Just a few hours before the presentation I don't feel (at all) we are going to do an acceptable performance. We still need to finish: the back and both sides of the box (even if I did the cover art), update the pipeline, make the whole marketing plan, CMC, CAC (because I can't finish it without marketing) and even finish the slices. I am now sure that we will do a mediocre presentation. I tried to do my part properly as well help whenever I could but the team just didn`t respond as we should. The last class I didn`t do much because I was trying to figure out how the numbers could make sense. It is way more difficult than it seems the only solution I found was selling a lot of copies. In the second meeting, on the other hand, only 4 of us actually showed up so we only could make a couple of decisions. It`s been difficult to me have a good communication with Jacob (He has been helping me with Financial) so I couldn`t understand the last changes he did to the document. We seriously need to change the dynamic as the group if we want to pass this subject.
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In the last class, Leo and I were discussing game's story details. As he is so creative and I actually have studied modern narrative structure (a little of cinematographic theory for example). We decided that the main character should be a girl because make more sense with the message we are trying to tell. The idea, by the way, is talk about nature VS humans or how our relationship with it have always been contradictory. We would like to show these ideas through the gameplay avoiding cutscenes or traditional to tell stories. Megan Man-Style games don't usually have a lot of work in their message that's why we would like to innovate in this area. Besides stages, characters, and special powers we are trying to use Head-Up on display to tell details. The other issue we worked last class was the cover of the game. Aiden shows us an interesting program to design simple boxes. So everybody started designing their covers. After a while, we all have our ideas in the program or in a more traditional way (just a sketch with pencil) but most of them were sadly bad. We did a polling and my design won: a girl in flames looking directly ahead in front of the cover. Although I was glad my biggest preoccupation was making a good design so I spent 3 hours in this drawing. I hope everybody like, it, there was also no meeting again but at least I still worked on this. Journey is nothing less than a masterpiece. Its style and approach strongly resembles another classic video games: ICO. We can easily notice the same structure: that tiny character which has to navigate in lonely but expressive landscapes to reach his destiny. These artworks have the experience as objective and the feelings as goal. The main idea is to communicate something through the interaction. In that way, we are who build the message and read it as we like. Journey brings this old classic formula to our times and provides new elements to achieve a new level Aesthetics: Every single aspect in Journey is talking about stages of life so the main goal of the game is communicate this message (narrative). From that vast and desolate desert (which represent birth) to those frozen mountains. From those shining colors in the beginning to that icy white in the end. Our anthropomorphic avatar goes across every phase of the Hero's Journey only to prove Campbell's discovery. Our universal journey: the circle of life. It’s design by subtraction (as the master Ueda taught us) multiplies the immersion. The game come in through our eyes (sense pleasure) and our actions influence the layout of what we se on screen. This experience as a whole can only fully understand it with another person (fellowship). Dynamics: Journey's dynamics are mainly determined by the interaction between movement and surroundings. Those shifting landscapes are always giving us meaningful clues (the hieroglyph for example) to depict a bigger message. While we are delighted seing these changes happening before our eyes and ears. The puzzles are also designed to provide clues about the story. Another interesting dynamic is the Scarf. As a metaphor of our knowledge: is always growing as we learn and use it to solve almost any problem. Finally, about dynamic related to fellowship aesthetics, the possibility to live this journey aside somebody else: finding ways to communicate between each other and cooperating to solve puzzles are good example. Mechanics:
Journey use very simple mechs to tell a complex story. As the game is talking about the cycle of life the main mechanic is movement so most of the time we will be navigating through the landscape. Could be walking, jumping, gliding or sliding all we have to do is move forward (in a way, we are pushing the story forward). Beside our character can emit a sort of aura (through the scarf) to interact with the environment. While we are moving we can see striking changes in our surroundings, in its shapes, color and environments. We can also communicate with other players by emitting a unique sound. This way the game is challenge us to develop a whole relationship with other player (from problem solving to communication process) with that sound. This is a brilliant example how using a simple action can allow player fill blanks and build their own experience which lead a certain message (in this case feelings of fellowship). Minecraft is nothing less than a living legend. The dreaming of any designer: from humble indie game to a huge mass media phenomenon. Only behind Tetris with more than 100 million copies sold this is the second best-selling video game ever made. Minecraft is