Enhancing Immersion in Computer Games

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Enhancing Immersion in Computer Games

• Stuart Slater
• Wolverhampton University

GAME-ON 2002
University Of Westminster
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About Me

• Lecturer at Wolverhampton University

• Manage a site to help students and others program
  in DirectX and C.

• Supervise undergraduate project students in
  aspects of games design and development.

• Had some experience of writing and testing games.

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Current Research

• Currently working on an Isometric Game engine in
  Direct 3D as part of an Advanced MSC project.

• Looking to start a PhD late 2003 involving
  terrain development and AI reasoning.

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The Paper

• Why the subject?

• Commercial Awareness

• Commercial Success

• Brand Awareness

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Isometric Computer Games

• An elevated Isometric view enabling a player to
  see multiple units at once.

• Command and Conquer
• MechCommander
• Baldurs Gate

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Immersive Elements

• The First 15 Minutes

• AI

2. The Video

• User Interface

• The Story

• Level Design

• Sound

• Fun Factor

• Graphics

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Objectives Of Omega Rising

• Interesting Story

• User Interface

• 1920s Gothic Horror

• Familiar to users of CC style games.

• Humans vs. Ancient Evil

• Testers recruited to feedback on aspects of game

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Objectives Of Omega Rising

• Increased freedom

• Fun Factor

• Zoom in/out of map

• To create a game I would play myself

• Go Behind Buildings

• Look at zooming in to become a First person
  Shooter

• Use testers to help steer course.

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Progress

• Tile Map from 3D Meshes.

• Technology Tree Infrastructure In Place

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Progress 2

• HCI Aspects Investigated (ongoing).

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Progress 3

• Partial Zoom Implemented

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Progress 4

• User can build and place all buildings on the map
  but they are currently 2D only.

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Current Work

• Investigating code optimisation techniques

• Developing detailed models in 3ds max

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Questions?
Contact Me s.i.slater_at_wlv.ac.uk