Goals
The goals that arise within the game are the tasks given to the player in which they must complete, in order to advance into the next stages of the game. Goals are constantly introduced within the game in order to keep the player focused and enable to enhance the gaming experience, thus keeping the player interested in the game. Short term goals may vary; e.g. killing an enemy (Call of Duty), collecting coins (Sonic), scoring goals (FIFA) or completing a lap in a racing game (Gran Tourismo).
Saturday 25 July 2015
Sunday 12 July 2015
Game World
Game World
A game world is an artificial universe which the game is set and built within. This game world can be completely fictional or can be based on a real time and place. For example, a game like Destiny is created on a fictional world where there are guardians protecting Earth from external attacks from other planets, whereas a game like Assassins Creed: Unity is set within the 1800s during the French Revolution. Moreover, all games will bet set in different worlds and they will not coincide. It is relatively crucial for game designers to get the game world set accurately, due to the the fact that a game world virtually determines the potential of the game. To entice a player into playing their game, designers must be able to design the game world so it is appeals to the player throughout the game. The game world includes terrain, architecture and objects. Additionally, the game worlds have improved significantly over time. It is clear two see from the two images below of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City(2002) and Grand Theft Auto: 5(2014) that there is a significant difference is graphics. For example, characters within the more recent games look more realistic and the terrain looks more detailed.
A game world is an artificial universe which the game is set and built within. This game world can be completely fictional or can be based on a real time and place. For example, a game like Destiny is created on a fictional world where there are guardians protecting Earth from external attacks from other planets, whereas a game like Assassins Creed: Unity is set within the 1800s during the French Revolution. Moreover, all games will bet set in different worlds and they will not coincide. It is relatively crucial for game designers to get the game world set accurately, due to the the fact that a game world virtually determines the potential of the game. To entice a player into playing their game, designers must be able to design the game world so it is appeals to the player throughout the game. The game world includes terrain, architecture and objects. Additionally, the game worlds have improved significantly over time. It is clear two see from the two images below of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City(2002) and Grand Theft Auto: 5(2014) that there is a significant difference is graphics. For example, characters within the more recent games look more realistic and the terrain looks more detailed.
Saturday 11 July 2015
Interaction models
The interaction model is basically the functions of input required by the player while reacting to what's happening in the game, the analysis of those responses by the computer, and the nature of the action by the computer. When designing a game it is important to consider how he player will be controlled and represented within the game itself. There are two different ways to make the player interact with the game world. One is Avatar interaction model and the other is omnipresence interaction model.
Avatar Interaction Model
Avatar interaction model is when the player of the character is represented by an avatar that is presented within the game world. Moreover, the avatar interaction model is used when the player is represented on the screen by a main character and the focus of the game is based on how this main character is controlled by the player. With this, the player can control that specific avatar as they like. An example of a game which uses this specific type of interaction model is Assassins Creed or Uncharted. This is because these type of games only allow the player to control one specific character rather than controlling many characters at once.
Omnipresence Interaction Model
Omnipresence interaction model is used when the player is able to control more than one character (an army of characters) within the game world. It is also use to make direct changes within the game world. A few example which use this type of interaction model would be Sims, Clash of Clans and Boom Beach. Generally people will like this type because it allows them to be creative when 'designing' the game world. Furthermore, they would like to have the ability to control several characters.
Avatar Interaction Model
Avatar interaction model is when the player of the character is represented by an avatar that is presented within the game world. Moreover, the avatar interaction model is used when the player is represented on the screen by a main character and the focus of the game is based on how this main character is controlled by the player. With this, the player can control that specific avatar as they like. An example of a game which uses this specific type of interaction model is Assassins Creed or Uncharted. This is because these type of games only allow the player to control one specific character rather than controlling many characters at once.
Omnipresence Interaction Model
Omnipresence interaction model is used when the player is able to control more than one character (an army of characters) within the game world. It is also use to make direct changes within the game world. A few example which use this type of interaction model would be Sims, Clash of Clans and Boom Beach. Generally people will like this type because it allows them to be creative when 'designing' the game world. Furthermore, they would like to have the ability to control several characters.