a particularity. If most video games only have a few Aesthetics this game is the exception. Minecraft is a brilliant combination of what video games could be. It is our own interactives legos. This game is an example of how we can express ourselves through the interaction. Long live to this masterpiece. Aesthetic Minecraft is first of all expression through creation. The game itself is a giant toolbox so we can create the world we want. I have read that video games are pretty much like architecture: the artistic experience born from our movement (interaction) through the creation. Tha's why we are able to narrate our own story the way we want. Online gaming lets us discover other players approach. Either if we work together (fellowship) or race against other players (competitive) social interactions are key to the game as a whole. The constructions we are yet to find will pleasure our senses because there is always a creation for your eyes. If you are looking for a challenge on the other hand, the survival mode would be your choice. Even if you only want to play to evading reality Minecraft has something for you. All these elements compacted in a sense pleasure graphic style. As you can see this endless procedural universe is a unique experience. Dynamics: As the main dynamic in this game is creation the Creative Mode is the most successful. In this mode, we have access to all kind of material and the ability to fly in order to create any construction we can imagine. This mode support expression, narrative and abnegation because let us built either a whole level, just a tiny house or get lost in this colorful world. The existence of hundreds of animals and enemies with different behavior to our actions or how we can exploit the interaction between materials are fundamental dynamics in the challenging Survival Mode. Finally, the way we interact with others real players either join forces to create something (fellowship) or race against them to built the best structure (and more important how we discover their creations) are key dynamics in multiplayer mode in Multiplayer Mode. Also It's sort of 3D pixel art style hits the target to give the visual sensation of crafting. In this game the player’s actions could change from one dynamic to another. Mechanics: In consonance with the dynamics of creative expression any action we can do in Minecraft have something to do with crafting. We can forge and handle all kind of tools like bows, swords, sticks or even clothes like armors either to create or destroy our world. In order to do that, we will be collecting and mixing natural materials like stone, wood, gold, bone or emeralds from our surroundings. This is also the way we alter our world by adding or destroying small pieces of it and this is also how sense pleasure comes to it because we could give the world the shape we want to. Although is relative easy to us move through the stage, grounds with water or lava will affect our character health. So the world influence us the same way you change it. Basics actions like jump, attack (associated to challenging dynamics because we have a live bar so we could die), walk (moving and using items like torches we can discover secrets), use, eat, sneak, take, drop or even chat (typing messages, this is the way we race or work we other people) are also possible. Freedom is a key word to understand the mechanics. The creative spirit of this game is even in its name: Mine-Craft. The same way that Lego success because gave us the materials to build anything we want Minecraft did the same but adapted into video game language. As we can see, the holistic aesthetic of minecraft is always telling us to create and also put in our hands the tools to do it. Card Hunter is an interesting experiment that combines basics elements of role-playing games with traditional boards games and trading card games to present a solid product. We can easily see (and feel) the vast experience of the guys from Blue Manchu Games (nothing less than ex-Irrational Games and ex-Magic The Gathering). It is true that there are lots of similarities with their previous creations (It’s an obvious tribute to old role boards games). But how they take advantage of all these elements to assemble such a smooth game is just to acclaim. Aesthetic: We have to recruit human knights, elf wizards or fiercer dwarf to set up a small party to fight against dragons, lizards or any kind of enemies. As we move per turns above a board whereas we use cards to decide our attacks or movements the competition is always present. But we also can improve our characters skills earning better clothes or weapons and arrange all these settings in a deck the way prefer. So there is expression aesthetic too. This experience is similar to the classic Dungeon and Dragons but with its own (video-game) identity. Dynamics: The authentics dynamic of this unique experience lay on the characters. All our development in the game will be conditioned to improve our characters level, weapons, suit and arrange all these in our unique deck (as we know any trading card game has some of expression pleasure) On the other hand, we have others interesting dynamics like battles (probably the main one) the fact we control 3 characters at the same time, that sectional field and how we move on it or the different enemy’s tokens. All these dynamics contribute more than seems to the experience as a competition. Mechanics: As any strategic game, the main mechanic here is selecting. We have to select with attack our token is going to do or where he is going to move (per turns). Always trying to eliminate our enemy tokens. In order to do that we use the cards system to perform any action