jordan-glover--game-design

[jordan-glover--game-design]

Week 13:

Assignment 3 Post Mortem:

This assignment was started by picking one game individually that we had created throughout the semester for each group member (4) then breaking it down into just one game where we will then start to enhance the game to a standard where the player should be able to complete the game and enjoy the visuals and overall design of this game. We decided to use my asteroids game which was a simple survival asteroids game while also protecting a planet, which we collectively decided to change into a game with multiple levels and also include an upgrade system. We split the work in 3 ways, we had myself and one other member working on the game itself, one on the documentation and our last member was working on the visual aspects drawing our assets. During the development of the game a group member worked on improving the game collaborating with me on what to improve and what would be good to add then we relayed that to the group and decided if that would be good to add. Then we also decided that the visuals we had were pretty bad so one of our 4 group members started designing a different UI for the game which unfortunately was not implemented before we had to playtest the game for our 5 reviews of the game. Which leads to the playtesting, which we received a lot of feedback from which consisted of only a small amount of actual game bugs but was mostly based on the difficulty of the game and the UI itself. 

If I had a chance to redesign my game I would first add more levels to spread the difficulty curve across as I believe this would be the best solution for the difficulty problem that we had during the playtesting phase of the game. Next I would have implemented the updated UI before the playtesting happened to see if our assets would have been good in the eyes of the play testers. Following this redesign I would then implement more upgrades that can be bought as well as a lock on some upgrades for example you would have to get past level 5 before you can buy the ability.

[jordan-glover--game-design]

Week 11:

Assignment 3 Playtesting:

For the playtesting we interviewed 5 different people ranging from serious gamers who play over 60 hours a week to inexperienced gamers who have barely played any video games at all. Throughout these interviews we did not give the person any instructions as to how to play the game and if they looked confused, excited, angry etc we asked them what they were thinking about the game at that moment. As we believed that would be the best way to get critiqued which ended up working really well combined with the instruction we gave them to think out loud always saying what they were thinking. For example, “During the level select it allows me to continuously redo level one gaining all the gold I need to fully upgrade my abilities before I even reach level two”. Which was extremely helpful as we did not intend to add this mechanic, this led to the players giving several pieces of feedback each leading us to be able to further enhance our game. We then categorized our findings based on the answers that the player gave which were transcribed leading to this table being created.

Based on our findings we determined whether the priorities of the changes were high, medium or low which gave us a basis of what to try to change first about our game, then we determined what would be causing the problems and how to start to fix them.

[jordan-glover--game-design]

Week 10:

Assignment 3 Development Progress: 

During the development process of our game we built of the prototype of this game first adding a level select screen which our idea of this consisted of 3 levels that the player would be able to fly to and then enter the level based on how many they have completed so far, for example if they have only just started the game then only level 1will be available and if they complete level 1, level 2 will be available but level 3 won't be.

Then stemming from this we started to create the basis for all of the levels applying a text that would appear at the start of the level before the asteroids spawned telling the player how many points they needed to gain before the game was completed. Then we also have player lives in the top left, points in the top right and planet health in the middle of the planet.

We then created a level up screen that would allow the user to level up their ship health, fire rate, a planet shield or an ability, based of the gold they earned which was rewarded to the player based off the level they were on, the player health they had left and the planet health they had left at the end of the level.

[jordan-glover--game-design]

Week 9:

Racing Game Post Mortem:

The Game Design Workshop by David Conroy helped influence my game design process. The chapters 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 helped me think about what I should add to my Racing game prototype. I started to develop my prototype in the workshop by following the simple tutorial as a basis for my game, then to start developing this into my own i looked for sprites that i could implement into my game, like asteroids as obstacles, energy lights as the outline of the edge of the track and a space themed raceway to implement the feeling of the game being set in space. I then made the asteroids that spawn several different sizes and they can spawn anywhere on the top part of the track to make the game harder and less predictable as the original prototype I had had the cars spawning in lanes making the game very predictable and easy to survive for extended periods of time. Then I also made a mechanic where if the player were to fall off the map by going past the energy lights they would also immediately lose and the same would go for if they hit an asteroid. I decided to keep the point system of the game as I believed for a prototype this would be the best way to portray the style and visuals of my games the best.

