HW 11

1) Describe the user interface in your game
The user will use keyboard buttons to execute commands, and if playtesting shows it is too difficult to judge sound and light levels in the game environment alone, stat bars will be added. The phone will also act like a player menu, with the game map, tutorial/news texts, and the quit game option.

2) What role will the interface play in your game
The interface is designed to be minimal, and ideally there won't even be visible bars for the player to gauge with. This is important because the game is to emulate survival as closely as possible, and in real life people wouldn't have stat bars.

3) Intuitive interfaces give a feeling of control. How easy (or hard) is your interface to master?
It will follow the general rules of computer gaming, with W for forward, S for backward, E for use item, etc. For people used to computer gaming it will be very automatic, and for those who are not familiar I think they will be able to catch on quickly, though only play testing will show that.

4) Will your players have a strong influence over the outcome of the game? Please describe? If not, how can you change this?
The game ending itself never changes (you get out of the city or die trying), but your survivor type result will change based on the decisions you make and the time you take to complete the level. We will probably implement at least 3 survivor types, though there may be more.

5) Players like to feel powerful. Do the players of your game feel powerful? How could this be improved?
The game's objective isn't to make the player feel powerful, but the player could feel a sense of power over how competently they play the game (e.g. they are the best at stealthing under pressure) They also can feel powerful through players choices with NPCs, but it general the game is actually supposed to communicate a feeling of smallness, and the power of it is being able to survive rather then conquering.

6) What does the player pick up and touch?
Radios, lights, phone, revolver, rocks (maybe)

7) Does the interface map to actions in the world? How?
As  stated earlier, the buttons pressed by the player will affect the game world such as when they hit spacebar they crouch, W they move forward, etc. This doesn't map to the world in the sense that the Wii or Kinect would, but it's as direct as basic PC gaming gets.

8) How does your interface let the player see, hear and touch the world of the game? Could this be improved in order to make the game world more real to the player's imagination?
The player see's through the camera in first person, so there is no shifting of camera angles. The player will hear through 3D sound, especially since one of the main objectives is to make the game as quiet as possible so the monster won't find you. They touch the objects listed in question 6 and interact with them in various ways (e.g. destroy, use, fire). In a true sandbox the game could be improved to mean any object that a person could theoretically lift, but due to our time constraints the number of extra items will be limited.

9) The idea interface is invisible to the player. Does your interface cater to the players desires? What are these desires?
The player desires to play the game in the most straightforward way possible, so yes, by using standard controls the interface should feel invisible.

10) Can your interface be used without the players thinking? Is it natural?
If they are used to PC gaming they can, and it will come very naturally.

11) Assuming you can do what you want, how would you make your interface more natural?
If time wasn't a constraint and I knew how to use it, the Occulus Rift would be a great way to experience this game.

12) What kind of feedback does your interface present to the player? What do the players want to know? How does the interface relate to the player's goal? Will it help achieve that goal?
If the status bars end up being created, it will reflect their current level of danger. It relates to the players goal by helping them judge and navigate the environment. Since survival is the goal, if the player is careful to not let the bars get to a certain point they will be able to survive and win. The text tutorials will also teach players how to play and use the interface. 

13) Is the interface feedback continuous? Why or why not?
It is continuous because the player is navigating the level in real time.

14) Please describe the concept of interface modes? Does your game have multiple modes? Please explain (Lens #60).
An interface mode is a point where there is a significant change in the action you are doing, and in general it is best practice to obviously communicate that to the player. In our game, the player can change which item they are using, which in a sense alters the mode. As for usable objects, when the change the object in their grasp it will visibly change in the camera view.

