FUNDAMENTALS OF GAME DESIGN WHAT IS GAME DESIGN?

Sayed AhmedBSc. Eng. in CSc. & Eng. (BUET)

MSc. in CSc. (U of Manitoba)

http://sayed.justEtc.net

http://www.justETC.net

Just E.T.C for Business, Education, and Technology Solutions

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COURSE TARGET

You Will Be Introduced to Unreal Learn major elements of Game Design Learn major elements of game play Learn fundamental game design techniques Develop a game design Critically evaluate games from different genres Develop an understanding of the basic elements

of game play Balancing Risk versus reward Engagement

Document a game design using a game design document

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TODAY’S CLASS

Discuss What is a game Introduction to Unreal (Game Development Engine) Discuss the Elements of Game Play

Character Development Storytelling and Narrative User Interfaces Game Play Core Mechanics Game Balancing Level Design

Introduction to the Game Design Document Analyze a serious game in light of Game Design

Document Brainstorm Game Design Ideas

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DEFINE GAME DESIGN

It’s a process that involves Imagining a game Define how it will work (the story, the interaction,

the rules) Define the elements of the game

Conceptual Functional Artistic Others….

Communicate the idea to the design team What does a game designer do?

Perform all the above tasks4

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DESIGN ARTS OR SCIENCE

Neither purely arts nor purely science The imagining of ideas and concepts, and

making the game aesthetic belong to Arts However, to be a great game, the game also

needs to function well. Though it’s not purely science but to implement the functionality, concepts from science and math are highly used

Games are crafts with highest possible level of elegance

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ANATOMY OF GAME DESIGN

Game design is creative and imaginative where inherent talent also plays a very important role

And hence, Game design cannot be represented as strict step by step procedure or rules or processes

However, game design is not a random process either (knowingly or unknowingly). We may be able to identify some similarities

(common/basic components/concepts/principles) in the successful games (may be genre dependent)

And device some common principles that hopefully will lead to good game design

Can work as guidelines for the novices (or checklist for the more experienced) 6

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KEY ELEMENTS OF GAMES

As there is no perfect rule One way of seeing game design is

Identifying common elements in a genre of games And Create games in that genre with similar elements

but different story, or graphics goals Or find out the genre of your game concept, identify

the common elements of that genre, compare, think, innovate. Make the game more interesting

Your ideas, stories can be great but it also needs to have some of those common and useful elements

Publishers usually do not go for the very innovative ideas but want the idea similar to a recent hit with some more twists

The successful games are successful – there is a reason behind this

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KEY ELEMENTS OF GAME Common elements

Rules of the game (your concept should have rules)

The player’s role The challenges …. Two games can have many common elements but

different settings, rules, strategies, and balancing Many games have the same/similar play

mechanics but with different graphics Identifying common elements

does not to encourage you to imitate/create cookie-cutter games

but to ensure that all essential elements are covered8

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GROUND RULES FOR GAME DESIGN

Game design can be broken in three specific area Core mechanics Storytelling Interactivity

Core mechanics Storytelling

All game has a story The game itself can be a story like princess of Persia The player can create the story (the way he plays and

reaches the goal) Talk about Narrative and non – narrative No story, the player creates the story Linear narrative, non linear narrative

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INTERACTIVITY

Define how the interactivity will work Graphics Sounds User Interface

Poor interactivity can ruin a game Wire wind for example

Use right click, icon based menus, select options to proceed

Interactivity includes the user interface as well Sonic the Hedgehog, and Mario 64 for Wii

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IMPORTANCE OF DESIGN DOCUMENT

All game companies now want a design document to be written

The design document may not include all ideas but can write down the decisions Many ideas come from lunch meetings If a feature is not written down

Someone has to create it on the fly Different team member may work to different goals

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TYPES OF DESIGN DOCUMENTS

High Concept (2-4) pages Game treatment (10-20 pages) Game script (50-200 pages)

High Concept (2-4) pages Got a great game idea? Write a high concept

document. Will be used to express the idea to the publishers to fund the game

Covers Premise of the game Intended audience Genre 12

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GAME DESIGN DOCUMENT

Game Treatment Analysis of the Competition How your game is different A document to sale your game Some business and development details

