1) The game I am making at the moment is a Stealth/Action Adventure game where the main character has to uncover clues and use stealth to get past the enemy and find what he is looking for. It is set in an enemy base/bunker and it contains a lot of dark colours. There is a wide range of items and weapons that can be found and used to help the player complete the mission.
2) The challenges that I have overcome are firstly the engine that I am using is quite limited (AGS) so there is a limit to what you can do on it. For example you can't have 3D HD Graphics and FMV Cut-Scenes. Another problem I had was with the sprites. AGS gives you a default sprite for the characters you want to put in the game, and there is a different sprite for each action the character does. So, to change the colours of the character (hair, attire etc) you have to edit them one at a time. This is a very tedious process. This has made me better at designing characters and editing sprites though. The same goes for creating levels, walkways and interactions. It is very limited and you might not always get the result that you want.
3) Another game concept that I came up with was to make a Maze/Puzzle game. It would be an entirely different structured game from the Stealth game because the sprites would be easier to make as there would be no characters, the levels could all link up through a main interface which AGS can help you with, it would be entirely 2D so you don't have to change views of the camera. The only difficult part would be the players scoring and advancing of the levels and difficulty of the game.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Blog 4 - Game Sketching
1) Game Sketching is a set of technologies and methodologies intended to encourage exploration at a very early stage. It is about making a successful game using as little resources, time and money as possible, and getting new ideas for the game across at an early stage. It is also about eliminating risks from the designing and creation of the game, such as spending unnecessary money on ideas that aren't going to work, or wasting time on things that aren't going to make the game successful. It can also be described as being the processes and technologies that address the three issues that affect games companies today.
2) The value of game sketching is that it allows experimentation with little risk. Employees in businesses can explore new ideas at a minimal cost. Game sketching can also be implemented into a business thinking mind, where employees can be paid a certain wage and still produce high quality work and exploration. It also brings the team together and creates a bond and unity within the company. More ideas are being formed so more work will get done and everyone will be happier. It also allows you to have a prototype before the final product so you can see if you are happy with it.
3)I think that game sketching would come between the game concept and the vision document in the Project Life-cycle, because it is just scoping out ideas that are presented in the vision document and which are discussed in the game concept. The sketching would help even more ideas be addressed and make sure that there is little risk in the experimentation, they are using as little resources, money and time as possible. It is best to eliminate risks and errors from the game's creation in the early stages because there is more time to correct them if they occur, than if you tried to back during the latter stages of the life-cycle.
4) The limitations in Game Sketching is that the assets aren't part of the game, they are from elsewhere, so they may not do as good a job as the companies own assets. It is also quite basic so more advanced things that are in today's games cannot be created in these assets. The sketching also tends to favour linear games, so if you were making an MMORPG, it wouldn't really work as well.
2) The value of game sketching is that it allows experimentation with little risk. Employees in businesses can explore new ideas at a minimal cost. Game sketching can also be implemented into a business thinking mind, where employees can be paid a certain wage and still produce high quality work and exploration. It also brings the team together and creates a bond and unity within the company. More ideas are being formed so more work will get done and everyone will be happier. It also allows you to have a prototype before the final product so you can see if you are happy with it.
3)I think that game sketching would come between the game concept and the vision document in the Project Life-cycle, because it is just scoping out ideas that are presented in the vision document and which are discussed in the game concept. The sketching would help even more ideas be addressed and make sure that there is little risk in the experimentation, they are using as little resources, money and time as possible. It is best to eliminate risks and errors from the game's creation in the early stages because there is more time to correct them if they occur, than if you tried to back during the latter stages of the life-cycle.
4) The limitations in Game Sketching is that the assets aren't part of the game, they are from elsewhere, so they may not do as good a job as the companies own assets. It is also quite basic so more advanced things that are in today's games cannot be created in these assets. The sketching also tends to favour linear games, so if you were making an MMORPG, it wouldn't really work as well.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Blog 3 - Business Rules For Developing Games
1) The benefits of using the game project triangle are that you can decide which one you want to focus on: Quality, Time or Cost. For example if you are a small independent games company and you are on a low budget then cost would probably be your main issue so it is important to spend as little as you can. However, if a company like EA is making a game, cost isn't and time aren't problem because they are hugely successful and are their own publishers, so the quality of the game needs to be outstanding. Or if a company doesn't want to focus on just one aspect of the triangle, then they can balance the three. Perhaps they are under a deadline or they have a budget they can't go over, so quality of the game may need to be cut a little to meet the deadline and not go over the budget. The triangle may also act as a sort of plan for some companies. For example if there's no money budget or time constraint, you could go over the top and produce a game that is completely different from the original concept.
2) What are you trying to accomplish with this game? - I am trying to make a game that can use all of the features of the game engine (AGS) to the best of their ability. I am trying to make something unique to other games made in AGS and to get the idea I have in my mind into the game.
When must you complete this game project? - I must complete this project for the deadline date.
How much money do you have to produce it? - I don't have any money to produce it because it is a university project.
Who do you have to get the job done? - I only have myself to do all the work to complete the job.
3) The main things that I need to archive for an ultra-low budget game are work hours for each person working on the game (its just me), make the game a small one or a mod, make a demo, make an offline-only game, focus on the other areas more, quality and time.
4) Primary features are things that are definitely going in the game. These are the most inportant features and they must be completed before anything else. An example of primary features could be online play, a certain number of levels or certain puzzles to aid game progression. Secondary features and Tertiary features are things that could be in the game, but aren't as important as primary features. Examples of these could be updated graphics, extra minigames, unlockables etc. These might not even make it in to the shippable version of the game because the company might run out of time, depending on what focus of the proejct triangle they have chosen.
2) What are you trying to accomplish with this game? - I am trying to make a game that can use all of the features of the game engine (AGS) to the best of their ability. I am trying to make something unique to other games made in AGS and to get the idea I have in my mind into the game.
When must you complete this game project? - I must complete this project for the deadline date.
How much money do you have to produce it? - I don't have any money to produce it because it is a university project.
Who do you have to get the job done? - I only have myself to do all the work to complete the job.
3) The main things that I need to archive for an ultra-low budget game are work hours for each person working on the game (its just me), make the game a small one or a mod, make a demo, make an offline-only game, focus on the other areas more, quality and time.
4) Primary features are things that are definitely going in the game. These are the most inportant features and they must be completed before anything else. An example of primary features could be online play, a certain number of levels or certain puzzles to aid game progression. Secondary features and Tertiary features are things that could be in the game, but aren't as important as primary features. Examples of these could be updated graphics, extra minigames, unlockables etc. These might not even make it in to the shippable version of the game because the company might run out of time, depending on what focus of the proejct triangle they have chosen.
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