Game Engines a Brief Overview

So this is the final assignment for the first discipline of this year.
By now I can say that moving to Manchester to attend Futureworks was the best thing I did in a long time.
I got to know lots of people that I thing some of them might become really close friends with myself.

Enough with the small talk. Here is my assignment:

Unity 3D

The unity engine was created to the game GooBall. The game was a commercial failure but the development team realized that the engine and set of tools that they created had some market value.
First released solely for the Mac, with the advent of the iPhone, it was the first engine to fully support it.
With its 4th version the engine reached more than 1,000,000 registered developers.

Features:

• iOS support
• Asset store
• Mecanim, a new animation system to animate any character or object
• Real-time shadows for all platforms
• DirectX 11 rendering
• Shuriken particle system updated with world collision functionality
• Adobe Flash and Linux as two new platforms
• Cross-platform dynamic fonts

Notable Games

• Rochard
• Shadowgun
• Bad Piggies
• Project Rift

Shadowgun

Rochard

Torque Game Engine

Torque is a 3D graphics engine that also provides networking code, scripting, in-engine world editing, and GUI creation. The source code can be compiled for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Wii, Xbox 360, and iPhone platforms.
Now the flagship Torque 3D is free under MIT License.

Main Features

• COLLADA Support
• LIVE Material Updating
• PhysX Integration
• Per-pixel dynamic lighting
• Depth of Field

Notable Games

• Tribes 2

CryENGINE® 3

Development

CryEngine 3 Free SDK, originally called Sandbox Editor, is the current version of the level editor used to create levels for the CryEngine line of game engines by Crytek. Tools are also provided within the software to facilitate scripting, animation, and object creation. It has been included with various Crytek games (including, but not limited to, Crysis and Far Cry), and is used extensively for modding purposes. The editing style is that of the sandbox concept, with the emphasis on large terrains and a free style of mission programming. The editor can also construct indoor settings.

Opposed to editors like UnrealEd which use a "subtractive" editing style that takes away areas from a filled world space, the Sandbox has an "additive" style (like Quake II). Objects are added to an overall empty space.

The Sandbox's concentration on potentially huge (in theory, hundreds of square kilometers) terrain, means that it uses an algorithmic form of painting textures and objects onto the landscape. This uses various parameters to define the distribution of textures or types of vegetation. This is intended to save time and make the editing of such large terrains feasible while maintaining the overall "real world" sandbox free roaming style. This is different from some editing styles that often use "fake backdrops" to give the illusion of large terrains.

In a fashion somewhat comparable to the 3D Renderer Blender, which can be used for game design, the Sandbox editor has the ability, with a single key press, for the editor to jump straight into the current design (WYSIWYP, "What You See Is What You Play" Feature). This is facilitated without loading the game as the game engine is already running within the editor. The "player" view is shown within the 3D portion of the Editor.

The Editor also supports all the CryEngine features such as vehicles and physics, scripting, advanced lighting (including real time, moving shadows), Polybump technology, shaders, 3D audio, character Inverse kinematics and animation blending, dynamic music, Real Time Soft Particle System and Integrated FX Editor, Deferred Lighting, Normal Maps & Parallax Occlusion Maps, and Advanced Modular AI System.

Main Features

• Advanced Modular AI System
• Next Generation Real-Time Graphics
• Realistic Characters
• Live Create - Simultaneous WYSIWYP on all platforms

Notable Games

• FarCry 3
• Crysis 3
• MechWarrior Online
• Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2
• Fibble

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2

MechWarrior Online

Crysis 3

FarCry 3

3D Level Design - SketchUp

This is the final version of my level.

• Green walls are doors.
• Red walls are force fields that only let inorganic things to go through.
• Light blue walls are force fields that only allow organic things to go through.
• Dark blue floor is electrified and kills you or enemies.
• Small grey boxes can be lifted without changing gravity.
• Large gray/yellow boxes are only lifted on lower gravity.
• Large gray/yellow boxes on the wall can be used to "pull" you in lower gravity like a grappling hook.
• Orange boxes on the walls are turrets that shoots you when you're close enough.
• Purple cilinders are fuses that can be pulled from its place and placed in other fuse holes. They enable/disable force fields.
• Translucent floor is glass. You can walk over it or shoot it to break.
• The big orange "pole" is a laser beam that kills anything instantly.
• The red computer refills your explosive launcher.
• The wooden floor can only be destroyed with an explosion.
• The soldiers are also enemies from the SkyPolice.
• The large gray/yellow platform can be pushed/pulled with the G-Lifter.
• The trophy is a collectible item.

