It is now past 4am, and I honestly should be asleep. But I wanted to write this down before I hit slumberville.
I've been thinking some more since I wrote the previous entry and before I try to write up a neater proposal, and I'm starting to hit the conclusion that the item is more like two items. In that respect, I feel that I'm making things more complicated to explain than I really need to.
I am going to have to consider simplifying it by removing one component or the other, and out of the two functions, the ability to hover and use the environment to travel further is more compelling and holds more potential for new gameplay than the ability to move freely through water. I like the idea of being able to move around in 8 directions, but it remains a concern that even if implemented it would remain too situational to enhance the gaming experience. The former indeed can be applied to so much more.
When I wake up tomorrow, I'm going to start writing up the new proposal for Tuesday. And I'll decide whether to whittle down the mechanic or see if I can keep the proposal to two pages with the different uses of the same item.
I'm also aware that I am seemingly writing as if I were actually going to implement these features. And I know full well that I won't be. But I am finding it helpful to approach the assignment from that perspective, to not only think of something new but how it would work in the game and how it would be implemented control wise. It is one thing to think of a new feature, and another to see how well it would mesh into the existing game.
Saturday 29 September 2012
Assignment 2 Proposal 2 Further Work
I've continued to research into the idea of a 'jet pack' for Metroid, as cunningly illustrated below. One train of thought was how the item would be activated by the player - I've considered using it as a permanent upgrade once acquired, but I'm also now looking at having the jet pack function more like the morphball, requiring a double tap of the up button to activate. This is in part to prevent the item from clashing with existing upgrades, and in part so that a visual distinction between the standard mode and the winged variation.
As already mentioned in the previous post, the item serves primarily as a means of easier navigation whilst underwater, which would allow for larger areas and a different approach to exploring or fighting enemies.
I've also developed the concept of how the item would function outside of the water. To prevent such an item potentially breaking the flow of the rest of the game, I quickly decided against the item allowing flight and instead opted for the item functioning as a tool to slow descent and float over larger distances.
I almost gave up on the idea when I really felt like this wouldn't be nearly enough to open up new puzzles or changes to the gameworld. I began to look again into environments for more answers, looking at how else an item like the jet pack could prove useful, and eventually stumbled upon the idea of directional air flow pushing the player to previously inaccessible areas. For example -
In essence, the upgrade can make use of the environment to enable progress, and thus new puzzles can be created to utilize such an ability.
I'm going to work at it a bit more and get some feedback before writing up the proposal proper.
As already mentioned in the previous post, the item serves primarily as a means of easier navigation whilst underwater, which would allow for larger areas and a different approach to exploring or fighting enemies.
I've also developed the concept of how the item would function outside of the water. To prevent such an item potentially breaking the flow of the rest of the game, I quickly decided against the item allowing flight and instead opted for the item functioning as a tool to slow descent and float over larger distances.
I almost gave up on the idea when I really felt like this wouldn't be nearly enough to open up new puzzles or changes to the gameworld. I began to look again into environments for more answers, looking at how else an item like the jet pack could prove useful, and eventually stumbled upon the idea of directional air flow pushing the player to previously inaccessible areas. For example -
In essence, the upgrade can make use of the environment to enable progress, and thus new puzzles can be created to utilize such an ability.
I'm going to work at it a bit more and get some feedback before writing up the proposal proper.
Friday 28 September 2012
Assignment 2 - Storming Proposal 2
I shall be deleting this post and adding what I've written to an updated... post. I just thought I'd take the time tonight whilst I'm without my scanner to go ahead and write up what I'm doing at the moment. I'm trying to write what I can without going into too much detail without these scanned pages.
Working towards the second concept proposal is proving a little more challenging than I had anticipated. I'm still playing with both Legend of Zelda and Metroid. Metroid is starting to present some challenges of it's own as I've continued down the route of creating new gameplay through items and tools rather than weaponry.
Whilst looking into the different environments that the games take place in (Even in Metroid Fusion for example, which is set on a space ship, still has biomes that replicate alien locations), my mind wandered towards water. Traditionally, Samus is unable to swim and until she has acquired the Gravity Suit, she also suffers from moving far slower than she would normally travel at. So a very early idea was to create a form of 'jet pack' that would be used in water locations to allow for 8 directional movement, and would not function on dry land.
However, that felt more than a little TOO situational, and even if the design of water areas could be changed to take such an item into account, it features too little to warrant designing. Which indirectly lead me to think about how an item could function differently above and below water without simply allowing Samus to fly about freely (Rendering the Screw Attack obsolete and breaking the game in the process).
