my-game-development-journey

[my-game-development-journey]

Assessment 3 Postmortem

Throughout the development of our team's prototype, we of course faced a barrage of unforeseen issues that all testers quickly picked up on.

With that said, considering the short window of development we had, as well as our generally novice skillset in development terms, I feel that we produced something that we can be proud of. I was particularly impressed with our artist, Finn's work, creating characters and enemies that are truly impressive and add greatly to the game's levels of immersion.

Further development is definitely needed to make this prototype into anything more than a proof of concept, as currently, it's hampered by too many issues and glitches, though the concept itself is structurally sound. A higher emphasis on audio and sound, along with more refined general controls would add greatly to the player experience in my mind.

overall, this assessment has been quite pleasant in its execution, working with a small team of people that seem to posses both the necessary skills, and be truly passionate in their work.

[my-game-development-journey]

Assessment 3 Playtesting

For our first session of Playtesting, I utilised four core elements. Firstly, the script, which we read to the tester prior to their play, followed by the questionnaire to gain deeper insights into their general preferences and experiences within the games world. We then had the testers play the game for a short duration, followed by a survey with specific questions relating to the game and the testers experiences with it.

My first tester, Michael, someone with some experience with platforms, reported that he enjoyed the core concepts found within the game, though some glitches prevented his experience from being seamless.

My second tester, Luka, had less experience with platformers, though still found the game and its concepts to be somewhat enjoyable. With that said, Luka also reported a high level of frustration throughout his play, noting that he often felt cheated by his missed jumps, stating that he felt that they were inconsistent and unfair to the player.

More testing is needed to be done as we progress through the prototype's development, as currently too many practically game breaking glitches are present to gain a truly in-depth evaluation of the mechanics in play.

[my-game-development-journey]

Assessment 3 Development Progress

At this stage in the game's development a rough prototype is in a playable state, allowing players to gain an understanding of how we as developers envision the final game to play as. Our game is a platforming experience, in which the player must ascend vertically to reach the heavens. A screenshot of the gameplay is listed below.

As a team, we have learned to truly work to our skills, with different team members performing different roles, allowing us to all perform at our highest level and create something that we can be truly proud of. As for how the readings have applied to my current work, I have focused predominantly on preparing Playtesting materials, such as questionnaires and general surveys, relating heavily to some of the methods mentioned in Chapter 9 of Tracy's book.

Furthermore, Our artist has developed some beautiful artwork for our platformer, creating a mood and tone that is simply engaging. I have listed the artwork below.

[my-game-development-journey]

Racing Game Postmortem

Throughout this latest section of my game design process, Chapter 5 of Tracy Fullerton's work had a significant impact on my general mindset at this stage of the prototypes development. To be specific, the concept of tuning the game's systems was apparent at this stage, as I struggled to find the right balance of player reward and penalty between actions.

While I feel that the overall design process I took throughout the prototypes development was routed in a solid foundation, I feel that I could have implemented more physical prototyping, such as those mentioned in Chapter 7 of Tracy's book. This could have potentially allowed for a more immersive experience early on in development, allowing me to gauge the viability of certain mechanics at a faster rate.

If I could change one element of the prototype's design, it would be the length and complexity of the map, as I believe it would allow for a greater sense of speed and accomplishment for the player throughout their play.

[my-game-development-journey]

Racing Game Development Post

Goals:

My primary goal in GDevelop remains creating an engaging and nostalgic gaming experience reminiscent of old flash games, one that provides the player with engaging controls and gameplay. However, achieving that vision has had its share of speed bumps.

One of the major challenges I’ve been encountering has been getting the driving controls properly functioning in the first place. While there are inbuilt systems that can be used for directional, top-down movement, I need the object to control like a car, rather than rotating on the spot like a boat. While the concept seemed straightforward, the execution has proved to be trickier than I anticipated. 