If I had to change the design of my prototype I would first design a space themed racing car that would fit the genre of the game instead of just a standard car. Then following this I would implement different spawning obstacles like small sections of the tracks on the right side and left side being cut out so the player can't sit on one side of the track forcing them to attempt to dodge the asteroids instead of staying in one corner.

If I had to redesign the prototype I would first make the game a full track and make it a time trial that kept all of the time scores in a leader board that would be portrayed in a menu screen that would have settings for sounds, a start button, and high scores. Regarding the full track I would make it so that it would have bends and turns and it would have stationary objects like holes in the road and asteroids shooting across the map at a certain section that would blow your car up and stop force you to respawn, and finally I would make it so that the player had to complete 3 laps before they win and their total time is recorded. 

Assessment 2 Final Design

My assignment two final design is as follows:

The one sheet is the A4 portrait image and I decided to add the descriptions at the bottom to inform the player about what type of game it is without directly explaining everything in the game to increase their curiosity, making them want to read the one sheet (A3 Landscape Image). I also added on both pages my contact information and the version of the prototype to the bottom of each page.

Then for the One sheet I went into a lot more detail with a description of how the game actually works below the title in the top left, then to further describe the game I took photos of the game itself including the game screen where the player is defending the planet and then the upgrade screen where the player is able to choose from certain upgrades and upgrade their ship, which are the two main components of my game.

[jordan-glover--game-design]

Week 8

Racing Game Development Post:

I have created a simple driving game with traffic coming from two directions as a starter base for the game. The game works so that when a car leaves the game screen you are rewarded with points and that happens infinitely unless the car crashes into the oncoming traffic and or the trees that line the outside of the track.

I have now implemented a different style of Track as well as border to more fit the space theme of the game, however, I decided to still go with a point system that revolves around dodging cars and asteroids. I have changed the “enemy's” / obstacles to other cars and asteroids to make it harder for the player to dodge objects as they range in hitboxes from small cars, to large asteroids, forcing the player to think strategically and play around the randomly spawning obstacles.

Assignment 2 Progress:

I have started assignment 2, by using an AI to make the background image of the One page as i wanted the catch the reader's attention so that they read the small descriptive information that will be on the on the bottom part of the One page, However, At this current stage I have only added the title and genre of game to the one page. 

[jordan-glover--game-design]

Week 7:

Star Defender Postmortem

The Game Design Workshop by David Conroy helped influence my game design process. The chapters 3, 4 and 5 helped me think about what I should add to my asteroids game prototype. I started by updating my prototype from the information that I learned in the workshop, first going to find sprites that I could use to enhance the feel of the gameplay as the sprites we were given were too basic and plain for the game I was planning to create. For example the ship was just a triangle with a green tip for the gun and the asteroids were circles with slices cut out of them so I found sprites that made the idea of the player being an intergalactic defender really stick in the players mind as well as producing more realistic asteroids. Then I added a planet to defend as that really created the difference in my game. Which led me down the path of creating two loose conditions which I think is the perfect amount for my game as protecting the planet is the main concern so that should be one but if you get too caught up on just the planet your ship can take hits and you can lose as well. I then wanted to create a further level of difficulty so I made it so that not only one asteroid would be created every second but 4 every 3 seconds which is not a big difference but enough to make it slightly harder. The last thing I really considered was the controls, since the example got us to use our mouse to move around the spaceship and shoot which i pondered on for some time but i did decide to go with the WASD keys for movement as i thought it would make it easier to avoid the asteroids while protecting the planet.

If I had to change the design of my prototype I would add multiple levels along with a win condition of surviving a certain amount of waves increasing in difficulty the further along in the game you got. I would aim for around 10 more levels as it would be a perfect set of levels to then implement a shop that would offer you upgrades you can buy for your ship with currency that you would get from completing missions, the amount of currency you get would also increase the better job you do of protecting the planet and yourself, for example every live on the ship lost is -100 credits and every live lost on the planet is - 250 credits. The upgrades would consist of faster firing speed, more player health, a planet barrier to tank 1 asteroid, these 3 being able to buy multiple times and then the final upgrade being + 1 cannon to the ship which can only be purchased once.

If I had to redevelop my prototype I would first make it so that they were different size asteroids and when they were destroyed they would spawn the two of the smaller asteroids on the spots they were destroyed, as well as implementing a small explosion effect along with a sound effect of the asteroids being blown up. Then I would also add sound effects for the shooting of the ship, the respawning and the destruction of the ship.I would then take the gameplay into more consideration when making my prototype as I focused too much on the sprites and did not focus on the gameplay, a small fix I could have done is make the planet and the ship smaller so that there was more time to react to the asteroids being spawned before they would hit the planet. 

