Week 5


The practical this week was the final version of last weeks prac. The game as stated last week was a mod of snakes and ladders that has a rising water level.

This end result of this creation was my favourite out of the last ones created in the labs. we actually folded two pieces of paper and stacked this steps made of paper on a 45° angle. various amounts of traps were added including a boulder that could fall down even level and make some player miss a turn.

Other than this what I said about it in my last post covers what you should need to know.


Game:

This week the focus was literature in game, or more so game drawing influence from literature.

The game this week is called The Path by Tales of Tales that draws inspiration from the novel "Little Red Riding Hood" by Charles Perrault [1]. The main goal of the game is to direct all 6 six sisters from their city apartment and walk or run straight to the grandmothers house.

Sounds simple enough and it is, you spawn in on the road and are then prompted to stay on the road and get to your grandmother house immediately. Of course as any gamer that is worth their salt would think "yeah, nah" and wonder off aimlessly and low and behold this was my immediate action. The second I was given control and given an on screen prompt to go forward, I walked off the road at an angle of 180°.

 I found that this game reward you for taking in the atmosphere and creep feeling the forest back making it so that when you run the camera will pull back from the player and elevate its self higher. This changes the view has two obvious effects:

1. Your view on the world is changed to dramaticly that you no long take up the the mian of the screen and now occupies the top half as seen by the a almost top-down view. This translates to not being able to see anything in front of you and making navigation nigh on impossible.
2. The coin flower that can be found in the world, that on collecting 5 a new item/hidden secret will revealed, disappear. This mechanic forces the player to slow down and really take in the environment.

Now we must come to the influences of "little red riding hood". First is the bluntest one is you, as a young girl/women, must walk to you grandmother house. The second is for each of the six sister they all have their own personal wolf.

Lets take a loo at the story grammar for a minute. Story grammar has 8 elements and they are; setting, protagonists, goals, enabling conditions, threats, attempts, outcome and  consequences .

Setting:

This setting of this game is large looping forest environment and single path that lead to your grandmother house. This forest environment is full various flora and occasion small fauna such as squirrels and ravens. there is a constant fog hanging in the air that restricts vision past a certain point but does clear considerably when close to character, leaving a haze over the environment.

Protagonists:

The protagonists for this game are 6 sisters named ( descending by age ) and each sister has their own wolf:

• Robin: aged  9: Her wolf is a literal wolf
• Rose: aged 11: Her wolf is a ghostly apparition with obvious arms in legs
• Ginger: aged 13: Her wolf is a that of another young girl wearing a red short dress and long black boots
• Ruby: aged 15: Her wolf is a young, larger man
• Carmen: aged 17: Her wolf is a middle aged lumber jack
• Scarlet: aged 19:  Her wolf is a female piano teacher.

There is another playable character called; "The Girl In White", this character is unlocked at the end of the game after each of the sisters [SPOILERS] is killed off [/SPOILERS]. This character does not have any wolf encounter and is just there there for end game play.

As far as I gave played you cannot even see the mother of the sister or thr grandmother.

Goals:

Your ultimate goal is too get your grandmothers house, the opening prompt will instruct you to go there and after each "wolf"encounter you will teleported there, so what wounded. 

The side goal of this game is to explore the surround in forest for coin flower, of which there are 144, as well as item, such as the car...which can fit in your basket.

Enabling Conditions:

You complete the primary goals walking and running around for hundreds or thousands of metre before either reach your grandmother's house by pathway or wolf transport.

Threats:

This game has no threats, as to say nothing is stopping your forward progress except your own curiosity to find the collectable or just wonder about 
Attempts:

The attempts, or exact recreation of event, in this game this only exists as going to the grandmother's house.

In the story "Red Riding Hood", after the wolf found Red, he actively chased her but in the game the "wolf"  follows a motion path and only engages Red if she performs a certain task.  For example Scarlet's wolf ( the pianist ) will only attacks after your use the piano.
Outcome:

The outcome of each encounter is always the same, you get to the house. The only difference being is whether or not you limp to the door or walk at a brisk pace.
Consequences:

The outcome of getting to the house is either death after you have met the wolf or living if you walk right there. After each wolf encounter you are teleported to the house and find the interior savaged and a various length walk through the house before death, with the length being determined whether or not your found the collectables.

If you didn't walk of the path you get rewarded with a happy  cut-scene of you not dying and living happily ever after.




Over all this was an excellent game and if I could only buy the full copy I would play it erry day. it may not have the golden dust infused graphics of today but it has something more important, a story.

