Subject Game Design and Development GenreSpesific Game Design
Subject : Game Design and Development Genre-Spesific Game Design Issues and Computer Game Development kuliah #2
Genre-Spesific Game Design Issues Introduction • used to categorize video games based on their gameplay interaction rather than visual or narrative differences • a video game genre is defined by a set of gameplay challenges • they are classified independent of their setting or game-world content
Game Genre • Action – requires players to use quick reflexes, accuracy, and timing to overcome obstacles – the most basic of gaming genres, and certainly one of the broadest – action games tend to have gameplay with emphasis on combat – subgenres of action games, such as fighting games and first-person shooters
Game Genre Cont’d • Action-Adventurer – combine elements of their two component genres, typically featuring long-term obstacles that must be overcome using a tool or item as leverage (which is collected earlier), as well as many smaller obstacles almost constantly in the way, that require elements of action games to overcome – tend to focus on exploration and usually involve item gathering, simple puzzle solving, and combat
Game Genre Cont’d • Adventurer – describes a manner of gameplay without reflex challenges or action – normally require the player to solve various puzzles by interacting with people or the environment, most often in a non-confrontational way – not defined by story or content – considered a "purist" genre and tends to exclude anything which includes action elements beyond a mini game
Game Genre Cont’d • Role Playing Game – Most cast the player in the role of one or more "adventurers" who specialize in specific skill sets (such as melee combat or casting magic spells) while progressing through a predetermined storyline – Many involve maneuvering these character(s) through an overworld, usually populated with monsters, that allows access to more important game locations, such as towns, dungeons, and castles
Game Genre Cont’d • Role Playing Game – Cultural differences in role-playing video games have caused RPGs to tend towards two sets of characteristics sometimes referred to as Western and Eastern RPGs – Western RPGs : involves the player creating a character and a non-linear storyline along which the player makes his own decisions – Eastern RPGs : the player controls a party of predefined characters through a dramatically scripted linear storyline
Game Genre Cont’d • Simulation – generally designed to closely simulate aspects of a real or fictional reality – Sub Category : • Construction and management simulation : type of simulation game which task players to build, expand or manage fictional communities or projects with limited resources. Example : Sim. City, Caesar • Life Simulation : involve living or controlling one or more artificial lives. A life simulation game can revolve around individuals and relationships, or it could be a simulation of an ecosystem. Example : Sim. Life
Game Genre Cont’d • Strategy – focus on gameplay requiring careful and skillful thinking and planning in order to achieve victory – generally take one of four archetypal forms, depending on whether the game is turn-based or realtime and whether the game's focus is upon strategy or military tactics – many strategy games are gradually moving away from turn based systems to more real-time systems – 4 X refers to a genre of strategy video game with four primary goals: e. Xplore, e. Xpand, e. Xploit and e. Xterminate
Game Genre Cont’d • Vehicle Simulation – a genre of video games which attempt to provide the player with a realistic interpretation of operating various kinds of vehicles
Computer Game Development Bina Nusantara University 11
Game Development Phase • • • Pre-production phase Mainstream production phase Project milestones Testing Release to manufacturing Patch-based maintenance
Pre-production Phase • • • General game idea or design Back-story Concept artwork Storyboards Game-play elements Working prototype demonstrating key game features.
Mainstream production phase • • • Software designing Implementing the game engine, sound engine, or 3 D engine. Implementing networking components. Implementing input control. Creating game assets such as textures, interface elements, 3 D models. • Adding game-play elements such as artificial intelligence, cut scene, in-game dialog. • Producing game’s audio
Project Milestone • Pre-alpha version • A lot of functional and asset/content-based decisions still have to be made. • Alpha version • Satisfies most of the project goals and requirements while still requiring extensive testing and debugging. • Beta version • Generally has numerous bugs, stability and compatibility issues. • Released to selected group (closed beta) as opposed to a larger community group (open beta) • Release Candidates • Very close to the final game release but still need some extensive testing to ensure that no fatal bugs are present.
Common Game Milestone Release Stages Pre-Alpha Beta Released Candidate General Availability Release
Testing • Unit testing • Primarily done by programmers themselves • Functional testing • Based on scripts targeted at groups of classes • Focus on user requirements and performance constraints. • Automated testing • Focus on the generation of test units reflecting the existing programming units. • Is conducted concurrently throughout the implementation phase.
Software Patches • Patching is the most common form of maintaining and updating computer games. • Ensure that software regression doesn’t occur when patch is released. • Patches are not solely used for the correction of bugs and are often released to improve or change some game-play elements.
Game Software Development Techniques and Methodologies • Sequential Software Development: Waterfall Model. • Iterative Software Development: The Rational Unified Process. • Extreme Programming: Agile Software Development.
Game Development Tools • • Design Document Templates Development Tools Software • Rational Rose 3 D Modeling Software • Autodesk’s 3 D Studio Max, Maya 2 D Modeling Software • Adobe Photoshop.
Game Development Tools • Sound sampling and digital processing • Sound Forge Xp • Music Sequencing Software • Cakewalk • Integrated Development Environment • Microsoft Visual Studio • Accelerators • Open. GL, Direct. X. • Programming utilities • FX Composers • Standard Development Kit (SDK)
In-house Tools • Level Editors • Q 3 Radiant for Quake-3 by Id Software • Game Engine • Torque • Unreal Engine
Discussion Game engine license policies.
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