gap chapter 1

8/2/2019 GAP Chapter 1

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Game Architecture

and ProgrammingBE INFT (Sem VIII)

By Prof R V


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Chapter 1 Core Design

A game involves

- number of players

- a set of strategies (plan that describes what aplayer will do in every possible situation) for

each player

- a payoff that quantitatively describe outcomeof each play of the game


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Game Design Principles

1) Game design should be kept simple.

2) Every game should be unique.

3) Effective representation to bring out real lifeenvironment.

4) It should include social features ( two or more

players)5) Playing game should be fun.


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Game Design Process

Skill Set Required : Creativity, Craft, TechniqueBuildthe concept

1) Get an idea

2) Build game concept3) Create goal

4) Create emotional experience for player

Creatinggamespecification

1) Write design document

2) Build prototype

3) Iterate (Using appropriate life cycle model)


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Build the Concept1) Getanidea

- sources of idea can be dreams and inspirations,

imagination and passions

- can be by past experience, movies, novels etc.

- idea can be proposed using BrainstormingSessions

- document the idea in form of game description

- evaluate using parameters like originality andpotential audience

- finally the high level management check called

synergy check


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2) Build GameConcept

- Game is said to be good if player can win by

doing unexpected things.

- This surprise and delight factor encourages

player to employ strategies

Broadgamegenres

- Action (use many buttons / keys)

- Adventure (Story is important)

- Puzzle (Analytical Thinking)- Education (Learn by doing)

- Strategies (Non-trivial choice making)

A game may have more than one of these genres.


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What a game is not

A bunch of cool features A lot of fancy graphics

A series of challenging puzzles

An intriguing setting and story


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Cool Features

Cool features do not themselves, make thegame.

After a point, cramming in extra features juststarts to damage the elegance of the gameplay.

This tendency to add unnecessary features,

commonly known as gold plating, is alwaysthe result of somebody, at some point,deciding those features would be cool.


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Fancy Graphics

Fancy graphics will not save the product if the

core creativity and quality is lacking.

The danger with fancy graphics is that theycan distract the development teams attention

from putting any depth into the game.

Fancy graphics are never discouraged but the

game has to be able to work without them.

Movies with $100 million do fail without a good script


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Setting and Story

A good setting encourages immersion and a

good story draws the player in and impels him

through the action. But, again, it will add up to

nothing if the game play isnt there.

Another thing to avoid is using the game as a

vehicle to tell a storyanother symptom of

Frustrated Author Syndrome


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3) Createagoal

The probable goals are

- Collect something (point-scoring games, and so on)

- Gain territory (the classic war game from Goonwards)

- Get somewhere first (a race, either literally orfigurativelyfor example,

an arms race)

- Remove a series of obstacles (by beating opponents,finding keys to open new areas, and so on)

- Discovery (exploration or problem-solvingveryrarely ends in themselves)

- Eliminate other players


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In most role-playing games (RPGs), we earn

experience points to spend on improving ourcharacters skills, attributes, and spells.

In strategy games, we gather resources tospend on new units and upgrades.

In adventure games, we collect items to use

in later puzzles.


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Few games involve just one type of objective like Ageof Empires

When designing multiple objectives into the game,they must interact with each other or they should bewell integrated.

Otherwise, it will be really designing two or more

games in parallel and the parts will not combine tobecome a whole.

We are about to start documenting our vision of thegame. We should analyse the following questions:

What are the aims of the game?

How will players achieve those aims?

What will the game be like to play?

What are key features that will create game play?


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(4) Createemotionalexperience for theplayer

- Emotional experience must match game goal

otherwise player would not enjoy

- Player must get addicted to game so use cool

graphics, fast actions, stimulating steps or

complex strategies


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Following features can be defined as follows:

1) Score - Player expect more from game experience thanmere score so add levels, challenges and reward for them whichincreases the interest

2) Moves - Controlling virtual athlete in sports game or

vehicle in racing game requires a steady practiced hand

- There must be some tricky moves which player can master

3) Explore levels - To encourage exploration hide somegame levels, as player moves through levels, new hidden areas

can be unlocked

- In racing games, additional cars are available only when players

acquires trophies

- Some games get tougher as player wins initial levels.


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Creating The Game Spec

Features

Gameplay

Interface Rules

Level design


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Features

Features are what make our game different

from any other game, and this is one reason

why features are a good place to start

Feature based description of game is better

than rule based as features are emergent from

rules (story next slide : the preacher converts enemy warrior on their side )

Rules are bound to change but features

endure


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Example of

emergence

Our preacher can convert enemy warriors on our side (Rule)

But feature emergent from this is our defense must be managed and

converted warriors should be moved behind the preachers. So that preachers

can also convert second wave of enemy.


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Types of features

Some features are vital to make the game

work properly

Some features enhance our enjoyment of thegame but have no effect on the way the game

is played.

Some features are game play substitutes. They

dont enhance the game in any way


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Game Play

Description of anticipated gameplay in the game

spec serves three purposes:

It explains to the developers how the game issupposed to work.

It provides a vision statement that can be

referred to throughout development.

It helps us focus on which features are integral

and which are chrome


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Interface

Always remember what the interface is for. It

isnt just there to look pretty; its primary

function is to help the player play the game

It should be intuitive and icons should be kept

to a minimum.

Its one of those things that should be tested

and tested until everyone is happy with it.


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Rules

At this stage, we can only guess at some of the

rules which creates game for us

That again stresses the point thatdevelopment process must be iterative

We may see the rules added interacts in

unexpected way with the rules already in

place, so the change is needed


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Level Design

Level design affects the core gameplay

Level design contributes greatly to the style,

background, and story line of the game. The way the levels are constructed can either

enhance the inherent gameplay or detract

from it.

Level design should not be used to cover

deficiencies in the gameplay.


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Game spec should specify how game levels can

complement core game design

Game spec will be used by level designers which

may not have accurate picture of how we expect

game to play

Level design should not be restricted to be linear

as it prevents possibility of strategic thinking

A good game should allow for tactics which may

even be with the help of non-linear level design


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Example of a Game Spec

Let us look at the bare bones of the

Warrior Kingsgame spec in Case Study.

gap chapter 1

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