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Assignment 3 Post-Mortem

After working on the assignment 3 prototype and playtesting with it, the game has finally reached a point which is satisfactory for the game to be played by a wider audience.

From starting on a very basic prototype with sprites and only one type of enemy to encounter, the group and I were able to make a game which we are happy to show to many people. Many things were added and adjusted due to the playtesting results that we received. We had to change the colour of the traps to ensure that they were visible, while also not being too obvious for players so they can still get hit by them. I also had to change the speed of the goblins as they were causing too many issues with the players and how fast they were moving. We also had to change the positions of some of the coins as people would try and get all of them, but two coins in particular would stand out as being either hard or impossible to get. We were also able to very effectively add a feature where if the player got hit, the coins that they were holding would spill out in random directions for them to try and pick up before they disappeared. An issue that was found in playtesting with this, however, was the amount of time it took for the coins to despawn was very short and it was difficult for the player to pick up every coin they lost. Overall, the feedback we received from playtesting was very useful and allowed us to further improve the game that we had spent a lot of time making.

If we were able to redevelop the game, we would have most likely added more enemies and had a different health system which couldn’t be added due to time restraints. There were many enemy types which were thought up of that we were unable to go with due to there being not enough time before the playtesting began. If there was an additional week, we would have been able to add two to three more enemies that players would have encountered along their journey through our game. While the health system we have works well for the platformer genre, having a health bar and lives would have made it feel more traditional and more people would be more accustom to it. Another part that would have been added if we had more time was within the levels, having a secret area which would have bountiful rewards for the player if they made it to the area. This would allow for a less linear level path and make the player want to explore and find these secrets to gain more points. Overall, without these features the game was still great, but having these small additions would have made the game even better.

Overall, the game was fun to make and was found by the play testers to be very fun to play due to the correct mix of both challenging enemies, but also the easy entrance into the game and being able to learn the different obstacles quickly allowed for players to have an enjoyable time playing the game. Finally, with everything done with the game and assignment 3, I have completed everything that IGB220 has offered to me. This course has been one of the most enjoyable courses to participate in and has allowed me to gain the knowledge of playtesting that I had no idea on how extensive the playtesting of a game is.

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Assignment 3 Iteration and Changes

Throughout the playtesting, it was clear that there were a couple of aspects which needed to be changed as every play tester had commented on them.

The first change is that the goblin enemies were moving too fast when doing their ‘charge’ attack when they moved towards the left side of the screen. Every play tester said that the goblin moved too fast and didn’t provide enough time to react to it, or it was difficult landing on it to defeat it. To fix this, we slowed down the speed that the goblins moved when travelling to the left which now gave more time for the players to react to the attack and allowed for an easier time to defeat them instead of waiting for the goblin to slow down and turn around.

Another change that was needed was that the spike traps were too hard to see on the ground. This caused all the play testers to hit it and lose their coins or killed them which meant they had to restart. To fix this, we adjusted the colour of the trap to still be green to blend in with the ground, but made it a different shade that was easy to pick up on even if the players weren’t paying attention to the ground.

Another major change was that we needed to implement checkpoints into the levels so the players didn’t have to go from the start of the level. Many testers found when they died, it took them out of the experience of playing the game due to having to slog through the level again due to them dying to either an enemy, or to a trap which they didn’t see. This made us implement checkpoints so it made the game easier to finish for those who may be new to the game.

Overall, the playtesting was successful and provided great feedback for the development of the game. There were many areas of the game which received feedback from multiple testers which allowed us to work on it and improve it further to then allow for the game to be able to be played by more people without them having to deal with the issues from the playtesting stages.

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Assignment 3 Playtesting

Within the workshop this week, we started to do some playtesting for our game that we are working on for assignment 3. This playtesting was the first of many and it allowed us to understand the process and get some valuable feedback at the same time.

Before the workshop, one of the group members made use of the templates provided to us and was able to make a script and questions for the play testers to answer so we could get more feedback from the playtest. The feedback that we received was both helpful as well as what we expected as the game was no where near done to the point that we would have had it for the main playtesting. 

One of the main things that was pointed out from the playtesting was that the jump height of the player was larger than they would expect it to be and to compensate for that, we will either increase the size of the character or change the height of the jump. Another aspect which was pointed out by the two players was that there should be a checkpoint near the start of the underground phase so instead of having to start from the beginning, they could continue from the checkpoint. This is only an issue at the moment as the lives and damage aspects of the game have not been completed yet and still need to be added. Overall, the feedback which we received was great as it gave us more ideas on what to add and different ways to implement different features within the game.

