Transcript Slides

Gameplay
CSE 191A: Seminar on Video Game Programming
Lecture 6: Gameplay
UCSD, Spring, 2003
Instructor: Steve Rotenberg
E3
Electronic Entertainment Expo
Next week in LA
Don Likeness
Lecture: “Programming Video Games”
Friday, May 16, 2:00-3:00
AP&M 4301
Co-founder & President of Treyarch Corp.
Homework
Two page report on any subject within game development
I will accept almost any topic, but you must do some real
research. Read some papers, find some books, read some
stuff on the internet, or whatever you can find…
Please get my approval on the topic so I can point you in
the direction of some references if I can
Optionally, you can do a simple demo program INSTEAD
of the written report. The demo should demonstrate one
relevant piece of technology or interactivity. Again, please
get my approval on the topic first.
You can turn it in on the last lecture (6/6/03) but sooner
would be nice.
Gameplay
Priorities
Gameplay and fun are considered the top priorities
in most successful games.
Technology is important as a means of enabling
the player to interact with the world in new and
different ways.
Technology also plays an important role in
production efficiency (tools & support).
It is important to experiment with gameplay as
early in the development process as possible.
Play Control Feedback Loop
Computer:
Read input device
Move player ‘vehicle’ and update world
Move camera
Render world (& generate audio)
Display image on monitor (& play audio)
Human:
View image on monitor (& hear audio)
Process image (& audio)
Make decisions
Move fingers, hands to control input device
Interactivity Frequency
See and hear world (every frame (60 Hz))
Control ‘vehicle’ (several times per second)
Interact with environment (a few times every
second)
Interact with AI entities & other players (every
second)
Make tactical decisions (every 10 seconds)
Make strategic decisions & planning (every
minute)
Interactivity Types
Racing
Vehicle handling
Pacing competition
Combat
Targeting
Chasing
Hide & seek
Learning special moves
Adventure
Discovery
Solving puzzles
Navigation
Story
This is only a partial list!
Design Issues
Learned skills vs. acquired skills
Balance (small & fast vs. big & slow)
Damage (lose performance as you get
damaged?)
Simulation vs. game
Intelligence vs. patterns
…and many others
Testing
Daily Testing: It is nice if a game has a full time person who can do
constant daily testing of every new code & art feature that goes in.
This person can also help with game design and other production
assistant tasks.
Focus Testing: Once the game is at a ‘presentable’ state, it is nice to do
regular (monthly?) focus testing using people who have never played
the game before. This type of testing is extremely valuable and it is
very beneficial if the game designer is present and able to silently
observe the test subjects.
Beta Testing: Once the game is close to completion, it enters a
rigorous testing phase with several on-site testers and several more
testers who may be off-site.
Product Testing: Once the game is finished and a final rom is
submitted to the system manufacturer (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft),
they will do final testing to verify that the game follows their system
conventions and behaves properly.
Misc. Issues
Play control
Design documents
Game designer’s role
Tuning
Input Devices
Dead zones, exponentials
Rectangular vs. polar coordinates
Gesture recognition
Device sampling
Force feedback
Next-gen input devices (cameras, voice
input…)
Cameras
Cameras are hard.
Base camera class, derived cameras
Transitions
Types: polar, fixed, locked, follow,
canned…
Collisions
Multiplayer
Control
Players
AI
Network players
Replay
Jobs in Game Development
Job Types
Programming
Programmer
Lead programmer
Technical director
Art
Modeler
Animator
2D artist
Lead artist
Art director
Game design
Assistant designer
Level designer
Lead designer
Audio
Sound effects designer
Composer
Production
Tester
Lead tester
Production assistant
Producer
Resume & Interview Suggestions
Customize presentation towards specific career types or even specific
companies
Do some demos. I suggest doing a simple game that includes a variety of
components (graphics, effects, sound, AI, terrain, collisions…). It doesn’t have
to do those things terribly well, but it is nice to show competence in a variety
of subjects. It might also be nice to do some focused demos that show off one
particular subject very well. You can put demos on your personal web page
and/or you can bring a CD or laptop to an interview with you.
Clear objective
Be persistent (but don’t be a pest)
Background experience in art, design, sound, writing, music, film, etc. is a
plus
Learn as much as you can about the companies you apply to.
Take as many related classes as you can (AI, networking, graphics, audio,
art…)
Study game programming on your own. Read books, write games, attend
conferences…
Conclusion
Preview of Next Week
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Navigation
Behavior
More on Locomotion…
Stance: erect, sprawling, semi-sprawling
Foot: digitate, palmate, knuckles
Straight-leg vs. bent-leg
Walking vs. running
Step period, gait clock
Step cycle: transfer phase, stance phase
Trigger time, duty cycle