Gameplay

CSE 191A: Seminar on Video Game Programming

Lecture 6: Gameplay

UCSD, Spring, 2003

Instructor: Steve Rotenberg

E3

Electronic Entertainment Expo

Next week in LA

Don Likeness

Lecture: “Programming Video Games”

Friday, May 16, 2:00-3:00

AP&M 4301

Co-founder & President of Treyarch Corp.

HomeworkTwo page report on any subject within game developmentI will accept almost any topic, but you must do some real research. Read some papers, find some books, read some stuff on the internet, or whatever you can find…Please get my approval on the topic so I can point you in the direction of some references if I canOptionally, you can do a simple demo program INSTEAD of the written report. The demo should demonstrate one relevant piece of technology or interactivity. Again, please get my approval on the topic first.You can turn it in on the last lecture (6/6/03) but sooner would be nice.

Gameplay

PrioritiesGameplay and fun are considered the top priorities in most successful games.Technology is important as a means of enabling the player to interact with the world in new and different ways.Technology also plays an important role in production efficiency (tools & support).It is important to experiment with gameplay as early in the development process as possible.

Play Control Feedback LoopComputer:

Read input deviceMove player ‘vehicle’ and update worldMove cameraRender world (& generate audio)Display image on monitor (& play audio)

Human:View image on monitor (& hear audio)Process image (& audio)Make decisionsMove fingers, hands to control input device

Interactivity FrequencySee and hear world (every frame (60 Hz))Control ‘vehicle’ (several times per second)Interact with environment (a few times every second)Interact with AI entities & other players (every second)Make tactical decisions (every 10 seconds)Make strategic decisions & planning (every minute)

Interactivity TypesRacing

Vehicle handlingPacing competition

CombatTargetingChasingHide & seekLearning special moves

AdventureDiscoverySolving puzzlesNavigationStory

This is only a partial list!

Design Issues

Learned skills vs. acquired skills

Balance (small & fast vs. big & slow)

Damage (lose performance as you get damaged?)

Simulation vs. game

Intelligence vs. patterns

…and many others

TestingDaily Testing: It is nice if a game has a full time person who can do constant daily testing of every new code & art feature that goes in. This person can also help with game design and other production assistant tasks.Focus Testing: Once the game is at a ‘presentable’ state, it is nice to do regular (monthly?) focus testing using people who have never played the game before. This type of testing is extremely valuable and it is very beneficial if the game designer is present and able to silently observe the test subjects.Beta Testing: Once the game is close to completion, it enters a rigorous testing phase with several on-site testers and several more testers who may be off-site.Product Testing: Once the game is finished and a final rom is submitted to the system manufacturer (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft), they will do final testing to verify that the game follows their system conventions and behaves properly.

Misc. Issues

Play control

Design documents

Game designer’s role

Tuning

Input Devices

Dead zones, exponentials

Rectangular vs. polar coordinates

Gesture recognition

Device sampling

Force feedback

Next-gen input devices (cameras, voice input…)

Cameras

Cameras are hard.

Base camera class, derived cameras

Transitions

Types: polar, fixed, locked, follow, canned…

Collisions

Multiplayer

Control

Players

AI

Network players

Replay

Jobs in Game Development

Job TypesProgramming

Programmer

Lead programmer

Technical director

ArtModeler

Animator

2D artist

Lead artist

Art director

Game designAssistant designer

Level designer

Lead designer

AudioSound effects designerComposer

ProductionTesterLead testerProduction assistantProducer

Resume & Interview SuggestionsCustomize presentation towards specific career types or even specific companiesDo some demos. I suggest doing a simple game that includes a variety of components (graphics, effects, sound, AI, terrain, collisions…). It doesn’t have to do those things terribly well, but it is nice to show competence in a variety of subjects. It might also be nice to do some focused demos that show off one particular subject very well. You can put demos on your personal web page and/or you can bring a CD or laptop to an interview with you.Clear objectiveBe persistent (but don’t be a pest)Background experience in art, design, sound, writing, music, film, etc. is a plusLearn as much as you can about the companies you apply to.Take as many related classes as you can (AI, networking, graphics, audio, art…)Study game programming on your own. Read books, write games, attend conferences…

Conclusion

Preview of Next Week

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Navigation

Behavior

More on Locomotion…

Stance: erect, sprawling, semi-sprawling

Foot: digitate, palmate, knuckles

Straight-leg vs. bent-leg

Walking vs. running

Step period, gait clock

Step cycle: transfer phase, stance phase

Trigger time, duty cycle