Fullerton, T. (2018). Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games. ProQuest Ebook. Retrieved from: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/qut/reader.action?docID=5477698

Racing Game Elevator Pitch

Title: Stellar Drift

This game is for 12+ as it requires skill to complete the race with the fastest time while avoiding obstacles

Stellar Drift is a high skill racing game where players must race along a dangerous, asteroid-filled intergalactic raceway. Only the most skilled drivers can master the turns with perfect precision and accuracy to achieve the fastest times. All while dodging the asteroids set in place to force the drivers to make quick decisions. Do you have what it takes?

Game Controls

W Key: Moves the car up the screen

A Key: Moves the car left

S Key: Moves the car down the screen

D Key: Moves the car right 

Selling Points:

High Skill Gameplay: Precision and control are necessary to complete this course requiring dodge obstacles and stay on the track to maintain the best score

Challenging Track: The track will be made to challenge the driver forcing them to learn the track as one slight mistake will forfeit their run for the best possible time

Punishing Restart Mechanic: If the player is too focused on the obstacles and falls off the track they are forced to restart

[jordan-glover--game-design]

Week 6:

Asteroids Development Post:

This week's tutorial gave me a simple outline for what an asteroids game should be so it was a good starter for my end design but i did decide to scrap all of the sprites i was given and find my own as it was only an outline and a far stretch from what i wanted to create

I was able to create the start of my asteroids game “Star Defender” using the knowledge I gained in the tutorial to configure a game that was based on a spaceship commander protecting a planet they were commissioned to from an incoming asteroids. The ship itself has 10 lives and the planet is able to survive 3 hits from asteroids before it is destroys and ultimately blown up and you lose.

I decided to use a WASD movement system rather than the follow the curser system that was used in the tutorial as I felt it be way easier to move around and shoot the enemies if they were not bound to one button.

Then to further the game ever so slightly I decided to make 2 lose conditions, one being when the planet's life was reduced to zero, and the other being when the player's life was reduced to zero. That would result in changing to a game over screen and a short message for both.

[jordan-glover--game-design]

Week 5:

Platformer Postmortem:

The Game Design Workshop by David Conroy helped influence my game design process. The chapters 3, 4, 7 and 8 helped me think about what I should add to my platformer prototype. I started by adding basic animations to my character starting with a simple running animation then an attacking animation so they could visually see the mechanics of the game are working. For example when the character would swing their sword a faint animation would follow the sword showing that it was swung, i also added a basic sound effect for the sword slash. Since the game was a platformer I chose to use a side-view viewpoint as it provides the best viewpoint for a platformer. I wanted to create another level of difficulty for my game so I added several different enemies that can be defeated but which could also defeat you with a single hit. The Last thing I considered was the controls however, I did make them easy to learn by making the controls the standard controls for all platformers on a PC, being WASD / spacebar as well as a mouse to use any attacks. 

If I had to change the design of the prototype I would implement different sprites to my game to be more of a traditional ronin samurai instead of a more ninja approach, however, this would not be the only thing i would change / add i would also implement multiple levels as a start to make the game longer and more fulfilling. Then I would make a level where the bow would be available to the samurai and during that level would be a small tutorial about how to swap weapons and use the bow with training dummies. From the point on the real game would begin where the story line begins to thicken and you make your way into villages seeing the destruction that your master has left behind.

If I had to redevelop my prototype firstly I would change the sprites of the enemies and the player as they had ended up taking more of a ninja approach rather than the anticipated samurai, so I would spend longer on making a sprite from scratch instead of finding a free sprite to use. Then I would start to add different puzzles utilizing buttons and crates as well as the bow and arrow attack to open gates, drop bridges etc. 

Fullerton, T. (2018). Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games. ProQuest Ebook. Retrieved from: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/qut/reader.action?docID=5477698

Platformer Game Elevator Pitch:

Title: Star Defender

This game is made for 12+ as it requires high mechanical skills

Star Defender is a high-paced action game where you’re the captain of an elite team, the “Star Defenders” protecting the galaxy’s stars. As the captain of this elite team you are sent on a solo mission to defend Alpha 372 from a meteor shower, you uncover something far more sinister… a mysterious force drawing endless asteroids toward the planet. Even as the captain you know this is not a solo mission anymore, calling HQ all you get is static … something or someone is blocking the signal… Stranded and communication cut off from HQ, it’s up to you to fight off the meteors and uncover who or what is behind the chaos. Can you defend Alpha 372 and find a way to call for backup?"