Here is a link to download the SketchUp 3D model.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4e747v59z5wbeza/Map.skp

3D Level Design Part 2

So this is the second part of my level for Rochard.

3D Level Design - Sketches

Last Tuesday we started 3D Level Design and after a couple hours of discussion on what was going to be each ones game to create a new level, I got Rochard. Again.

It is starting to be my pet project. But I won't let it.

After the initial statement, this is the sketch for the first part of my level.

When I finish the last part of it, there will be a colour code for everything. Those who had played Rochard can have a brief idea of what I'm planning.

Hopefully I'll finish it by the weekend.

Game Deconstruction and Analisys – Rochard

Rochard is a puzzle platformer that heavily relies on gravity to solve the puzzles. John Rochard is a space miner that got in to trouble after finding a large chunk of space ore that ended his bad streak.

In order to save his friend Skylar and prevent Maximilian to acquire an overwhelming power, John Rochard must save the day.

Mechanics

The core mechanic in Rochard is gravity manipulated mainly through the G-Lifter.

The gravity also can be lowered in the room that you are, and inverted as well. Other game changing mechanic is the color-coded force fields.

The G-Lifter

The most important gameplay item in this title, the G-Lifter is upgraded at each chapter of the game to increase gameplay.

You start the game with the regular G-Lifter that can only lift crates and other small objects. Then you upgrade it with the Rock Blaster to shoot laser at the enemies. After that, you get the recoil jump. To do this, you jump and then shoot a crate downward with the G-lifter while low gravity is enabled, which propels you upward. That is almost the same as a double jump but way cooler. You also get explosives as an upgrade and they will help you a lot on combat. You can use the G-Lifter as a grappling hook when you pick up the upgrade that allow you to swing in lower gravity.

With this many types of upgrades, the player think that he will be able to solve encounters any way he wants. However, sometimes, you will have to rely on shooting the bad guys, throwing explosives at them. Because there are going to be too many of them for you to try to deliver a crate or other objects over their heads.

Crates, Turrets, Droids and everything else the G-Lifter can lift or grapple

Crates can be used as platforms, can be shoot on to a baddie, as shields that redirect laser then grappled by the G-Lifter, to launch you higher on lower gravity on a recoil jump. In addition, as an anchor to reach the more difficult areas in lower gravity.

Turrets and droids shoot at you and kill you. However, after a upgrade, they can be used as explosives when you grab and throw them away. It can be tricky but you can use them even for a recoil jump.

Manipulate Gravity

John Rochard also has the ability to change gravity on the room that he is. By doing that, he can jump higher and farther. Lift objects that normally he cannot and pull himself up by grappling on special crates.

Gravity also can be reversed to solve some puzzles. By doing it so, Rochard can walk on the ceiling and everything that is on the room is affected as well. Crates, enemies will change place and will help or get in his way.

Color Coded Energy Fields

Sometimes in a room, you will find an energy field. In addition, depending on its colour, it will behave in a different way by determining what can go through. The blue ones only allow life forms to go through. The red ones only allow mechanical things. The orange ones block explosions, fire and lasers. Finally, the white energy field blocks everything.

So it will be required a lot of thinking to deal with them sometimes.

Level Design

One other thing that made me enjoy Rochard was the level design. The five chapters take place on space stations, mostly on space mines, but even with the huge potential to reuse the same environments, which Recoil haven’t done, each chapter has its own personality. By using different themes and colour palettes, the level designers manage to create unique and pleasant areas. As you went through each chapter, you are able to feel the difference and if you take your time, you will manage to observe that he levels are not dull or plain.

 

Conclusion

Rochard is a well-made side-scroller game. Paced on space mines, it excels on the level design where you find well-designed puzzles, which are solved through the use of the G-Lifter and non-reusable levels, extra points for them. The soundtrack is also amazing specially the intro music and the voice acting. The voice of John Rochard was done by Jon St. John, who is mainly known on the gamming community for doing the voice of Duke Nukem. The plot is a little cheesy but is fine if you are a sci-fi fan. Unfortunately, it fails when you have to deal with heavy combat because the commands are sometimes clunky. In fact sometimes I felt that the designers threw the combat in there because they couldn’t figure out a better puzzle. Overall, it is good game and for £7.00 is really worth it.

