Transcript SM3120 Game Design and Development

SM3120
Game Level Design
Lesson 01 – Basic of Game Design
Ryan Lam
Class introduction
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What is this course about?
• Game level design
• Programming skill in level scripting
• Use of standard game editor to produce
online multiplayer game
• Teamwork in implementing game
concept
What are not covered in the course?
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iphone/ipad/android game development
Formal programming languages (e.g.
Flash ActionScript, C++, Java…..etc)
API (e.g DirectX or OpenGL)
Design games for mobile phones, game
consoles (Xbox, PS2)
Game history
How to make money by making games.
Teacher introduction
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Favorite games: Starcraft, Starcraft 2,
AOE, C&C, MarioKart, warcraft 3, Rainbox
Six, Ut2003, casual games…..etc
Currently playing ipad games...
Introduction - Lecture
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Common game level design tools/framework
The basic of game design
Building terrain
Building architecture spaces
Lighting and atmospheric effect
Placing encounters
Breathing life into game level
Dialogue and story
Polishing (testing, fix bug, balance)
Genres
Introduction - Laboratory
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Producing a good game takes a lot of
time and skill
The only way to develop the skill is
to practice, which takes time
Modern 3D games take years to
develop by teams of 20 or more
people
We can’t do this in a single term
Introduction - Laboratory
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Need some way of getting production
practice, try out your ideas
Use an existing game engine/editor:
• program code already written
• framework to work in
• design tools
• can download some assets from the net
- saves time
How to make game level in
iphone/ipad/andriod ??
cocos2D – http://www.cocos2d-iphone.org
iTileMaps –
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwiKqDQB-8g
http://itunes.apple.com/hk/app/itilemaps/id432784227?mt=8
Map Editor - http://www.mapeditor.org
Unity 3D - http://unity3d.com/
How about the game industry in HK?
What can you do after this course?
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May be: Game Programmer
May be: Game Designer
May be: 3D artist
May be: Cinematic Animator
May be: Interior Designer
May be: Home Designer
…..etc
http://us.blizzard.com/enus/company/careers/directory.html#region=Americas
http://www.gameone.com.hk
http://www.firedogstudio.com
http://www.floorplanner.com
http://www.sketchup.com.hk
Assessment
Assignment One
20%
Assignment Two
30%
Group Assignment
40%
Class Participation
10%
Total
100%
What is video game?
Video games are our way to escape reality, become a
hero, just kill some time or killing “someone”. Video
games have become an everyday part of our lives.
Evolution of Video Games
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Early Years 1947-1960
1960’s
1970’s
1980’s
Current
Conclusion
Sources
1st Generation Video Game
Early Years 1947-1960
1947 Thomas T Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray
Mann applied for a patent for s machine in
which a person used knobs to simulate firing
at targets.
Cathode Ray Tube Clock
Early Years 1947-1960
In 1951 Ralph Baer came up with the concept which
essentially allowed for development of video games :
by giving an audience the ability to manipulate what was
projected on their television sets, their role changed from
passive observing to interactive manipulation.
Ralph Baer
Early Years 1947-1960
The 50’s saw a lot of independent inventors coming up with
basic video games. Such as OXO in 1952, and Tennis for
Two in 1958.
OXO in 1952
Tennis for Two in 1958
1960s
By this point all the video games have been experimental
programs ran on university computers. Now, they were
becoming more popular in 1961 several games were created at
MIT:
• Mouse in the Maze
• HAX
• Tic-Tac-Toe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnO6xnMtpY8
1961 - 1962
Also in 1961 a group of students programmed the game Spacewar,
that pitted two opponents against each other in trying to shoot the
other one down.
1970’s
Textual games and ASCII art.
1970’s
The Magnavox Odyssey was first unleashed on the gaming
public around this day in 1972. It's credited as the first home
video game console.
Ralph Baer
http://www.gametrailers.com/side-mission/27743/home-video-game-consoles-turn-40
1970’s
Maze War
2nd Generation Video Game
1970’s
The early 70’s saw the development of first coin-operated
machines like Galaxy Game and Computer Space. All of these
were based on the Spacewar. But the creators of the Computer
Space were not happy with the deal they got and started their own
company: Atari.
Nolan Bushnell
Computer Space 1971
1970’s
In 1972 the newly started Atari came out with their first game –
Pong. It was a very popular game selling over 19,000 copies.
Pong 1972
The aim is to defeat the opponent in a simulated table tennis game by earning a
higher score
Late 70’s
In 1978 the game that made it popular to play video games was
created this game was Space Invaders
Space Invaders 1978
The pixelated enemy alien has become a pop culture icon and represent
video game.
Late 70’s
The late 70’s are considered The Golden Age of Video Games. There
were video game machines appearing everywhere: malls, stores and
restaurants.
Pac-man 1979
Cut scene
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The game established the maze chase game genre
It opened gaming to female audiences
It was the first video game to feature power-ups
It is frequently credited as the first game to feature cut scenes
1981
Donkey Kong
1981
Galaga
3rd Generation Video Game
1980’s
80’s saw the climax of the Golden Age of Video Arcade Games.
With the switch to the PC and more powerful consoles available, more
and more games were being programmed. In the 80’s many more
genres were invented.