As I write this blog entry, I'm exploring the possibility of an item that, when underwater, will allow free movement, and when above water will function as a means of slowing the player's descent when activated (I really can't explain it better than that at the moment, I will have to consider my words carefully later on). Having looked at the Zora Armour from Twilight Princess, I could also consider adding a penalty for the item being activated... so the player can have increased mobility in water and the ability to hover over hazards and gaps at the cost of receiving more damage whilst in use.
I'm still working on the idea, of course. There are many more alternatives I could and will go through tomorrow. With illustrations to make things clearer.
Working towards the second concept proposal is proving a little more challenging than I had anticipated. I'm still playing with both Legend of Zelda and Metroid. Metroid is starting to present some challenges of it's own as I've continued down the route of creating new gameplay through items and tools rather than weaponry.
Whilst looking into the different environments that the games take place in (Even in Metroid Fusion for example, which is set on a space ship, still has biomes that replicate alien locations), my mind wandered towards water. Traditionally, Samus is unable to swim and until she has acquired the Gravity Suit, she also suffers from moving far slower than she would normally travel at. So a very early idea was to create a form of 'jet pack' that would be used in water locations to allow for 8 directional movement, and would not function on dry land.
However, that felt more than a little TOO situational, and even if the design of water areas could be changed to take such an item into account, it features too little to warrant designing. Which indirectly lead me to think about how an item could function differently above and below water without simply allowing Samus to fly about freely (Rendering the Screw Attack obsolete and breaking the game in the process).
As I write this blog entry, I'm exploring the possibility of an item that, when underwater, will allow free movement, and when above water will function as a means of slowing the player's descent when activated (I really can't explain it better than that at the moment, I will have to consider my words carefully later on). Having looked at the Zora Armour from Twilight Princess, I could also consider adding a penalty for the item being activated... so the player can have increased mobility in water and the ability to hover over hazards and gaps at the cost of receiving more damage whilst in use.
I'm still working on the idea, of course. There are many more alternatives I could and will go through tomorrow. With illustrations to make things clearer.
Wednesday 26 September 2012
Assignment 2, Concept Proposal 1
I thought I'd take the time today to write up my first proposal for this assignment. As I mentioned in the previous post, I've found myself very interested in the possibilities Metroid presented to me mechanics wise.
When I started to work on my spider diagram to generate some ideas, I wanted to avoid simply creating something like a new gun... whilst this would still be a feasible path to walk down if I developed it further, my mind wandered more towards the matter of mobility and tools for exploration. Metroid is as much about exploring and navigating, and half the items you can acquire enhances Samus' ability to fully traverse the different evironments and obstacles the player will go through.
As the mindmap shows above, I decided to mind map and make reference to some examples that exist in game... chiefly the Speed Boost and Grappling Beam. And at the very bottom of the page I was considering a mining beam that would blast through destroyable rock and cut metal objects - For example, mining through rock to create an alternate path or break a platform from under an enemy by cutting out support beams. I also considered a decoy/hologram, to be placed down to distract enemies... though I didn't really develop it any further.
I ultimately thought that a good place to start would be an upgrade item for the morphball... what with it functioning as an exploration tool primarily. From there, I decided to look at how ball shapes are utilized in nature as well as how the same shape is used by people. It goes without saying that Armadillos (Also Armadillo Lizards), Hedgehogs and Woodlice use their curling capabilities as a means of self defence, to protect their vulnerable underside with a harder shell or spined defence to deter predators. I also looked at some wrecking balls and even bowling balls... used primarily for knocking things over, shockingly enough.
My early idea was to create a protective shell that would surround the morphball, rendering it inert but also protecting Samus from harm. Taking a cue from the humble bowling ball, I also considered the item functioning as being capable of gaining momentum if used on a slope, and thus be able to destroy certain obstacles hindering progress. As I continued to work on the idea though, I began to feel that it would be too limited in scope to add new gameplay.
After merging the idea of an item that could increase speed with the mining beam designed to cut through rock, I thought up the idea of a spiked upgrade that would be capable of smashing through certain terrain and obstacles... and with that, being able to use this on demand rather than requiring a slope to build up speed. This immediately appealed to me as being a lot more versatile in how it could be applied to a Metroid game. It could be used to break objects, clear gaps and be used for puzzles such as generating power to open locked doors.
I'm already working on a second proposal, which will again be something used more for a new means of exploring levels. At this early stage, I'm focusing on something that would be a touch more situational but would also hopefully open up new gameplay possibilities where it will apply.
