Sunday, March 3, 2013

Elements of game design- Part four



The environment of a game is the foundation the rest of the assets sit on. Its what stitches the story, game-play and the over all experience together. The environment could make or break your game from the first hour of play, If it isn't strong and doesn't carry the story and the experience with it.



                           'Skyrim' has beautiful environment design as seen in these two images.



When I think about a game the first thing that comes to mind is the most memorable section of the story, whether that be a deep meaningful moment or simply a tough mission. I remember where it took place. That place is an entire universe setup by that game. That place is a section that was particular memorable in design, so memorable I can clearly picture what was different, what the layout was, how it felt to interact with and navigate through and what made it striking or atmospheric, all of these memories created from a good environment in game. To a designer an environment is a level in which a player will have to navigate, use to his or her advantage and is the building block for the challenge ahead. If i were to design a level i would constantly think of the environment as a maze, how to make it more difficult or easier to navigate, how much time it would take, what shape is it and how does this affect the experience. For me to enjoy a game the environment must feel natural. Perhaps reminiscent of something the player can connect with, maybe it references a well known

location or boasts aesthetics found in a specific point in history, but more importantly it should poses atmospheric aesthetics such as varying lighting conditions to compliment the mood of the game. The environment must be natural to the universe setup by the game, it must fit with other locations and comply to the characters scale. Niche styles and realism are incomparable based on what type of world that has been setup. Stylizing to any degree can work with the suspension of disbelief stored in the player. For example, stylism is well executed in a game environment if it can easily change your perception, so that you then understand that in this specific game its perfectly natural for the sky to be purple and the grass to be red. Also consistency is key in environment design, keep the scenery controlled, unless it is easily understood by the player that the bizarre part of the environment their in compliments what is happening in the story. If an environment doesn't comply to any relevant part of the story or a theme within the game then this will eject the players immersion and cause them to question the games functionality.





Lets look at 'little big planet' seen above. The artwork and environments within the game are brightly colored  brightly lit, emit a happy light hearted atmosphere and are heavily stylized.  At no point during the whole game did i ask myself “why am i riding a robotic camel?, why do i need to place childish stickers everywhere to get rewards?” or think “ there's no way my player could fall that far without dying” because there was no reason for me too. From the beginning of the game i was aware that there wasn't going to be any elements of realism or serious views within this game because of the tone the artwork and environment had initially set for me. If the environment is consisted and only veers toward the niche vision originally set for the game in the design document the player is going to enjoy and grasp the games story more, and experience the game play how it was intended. Also the characters and story will slot into place when the environment has set the tone and the atmosphere for the game.


      You always need to aim to subconsciously lead the player forward in a game environment, to keep                        t                                            the momentum of the action and story flowing.


An environment must have a clear path for the player to navigate enabling them to delve into the designers every intention for how the world around you affect your playing, it must be navigational by AI, it must be possible for players to find and remember routes. If everything looks the same and the map is very repetitive the player will feel lost, confused, frustrated and even disorientated, unless those are intentional traits of the game Of course. It must evoke feelings appropriate to the game, and the feeling you absolutely do not want is frustration. You need to consider the genre of the game your designing as well  if it’s a survival horror for example, the environment may be required to easily evoke feelings of enclosure, fear, uneasiness, urgency or a slow pace, a sense of helplessness, disorientation, paranoia, shock, alienation, and so on. All these things can be evoked from the player if you have a well executed environment and atmosphere.

Elements of game design- Part three


For me to feel emerged in the plot when i'm playing a game the characters have to be someone i can relate to, and i think most players need to get attached to the character to suspend their disbelief for longer. Characters in games are different from that of books and film as you can actually delve into their every mannerism by moving them in game. Take my always referenced game for example, Fallout 3. From beginning to end you play only as the lone wanderer of Vault 101, not having to see the sides of more than one character as you would in a book or film. In the game you set off with the task of searching for your mysteriously missing dad, so straight away you have an initial connection with the player as you are fed the information and back story needed to imagine his likely feelings and emotions as you make him wonder through the desolate wasteland. Also in Fallout, there's a feature achievable in games but not books or films, you get to choose multiple paths for the character to take them down any root you deem fit, which is almost like you able to imprint your own ethics and choices into this character, rather than just being told how the character acts and the path the character takes like you would in a book.