HW 12 TO DO BY 12/5

STORY (Gabby)

Create metric/text  for the ending / figure out how many options and map them to game choices

MECHANICS (Harish, Garauv)

Implement building collapse timing/map alteration

Implement light/sound leveling and assign levels for each unique object in the game

Implement metric for gaining alternate results from the game

INTERFACE (Garauv, Harish)

Create sound and light level bars, BUT ONLY if playtesting shows levels are too difficult to gauge based on in game experience

MARKETING (Gabby)

Finish final game package

Create Player Guide/game document

Give final pitch

FINISH ALL BY 12/5

HW 12 TO DO BY 11/21

STORY (Gabby)

Pick a Name (Oct 31)

Write dialogue, menu news blurbs, and other in game written material

Create survey for play testers

MECHANICS (Harish)

Create and design final dungeon map

Work movement and actions of the main character (stealth, run, walk, pick up, smash, use gun, talk)

Work movement and actions of the monster (navigation, sound and light sensors/threshold, sight)

Make and implement all game over conditions (monster hits, large rubble hits, fall in water, time limit)

INTERFACE (Gaurav)

Work use cell phone animation and menu (make sure to add battery and light sensors)

Decide on final player controls/buttons

SOUND (Gaurav)

Implement 3D sound

Assign all sound effects to in game objects

Create general background track 

AESTHETICS  (Harish,Gabby)

Make sure sense of scale is correct

Add complex/interesting textures

PLAYTESTING  (Gabby, Gaurav)

Test the game ourselves to find glitches and game errors

Test the game with others to  assess fun/challenge

MARKETING (Gabby)

Finish first poster (Oct 31)

FINISH ALL BY 11/21

HW 10: The really late one

So life happened this past week, but on the bright side I'm going to be totally prepared for my lecture next Wednesday (yay). I decided to emulate the character looking at their phone to get the game map and news alerts. Ideally the final product will be much more realistic, but with our constraints this menu would function fine.

Photo of the menu:

Video:

HW 09

1) Fairness

Our game in it's nature is an asymmetrical game. It is supposed to simulate as closely as possible what it is like to be a bystander during a disaster- therefore your choices and knowledge are limited.

A) Other then the fact that this is a fantasy situation, the realities of dealing with devastation are well documented through survivor accounts from air raids, invasions, and natural disasters. One part of surviving is luck, which will be simulated in the game. A route will close off if you don't get through it fast enough, and the time it takes to backtrack may either kill you or trap you, both causing the game to end in failure. Also the player has to be able to dodge debris and other matter that could potentially crush them on their way out of the city. Another aspect is dealing with the limited information you are given. In disaster situations people have to be able to make snap judgement and execute a plan, no matter how rudimentary. If the player panics and runs off trying to escape with no though to strategy, they WILL die. If the player is too scared and barely covers any ground, they WILL die. While the game isn't intrinsically "fair", it is meant to encourage the player to deal with seemingly impossible situations with a cool head.

B) It is through these route options and events that the player explores the world and is able to have a different experience each time. Different routes pose different challenges, and the combination of options lead to hundreds of ways to get through the city.

C) This game is not designed to appeal to a certain gamer type. It is a survival horror, yes, but there is little to no shooter aspect (depending on how you play). The one category this could appeal to is stealth gamers, but there is no backup of killing the enemy if you are discovered, so rouge players that like hacking and slashing will find the conflict purposefully lacking.

D) The playing field is leveled by the sneak spaces provided to the player throughout the level, as well as objects you can destroy/use to get the monster temporarily off your tail. You will alos be supplied a map and vauge text hints in the form of news alerts from your phone. However, through playtesting we will monitor when the distance gets to be too great/the threat lessens, and we will add events in those areas that make the monster an ever present threat to the player's livelihood.

E) This game involves a great deal of strategy, and if we make it correctly, I actually want the player to die trying to figure out how to survive. Failing (as long as it isn't being crushed without hope) is a great motivator for strategy and learning. The game will also measure what kind of survivor you are, should you complete the game. It would be interesting to see gamers obsessed with collecting all the possible endings trying different strategies purposefully so they can get each badge available, and if, when actually pressed into the same situation again, they are even capable of making a different decision.

