Principles of Game design by WILLIAM FERNS (S0247711)

Visual Styles

s0247711 — 2015-10-07 08:16:01 UTC

This relates to the how the game looks to the player on the screen. It is very important to get the visual style of a game correct during the design phase as having quality graphics will be important to the player throughout the life of the game. There are four main types of visual styles which are Photorealism (a game which looks like you are looking at a photo), exaggerated (it is like photorealism but things are exaggerated like in batman, his build is exaggerated to make him look stronger), Cel-Shaded (often used for cartoon or anime) and last is Abstract (most unique as doesn't intend to look like anything like the other competition. Visual style includes the design of how the game world looks, the appearance of the main character in the game, any NPCs, the feedback interface or heads up display, any full motion video or animated cut scenes used in the game and the perspective or view of how the player sees the game while playing.

Game World

s0247711 — 2015-10-07 08:16:48 UTC

To entice a player into playing their game designers must be able to design the overall setting so that it is visually appealing to the player throughout the game.

The game world includes terrain, architecture, NPCs, and objects. These elements must link together and help the overall narrative or goals to be relevant or even desirable to attain to the player and their avatar/character.

Immersion is the main attraction to this principle of games design. If the player feels immersed in this world that they have been presented with, or if they feel emotional attachment to the characters who live there, they are more inclined to play the game for a longer duration of time. Or maybe even feel the need to buy additional content if it is available for purchase. And so, it is in the designer's best interest to make a world setting as immersive and alive as possible in order to have happy customers that enjoy the whole idea of escaping into this fictional world.

Terrian

s0247711 — 2015-10-07 08:16:59 UTC

Terrain is the design of the landscape that the player moves over. Simply put it is the ground that the player walks on when playing the game. Examples of different terrains in the game world would be concrete, tarmac, gravel, grass, sand, mud and even water. The possibilities are endless. Different terrain styles can be used together to enhance the visual style of the game world, as well as effecting the player experience, such as some types of terrain slowing the player down, or aiding the player in some way. This terrain could possibly be free-roam, or could be an image of an expansive area, when in fact it is an illusion, with a small boxed in map.

Architecture

s0247711 — 2015-10-07 08:17:10 UTC

When designing a game designers will also include architecture within the world. Architecture is the buildings, structures and monuments within the game setting. It is important that the design of these features fits in with the style of the game world in general. For example architecture in a 2d platform game would be shown side on but in a 3D MMO game the design of buildings needs to be done using 3d models. Architecture can also be a key element of giving a game certain quirks, such as landmarks to help with co-ordination, basic walls or barricades for defense purposes, perhaps shops to include an inventory aspect, or even just something monumental for the player to look at in awe. Architecture in general can help with narrative in a sense, displaying perhaps a certain country's style, or brandishing a certain guilds mark.

Characters & NPCs

s0247711 — 2015-10-07 08:17:19 UTC

One of the key reasons that any game will be successful will because the design of the main playable character is appealing to the player. It is important to design the character so that there is a range of sprites to cover the entire list of actions and movements that the player can perform in the game.

Good character design is essential and examples that have stood the test of time are Pac Man, Mario and Sonic. The appearance of the character is instantly recognizable and each has been improved as graphic capabilities have got better over time.

The visual style of NPC's is equally important as they must match the style of the game world and the main character. For a main enemy the graphic quality must be just as good as that of the main playable character. Alongside the graphic quality of NPC's, their purpose must also be relevant, whether they provide an important role towards the storyline of the game or whether they are just filler NPC's to make the game feel complete. Every NPC have their own purpose within games, and the design process of these NPCs must be taken into consideration when the game is being created.

Feedback interface

s0247711 — 2015-10-07 08:17:31 UTC

Feedback is given to the player during gameplay based on their performance. This is linked to the feedback interface and game narrative as both are used to inform the player of their progress throughout the game.

Graphical and audio feedback are given to the player to inform them of how they are performing or what challenges lie ahead within the game. Alongside this physical feedback can be given on the game controller in the form of vibration that emerges during gameplay to enhance the gaming experience.

Perspective

s0247711 — 2015-10-07 08:18:09 UTC

The perspective or the view that the main player has of the game world needs to be considered during the design phase. Simple platform games use a 2d side on view to show the player moving through the game world, this could also be called a scrolling or side scrolling view. 3d or 3 dimensional games often allow the player to change the perspective during gameplay. They have the option of using first person (when you see through the eyes of the main character) or third person (a view from behind the main character when you can see them moving in front of you) they also sometimes use context sensitive (this is when the camera angle and view you have of the main playable character changes depending the gameplay). Aerial, overhead or top down view was used for older racing games when players needed to see the main playable vehicle and the entire track. Aerial is also used in modern MMORPGs when the player needs to see lots of characters within the game world to get a better perspective of what is happening in the game world. It is important to consider the perspective at the initial design as the design of lots of the art work used within the game depends on this.

Interaction Mode

s0247711 — 2015-10-07 08:18:25 UTC

When designing a game it is important to consider how the player will be controlled and represented within the game itself. This is known as the interaction model. There are two different ways to make the player interact with the game world. The first is to use the avatar interaction model when the player is represented on screen by a main character and the focus of the game is based on how this main character controlled by the player moves through the game world. The omnipresence interaction model is used when the player needs to control an army of characters within the game or even when they have the need to directly interact and make changes to the game world itself. The omnipresence interaction model is used in games like Sims were player has full control or a god like presence of the game world itself.

Game Setting

s0247711 — 2015-10-07 08:18:38 UTC

When designing game play they need to think about the physical settings where the game takes place and how the player will interact with the game world. You need to design the game so that the setting is considered and made as realistic as possible. The environmental setting needs to be thought about also when designing visual style and game play, this includes any weather conditions that might enhance the overall experience for the gamer and how the environment changes depending on game play e.g. after an explosion. Emotional setting is used to consider how the player will feel while playing the game. Designers need to set the correct pace and atmosphere to get players to engage with the game as much as possible by making them feel emotionally attached to the characters and game world during game play. Ethical setting needs to be considered during the design phase for example if you are targeting a game at teenagers you need to ensure that the game content is appropriate for that age range. Adult based content needs to come with an age appropriate warning.

Difficulty and Balance

s0247711 — 2015-10-07 08:18:51 UTC

The game balance needs to be set correctly so that a game is not too easy or too difficult. Games need to be designed so that early phases enable players to build their basic skills and give them the opportunity to learn and improve these skills as the game gets more challenging. Balance is mainly linked to the difficulty settings in present day games. To get the balance of gameplay correct for all level of players many modern games come with beginner, intermediate, and expert difficulty settings embedded in the gameplay to cater for everyone. As a player improves their skills they can adjust the balance of the game by increasing the level of difficulty to make the game more challenging.

Feedback

s0247711 — 2015-10-07 08:19:02 UTC

When designing the visual style of a game it is important to consider the information that you need to supply the player with during gameplay. The feedback interface or heads up display needs to show the player information on their current status or progress within the game. An example of feedback interface in a simple game would be displaying the score or number of lives on the screen. In a modern 3D MMO game mini maps inform players of where they are within the game world and warn of approaching danger. Scope crosshairs are also in constant use to show the aim position of the player’s weapon throughout the average combat themed game.