Monday, December 17, 2012

Game Presentation

I had a great Fall 2012 Semester in Game Development class!!


Reactor Prototype 8

Things Added:

1. Main Page
2. Radiation created at random intervals
3. Game over page
4. Scoring
5. Pause Game
6. Escape Game
7. Background Music

Things For the Future:

1. Better Graphics
2. Different Levels
3. Multiplayer

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Prototype 7

Things added:

1. Shooting to cannon
2. Radiation objects to shoot

Things to add:

1. Random Instantiate of Radiation (At a certain time interval)
2. Scoring
3. Sound
4. Better Graphics
5. Levels

Instructions:

Bike Steering: A = left , W = foward,  S = reverse, D = right (or arrows)

Shooting: Space

Try and shoot the glowing radiation objects (currently a sphere and a cube)

Click the image below to play!!



What is an AI based game?

            I think that the AI in games is more like the actions of a person who made a personal decision. So physics is of course something that cannot be ignored for realism, but neither can AI. For example, an apple falls from the tree. That in a game would be the physics aspect. Next example, When enough apples have fallen on the ground, the farmer goes and collects them. That would be the AI. The farmer has decided when to go and get the apples, when most of them have fallen. However, the apple falling from the tree is directed by gravity, a component of physics.

Peer Game Feedback

I play tested two games. First, Epic Space Battle. Second, Sword and the Legend. Both were very cool.

Epic Space Battle:



Sword and the Legend:

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Prototype 6

Changes: 
1. Added terrain.
2. Added Background. 
3. Added walls to stop bike from falling off cliff. 
4. Added cannon to bike. 

To Do: 
1. Add shooting to cannon. 
2. Add radiation to shoot. 
3. Add scoring. 
4. Add different levels. 
5. Add better graphics. 
6. Add sound.



Monday, December 3, 2012

League of Legends (Multiplayer Expeirence)

Playing LoL:

This screencast is the first time I played the game. I was learning as I was playing and it was a bit frustrating, but cool at the same time. I think that the multiplayer gaming experience would be a lot better if I had a computer that was set up for playing these type of games. Similar to when I played World of Tanks, I did not successfully kill a single enemy. That could be in part due to lack of experience with the game and also because of playing with a mousepad and not an actual mouse.\




Friday, November 30, 2012

Prototype 5 (Reactor)

What is new:

            I was not happy with my game in Construct 2. So after much thought and a bunch of tutorial watching, I decided that while I switch to Unity, I will also change the game. Instead of being in a power plant seeking lighting bolts, you will now be in a nuclear reactor plant seeking radioactive rays. You will be on a motorcycle driving around the plant, trying to stop radioactivity from leaving the area, or building up to lethal levels.

What I got:

           Prototype 5 is just the bare bones of the game. No graphics, no real gameplay at all. Just the skeleton. All you can do at this point is drive the makeshift motorcycle around.

More to come soon!!!


Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Margaritaville



My Thoughts


The initial setting of this game looked to me as rather simple and did not make me to terribly excited. I completed some of the tasking and moved through a to a new level to see some new stuff. The game itself did not capture me at all. I thought that the jukebox tune was kind of cool, at first. Then, I got very sick of hearing the same jukebox tune over and over again. I went to the clothing store and tried some clothing (as directed by the game tasking). When I got to the clothing store I found the selections that were fun and interesting required me to pay money with my credit card. So, I am not going to do that. Additionally, I noticed that other than Dr. Joseph, I only have one friend on my facebook who plays the game. I do not have a friends list of thousands, but it is hundreds and that means that less than .5% of them are playing this game. Anyway, I think that it has an old-school Zelda feel and will probably appeal to those that like such games. On a side note, I liked the sound of the ocean in the background jingle. Very relaxing.

Screenshot


Sunday, November 11, 2012

Prototype 4

Changes:

1. picture is link to game

2. pause

3. sprite faces direction of motion

4. music stops when game is over


To Do:

1. character does not go upside down when shifting direction

2. wasd keys

3. mouse

4. moving up to more objects, actions ect.

5. shifing to unity.

