Final Project

Blog Post 5

Game Studies Final

     The final project is open ended to gaming related content. I was drawn towards several directions, but ultimately, learning more about GameMaker Language (GML) won out. For the final, I wanted to focus purely on game mechanics and coding. To do this, I chose to re-create a game: all the design and art are done, and I can focus purely on breaking down the mechanics, and implementing them inside a GameMaker project file. The level design stays the same, and I am simply redrawing the art  inside GameMaker's sprite editor.

     The challenge here is seeing the game's mechanics, breaking it down into a set of rules, and then writing those rules in GML. It is an important skill to be able to analyze game design and understand why and how those designs were implemented. Seeing those mechanics from the backend gives insight into how they interact in that particular game, and how they can be utilized in other games. Once I complete this project, I feel I'll have sufficient knowledge to GameMaker to take on a more ambitious task.

   The game I chose to remake is Chip's Challenge. The simple 2D design allows for easy recognition of mechanics, and the logic puzzle aspect allows a newcomer in GML to have a challenge in writing the code for the rules. I am remaking the initial levels as they introduce new mechanics in each level. Writing these basically writes the base code for the rest of the game until a new mechanic/rule is called for.

 

 GameMaker Studio - Remake - Level 1

     I have completed the first 4 levels. Some small elements I had to forgo in order to complete this project in a timely manner (not without first attempting to implement). I feel I completed enough for the user to still get a good feel of what type of game this is.

Download: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vis03prxz605uiz/ChipsChallengeFinal.exe

HTML5 site: http://goo.gl/gfzERl

Prototype Digital Game

Blog Post 4

Prototype Digital Game

     In my Game Studies class, we (the class) were tasked to create/design a game within GameMaker Studio. After being partnered with a fellow peer, we set off brainstorming the narrative and the level design concepts - lists of assets were made and the game began to take shape. My role in the project was to program the game and design it. Class Time! is set in SJSU's art building's bottom floor. This prototype was derived after several iterations and is by no means near the finished ideal state.

     The basic design is to have the player set off collecting test supplies for their class. Once the supplies have been found and collected, the doors to the classroom open up to indicate you are ready to enter. Upon entering however, you find that the class was canceled. You enter with no one else there indicating a message must have gone out telling students class was canceled, but you were the only one who did not check their messages. The game ends there. In this iteration, there is a lot of open ground for the player to cover. My first time in the art building was a bit daunting and the size contributed to my confusion. The scale was taken directly from the on-line map of the building. The player model was compared to size and the scale stayed the same. The map size and the fact that you can't win, was intentionally frustrating.

     Future iterations could involve random starting scenarios that will provide more of a backstory. A time system would further create player driven choices - you missed class, but do you try to still collect your materials and enter the test late? Do you just say screw it and go home? Do you actually check your messages and see class has been canceled?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/cv759sqeuazuufo/ClassTimeFinal.exe

     Most of the obvious questions I am aware of, but a question I'd like general opinion on is whether or not the layout is too big.

Design Document

For an assignment in Game Studies, I have been paired with another student to create a video game. Below is the Design Document we have been tasked to create.  

Design Document

Description: Class time! The setting is in the SJSU Art Building. The classroom is locked and the only way in is to show up prepared for class. Looks around the hallways for objects to search in for the supplies you need - paper, pencil, notecards etc. Concept still being thought up.

Game Objects: The style or at least the size ratio would be based in pokemon/zelda. I.E. each objects/player takes up 1 grid of space. Movement is only horizontal/vertical between each grid. The floor plan to the Art Building will somewhat similar to the actual floor plan. Tiled floor pattern, soda machines, doors, lockers, poster boards. The player will be able to walk around the hallways and interact with objects. Sample: Open Locker for your laptop, find chewed up pencil on the ground - better than nothing. The game will have a HUD for the player’s inventory.

Sounds: Mostly background noise akin to the Art Building. Shop room saw noise as the player passes by that room, random bathroom flushes passing by there, coughing/sneezing of AI students/teachers walking by. Perhaps a soft echo every time the player steps.

Controls: Arrows keys along with an interact with object key. The movement should be fluid enough to walk between positions without overstepping.

Game Flow: The player starts off inside the art building on the west side. The goal is to get to the classroom. Once they get there, they realize they can’t go in because they don’t have their materials needed. The screen will let the player know what they need and they then have to go interacting with the environment to find them. The player’s inventory will be displayed at all times along with an objectives panel.

Levels: 1 level, with expandable objectives and more rooms the player can go into.