However there are some games that feature characters i find it hard to attach myself too. Take Halo for example, how am I to connect to a character who I don’t even know what his/her face looks like. Games like Need for speed, Call of Duty or Halo don't posses the character building traits seen in most games. I feel this is because they don't need to, they are meant to be played light heartily  soldiers and cars are disposable, the element of attraction in those types of games are funded by the quick return of fun you get from playing, not the gradual build up of a plot or unraveling of your characters back story.


                                         




For me to say i create more of a relationship between games characters than i do with characters in books, isn't entirely true. I find it much easier to immerse myself into my imagination when I read books than when I play games. Yes in books the plot is set out for you, but in games you have the world made out for you and the characters are just there for you to get from A to B. A character in a book is a blank canvas for you to unload all your crazy concepts of men and women into, unless of course the character is described in incredible detail at the start, but even then there's room to squeeze in your own aesthetics. I try and read a lot of Sci-fi books as apposed to ones true to life, as you have to create a whole new world from just a set of words. I love that the world is constantly changing in books and if you get something wrong it can be erased and made again. Books can be quiet vague sometimes which is a good thing but also a bad thing. It means that when a character walks into an un-described room you automatically deploy your own images as to what the room would look like, and then you turn the page to find that it eventually describes the room, so you then have to un-imagine your concept which is hard.

The more realistic the industry increases to be then technically the more immersive games should get, as realism is a key factor in emerging yourself in something, if the story and aesthetics are too wacky then it just becomes another light hearted game you cant really grasp or relate too.



                                                               'LA Noire' - Realistic faces

I feel character artists have the hardest job in game production, scenery is nice but its not essential, there's few games where you just play as a camera and look at scenery. The character is always the main focal point even if its just the back of a head or their hand and gun on screen, the personality they emit and draw you in with is what makes the game a form of escapism, you get to imagine yourself as that person for a while, taking on board there issues and tasks while putting your own aside. Also the character artist has to try and please everyone, which is hard because you won’t be able to create a character who will relate to everyone, that's why its good to find a niche concept for characters, at least if you cant please everyone you can create something no one else has. A game will be good if at least flows from start to finish, this way you’ll hold the audience for much longer than if you are just switching between random environments, characters and story lines  Keep it simple don’t over complicate the story line because the player just won’t pay attention and grow bored of listening to big words and complicated sub plots. To me a game is enjoyable if the characters and plot are unique and relatable, in voice, appearance and personality  unless like i mentioned earlier its a light hearted game like Minecraft in which you don't care that your character doesn't have a voice, you don't care they all look the same, you just want to do a bit of digging.

Elements of game design- Part two


An art director is the person in a game production pipeline that gives birth to the visions created on paper by the game designer. They are the person who is in charge of the overall look of the game. They work closely with the game designer in bringing the vision of the game to life. The look of the world is very important therefore the Art director’s role is a very big responsibility. They must work with a diverse team of other artists, overseeing their work and communicating closely with them so that the game may be developed in the atmosphere the game is to be set. Art direction for games is an extremely crucial part of their development. Everything from the environment to the characters must be thought and planned out. They must be designed precisely to fit in with the design document, which puts a lot of pressure on the artist, especially if the game designer doesn't allow room for maneuver.  Certain levels have to have certain moods, and these can be created by carefully deciding on things like colors  lighting, sounds, textures etc. Will it be a scary moment in the game? What can we do to make the player feel scared? Make it dark; make odd shapes and colors stand out in specific ways to lead their attention. Everything must be thought of and carefully tweaked to get the desired aesthetics of the game.



Art direction in games and films are quite similar. For example, the environments can be designed for a specific purpose, for enhancing the story or setting the stage for a particular event.


                                                             
                                                               'Fallout 3' vs 'I am legend'



One difference between them however, is the amount of control the art directors have on the viewers point of view. In films, you can control everything, if you want them to look at a certain building, and make the building look important by changing the camera angle, you can do this in a film. You lead the audience where ever you want, and they have only to watch. Also, there is technically less thinking involved when watching a film. In games however, the art director has to think about how the world is viewed from almost every angle. Of course, some games can have fixed camera angles, Resident Evil for example, which holds traits in films, fixing the camera in clever ways that make rooms look bigger, and corridors more imposing.  In games the main difference is that the player has a little more freedom to see what they want to see. Therefore, the art director has to make sure that the mood and settings within the world stay the same no matter where the viewer is looking. Obviously in different areas, it can change for effect.

