This part of the project is taking me back to our first studio project; cards for play. I know that I didn’t do very well in regards to following the guidelines specified in the brief - DISCUSS, REFLECT & ITERATE. I merely focused on listing the things that I did and how I did them. I didn’t include as much feedback and reflection into my project. Hopefully I don’t repeat the same mistakes.
Im excited to get started on the design stage for this final project because I’m required to use Adobe Photoshop. I’m glad that I took art design in High School, because we spent a whole year using that program, so I’m very familiar with it. I might be a little rusty because I did take that subject back in year 12, but I’m sure the minute I hop onto it, my memory will get refreshed.
So before I get into first step “Produce quick sketches of the game layout” I want to understand the meaning of
Game design
Design elements
The development process.
And how I can apply whatever it is that I learned into my app game. Let’s begin.
1. “Game design is the art of applying design and aesthetics to create a game to facilitate interaction between players for entertainment or for educational, exercise, or experimental purposes.”
2. “Game design can be applied both to games and, increasingly, to other interactions, particularly virtual ones.”
3. “Game design creates goals, rules, and challenges to define a sport, tabletop game, casino game, video game, role-playing game, or simulation that produces desirable interactions among its participants and, possibly, spectators.”
4. “ Game design is a subset of the field of video game development. Game design is a field with a broad focus. As such, the skills of a game designer are drawn from the fields of computer science and programming, creative writing and graphic design. Game designers take the creative lead in imagining and bringing to life video game stories, characters, gameplay, rules, interfaces, dialogue and environments. This being the case, a game designer is a cross between a writer, artist and programmer. It is an individual who presents a comprehensive artistic vision, while also possessing the technical skill to oversee and contribute to programming, image rendering, level design, digital editing and other construction aspects of game design.”
Design Elements - How does this apply to my app game?
Games can be identified and characterised by "what the player does." This is often referred to as gameplay. Major key elements identified in this context are tools and rules that define the overall context of game.
Tools of Play:
“Games are often restricted by the components required to play them”. In this case, a person requires a mobile phone to play an app game.
Rule development:
Since games are generally characterised by their tools, they are usually defined by their rules. Even though rules are subject to changes, enough change in the rules sometimes result in a “new” game.
There are exceptions to this in that some games deliberately involve the changing of their own rules, but even then there are often immutable meta-rules. Rules generally determine turn order, the rights and responsibilities of the players, each player's goals, and how game components interact with each other in to produce changes in a game's state.
Rules for App game - Goal is to swim as much as possible with your sea creature while avoiding the ocean pollution to earn as much score as possible.
- Player must slide their finger from left to right/touch/tap the screen to make the character (turtle/fish/sea creature) swim.
- Avoid the rubbish/debris, oil spills and toxic materials/chemicals to survive/stay out of harms way.
- Collect energy power boost to increase your top speed and become invincible.
- Play to unlock new sea creatures.
I used an app game called “The Astro” as a template to create these rules. It kind of has the same rules and game style that I was going for.
Single or multiplayer:
Most games require multiple players. However, app games are mostly single-player games. Single player games are unique in respect to the type of challenges a player deals with. Unlike a game with multiple players going up against each other (with or against) to reach the game’s goal, a single-player game is against an aspect of the environment, against one’s own skills, against time or chance.
Many games described as "single-player" or "cooperative" could alternatively be described as puzzles or recreations, in that they do not involve strategic behaviour (as defined by game theory), in which the expected reaction of an opponent to a possible move becomes a factor in choosing which move to make.
This app game will definitely be a single-player game where the player is not required to use any strategic behaviour since the game only involves a “dodging” movement
Luck and strategy:
A game's tools and rules will result in its requiring skill, strategy, luck, or a combination thereof, and are classified accordingly. There are different types:
- Games of skill - physical and mental
- Games of strategy
- Games of chance
This app game involves skill of practice, dexterity (skill in performing tasks, especially with the hands.) As the player repeatedly plays the game, their skill of practice will increase, with each try, they will get better.
Use as an educational tool:
By learning through play, people can expand their social and psychological skills, develop emotionally, and achieve the self-confidence required to join in new experiences and environments. The app game is being created not only as an entertainment tool but an educational tool - where play is used to communicate the effects of ocean pollution on marine life. When people engage in this game, it can challenge their thinking and it’ll provide insight on this issue.
“Game design is part of a game's development from concept to its final form. Typically, the development process is an iterative process, with repeated phases of testing and revision. During revision, additional design or re-design may be needed.”
For this app game, I am going to be the game developer, designer, and artist. This means that I am responsible for:
Inventing the game’s concept, its central mechanisms, and its rules.
Fleshing out the details of the game's design
Revising the game in response to player feedback.
Producing a prototype of the game
For this project, I know I will be able to carry out all of these task apart from overseeing its testing because I won’t be making a fully functioning game. The end result will simply be images of the artwork/prototype.
Concept:
“ A game concept is an idea for a game, briefly describing its core play mechanisms, who the players represent, and how they win or lose.”
Idea: To create an app game the provides insight, raises awareness on the issue of ocean pollution and its effects on marine life.
Core play mechanisms:
Aim: To swim as much as possible with your sea creature while avoiding the pollutants in the ocean to earn as much score as possible.
Rules:
Player must slide their finger from left to right/touch/tap the screen to make the character (turtle/fish/sea creature) swim.
- Avoid the rubbish/debris, oil spills and toxic materials/chemicals to survive/stay out of harms way.
- Collect energy power boost to increase your top speed and become invincible.
- Play to unlock new sea creatures.
Components: Mobile Phone
Player represents: sea creature
How they win or lose: Avoid the rubbish/debris, oil spills and toxic materials/chemicals to survive/stay out of harms way.
Design:
“The play sequence and possible player actions are defined, as well as how the game starts, ends, and what is its winning condition.”
(See in upcoming blogs)
Prototype:
“A game prototype is a draft version of a game used for testing. Typically, creating a prototype marks the shift from game design to game development and testing.”
(See in upcoming blogs)
Testing:
“Game testing is a major part of game development. During testing, players play the game and provide feedback on its gameplay, the usability of its components or screen elements, the clarity of its goals and rules, ease of learning, and enjoyment to the game developer. The developer then revises the design, its components, presentation, and rules before testing it again.”
“During testing, various balance issues may be identified, requiring changes to the game's design.”
As I’ve said many times, I will not be applying this step in my game design process. I’ll only reach to the prototype stage. However, I will be getting feedback from peers on the games idea, gameplay, layout, and other things mentioned above. By doing so I might require to make some changes to my design.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_design#Concept
https://www.internationalstudent.com/study-game-design/what-is-game-design/