Game Deconstruction and Analisys - Rochard

Rochard First Impressions

The game is a puzzle platformer that takes place in space. You play as John Rochard, a old miner that gets in to trouble. As you go trough The key mechanic on the game is gravity. And it is really well used.

Main gravity iterations of the game
Lower gravity of the room.
Gravity gun - Pull and repel objects.
Reverse gravity at some terminals.

I really enjoyed to play this game and is one that I personally recommend that you buy it.

You can buy it everywhere, so grab your copy today!!!!

I'll be writing more about it during this week.

Paper Based Level Design

So this is the map that I handed out today.

Inspired by old school games like Black Tiger, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Ghost 'n Goblins...

Hope you enjoy :)

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UPDATE

Here is the map on hi-res and with inverted colors for a better contrast.

Old school level design

Doing a research for my paper based level design assignment, I came across this amazing website with loads of screenshots of classic games.

Check this out!

http://vgmaps.com/

Paper Based Level Design - First Attempt

This is my first attempt to do a Level Design in paper.

I need to scale it down because it's going to be transferred to an A3 sized paper. The good thing is that I'll be able to make it HUGE!!!!!!

MWA HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Paper Based Level Design Research

Next class well be starting on paper based design so I started researching on it.
I found some cool stuff to start reading about.

First I found a some stuff on tumblr that I will post here later on.

UPDATE

Here are the links that I've found.

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/level-design?before=1329171407

http://cooper-adam-pdgdy1.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/paper-based-level-design.html

http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/level_design_tutorials/how_to_plan_your_next_map/how_to_plan_your_next_map.php

Ch-check em out!

UDK - Level Design Analysis

The level that I’ve played is called Deck. It is designed to be really fast paced and for loads of kills. The design of the level has a lot of weapons spread through. By having that it makes the game fast paced and fun.

With loads of kills and deaths and well balanced weapon spread making it one of the best that I ever played in Unreal Tournament.

The Nature Defenders

The Nature Defenders is an educational game where kids and adults learn to defend the planet from its degradation. In order to save mankind from extinction!

Description

The Nature defenders put you in charge of saving mankind from extinction! In order to do that you must take hard decisions to make sure that man will not destroy the planet!

You wake up one day at home and realizes that there is no water for this week! You start questioning why is that happening. And as you get to know what is going on right now with the planet you will also have to make the right decisions to help everyone. First your city, then the Country and finally, learn how to save everyone else from doom!

In this point and click you will have to solve puzzles to get to know what can be done to save the
Earth!

Key features

• Mind blowing puzzles that will amaze you!
• Eco friendly knowledge that changes the way you think!
• Simple, intuitive point-and-click interface!
• Amazing cartoon graphics!

 Genre

Point and Click

Platform

PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Web

Girl Fight

Girl Fight

Introduction

“Girl Fight” gives a new spin on the Beat ‘em Up genre by adding tag team combat that allows you to switch characters on the fly to create devastating combos to defeat your enemies.

Description

“Girl Fight” brings you back to the 80’s by putting you in the shoes of one of the members of “Suicide Girls”, a punk rock band. The band had a world tour but in the first city, a gang kidnapped Joe the guitar player.

Roxy - one of the game's playable characters

As you battle trough the stages, you will be using a lot of the dynamic tag fighting. This new exiting mechanic will allow you to switch characters on the fly to create amazing combos and kick some ass!

The game takes place on the towns that “Suicide Girls” would be on tour. As you go from town to town searching for the missing band member, the punk rock drive your revenge!

While playing you just press a button to “call for help” and swap characters. Both characters stay on the screen for 3 seconds. And If in that time you manage to launch a combo, by pressing the right sequence of buttons, it unleashes its full devastating power!

Tag team mechanic

By pressing one of the color indicated buttons you tag with a team member. You have 3 seconds to use a sequence of buttons to unleash the combo.

If you are fast enough you can create massive combos with all of the characters. And become unstoppable!!!

Do you have what it takes to help the “Suicide Girls” and release Joe from evil?

Key Features

•  Dynamic gameplay that will keep you on your toes switching between characters to survive!
•  Revolutionises the beat em up genre with tag team mechanics!
• Play with a friend and reek of devastation!
• Listen to the amazing punk rock classics of The Ramones, Sex Pistols, Toy Dolls, Rancid, Buzzcocks, Billy Idol and many more!