Week 4

Mission briefing in Warcraft 2

Things ran differently in the practical this week. We where charged with creating an escape game, the twist this week being we have two weeks to finish it. After about 6 - 8 different ideas for a board that had the concept for escape ranging from ascending a crumbling staircase to an adaptation of the unity game running Fred we settled on a variant of snakes and ladders.

Because the game is yet to be constructed I can only talk about the idea behind it. you must climb a mountain  along side other characteristics of the game and current rules. This idea of the game is to get to the top of the mountain one level at a time moving along each level to get to the next. there are variety of trap that will push the player down the hill or up it while interaction with other players in to knock each other down one level.

While this may seem to be a race it is actually an escape from the water that is slowly flooding the area. this water forces the player ( if standing in it ) to only use on dice for rolling and will down the player if that over taken. You must escape the water by running up a mountain.

On construction more rules and of bits will be finalised.


Games:

Title screen for this version of warcraft 2

The game that will be discussed this week is Warcraft 2.

When I played this I bled nostalgia from every hole in my body like little geysers of happiness. it is an RTS for the playstation 1 and an acestor to World Of Warcraft.

Unlike Wow though the concept is considerably shorter and very simple, it boils down to humans Vs Orcs. As the Humans you fight to defend your new country ( the Orcs destroyed your last one ) from the fleet or Orcs coming for a second fight. and as the Orcs you smash, kill and fight. I remember the game telling a story through each missions briefing and occasional cinematic but the starkest thing I remember is the ability to fail. A lot of games now days are hard to fail/lose/die/etc and I remember failing at lot at this game but I never got mad at it, only more determined to try again.

The unit variety is this and stark contrast of each faction, an example of this would be the basic ranged unit. the Orcs have axe throwers while the humans have archers. This also those the difference between faction with the Orcs being dirty and jerry rigged and the Humans being clean and regimented.

Over all this is a very well made game and I still enjoy it to this day, makes me wish Blizzard would release a Warcraft 4.... HA that will be released when Starwars battle front 3 comes out.

Human buildings

Aesthetics:

Warcraft 2 has a pleasant and youthful look that allowed you to better appreciate the sense of loss when  raid group  of ogers come and slaughters your men and burn your farms.

You units react to your orders with approval and complete devotion and mutter ans proclaim various lines of compliance that gives of a feel that your are very much in charge, a very "I am the law" feeling.

Orc buildings

Particular buildings can be upgraded to suit your needs (which mainly means you need bigger units) and when these upgrades occur the building

As these images show the Humans (above have a more functional or regimental looking while the Orcs have a more exotic look.

This difference can also bee seen in their different units (below). the Orc looking more beserker and the human resemble  stoic warriors of the realm.



This game feels like the war that it is.

Orc units

Human units

Mechanics:

The rules of this game include:

• requiring certain resources (Gold/wood/oil/pigs) to build units and building to complete mission objectives and destroy enemies units and buildings.
• complete objectives
• do not loss your base

With these rules in place you could say that the game is semi-linear and you would be right. It is linear in a sense that you will always shave the one objective and can not change it and no linear in the way you move your troops to complete those objectives.

E.g. an orc mission had you rescue a special troll axe man. When I played this years ago I attacked head on and lost a good 12 orc warriors, playing it now I cut through the trees and sneak the enemy out. either way I save him.

A human base being overwhelmed by Orcish ogers.

This picture is a good example of breaking the third rules and losing your base.







This is showing the beginning of a base to build units to take objectives

Base building in the human campaign

Story:

The Orcs sailing over the ocean for round 2

The game shows a story each level by having text scroll alone the screen explaining what is going on and objective screen come times showing objectives that go with the story text. an example would have the text explaining why this guy is important and an objective informing the player to go and fetch him.






Technology:

This game was realised on the PlayStation 1 so the technology use on this game was less than today's standard.

typical combat with basic melee and ranged units

The technology of this game is selecting the unit you wish to use and tasking it with an appropriate job. peasants mine gold and collect lumber to construct buildings will solider stab and chop things.

Week 3

The practical for this was to design a game with a theme of territorial acquisitions. Adopting a space theme the design of the game focus on 5 factions warring over 3 planets. These 3 planet where surrounded by a series of nodes similar to a spiders wed, the a faction must travel.

The factions, coloured red/yellow/purple/yellow/green, have 5 units that can be used to acquire these nodes. after leaving your base you do battle or skip the enemy factions and make for the nodes. first to capture all five nodes wins.