In week 12, we will be doing more playtesting and the game will have more features that will have been added from the first round of playtesting.

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

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Assignment 3 Development Post

Now that Assignment 3 has started, many different things have been worked on in the game that we are making for the assignment. Within the group, we decided to go with making a platformer game as we are most comfortable with that style of game. We then went on to divide the work into how long each will take and who wants to work on what part of the game.

One group member is working on a lives system and being damaged within the game. Another is working on the coins and other collectables that the player will be able to pick up throughout their time playing the game. The third group member is working on level design and sound design which means that they will create more complex and longer levels to support for longer play of the game. The sound design consists of music for the game and the sounds that occur throughout the levels, such as picking up a coin or defeating an enemy. I am working on the enemies and coming up with different types which the player will encounter along the way.

The first, most basic enemy is the slime which consists of it walking back and forth on a platform at a fixed move speed. This allows for players to get a feel for the movement and defeating enemies by jumping on their head. The second enemy type is a goblin which is found in the underground sections of the level. These are similar to the slimes as they walk back and forth on a platform, but the difference between the two is that the goblin does a short dash when moving to the left of the screen to catch players off guard and to provide a sort of challenge for them to overcome. 

Some enemies that are going to be added include traps which if the player stands on them, spikes may appear from the ground or a projectile is shot towards them which they will have to dodge. These will provide an even greater challenge as they will always be making sure that they are cautious or else they could lose the game from one careless step.

Another enemy which will be added is a spider which will move up and down and shoot webs at the player which will slow them down, leaving them exposed to other enemies that may be in the area.

The main goal of the game is that it is fun and accessible for most players who are playing video games, and one way to tell if it is fun is by, “asking the playtesters.” (Fullerton, 2018) By having playtests of our game over the next couple of weeks, we will be able to understand what works and doesn’t work with the game and if it is fun or not to play.

Overall, the development of the game is going well and the ideas for the enemies are solid while being actually something that could be easily implemented into the game.

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

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Racing Post-Mortem

Having completed the racing game prototype, it is clear that there were many features that I wanted to add but couldn’t be due to time restraints and that movement is a very important aspect of video games in general. While my prototype started off as a basic endless runner type racing game, I was able to adapt it to feature different obstacles that the player would overcome to reach a high score. Upon making the different enemies, one coming from the bottom of the screen at a high speed and the crashed car which takes up two lanes, I needed a way to ensure that they would not take the player by surprise. To allow for the player to react in time to these enemies, I added warning signs to signify that a different enemy would be spawning and to make sure that they could get into a different lane to avoid it. Another aspect of the game which is hard to perform but can be done is that after I had adjusted the hitboxes of the vehicles, it allowed for the player vehicle to slip between two different vehicles on either side if they were able to position themselves on the line in between lanes. This allows for a more advanced way to stay alive, but it is risky as if the player is even the slightest bit to far to one side of the line, then they would make contact with another car and they would lose.

If I was able to redevelop the prototype, there would have been more enemy types and different powers which the player could use to combat the constant traffic which spawned in front of them. This would be done by being able to find powerups along the way which would have different ways to alter the obstacles. One powerup could be that the player could delete any obstacle in the lane in front of them or have temporary invincibility to allow for them to get out of a tight situation.

If I was able to change the prototype and add what I had originally intended the game to include, then the rock, paper, scissor type gameplay would have been implemented. This would make it so when a certain type of vehicle was heading towards the player, they would press a button to change into the correct vehicle type to be able to survive the encounter. If they chose incorrectly, they would lose the game.

Overall, the prototype for the racing game was good but I do wish I was able to add more to it to make it an even better game. But for the amount of time that I had to work on it, I am satisfied with what I accomplished.

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Racing Development Post

Throughout the week, I have worked on the prototype for the racing game to see where I could get up to. I quickly found that the rock, paper, scissors idea could work, however, I did not possess enough time to fully implement it into my game. I was able to add different vehicle types into the game as obstacles and challenges for the players to overcome.

The first vehicle type which I implemented was having two vehicles which had different speeds travelling down the highway toward the player. This is the basic enemy type and offers the player with basic dodging obstacles which are not hard to avoid.

The second type of vehicle which was added was a very fast car which would come from the bottom of the screen, below the player, which would go past really fast. To allow the player enough time to react the which lane the vehicle would be spawning in, a warning sign appears for two seconds which alerts the player that the enemy is about the appear. After the two seconds, the sign would disappear, and the enemy would go from the bottom to the top of the screen.