2) Challenge vs. Success

A) The game will grow more difficult as you get closer to the exit, but it won't be in measureable ways like levels, but instead less places to hide, more obscure pathways, and higher instances of monster bait events, such as a siren, etc.

B) If a player has experience in stealth games, the amount of cover provided in the first part of the level should be easy, and if a player falsely assumes they can just run fast enough they will be quickly corrected. That said, the game isn't designed to be "easy", it is more like Dark Souls in the sense that getting through it should be a badge of some skill. (now of course it won't be QUITE that difficult, but you get what I mean. The element of fun is surviving, and if surviving is too easy the game has no value as a game or as a judge of character).

C) There are no scores, besides what type of survivor score, which will be displayed at the end of the game. In order to get a different score the player must get through the entire game again.

D) Difficulty is constant. If this project was fully developed perhaps I would include it, but for our current time frame it is not necessary.

E) We will playtest on as diverse of an audience as possible given the small scale of the project.

3) Meaningful Choices

A) Yes
B) Yes
C) Kinda? Depends on the replay value to the particular player.
D) No
E) Yes
F) Defense always
G) Yes
H) No powers in the game, but which item to destroy/use is a meaningful choice.
I) Yes

4) Triangularity

A) If the final verdict on your survival style is seen as a reward, then yes there is triangularity. There is no other scoring system though, so the player would value their actions in the game based on what they think is heroic/a fitting description of themselves and their skills. For instance, if a player barely makes it out alive because they moved so slowly, they would be a Cautious Survivor, but if that person values valor and bravado, they may push themselves in the next playthrough to achieve Sole Survivor for the fastest run time.

B) Since the player will determine what they value or the result they want from the game, I think it is balanced. It is meant to be a fair assessment, judging the player only by their actions and measuring those results.

5) Skill vs. Chance

A) The player will be judged mainly, but the player's willingness to take chances will factor into their final survivor type.

B) This game is rather serious, it takes dedicated effort and thinking to get out of the city, so it's not something you simply pick up and put down. There is also no saving so to fully simulate the cost of dying in the game, so that ramps up the difficulty since you have to get through the entire level in one go or else start all over.

C) The game has the possibility of getting tedious, so several chance events will be added, including 2 NPC events.

D) There is a certain level of bad luck a player can have, but it isn't so excessive that the player feels like they have absolutely no control over the situation. The player should be constantly paranoid, yes, but with the right amount of skill and a little luck the game is survivable.

6) Head vs. Hands

A) Intellectual Challenge

B) The entire game is essentially solving the same puzzle, just there is several ways to do so. Depending on the skill of your hands some ways are more open then others.

C)Yes, they do have that choice, but they must still puzzle their way through the streets and find out which way they are going.

D) 7-8

7) Competition vs. Cooperation

A) It measures which way they survive, and if they think that certain ways to survive are more valuable based on social constructs then yes, it does measure skill.

B) They want to say they survived and tell their friends what kind of survivor they are.

C) Yes, because the difficulty will be set so that winning it is no simple task.

D) Yes, but they might have to learn the hard way several times before they finally survive.

E) Yes, especially if they are going for more challenging survivor results.

F) There is no multiplayer, but the more skill you have the more likely you are to unlock different survivor types.

G) - L) There is no cooperation,  it is a one player survival game.

M) 1
N) No
O) Competition
P) Solo competition (if, as stated earlier, certain results are seen as more validating/desirable eg. Most people want to be Gryffindor but not Hufflepuff, even though one isn't more intrinsically valuable then the other. The value is formed by society's perception of what is most worthy of honor.)

8) Short vs. Long

The game will be relatively short, but not mini-game short. We are creating enough content to fill at least 10 minutes, but I imagine the completed game would not be over 2 hours since the player cannot save and must therefore play the game straight through.