When I started to work on my spider diagram to generate some ideas, I wanted to avoid simply creating something like a new gun... whilst this would still be a feasible path to walk down if I developed it further, my mind wandered more towards the matter of mobility and tools for exploration. Metroid is as much about exploring and navigating, and half the items you can acquire enhances Samus' ability to fully traverse the different evironments and obstacles the player will go through.
As the mindmap shows above, I decided to mind map and make reference to some examples that exist in game... chiefly the Speed Boost and Grappling Beam. And at the very bottom of the page I was considering a mining beam that would blast through destroyable rock and cut metal objects - For example, mining through rock to create an alternate path or break a platform from under an enemy by cutting out support beams. I also considered a decoy/hologram, to be placed down to distract enemies... though I didn't really develop it any further.
I ultimately thought that a good place to start would be an upgrade item for the morphball... what with it functioning as an exploration tool primarily. From there, I decided to look at how ball shapes are utilized in nature as well as how the same shape is used by people. It goes without saying that Armadillos (Also Armadillo Lizards), Hedgehogs and Woodlice use their curling capabilities as a means of self defence, to protect their vulnerable underside with a harder shell or spined defence to deter predators. I also looked at some wrecking balls and even bowling balls... used primarily for knocking things over, shockingly enough.
My early idea was to create a protective shell that would surround the morphball, rendering it inert but also protecting Samus from harm. Taking a cue from the humble bowling ball, I also considered the item functioning as being capable of gaining momentum if used on a slope, and thus be able to destroy certain obstacles hindering progress. As I continued to work on the idea though, I began to feel that it would be too limited in scope to add new gameplay.
After merging the idea of an item that could increase speed with the mining beam designed to cut through rock, I thought up the idea of a spiked upgrade that would be capable of smashing through certain terrain and obstacles... and with that, being able to use this on demand rather than requiring a slope to build up speed. This immediately appealed to me as being a lot more versatile in how it could be applied to a Metroid game. It could be used to break objects, clear gaps and be used for puzzles such as generating power to open locked doors.
Sunday 23 September 2012
Assignment 2 - Still Storming Ideas
I thought I'd take a little time before bed to write up my present thoughts on the current assignment and before I start to upload my first document as well as a neater version of my brainstorming in Illustrator. (Or if I am to be politicially correct, a spider diagram). Though I might also upload the paper versions if that proves to be required.
The task at hand is proving surprisingly challenging to me, in part because of the fact my method of generating ideas deviates from the method we're using in class. I normally think on the subject for a day or so before I whip up any spider diagrams - I think about what I want to achieve, and therefore focus myself in that aspect rather than writing words down to see what comes up. Being able to think on the spur of the moment is admittedly a weakness I possess.
I've already listed in the previous blog entry that I was working towards Psychonauts and Legend of Zelda, with a possibility of Metroid. My work so far on both paper and in the cobwebbed catacombs of the braincells that still function within my skull has leant towards generating more ideas for Metroid than the other two. I still hope to create something for Psychonauts, but Zelda has lost some of my interest as I've tried to turn the spider diagrams into something resembling a game mechanic.
Zelda is a game that is very basic in terms of it's core mechanics, and every game has a bunch of unique items and abilities... the platforming segments and seeds in Oracle of Seasons/Ages, the diverse range of parrelel dimensions like the Twilight world in Twilight Princess, light and dark worlds in Link to the Past or even the time travelling between present and future Hyrule in Ocarina of Time ...and so in theory, it shouldn't be that difficult to think up something that adds to the experience. But I'm struggling none the less to come up with something I'd feel would add something to the series. I've considered trying to combine elemental magic (For example, applying fire magic to a tornado to create a fire tornado, or combing fire with the wind boomerang for the same effect)... but for one, it doesn't feel much like Zelda, and for two it felt like it would be far too situational... not to mention complicated control wise.
Instead, Metroid has grabbed my imagination. Again, the core gameplay mechanics are very solid, but unlike Zelda, I just feel that there is a lot of room to create viable additions that might create new and fun gameplay. The first document I'll be uploading on Monday or Tuesday will relate to a Morphball upgrade.
I'm still concerned I'm overthinking the assignment, but I also want to work hard at it. For now, however, I'm going to hit bed and finish my write up.
The task at hand is proving surprisingly challenging to me, in part because of the fact my method of generating ideas deviates from the method we're using in class. I normally think on the subject for a day or so before I whip up any spider diagrams - I think about what I want to achieve, and therefore focus myself in that aspect rather than writing words down to see what comes up. Being able to think on the spur of the moment is admittedly a weakness I possess.
