Lesson Notes 22/04/13

Types of Interface (two things communicating with each other)- the interface is what connects the player with the computer (the game), it works in a cycle as the player, plays the game the game responses to the player. Our game that we have created is a screen based game and as it is hosted on a web browser, and this is our interface.

Other examples of browser based games which I have played would be Club Penguin, this is a social world for children which is created and produced by Disney. Our game is not a social game, it is a story/narrative based game. Browser games can range hugely on a large variety of genres and appeal to a huge span of ages in its target audience. Where as my name is aimed at older people perhaps teenagers club penguin is specially designed and created around the idea that children can safely and securely use it.

Now a days one of the most common ways to play games is on our on mobile phones and although many browser games are available on mobiles, there are many differences between the two;1. When playing on a mobile, the way that you control the

game will always be different that what you would if you did it on a browser. This may be because your mobile is touch screen and your desktop is not. One may be easier than the other, but this will vary depending on the game and how they have converted the settings and controls from browser to mobile. An example of this is when ʻ8poolʼ became available on the app store and android.

2. Also resolution can also be a sacrificed as you transfer a game. Most mobile phone screens are 4 inches or less and a computer monitor is much larger. So because of this some of the special effects can be lost on the smaller version of the game. To make this less of a problem you need to spend time and in great detail looking, editing and changes all the small aspects of the game. This would include fonts, text and pictures etc etc.

There are ways to figure of which games are browser and which are not by noticing a few key characteristics;1. They are generally have a short duration and allow the player to complete very quickly,

unlike long roleplaying game.

Player Game

Input

Output

2. They use simple graphics, this makes it easy for the audience to play in quickly and enjoy the gameplay without having overly complicated graphics that take up room.

3. The actual gameplay and strategy of the game is never very complicated. They are very easy to pick up, play and become good at.

4. Doesn't need to rely on spectacular 3D graphics to make the game successful as no one aspects them.

There are also characteristics that make browser games differ from PC games and console games. 1. PC games are different from browser game for many different reasons. The main

reason being that they do not need internet connection to play the actual game. They may need it for other reasons such as chatting to others in the game or even buying rewards and objects. Another difference is that PC games are longer and much more content, they take time to complete and as you travel though the game you develop more skills and backstory.

2. Console games also can many differences to browser games, the main difference in my opinion that console games are much more social. You can generally play the two player, unlike browser games that are more personal.

Game NavigationHow we as the player navigate our way through is very important because it can determine whether we want to continue to play the game. If the game is too complicated and hard to navigate then it will discourage people to play. There are many different ways that play designers chose to navigate their game, these can vary on the genre, platform and level of the game. On many browser games, the navigation is simple and mainly uses the keys and mouse/track pad that is already given to you. One example of this is Toon Town, in this online game there is a racing game where you can use the keys on your keyboard to control the and dive the car, however you can also insert a ʻjoystickʼ into your computer to help drive the car because it its easier and designed specially for that use. Though when going back to normal game play you would need to unplug the joystick as it would create problems with the rest of the gameplay. ControlsTo navigate the page you have to use lots of different controls, when playing different games the controls they use differ hugely. Mouse- When using a mouse as a control you have huge amount of different things that you can do the main one being clicking the mouse. this control gives you freedom as almost everything digitally can be accessed by being clicked on. Keyboard- This control also has a very diverse use, as their are lots of different keys. Generally they are all set to do different things but on more complicated computers they can be altered and personalized to the players/gamers need. Voice- Until recently voice has never been a very prominent control as it never worked 100% of the time and was very unreliable with accents globally and nationally. Recently there have been several new pieces of technology that have used voice control very successful and since them have created a ripple effect because voice is used in hugely one. Some of the most successful use of voice control i would say is with SIRI on the

IPhone 4S, it really changed the way voice control worked because it was one of the first versions that was able to understand almost everyone and nearly always got the action that they were requesting right first time. The XBOX Kinect, was the first console to be involved with voice control in some of its aspects. It has worked very well and has also developed into something that most consoles are also including in their new models now. Touch- Some computers come with a trackpad or you can purchase one. These are very similar to mouses but more modern ones give you more freedom and options that what a mouse would. Such as new Apple trackpads give you many different actions that you can do just by using the trackpad MotionHowever all of these controls have positives and negatives, for each individual game and platform. I think that the best games are the ones that use many different controls within a game, because this gives you a variety of options and in turn makes the game more interesting. An example of this ʻWorld of War Craftʼ, in this game you can use your mouse as the main controller but you also need to know all of the keyboard shortcuts. If you want to enjoy some of the social aspects of the game, you are able to to use voice control normally though a headset to give instructions to other gamers as it is a MMORPG. Screen Layout (Real Estate) And Screen Space.The screen layout of the game is also important, because if you over complicate the layout it can become untidy and overwhelming. The layout also much be very clear, the player must be able to find and navigate it easily, because if they canʼt they will become frustrated and annoyed. Their are many ways to create a positive screen layout, and these are vital to having a successful game. Some of the ways are listed below;Tables: These are a great and easy way to display large amounts of data, so that it is easily readable. They are useful at the end or during the game to see score sheets or stats of your characters.Frames: These can be used to make images and text stand out on a page. They are useful when you want your player to be drawn to a certain image first. They work best if you use them consistently throughout the game. Image Size: This is important because you cannot have a image that is too small on a screen where the players struggle to see it because it is lost and so is the value of it. But in the same way having a image that does not fit on the screen easily is equally as bad because the player will think that the game is unorganized and untidy, and will perhaps stop them from playing and even give negative reviews to their friends which can have a impact on sales.Text Size: Much like size of image this is vital to the layout and space of the game screen. The size of the text is important because it needs to be a readable size so that it is not lost. The text size cannot be too big either because the player should not have to strain to read the text. Font: The font is also very important as different fonts give off very different impressions. For example ʻChalk Duster’ is a very informal and more stylized font, in comparison to Times New Roman that is commonly and famously known for being used on formal documentations such as CVʼS and business documents. This proves that you have to think about your font and what you want it to represent to the player. Colour Pallet: This can effect the overall feel of the game, you can create a childlike feel to the game if you use lots of bright colours. However if you use loads of earthy and dull colours it can feel very dark and spooky. This is great for games such as ʻCall of Dutyʼ where it is supposed to a war zone from a hot east european country.