Wednesday 8 July 2015
Game settings
Game Settings
Within every game there are settings which can be adjusted which allow the game to become unique and specific to each player. There are different characteristic setting within a game; these are physical, temporal, environmental, emotional, and ethical settings.
Physical Setting
Physical settings in a video game is the current story mode and position you are in the game. For example, if you were to play a horror game such as Outlast, the physical setting would be dark and scary; this encourages the player to become more immersed in the game. Moreover, the physical setting an adventure game would be bright and colourful scenes. In order to attract gamers and allow them to engage more with the game, game designers will use an appropriate setting for the game so that it matches the genre of the game.
Temporal Setting
Temporal settings is the time in which the game is set. This is a very important aspect to a game and must be considered in order for the game to be set in the correct time period. An example of a game which uses temporal settings is Assassins Creed. This game effectively uses temporal settings to portray that it is set up in the 1800s by showing the old designs of buildings and what transportation people used to use, such as horses and carriages. Another example is Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. This game conveys a futuristic battlefield through the introduction of advanced equipment such as invisibility cloaks and jet-packs.
Environmental Setting
Environmental settings are the settings in the game which affects the weather conditions. An example of an effective use of environmental settings is in horror games. Horror games constantly use a dark, rainy and stormy scene in order to make the player become frightened. However, an adventure game for example will show bright and sunny scenes. Moreover, there are games which can even allow you to alter the weather conditions. For example, FIFA gives you the ability to change the weather to whatever the player prefers. The conditions in a game can determine the outcome of certain things, for example in FIFA, if the weather is rainy then the ball becomes more slippery in comparison to dry weather conditions.
Emotional Setting
Emotional settings are used in video games in order for the player to see what the main character is feeling as they progress through the game. It is relatively important for game designers to allow there to be an emotional bond between the player and the main character, this is because as the bond becomes stronger between the two, this encourages the player to keep on progressing through the game. For example, in The Last of Us video game, the connection between Joel and Ellie makes the player feel sorry for them as they only have each other to survive.
Ethical Setting
Ethical settings are important in video games as it encourages people to do things within the game. For example, in Assassins Creed, you are motivated use your character's parkour abilities to climb large buildings in order to get to your destination much faster. Moreover, the game must be designed to ethically match the age rating of the game. For example, if the game is rated 7+, there cannot be any extreme violence, swearing or sexual content. The dangers of not making the game suitable for the selected audience is that young kids may become influenced from such a young age towards violence.
Within every game there are settings which can be adjusted which allow the game to become unique and specific to each player. There are different characteristic setting within a game; these are physical, temporal, environmental, emotional, and ethical settings.
Physical Setting
Physical settings in a video game is the current story mode and position you are in the game. For example, if you were to play a horror game such as Outlast, the physical setting would be dark and scary; this encourages the player to become more immersed in the game. Moreover, the physical setting an adventure game would be bright and colourful scenes. In order to attract gamers and allow them to engage more with the game, game designers will use an appropriate setting for the game so that it matches the genre of the game.
(Game play of Outlast)
Temporal Setting
Temporal settings is the time in which the game is set. This is a very important aspect to a game and must be considered in order for the game to be set in the correct time period. An example of a game which uses temporal settings is Assassins Creed. This game effectively uses temporal settings to portray that it is set up in the 1800s by showing the old designs of buildings and what transportation people used to use, such as horses and carriages. Another example is Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. This game conveys a futuristic battlefield through the introduction of advanced equipment such as invisibility cloaks and jet-packs.
(Assassins Creed: Brotherhood)
Environmental Setting
Environmental settings are the settings in the game which affects the weather conditions. An example of an effective use of environmental settings is in horror games. Horror games constantly use a dark, rainy and stormy scene in order to make the player become frightened. However, an adventure game for example will show bright and sunny scenes. Moreover, there are games which can even allow you to alter the weather conditions. For example, FIFA gives you the ability to change the weather to whatever the player prefers. The conditions in a game can determine the outcome of certain things, for example in FIFA, if the weather is rainy then the ball becomes more slippery in comparison to dry weather conditions.