I've already listed in the previous blog entry that I was working towards Psychonauts and Legend of Zelda, with a possibility of Metroid. My work so far on both paper and in the cobwebbed catacombs of the braincells that still function within my skull has leant towards generating more ideas for Metroid than the other two. I still hope to create something for Psychonauts, but Zelda has lost some of my interest as I've tried to turn the spider diagrams into something resembling a game mechanic.
Zelda is a game that is very basic in terms of it's core mechanics, and every game has a bunch of unique items and abilities... the platforming segments and seeds in Oracle of Seasons/Ages, the diverse range of parrelel dimensions like the Twilight world in Twilight Princess, light and dark worlds in Link to the Past or even the time travelling between present and future Hyrule in Ocarina of Time ...and so in theory, it shouldn't be that difficult to think up something that adds to the experience. But I'm struggling none the less to come up with something I'd feel would add something to the series. I've considered trying to combine elemental magic (For example, applying fire magic to a tornado to create a fire tornado, or combing fire with the wind boomerang for the same effect)... but for one, it doesn't feel much like Zelda, and for two it felt like it would be far too situational... not to mention complicated control wise.
Instead, Metroid has grabbed my imagination. Again, the core gameplay mechanics are very solid, but unlike Zelda, I just feel that there is a lot of room to create viable additions that might create new and fun gameplay. The first document I'll be uploading on Monday or Tuesday will relate to a Morphball upgrade.
I'm still concerned I'm overthinking the assignment, but I also want to work hard at it. For now, however, I'm going to hit bed and finish my write up.
Tuesday 18 September 2012
Assignment 2 - The Bit Before Beginning
So for the second assignment, we're delving into conceptual game design in the form of ideas for up to 3 existing games. I initially had a good few ideas of what I might start working on, but after the restrictions on the range of games, I've had to change some of those ideas. I'm yet to full decide which games I'm going to be trying to develop new concepts for.
I already know that I'm going to be picking both Psychonauts and The Legend Of Zelda (Wind Waker!). However, I have the option of either making two ideas for one game... or see about developing a different idea for a third game. And my mind seems to be wandering towards other series I've had fun with over the years, Metroid and Jet Set Radio/Future. I'm going to save considering those until Thursday.
And with that out of the way, I'm going to see if I can spend some time tomorrow playing a few of the games for an hour or so. I'm looking forward to getting to work on some ideas generation, it has been an awfully long time since I've done any. Reflecting on what we're being asked to do on this course in comparison to what I used to do when I studied Animation... I can see similarities as well as some large differences. Chiefly, that I feel like I have a lot more time to be able to develop these ideas and make some interesting stuff.
That is all for now. Besides work on the assignment, I'm planning on writing a little piece on the subject of Final Fantasy 7, as well as the hope I'll be able to get back into the drawing game.
I already know that I'm going to be picking both Psychonauts and The Legend Of Zelda (Wind Waker!). However, I have the option of either making two ideas for one game... or see about developing a different idea for a third game. And my mind seems to be wandering towards other series I've had fun with over the years, Metroid and Jet Set Radio/Future. I'm going to save considering those until Thursday.
And with that out of the way, I'm going to see if I can spend some time tomorrow playing a few of the games for an hour or so. I'm looking forward to getting to work on some ideas generation, it has been an awfully long time since I've done any. Reflecting on what we're being asked to do on this course in comparison to what I used to do when I studied Animation... I can see similarities as well as some large differences. Chiefly, that I feel like I have a lot more time to be able to develop these ideas and make some interesting stuff.
That is all for now. Besides work on the assignment, I'm planning on writing a little piece on the subject of Final Fantasy 7, as well as the hope I'll be able to get back into the drawing game.
Monday 17 September 2012
Assignment 1 Conclusion
Having looked into the different roles within the Games Development pipeline and the separate specialised categories within each, I have found that despite my belief that I would either remain fascinated with the Concept Artist or 3D Artist roles, the role of Level Design has become an area that I strongly hope to explore and learn more about within the course.
Part of the logic behind this decision comes from the belief that as an individual that enjoys drawing and already has some understanding in concept art from my time studying Animation, I would be denying myself the possibility of learning other disciplines by continuing down the same route. However, the e-book "Ultimate Level Design Guide" by Alex Galuzin from World of Level Design has truly been an eye opener for me. The book thoroughly explains the various processes from initial designs on paper and gathering reference materials to blocking out levels and beyond.
