Tag: Media

Game Mechanics: Combos

November 1, 2016

The Combo mechanic is where a movement is activated within a game by pressing a certain sequence of buttons in a certain order. This relies on the skill of the player as they have to remember these sequences to complete the action and have to do so in a short amount of time.

This is mostly used in ‘Beat Em Up’ Games, also known as fighting games. A good example of a game that has lots of use of this mechanic is Mortal Kombat. The player can do basic punches and kicks with the buttons but by completing a sequence of the buttons it will perform a special attack that does more damage to the enemy.

Another time this mechanic is used is in a game called Party Panic. This is a game compiled of short mini games. In one of these games the players participate in an eating challenge. In order to eat more food than your opponents, you must press the sequence of buttons that are displayed on the player models.

If I were to use this mechanic In my own game it would be in a fighting/beat em up a style of game. This is because it makes the player memorize moves and relies on the skill and memory of the player rather than just displaying the combo.

Prison Simulator:Concept Art

October 31, 2016

Similarly to what I did in my other projects, I decided to create a piece of concept art for the Prison Simulator. I wanted to show off one of the larger rooms in the prison that would have two floors and be surrounded by cells.

I did the usual process of creating a 3D model in SketchUp. This model was based on the sketches that I drew, which I showed in the previous post. This model was fairly easy to create as it mainly containing cell bars and the cell themselves were exactly the same.

I took the model into photoshop and used mainly grey colours as the research I did show that the colours and design are very simple. I Also used some dark browns fro the railings and the tables so that they appeared rusted. This was emphasised when I started to use the dodge and burn tool to show the light coming down from the ceiling as well as the age of the building.

jail

Game Mechanics: Epicness

October 30, 2016

This mechanic is fairly straightforward and the title basically explains it all. The point of this mechanic is to make the player feel ‘Epic’ after completing something within a game. This can range from anything such as defeating a boss to coming first in a leaderboard.

A good example of a game that does this is Star Wars: The Old Republic. Each World of the game has what is known as a ‘World Boss’ which is essentially the hardest enemy on that planet. These bosses usually take more than one person t defeat and when doing so make the players feel ‘epic’ as they have completed a hard task. This mechanic even coming into play before the players have defeated the enemy as the boss spawns in random locations across the world. Therefore the player will feel ‘epic’ just for finding it.

This mechanic happens very often in shooter games such as Call of Duty. A common tactic called ‘trickshotting’ is considered the hardest thing to pull off in the game as it requires perfect positioning and timing. The trick shot is where the player jumps off of something, spins around a certain amount and then kills the enemy before they have reached the ground. Since this is a complicated move it means that when the player pulls it off they feel epic as not many other people can do this.

If I were to use this mechanic in my own game I would do it similarly to how Call of Duty does it. What I mean by this is that the players themselves would develop a tactic or maneuver that they consider hard. Which in turn makes them feel epic if they pull it off.

 

Game Mechanics: Loss Aversion

October 24, 2016

This mechanic is applied mainly in MMORPG games. What this is, is items that the player receives but they can not use them because they are on the demo version of the game or a free trial. This is a good way of encouraging players to buy the game as they will be able to use the items.

Runescape is a good example of a game that uses this mechanic. The game is free to play however players can pay money every month so that they have a subscription. While they are playing in free mode they will sometime receive items from quests or even from other players such as ‘Dragon Armour’. When the player tries to equip this armour it will tell them that they need to buy a membership to be able to use this mechanic. The player is then encouraged to buy a membership which then gives the company a profit.

Another good example of this mechanic being used is in the console version of Minecraft. Players can play through a demo of the game that only lasts a certain amount of time before it will ask them to buy the game or restart the demo. Since the player has already put time into the game creating their own buildings and gathering resources they will not want to lose it. Therefore they then buy the game so that they can keep on playing.

