Game City

In this project you will learn the basics of visual programming to start creating your own games. The tool you will be using to do this is Microsoft Kodu – A 3D games designing software.

All through this project you will develop your understanding of what makes a good game and what are the basic constructs of every game you play.

Game City.

Objectives

Know: More about GRASP. Understand: How Rules can define the scope. Complexity and difficulty of a game Be able to: Create a game that follows a set of rules and adapt them.

Game City.

Lets play a game.You are at a hypermarket which sells everything. Name one item you would like to buy.

Rule 1The name of the item must start with the last letter of the last item that was said.

Rule 2Before you say your item, you have to say all the items that went previously.

Rule 3The item you say must have more letters in it than the item before.

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Rules are what determine how an agent may behave in a given system.

In games, Rules work the same way, except they determine how a player may behave and interact with the game world. For example, in chess, how one moves a pawn in the player’s direction becomes valid or invalid according to the Rules governing the pawn (e.g., moving the pawn sideways is an invalid move), while different Rules define valid moves for the knight (e.g. jumping over other pieces is a valid knight move).

Game City.

Rules can generally be defined by:• Behaviour for which the player will be punished.• Rules that restrict behaviour.

In basketball, you cannot walk or run without dribbling the ball. This is called traveling, and the other team will get the ball.In chess, the player cannot move a pawn sideways or backwards. There is no punishment, as those are not valid moves; the Rules simply define the set of actions available to the players.

Game City.

Pong (Medium difficulty)Setting – A square playing field – two players and a wall behind each player. Players are facing each other horizontallyGoal – To score more points than the other playerRules • Players can only move up or down.• If ball goes behind player the other player

scores a point

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Pac Mac (Hard difficulty)Setting – A maze with apples in itGoal to eat 50 applesRules

• Player can move in all directions• Eating an apple gives the player 1 point• Saucers are released every 5 seconds• Saucers must follow a set path around the

maze• If the Kudo bumps into a saucer then he

loses a life and is reset to the starting place.

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Maze Blitz (Easy difficulty)Setting – A maze with an enemy character. Kodu starts outside and inside is some ammo for the KoduGoal – To get the ammo and destroy the other bot.Rules

• Player cannot fire unless they have found the ammo.

• Enemy player follows a set path round the maze.

• Enemy player will fire on the Kodu if it is near it.

Game City.TaskUse the help sheets to create either the Pong game Pac Man, Maze Blitz or a game of your own which at least 2 rules that either

1. Rules that affect the movement of a character2. Rules that can change the environment3. Rules that may change a character’s abilities4. Rules which may change the win condition of a game.5. Rules which allow the player to gain health to survive

longer.

Adapt or change the rules of the game to improve it or make the gameplay slightly different. Document the change in rules that you have implemented in the Game Workbook.