Civilization V is the 5th game of a (currently) 6-game series which was released on Windows in September 2010, and later on OSX and Linux. The game was published by 2K Games, and developed by Firaxis Games. It is a turn-based strategy 4X game that allows you to build up an empire and win by taking over the rest of civilization.
THOUGHTS
I thought the game was very good in its aspects of balancing and making each and every mechanic in the game from moving units, capturing/allying cities, to upgrading technologies or policies very polished in terms of pacing. It is impressive to have so many features in a game and so many things to be mindful of all at the one time, yet keeping the player feel comfortable and not overwhelmed with information. They do this through making a lot of the processes which balance the game behind the scenes, making some features more simple and some more complicated - but only as much as it needs to be.
RESPONSE UPON RELEASE/COMMUNITY
There were many people in the gaming community that were aware of the Civilization series before the 5th game came out, but the release of this game was the high point in the series which gained the most attraction of any of the previous games made.
CORE LOOP
The core loop of Civilization V is:
Unit Orders → Purchase Units → Choose Production → Adopt Policy
MAIN MECHANICS
The main mechanics of Civilization V is giving unit actions, purchasing units, choosing production, and social policies.
Unit orders are the main point of actions in the game, each round you may be able to move any units that are currently not performing actions in order to build structures, attack other cities, create cities, and many other things. Some things that units can build are; roads, farms, factories, landmarks, or even cities can increase resource production.
Purchasing units is also a large part of the game in order to increase your army/production with many types of units. The main units in the game are; workers, settlers, religious units, trade units, great people, and many of the combat units.
Choosing your production in Civilization V is the procedure you use to increase the technology for your cities and attempt to be in front of other cities in terms of trade/culture/fire power which is the three ways you can achieve victory. Each chosen technology can help you assist with a current, or future option you think can help you win the game.
Social policies are helpful to increase the chance of you winning depending on which path you wish to take on the road to victory, there are some social policies that can favor the different ways of achieving a victory. You choose one option out of many in a skill tree-like menu which gives you better statistics depending on which strategy you wish to take.
INFLUENCES
The Civilization series has influenced many games, such as;
Endless Legend
Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars
Endless Space
CONCLUSION
What I took away from this game was that Civilization V was the best of the series so far, with a great and fun balance of all of the features/mechanics having some more simplistic than others, helping to make it one of the all time best turn-based games ever made. I think this is something I could use in the future for some of my games, to assist in creating a more enjoyable game without overwhelming the player.
The start of the end of year project has been amazing so far, I have learnt so much about communication and what it means in a team. From doing a presentation in front of an industry panel to just talking as producer to my team, it really helps me to understand more.
From my last post mortem, my goal was to socialise more to help improve my communication skills, I have been putting myself out there and accepting every opportunity that jumps at me. This has helped me a lot with talking to people more casually. Something I want to work on for the next final post of the year is to create mini side projects outside of school time to use on social media & increase my skills in unity.
Firewatch was released on February 9, 2016 by Campo Santo. There is also a release coming to switch by the end of 2018. It is a single-player story based ‘walking simulator’ game.
THOUGHTS
The making of this game was very unique and interesting. The motives behind the design of the movement, although not particularly popular, I thought was very intriguing.
RESPONSE UPON RELEASE
Firewatch has been heavily praised upon its release. There have been many reviews made that talk about how much they have done with the game even if it is just a ‘walking simulator’. After many downloads, the game’s success has provided an incentive for the developers to continue working on more unannounced projects.
CORE LOOP
The core loop of Firewatch is the following:
Walk to destination → Talk on radio → Event
MAIN MECHANICS/GAME FEEL
Firewatch is a game heavily based around the level design and the narrative. The main mechanics consists of walking around to destinations, talking to Delilah, using the map, and interacting with some objects around the environment.
The levels are made with intent for the player to be wandering through the forest to their expected destination (as pointed out by the map) - and has been thoroughly tested in order to get the perfect amount of time from the player being bored about walking too much with nothing interesting happening, and getting a call from Delilah.