Game Controls:

W Key: Moves the ship forward towards your mouse

A Key: Moves the ship left from the direction the ship is facing

S Key: Moves the ship away from your mouse

D Key: Moves the ship right from the direction the ship is facing

Mouse: the front of the ship will rotate with the mouse

Left Click: Shoots a bullet

Selling Points:

Space Shooter Action: Engage in a fast paced shooter while dodging meteor showers, shooting meteors, protecting a planet and uncovering the truth behind the sudden meteor shower. 

Challenging Mechanics: This game requires a high skill level as you not only dodge the asteroids from destroying your ship but you also have to stop the planet from being hit from the asteroids as well, not to mention the precise aiming to be able to destroy the asteroids in time. 

Upgradable Ship: As you complete different levels you will be rewarded coins based of your performance this will then be able to be spent on upgrading your ships health and weapons

[jordan-glover--game-design]

Week 4:

Platformer Development Post:

This week i was able to create the start of my game using the knowledge i have learnt during our tutorials to correctly create a background that was able to move with the camera as well as a starter lay out of the map i wanted to create which is demonstrated in the screenshot below:

I then went on to further this by creating animations for not only my character but the enemies as well. Which for the Ronin consisted of a running animation, idle animation and death animation, where the enemy had just a running animation. This is shown in the example screenshots below as well as the picture of my game scene events.

So far my game consists of an introductory stage where you learn the controls to be able to move left right and jump and gain the skills to be able to dodge the enemies by jumping over them and making tight jumps. I made my demo like this as I wanted to show the player what the game would consist of. 

[jordan-glover--game-design]

Week 2:

Platformer Game Elevator Pitch:

Title: Forgotten Ronin

This game is made for 10+ as it contains no gore but complex puzzles

In Forgotten Ronin, you play as a ronin who survives an ambush against your emperor's convoy. Though you manage to escape, you slowly wake up wounded, with broken memories. As they return to you, you realise you were betrayed by the shogun… your master. Fueled by vengeance, you embark on a journey to avenge your fallen comrades, learning to master new weapons on your quest to aid you in your quest. The game challenges players with puzzles, obstacles and constant samurais who will stop at nothing to defeat you. Do you have what it takes to avenge your comrades and restore your honour?

Game Controls:

Movement

A Key: Moves player left

W Key and Space Bar: Allows player to jump

D Key: Moves player left

S Key: Allows player to drop through  certain platforms

Attack Keys

Scroll wheel: Changes Weapons

Sword

Left click: Sword Stab

Right click: Sword Reflect

Bow and Arrow

Left click: Shoots arrow

Selling Points:

Skillful gameplay: In each level you will have to face several enemies that utilise multiple attacks and attack patterns challenging you to use all of your skills to overcome the enemies.

Challenging puzzles: Navigate through complex puzzles and dangerous terrain where fast thinking and precise movement are needed to complete each level.

Dynamic Combat system: Unlock new weapons as the game progresses, switching between swordplay and ranged attacks seamlessly allowing for several different attack patterns.

Fullerton, T. (2018). Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games. ProQuest Ebook. Retrieved from: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/qut/reader.action?docID=5477698

[jordan-glover--game-design]

Week 1:

Introductory Post:

I am interested in learning about game design and programming as I believe it will help me with my long term goal as a game designer. I am aiming to become a game designer that will create a video game that can be enjoyed by all gamers regardless of their favorite genre. This Unit will directly help me achieve this goal by expanding my knowledge in the game design and programming fields and providing me with hands-on experience in creating a game. I envision myself becoming a programmer that will create a game that can be enjoyed by all different types of people, whether you are into hardcore FPS shooters, Fantasy, Survival, Platformers, RPG, etc. In High School, I created two games, The first being a first-person shooter aim trainer, that consisted of being able to equip two guns and having 10 different AI to shoot. Then as my second game I created a first-person survival game that consisted of infinite respawning AI that increased in capacity every time they were all killed with the goal of getting the best high score.