Amongst my research, it was this book that presented me with the greatest feeling of excitement and opportunity about the possibilities within designing a level, and not just for the challenge of designing a map from scratch specifically for a game that we will eventually be creating, but also how that sort of knowledge can be used for creating mods and maps for existing games. The idea of building the groundwork of a world that will gain colour and texture is an appealing one, using concept work and notes to imagine environments that incorporate good design with gameplay mechanics to create something enjoyable to explore.
I also understand that there is more to level design than simply making levels. In the early stages of development especially, a level designer will also produce test maps for experimenting with game mechanics that will influence how main levels will later be formed to accomodate for their uses. For example, this is a test map from a game I happen to love, The Legend of Zelda : Wind Waker that demonstrates a map that was constructed as a place to not only test out gameplay mechanics and proportions, but also for environment artists to play with lighting and effects.
Part of the logic behind this decision comes from the belief that as an individual that enjoys drawing and already has some understanding in concept art from my time studying Animation, I would be denying myself the possibility of learning other disciplines by continuing down the same route. However, the e-book "Ultimate Level Design Guide" by Alex Galuzin from World of Level Design has truly been an eye opener for me. The book thoroughly explains the various processes from initial designs on paper and gathering reference materials to blocking out levels and beyond.
Amongst my research, it was this book that presented me with the greatest feeling of excitement and opportunity about the possibilities within designing a level, and not just for the challenge of designing a map from scratch specifically for a game that we will eventually be creating, but also how that sort of knowledge can be used for creating mods and maps for existing games. The idea of building the groundwork of a world that will gain colour and texture is an appealing one, using concept work and notes to imagine environments that incorporate good design with gameplay mechanics to create something enjoyable to explore.
I also understand that there is more to level design than simply making levels. In the early stages of development especially, a level designer will also produce test maps for experimenting with game mechanics that will influence how main levels will later be formed to accomodate for their uses. For example, this is a test map from a game I happen to love, The Legend of Zelda : Wind Waker that demonstrates a map that was constructed as a place to not only test out gameplay mechanics and proportions, but also for environment artists to play with lighting and effects.
Sunday 16 September 2012
Assignment 1 Research p5 - 3D Artist
The last area of research I will be doing before I write the conclusion, which is 3D Art. Coming into the course as someone with outside knowledge and understanding, I've always been most intrigued with 3D character design. The E-Book "Ultimate Level Design" has again proven a valuable source of information as far as the role of environment artist is concerned, although I have also been reading through some "3D Artist" magazines I had at hand, as well as broader internet exploration. It has also been beneficial to be able to explore elements in Valve Source SDK's Model Viewer and Source Filmmaker to observe ingame objects.
And before I go on, I'm sure that there is some connection to 2D art that could be included in here as well, relating to menu and hud graphics, but that might be overthinking the work somewhat.
In essence, the role of the 3D artist can be divided into roughly the same areas as that of the concept artist with character and environment artists as well as creature and vehicle artists... there is also a role relating to prop artists, responsible for creating the props that will populate the ingame world and provide interactivity and believability. The 3D artist works with the programmers, level designers and the concept artists to add detail and texture to the game world. Reference photos and artwork remain important at this stage to provide guidance towards what sort of world is being made.
The role of environment artist for example involves more than simply adding graphics and detail to the maps they work on, a lot of importance can be placed also on their ability to use colour and lighting to guide the player through the level and help to distinguish explorable areas from those that are out of bounds.
The prop artist is something of a varied role and responsible for populating the in game world with objects that can range from scenery to items for the player to interact with or pick up and use... for example, cars, barrels or weapons.
Character artists last of all are responsible for creating the character models... although again depending on the game in question, there can be some variations. Chiefly, if one is to consider an FPS game, models need to be created for npc characters like most other games, but models also need to be designed for limbs from the player's perspective, chiefly for the weapons that will be used.
In all, I have found this to be an area that holds a little interest to me... although it remains mostly something that intrigues rather than ignites passion to specialise in this area so far.
And before I go on, I'm sure that there is some connection to 2D art that could be included in here as well, relating to menu and hud graphics, but that might be overthinking the work somewhat.
In essence, the role of the 3D artist can be divided into roughly the same areas as that of the concept artist with character and environment artists as well as creature and vehicle artists... there is also a role relating to prop artists, responsible for creating the props that will populate the ingame world and provide interactivity and believability. The 3D artist works with the programmers, level designers and the concept artists to add detail and texture to the game world. Reference photos and artwork remain important at this stage to provide guidance towards what sort of world is being made.
