old school style maps.
https://wiki.unrealengine.com/Levels_(Unreal_Tournament)
While a popular map, the main complaint about Facing Worlds was sniper domination, so I should take this into account when creating my map.
I feel like if I could capture this same feeling as the old maps with a new map, fixing the flaws of the old ones I could be on to a winner.
http://www.pcgamer.com/on-the-level-facing-worlds-unreal-tournament/
Unreal Research - Experience
The 'X' of unreal can be boiled down to simply get kills and score points.
When playing the game though there is more of a strategy to it. The survival instincts and the hunt.
When playing the game though there is more of a strategy to it. The survival instincts and the hunt.
Unreal Marketplace
The Unreal Marketplace is an area on the Unreal Launcher where developers can buy and sell their created wares.
This has potential for us as people could download our maps from the marketplace to play them.
This has potential for us as people could download our maps from the marketplace to play them.
Unreal Research - Game and Engine History
Unreal
In 1998, Epic Games released Unreal. This was primarily a single player game with an attached multi-player mode including the famous Deathmatch game type popularised by Doom and Quake before it.
Unreal Tournament
After Unreal's initial release and seeing how popular the multi-player mode was, Epic began working on a multi-player expansion pack for the original Unreal. Part way through development, they felt it should be expanded warranted being a full standalone product, which spawned the first release of Unreal Tournament.
The engine itself was designed to be highly adaptable so that they themselves and later other developers could make games with a better workflow and easier implementation of functionality.
Unreal Tournament 2003
This was the first major upgrade to the engine, supporting all the latest (at the time ) graphics cards and new effects.
The engine continued to be licenced to other developers who enjoyed it's toolset and ease of use.
Unreal Tounament 2004
Just a year later the next iteration was released, though there was a big update. Native vehicle support. This changed the dynamics of the game and introduced new modes with vehicles.
Developers were also able to take advantage of the new vehicle system and this meant easier implementation of vehicles into future Unreal Engine games.
While there were some minor side instalments on the XBox, the next full PC release was:
Unreal Tournament 3
Though it is the 4th major Unreal Tournament instalment, the 3 refers to the engine version.
This new engine was their best and easiest to use yet.
Many great franchises used this engine including Gears of War and Bioshock.
This version of the eingine also spawned UDK, a development suite for both professionals and enthusiasts.
Unreal Tournament/Unreal Engine 4
Continuing it's market share, this new Unreal Tournament is an ongoing project funded by licence and marketplace sales and co-developed by the community itself.
And this is where we come in. This is what we will be working on for this unit.
In 1998, Epic Games released Unreal. This was primarily a single player game with an attached multi-player mode including the famous Deathmatch game type popularised by Doom and Quake before it.
Unreal Tournament
After Unreal's initial release and seeing how popular the multi-player mode was, Epic began working on a multi-player expansion pack for the original Unreal. Part way through development, they felt it should be expanded warranted being a full standalone product, which spawned the first release of Unreal Tournament.
The engine itself was designed to be highly adaptable so that they themselves and later other developers could make games with a better workflow and easier implementation of functionality.
Unreal Tournament 2003
This was the first major upgrade to the engine, supporting all the latest (at the time ) graphics cards and new effects.
The engine continued to be licenced to other developers who enjoyed it's toolset and ease of use.
Unreal Tounament 2004
Just a year later the next iteration was released, though there was a big update. Native vehicle support. This changed the dynamics of the game and introduced new modes with vehicles.
Developers were also able to take advantage of the new vehicle system and this meant easier implementation of vehicles into future Unreal Engine games.
While there were some minor side instalments on the XBox, the next full PC release was:
Unreal Tournament 3
Though it is the 4th major Unreal Tournament instalment, the 3 refers to the engine version.
This new engine was their best and easiest to use yet.
Many great franchises used this engine including Gears of War and Bioshock.
This version of the eingine also spawned UDK, a development suite for both professionals and enthusiasts.
Unreal Tournament/Unreal Engine 4
Continuing it's market share, this new Unreal Tournament is an ongoing project funded by licence and marketplace sales and co-developed by the community itself.
And this is where we come in. This is what we will be working on for this unit.
Wednesday, 3 February 2016
Psychology, Anthropology and Design
The ultimate job of a Game Designer is to create a complete cohesive experience for the player. This can be anything from a complex story to a simple shooter.
No matter the experience the Designer wishes to create, the three disciplines of Psychology, Anthropology and Design are very important to game designers.
Psychology and using the knowledge of how the mind works and interprets things they can create compelling stories, psychological experiences, induce certain feelings in the player, a whole range of emotions.