Another type of vehicle that was added was a crashed car which would appear from the top of the screen and would take up two lanes. Similar to the fast vehicle, the crashed vehicle has a warning sign to tell the player that it will be spawning the two lanes. If the vehicle were to come into contact with another vehicle while travelling down the lane, then it would delete the normal vehicle types. Both the crashed and fast vehicles were added to provide an increased challenge for the player to overcome.

Some playtesting was done to find out what worked within the game and what didn’t. Overall the game functioned well, however, some feedback mentioned that the movement of the player vehicle made it difficult to dodge the fast and crashed car due to the back of the vehicle hanging out to the side when changing lanes. It was also mentioned that being able to move up and down on the screen would allow for better chances to dodge the vehicles and would allow for possible obstacles that come from the left and the right sides of the screen.

Overall, the development of the racing game was fairly successful which allowed me to understand different control schemes and movement options for the player, while also being able to come up with different ideas for obstacles that the players would face.

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

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Racing Game Elevator Pitch

Racing game elevator pitch

Title of Game: Highway star

Elevator pitch: You must avoid traffic and other road obstacles while trying to outrun the enemy which gets closer the more the player makes mistakes by hitting obstacles. The main goal for the player is to not get captured and to try and escape from the enemy. Different unique obstacles may be thrown to try and stop the player. In a similar fashion to rock paper scissors, the different obstacles can be overcome by different modes of the vehicle.

Image:

Google Images: Need for Speed Most Wanted. Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.carthrottle.com%2Fpost%2F662jpqb%2F&psig=AOvVaw1U4knRBJXEoKLohckJp2dX&ust=1631763729439000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCLjT192HgPMCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

Control Diagram:

Left arrow: Move left

Right arrow: Move right

Up arrow: Move up

Down arrow: Move down

    1: Change mode

    2: Change mode

    3: Change mode

3 Unique Selling Points:

    Rock paper scissors mechanic.

    Constant engagement with the player and the ever-looming threat.

    Power-ups which give the player a bonus.

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Asteroids Post-Mortem

With the asteroids prototype that I wanted to create, having different ships that would fly around and shoot at the player with unique shooting styles was inspired by most shoot-em up and bullet hell style games. While my prototype started out as an average asteroids style game with the player shooting the asteroids and staying alive for as long as possible. I decided to add a feature where when the player shoots an asteroid to destroy it, it would spawn in an additional asteroid which was one stage smaller than the destroyed asteroid. This provides more tension when playing the game which then makes the game more exciting as the player will try and stay alive even though it is becoming increasingly more difficult. Another feature that I added was different power-ups which would buff the player for a short period of time. These power-ups included a rapid fire which would allow for destroying asteroids in a faster manner which would clear the screen more. This allowed for a bit of relax for the player as the screen would be less packed than before. Another power-up was a shield which would destroy asteroids and make the player invincible for five seconds. This allowed the player to calm down and allow for them to think of a way to keep surviving once the shield disappeared. A third power-up which I began to implement but didn’t fully was a rocket power-up which would change the bullets that the player shot into rockets which would explode and destroy multiple asteroids in the area. Overall, while the game remained rather simplistic, I was able to add different things which built upon the gameplay and made it a more interesting game.

If I was able to redevelop the prototype, there would definitely be changes made and different things added. Changing the sprites and having a background would be done to allow for a more unique feeling to the game. This would allow for more customisation to the game. Another feature that I would add would be different firing modes for the player to use. This would allow for a more diverse range of ways to play the game. If I had more time to work on the prototype, I would have added more power-ups and possibly different enemies which spawned alongside the asteroids.

If I could change the prototype and add what I intended for it, there would be a few things that I would change. First, I would add different ships that the player could choose from. This would allow for different playthroughs of the game having different speeds and firing modes. Another feature that would be added would be varied enemy types which would cause the player to strategize on how they would defeat them. This would change the way the player played the game. The final change which would be added would be bosses and other larger asteroids which would cause the player to focus more on taking them down and trying not to be killed.

Overall, the prototype was very fun to make and had a lot more things to do in it compared to the platformer prototype which I made a couple of weeks ago.

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

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Asteroids Development Post

Through the week, I worked on the asteroids game prototype to see where I could take it. I quickly realized that my idea of having different ships which had different types of attacks would be unrealistic to make within the short span of time that I am working on this project. Despite this, I did make sure that the system was known and created to allow for someone to, “sit down and play it” (Fullerton, 2018), even if they had no clue on how to play it. I did add more to the ship and how the game played.

The first change that I added was that when the asteroids were destroyed, they would spawn another smaller asteroid to add more tension when playing the game and added an increase in difficulty in the gameplay.