The role of environment artist for example involves more than simply adding graphics and detail to the maps they work on, a lot of importance can be placed also on their ability to use colour and lighting to guide the player through the level and help to distinguish explorable areas from those that are out of bounds.
The prop artist is something of a varied role and responsible for populating the in game world with objects that can range from scenery to items for the player to interact with or pick up and use... for example, cars, barrels or weapons.
Character artists last of all are responsible for creating the character models... although again depending on the game in question, there can be some variations. Chiefly, if one is to consider an FPS game, models need to be created for npc characters like most other games, but models also need to be designed for limbs from the player's perspective, chiefly for the weapons that will be used.
In all, I have found this to be an area that holds a little interest to me... although it remains mostly something that intrigues rather than ignites passion to specialise in this area so far.
Assignment 1 Research p4 - Programming
Moving deeper into my research into the different aspects of games development, I'm now approaching the programming aspects. Programming holds some intrigue for me, although at present it remains an area that I don't think holds much interest to, partly because of harrowing experiences with Q Basic and partly because of my existing skills being more art and visual based in nature (Despite the better pay a programmer can expect to receive compared to an artist or designer. And also despite my collegue that playtests for Valve telling me that they require all their staff to have a basic knowledge of programming in the Source engine). This is an area with a great many aspects and specialised areas, so I am really only scratching the surface until the second term in this course and thus focusing on a select few disciplines for the time being.
At the most basic level, a programmer interacts with both concept artists and other preproduction staff at the earliest stages of a game's development to turn ideas into working concepts and mechanics, and continually interacts with the creative staff and QA testers throughout as these prototypes are tested in engine and on created maps. From reading, I would say programming is especially important once the game being made has become more concrete in concept and tested mechanics have proven viable and enjoyable. Programming is also vital towards the end of production when communicating with QA testers to detect and correct bugs... this sort of work can continue even beyond the release of the product, most commonly in online multiplayer games.
Programming can be roughly split into several different catagories, such as engine programming (And physics programming, depending on the complexity required for the game environment) which take place early on, AI programmers and scripting programmers are also featured further in the development cycle, which rely less on so much building an engine as adding functions.
At the most basic level, a programmer interacts with both concept artists and other preproduction staff at the earliest stages of a game's development to turn ideas into working concepts and mechanics, and continually interacts with the creative staff and QA testers throughout as these prototypes are tested in engine and on created maps. From reading, I would say programming is especially important once the game being made has become more concrete in concept and tested mechanics have proven viable and enjoyable. Programming is also vital towards the end of production when communicating with QA testers to detect and correct bugs... this sort of work can continue even beyond the release of the product, most commonly in online multiplayer games.
Programming can be roughly split into several different catagories, such as engine programming (And physics programming, depending on the complexity required for the game environment) which take place early on, AI programmers and scripting programmers are also featured further in the development cycle, which rely less on so much building an engine as adding functions.
Saturday 15 September 2012
Assignment 1 Research p3 - QA
The idea of QA is nothing particularly new to me, although I used to consider it as a bug squashing exercise conducted towards the end of a production cycle, as I imagine a lot of people consider beyond the belief of simply testing games. Some of my research in this area of Games Development is anecdotal, information acquired from a friend whom is involved in game testing for Valve Software. Although I have also found plenty of evidence of the roles QA plays throughout the design process whilst researching other branches, and more so it's importance to the quality of a product.
The role of QA begins early on in the development cycle, just as soon as prototypes for game mechanics have been made and for testing the persistant updates to the gaming engine. Testing also involves a lot more than simply finding out if a level or a weapon or mechanics works well - it is equally important to find out if any of these things actually work in the game or if they break the balance of gameplay... and just as important to get feedback on whether other aspects like story prove to be exciting and believable. At the very least, the role of QA in games development is important if the team take feedback on board.
Bug squashing is also another aspect of QA, and this is something that can happen closer to the end of development after the game as a whole has been largely completed, mainly to iron out any problems or issues that had not been resolved earlier or even anticipated.
If I were to again quote some examples from Valve as to the importance of QA, I can again point toward Half Life 2 : Raising the Crowbar. The book contains a lot of concept art featuring the Combine, Half Life 2's enemy and whilst it discusses a lot of different enemies that ended up not making it into the final product, I'm going to specifically look at the Hydra.