Anthropology helps the game designer create empathy with the player, give the story or the game experiences a more human element and allowing the player to get more immersed in what is being played.
Design, from the point of view of the Game Designer, needs to take cues from many other disciplines. The entire concept of creativity in all it's forms has always had an effect on people and what they experience, be it Music, Film, Architecture, Art, these are all linked in to the Psychology and Anthropology of experiences, and the Game Designer can learn from these other disciplines to create better experiences for the player, or affect a player in the desired way.
No matter the experience the Designer wishes to create, the three disciplines of Psychology, Anthropology and Design are very important to game designers.
Psychology and using the knowledge of how the mind works and interprets things they can create compelling stories, psychological experiences, induce certain feelings in the player, a whole range of emotions.
Anthropology helps the game designer create empathy with the player, give the story or the game experiences a more human element and allowing the player to get more immersed in what is being played.
Design, from the point of view of the Game Designer, needs to take cues from many other disciplines. The entire concept of creativity in all it's forms has always had an effect on people and what they experience, be it Music, Film, Architecture, Art, these are all linked in to the Psychology and Anthropology of experiences, and the Game Designer can learn from these other disciplines to create better experiences for the player, or affect a player in the desired way.
Tuesday, 2 February 2016
Five kinds of listening
As a game designer, the main skill required is the ability to listen. The reason you need to be able to listen is to have the ability to gather information from many sources, and apply this to create a better final product.
Listen to the Team
Gather information about your team's skills and each member's strengths and weaknesses. With this information you can assign jobs accordingly and create a more efficient project. The team's opinions also matter.
Listen to the Audience
Research and engage your game's target audience. Find out what they like and dislike about similar products and use this to shape the game and innovate.
Listen to the Game
As a game designer, it is your job to know the game inside out. Know what parts are working out as expected and fine tune what isn't. As a designer you are expected to manage the project as a whole. All parts are ultimately your responsibility.
Listen to the Client
The client is the one with the money, the person who pays your wage. The ultimate aim is to make this person pleased with the product you are producing, otherwise you don't get paid. You need to know exactly what they are expecting, and sometimes this can be difficult.
Listen to Yourself
Listen to the little idea sparks, constantly build on things you see, things you experience. The more you expand on what you know and the more you think outside the box, the better and more creative your ideas can be.
Listen to the Team
Gather information about your team's skills and each member's strengths and weaknesses. With this information you can assign jobs accordingly and create a more efficient project. The team's opinions also matter.
Listen to the Audience
Research and engage your game's target audience. Find out what they like and dislike about similar products and use this to shape the game and innovate.
Listen to the Game
As a game designer, it is your job to know the game inside out. Know what parts are working out as expected and fine tune what isn't. As a designer you are expected to manage the project as a whole. All parts are ultimately your responsibility.
Listen to the Client
The client is the one with the money, the person who pays your wage. The ultimate aim is to make this person pleased with the product you are producing, otherwise you don't get paid. You need to know exactly what they are expecting, and sometimes this can be difficult.
Listen to Yourself
Listen to the little idea sparks, constantly build on things you see, things you experience. The more you expand on what you know and the more you think outside the box, the better and more creative your ideas can be.
The role of a Game Designer
The entire job of a Game Designer is to create Experiences.
In this lesson, with a peer group, we were tasked with brainstorming the skills we considered to be important for a Game Designer.
Our list was as follows:
- Management Skills
- Time
- Team
- Rescources
- Knowledge
- Industry
- Market
- Limitations
- Ideas
- Creativity
- Research Skills
- Problem Solving
- Team Work
- Knows own weaknesses
- Presentation Skills
- Originality
- Motivation
- Passion
While these are all important skills, we learned from the discussion that the most important skill is the ability to listen.
Game Design Process - Stages of Development
In today's session we learned about the Development Process and the Stages of Development.
The three Stages of Development are Pre-Production, Production and Post Production.
In groups, we were given a list of development processes and were asked to judge which stage of Development we thought they occurred in.
In my group we categorised as such:
Pre Production: Analysis of Brief, Research, Concepts, Sketched Level Design, Prototype, Scape and Proportion, Rules and Limitations, Brainstorming, High Concept.
Production: Map Development, Intro/Cut/End Scenes, Texturing, Lighting, Game Rigging, Animation, AI, Menu/HUD, Level Blockout, Testing, Outsourcing, Localization.
Post Production: Maintainence, Marketing.