INFLUENCES
Firewatch has influenced a few games in their themes/level design such as;
Oxenfree
The Witness
Rime
COMMUNITY
The community of Firewatch has mostly consisted of people who are very into narrative based games as well as artists, because of their process of making every part of the game wallpaper-worthy.
CONCLUSION
Firewatch is a great game that doesn’t just make its gameplay experience with mechanics and crazy attacks you can do - it works well by telling a story through level design alongside great voice acting and attention to detail.
This unit has been great - the QA unit. I have learnt so much from how QA works in the industry from testing a game from ABG, from a group in the Incubator Program, and also from placement by going out to an actual game studio and testing their game which is still in development. From the range of the testing we did and the range of the games we performed them on, I have learnt so much from it.
From the last post mortem, I have taught people things along the way which has probably taught me more than I have to them, it has been a very successful way to help myself and others at the same time. Until the next post mortem, my goal is to socialise more and be involved in more things to help me develop my communication skills further.
The remake of Shadow of the Colossus was released on February 6, 2018 by Sony Interactive Entertainment, and developed by Bluepoint Games. The original game was released on PS2, but the remake was released on PS4. It is a single-player story based action-adventure.
THOUGHTS
I thought the ideas behind the making of this game was very unique and interesting. The motives behind the design of the movement, although not particularly popular, I thought was very intriguing. The fact that the movement is harder on purpose and feeling stranger is due to the reason that the character is a boy who is unsure of his physical maturity. This makes the combat mechanic difficult and increases the tension during a fight with a Colossus.
RESPONSE UPON RELEASE
Shadow of the Colossus was highly praised upon the release of the remake. People thought that the story and the game still held up even to today’s standards, the original game was less praised upon its release and steadily rose in player base - but the community loved the remake when it came out for PS4.
CORE LOOP
The core loop of Shadow of the Colossus is:
Get Instructions from Spirit → Kill Colossi → Gain power → Return to Spirit
MAIN MECHANICS
The main mechanics of Shadow of the Colossus is movement, combat, and climbing the Colossi.
The movement in this game is a very important aspect - as it crosses over with the climbing, but more importantly is used for avoiding getting hurt by the giant Colossi as they swing to kill you. Having your horse as a companion to help you get around is not only helpful mechanically for faster movement - but also creates a bond between the two characters in the story.
The combat is also crossing over with the climbing mechanic, as you need to climb on top of the Colossi to strike them in their weak spot - which is similar to some aspects of Zelda.
The climbing of the Colossi is a very unique main mechanic of this game, one which little games have explored - and one which is starting to inspire other games to explore. The climbing is difficult to achieve on purpose to create more of a sense of importance and tension, and to represent the character’s abilities as a young boy.
Most of the mechanics are both narrative inspired, and also to make the game feel better and more fun to play.
INFLUENCES
Shadow of the Colossus has influenced a few games in their themes or even mechanics such as;
Praey for the Gods
Lost Pisces
The Last Guardian
COMMUNITY
The community around Shadow of the Colossus is not particularly large, but is a very passionate community about the game. There are many people who have created various art pieces and even cosplay or videos to display their interest towards the game.
CONCLUSION
All in all, Shadow of the Colossus was a great game that achieved an amazing narrative through the use of mechanics and storytelling, which still holds up today if you were to go back and play the original.
More than halfway into the year now in my Diploma of Game Design, it has only been going uphill.
I have learned a lot about the iterative process that is narrative design, and all of the long documents that come with it. Although I knew I didn’t want to go down the path of creating ideas for games - it doesn’t hurt to learn about the kinds of things that narrative designers have to do. This makes a job for a game designer a lot better when they personally understand what each role needs to do.
Since the last post mortem, I have worked a lot of time outside of school hours at home - and even coming in to school on Mondays and Tuesdays, and I think that I have managed my time a lot better. For next time I hope to help teach a few other people at the same time as learning, as teaching other people helps you learn it for yourself.