Lessons from Tracy Fullerton's Book:

Tracy Fullerton's book has been my guiding light through these struggles, though of course there is only so much it can do when I’m struggling with implementing the controls themselves. Chapter 10, which discusses the concept of completeness in a game experience, reemphasized  that getting the driving controls right is essential for the overall enjoyment of the game, as It's not just about the look; it's about the feel.

Additionally, Chapter 11's emphasis on "Is it fun?" has echoed in my mind. While perfecting controls has been challenging, the ultimate goal is to ensure that players have a blast while playing, and that's what I'm striving for. I will continue to try and implement the controls and provide an update after. Here are some screenshots from my progress.

[my-game-development-journey]

Racing Game Elevator Pitch

Game Title: Hyper Zoom

Game Concept:

Hyper Zoom is a somewhat nostalgic top-down track racer, reminiscent of old flash games on PC with an emphasis on gameplay and satisfaction. It will feature simple graphics, exuding charm, as well as a gameplay style that's all about simple mechanics with engaging play. Players will become adept at using the arrow keys to navigate an array of tracks, from classic racing circuits to challenging off-road terrains and bustling city streets, providing a diverse and enjoyable racing experience.

Key Features:

Drift to Victory: Hyper Zoom's loose controls allow for exhilarating drifting experiences. Timing is everything as players decide when to go full throttle and when to execute hairpin turns.

Compete Against AI: Race against three AI opponents of varying speeds and skill levels, adding depth and challenge to every competition.

Visually Captivating: Hyper Zoom boasts a charming 2D cartoon/pixel aesthetic that's sure to charm players with its nostalgic yet visually appealing style.

Target Audience and Selling Points:

Hyper Zoom is tailored to kids and teenagers, although it's designed to appeal to everyone who craves the excitement of racing games.

With its accessible controls and diversity in gameplay challenges and their scaling, Hyper Zoom provides an experience that can cater to both casual and hardcore gamers.

Players can progress through levels even without securing first place, offering a more relaxed experience. For those seeking a greater challenge, the goal is to beat the top AI racer in each race, ensuring a rewarding experience for all skill levels.

[my-game-development-journey]

Asteroid Game Postmortem

Design Inspiration from Class Readings:

Chapter 11 of Fullerton's work resonated deeply with my design process, reinforcing the importance of continually asking the simple question, "Is it fun?" This became my guiding principle throughout development, and I strived not only for mechanical soundness but also for a genuinely enjoyable player experience. This emphasis on fun was a driving force behind my design choices and iterations in general.

Changes to Prototype Development:

One aspect of the development process I would change is my approach to studying games within the same genre. While I did engage with similar games for inspiration to some degree, I now realize the benefit of a more in-depth analysis, taking notes on what I specifically enjoyed and particularly the “why?” in those games would have provided clearer guidance from the outset.

Changes to Prototype Design:

Regarding the design of the prototype, I would have expanded the scope by developing multiple levels with greater variety. Chapter 10 of Fullerton's book emphasizes the completeness of the game experience, and having more levels would not only enhance the player's engagement but also allow for the exploration of diverse gameplay mechanics and challenges. Of course, time constraints are very real within this unit, so content was always going to be somewhat light, as these are indeed just prototypes.

The development of my 2D asteroid game has been an enlightening journey, with the emphasis on fun, iterative design, and player feedback being foundational to its creation and development. As I move forward, I'll continue to draw from these lessons, striving to craft games that not only meet the standards of excellence but, most importantly, provide players with an enjoyable and memorable experience.

[my-game-development-journey]

Asteroid Development Post

As I've worked on creating an engaging top-down asteroid shooter, I've encountered both challenges and opportunities for innovation.

Challenges I Faced:

One initial challenge was getting the asteroids themselves to spawn correctly. It may have seemed simple, but in reality, it was an issue that took quite some time to fix. After numerous trials and errors, I finally solved the problem, all while ensuring the spawn rate was at a healthy speed, allowing the player to feel challenged, but not overwhelmed and defeated.