Another change that I added were power ups. So far, I only have two power ups which can be acquired while playing the prototype. The first power up is a shield which surrounds the player for five seconds. This shield acts as a temporary invincibility which when it comes in contact with asteroids, it destroys them. This allows for the player to not be constantly surrounded with asteroids and provides a short period of relief from the ever-increasing difficulty the longer the game goes on for.

The second power up that I added was a rapid fire which would increase the fire rate of the ship temporarily. This allows the player to deal with the large amount of asteroids without having to get overwhelmed from all sides. By having this power up, it gives the player a sort of satisfactory feeling being able to practically clear the screen of asteroids by shooting down each and every one.

I also altered the hit boxes of the asteroids which made them more accurate to their models which allows for more consistent hits and it removes the issue of being hit by an asteroid which shouldn’t have damaged the player.

After having other people playtest my prototype, I received valuable feedback which allows me to change and improve upon my game. One change which was pointed out was that my bullets would pierce through asteroids, which would destroy more asteroids behind them. I hadn’t realized that the bullets pierced, so this allowed me to change and fix it which allowed for better balancing of the prototype. This piercing issue was suggested by the play tester to be possibly changed into a power up which I am eager to include in the game. Another point of feedback that I got was a nuke power up or feature which would allow for an increased time of reduced stress which would allow for a mini level transition as it would act as if a new level started.

Overall, the development of my asteroid prototype game was rather successful and through the use of play testing, I was able to expand on what I already had and improve to better fit the player’s experience.

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

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Platformer Post-mortem + Asteroids Elevator Pitch

My main inspiration as to what I wanted to add into my platformer was the Trine series but without the multiple characters. My game started off with having basic animations and sprites as a starting point so I could focus on the core mechanics of the game. As the game was a platformer, the movement and enemy movement were main features that I wanted to work on as it is the most important part of the game. To begin, I only had basic movement of the left and right arrow keys to move and space bar to jump. This would allow me to figure out the limitations of the jumping mechanic so no platforms were impossible to reach. After adding the movement and platforms, a basic enemy was added to get an idea of what it would turn out to be. This was presented by a simple slime moving back and forth on a platform where the player could defeat the slime by jumping on its head. If the player walked into the slime, they would die and it would remove the player sprite. With the general concept and idea of the game being made, I decided to add onto the movement and add a sliding mechanic for a more advanced movement system. This would allow players to slide under obstacles and gain access to small hidden areas throughout the level. After building out the level to become larger, the sliding mechanic was able to be used effectively. Coins were also added for the player to pick up but at the time of prototyping, they did not serve any purpose and didn’t count towards anything.

If I was able to redevelop my prototype, I would definitely add more things to it. The first thing I would add is different sprites and animations to the player character and enemies. This would allow for a more immersive experience which was unable to be done in the prototype due to the large focus on the movement and gameplay. Another change would be to add even more movement options to really grasp the concept of a stealth platformer which is what I was aiming for in the beginning. If I had more time to work on the prototype, I would have liked to add a double jump and possibly a teleport type feature which would allow for greater movement throughout the level and the player would be able to combo moves together to find hidden areas which would be usually out of reach.

If I could change the prototype and what I intended for it, a few things would indeed change about it. First, I would implement different types of enemies which would add variety to the prototype gameplay as having the same enemy with the same way of defeating it can become boring rather fast. By having a faster enemy or an enemy with increased health, the gameplay would change drastically and would make the player have to adapt to the changes with the challenges that they are facing. Another change would be adding a points system which would give some incentive for the player to try and complete the game faster or by trying to find all of the hidden areas for more points. This would make the game more competitive as people would try and get a high score.

Overall, the prototype was a solid first attempt at a platformer game which has made me understand the process of making games and the difficulties that may occur.

Asteroids Elevator Pitch

Elevator Pitch: A mix between asteroids and a bullet hell style of game which will contain asteroids for some down time and obstacles, but the main feature will be the different types of ships which will spawn which all have their unique shooting pattern.

Image:

Google images: Space ship fighting, Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.en.uptodown.com%2Fspaceship-battles-shootouts-endless-array-spacecraft%2F&psig=AOvVaw2cRGNyJ5DZmBqz2RoQvBQx&ust=1631066562970000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCLjO48vi6_ICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

Controls: Mouse movement, space is to shoot.

