Experience of game prototyping with MOAI

Experience of game prototyping with MOAI

Dmitry Potapov

[email protected]

October,16 2015 / Lua Workshop 2015

Experience of game prototyping with MOAI 1/ 1 Dmitry Potapov

OVERVIEW

I Objectives and constraints

I Development priorities:

I For set of gamesI For complex game prototype

I Requirements for game framework

I Planned abstraction layers

I Selection of game engine and tools

I Implementation: game model, model controller, UI

I Actual abstraction layers

I Bene�ts and problems encountered

I Conclusion: Is the game worth the candle?


THE LOGIC OF DEVELOPMENT

Objectives and Constraints

Development priorities

Planned abstraction layers

Requirements for gameframework

Selection of game engine


OBJECTIVES

I Make a tool for fast prototyping of complex games

I Quickly turn best prototypes into games for a few platforms

I First game must be complex enough:

I Meta-level: metamap, user, ratings, medals, sociality etcI Strategical level: turned-based mechanics, tiled strategical mapI Tactical level: match�3 battle + abilities + consumablesI User has properties: game progress, scores, energy, abilities etcI User interface:

I A few screen resolutionsI All common controlsI MapView, Match3 �eld + e�ectsI Panels (dialogs)


CONSTRAINTS

I One (but skilled) part-time developer:

I Can spend enough time initiallyI May have less time laterI Can solve complex tasksI Has experience with some tools and can quickly cope with new

ones

I Small budget:

I Cannot a�ord hiring N developers


PROTOTYPE OF COMPLEX GAME. SKETCHES OF UI

Art: "Through enemy eyes". (C) Dmitry Potapov, 2008


PROTOTYPE OF COMPLEX GAME. SKETCH OF STRATEGICAL MAP

Sketch of strategical map

Art: "Through enemy eyes". (C) Dmitry Potapov, 2008


PROTOTYPE OF COMPLEX GAME. SKETCH OF COMBAT

Sketch of combat

Diamond icons by LazyCrazy: http://www.artdesigner.lv


DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES.SET OF GAMES

I Fast prototyping and production

I High quality of crucial game components (art, sound, sociality,analytics, monetization etc)

I Support of maximum number of platforms

I Development mainly under Linux

I Easy change of game engine later


DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES.PROTOTYPE: GENERAL

I Fast setup of prototype

I Easy and quick tuning of gameplay and UI in prototype

I Fast movement from prototype to release

I Use third-party solutions (tools) whenever possible

I Games can run without network

I Maximal reuse of code

I Maximal �exibility + power of game engine

I Minimal dependence from third-party closed-source solutions


DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES.PROTOTYPE: GAME MODEL

I Can be tuned or extended quickly

I Can be tested separately

I Can be moved onto server without full re-implementation

I Maximum of base functionality moved to libraries


DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES.PROTOTYPE: UI

I Can be tuned or extended quickly

I Can be tested separately

I Have minimal dependency from low-level

I Device caps (as well as platform) hardly a�ect user code

I Maximum of base functionality moved to libraries


PLANNED ABSTRACTION LAYERS

Game-speci�c code

Our general lib + gamemodel lib + UI lib

Third-party libraries (mostly UI)

Game engine

OS


REQUIREMENTS FOR GAME FRAMEWORK

I Flexible, extensible (including native code)

I Fast and reliable

I Supports tools: tiled, texture packer etc

I Supports max platforms

I Open source

I Can develop under Linux


SELECTION OF GAME ENGINE. MOAI vs Corona SDK

Corona's pluses:

I Easy prototypingI First game can be done quicklyI Simple usage of build-in functionalityI Easy building of app

Corona's minuses:

I Lack of functionalityI No access to some important parameters of objectsI More bugs in implementationI Long wait until requested feature would be addedI Proprietary codeI Remote compilation


IMPLEMENTATION: OVERVIEW

I General: Instance, logging

I Game model: Loops, maps, AI

I Model controller: Player actions, Save/Load

I UI: resource manager, preloader, input handling, controlmanager, primitive controls, map view


IMPLEMENTATION: GENERAL AND GAME MODEL

General entity Engine class used

App Instance MOAIAppLogging MOAILogMgr

Game model entity Engine class used

Game loop MOAITimer, MOAIAnimCurveUser/actor/player: info, abilitiesetc

-

In-game objects -AI -Maps RNMap, RNMapFactory


IMPLEMENTATION: MODEL CONTROLLER

I Player action processing

I Save/load

Used no 3rd party or engine classes yet.


IMPLEMENTATION: USER INTERFACE

UI entity Engine classes Rapanui classes

Input handling MOAIAppTexture and atlases MOAITexture

MOAIGfxQuadDeck2DRNGraphicsManager

Sprites MOAIAnimCurveMOAIAnimMOAITimer

RNFactory.createAnim

Control manager,controls and panels

MOAIScissorRect RNFactory, RNObject,RNButton, RNImage,RNText, RNGroupRNDirector

MapView MOAIDeckRemapper RNMapRNMapFactoryRNListenersRNFactory.{width,height}


ACTUAL ABSTRACTION LAYERS

Game-speci�c code

Our UI lib + gamemodel lib + general lib

UI library: Rapanui

Game engine: MOAI

OS


BENEFITS

I High quality of code, authors understand the domain

I Open source � self-documented, easy extension etc

I Rather good documentation

I Support of tools: tiled, texture packer etc

I Engine users are strong developers

I Can develop under Linux


PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED

I Rather small community � despite it is skilled

I Too weak (or too complex) GUI frameworks

I Bugs in functionality � in Rapanui mostly

I Bugs in build scripts � concerns making Android app underLinux mostly


CONCLUSION: IS THE GAME WORTH THE CANDLE?

The skills necessary for successful development:

I Must understand the whole architecture of game app

I Is not afraid of getting into low-level details

I Must read 3rd party code

I Must read logs

I Must build under Linux /OS X

If you are lucky to have time and skills necessary for building uplibraries isolating low-level features, you would �nally gainoutstanding performance and �exibility of MOAI + rapid speed ofdevelopment of high-level framework

MOAI is very good for beginners also � since they could learn thewhole process of game development!


DMITRY POTAPOV : [email protected]

Lines of business:

I Visual editors for business (and game) logicI High-load servicesI Solutions for advertising, analytics and real-time biddingI Games: HTML5, Mobile, Social


Software

Experience of game prototyping with MOAI