Genre

Tag Team Beat ‘em Up

Platform

PC, Mac, iOS

Concept Design Document Guidelines

So I was struggling to find the right way to write the Concept Design Document for my third assignment. A little goggling and I found this guidelines that can help we all.

Gamasutra

The Anatomy of a Design Document, Part 1: Documentation Guidelines for the Game Concept and Proposal

Distance Learning 101

Game Design & Concept Document Template - Distance Learning 101

Gemini Observatory

Conceptual Design Document - Gemini Observatory

Thomas Grové's Blog

Concept Document - Thomas Grové's Blog

Wikiville for Lori Shyba's classes

High Concept Design Document (Treatment)

Awesome!

Metal Slug Freeze Gun

After researching on cold things, I chose to give Metal Slug a new twist by introducing a complete new  mechanic to the game. Freeze!

With the Freeze Gun the player will be able to freeze everything in the scenario for 15s and make some position changes.

The gun has only one charge and as soon as it's used the screen freezes and you can re-position every movable item on the scene.

Every movable item becomes blue and can be selected and positioned with the joystick.

as soon as the Freeze effect ends, the frozen things will suffer the gravity effects dealing damage to itself and to other enemies.

Mario Time Suit

Studying time and how it works I had the idea to give Mario the ability to bend time.

With the Time Suit, Mario has the ability to pause, rewind or fast-forward time. That is amazing. Imagine how many new puzzles will be possible to be created with this new suit.

I thought on the following mechanics for the suit.

The Time Suit can be aquired in certain stages and the user click the C button on the nunchuck to open the menu then select the desired ability.

By choosing one of the icons you choose witch special ability Mario will use. As soon as the player chose one it stays until the player dies or the level ends.

Pause

With the ability to pause time, Mario can stop time for 5 seconds.

For example when Mario is chased by loads of baddies, the player can pause everything on the scenario but him. Allowing time to escape.

Fast Forward

The super speed allow Mario to run 5 times faster than the usual. He can jump further and higher because of the speed.

Rewind

Allow the player to rewind the whole level until the very second it activated the rewind ability. The coins the player collect using the rewind suit does not rewind with him. Once collected, they will not come back.

This way the player can go the areas where he couldn't.

Like the example below.

In this example, the player can descend the pipe, grab the coins than rewind time to continue.

Live Mindmap for my Time mechanic proposal

Create your own mind maps at MindMeister

Assignment 2 - My choices

On this assignment we did have to pick two games an propose new mechanics to them.
I chose the following:

• Super Mario Bros
• Metal Slug

For SMB I'm planning on using a Time based mechanic and for Metal Slug a Freeze mechanic.

It is going to be very interesting to write, test and design these mechanics.

First assignment - Conclusion

Lead Designer

I want be a great Lead Designer because I believe that I can make a difference to the field. Being passionate for video games and design is what makes the desire to be a Lead Designer thrive in me.

To be the designer that is responsible for managing a team of designers, the one that make sure the game vision is achieved. That’s what I want to be. Not because of the fancy “leader” title but because I have been studying hard on how to manage people and I found that I am in love with it. It has its difficulties like putting out fires and do what needs to be done to deliver the product. But it also nice to keep the good attitude between everyone.

And I know that there is a huge difference between lead a dictator or a visionary.

The Lead Designer also establish the game’s core and its feature set. He decides on how the game is going to be documented, determine the basic systems and even, depending on the size of the project, can assign those to another designer on the team.

By having the opportunity to work on other fields that I find very interesting in game design as the project goes on. A lead designer can also work as a Level Designer, Content Designer, Game Writer, System Designer, Technical Designer, UI/UX Designer, and Senior Designer.

But the most important thing is that I know what it takes to be a Lead Designer and that I got it.

Recommended Video

For those like me that are studying to be a Game Designer, please watch this PATV video.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/so-you-want-to-be-a-game-designer

I hope that you enjoy.

First assignment - Overview

To survive in the video game industry it is essential that all aspects of the creation of a product are completed to a high standard. In order to accomplish this, team work and good communication between the different departments involved in the development of a video game are essential. Understanding how each role within this pipeline can impact upon development is key.
In this brief, you will be tasked to research each aspect of game design, from concept art to programming. Once this is done, you must choose to develop your research further on the area you feel most interested in.

You will write a conclusion of no more than 500 words on your chosen aspect of development  explaining the reason for which it was chosen.

Submission deadline: 18th September

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