A) How long you play the game is determined by one, how long it takes to complete a single playthrough, and two, how many times you are willing to replay to get different results. The game would therefore fluctuate between either being a less than 1 hour to 5-10 hour game depending on the player.

B) - C) N/A at this point

D) There will be an overall time limit, but the player will not be notified until the final bridge is close to being crushed that the game is about to end. (no visible timer)

E) No

9) Rewards

A) No
B) Kind of yes? Your actions put a certain amount of points in several different categories that ultimately determine your final survival style, eg, which area has the most points.
C) No, unless you are a game completionist, then yes.
D) No
E) The atmosphere is supposed to be inspiring, but it isn't a reward in and of itself unless the player values aesthetic experience.
F) No
G) No
H) Yes, some resources can only be used by encountering them through luck and using skill.
I) Yes, winning the game is it's own reward.
J) - N) N/A at this point

10) Punishment

A) No
B) No
C) No, unless as stated earlier they are trying for a specific ending.
D) Yes, if you lose, the game is over and you have to restart.
E) No
F) No
G) Yes, if you use all of your resources or don't destroy threat items in time you will die.
H) I am punishing my players to more fully simulate the costs of failure in a high stress situation where lives are on the line. If you die you died, and that's that. If you made certain decisions that trapped you into a situation you couldn't foresee, that's life and the player must deal with the consequences of the decisions made in the heat of the moment.
I) N/A at this time
J) No, it is the only real punishment of the game versus all the rewards offered.
K) I believe so, game testing will tell us more.

11) Freedom vs Control

Other then the environment providing the walls to the map, the player is completely free to try to complete the game in whichever way they want. That isn't to say the player can do anything and win, they must make correct choices or guesses and know how to navigate without getting eaten.

12) Simple vs. Complex

A) - D) Our game is innately complex because of it's requirements in order to survive. You must one, not be loud, two, not be seen/hide in the dark, and three, make intelligent choices on how to navigate the map. From this I hope to see a lot of emergent complexity with the various solutions to the problems presented, but we will have to play test to see if we get that desired result. I do not believe the game is too simple though, in fact the challenge we have is making it too complex for the time we are given.

13) Detail vs. Imagination

A) They must understand they are in a city trying to escape a murderous monster and in order to do so they must sneak through the streets.
B) The details of the monster are not important. The player's goal is NOT to encounter him, and honestly the monsters we create in our minds are often scarier then any design.
C) If time allows I would really like to stress the visual atmosphere of the collapsing city and to make sure the 3D sound is fully integrated.
D) Buildings can be covered with textures rather then being detailed models- exactness is not as important.
E) Yes, the rumbling of the camera and sound can add fear and wonder, thus spurring the players imagination further.
F) If they see too much of the monster the player might lose their fear of it. We must make sure that the player is risking immediate death should they want to get cocky and get a good look at what is chasing them.

THINGS I DID FOR THE GAME THIS WEEK:
Ran the presentation, made this beautiful piece  - WIP

HW 08: The Late One

I created a basic car animation involving location and location scale key frames. This animation could be used as a hazard in the game we are creating, with cars that are triggered by a near sensor to come careening around corners and the player has to get out of the way or die.

Once again, the file is on the group Google Drive, and my weekly contributions can be seen on the HW 07 post. I will also email it as per the requirements.

HW 07

1) Is the space in your game discrete or continuous?

Continuous, the player is navigating a collapsing city trying to escape. That said, while the player has path options they are unable to go off of the route so to speak. 

2) How many dimensions does your space have? 

2D, the player can go backwards, forwards, left, and right within the space.

3) What are the boundaries of your space? 

Buildings and props that act like invisible walls to limit the free roaming of the player.

4) How many verbs do your players (characters) have? What are they? 

8 verbs: Run, Jump, Walk, Sneak, Hide, Shoot, Turn On, Turn Off, Check Phone/Map

5) How many objects can each verb act on? What are these objects? 

