Games Development / Lectures & Exercises

25/09/2024 - 16/10/24 / Week 1 - Week 4
Iman binti Kamarudin / 0364014
Games Development / Bachelors of Design (Hons) in Creative Media

Exercises

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LECTURE

Week 1

In the first class we had, we went over the MIB and what projects we will be doing throughout this semester. Afterwards, we played some games from past students.

Fig 1.1 - Playing 'Conjure' by Kezia Lynn

Game Design Elements

Consists of;

- Game design

- Game art

- Game technology

Game Design

Process of designing the content and rules of a game in pre-productions stage and design of gameplay, environment, storyline and characters. Director and visionary behind the game, what is it going to be about? Where is it going to be set?

Elements of a Game: Story

- Whose story is it?

- What is happening?

- What is at stake?

Elements of a Game: Gameplay

1. Challenge

Element that will make it difficult for the player to complete their objectives. Eg punishments, enemies, obstacles, terrain and environment can affect the players

2. Strategy

Help the players understand how to play the game better and progress further into the game.

3. Chance

Help prolong the life of the player. Balances punishments and most of the time will be in the form of rewards.

4. Choice

Most common in RPGs. Decisions that players make can affect the way the story plays out and what ending you get.

5. Luck

Can tilt the balance of the game. There is no way to purposefully gain the item. Eg your player is about to die but then an item spawns that can help replenish hearts.

Week 2

During week 2, we grouped up and came up with a game idea using the SCAMPER technique. Afterwards, we presented the game to the whole class.

Week 3

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INSTRUCTIONS

EXERCISE 1: CRITICAL REVIEW

- Play existing games made from previous students.

- Pick one to review.

- Breakdown what you like and dislike about the game.

I chose to review Reaper Test.

Fig 2.1 - Reaper Test

In Reaper Test, the character walks very fast which makes it harder to jump onto platforms however maybe this was a strategy implemented strategically (and im just bad at playing it). On the other hand, forcing the player to be precise with their movement and also implementing very small platforms can lead to players feeling too frustrated too early on into the game. 

Furthermore, there are obstacles that the player can push to be able to move forward in the level. To move these obstacles, you need attack using energy. However, this poses an issue if the player has used up all their energy and killed all the enemies. There is no additional source to get energy from and so players can end up getting stuck. A suggestion to improve this could be to have more enemies that you don't HAVE to kill but can if you need more energy or simply changing it to normal attack to push the obstacle.

Lastly, in the beginning of the game there is brief information about the story that seems interesting to players however it lacks some depth that could give the players more motive to go through with completing the game.

Fig 2.2 - Reaper Test Story Dialogue

Pros & Cons Summary

Controls

Fig 2.3 - Reaper Test Character Controls

Pros: 

- The height of your jump can vary depending on how long you press the spacebar for

- If you happen to barely make a jump and end up landing on the very edge of the platform, there is space to allow you to pull yourself up on the platform

Cons:

- There's not much leeway in the jump so sometimes it doesn't register and you end up walking straight into the spikes

- Speed of character is too fast/not adjustable

Art

Fig 2.4 - Reaper Test Environment Art

Pros:

- Simple and digestible

- Animation gives the player the feeling that their actions are impactful

Cons:

- Some more animations could help aid the player more such as some red effects on the border whenever you get hit by an enemy to let you know that you're losing HP.

- Keep the art for energy consistent as there's two different artworks that could confuse players.

- Background is a little bit too distracting compared to the foreground, blurring it could help keep players keep focused or adding more contrast

Level Design

Pros:

- Interesting and versatile. New mechanics are introduced and it brings variety into the gameplay and keeps interest

- Challenging so players want to keep playing out of spite

Cons:

- Some levels are a *bit* too challenging so players may feel too much frustration too early on/too fast

- Very small platforms that require very precise movements and fast movement of sliding platforms may largely increase player frustration

EXERCISE 2: SCAMPER

For our second activity, we had to group up and use SCAMPER to create a new game idea. My group decided to use 'Modify' and 'Adapt' for mobile games like Temple Run, Minion Rush and Subway Surfers.

Our idea was a girl who is often running late for events such as exams, prom etc. When she gets stuck in standstill traffic, she abandons her car and runs over vehicles to get to the venue. The player then has to help her dodge obstacles. They can also collect coins and coffee cups on each level.

Fig 3.1 - 'On The Way' Game Idea

EXERCISE 3: UNITY INTRO

Our third exercise was an introduction into Unity. We first learned about Rigidbody and Collision components with 2D objects. 

We then learned how to code inputs using C# scripts so players could control an object by moving it using WASD. 

EXERCISE 4: CODING

During class, we learnt how to code objects to spawn in and how to 'shoot' out an object when a specific key is pressed. Furthermore, we were taught about prefabs and how you can change certain aspects of multiple prefabs by editing its root object.

EXERCISE 5: SIDE-SCROLLER

We did a tutorial during class to make a side scrolling runner game using Unity. After importing the background, player and obstacle assets, we assigned rigidbody and box collisions to them. Then, we made the obstacle and background move to the left side of the screen and coded it so the player can jump when the spacebar is pressed.

Next, we made it so the obstacle would spawn in intervals at a specific distance and made the background repeat.

EXERCISE 6: 2D PLAYER CONTROLLER

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REFLECTION

I feel like all the exercises were very beneficial to me as I've managed to learn a lot about how Unity works and a little bit about coding.