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CMPUT 250: Fall 2007
Review and Post-Mortems
CMPUT 250
Fall 2007
Thursday, October 11
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Today’s Lecture: Review
! Project Management
! Game Development Cycle
! Game Design
! Narrative
! History and Technology
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Today’s Lecture: Post Mortems
! Post Mortems
! What are they? Why do we care?
! Example: Katamari Damacy
! Example: Mask of Mephist
! Ante-Mortems: Design Issues
! Example: Trial of Rolgan
! Example: Heart of Gold
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Project Management
! People, Planning, Problem Solving
! Tools of Project Planning
! Meetings: Plan, Inform, Prepare, Structure &
Control, and Summarize & Record
! Task Queue
! Repository
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Problem Solving
! Fractal Spiral Model of Problem Solving
! Strategy: “Why are we doing this?”
! Analyze: “What are we going to do?”
! Design: “How are we going to do it?”
! Implement: “Do it.”
! Test: “Did we do what we intended?”
! Deploy: “Release it.”
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Sample Midterm Question
! Describe two benefits of maintaining a task
queue.
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Game Development Cycle
! Idea
! Concept Document
! Design Document
! Prototype
! Post-Prototype
! Production
! Post-Production
! Testing
! Retail
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Sample Midterm Question
! Give two reasons why a design document
is important to be written and kept up to
date as the project progresses?
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Natural Funativity(Noah Falstein)
! An “evolutionary” explanation of fun, play,
and games: those who play survive
Reading
Assignment
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Game Structure(Also in Lecture on Narrative)
! Classic Structure: Convexity
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Game Structure(Also in Lecture on Narrative)
! Classic Structure: Series of Convexities
AA A A A
B
BB B
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Flow
Too Easy (Boring)
Too Hard (Frustrating)
Increasing Time (and Player Skill)
Incr
easi
ng
Dif
ficu
lty
Ideal Game Difficulty Progression
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Structure & Flow
A A A AB
BB B
Ideal Game Difficulty Progression
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Sample Midterm Question
! Choose a well-known game that exploits the
“ideal game difficulty progression”.
Identify in the game what corresponds to
the slopes and plateaus in this progression.
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
MDA(Hunicke, LeBlanc, Zubek)
Mechanics AestheticsDynamics! !Designer Player
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
1. Sensation
Game as sense-pleasure
2. Fantasy
Game as make-believe
3. Narrative
Game as drama
4. Challenge
Game as obstacle course
Eight Kinds of "Fun"
5. Fellowship
Game as social framework
6. Discovery
Game as uncharted territory
7. Expression
Game as self-discovery
8. Submission
Game as pastime
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Sample Midterm Question
! Name four of the eight kinds of fun. For
each, name a well-known game (computer,
board, folk, children’s) that particularly
emphasizes this kind of fun and describe in
one sentence why?
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Narrative
! Traditional Concepts
! Characters
! Plot
! Scene
! Voice
! Genre
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Interactivity
! Continuum
! External/Internal, Exploratory/Ontological
! Branching in Narrative
! Sequential
! Sequential with cul-de-sacs
! Branching with a forced path
! Bottlenecking (a.k.a. convexities)
! Exploratorium
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Sample Midterm Question
! Name two games that use a different voice,
and describe how they’re different.
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
History and Technology
! State vs. Dynamics
! CPU: processor speed
! Storage: amount, speed, read-only, volatile
! Vector Graphics
! Raster Graphics
! Pixels and the image buffer
! Framerate
! Colours
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
History and Technology
! 2D Hardware Support
! Sprites
! Layers
! Collision detection
! History
! Early arcade games: special-purpose hardware,microprocessors, vector graphics
! Crash of 1983
! Revival
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
History and Technology
! 3D Graphics
! Scene: Representing the “world”
! Triangles, Meshes, Objects
! Clipping, Culling, Partitioning
! Rendering: Drawing the scene
! Back to front
! Lighting, Textures, Bump Maps
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Sample Midterm Questions
! What were two uses for hardware supported
layers in early 2D video games?
! Name two reasons for the crash of the home
video game industry in 1983.
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Questions?
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Post Mortems
! A critical examination of the game design
process and the resulting final product.
! What went right?
! What went wrong?
! By the designers!
! They know their design goals.
! They know the process and decisions that went
into their game.
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Why Post Mortems?
! The process is good for the designers.
! Critically analyze the design process.
! Identify mistakes to be avoided in the future.
! Can also benefit other designers.
! Inside track on their design goals and process.
! Learn from others mistakes.
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Katamari Damacy
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Katamari DamacyKeita Takahashi (GDM; Dec ‘04)
! “Current games suffer from a distinct lack of originality,
and this sparked my desire to create something totally
unique.”
! “…I’ve always wanted to create something different that
can only be done in a game. If you are going to play a
game that resembles a movie, you should just watch a
movie, and if you are going to play a game that shows
realistic cars, wouldn’t it be more fun to drive a real car?”
! “Games these days are also really complicated. There are
lots of buttons and there are lots of items to keep track of.
I’m just tired of all those complications.”
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Katamari DamacyDesign Goals
! Unique
! Only be done in a game
! Simple… nothing complicated
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Katamari DamacyWhat Went Right?