The Hydra was a creature that, besides being a spiritual successor to the Tentacle in Half Life 1, was apparently fun for playtesters to watch as it killed enemies and explored the environment, but unfortunately proved to be an unenjoyable experience to actually play against, and was eventually dropped from the game in order to focus on other enemy ai.
The role of QA begins early on in the development cycle, just as soon as prototypes for game mechanics have been made and for testing the persistant updates to the gaming engine. Testing also involves a lot more than simply finding out if a level or a weapon or mechanics works well - it is equally important to find out if any of these things actually work in the game or if they break the balance of gameplay... and just as important to get feedback on whether other aspects like story prove to be exciting and believable. At the very least, the role of QA in games development is important if the team take feedback on board.
Bug squashing is also another aspect of QA, and this is something that can happen closer to the end of development after the game as a whole has been largely completed, mainly to iron out any problems or issues that had not been resolved earlier or even anticipated.
If I were to again quote some examples from Valve as to the importance of QA, I can again point toward Half Life 2 : Raising the Crowbar. The book contains a lot of concept art featuring the Combine, Half Life 2's enemy and whilst it discusses a lot of different enemies that ended up not making it into the final product, I'm going to specifically look at the Hydra.
The Hydra was a creature that, besides being a spiritual successor to the Tentacle in Half Life 1, was apparently fun for playtesters to watch as it killed enemies and explored the environment, but unfortunately proved to be an unenjoyable experience to actually play against, and was eventually dropped from the game in order to focus on other enemy ai.
Assignment 1 Research p2 - Level Design
(Post will be edited as further research is added)
The evening has proven productive in my exploration into the world of Level Design and the disciplines within, from the actual Designer to the enviromental artists, and my reading for the day has included the website http://www.worldofleveldesign.com and the two E-Books included with subscribing to the website, "How to Create a Map in 11 Days" and "Ultimate Level Design Guide" as well as "Illustrative Rendering In Team Fortress 2" to a lesser extent... which perhaps covers the more artistic side after a level has been constructed and demonstrates how concept work filtered into the design decisions of the 3D modelling and lighting.
The "Ultimate Level Design Guide" E-Book has proven to be an interesting read, and something I will hopefully be using in the future. It thoroughly explains the entire process behind the construction of a level map and design choices, and whilst it it discusses the process from initial ideas blocked in by level designers to enviromental/prop artist, sound and lighting, the document seperates them well enough for me to distinguish the different areas.
Level Designers are prominantly involved in the early stages of the games development pipeline, and are tasked with communicating with the concept artists and programmers as well as those involved in ideas development to create map designs, initially on paper and in programs like Sketchup to show these designs in a 3D environment (Sketchup can be used for concept art as well, like designing vehicles for example). It is important at this stage for the level designers to know what sort of game they will be making... a single player linear experience for example is going to be fundamentally different from a multiplayer game that is more open.
They also communicate with Quality Assurance Testers from these early stages to determine if a level flows correctly or if there are certain points that bring up confusion or even breaks the flow, making adjustments as necessary or as new ideas come into the pipeline.
From memory, I recall reading a small piece on the community created map "Cold Stream" for Left 4 Dead , talking about the differences between map making within a company and map making within a community - Chiefly, that a community made map tends to test with other gamers which necessitates levels being textured at an earlier stage than a larger company might use at a beta stage.
Although I can't find the original article, I can at least post a link to the L4D2 blogpost that briefly mentions this.
The evening has proven productive in my exploration into the world of Level Design and the disciplines within, from the actual Designer to the enviromental artists, and my reading for the day has included the website http://www.worldofleveldesign.com and the two E-Books included with subscribing to the website, "How to Create a Map in 11 Days" and "Ultimate Level Design Guide" as well as "Illustrative Rendering In Team Fortress 2" to a lesser extent... which perhaps covers the more artistic side after a level has been constructed and demonstrates how concept work filtered into the design decisions of the 3D modelling and lighting.
The "Ultimate Level Design Guide" E-Book has proven to be an interesting read, and something I will hopefully be using in the future. It thoroughly explains the entire process behind the construction of a level map and design choices, and whilst it it discusses the process from initial ideas blocked in by level designers to enviromental/prop artist, sound and lighting, the document seperates them well enough for me to distinguish the different areas.
Level Designers are prominantly involved in the early stages of the games development pipeline, and are tasked with communicating with the concept artists and programmers as well as those involved in ideas development to create map designs, initially on paper and in programs like Sketchup to show these designs in a 3D environment (Sketchup can be used for concept art as well, like designing vehicles for example). It is important at this stage for the level designers to know what sort of game they will be making... a single player linear experience for example is going to be fundamentally different from a multiplayer game that is more open.
