Queensland University of Technology CRICOS No. 000213J ITB/ITN751 Games Production Lecture 2 Game...
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![Page 1: Queensland University of Technology CRICOS No. 000213J ITB/ITN751 Games Production Lecture 2 Game Conception and Design Ross Brown.](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022110321/56649cff5503460f949d05b2/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Queensland University of Technology
CRICOS No. 000213J
ITB/ITN751 Games Production Lecture 2
Game Conception and Design
Ross Brown
![Page 2: Queensland University of Technology CRICOS No. 000213J ITB/ITN751 Games Production Lecture 2 Game Conception and Design Ross Brown.](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022110321/56649cff5503460f949d05b2/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Lecture Contents
• Game Conception and Design• Guest Lecture – Morgan Jaffit
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Readings
• Textbook Chapters: – 6 Game Design and What Producers Need to Know
about Designing
• Websites:– http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1524/the_che
mistry_of_game_design.php– http://www.gamasutra.com/features/19991019/ryan_0
1.htm– http://www.gamedev.net/reference/articles/article273.
asp
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Conception
• “Vision - It reaches beyond the thing that is, into the conception of what can be. Imagination gives you the picture. Vision gives you the impulse to make the picture your own” - Robert Collier
![Page 5: Queensland University of Technology CRICOS No. 000213J ITB/ITN751 Games Production Lecture 2 Game Conception and Design Ross Brown.](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022110321/56649cff5503460f949d05b2/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
What is Game Design?
• A Game Design is a blueprint for a game [1]• A game designer creates this blueprint• The blueprint is for the creation of a series of
interesting decisions• This is known as a game…
![Page 6: Queensland University of Technology CRICOS No. 000213J ITB/ITN751 Games Production Lecture 2 Game Conception and Design Ross Brown.](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022110321/56649cff5503460f949d05b2/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
What is a game? [1]
• A game is a play activity comprised of a series of actions and decisions, constrained by rules and the game world, moving toward an end condition
• The rules and the game world are delivered by electronic media and are controlled by a digital program
• The rules and game world exist to provide a framework and content for a players actions
![Page 7: Queensland University of Technology CRICOS No. 000213J ITB/ITN751 Games Production Lecture 2 Game Conception and Design Ross Brown.](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022110321/56649cff5503460f949d05b2/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
What is a game?
• The rules also exist to create interesting situations to challenge and oppose the player
• The player’s actions, his decisions, choices, and chances, really, his journey, all comprise the “soul of play.”
• It is the richness of context, the challenge, excitement, and fun of a players journey, and not simply the attainment of the end condition, that determines the success of the game – explains Rupert Murdoch I guess…
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Designing Games
• At this point, a reality check• If you wish to learn how to design games, you
should do the design major, coordinated by Penny Drennan
• We will look at the technology and processes that go into the creation of a game design
![Page 9: Queensland University of Technology CRICOS No. 000213J ITB/ITN751 Games Production Lecture 2 Game Conception and Design Ross Brown.](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022110321/56649cff5503460f949d05b2/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Life Cycle Stages
• The design, by and large, is obviously at conception and design stage
• However, designers are still required during the entire life cycle of a game, but they will be focussed on a new game
• They also engage in the design of new levels for persistent online world games
![Page 10: Queensland University of Technology CRICOS No. 000213J ITB/ITN751 Games Production Lecture 2 Game Conception and Design Ross Brown.](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022110321/56649cff5503460f949d05b2/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Conception Design Phase
• Biggest outcome is the blueprint, known as the Design Document
• Brainstorm and develop concepts• Including those handed down by publishers
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Conception Design Phase
• Often core idea is from external source, as in movie tie-in
• Works with programmers on scripting tools and other provisions for the production stage
• Develops many design documents: from broad brush strokes to fine details on levels
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Pre-production Phase
• Works with developers on scripting tools• In order to facilitate the insertion of new features
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Production Phase
• Designers script gameplay• Work with art and programming to make sure
the game is consistent with design documents• Part of evaluation and testing
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Production Phase
• May refine design documents from evaluation results – used for later QA
• Arms race of features can occur, due to competitors new feature announcement
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Maintenance Phase
• Additional content design• Balancing of gameplay with patches• Analysis of game reception for new versions or
whole new games
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Designer Hierarchies
• Designers come in hierarchies as well as other jobs and organisations
• Usually a lead designer, deals with managing the overall vision of the project
• With underlings such as– Level Designers - design game levels– Scenarios Designers – story designer– Multiplayer Designers – online gameplay concepts
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Processes - Writing
• Writing – lots of it• Because you must generate a precise
description of what a game is, you must communicate this in great detail
• Just like a lecturer – with less hand waving
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Writing
• Design document is often over one hundred pages in length
• With many revisions• HINT HINT – u nd 2 wurk on ur nglsh grmr &