Game Mechanics: Urgent Optimism

October 19, 2016

This mechanic is something that is optional to the players and usually works with more experienced players. When players are going to do a boss fight in a role playing game they will prepare themselves or ‘optimize’ their layout so that they have a better chance of defeating the enemy. This can be in the form of upgrading their equipment so that they have better Armour and weapons or by changing the Heads Up Display to suit their needs.

A good example of this mechanic being used is in all MMORPG games. The player can change the layout of the skill bars in the hood and move abilities about so that they feel like it suits them best and will allow them to perform better. This also occurs to armor and equipment as players will buy new equipment that matches their level so that they have increased stats against the boss.

Another good example of this mechanic being used is in racing games such as Forza. After the player has completed a few races they will have received rewards such as money and new parts. To optimize their car so that they have a higher chance of winning the race they will purchase new parts that increase the stats such as speed, acceleration, and handling. This then means that they have a better vehicle and can win the race.

If I was to use this mechanic in my own game It could be in any but for the sake of an example, I would choose a role playing game. The player will equip the best armor that matches their level so that they have higher stats and can easily complete the quests.

Game Mechanics: Ownership

October 18, 2016

The Ownership mechanic is something that causes the player to create an emotional bond to and that player will never t want to lose it. This can be all different things such as equipment or characters.

The first example of his mechanic being used is in most mmo/ rpgs. When a player receives a piece of armour or a weapon that they like the design with they will try to keep it no matter what. Even if they receive a new piece of equipment that has better stats they will not replace it unless it looks like the piece they already own.

Games such as fallout use the emotion conveyed by the characters to create the sense of ownership. For example one of the companions in the game is a dog. Since the dog is a common pet the players will feel a sense of ownership to the dog as they can relate to the scenario and won’t want to switch companions.

If I were to use this mechanic it could be in any type of game but it would work best in role playing games.  His is because the ownership comes from the design meaning that it is unique and not like other designs out there adding to the popularity of the game.

Game Brief: Prison Simulator

October 18, 2016

For the Game Brief, the group decided that the game we would be creating would be from the prison simulator idea that we came up with.

Our group has lots of different ideas about what we could include in this game, however, the first thing we are going to do is research into already existing prisons including how they are laid out the different groups of people in there and the design of it.

A lot of inspiration for this project can also come from to shows such as orange is the new black as it shows what life is like in the prison. It also gives ideas about what task can be implemented in the game and different ways that allow the player to complete it.

Creative Futures Mini Brief: Adaptation

October 15, 2016

In this mini brief the aim was to come p with a concept for a video game based on existing media. this media could be films, TV shows or even books.  To start this I first looked up many different novels that have been recreated into a film or TV show.

My first Idea is adapted from the books and film franchise Lord Of The Rings He game would be set in a sci-fi/futuristic environment. The main part of this franchise which will be adapted is the focus of the story however it will obviously be made so that It fits in with the theme of the game. The new story or backstory of the game is that a piece of technology has been invented that gives the person that wields it unlimited power and drives them into madness. This is obviously adapted from the Ring that exists within the LOTR franchise. Too make this Idea more unique I then decided to add in another piece of media so that it is more unclear about what it has been adapted from. This adaptation applies to the characters, either the playable character or the villain of the game. The adaptation is that the only information known is the players name and that they are very known throughout the world. This is adapted from the main character and the focus of the novel/film The Great Gatsby.

The second Idea is adapted from a Classic animation movie Atlantis. The game is set in a middle ages world where they discover a map that leads to an ancient Aztec city. This city is located underwater, obviously the part which is adapted from the film. Another adaptation which I added to this game is that the treasure map is a legend that is known throughout the land and when it is discovered it causes an ancient evil to return which wants to rule the city. This adaptation is taken from the Harry Potter books as when Harry begins to become a wizard Voldemort returns.

The final idea is adapted from the Narnia books. The player starts off in a normal modern day world and has just moved into a new house. The player explore and finds a cupboard under the stairs that leads to another world. This world is completely different from the modern day world as it has a steampunk theme .