1 What a Game is Not Outline A bunch of cool features What is a - PDF document

Outline  What is a Game? The Game Development  Genres Process: Genres What is a Game? (1 of 4) What is a Game? (2 of 4)  Movie?  Movie?  No interaction , outcome fixed  Toy?  Toy?  Puzzle?  No goal , but still fun!  Players can develop own goals  Players can develop own goals  Puzzle?  strategy and outcome is the same each time "A computer game is a software program in which one or more players make decisions through the control of game objects and resources, in pursuit of a goal." Based on notes from Mark Overmars Based on notes from Mark Overmars What is a Game (3 of 4) What is a Game (4 of 4)  A Computer Game is a Software Program  Playing a Game is About Making Decisions  Ex: what weapon to use, what resource to build  Not a board game or sports  Can be frustrating if decision does not matter  Consider: chess vs. soccer vs. Warcraft  Want good gameplay (major topic later)  Ask: What do you lose? What do you gain?  Playing a Game is About Control  Lose: 1) physical pieces , 2) social interaction  Player wants to impact outcome y p  Gain: 1) real time , 2) more immersive , 3) more  Gain: 1) real-time 2) more immersive 3) more  Uncontrolled sequences can still happen, but should be complexity sparing and make logical  A Computer Game involves Players  A Game Needs a Goal  Think about your audience; the game is not for you  Ex: Defeat Ganandorf in Zelda but for them.  Long games may have sub-goals  Don’t just think about your story or the graphics or  Ex: recover Triforce first, then Sword of Power the interface, but consider the players .  Without game goals, a player develops his/ her own (a toy) Based on notes from Mark Overmars Based on notes from Mark Overmars 1

What a Game is Not Outline  A bunch of cool features  What is a Game?  Necessary, but not sufficient  May even detract, if not careful, by concentrating on  Genres (next) features, not game  A lot of fancy graphics  Games need graphics just as hit movie needs special effects, but neither will save weak idea  Game must work without fancy graphics  Suggestion: Should be fun with simple objects "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) Based on notes from Mark Overmars Group Game: Game Types! Game Types  Break into groups based on month of birth (or  What are some types of games? count off by 5’s… )  What separates them from others?  Spread out so can talk without others hearing  Brainstorm all game genres you can think of  Provide an example of each! Provide key feature! P id l f h! P id k f !  Round-robin by group, say one genre on list  What other group has this? Show hands  If no-one else has it, you get a point!  Everyone, decide distinguishing features  Team with most genres not on anyone else’s list, wins! Arcade Games Puzzle Games  Reaction and speed are the most  Clever thinking is the most important aspect  Many maze games are based on puzzle solving, rather important aspects of the game than on reaction time  Examples: scrolling shooters, maze games  Other examples board games and sliding puzzles like Pacman , paddle games like Breakout ,  Normally 2-dimensional  Normally 2 dimensional Pong Pong  Relatively easy to create  Relatively easy to make  Except when played against a computer opponent  Normally 2D graphics  Artificial Intelligence can be harder  Good starting point for first game  Ex: How to program the computer to play chess?  Relatively easy in Game Maker  Relatively easy in Game Maker Based on notes from Mark Overmars Based on notes from Mark Overmars 2

Role Playing Games Strategy Games  Steer a character through a difficult world  Real-time (RTS) or turn-based  Examples are Diablo and Baldur's Gate  Player only indirectly controls the character  Development of character to learn new skills,  Tactics less important than Strategy becoming more powerful, and finding stuff  Examples include Age of Empires , Warcraft III…  Opponents become more powerful as well  Opponents become more powerful as well  Also, usually "God Games", such as Black &  Can create 2D or 3D White  Generally harder to make because must create  Generally take a lot of time to create the mechanism of character development  Require many different game objects, each with  Also normally need large world animated images and specific behavior  Good level design is crucial  Difficult in Game Maker  Difficult in Game Maker Based on notes from Mark Overmars Based on notes from Mark Overmars Adventure Games First-Person Shooters  Game is about adventure and exploration  3D version of many arcade-style games  Story line is often crucial (move and shoot)  Can be 2D or 3D  Emphasis is on fast-paced action and reaction speed, not on cleverness and  Actions easy (just move) puzzle solving l l i  Difficulty is in making  Many examples: Doom, Quake, … exploration/ adventure interesting  Interesting, funny, and surprising story line  Need to be 3D  Corresponding artwork  Relatively difficult to create because of  Artists’ role is crucial models  Somewhat difficult in Game Maker  Difficult in Game Maker Based on notes from Mark Overmars Based on notes from Mark Overmars Third-Person Action/ Platformer Sports Games  Player directly controls a game character (avatar)  Real-life sport, made virtual through a hostile world  Ideas, rules in place  Tomb Raider, Prince of Persia, Onimusha  Making realistic, challenging, fun like  Often, not much emphasis on character development development sport can be difficult sport can be difficult  Fast action and discovering the game world  If not realisitc, can be done in Game  Some have story line, other adventure game Maker aspects  Can be 2D or 3D  Can sometimes be created easily  Moderately easy in Game Maker Based on notes from Mark Overmars Based on notes from Mark Overmars 3

Racing Games Simulators  Really, special type of sports game  Try for realistic representation  But pervasive enough to get own category  Ex: flight simulators, Trainz  Drive a vehicle, as fast as possible, or  Other simulations include world sometimes for exploration, or combat simulation  Either realistic...  Ex: SimCity or SimEarth  Formula 1 or Grand Tourismo  Relatively difficult to create since getting  ...or focused on fun (arcade) details right a challenge  Midtown Madness or Ridge Racer  Difficult in Game Maker  Both 2D or 3D  Difficult in Game Maker Based on notes from Mark Overmars Based on notes from Mark Overmars Party Games Educational Games  Variety of types  Entertainment games are great at  Ex: Mario Party, DDR, Karaoke, Guitar Hero teaching… how to play the game!  Social aspects important with  Educational games are designed to teach participants in the same space p p p player knowledge or skill that is valuable player knowledge or skill that is valuable outside the game  Allow for rapid change of turns  Ex: math, reading, problem solving  Allow for disparate abilities (beginners  Relatively difficult in Game Maker (unless and experts, both have fun) you have the domain expertise)  Easy in Game Maker 4