Video Game DesignGame Maker

Ms. Scales

What is game design?

Is it art? It is all about artistic expression.

Is it technical? Just follow some deign rules and you’re done.

Can anyone do it? Write a simple story, write a document or two on the

design and give it to the programmers. No: it is a craftsmanship

It is part art, part technical… but very very difficult.

What is a game?

A game is an activity among two or more independent decision-makers seeking to achieve their objectives in some limiting

context

By Clark C. Abt

Introduced the term ‘Serious game’ in 1970

What is a game?

A game is a form of art in which participants, called players, make decisions in order to manage resources through game tokens

in the pursuit of a goal.

By Greg Costikyan

What is a game?

A game is a system in which players engage in an artificial conflict, defined by rules, that result in a quantifiable outcome.

By Salen and Zimmerman

What is a game?

Important ingredients:PlayersMaking decisionsA goal or outcomeRules (resources, game tokens)Artificial, limitng context

Types of Games

Arcade/pinball First person shooter Third person shooters Role playing games Flight simulators Racing Sport simulators

Strategy games GOD games Puzzle games Adventure Fitness games Rhythm Edutainment

Elements of Games

Important game elements: Reaction speed Experience Insight Cleverness Surprise Emotion What else?

What is a Genre?

Genres are based on: “underlying similarites rather thatn their

superficial visuaol or narrative differences”

But genres are not an exact science Many disagree on what genres there are

Genres

Action Frantic button pushing, reaction speed, experience

Adventure Story, surprise, emotion

Strategy Non-trivial choices, insight and cleverness, experience

Puzzle Hard thinking, cleverness

Simulation From 1 perspective, insight, experience

Competition Beat the other players

Toys Software to have fun with, surprise

Education Learn from doing

Types of Players

Hard Core gamers vs. Mass marketMass market vs. casualYoung vs. Old

Average age is 33

Male vs. Female 48% of gamers are Female

60% of games are played with friends

What do you think makes a good game?

Take 5 minutes to discuss with the people around you to talk about what makes a good game to you. Does not have to be a computer/video game

In your group list the things that makes a game good and list the things that makes a game bad/terrible

What is a good game?

Graphics Sound effects Music Story Game play Interaction Documentation

Internet gaming person/computer opponents

Addicting Atmosphere Long-lasting Non repetitive Original Thought provoking

What is Game Maker?

Integrated development environment for 2d games

Global ideas Simple to use, using drag and drop Still considerable power through built in

language Integrated environment Not focused on a particular type of game

Structure of Game Maker

DATA Sprites Sounds Backgrou

nd Fonts

CONROL Objects Timelines Scripts Paths

LEVELS Rooms

Views Tiles

Sprites

A sprite is a collection of images that stores an animation of some game object

There can be multiple animations of the object depending on its status Direction of motion Mental state

Problems Animation speed

difficult to control Requires basically fixed

frames rates

Advantages High quality, also on low

resolution Much detail Relatively easy to use

and control Still common in many

games Mobile devices Internet games Casual games Older RTS and Sim

games

Sprites in Game Maker

Built in drawing program Collision detection based on sprites

Different options Using masks

Objects can switch sprites Control over animation speed Additional actions, variables and functions to

control blending, transformations, etc Sprites can be used as textures on surfaces

Backgrounds

Background images play an important role Setting Scrolling Background

continuously moving or when the player moves

In game maker Each room can have 8 different depths They can scroll

Tiles and Sound

Tiles A background can be used as a tile set In a room editor tiles can be placed at different

depths

Sound and music Wave, midi, mp3 Sound effects 3D sound

Objects

Objects have behavior sprites are only images

Multiple instances can exist in a room (Instance of ) object get events, e.g

Creation Collision User input

They react to (some of) these actions Objects can have a visual representation but this is not

necessary sprite or draw event create objects that represent a game status

Objects in Game Maker

Sprite Solid

Don’t use

Visible Depth Persistence Parent Mask

Events

Many different types Creation and destruction Alarm Collision mouse and joystick Various keyboard events Other and user-defined

Actions

Many different types of actions Motion Creating, destroying, and changing objects Control Drawing Score, life and health Variables and code