They also communicate with Quality Assurance Testers from these early stages to determine if a level flows correctly or if there are certain points that bring up confusion or even breaks the flow, making adjustments as necessary or as new ideas come into the pipeline.
From memory, I recall reading a small piece on the community created map "Cold Stream" for Left 4 Dead , talking about the differences between map making within a company and map making within a community - Chiefly, that a community made map tends to test with other gamers which necessitates levels being textured at an earlier stage than a larger company might use at a beta stage.
Although I can't find the original article, I can at least post a link to the L4D2 blogpost that briefly mentions this.
Assignment 1 Research p1 - Concept art
(Post will be updated after sleep)
Beginning research, I am maintaining an open mind as to which aspect of Games Development I will be writing about in the upcoming assignment. However, I have decided to start looking in the areas that potentially allow me to transfer some of my existing skills, and one of those areas might be concept art... or more specifically still, character concepts. Prior to coming onto the course, as mentioned in First Post, I drew and indeed still draw as a hobby and I like to think that a strong aspect of my drawing focuses on character and costume design.
Some of my research will be drawn from ImagineFX and Computer Arts magazines I've collected over the years, including specials on the topic of videogames.
So far, I have identified several catagories within the umbrella term of Concept Artist, the main ones being Character, Enviroment, Creature and Vehicle Artists, each of whom specialise in the areas of design as listed and
The role of concept artist also bears importance at various points in the development cycle, for example in preproduction when early ideas need to be visualised as quickly as possible of potential characters and environments to aid level designers as well as the 3D artists. This can involve straight up drawing, but it also involves gathering references of people or places that could help set the mood and tone that is being sought for the game. At this stage as well, there are no final designs persay - A main character or an enemy could have a dozen appearences until the right look is decided upon, even with a brief that is fairly specific. The concept artists role is to inspire ideas early on, for the 3D artists to later develop.
This work continues as a game goes into production and as ideas evolve and designs become unworkable or prove unpopular with any QA testers... or even as new ideas crop up down the pipeline.
To cite some examples of this, I can either point towards Half Life 2 : Raising The Crowbar or Team Fortress 2 - both Valve games that had protracted development cycles. Team Fortress 2 is a multiplayer team based shooter, and went through multiple designs from a realistic shooter to a human vs alien design before finally settling upon a highly stylised look inspired by the advertising artwork of artists like Joseph Leyendecker.... which all shows the importance of concept art in adapting to changes throughout development.
Because I love looking through the concept art of TF2, I shall include a link to their art page - Team Fortress 2 : Artwork
Beginning research, I am maintaining an open mind as to which aspect of Games Development I will be writing about in the upcoming assignment. However, I have decided to start looking in the areas that potentially allow me to transfer some of my existing skills, and one of those areas might be concept art... or more specifically still, character concepts. Prior to coming onto the course, as mentioned in First Post, I drew and indeed still draw as a hobby and I like to think that a strong aspect of my drawing focuses on character and costume design.
Some of my research will be drawn from ImagineFX and Computer Arts magazines I've collected over the years, including specials on the topic of videogames.
So far, I have identified several catagories within the umbrella term of Concept Artist, the main ones being Character, Enviroment, Creature and Vehicle Artists, each of whom specialise in the areas of design as listed and
The role of concept artist also bears importance at various points in the development cycle, for example in preproduction when early ideas need to be visualised as quickly as possible of potential characters and environments to aid level designers as well as the 3D artists. This can involve straight up drawing, but it also involves gathering references of people or places that could help set the mood and tone that is being sought for the game. At this stage as well, there are no final designs persay - A main character or an enemy could have a dozen appearences until the right look is decided upon, even with a brief that is fairly specific. The concept artists role is to inspire ideas early on, for the 3D artists to later develop.
This work continues as a game goes into production and as ideas evolve and designs become unworkable or prove unpopular with any QA testers... or even as new ideas crop up down the pipeline.
To cite some examples of this, I can either point towards Half Life 2 : Raising The Crowbar or Team Fortress 2 - both Valve games that had protracted development cycles. Team Fortress 2 is a multiplayer team based shooter, and went through multiple designs from a realistic shooter to a human vs alien design before finally settling upon a highly stylised look inspired by the advertising artwork of artists like Joseph Leyendecker.... which all shows the importance of concept art in adapting to changes throughout development.
Because I love looking through the concept art of TF2, I shall include a link to their art page - Team Fortress 2 : Artwork
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