Bioshock 2 is the 2nd game of a (currently) 3-game series initially released on Xbox 360 and PS3, then later on PC and Mac. The game was published by the studio 2K Games on 9th February 2010. It is a single-player story based first-person shooter, and is the sequel to the original 2007 Bioshock. Taking place 8 years after the events of Bioshock - you play as the previous game’s antagonist, a ‘Big Daddy’.
THOUGHTS
I thought this game was very noteworthy in it’s design aspects - the story and guidance given to the player throughout the game was extremely polished and done very well. The approach to this game was successfully achieved by the mastery in level design and very good use of displaying the goal to the player and how they would need to overcome it - as well as exploring and developing the goals over time.
RESPONSE UPON RELEASE
Bioshock 2 was just as praised as the first game when it came out for the people who played the story - yet there was also a multiplayer version inside of the game that wasn’t as well received. The multiplayer had bugs and a not very enjoyable game loop to it. Although the single-player had in depth narrative and design choices that made the game work well.
CORE LOOP
The core loop of Bioshock 2 is to defeat enemies -> receive upgrade -> little sister -> move to next level.
MAIN MECHANICS
The main mechanics of Bioshock 2 is movement, weapons, and interaction with little sisters.
The movement in the game is a very important feature, just like in any game, it lets the player move through the levels and to also dodge out of harm’s way in a battle.
The weapons in the game range from drills, guns, hack tool and also plasmids. Plasmids are a interesting and new way to approach game mechanics, where there are many environmental design choices around Rapture to frame to the player that they should use their plasmid against the enemies, by utilizing some of the pools of water on the ground for electricity or even puddles of oil for the fire plasmid.
The little sisters are a key aspect of the game as you are now a Big Daddy, who’s purpose in the previous game was to protect Little Sisters from others. The little sisters add to your ‘Adam’ which is used to buy more plasmids, and let you move to the next area.
INFLUENCES
The Bioshock series has influenced a few games in their themes or even mechanics such as;
We Happy Few
Tacoma
City of Brass
COMMUNITY
There is a large community developed around the Bioshock series, as their games became widely popular each time a new one was released. It is so big that some people would even go so far as to call it a ‘fandom’.
CONCLUSION
All in all, Bioshock 2 was a game that stood up to the first game with using similar mechanics, a different theme in narrative, and even a different setting inside of Rapture.
At almost six months now into my Diploma of Game Design, things have been improving.
I have learned a lot about communication and the value of friendships and networks with people in the game design industry. Since last post I have volunteered at an open day, talking with many people visiting, as well as going to an IGDAM meetup to talk with more designers in the industry.
Since the last post mortem, I have improved my naming conventions for files and documents by a lot. I wish to work on time management even more for next time.
A useful practice in ensuring that the level is done well to navigate the player is to remove all UI and anything that will block/assist the player in navigation first - then test if the player is still able to navigate without any assistance. The best ways of achieving successful navigation in this way is with sightlines, landmarks, pathways, and lighting.
Showing the end of a level - or even the pathway towards it can build anticipation for the player alongside give the player a mental map in their head as, well as help tell them what the goal is.
2. LEVEL READABILITY
The level itself has to guide the player and be instantly ‘readable’, this means that upon looking at the level at first glance - it should be obvious to the player their goal.
Depth perception and perspectives can change the player’s readability of the level - such as if a platformer was in first person, it would be difficult to determine if you are able to jump over a hole. Whereas if the perspective was side-view then it would be very clear how big the hole was.
3. STORY TELLING
Level design can convey more than just navigational queues - objects and level themes can convey other things such as:
The history of the place
Setting
Stage of the story’s progression
Character queues
4. GOOD PRACTICE
The player must be given a sense of choice - even if there is none, they must be leaned into a sense of trust with the designer.
Using the same tricks to guide the player will make them eventually catch on - using different tactics will be useful.