Game Lab 2

On March 3, I played these 5 games with Theresa. Here are the links along with some quick notes I jotted down as I observed her.

QWOP

• Takes a couple attempts to figure out the keys. Losses far outweigh improving previous score. Experiments a lot with keys. 

This is probably a grand historic meme in the gaming world and is often referred to when a player has control issues in a video game. "This feels like qwoping!" Despite the amount of frustration this game gives the player at the lack of response from the controls, I kept trying to get farther than my previous score over and over. Q and W control the left and right thighs, O and P control the left and right calves. Simple control scheme, yet the player sees no apparent function in what each key ACTUALLY does.

Don't shit your pants

• Takes a lot of trial and error. Fart was the first command I thought of, lost because I shat myself. 

Personally I find text adventures frustrating as you have to come up with your own word list if you are not provided one. Even one as simple as this needed exact wording for the game to function. The only action I could think of was to fart, and simply typing in 'fart' worked, but then I shit my pants. It takes a lot of experimenting to come up with the right words. Text adventure veterans would get this right away, whereas newcomers would need to put a little more though into what they type. I feel the game should have more hints like when you type in 'open door' and it tells you PUSHING doesn't work, which hits at you to try pulling.

This is the only level

• lots of experimentation. Has to read the level name to hint at how to complete the level. Gets it fairly quickly. Likes winning the level after a long time of trying to complete. 

I am familiar with later versions of this game. Different takes on having only 1 level/room. This first game in the series is linear - 1 goal at a time - whereas later versions incorporate multiple achievements you can earn at anytime in 1 level. This first iteration is very fun and establishes you can have the same layout, but with a multitude of different goals within. You essentially are going through the same tube, completing the same room, but with different controls/goals/settings than the previous one. The level title explains/hints at what you need to do to win. Very interesting.

Canabalt

• played it before, run fast. Your toon goes faster. Likes this game, has had 4214 high score. Sometimes has to go slow on purpose. 

A common playstyle side scrolling game. Run to the right and jump over objects. After playing a few times I learned there is actually some strategy above just this. You want to avoid hitting objects because they slow you down, but slowing down just enough can actually benefit you, making it easier to jump over faster objects. But slowing down too much will kill you. Interesting art style, but the greys make it hard to see the objects.

How to be happy

• Pieces moved away from cursor. The level title tells you what to do. Within a few clicks, she got what to do. Literally a puzzle with puzzle pieces, but with a dating sim aspect. 

Puzzles and dating pretty much go hand in hand. literally making a dating sim from puzzle pieces is an interesting approach. This shows aspects of dating at their simplest form. Changing connections reference sometimes having to change yourself for someone ends just to fit in. Clicking rapidly so your piece doesn't disappear shows the commitment you have to make in a relationship. The ambient audio didn't do much for me. But overall I found myself forcing in thought and meaning, over thinking the game - which in the end made me think a little bit more on how games convey their messages.

Post 2

Report 1

   I was a little over ambitious with my first idea. The players would create a board for the other player to solve. The theme overall was going to be circuitry. Each player would draw out a circuit for the other to solve with a set of given symbols. However, this required players to be well versed in circuitry in order to ensure they produced a solvable board. I worked with my partner to simplify it enough where anyone can play it, but still retain some of the original aspects I had in mind for the circuitry version: Moving on a board, player input, a race to a goal.

Starting Rules:

Board: Each player has their own 0 - 100 large index card
Movement: 6 cards with a different die on each, 4 cards with a different direction on each
Dice: D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, D20
Directions: Up, down, left, right


   Each player has their own board. The left side 0 and the right side 100. The goal is to move from 0 to 100. As you move, you draw a line from where you were, to your next movement. Each set of cards are shuffled. On a players turn, they turn over 1 of each. Sample turn: Player 1 draws an up direction, and a D12 card. Player 1 rolls an 8. Player 1 is no further or closer than the right side of the card. A lot of issues surfaced immediately. What if they player fell off the board? What if the player got a left direction? How would the layer know where they were if they went back into a line they drew? How does the player know how far they went? Every move my partner and I made we asked these questions. Several rules surfaced:

Added Rules:

Movement: The player cannot move off the board. The player moves no further than the edge.
Movement: Whenever a player moves, they draw a line to their next spot. If they player ends up on a path they already drew, they mark it with a dot.
Movement: The player writes the number they moved under/next to the line they drew.