6. embed git page into blog with start / stop game features



Manipulated Classic Story

  • Lord of the Flies

          I think that the story that I would like to manipulate is William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. I often thought how the story would be different if there were girls on the island. And what else, maybe a few disabled senior citizens that the girls have been tasked with caring for. Girls and disabled senior citizens would probably have a dramatic change to the events that happen on that island. How interesting the pseudo leadership would have materialized then. Would the seniors die? Would the girls have an influence in the decisions? I don’t want anybody to think I am poking fun at disabled people, I am not intending to do so. I just thought it would be a more chaotic scenario. Would be a great deal more complicated and worrisome. Or would it?

  • The Divine Comedy

           My original idea was a manipulation of The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. However I abandoned it for fear that this would not be so familiar. If you are familiar with this trilogy, my idea was that rather than viewing all the punishments of Purgatory and Hell, the narrator must actually experience them. Describing what he is going through as it happens. I am very sure that the ideas in your mind from reading some of the experiences can give a very clear picture of what it would feel like to be under such circumstances. But to actually read the feeling might be a very interesting and probably less that palatable evolution.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Shockwave Prototype-3

Game Changes:

1. Start up has instructions in the upper left for 5 seconds, rather than onscreen during entire game-play.

2. Player is an identifiable sprite, rather than a sprite that could be confused for an enemy of something else.

Here is the link:

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Shockwave Prototype Update

          After receiving feed back on my first prototype, I have made some modifications. I guess that I was not so understanding of the fact that everyone might not know how to play the game, before actually trying it. As such, I have included a little sentence at the top on how to move the player entity, and what the entity does to get points. Also, I included background track from the band Nebula called All the Way. The track will continue to run as the game is open, then loop when it is complete, it is about a 10 minute track. I noticed that when the game was played by someone other than me, there was frustration in the slow acceleration of the player entity, so that has been increased exactly tenfold. In addition, the overall speed of the player entity has increased by 125 percent. Because I increased the player acceleration and speed properties, I also increased the frequency with which the charges are spawned. Lastly, I made increased the game clock from 30 seconds to one minute. Please play and comment!!! Thanks!!

Update1:
Shockwave Update1

Friday, October 26, 2012

AI for Games Second Edition Ch. 2


   “The best AI programmers are those who can use a very simple technique to give the illusion of complexity.” It seems that this pretty much sums up the algorithm technique of game AI. Of course there are many other considerations, as this chapter points out. The Intel design of “hyper-threading” is definitely a resolve for multiple processes (not to be confused with processors) to be executing different threads at the same time, on the same processor. (At least that is how I understand it to be beneficial.) Also, the lack of structured software engineering principles during AI design seems to indicate that it is sort of a revolutionary discovery in computer science, one that has very few limitations if any. The development of AI engines has allowed the industry to move from developing games from scratch to having a somewhat versatile platform to allow object sharing from game to game. Of course, all depends on the specific type of AI game that is desired. Also, different platforms for gameplay can have a significant impact on the development of the AI algorithm.


AI for Games Second Edition Ch. 1

Just a little overview of Ch.1


            Ch.1 is starts out by providing a quick -get up to speed- description of AI. I found it quite good. It mentioned a couple games that I enjoyed playing (the first Half Life, and GTA3). These games had some AI flaws, I remember that at the time but did not care. So, with the flaws from those games, newer games have been developed with similar gameplay, but with fewer AI flaws. Awesome. In addition, the fundamental understanding of AI is discussed. Dividing the strategic level with the agent level. The book explains that some games rely heavily on both, while others may rely only on one of the two levels. Next is just an overview of how the book will teach AI and why. A sort of C++  psuedocode will be used (with full code provided on their website). I am very interested in reading the rest of the book. More to follow on this book.


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Shockwave Prototype

         I really wanted to create something not only with function, but also with little theme. I suppose that for a prototype the function is more purposeful than the theme. Anyway, I do not really intend for my final product (Shockwave) to be very near to the design of this prototype. Rather, I think the similarities will be in the idea. The random electricity that must be neutralized. I am more leaning towards a 3d type tube shooting game. When playing this prototype, you have a time limit of 30 seconds wherein you must try and neutralize as many floating charges as possible. Just touch the charges and they will be destroyed. My top score is 31, but that is on a laptop (no mouse).