stile to make it in this game• You need to be able to communicate your vision
effectively
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Listener
• You need to understand the nature of the technology used to implement your game design
• You will most likely not be an expert in technology
• Also need to be aware of other peoples ideas
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Cheerleading
• You will champion good ideas• You will be a major source and protector of
creativity• As with a lot of creative disciplines, you must
defend your vision, and cheer on other contributions
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
The Game Design Document…
• Uses words, tables and diagrams to describe the workings of a game
• From the basic story of the games characters and narrative
• To the user interface buttons…
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
The Game Design Document
• The design document is used mainly by the development staff
• Though others may look at it for various pieces of information – eg. sound voice over actors requiring insight into the nature of a character
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Stewardship of Ideas
• Needs to create a sense of ideas being welcome• Like any leader in a group• Constant fielding and mining of ideas from the
group• Create a culture of innovation
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Creating New Ideas
• Designer tends to be the idea smith for the studio
• Is derived from you and other peoples experiences of gameplay
• Ideas are the insertion point, the rest of the design is the hard work involved to implement the game design vision
![Page 25: Queensland University of Technology CRICOS No. 000213J ITB/ITN751 Games Production Lecture 2 Game Conception and Design Ross Brown.](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022110321/56649cff5503460f949d05b2/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Visualisation
• An important part of the game designers tasks• A visual form of the game experience needs to
be developed• The idea is to present a picture of the feel of the
game
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Visualisation
• NOT the specific details, • So that other development personnel can
evaluate and critique the game concept• Done in small bite size components – similar to
storyboarding for film
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Prototyping
• An early version of a game, used to evaluate gameplay
• Useful for assessing technical requirements• Can the system actually cope with the design
– number of models– rendering effects
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Prototyping – Some Options
• Use a spreadsheet for a numbers game• Create a board game version to test gameplay• Use cards to model gameplay• Use a scripting language to prototype a game on
a computer
• Because not every game is an FPS shooter…
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Scripting
• After the game concept has been established, and documents written
• Scripting is the process of controlling specific events in your game
• Typically executed in the form of a language – Lua - http://www.lua.org/– Game Monkey – http://www.somedude.net/gamemonkey
• Brissy bred code by Matt Riek!
– Python - http://www.python.org/
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Scripting
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) that governs the behaviour of characters is done by programmers
• Content – the “stuff” in a game – is created by the other development personnel such as artists/modellers/animators
• Scripting is therefore the process of final game integration and tweaking
• Taking the content and making it fit the design document, and the lead designer’s vision
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Technology - Scripting
• Differs from core game code in that it does not require compilation – process of converting source code into machine instructions – so is easy to tweak
• Languages are often designed to be easy to use by non-programmers
• Often use game engine systems, such as Unreal tournament, which has an editor – UnRealD
• Or the programming department may provide their own toolset…we get to this in the software tools lecture
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Design Document Structure
• The design document is living and requires revision, thus a collaborative tool like a Wiki is useful for such work
![Page 33: Queensland University of Technology CRICOS No. 000213J ITB/ITN751 Games Production Lecture 2 Game Conception and Design Ross Brown.](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022110321/56649cff5503460f949d05b2/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Document Sections
• I. Core Overview– Summary– Key Aspects– Golden Nuggets
• II. Game Context– Game Story– Back Story– Primary Players
![Page 34: Queensland University of Technology CRICOS No. 000213J ITB/ITN751 Games Production Lecture 2 Game Conception and Design Ross Brown.](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022110321/56649cff5503460f949d05b2/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Document Sections
• III. Core Game Objects– Characters– Weapons– Objects
• IV. Conflict and Resolution• V. Artificial Intelligence• VI. Game Flow• VII. Controls
![Page 35: Queensland University of Technology CRICOS No. 000213J ITB/ITN751 Games Production Lecture 2 Game Conception and Design Ross Brown.](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022110321/56649cff5503460f949d05b2/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Game Design Case Study
• The following is a design document for an example game called EyeOpener
• From the Game Design A Practical Approach [1]• We show the game prototype, and the design
document that went into it
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CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Example of Eye Opener
![Page 37: Queensland University of Technology CRICOS No. 000213J ITB/ITN751 Games Production Lecture 2 Game Conception and Design Ross Brown.](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022110321/56649cff5503460f949d05b2/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
Guest Lecturer
• Morgan Jaffit – Game Designer• Pandemic Studios
![Page 38: Queensland University of Technology CRICOS No. 000213J ITB/ITN751 Games Production Lecture 2 Game Conception and Design Ross Brown.](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022110321/56649cff5503460f949d05b2/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
CRICOS No. 000213Ja university for the worldrealR
References
1. Paul Shcuytema, Game Design: a practical approach, Charles River Media, Boston