   At the end of this session, many initial issues were alleviated, while many more questions arose, along with some aesthetic issues. The dice and movement cards are so few, they should be represented each with a dice of their own. A D6 would determine which die the player rolls for their movements, and a D4 would determine which direction the players moves.

   Appealing aspects of this iteration: The player drawing their own path - once the game ends the drawn path is unique to that game.
Unappealing aspects: All random without any player choices.

Report 2

Starting Rules:

Board: Each player has their own 0 - 50 large index card
Movement: 6 dice and 4 directions
Movement: A D6 rolls to determine which dice to roll for movement, the result being the die as depicted by the number next to the die.
Movement: A D4 rolls to determine which direction the player move, the result being the direction as depicted by the numbers next to each direction
Dice: 1-D4, 2-D6, 3-D8,4- D10, 5-D12, 6-D20
Directions: 1-Up, 2-down, 3-left, 4-right
Movement: In the event a player has a movement outside the boundaries, the player goes no further than the edge.

   In the second play session I brought in the developed set of rules. This more structured game allowed less time going "what happens if this happens?" and more experiencing the game itself. That experience though gave a lot of feedback on its own as to what should be changed. The person I played with noted that even with the end goal being brought down to 50, potentially the game could still last quite a long time as the player only has a 1 in 4 chance of getting a 'right' direction, and even then the amount of chance in the die rolls may only take you a couple steps. Here, I proposed a ruling that would give some control the the player.

   The first player chooses which 'Movement' each person gets to choose without rolling - either the direction or the die. Subsequent turns will not be chosen and instead alternate. Sample: Player 1 chooses direction without needing to roll in the first round. Both player 1 and 2 choose which direction they want to move for their turns and a D6 is still rolled for number of places moved. After their turns are over, Round 2 commences and this round players choose which die they want to roll for spaces moved, while they roll a D4 for a random direction. This allows the player to have some steering capability. We also decided to give some meaning to the up and down directions, and the win goal is no longer just get to the other side, but to get to the other side no further up or down than the 50 marker. So, if you get to the end 5 above the 100, you'll need to roll a 5 down to win.

   Despite adding in player choice, chance still allows backtracking and colliding back into/through previous lines. Negative numbers and arrows work to some degree, but adding more structure to the board itself can solve this issue entirely. Graph paper or grid lines can be used as a guide for the player as well as a predetermined amount of space between each point of movement.  The predetermined points on the paper make it easier to visualize player movement, as well as occupied space. Each player would also get a token to mark their place instead of drawing it out every turn.

   At the end of the session, the movement changes seemed to work out. However, the player is still at odds with... well the odds of getting high rolling movement dice. You have a 1 in 6 chances to get a D20, and then a 1 in 20 chance to roll a 20. Even with alternating rounds letting the player choose direction/die, a game could end with players having a series of low rolls in opposite directions.

Report 3

Starting Rules:

Goal: Reach the end of the board
Board: Each player has their own 0 - 50 grid lined graph paper
Movement: 6 dice and 4 directions
Movement: A D6 rolls to determine which dice to roll for movement, the result being the die as depicted by the number next to the die.
Movement: A D4 rolls to determine which direction the player move, the result being the direction as depicted by the numbers next to each direction
Dice: 1-D4, 2-D6, 3-D8,4- D10, 5-D12, 6-D20
Directions: 1-Up, 2-down, 3-left, 4-right
Movement: In the event a player has a movement outside the boundaries, the player goes no further than the edge.
Movement: Game rounds alternate between a chosen movement, and a random movement. Player 1 picks which is chosen for the first round.

   Having some player input reduced the amount of rolls needed to win the game. Having grid lines gave the player a proper sense of space when moving their token. Moving up and down still felt meaningless even with using it to determine the win. Winning doesn't need an up or down direction unless you go off the horizontal path making those direction simply an annoyance rather than something to consider. What if I changed that to make up and down NEEDED directions to win?

   I decided to change the board layout. Going from left to right, 0 to 50, makes the directions up and down unnecessary. The new board is essentially an x,y coordinate plane ranging from -20,-20 to 20,20. The goal is no longer get to the other side, it is now 'land on random x,y point'. Now, every direction has meaning, and on rounds where the die is chosen, choosing a lower sided die will be considered for nearing the point. The board is now smaller, but with the introduction to Y coordinates, there will still be a few rounds of movement needed. An extremely lucky player could simply could get to a win point in just 2 rounds - essentially moving in the x-axis the amount required, then in the y-axis the amount required to get to that winning x,y. This also leaves an extremely unlucky player having to continuously roll if they overshoot their win points, as you are required to land DIRECTLY on the point.

