Designing PowerUps for Action Games Randy Smith rsmithionstorm
- Slides: 58
Designing Power-Ups for Action Games Randy Smith rsmith@ionstorm. com Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Takeaways • A structured design process which can help: » Tailor your power-ups to your game and development environment » Improve communication and documentation • Design analysis that you can apply to improve your power-up designs Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Scope of this Presentation • We are going to talk about: » Generating ideas » Refining » Documenting • We are not going to talk about: » Implementing » Tuning Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Action Games Only • Action games, such as: » » » First Person Shooters Platform Fighting Racing Etc. • But not: » RPGs » Adventure games » Etc. Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
What do I mean by “Designer”? • Not (necessarily) a: » » Manager Producer Project Director Level Builder • A game systems designer. • Or a group of game systems designers. Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Collaboration • Other disciplines: » » » Programmer Artist Producer Audio Director Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Outline of this Presentation 1. Deconstructing Power-ups 2. Brainstorming 3. Culling and Refining 4. Goals and Constraints 5. Documenting Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
1) Deconstructing Power-Ups Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Questions About Power-Ups • What are the components of a power -up? • What categories of power-ups are there? • Why are power-ups in games? • What’s the definition? • …lets look at some examples to think about these questions. Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Armor Ammo Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Cross Holy Water Stop Watch Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Energy Tank Morph Ball Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Vision Enhancement Run Silent Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Mushroom Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Hammer Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Components of Power-Ups • Acquisition Method • Storage • Activation Method • Delivery method • Payload / Utility • Deactivation method • Resource Cost Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Doom Armor • Acquisition: Collide with it • Storage: N/A • Activation: Upon pick-up • Delivery: N/A • Payload: Sets Armor=100 • Deactivation: N/A • Resource cost: N/A Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Castlevania Holy Water • Acquisition: Collide with it • Storage: Special Item Slot • Activation: Up and Attack • Delivery: Short range arc • Payload: Holy water puddle • Deactivation: Time out • Resource cost: Hearts, Slot Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Deus Ex Vision Enhancement • Acquisition: Augmentation Installment Process • Storage: Eye Aug Slot • (De-)Activation: F 5 or Inventory Screen • Payload: Vision mode • Resource cost: Aug Power Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Categories of Power-Ups • By Payload » » » Unlock Player Powers Resource Change Environment Manipulation AI Manipulation Character Manipulation • By Storage » Inventory » Hands » Special Item Slot Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Why are Power-Ups in Games? • Player Agency • Player Reward • Player Motivation • Manage Challenge Level / Character Power Curve • Player Learning Curve • Unlock New Content • Reinvent Gameplay Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Why are Power-Ups in Games? • Maintain Player Interest » » Player Agency Player Reward Player Motivation Manage Challenge Level / Character Power Curve » Player Learning Curve » Unlock New Content » Reinvent Gameplay Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Definition of a Power-Up • A Power-Up = An Acquired Character Benefit » Acquired – Don’t have it at the beginning of the game » Character – The player character » Benefit – Resource, Power, etc. . Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
The development process 2) Brainstorming Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Goal of Brainstorming • Generate a big document full of ideas. • Collect lots of creative energy, don’t let it get away. • Sometimes it’s OK to smoke crack. • Get early feedback and info from other disciplines. Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Documenting Brainstorms Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Generating Ideas • Ideas can come from » » » Core Fantasy Fiction Other Games Understanding of Goals and Constraints Design Philosophy Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
The development process 3) Culling and Refining Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Goal of Culling and Refining • Eliminate ideas from the brainstorm list. • In the process, refine your sense of your: » Design Goals » Development Constraints. • Grow your ability to make informed, deliberate design decisions Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Cull an Idea from the Brainstorm List • Someone pick an idea they don’t like • Someone else flesh it out, explain it • Cull the idea for any reason Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Culling Deconstruction • Ok, now why did you cull that idea? • Categorize your reason: » Development Constraints » Design Goals » Ratio of the two • Keep track of this data Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Goals and Constraints • Development Constraints » » » Schedule / Budget Technology Controller Hardware Target Player Etc. • Design Goals » What gameplay are you trying to create? Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Refining • Use what you’ve learned to improve the idea. » How can this idea better meet the Design Goals? » How can this idea fit within the Development Constraints? • If improved, send the idea back to the brainstorm list. • If not, just throw it out. Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
A Feedback-Intensive Process Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
When do you stop? • When you’ve considered every idea in the brainstorm list? • When enough of the ideas make the cut. • What’s the right number of powerups for your game? » Answer: Constraints and goals. Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
The development process 4) Goals and Constraints examples from Thief 3 Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Ideas from Thief & Thief 2 Fire Arrow • Not stealthy enough • Something more utilitarian? Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Mine • Also not stealthy, but… • It’s a trap for enemies Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Flashbomb • Too useful for attack • Should be an escape tool – blinding and stunning Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
New Ideas Lead Arrow, Laughing Gas • Too redundant with existing tools Dog Whistle • Not broadly applicable enough Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Climbing Gloves • Expensive but worth it • There are vertical stone walls everywhere Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Cloak of Flattening • Expensive and not worth it • Not enough systemic applicability Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Thief 3 Power-Up Design Goals • Reinforce core stealth gameplay • Empower interesting ways for player to thwart enemies • Make getting caught more fun • Empower player expression via systemic interactions Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Thief 3 Power-Up Constraints • Budget and Schedule » Reuse UI Infrastructure for Activation and Delivery – Arrows and Bombs » Avoid implementation work with little reuse (new player movement modes) » Work with existing systems instead of inventing new ones Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Thief 3 Power-Up Constraints • Simple Interface » Reuse UI Infrastructure for Activation and Delivery – Arrows and Bombs » Keep overall number of power-ups small » Keep Payloads/Utilities orthogonal Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Noise Suppressor • Interesting and cheap • Makes simple, systemic use of existing tech Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
The development process 5) Documentation Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Goals of Documentation • Formalize ideas, Write a spec • Think it through • Communicate with the other disciplines: » What the plan is » What they need to do to implement your power-up ideas » How they’ll know when the work is finished Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Principles for good design documentation • Overall: » Clarity » Efficiency • Use fewer words • Use more visuals • Target your audience(s) – hint: it isn’t you. Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Don’ts • Defend your ideas. • Emphasize fiction or design philosophy unnecessarily. Don’t ramble. • Feel the need to have excruciating level of detail. » Leave stuff up to the other disciplines. » They’re in the same building as you, right? They can come talk to you. Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Example Documentation • <see document> • <see template> Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Why use a template? • For Document Writers: » Enforce completeness » Provide direction • For Document Readers: » Provide consistency Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Conclusion Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
What This Process Can Get You • A well-documented set of power-up ideas tailored to your game • A better understanding of your Design Goals and Development Constraints Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Broader Applicability • With some simple translation, this can also be applied to: » Other genres » Other types of game elements (such as enemies) Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
What is game design about? • Making informed, deliberate decisions. • Working within Constraints to meet Goals. Maximizing the ratio. • Communicating with other disciplines. Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
What are power-ups about? • Empowering the player • Maintaining player interest • Opening up the game’s boundaries • Reinventing gameplay Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com
Q&A Randy Smith rsmith@ionstorm. com Designing Power-Ups for Action Games rsmith@ionstorm. com