While we were mostly correct, the actual categorisation is:
Pre-production: Analysis of Brief, Research, Brainstorming, Concepts, Map Development, Sketched Level design, Prototype, High Concept document
Production: Scale and proportion, Blocking out of the level, Texturing, Lighting, Rules and Limitations, Game Rigging, Animation, Artificial Intelligence, Intro/Cut/End Scenes, Menus/HUD
Post-production: Testing, Maintenance, Outsourcing, Marketing, Localization
While we got some parts slightly wrong to the accepted example, this is not a hard categorisation. There are examples of Outsourcing occurring during production, for things such as graphics, and Marketing could start before Production, with crowd-sourcing drives on Kickstarter or Indie Go-Go.
The Pre-Production phase is mostly about getting the initial ideas and concepts into a coherent design, usually the High Concept and Game Proposal. The publisher may require some extra detail on top of simply the idea, which would come in the form of the Game Plan Document. This document lists all of the things a publisher might want to know such as The high concept, game's genre, gameplay description, features, settings, story, target audience, hardware platforms, estimated schedule, marketing analysis, team requirements and risk analysis. The publisher requires this information as it needs to judge if the game is worth seeing through to production. If it is deemed too risky, then this may be where the journey ends.
The three Stages of Development are Pre-Production, Production and Post Production.
In groups, we were given a list of development processes and were asked to judge which stage of Development we thought they occurred in.
In my group we categorised as such:
Pre Production: Analysis of Brief, Research, Concepts, Sketched Level Design, Prototype, Scape and Proportion, Rules and Limitations, Brainstorming, High Concept.
Production: Map Development, Intro/Cut/End Scenes, Texturing, Lighting, Game Rigging, Animation, AI, Menu/HUD, Level Blockout, Testing, Outsourcing, Localization.
Post Production: Maintainence, Marketing.
While we were mostly correct, the actual categorisation is:
Pre-production: Analysis of Brief, Research, Brainstorming, Concepts, Map Development, Sketched Level design, Prototype, High Concept document
Production: Scale and proportion, Blocking out of the level, Texturing, Lighting, Rules and Limitations, Game Rigging, Animation, Artificial Intelligence, Intro/Cut/End Scenes, Menus/HUD
Post-production: Testing, Maintenance, Outsourcing, Marketing, Localization
While we got some parts slightly wrong to the accepted example, this is not a hard categorisation. There are examples of Outsourcing occurring during production, for things such as graphics, and Marketing could start before Production, with crowd-sourcing drives on Kickstarter or Indie Go-Go.
The Pre-Production phase is mostly about getting the initial ideas and concepts into a coherent design, usually the High Concept and Game Proposal. The publisher may require some extra detail on top of simply the idea, which would come in the form of the Game Plan Document. This document lists all of the things a publisher might want to know such as The high concept, game's genre, gameplay description, features, settings, story, target audience, hardware platforms, estimated schedule, marketing analysis, team requirements and risk analysis. The publisher requires this information as it needs to judge if the game is worth seeing through to production. If it is deemed too risky, then this may be where the journey ends.
Monday, 1 February 2016
Unit 75 Brief and Time Management plan
Unit Brief
In this unit we are required to design a level following the live brief of Unreal Tournament.
https://www.unrealengine.com/blog/the-future-of-unreal-tournament-begins-today
Task 1:
Task 3:
Submit the idea to the Unreal Forums for feedback. Create a project plan using scrum methodology and produce a game design document. Blog results and processes.
Homework plan
This is a 7 week unit.
I have created a timetable with current timetabled units, personal time and potential homework time.
There is approximately 7 hours a week on this unit in college, with a potential 58 hours outside of session. This needs to be split evenly between not only the other college unit (taking it down to around 29) but also between actual production and research, learning and planning.
I hope that I can keep on top of this and have a well managed unit time wise.
In this unit we are required to design a level following the live brief of Unreal Tournament.
https://www.unrealengine.com/blog/the-future-of-unreal-tournament-begins-today
Task 1:
Performing Market Research, researching Unreal Tournament. Producing Mood boards, mind maps, SWOT Analysis for our ideas and finally mood board conclusions and prototype images of the map design, blogging the process.
Task 2:
Present the proposal and map concept to the group in a presentation. This will require presenting research findings to back up the idea. "Dragons Den Forum" of Peer Feed Back, then Blog the outcome and action plan for required changes.
Submit the idea to the Unreal Forums for feedback. Create a project plan using scrum methodology and produce a game design document. Blog results and processes.
Homework plan
This is a 7 week unit.
I have created a timetable with current timetabled units, personal time and potential homework time.
There is approximately 7 hours a week on this unit in college, with a potential 58 hours outside of session. This needs to be split evenly between not only the other college unit (taking it down to around 29) but also between actual production and research, learning and planning.
I hope that I can keep on top of this and have a well managed unit time wise.
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