Post 1

I have always loved board games. They bring a welcomed interaction between people to a fun, play environment. Recently, I had a chance to play a couple board/paper games in my Game Studies class for an observational assignment. Aside from the given class assignment, this was a great way to get to know fellow classmates as well as see how they interact with others in a game environment.

Uno was the first game our group decided to play. Uno is a classic game that most of us has played before, but have not played for a long time. We had the rule sheet out and a couple players asked to see it to get a refresh on the rule. Once everyone was dealt their cards, we flipped over the top card on the center pile and the first person played their card on top of that. As we played, I began to remember more and more of when I use to play and was less and less second guessing the 'current' rules. There was a slight discrepancy over the Wild Draw Four card as well as normal Draw 2 cards.

Wild Draw Four

At the time I had thought a player could play a card after drawing the amount of cards dictated. The group checked the rule sheet and the rules stated you simply draw X and that is the end of your turn. The other cards were self explanatory enough. The skip card skips the next person's turn, the reverse arrow card reverses the direction of the next player instantly, and the Wild card allows the
player to choose and put down the next color/card.

Skip, Reverse, Wild

After a couple rounds through everyone, the game went by much smoother and Gabe won by playing a Wild card, saying "Uno!" and then playing his last card on top of the Wild.

"Uno!"

Munchkins was the next game the group played. I hadn't played in a long while and had forgotten what a large rule set this game had and if I had known, I would have chosen to bring a different one. In any case I decided to just run the game and go over the rules and setup. I had to ensure a smooth play session while also making sure no one got frustrated. There were a couple times I had to chime in and say "You can't do that" which I feel affected the gameplay negatively over all. However just like with Uno, after a couple rounds though everyone, the players mostly got the hang of the game.

Munchkins Door and Loot Cards

In both Uno and Munchkins, players can use strategy to come up with a combination of card plays to either hinder their opposing player's progress, or enhance their own. Common strategies in Uno consist of simple things like holding onto at least 1 color of each to ensure you always have something to play, and more complicated ones like remembering the last card your opponent played/picked up, and then playing a wild card and choosing a card you know they don't have.

Munchkins gives each player direct control over phase of the game. Many cards are allowed to be played during any player's turn, directly affecting the outcome of a phase for the better or for worse. Again, the player has to decide whether to help themselves, or hinder others. Munchkins also adds in the ability to help others, even though in the end only one person can win.

Leon combats Floating Nose and plays 

a potion to instantly kill it.

Post 0

Most surreal gaming experience

     There has been a recent surge of players looking into and discussing DayZ. The developers have released a functional stand alone client based on their Arma II mod DayZ and is available on steam. This is a basic MMOFPS needing food and water to survive along with an inclination to never trust anyone you meet.

     The new standalone version introduces some controversial features: being able to handcuff someone and pretty much do whatever you want to them - take their gear, force feed them, strip their clothes. More recently, you can now put a burlap sack over someone's head. Altogether, a lot of terrifying scenarios are possible - one of which I was privy to.

     While walking around near a barn at night looking for gear, I saw an item on the ground but couldn't quite make it out. Flashlights produce a very narrow beam and are hard to focus. I climbed over an animal pen to see just a pair of ruined clothing. I heard quick shuffling behind me and saw very sporadic flashlight beams. I turn around to meet 3 guys in clown masks crouching near me. They had put handcuffs on me while my camera was turned away and one of them was streaming loud, hardcore metal music through their in-game microphone. I was already freaked out and started wiggling back and forth to try and break free of the cuffs. My character's clothes started to disappear - pants, jacket, and shirt gone. I am sitting here in a cow pen, handcuffed, in just underwear, with 3 guys in clown masks laughing their heads off with Slayer blarring in my ears.

A poor soul handcuffed and stripped by bandits.

Reddit

     There had been a recent trend of handcuffing players and force feeding them disinfectant so they would slowly die off with no hope of surviving. I was greeted by the same fate as I saw one of them pull out a spray bottle. I could not believe what I was seeing and just kept repeating "Wow...." to them through my mic. I eventually broke free, tried punching one of them and was shot in the head.

     These DayZ scenarios introduce a lot of great discussions about humanity within a virtual environment. I myself have been conditioned to never trust anyone I meet and always run away from anyone armed. I feel genuinely afraid of getting handcuffed and messed with. I am not the only person who has had extreme, emotional encounters in DayZ. DrudgeReport, a major news website, featured this article on the impact of human interaction within DayZ.