To be an art director, I think the key skills are communication, leadership, organisational skills. Also, the ability to evaluate others work, and give constructive criticism. I think they would be important since being the art director, you will be leading the other artists, communicating and collaborating with them to achieve the overall goal. I think you would have to have these skills, and have a strong team management skill to bestow to the project, respecting each of those on the team, and working together in an organised manner. Personally I think my communication skills may need to be developed a little further, as i am not confident at pitching ideas or presenting to a crowd. I am working on those skills at the minute. I do have good organisational skills, and I think I would be able to confidently set up tasks and deadlines for each person involved in the production team.
 

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Elements of game design - Part one


To me, game play is simply the way in which a player interacts with a game. However this doesn't mean interacting souly with the interface or the narrative plot. The interaction is also enabled due to a combination of design encompassing controls, in game music spurting out atmosphere to compliment the visuals, and the abilities and motivational mechanics in game. The best outcome for a game is if the player becomes addicted to it, through for example the way in which rewards are set-up, systems feel and work, levels are designed and integrated, the overall experience attainable through playing.

The kind of game play enabled through computer games isn't to far from the kind achievable in traditional board games, except in board games you sometimes have to imagine the visuals and atmosphere. However, the level in which you are emerged in playing the game, the way you interact to change the games outcome and the way in which you receive that rewarding feeling from the game is identical.



The single person who is responsible for the executed product would be the game designer, due to the fact the every other team is emulating the specifications found in the design document. However, the game designers work only starts the ball rolling as there are so many individuals responsible for equally important parts of the final product and the game is never entirely to the original vision of the game designer anyway. Other directors of departments also have their own influence on important decisions, the restraints of programming and the art direction. The Lead Programmer, Art director, level designer, user interface designer and audio team report back to the game designer so it is essential for him to provide communication, direction, and time management between the teams surrounding him, which undoubtedly makes the game designer the stem of the whole process.The game designer documents the style, feel and prototype vision of the game. Explaining the core game mechanics intrinsic to that particular game. He sets the rules and defines the specifications. Game design is a pre-production process, it is the first stop. These documents will be developed into a small demonstration and pitched to their publishers and producers.



All games are based on the same mechanical principles. What is the purpose, in what form will the player be rewarded through playing. Is there an element of competition or skill required, what excites the player, where is the fun? As a game designer you need to be observant to the world, and experiences. You must analyse what makes an experience enjoyable and to know what makes an experience un-enjoyable is also incredibly important. You can learn a lot from games that have got downfalls and are deemed poor, more so than games that have executed everything correctly, which rarely happens. It is easier to pin point what has gone wrong in almost every game you have played, when something feels un-natural, frustrating, or down right illogical. Which is why games testers are needed to work out the kinks in the game before finalizing,  having a fresh pair of eyes to review the game is always useful. Game play is about experiences and good memories that will keep you buying those games time and time again. However, sometimes the next game in a series will disappointingly never be made as every element of a games creation is restricted by money. The budget puts a lot of restraint on a game designer and keeps innovation in a tight hold. Publishers often don’t want to hear about “new ideas” as costs to produce have increased publishers aren't willing to risk their big bucks on untested designs. This means research must be done before any game designer can commit to paper their plans. In order to sway the publishing company into paying for the developers lunch and home bills whilst they produce the product promised that will earn back the money for the publisher, game designers must look back to successful designs, this means a lot of game design traits are being re-used and were seeing a lot of similar games crowding the market trying to one up one another.

This trend cant last long. As graphics are reaching a pinnacle, people are becoming less impressed by the look and same formulas they've seen time and time again. People will hopefully start to look to game designers to innovate, to bring back the charm of a finely crafted experience instead of a repeated one.

What makes a good game is a good design document, that has a clearly defined goal for the game, and plays as intended. Focusing on fun. Focusing on escape. Focusing on rewarding the player. What makes a good designer is someone who has lived and experienced all the enjoyable things in life, and understands just what is it that makes something fun, someone who observes and analyses, and most of all someone who can get the job done to standard, and is willing to sacrifice their designs for the deadline. They must never be too attached to their designs and they must be willing to seek criticism and tie together other peoples views.


                                                       'Limbo' - Developed by PlayDead

My favorite games are normally indie games and revolve around the abnormal and the surreal, as I find these games incorporate less of an intense story and are a lot easier to delve and escape into, they seem more memorable and defined to me, most games that tend to populate the market these days follow the same paths as others. A lot of indie games iv played are full of atmosphere, and tied in an simple yet enjoyable way to progress through the game.