The player walks, runs, sneaks and jumps throughout the game space. Hiding is for walls, alleys, dumpsters, crates, etc. Shoot is for the gun the player picks up in the game, and turn on/off is for objects or lights you run into. Lastly, the game map and tutorial messages are from the player's phone, so if they bring it up they can check the map, refresh their mind on the controls, and see the latest "news" from within game. 

6) How many ways can players achieve their goals

The goal of the game is to survive and escape, and so far the plan is to give the player three to four possible escape routes of varying difficulty. However, the more subtle goal of the game is to see what kind of person the player is when presented with a catastrophic situation that they cannot control. My team is currently in talks about a scoring system based on your skills and decisions within the game, so being the best at surviving or other trophies would also be a player goal. 

7) How many subjects do the players control? What are these subjects? 

The only player is themselves/the camera. As the sole player they can use a gun or manipulate other objects, but outside of that the player cannot control anything in the game.

8) How do side effects change constraints. 

We are developing a part of the game that measures how quickly you move through the level without getting killed. If certain benchmarks aren't reached by a certain time/you don't interact with any NPCs you have paths blocked and you must find another way, perhaps more difficult then the once you were on. Therefore the side effect of time is the altering of the available "board".

9) What are the operative actions in your game? 

One- Move through the level and  Two- talk to NPCs (or not).

10) What are the resultant actions in your game? 

One- Depending on speed you could or could not take certain paths, Two- receive an item or directions from NPC that opens/closes a path, Three- talking too long to NPCs can be risky due to the mechanics of the monster, Four- any items received could be double edged swords (eg fire the gun you received to break a lock but the noise draws the monster over)

11) What actions would you like your players to do that they cannot presently do? (based on your current knowledge of Blender)

I would like them to have dialogues and interactions with NPCs, and it's not so much that this seems impossible, but the time constraints are a concern. Mostly we need to figure out how to create noise, light, and NPC thresholds so that when those elements are of a certain magnitude around the player the giant comes to kill them. Also, when the player does hide, we need to figure out some kind of way to measure the severity of their noise.movement so to give the player a small chance of surviving when they trigger the giant their way.

12) What is the ultimate goal of your game? 

The goal is to provide a stressful but fun stealth focused game that makes you question hero myths. In reality we aren't all great gunsmen or superheroes, so most times the greatest achievement is survival. Also, if we can fully develop the NPC aspect, I want the player to question what they did to survive and whether or not those choices were morally right.

13) Are there short and long term goals? What are they? 

Short term goals:

Long term goals:

14) How do you plan to make the game goals known and understood by the player? 

Informational "text messages" will appear as the player gets through the game, informing them of where to go and what is happening within the city. As for the main goal, the player will be promptly told at the start of the game by a text that "all authorities strongly advise the residents to escape the city". With the minor side quests I want them to be more take them or leave them. While I may have a couple texts along the lines of "police request all able citizens to help survivors", since this is a game very much about the players immediate  and instinctual choices, I don''t want to cram those options down their throat. 

15) What are the foundational rules of your game? 

The player needs to escape the city by keeping noise, light, and NPC's in their area below a certain threshold. The player can hide in the dark silently to lower the respective meters so they will not get caught.

16) How are these rules enforced? 

If there is too much of any one of these elements the giant will come, and if the character doesn't hide in time they will be killed.

17) Does your game develop real skills? What are they? 

The game develops sensitivity and awareness. The player needs to be constantly aware of their surroundings and cognizant of the ever present danger, as well as items or people that may help the giant to find them if they are not careful. 

18) Does your game develop virtual skills? What are they? 

Reaction time, if the player hides quickly enough and stays silent they have a chance of surviving if the giant has nearly found them.

TEAM WORK FOR THE WEEK:

Organized and ran the team meeting. Assigned tasks and goals for the team to fulfill in the next few weeks. Began illustrating the poster for the game.