Selling points: Different ships which switch up gameplay and how the player will handle the enemy. Power ups which also change up gameplay (Multi shot, penetrating shot)

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

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Platformer Development

Over the past week, I have begun to develop my platformer prototype to see what I could manage to make within a small-time frame. The elevator pitch idea that I had come up with was definitely too ambitious, as Fullerton mentioned, “make it simple and focused on a particular question.” (Fullerton, 2018). Despite this, I still tried to implement different mechanics that would be used in the actual game if it were to be made.

Adding a slide mechanic

The first mechanic which I added after the initial design and mechanics was the sliding feature. This feature would allow the player to manoeuvre around the stage using different paths and movement to find the optimal way to complete the level.

Adding an underground area

An underground area was also added to act as a second part of the level which wasn’t the same feeling as the beginning. This was inspired by other platformers which had different locations in the same level.

While I wasn’t able to add too many features, I had a great time figuring out how to implement the different mechanics and other aspects of the game into my prototype. Near the end of developing the prototype, I partnered with another student and did some playtesting to see if the movement and other parts of my prototype felt nice to play and if there were any issues. I recorded some notes from the playtesting about the good parts and parts that need to be improved for my prototype.

Some things that needed to be improved or changed were that the slide animation could occur when the player is jumping which looked weird and interrupted the flow of the game slightly. Some things that could be added were a coin counter for the coins that the player picked up throughout the level, and a proper wall texture for obstacles that the player has to slide under to progress further into the level. Another aspect is that the prototype was still using default sprites which wasn’t a major concern but is something that would definitely be changed further into the development of the prototype.

Whilst there were parts that needed to be changed, some good aspects were found within the prototype. One was the quick understanding of the sliding mechanic and how to use it. The play tester was able to figure it out without and help or hints which is a good sign about the mechanic. Another part that was found to be good was that the level was not too challenging for the tester, and they were able to get to the end without too much hassle, which allowed the state of flow to stay with them the whole time, instead of them becoming bored or frustrated with the game.

Overall, for the development of my first game prototype from IGB220, I would say it was fun to make and it allowed me to better understand the GDevelop program and what it is capable of making with different types of games that will be made in the future.

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

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Platform Game Elevator Pitch

In IGB220, my first prototype game that I will make is going to be a platformer game. With this platformer game, I need to get an idea of what my game will be as well as coming up with an elevator pitch.

Questions were provided to us in order to understand and figure out what game concept we have chosen. These questions all for a more in-depth thought of the game and how it will work.

What is your gameplay?

The game will focus on basic movements options (which include running, jumping, sliding). It will also have a stealth element to it to allow for a greater use of the movement system.

Why will it be compelling?

While many people dislike stealth oriented gameplay, however, this game will allow for multiple different options when traversing the level to allow for a more unique experience while also allowing for different playstyles. This will also include puzzles which have to be solved by using the different movement options.

Who is the target audience?

Target audience: ages 13+

What is the players role?

The player will become a servant of the Greek God Nyx who must complete his mission

How will you motivate the player? How will you reward them?

By defeating enemies, the player will be rewarded XP and gold that can be used to upgrade abilities.

What genre is the game?

Fantasy, Adventure, Action.

What is the setting of the game?

With the cult of Nyx slowly coming towards their goal of eternal night, it is the player’s mission to assist in this mission by defeating other Greek gods who are trying to keep the balance of light and dark.

 When it comes to an elevator pitch, it usually includes a short description of the game and what it is like to allow for someone to understand the idea within a short time. This method is useful when pitching an idea as it will catch people’s attention and they won’t lose interest as it is short. I will now present my elevator pitch for my platformer game.

 ‘Dead of Nyx is a stealth adventure platformer game where the player is on a mission to bring back the Goddess Nyx to bring eternal night to ancient Greek society. However, the mission will not be easy and will need a mixture of movement and stealth to traverse the world and they will be able to upgrade their movement to get further through the world and possibly find hidden treasures that were previously unattainable.’

The game will include violence and other mature themes. This will make the rating of the game M with the target audience being 15 years and older. Overall, the game will be enjoyable for people who are a fan of platformers and who like to explore levels to find collectables and hidden areas.

Concept/inspiration 

Sources:

Google images: Nyx Greek mythology. Retrieved from:https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmythologysource.com%2Fnyx-greek-goddess%2F&psig=AOvVaw3_dL9iSrD747XALamRw_j9&ust=1630029604996000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCODgqc7LzfICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAa

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

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Introductory Post

Greetings to those who read this, My name is Ronan Blackburn and I will be documenting my thoughts and progress of coming up with and making multiple different games over the next couple of weeks for my IGB220 class. The thought of coming up with different types of games and making them sounds enjoyable while providing a challenge to myself to see how I can handle it and what I can make from it.