Here is the current link:

Shockwave-Prototype


Friday, October 12, 2012

Shockwave Focus


       Shockwave is an electrically charged and classically themed destroy or be destroyed game. The player is experiencing a setting where pulses of electricity are coming toward him, he must manage how to neutralize each deadly pulse before the pulse neutralizes him. This game encompasses a 3D tube shooting environment, a classical video game scenario, and exciting gameplay that requires player focus and coordination. Initially the electrical pulses are slow, infrequent, and easily neutralized; as the game progresses, the player must manage the increase in electrical pulses and the increase in speed with which they are traveling. 



Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Brainstorming Game for Kids

Idea

           My intention is to create a game that will entertain my 22 month old son. His mind seems to be going a million miles a minute and I would like to give him something that will entertain him and maybe help him learn and grow at the same time. I have seen him play with games and videos and he is more reactive to something that incorporates his interaction with music. Of course the game should be colorful and I am thinking that the animation should be large items rather than small. 

            What I would like to do is have a scene with clouds that have letters or numbers. When my son selects one of these clouds a nice little jingle or an audible voice saying the letter or the number. Of course my son will be bored with this rather quickly, so there should be other settings like a farm scene that has animals and when he selects the animals and audible voice is heard with the name of the animal.

Platform

          My son has become very capable with our smart phones and out Galaxy tab. He can very easily navigate thru the pages and apps to find what he wants, so I think this game would be best for him if it could be played as a mobil app. 2D with touch screen.

More to follow....

Monday, October 1, 2012

Brainstorming Games Revisited / Chess


 Considering I devote a great amount of my “do nothing” time to playing chess, it seems natural that I would like to create a chess game that suits my wants and desires. I really think that the game I want needs a sort of cool and exciting feel to it. I guess I want to create a sort of Gladiator type chess game, or maybe even a Lord of the Rings chess game. I just want the scenery and the play of the game to really captivate the people involved. Chess can get somewhat boring if you are waiting for an opponent. So why not have some sort of story going along with the gameplay, or atleast some action to make the waiting time pass faster.

Brainstorming Games Revisited / Aircraft Design


The aircraft design game is like a true dream game for me. It is like my fantasy game. The only problem here is that I think I do not have the time or skills to create this game as I want it. However, I am not giving up on this game. If I get better at game development and get some people to help me, someday I am going to make the aircraft design game. I think it would be great to have a game that the player must build an aircraft to suit the needs of the scenario introduced. How much is considered, or how detailed the aircraft becomes, can be determined by the level of difficulty that the player chooses. I get a feeling of fun just thinking about this game.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Brainstorming Games Revisited / Tempest Style Game


.     Maybe the easiest, and probably most practical for a beginner like me, is the Tempest style game. It is not really something that drives me crazy, but it might be a good and realistic approach to developing my first game. I can think of maybe adding some personalized features that would make it more fun for me. Also, if I can develop it and have success, then I am sure I will feel that I am making a step in the right direction. After building the tutorial game from the Construct 2 software, I think it might be possible to develop this game from Construct 2.

Original 5 Game Ideas With Comments (Brainstorming)


A.      The first game idea I have is a simulator for lego blocks. If it does not already exist, it should. So the idea here is that you have all the lego blocks that lego makes at your disposal. You can build whatever the blocks allow, and then you can buy those blocks from an online source to actually build your creation. Sort of like making your own lego boxes in your home. I often go to the store and see the legos in boxes with pre designed things (trucks, schools, spaceships, ect..) This way you can build something of your choice and have all the required pieces mailed directly to your door.  Nice idea - have you seen Lego Digital Designer? http://ldd.lego.com/
The lego digital designer is exactly what I was imagining. I am glad it is already developed, it would have seemed strange to me if it was not.