! Researching scale
! No powerups
! Controlling the rolling
! Peaceful, easy feeling
! Audible excellence
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Katamari DamacyWhat Went Wrong?
! Tipping the scale
! Falling apart
! The camera and the
queasy
! Not getting oblong
! Time limits
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Mask of Mephist
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Mask of MephistTeam Hanzo’s Design Document
! “… in mankind’s last moments you must chooseyour fate – whether to walk in the Light... or stalkin the Shadow.”
! “The story driving the game will involve a lostidentity, coupled with an inner struggle of goodversus evil. The two themes will interplay in aninteresting fashion, as losing your memory blursthe already fine line between good and evil.”
! “Only through evil acts (which bring about theflashbacks) can he learn of his good nature.”
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Mask of MephistDesign Goals
! Choice between good and evil
! Lost identity
! Blurring of good and evil
! Evil acts bring about good
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Mask of MephistWhat Went Right?
! Plotting and pacing
! Numerous good
versus evil decisions
! Flashbacks
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Mask of MephistWhat Went Wrong?
! First quest forced
! “The only way to learn of his true past is to
temporarily accept his condition as a servant to
Lord Rathos”
! No reason to follow Rathos; no option not to
! Looting bodies to advance
! No blurring… no reason to choose evil
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
<End of Post Mortem>
! But this is a Neverwinter Module…
! … You are all designing Neverwinter Modules.
! How would you fix it?
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Mask of MephistFixing the First Quest
! Solution #1: Give a reason to be evil
! Movie of the queen slaying the previous Mephist
! Start in a battle against good: cue the player that
they’ve already “given in”
! Solution #2: Give (pseudo-)option to be good
! Get past the guards without killing them
! In the conversation with the queen, she eventually
attacks the hero
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Design Issue Presentations… an Ante-Mortem
! Critical analysis during design
! Focus on an issue faced in your design
! Design goal or aesthetic
! Tradeoff between goals
! Consider in the context of your game
! Several solutions for resolving the issue
! Outlines the pros and cons of each solution
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Trial of Rolgan
! Context: Courtroom drama scene
! Player has already gathered information
! Now they question witnesses, cross examine,
raise objections, etc.
! Trial driven by conversations
! Issue: How do we help the player
understand that the trial conversation has
consequences (i.e. determines the verdict)?
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Trial of Rolgan: Solutions
! Tell the player out-of-character
! Hint at it with in-character conversation
! Previous conversation with an observable
consequence (show by example)
! Show the immediate consequence
! Expression of the defendant
! Reaction of the jury
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Trial of Rolgan: Pros and Cons
! Tell the player out-of-character
! Pro: straightforward
! Con: harms immersion, “show don’t tell”
! Hint at it with in-character conversation
! Pro: immersive, straightforward
! Con: not direct (player may not even read it),
“show don’t tell”
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Trial of Rolgan: Pros and Cons
! Previous conversation with an observable
consequence
! Pro: immersive, shown not told
! Con: additional content, does it effect the story?
! Show immediate consequence (e.g.,
defendant’s expression or reaction of jury)
! Pro: immersive, shown not told
! Con: technical challengeTechnical Solution:
Torches
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Heart of Gold
! Context: Murder mystery
! Player is investigating a murder: learning
backstory, questioning witnesses, etc.
! Details need to be revealed as the hero
uncovers the clues to the mystery
! Don’t want the player to misinterpret clues
! Issue: How do we reveal details of what
happened as the player finds the clues?
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Heart of Gold: Solutions
! Cut scene flashbacks
! Real or imagined
! NPCs interpret the evidence
! Sidekick
! Clues come with NPC interpretation
! Thought bubbles
! Play out a flashback
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Heart of Gold: Pros and Cons
! Cut scene flashbacks
! Pros: cinematic, eye candy
! Cons: break in play, removes player deduction
! NPCs interpret the evidence
! Pros: no break in play
! Cons: de-protagonizing (NPCs look smarter
than the hero)
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Heart of Gold: Pros and Cons
! Thought bubbles
! Pros: no break in play, hero does the deduction
! Cons: removes player deduction
! Play out a flashback
! Pros: novel, player could influence the story
! Cons: technically hard, player may get lost
OMGLAZERPEWPEWPEW opted for a combination
of NPC interpretation and interactive flashbacks.
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Design Issue Presentations
! October 23, in class
! 5 minutes + 10 minutes of discussion
! Oral or Powerpoint/PDF
! Groups can email me slides to use my laptop
! Please practice!
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Coming Up…
! Next Week
! Artificial Intelligence: Under the Hood
! M4: Design Issue Presentations (10/23)
! Level Design (10/25)
! Dave Feltham, BioWare
! M5: Prototype/Walkthrough (10/30-11/1)
! Aim for a “skeleton” not a “torso”
CMPUT 250: Fall 2007 Lecture #11: Review
Project Advice
! Constrain the play area
! Don’t hide things unnecessarily
! Do “live animal” testing (early and late)
! You are not your audience
! The player doesn’t know the script
! Difficulty is subjective
! Scripts are programs and can be buggy
! Meaningful choices