Homework 11

Two games I have liked are Bastion (by Supergiant Games) and Overwatch (by Blizzard).

Bastion is an isometric game, set in a world literally torn apart. The story is very interesting and I found myself very interested in it. It's not a very long game, and I finished almost all of it in one sitting, albeit a very long sitting (about 8 hours) and it was a blast. The music and voice work are very interesting and well done. I have the soundtrack on my phone and it's beautiful and phenomenal. A mix of western folk and industrial rock. The game has little "minigames" for each new weapon you can get, which give you materials that, with the game's unique currency, can be used to level up your weapons. The game also rewards you with sweet, sweet achievements. You can earn more points/currency by "invoking the gods" and essentially upping the difficulty. There are a wide array of weapons you can use, and you can use them in any combination you want. There's lots of different playstyles available to the player. The game also has lots of voice work done that might take some seeking out to find. Sometimes the narrator makes a comment if you're standing around. Or he'll make a comment on some secrets that may be easy to pass by. At the end, there is a new game plus, where you can keep all your collectibles and play the game through again, starting with all your previous gear, on a higher difficulty.

Overwatch is a 6v6 Competitive Shooter with a heavy emphasis on teamwork. The teams fight for control of a checkpoint. The game is incredibly fun with lots of story and lore hidden in strange places, like animated shorts by Blizzard, comics and graphic novels, and even an ARG (augmented reality game) where hackers and codebreakers solved puzzles hidden in real life online by a mysterious (now released) character in the game, Sombra. The game balances the game by matching you with people of similar skill level. The hero's themselves are balanced, with some being counters to others, so team composition is key. Other than that, it's all up to player skill. The game rewards you with level ups which yield loot boxes which grant you cosmetic items with no impact on performance, but give you a sense of customization while you play. I really like the game and always have fun when I play. The voice acting is also great in this, as well, and with a cast of characters that is from all around the world, Blizzard made the choice to hire actors who were fluent in the native tongue of the character. In fact, when an enemy hero uses their ultimate ability, their voice line is in their native tongue, while if an allied hero or you yourself use an ultimate ability, it is spoken in English. Sound has a big part to play in the game, and if you listen well, you can usually keep a leg up on opponents who may be doing otherwise.

Two games I did not like (or have come to not like) were Ark: Survival Evolved and Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Ark is a game where you fight for survival on an island with a confusing mix of dinosaurs and giant sci-fi laser beacons. I''m sure there's some in game reason for why, but I never found it. There is actually no explanation at all for anything, even controls. The game also requires a stupid amount of committment to even enjoy, with some people online most of the day, building up and guarding their bases, raiding the supplies of those who may have logged off. Even when you're not playing, someone can just come along and muck it all up. The learning curve is super steep, especially with no tutorial, and not to mention that within the first 30 seconds of you spawning for the first time, naked and emptyhanded on an island, you can be killed by a swarm of raptors, a T-Rex, a pterodactyl, or a giant 50000 foot snake that has nothing better to do than eat you.

Skyward Sword, on the other hand, is more complicated to me. I really liked it at first. It was okay the second time I played it, on new game plus. Then my younger cousin (maybe 5 y/o) started watching me play. I've beaten in 4 separate times for him, and I've come to loathe it. The "tutorial" is long and boring, and not very engaging. Puzzles are either too easy, or stupidly frustrating, or both, and some non-boss monsters are just ridiculous. Looking at you, Lizard Guy. The ending isn't even satisfying, really, and there's a boss you fight about 4 times that is the most painstakingly boring fight where you literally chase the giant scale monster up a hill and cut at its toes until it falls. 3 times a fight, for 4 fights. It just gets harder each time, and no more engaging. The sky, while a novelty at first, becomes boring and bleak. You no longer want to explore the sky-island on your giant bird. You just wanna get to the next dungeon and be done. I don't even have a favorite part anymore. They're all annoying. The first level is trivial, for the most part, the dungeon boring, the desert levels have an absurd amount of quicksand and electric enemies that stun you, and the fire levels have enemies that do damage over time, and enough magma to make Mt. Doom look like a lava lamp. The water level... it's a water level of course it's annoying.

Homework 8: Blender to Unreal

So for our game, I created the staff, the main weapon/tool of the protagonist. The staff will be used to use some magical abilities, like stunning enemies so you can escape if cornered, and moving objects.

This first picture is the object in Blender. Looks real good right? Really nifty. Neato. Fancy. Stupendous. Glorious. Adjectives. Synonyms.

Now here's our good pal Staffy in Unreal. And Unreal it is. Such a big boy. So I'm gonna have to shrink him down a bit, as well, so he's a smaller, good staff buddy.

Also, notice the gold piles in the back. Those were made by our own lovely Connor Gregory, of the Gregory Clan. Mighty gold-miners those Gregorys.

Interfaces (HW 10)

1) list ten examples of interfaces between people and the real world.
a: Speedometer 
b: Clock
c: Traffic Lights
d: Pedometer
e: Heart Rate Monitor
f: Elevator Controls
g: Fuel Gage
h: Thermometer
i: Cell Phone
j: Compass



2) Give an example of a good interface between player and game. Explain why it is a good interface

A good interface between a player and a game would be one that makes sense in the world of the game, but still gives you information in a non-obstructive way. For example, the Dead Space health meter, which appears as a meter along the spinal area of your character. its visible at all times and makes some sense in the game, while remaining part of the character's design


3) Give an example of a poor interface between player and game. Explain why it is a poor interface

A poor example may make no sense to the world of the game, give little to no information, really, and be obstructive of proper play. I can't think of any examples that have happened because It would likely lead to an unsuccessful game. But perhaps a HUD (Heads Up Display) That blocked a lot of the screen, with a lot of the perspective of the game being blocked by decoration to make the HUD pretty, while not giving enough information to justify the space taken. Also, perhaps there is a theme-mismatch, with the game being sci-fi, and the HUD having a more scrolled, ornate pattern more reminiscent of the fantasy genre.

HW 9: Balance

Fairness: I'm not sure that fairness really pertains to our game. There is no competition, and it is against AI, to escape a maze. Perhaps it involves the number of obstacles and NPCs pursuing you?

Challenge: The challenge of the game is escaping and getting past the various obstacles in the maze, while also collecting treasure and dodging enemies.

Meaningful Choices: This may matter in a sense that you need to pick the right path in the maze to succeed?

Skill vs. Chance: N/A

Head vs. Hands: The head will be the main component in this game, with trying to figure out a path through the mazes while getting all treasure and avoiding enemies, and perhaps we will throw in jumping puzzles or something similar for a more physical challenge?

Competition vs. Cooperation: You dont cooperate with anyone, and you are only competing with the AI of the patrols.

Short vs. Long: Perhaps we will have a few different maps/levels to play through, so the game isnt too short or long.

Rewards: we will use treasures to reward players throughout the game, as well as the reward of completing the maze and moving closer to the final goal, freedom.

Punishment: Death and starting over are our punishments. Starting back from the beginning of the current level, though. Not the whole game.

Freedom vs. Controlled Experience: Most of the game will be somewhat controlled, as you're in a maze, confined. You do have the freedom to roam about the maze to escape though, to your ultimate goal which is true freedom.

Simple vs. Complex: We hope the mazes will prove to be simple enough to solve in reasonable time, but complex enough to provide a challenge.

Detail vs. Imagination: N/A