One of the best video game franchise got it’s start in 1985:
Super Mario
1980’s
Legend of Zelda - Action Adventure
Exploration was created by using current technology to like
we have never seen before. Combined with a rich world, the
Legend of Zelda series was born.
1980’s
Kung Fu Master
Prince of Persia 1989
1980’s
Golden Axe - Slasher
Dragon Warrior - RPG
1980’s
Top 5
Car Racing Game
in 80s
What is Game Design?
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Humans have been devising and
playing games for thousands of years.
There is hot debate about which
existing game is the oldest:
• Go
• African stone game - Awari
Go
Awari
What is Game Design?
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Creating and playing in an artificial
world is the heart of all games.
Many games, such as Go, Chess,
Mahjong and Poker, were perfected
so long ago that their rules have not
changed for centuries.
What is Game Design?
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Many games come on the market,
enjoy a brief popularity, and fade
away again.
People always interested in new
games, so there is a constant
demand for new game designs.
What is Game Design?
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Game design is the process of:
• Imagining a game
• Defining the way it works
• Describing the elements that make up
the game (conceptual, functional,
artistic and others)
• Transmitting that information to the
team that will build the game
How about China, do we have any
good games/toys?
Key Areas for Game Design
Core
Mechanics
Storytelling
and Narrative
Interactivity
Core Mechanics
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Core Mechanics
The rule that define the operation of the game
world make up the core mechanics of the
game, or the foundations of gameplay.
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Core mechanic is the heart and soul of the
game
If the core mechanics aren’t sound, you
end up with a poor game.
Core Mechanics?
Core Mechanics?
Storytelling and Narrative
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Storytelling
All game tell a story. The complexity and depth
of that story depends on the game.
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At one extreme, the game is a story. At
the other extreme, it’s the player who tells
the story by the act of playing.
Even Tetris has a story – a story created
by the player as she plays.
Storytelling and Narrative
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Narrative
Narrative means that part of the story that is
told by you, the author and designer, to the
player.
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Narrative is the non-interactive,
presentational part of the story.
Tetris has a story, but it contains no
narrative. Because playing games is an
active process and listening to a narrative
is a passive one.
Good story?
Good story?
Good story?
Good story?
Good story?
Good story?
Good story?
Good story?
Good Story?
Interactivity
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Interactivity
For our purposes, interactivity is the
way that the player sees, hears, and
acts within the game’s world. In short,
the way the player plays the game
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This covers a lot of diverse topics:
graphics, sounds, user interface --everything that comes together to present
the gaming experience.
Interactivity
Interactivity
Latest portable game consoles
Interactivity
Interactivity
Interactivity
Iphone/ipad/Android
Interactivity
Interactivity
Interactivity
Interactivity
Interactivity
Interactivity
Interactivity
Important Tips
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Game are for entertaining people (not
you)
To come up with clear ideas about what
does and doesn’t work in games:
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Audience
Other game in same genre
Your own gaming preferences
Game should empower their players
Important Tips
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A game’s challenges make up its
gameplay
Give the player rest breaks between
challenges. This helps to create a good
pace/rhythm, which keep the players
playing your game
The first 10 mins of your game is the
most important
Important Tips
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Consistency and growth are the 2 main
concepts that keep your game
interesting and playable.
At the end of your game, give the player
a good sense of closure. Or, reward the
player who finishes your game.
A good game name
Important Tips
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Give your game as much polish as
possible, and have fun doing it.
Don’t forget your family, friends,
lovers during the development
process.
Work hard, play hard!
Documenting the Design
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As part of their job, game designers
produce a series of documents to tell
other about their game design.
Types of design documents:
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High concept(2-4 pages)
Game treatment (10-20 pages)
Game script (50-200 pages)
High concept
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Writing the high-concept document is
the first step after writing down the
initial idea.
Its aim is to express the fundamental
spirit of the game.
The high-concept document should
take, at most, a week to create, of
which four days are spent thinking
and one is spent writing
High concept
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The high-concept documents covers these
details:
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Player motivation
Target audience
Genre
Unique selling point
Competition
Target platform
Overall storyline
licensing issues
Game treatment
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The purpose of the game treatment is to
present the game in broad outline to
someone who’s already interested in it and
want to hear more about it.
Your goal at this point is to get funding of
some sort, either to create a more
complete design or a prototype.
It can be a tool for selling the game to a
potential publisher or investor.
Game treatment
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The treatment should answer some of the
questions left by the high-concept document.
You should provide screen shots, background on
the key characters, a brief description of the
overall storyline to tell what the game will look
and feel like to play.
You should also include an analysis of the
competition and indicate the ways in which your
game will be different and better.
Game Script
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The game script (or “bible”) is the largest and the
last in this series. It’s not a sales tool; it’s much
too large and comprehensive for that.
It’s intended to document design decisions , not
to persuade anyone of anything.
The game script is the definitive reference for all
matters relating to the structure and organization
of the game, what the player does and see – the
gameplay, storyline, characters, user interface,
and the rules of play.
Game Script
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The game script does not include the technical
design.
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It documents the creative, conceptual, and
functional aspects of the game.
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It dose not address how the game is build or
implemented in software.
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The technical design document, is usually based
on the game script and is written by technical
direction for the game. Technical design is
beyond our course.