B.      My next game idea is a chess game that has a sort of Dragon’s Lair feel. If you remember in Dragon’s Lair, there was a cinematic that played and you chose from different arenas within the cinematic. Or rather you were given the choice to choose and if you did not choose, one would be chosen for you. I know that there are games like Battle Chess that play a cine when you make a move to fight, I am not interested in that. What I want is the cinematic playing before you choose the chess piece movement. During the cinematic, you then make your selection of what piece to move and whether or not it will attack. The chess game can be varied settings, Roman wars, American Civil war, WWII, Naval Sea Battles, ect.. Interesting idea.  Given that moves are interleaved how does playing the scene before or after the move make a difference?
I think the play scene is constructed based on the move itself. So I was not thinking that the ,for example, pawn is taken by the knight:
1 prior to the action the battle scene is a cine showing of the combat scenario
2. the action is selected, a small insignificant scene is displayed of the pawn being taken
3. the new cine is based on the action.
so to answer you question, both play scenes make a difference because both are descriptions of the current battle. The only cine that does not really make a difference is the capture/kill scene. I want it like this because I am trying to find a way to make chess appeal to a more broad crowd. It is sort of a slow and can be a drab game. Maybe with ongoing battle cinematics, it will be more interesting for people.

C.      My third game idea is similar is a revamp of Tempest. I suppose it is only because I spent so much time as a youth. I do not think much really needs to be changes except some killer tunes to go along with gameplay. I also think that the basic sharp electric lines of the original game should stay. I am not a big fan of super puffy feeling graphics. I guess that I am in the minority based on the popularity of games like Farmville, but it just annoys me. I like the electric knife look of Tempest. In writing this I did a search and found that a google chrome remake was made a couple years ago. I suppose they beat me to it. Cool - makes me think of a driving game from last year ... http://nitronic-rush.com/

Yes, Nitronicrush has the same feel I am looking for. Electronic lights and dodging obstacles.

D.      Next, I would like to create a game for designing aircraft with the goal of achieving efficiency/ cost/ performance. So in this game you can literally design your own plane. All the factors that decide what plane to build are structured in different levels. For example, build a plane for an Alaskan hunting outfit. Here the plane is for commercial use on a small scale in a rugged environment. With that said you should build accordingly. How about, build a plane for Nasa that has the capability to go sub-orbital and hypersonic speed and also have short take-off and landing capabilities. Anyway, you get the idea. Great original idea - sounds very cool - the only existing thing I know of is more of a kiddie gamehttp://www.kibagames.com/Game/Aircraft_Design  a serious adult version could be way cool

This is really the one that I like. You can go anywhere with this, and it can have limitless options. From engineering the plane to suite all the required needs, to building an interior for a Saudi Prince. You could maybe redesign a cockpit for a handicap person (if needed), or have a plane that is specifically designed to transport nuclear material (shielding, and special cautions incorporated). I would love to build a game like this. Also, everybody likes aircraft. I think the mass appeal is waiting for this game.


E.       Finally, I think a game that is adult related would be fun. A sort of Sims on a more personal scale. So you are an office worker married with two kids, you go out with the guys for some beers, the hot bar girl wants to have a good time with you in the backroom, you do it. The game now incorporates how you handle the situations that come about from the fallout of this. Divorce? What you say in court? How you bargain for possessions with your ex-wife? Who gets the kids, or how often you get to see them if you did not win them? The possibilities are endless. The starting situation can be different than the cheating scenario. It could be that you told your boos to go fxxk himself. What is the fallout from that and how do you handle the situations. LOL - I think some of the SIMs extension packs include some of these things.  SIMs like games are complicated to handle, but you could think of modding the existing gamehttp://www.modthesims.info/

I did not know of this site, I guess I was imagining more of a GTA3 feel for this game, But Sims does seem like a more practical platform. Actually, this is the game that I would work on last of the five. But maybe there is a crowd for it.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

How My Dream Game is Like Civilization


         So in thinking about a non-linear game that employed the ideas of the dream of the book, I think that the one that comes to mind for me is Civilization. The reasoning here is that the game allows the player to choose between several different ways of having success. In addition, the rewards for certain types of success differ from others. So if you were playing at one moment and had an idea of what to do, but suddenly. had to leave, when you came back if you forgot your idea, its ok. There are still several other things you can do to achieve success. As you move thru the game to different levels, you can employ proven techniques from previous levels, or you can try new ideas to continue to move ahead. Will all of this put together, it also makes for a personalized gaming experience. As far as your structures and methods for victory might be completely different from another person playing the same game who also has achieved success.
 I am not a devoted gamer, so I am sorry for using such an outdated game, but from the description in the chapter, and from what my thoughts are on civilization, I think it might be close to the "goal of gameplay."

Pic from Civilization: