Interactive Multimedia Games Development COM631

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Interactive Multimedia Games Development COM631

• Week 3
• Game design guidelines

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Schedule
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Lecture overview

• Games development infrastructure
• Game design guidelines
• Game and player considerations

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Development infrastructure
Game layer
Software layer
Technical layer
Game development infrastructure
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Design layers Technical

• Core technologies that underpin game
• Graphics
• Animation
• AI (artificial intelligence)
• Physics
• Networking functionality
• Each element is individual but must work in
• partnership with other elements

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Design layers Software

• Software layer organizes technical elements into
  usable software package to facilitate game
  development environment
• Designed using best practise principles in
  software engineering.

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Design layers Game

• Good foundations support game development
• Game development requires careful planning and
  implementation
• Three layers working well together leads to
  successful game development

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Game design guidelines

• Successful game design requires a structured and
  thoughtful approach to implementation
• Number of guidelines to follow to improve chance
  of success
• Some guidelines are obvious, some are not

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Game design guidelines

• Identifying with the player
• Always try to remember the players experience
  when designing a game
• Try to anticipate players expectations and
  reactions
• Design to meet expectations
• Enhances player experience

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Dead or Alive 3

• Dead or Alive 3 completely changes the rules when
  fighting the last boss
• Negates all the player learned
• Final boss shoots at you
• Different camera angle
• Changes controller use
• Read bad designer, No twinkie (Adams)

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Identifying with the player

• Hard to anticipate all eventualities
• Make maximum use of testers
• Ensure game play consistent with expectations
• Eliminate problems early during design phrase

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Player motivation

• Be aware of the players motivation for game
  playing .e.g. mastery, social interaction
• Game needs to reflect motivation to ensure player
  immersion
• Game should be easy to learn but difficult to
  master, multi-faceted
• Encourages novice players

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Linerider

• Simple rules
• Easy to play
• Unlimited variations
• Competitive element

http//www.linerider.com/
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Player feedback

• Playing a computer game is an interactive
  experience
• User need/expect discernable feedback from an
  action
• Feedback can have positive or negative
  connotations and be delivered through a range of
  media e.g. joystick/controller or sound

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Wii Remote

• Basic audio and force feedback functionality
• Independent speaker
• Use of bow in The Legend of Zelda Twilight
  Princess.
• Sound on remote and television altered as the bow
  shot
• Gives impression of the arrow traveling

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Feedback

• Important indicator of wrong move or action
• Counters frustration
• Needs to be set in the context of the game
  environment to continue immersion

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Maintaining player state

• The player should always be aware of their
  immediate and short term objectives
• Important given increasing game size and
  complexity (multiple sessions over lengthy
  periods of time
• Include indicators of progress e.g. maps
• Immediate goalcurrent challenge
• Medium term, built skills or collect supplies
• Long term, rescue the princess

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Maintaining interest

• Player should always have something
  interesting/challenging to complete
• Avoid boredom and frustration, be aware of the
  vver present off button
• Good games tie the player in emotionally and
  psychologically

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Maintaining interest

• Constant stream of choices with notable outcomes
• Avoid unnecessarily repetitive, complex or
  tedious tasks. Automate boring but essential
  tasks
• Maintain a sense of purpose and direction
• Allow player to bypass games elements e.g.
  cinematic or cut scene
• Call of Duty 3, watch intro each time

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Player immersion

• Compelling content immerses the player in the
  moment to moment experience
• Player forgets real world
• Successful games totally immerse players
• Provides continuous and appropriate stimulus
• Make content appropriate to maintain illusion

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Player immersion
Command and Conquer Generals
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Game realism

• Game should ensure a careful balance between
  realism and fantasy
• Appropriate level of realism to support immersion
  but avoid tedium
• Include natural laws unless genre requires
  alternatives

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Game consistency

• Player actions should result in consistent and
  predictable outcomes
• Avoids confusion and frustration
• Helps player understand game boundaries
• Sensible or reasonable actions should result in
  success
• Needed to maintain players expectations
• Doom Switch in one room opens a door in another
  room a mile away

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Freedom to explore

• Games should allow the user the freedom to
  explore and experiment in unstructured ways
• World should respond in a consistent/realistic
  fashion
• Grand theft auto 3, rampage mode

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Quality of scripts

• Users wouldnt notice good scripts/dialogue
• Poor dialogue destroys immersion
• Use appropriate and timely dialogue

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Timely information

• Good games provide timely information/skills to
  players
• Avoids having to remember large amount of
  accumulated facts
• Make available at an opportune moment

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Opportunities to win/fairness

• The ability to complete the game should be
  apparent to all player levels (novice and
  advanced)
• Game play and challenges should not overwhelm or
  intimidate players
• Success should always be just beyond reach
• Careful balance between challenge and (some)
  frustration
• Should be fine tuned during testing

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Player Fatigue

• Repetitive/pointless or boring tasks will induce
  fatigue in players
• Discourage further game play
• Vary challenges
• Vary objectives
• Include flexibility in problem solving

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Design constraints

• Computer game is a software project
• It has costs and timescales for implementation
• Key to success is good game play in a title
  delivered on time and within budget
• Ensure all features work
• Halo 2 ending

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Controller shortcomings

• Ensure good planning to minimize game
  shortcomings
• Intensive testing should identify problems
• Consistent use of controller essential, use
  standard commands for genre
• Offer ability for user to customise controller
  commands but use should be intuitive and match
  user expectations

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Unreal Championship

• Unreal Championship, poor on the Xbox
• Unreal is fast paced game did not translate to
  Xbox controller
• Call of Duty 2, PC versus Xbox

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Disk swapping/load times

• Avoid the need to frequently swap disks
• Large worlds require careful attention
• Less of an issue with DVD but their capacity is
  reaching its limits
• Disks are not as fast as cartridges for loading
• Using smaller levels, reduce data requirements

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Interruptions to game play

• All games have breaks in action e.g. failure
  condition or level change
• Should be minimized and focused on keeping the
  player in the game
• Use cliffhanger approach to raise players sense
  of anticipation
• Game re-entry should allow game play resumption
  without excessive loss of progress

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Interruptions to game play

• Ensure consistent and appropriate use of game
  save facility
• Limits repetition, frustration and boredom
• Allows flexibility ensuring better overall
  experience
• Original Grand Theft Auto with limited save
  functionality (Rectified later in series)

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Saving facilities

• Original Alien vs. Predator
• No game saving
• Required patch to rectify
• Ensure easy access to standard functionality
• Help, load, save, pause and quit as any time

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Bugs

• Ensure little or no game bugs
• Process begins in design process, planning can
  limit impact
• Final Fantasy, character sprite was invisible
  (poor rendering)
• Early versions of the Asteroids you could hide in
  the score field and never get hit
• Epyx game 'Impossible Mission' impossible to win.
  Pieces needed to solve the game are hidden under
  computer terminals but player was not allowed to
  search the terminals
• Doom, use rocket launcher to access parts of game

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Interface Design

• Good game interface design essential
• Needs to be functional as well as aesthetically
  pleasing
• Needs to present information in a manner that is
  intuitive and easy to find
• Critical in games with time constraints.

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Interface Design

• Allow player control of viewpoint
• Test/prototype extensively to ensure correct
  layout
• Follow genre conventions
• Focus on ease of use

Unreal tournament 2004
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Menu systems

• Games will attract novice and expert users
• Game introduction should cater for all levels of
  experience
• Well designed start up screen essential
• Should allow access to start/load/exit game,
  access to tutorials and game options.

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Game settings

• Facilitate flexible options control
• Allow user to change game controls, display
  settings, volume and sound
• Cater to diversity
• Be clear on options/impact

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Cheat Codes

• Include cheat codes
• Be aware of impact on game balance
• Beware of compromising game integrity
• Power ups, warps, weapons

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Tutorials

• Provide training/tutorial levels
• Develops skills needed to complete games
• Familiarize users with complex or unusual
  controls
• Remind the user to do tutorials if skills are
  wanting

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Game progression

• Games should be easy to learn and difficult to
  master
• Early game challenges should be easy to overcome
• Challenges graded and matched to skills
• Game stages staggered e.g. start, intermediate,
  final level

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Structure and Progression

• Gradual introduction to games features
• Include skills practice
• Involve game testers extensively
• Have variety of game tester skills

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Game balance issues

• Good game balance essential
• Difficult process, poor game balance poor user
  experience
• Game environment and progression should be under
  gamers control

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Types of balance

• Player to player balance
• No player should have an unfair advantage
• Outcome based on skill, experience and judgement
  and element of luck

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Types of balance

• Player to game/gameplay balance
• Relationship between player and game
• Toughest opponent should not be the game
• Learning curve balance
• Challenges versus rewards

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Types of balance

• Gameplay to gameplay balance
• Game features should balance
• Weapons, vehicles, characters, and other game
  elements should have a balance or strengths and
  weaknesses
• Variety of choices without a single element
  dominating

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Types of balance

• Symmetrical balance
• Easy to implement, all elements equal
• Fair but boring
• Asymmetrical balance
• More interesting game play, harder to implement
• Relies on extensive testing

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Game fairness

• Game obstacles should be surmountable on the
  first attempt
• Dont rely on trial and error
• Repeated failure player frustration
• Theoretically a player should be able to complete
  a game in one attempt

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Player consideration

• End objective is player enjoyment
• Essential balance in challenges between pleasure
  and frustration
• Always ensure player choice can lead to success
• Avoid dead man walking syndrome
• Can be improbable but still possible
• Protect novices
• Have safe areas to learn and develop skills

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Player consideration

• Do not punish players in complex sequences for
  minor errors
• Avoid repetition by good design and frequent
  checkpoints
• Ensure information is available in a timely
  fashion

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Player consideration

• All features evident in the game, no over
  dependence on large manuals or user guides
• All information contained in the game to ensure
  progress
• Reassure players on game progress
• Set incremental goals
• Offer levels of difficulty in games

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New interfaces

• Multi Touch
• Livemove

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Assignment 2 Overview

• Assignment 2 Pitch and present an innovative
• game
• Total available marks 25
• Individual assignment
• Assignment 2
• Due 21/10/08 (Week 5)

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Assignment 2

• Create a short pitch document/presentation for an
  innovative game you are going to create that you
  feel would be successful in the Dare competition
• Ensure that your game idea could be implemented
  within the constraints of the competition
  duration and team size/composition
• Structure of the document is closely based on the
  application form for Dare to be Digital
• Pitch document generated should follow the format
  given. Word limits will be strictly adhered to!

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Pitch Format

• Pitch document should be comprised of the
  following
• Concise game description (maximum 100 words)
• Description of core game play (maximum 100 words)
• Discussion of market potential of title (maximum
  100 words)
• Discussion of target audience (maximum 100 words)
• Description of innovation and creativity (maximum
  100 words)
• Discussion of which technology you are using and
  why? (maximum 100 words)
• Short work plan clearly showing how you could
  design a level for your game in the next 12
  weeks. (Flexible length but must be concise!)

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100 Word Games Pitch

• Therell be no trick or treating this Halloween!
• Slyghoul the Hungry has risen and hasnt fed for
  a hundred years.
• He traps the children of Yew-tree Orphanage and
  grows stronger from their
• fears. Only three children escape his grasp, but
  for how long?
• Bound by need and circumstance Lofty, Missey,
  and Rabbit must uncover their
• inner strengths to escape. Light, Sound and
  Friendship are their only weapons
• to defeat Slyghoul and his minions.
• Time is running out, the light is fading, help
  them face their fears and save the
• others...
• Or be trapped forever by the Creeping Dark!

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Assignment 2 Output

• Report and class presentation. Report format
• Size Must comply with the Dare to be Digital
  application form format and must be within the
  stated word limit!
• Font Times New Roman
• Font size12
• Spacing Single line
• StyleTechnical/Formal

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Assignment 2 Output

• Submission Guidelines for presentation
• Powerpoint presentation of appropriate length.
• Submission Details
• Assignments should be submitted on day of
  presentation

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Assignment 2 Deliverables

• Hard copy of report and presentation slides
• CDROM containing digital copy of report and
  presentation slides
• Presentation to class in week 5

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Assignment 2 Mark Allocation
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Work plan

• This week
• Assignment 1 Presentations
• Gamebryo tools
• Next week
• Art pipeline labs

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Interactive Multimedia Games Development COM631

• Week 3
• Game design guidelines