What I Aim to Implement:

I would love to add power-ups to enhance player engagement and provide a more intricate, complex element to the gameplay, offering advantages like increased fire rate and speed. These power ups would spawn around the level for a short duration, with the player deciding if they would risk the potential danger to obtain them, or let them be to remain safe.

Insights from Readings

Chapter 10 of Fullerton's book opened my eyes to the complexity of gameplay balance. I learned firsthand how even the smallest changes to variables can profoundly impact the player experience. Implementing power-ups will demand meticulous testing and iteration to ensure the game's balance remains.

[my-game-development-journey]

Asteroid Elevator Pitch

Asteroid attack

A 2d, top-down arcade style asteroid shooter, with an emphasis on strong player movement and user control. A darker theme with ripple effects throughout to create a somewhat psychedelic aesthetic. A soundtrack the slowly builds as the player progresses through the level, starting as a simple effect and morphing into a complex, theatrical experience.

Target Audience: all players, with an emphasis on retro gamers

Selling Points

Strange and different

Refined, satisfying controls. 

An engaging, sensory experience

[my-game-development-journey]

Platformer Postmortem

One of the first things I asked myself after the completion of the initial prototype was, is it functional? a question posited within the Fullerton readings. The discussion emphasised that as a developer you must test over and over for weak points within your game to truly find the answer. luckily for me, it did not take long to find issues.

As I created a level design that emphasised vertical traversal, inspired by chapter 6 of Fullerton's readings in which brainstorming is discussed, this was something that I believed to be somewhat innovative or different with regards to most platforms. with that said, I found it difficult to discern whether or not sections were too difficult for the player, or if they were the right level of challenging. This is where play testing comes in, as emphasised in chapter 9 of the readings.

As for what I would change I this prototype, I would experiment with more enemy combinations and player abilities, while still keeping the player's options somewhat limited, forcing them to adapt and master their movement patterns.

[my-game-development-journey]

Platformer Elevator Pitch

The platformer I am currently developing is relatively simple, conceptually speaking. The game consists of the player traversing throughout the level, reaching the final flag to progress. The difference when contrasted with other similar games, is that this will focus on vertical traversal, in which the further the player progresses, the smaller the platforms.

Aesthetically, I hope to bring a somewhat darker theme to the game, with strange mixes of hyper friendly, and unsettling imagery and audio throughout.

[my-game-development-journey]

Struggles during Platformer Development

Struggles along the way and progress

Throughout the development of my trial platformer game, I’ve experienced a myriad of issues that took quite some time to fix and progress from. Firstly, resetting the player after death was relatively simple, but the resetting after they fall off the platform was not, I’m still trying to figure out how to do this. I’ve tried basing it off the Y Coordinate but to no success.

Another obscure issue that is relatively minor is trying to set the player’s size in a permanent way, rather than simply for a particular scene or level. Currently, whenever I adjust the size of the player, they revert back upon death, I cannot figure out how to edit the prefab, as the object settings do no have it.

Finally, I somewhat successfully implemented a double jump mechanic, though it still does not work completely. It works once and then stops working for the rest of the level, something to do with my actions code in all likelihood. 

as referred to in to readings by Fullerton, ive tried to focus on a playcentric approach, creating something that is engaging above everything else.

[my-game-development-journey]

About Me

My name is Janak, and my personal interest in the game development industry stems primarily from a deep resonation with the medium from a young age. This interest has stayed with me over the years, eventually leading to the realization that It was possible to actually form a career within the industry I love so much. With that said, the way in which I’m approaching this potential career is atypical, in that I am looking to work in a producer or project management role, rather than that of a designer, programmer, or artist. 

I am currently studying a double degree in Games and Interactive Environments, majoring in Game Design, as well as a business degree, majoring in Management. This unit will aid in forming my core understanding of the game development landscape and process, knowledge that I believe to be invaluable for any role within the industry. My aims for this unit are simply to further my game production abilities, as well as maintain a healthy GPA throughout.