(FIFA game play in Snow)
Emotional Setting
Emotional settings are used in video games in order for the player to see what the main character is feeling as they progress through the game. It is relatively important for game designers to allow there to be an emotional bond between the player and the main character, this is because as the bond becomes stronger between the two, this encourages the player to keep on progressing through the game. For example, in The Last of Us video game, the connection between Joel and Ellie makes the player feel sorry for them as they only have each other to survive.
Ethical Setting
Ethical settings are important in video games as it encourages people to do things within the game. For example, in Assassins Creed, you are motivated use your character's parkour abilities to climb large buildings in order to get to your destination much faster. Moreover, the game must be designed to ethically match the age rating of the game. For example, if the game is rated 7+, there cannot be any extreme violence, swearing or sexual content. The dangers of not making the game suitable for the selected audience is that young kids may become influenced from such a young age towards violence.
feedback interface
Feedback interface is the information provided by the game which allows the player to see how they are doing throughout the game. There are two main types of feedback interface. One of which is simple interface; this is the scores displayed onto the screen, such as health, time remaining, points won etc. The other type of interface (advanced interface) is more complex. This type can display radars onto the screen to show where your character is and where team mates and enemies are placed around the map/game world. Feedback interface is used on every video game. However, advanced interface is mostly used on complex video games such as FIFA, GTA 5, or Call of Duty.
It is clear to see in the image above of FIFA 15 game play the different areas where feedback interface and advanced interface is used. For example, the simple interface is displayed on the top right hand corner, where the scores of the game is provided and how long is left for the game to end. Furthermore, the advanced interface is displayed on the bottom half of the screen. this consists of the fitness bars on each player on how much stamina a player has left to the game radar which provides information to where each player's current position is on the pitch.
Every game will use feedback interference as it will provide the player with information on how much they've completed or what left is needed in order to successfully complete a mission or objective. For example, on FIFA, the feedback interface that is provided is the scoreboard and the time which shows you who is winning and how much time is left for the game. This is effective as it allows the players to decide on what they need to do in order to win the game; this could be the way they change their formation or who they may want to bring on to secure a victory. The advanced interface used on FIFA is the game radar and the stamina bar. The radar is useful as it helps the player roughly understand where each player is on the pitch, this means that if the player is not on screen, you can judge as where they are on the pitch. The stamina bar is also useful as it highklights which players are tired and in need of a substitution.
(screenshot of FIFA 15 game play)
Every game will use feedback interference as it will provide the player with information on how much they've completed or what left is needed in order to successfully complete a mission or objective. For example, on FIFA, the feedback interface that is provided is the scoreboard and the time which shows you who is winning and how much time is left for the game. This is effective as it allows the players to decide on what they need to do in order to win the game; this could be the way they change their formation or who they may want to bring on to secure a victory. The advanced interface used on FIFA is the game radar and the stamina bar. The radar is useful as it helps the player roughly understand where each player is on the pitch, this means that if the player is not on screen, you can judge as where they are on the pitch. The stamina bar is also useful as it highklights which players are tired and in need of a substitution.
Tuesday 5 May 2015
Difficulty and Balance
Difficulty and Balance
Balance is directly linked to the difficulty within a video game. In all games, the difficulty of the game during the beginning is very easy; this is important because this allows a new gamer to understand the controls of the game and help the gamer slowly progress their skills in the game. Furthermore, it is important that you have difficulty settings which can be adjusted throughout the game, this is because different gamers may have different expertise, meaning they may change the difficulty of the game in order for it to suit their ability, so it is not too easy (boring) or too hard (frustrating) for the gamer. Moreover, as the game gradually progresses, the difficulty also becomes harder, such as more enemies, complex terrain etc. This is because the game is under the assumption that you are becoming better with every mission. This constant rise in difficulty allows the player to become more immersed into the virtual gaming world as the harder the game becomes, the focused you will have to be to complete the mission. However, if the gamer's abilities have not necessarily improved, a game such as Call Of Duty allows the gamer to reduce difficulty or keep it the same. Another good example of a game which you can change difficulty is Fifa; this game allows the gamer to change the CPU's difficulty, which may make it harder or easier to play against the opposing team.