Small details such as many locked doors within your level can make your level seem bigger than it actually is a good way to change the feeling of your game to the player.
Researching ways into how people can be navigated in real life can help show ways to guide people. Places such as: Airports, Casinos, Amusement Parks or even Ikea are very good examples.
After four months of studying at AiE, things have only gone uphill. The work and people here are amazing.
I have certainly learned a lot about everything that comes with making a game with a team, the responsibilities a team leader has in a project and many of the things that can go wrong if you are not careful.
Since the last post, I have been sleeping a lot better on school days, as well as getting everything done on time!!
I love AiE so far, hopefully I can improve the names I give to my files in the future.
A puzzle in game design is a challenge, but not a competitive challenge. A puzzle will make the player stop and think.
What makes a puzzle fun?
The fun-ness of a puzzle comes from the challenge - this challenge should happen only when the player feels a sense of trust and respect from the designer.
How is this trust gained?
The trust of the player can be made by ‘inviting’ the player to find the solution, not giving it to them. It can also be gained through a sense of accomplishment - meaning the puzzle must be attainable for the player.
Sophia Loop
The Sophia loop is a construct of puzzle design that explains the levels of feelings that the player gets during learning about a puzzle’s mechanics.
Difficulty
Difficulty of puzzles can be explained with three steps:
#1 - The simple mechanics of the puzzle given to the player.
#2 - Give the mechanics in an environment where the player has the possibility to fail.
#3 - Use all of these steps together with a new element within the puzzle.
Difficulty within your game should also consider the intended audience, as well as location of the puzzle within the level, and the game’s progression.
Rational Puzzle Design
Rational puzzle design should introduce concepts in an orderly fashion.
You should always have knowledge of where things fit into your game, and when.
Building a Puzzle
When building the puzzle you should always keep in mind the player’s goal.
Make sure you message the goal to the player, giving them feedback when they are doing the correct things or the incorrect things.
- This can be done through rewards/punishments.
Ensure you are kind to the player:
Don’t make it too hard
Repetition is not fun
Check your skill level/progression through the game
Story should integrate into the puzzles, so when making a puzzle you should keep in mind if this would make sense in the theme of the game.
Remember, it should be fun for the player, not the designer.
AiE has been great so far, I have learnt a lot through only 6 weeks.
I’ve learnt about relationships and communication in the workplace, as well as managing my time and setting goals every day.
These teachings and habits continue as the weeks go on, but the most important thing this course has taught me is that the world of Game Design is a huge and changing environment, and I love it.
I hope to get over some of the little problems faced in the classes so far (such as getting more sleep and working on things earlier), so that I may be able to improve myself for the better!
The player must enjoy the layout of the level, or else it will not be effective in it’s design. This means there should be some interaction with the level, as well as some complexity. A narrow map with a hallway-like design will be boring to players, whereas if you added doors or rooms connecting to the hallway, things would suddenly seem a lot more interesting to the player.
2. ILLUSTRATES IDEAS THROUGH DESIGN
The player must be able to understand the ideas illustrated through the design of the map, whether it be through the layout or the art. This shows to the player the position that the story is in, as well as possibly the progression, of the player them self.
3. CONSTANT TEACHING
The player must be constantly learning while playing through the level, it should be teaching them what is going on in the game and how it is traversing. The environment can be used to show ideas in a story, not only characters and events.
4. SURPRISES THE PLAYER
The player should gain not only enjoyment from the design, but also surprise. The design of the level should not concede to the player’s expectations as it will be more memorable. Many horror games use this technique in order to surprise the player. An example is when you can hear voices on the other side of a door, and when you open it nobody is there. This is often followed up with a jump scare as the player will be occupied with confusion.
5. GIVES A SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT/CHOICE
The experience from the level should give the player a sense of empowerment - making them believe they are taking actions that change things within the game. This can be done through emulating the idea of choice within the level’s design in order to make the player feel as though they are somehow making changes.