Game Script Bible of the game Game design decisions Creative, conceptual, and functional Does not include how the game will be implemented in

software The design document may help you to play the games

in paper – brainstorm, get feedbacks A cheaper way to evaluate the game

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DESIGN DOCUMENT Design Document

The design document defines the game concept as well as functional and technical specifics of the game. A design document consists of 3 parts: Game Concept Document Game Design Document Technical Design Document

Game Design Document: Game Foundations (Game Features, The Essence of the Game play,

Characters, Game play Elements, AI) User Interface (Navigational Chart, Functional Requirements, Objects of

the User Interface) Graphics and Video (Graphics and Animations, Animated Insertions) Sounds and Music (General Description, Sound Effects, Music) Plot Level Description (The graph of the Positional Relationship of the Levels,

Queue of the New Objects Implementation, General Level Design Description)

Reference: http://digitalworlds.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/the-process-of-game-creation-the-game-design-document/ (Program Ace)

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ELEMENTS OF GAME PLAY

Character Development, Storytelling and Narrative, User Interfaces, Game play, Core Mechanics,

Game Balancing, Level Design Introduction to the Game Design Document Activity: Analyze a serious game in light of a

game design document – “Project Moonwalk” Group discussion of Moonwalk Activity: Brainstorm Game design ideas,

begin documentation15

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ANATOMY OF GAME DESIGNER

Requires both Talent Skill

Skill Set Imagination

Still if you do not have a talent for it, you can grow and improve (through exercise of imaginations)

Forms of Imagination Visual and auditory Dramatic

Good character plot, motivation, emotion, climaxes, and outcomes

Conceptual Relationship between ideas, their interactions, and

dependencies Basic knowledge of the technical capabilities of the platform

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ANATOMY OF GAME DESIGNER

Analytical Competence Able to recognize good part and bad part of a design. Self criticize and improve Take opinions, and process those opinions

Mathematical Competence Some math concepts are essential

Aesthetic Competence Writing Skills

Technical Writing Fiction Writing

Manual, Background Material, Character Description Dialog Writing

Audio voice cover and cinematic materials18

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ANATOMY OF GAME DESIGNER

Drawing Skills Ability to Compromise

Consider customer or publisher interests and adjust

Compromise to the limitation of the platform

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REFERENCES

Fundamentals of Game Design, 2nd Edition, Ernest Adams, Prentice Hall, 2006, ISBN-10: 0131687476. ISBN-13: 978-0131687479

http://computer.justetc.net

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FUNDAMENTALS OF GAME DESIGNUNREAL AND MAYA

Sayed AhmedBSc. Eng. in CSc. & Eng.

MSc. in CSc.

http://sayed.justetc.net

http://www.justETC.net

Presented at the University of WinnipegWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

By

Just E.T.C www.JustEtc.net

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UNREAL GAME ENGINE (UDK)

Reference: Basics , creating a scene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8eJUYMKvUo Adding Objects/Items to the scene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqVPQ5S_Au0&feature=related

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VIDEO TUTORIALS

http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/VideoTutorials.html User Interfaces

All Content Browsers

Import external objects View Port Options

Sound Effects Use existing sound waves Use Existing Sound Cues Create new sound waves/cues

Physics Whatever is shown in the class

UI Scenes Convert UI elements and add game play Import external objects and add properties

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CREATE AND USE EXISTING MAP FILES

Create http://www.fileplanet.com/209254/download/UDK-

Tutorial---First-Map-Creation

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RESOURCES

http://udk.com/documentation

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GAME DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT CAREER

Inside EA: http://www.youtube.com/user/InsideEA

EA Game Design Career Paths http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvPZ8xG4LlQ

Mum, Dad, I want to be a Game Designer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiQcANX

3NNE&feature=relmfu EA QA (Games Tester) Career Paths

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foyEgHHBcI4&feature=relmfu

EA Programming Career Paths http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Eo2ikm

bREo&feature=related