Players Actions
There are two different types of player actions used within games. One is the main actions in which the gamer can control the character. This can vary from jumping, running, shooting and punching. The other type is how the gamer controls the player within the game via a remote controller. For example, two games which may differ in controls are GTA 5 and Super Mario. GTA 5 has more complex actions than Super Mario; GTA 5 has more controls such as jumping, climbing, shooting, driving etc. whereas Super Mario only allows you to run and jump.
There are different ways in which the gamer can control the main character of the game. However, this depends on the console in which the game is being played on. For example, if the game is played on a console such as a Playstation or an Xbox, the character will likely be controlled via a controller. whereas, consoles such as Wii or Xbox Kinect allow the player to control the character through a motion sensor. To add to this, a controller is an input device which is connected to the console either wired or wireless and enables the the gamer to control the actions of the character by either pressing a certain button or a combination of buttons. Below you can see the different controls for Fifa 15, by pressing certain buttons the players do different tasks.
Nevertheless, motion sensor devices are also input devices which helps to control the main character, however, the difference is that instead of pressing buttons, it detects the movements of the gamer and implements it into the game.
Narrative
Narrative / FMV / Cut Scene
Narrative
Narrative is a storyline of a video. The narrative of a game can exist without a plot or as a larger system in which the plot exists. Narratives can be embedded within missions to ensure that the gamer knows what the current mission is going to be about or they can emerge during the gamer's progress throughout the game. Furthermore, video game designers often use narrative within their games in order to highlight to the player what point they are in the game, or they may do it to notify the gamer that there is a new mission at hand. Narratives are usually included in single player games rather than multi-player games, this is because single player games have a storyline to follow whereas multi-player games are often just competitive competitions between others. An example of a single player game which uses narratives is 'The Last Of Us'. This game is all about surviving a zombie apocalypse; this storyline keeps the player involved and also helped them keep their progress up to date as there was narratives throughout the game. There are two different types of narrative, they consist of FMV (Full Motion Video) and Cut scenes.
The advantage of having narratives within a game is that the gamer is aware of their progress in the game and what mission they will have to complete to continue their progression. However, a disadvantage of including narratives is the fact that it will indefinitely slow down the players progression, as they will have to wait until it is over in order for them to continue playing.
FMV
FMV, which stands for Full Motion Video, is real life video footage used within video games and allows gamers to see what current mission is going to based upon. They are pre rendered movies which have been pre recorded into the game's engine. FMV is used within games as it allows the game designers to use their skills and use full motion animation for the cut scenes which enhances the visual style of the game as the cut scenes quality improves drastically; for example, the new call of duty 'Advanced Warfare', uses the actor Kevin Spacey to play the role of an army general, which more or less looks like an animated movie. The downside of including FMV during a game is that the transition between game play to the FMV is very noticeable and may take time to load up.
Cut Scenes
A cut scene is is a movie sequence which has been coded and created to be rendered in order to fit in within the game's engine. It is a scene which develops the storyline and is often shown after the completion of a mission, or is something important has happened which may divert the storyline, This may sometimes limit the performances and the limitation of what can be created within a cut scene. However, they have much smoother transitions than FMV and looks more professional. Cut scenes are often used to smoothly transmit the movie scene along with the playable area of the game, this will in turn keep the gamer immersed into the game as they will not have to wait every time it loads. A game which uses a lot of cut scenes is adventure games such as Assassin's Creed for example. this game uses a cut scene after every successful mission completed. Cut scenes are often favoured over FMV, due to the fact of that doesn't take time to load, not very noticeable transition and still has a good visual style.
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