You do combat with other player by rolling a larger number than them after battle has started with the same going for battles the node planets.

There were 3 portals for use by the faction each shape coordinated for easy use.


the game had flaws with the being of the map being to clustered and only one play actually having control planets


Games:

Castlevania is a side scrolling 80's game in which the player must Travers a  castle filled with the forces of evil. The main character must fit through waves of fishmen, hell dogs, bats, medusa head, pike men, dragon statues, ghouls, skeletons and jumper monkeys (there are are others but those are the enemies I saw personally). Each stage ends with a particularly tricky boss fight, the bosses I have versed so far are the giant bat, giant medusa head and the mummy twins. From the world map seen between the level loading I predict about 4 more boss battles probably of increasingly ridiculous hardness.

There a varietypof  secondary weapon to use side by side with your primary whip. So far these consist of a axe that arcs upwards, a straight flying knife, a straight flying, double hit cross boomerang, a freeze time pendent, downward arcing holy water. each power up weapon replaces the last so if you had the axe and picked up the knife you would no longer have the axe.

The alt weapon you use use up your heart counter, this requiring the player to collect hearts to maintain an advantage over the enemies are still a formidable threat even the full power whip as the delay between button press and whip can let enemies hit you,

There is one power up that does not replace your current alt weapon but is an instant use, kill all enemies on screen power up.

This game is really quite hard but very do able as long as your are trying... and maybe have the gods of luck ad happiness on your side.

Interactivity:

The core machanic of Castlevania is the are moving a across the screen in a  side scrolling action, jumping in a set jump arc, whipping and using your alt weapon.


Genre:

Castlevania genre can be described as an action adventure platformer.

Concept:

The concept of this game stated bluntly is jumping in a platformer and whipping what ever stops your progress.

Spatial arena:

The arena that this story takes place in a side scrolling castle ranging from it's battlements to it's dungeons. One thing of note is that the environments where quite detailed for such an old game. the small details really added an progressive atmosphere.

Goal:

The over all concept of the game is to get to the last boss Dracula and show him what for by giving him a flogging.

Challenge:

The challenge of this game comes from the delay your whip has, the pre-set jump arc and the well thought out enemies. In all environments there is a constant challenge from the constant barrage of enemies that are very, VERY annoying but still possible to beat.

This is one game where killing everything can feel like a challenge and not hlpless slaughter.

Narrative:

The over all story or Castlevania is you are part of a family of vampire hunters and have to stop Dracula every time he returns to earth.

.

Week 2

(This may not be the correct format to writing this)

During the practical in week 2 Kai, Chris, Tim and I developed a simple board game. This game was a race type game where you had to move your piece to the end. Using supplied materials a board drawn out and pieces assigned role for players and rules established.

Gameplay and rules:

• The board consists of a winding path 40-50 spaces long ( no precise number was recorded.)
• The board has at random intervals obstacles
• roll die and move forward that many spaces.
• if you land on a obstacle you must roll for success
• 1-3 is a failure and you place your piece before the obstacle
• 4-6 is a success and you place your piece after the obstacle
• if you land on a opponent you must fight
• fighting takes place by both players rolling, the highest number moves their piece forward.

Using these rules and board on the first play through we found the game to be rather fun, accompanied by the friendly banter and colourful curses. 

Over all this experience taught me about balance. Some of the original ideas for myself and other were extremely OP (over-powered)e.g.:

• if you are in the lead and roll a six you can place one un-passable barrier that lasts 3 rolls.
• Note: this might work if the board was longer and more players where present.
• doubling the mount of obstacles to jump from the 15-20 set to about 30 
• the player had to roll for success with an  obstacle even if their roll placed them past it.
• think hurdles, must jump to continue

This weeks games:

Donkey Kong:



1. Interactivity – what is the CORE game mechanic – HOW is it interactive

Depending on your charcters location, the barrels will fall in a different pattern


2. Concept – what is the BIG THEME (playing tennis, being in space etc)

climbing ladder and jumping barrels.

3. Often concurrent to the concept, what form of spatial arena is present


4. Goal – the overall point / outcome of the game

The goal of the is to rescue the princess

5. Challenge – the manner in which interactivity is designed to be difficult / unpredictable

it is tricky for the barrels are not following a set drop path and climbing laddes leaves you extremely exposed.

6. Story: Are there any story elements within the game? Consider any differences the original platform might have made to experience of the game?

other than save the princess I understand no.