on the board (attack, defense or movement). They are the fuel to trigger every competitive feature of the game. Collecting them to enlarge our possibilities is a game goal. Besides the showdowns, we will be choosing new fighters to our party or fitting out everyone with new tools. Here is where the mechanics support the expression facet of the game. Card Hunter wants tribute all those old boards role-playing fantasy games. Use its artistic style which is always trying to emulate a real board game and mix of mechanics to fulfill this goal and achieve it. This game is the perfect proof of why innovation knows no bounds. In spite of being a mixture of old references Card Hunter manages to find its own path. As long you have a clear idea of your objectives and good design to support them you can always do a remarkable game. After App boom in the 2010s “casual games” took protagonist in world gaming scene. Unpopular genres like cards, simulator or puzzles became an incredible reliable business. As a product of this explosion in 2009 appeared Plants VS Zombies a tower defense game by a small indie studio called Popcap Games. Plants VS Zombies is probably the most successful tower defense game ever made. Its large shadow had influenced thousands posterior games like our case Cursed Treasure (IriySoft, 2010). A modest product well executed but without its own spirit. All this leaves it far away from a remarkable experience. Aesthetic: The particularity in this game is our role: we are actually the bad guys. So in order to defend our precious gems from those mean heroes we have to place vigilant towers. There are 3 types: Orcs, Undead and Demons tower with differences like power or fire ratio. The places we can put our towers is limited and changes with each round. As any tower defense Cursed Treasure tries to be a challenge and is always seeking our abnegation. Dynamics: The main dynamic in the game is the stage itself. As we can only put towers on some specific grounds (one for every sort). The shape of the stages would be fundamental to determinate the difficulty (which means the challenge) of the whole level. By the way with “stage” I am talking about the route the heroes follow to reach the gems. The duration of each level is determined by how many waves it has. They are usually following one after another very quickly to try we keep play without thinking too much (supporting abnegation). We can also improve our towers characteristics by choosing special powers in a specific screen but is not a very active dynamic. Plants VS Zombies, for example, make the money recollection a dynamic itself asking us to pick every sun/coin we seen on stage. However, here we just wait... Mechanics: Like any strategic game (assuming tower defense is a subgenre) most mechanics are simply clicking and place. The only things we actually do is select a tower and place it on the stage (this is the only way to respond to the challenge). We can also upgrade ours towers if we have enough money and there is a button to accelerate the arrival of heroes wave too (just to continuing our abnegate playing until we want). We earn money by the way, killing enemies depending on their strong. Finally, enemies waves are the main mechanic to support the challenge. Them always start with a few weak foes to increase gradually. Cursed Treasure is as a whole a pretty discreet game. Its lack of options, more dynamics or further interactivity depicts a grayish aesthetic. The player can only face the challenge but never be part of it. Because our actions are so limited. Also, the artistic style is ugly and too generic so we can’t empathize with those characters (that’s why in Cursed Treasure 2 they changed it for a cartoon style suspiciously similar to Plants VS Zombies). Abnegation then becomes the other important part of the game’s aesthetic but even this is limited because with 18 levels our relaxation is not going to last long. I never liked strategy games. All my live I have been avoiding titles like Ages of Empires, World of Warcraft, League of Legend, etc. But I must admit I actually had a good time playing Catan. The only thing I regret is I realize the importance of first rounds too late. Where and How put your first settlements and bridges is essential in order to fight for victory even so I ended second. So The settler of Catan is a great entrance to the universe of strategy games with its easy learning and friendly rules. The Aesthetics of the game are in first place Competitive (as any board game): you have to raise over your opponents. The game has some of Fantasy too, everything (from the art on the box to city pieces) was made to give us the sensation of colonizing land. The development cards, the art on the board itself (deserts, oceans, mountains, etc.) and the resources cards: sheep, clay, wood, stone, every image smell like Colonial Age. Development cards are a good example of a Dynamic: we can buy these for a certain amount of money *ejem resources* and use them to sabotage our rivals or simply gain a Victory Point. They are like jokers, so their effects can disturb a normal round with unexpected situations. The fact we can build a settlement or city in each land we colonized using the resources we have is the way the game try to make us feel like a colonizer (and support the Fantasy Aesthetic too). Mechanically speaking the game works similar to Monopoly. In this case, the "bank" is the land itself and the money would be the resources cards. We just have to find and exchange these cards in order to built settlements or cities. The luck tells us how many resources are we going to get from the earth: just roll a dice. The thief is another specific mechanic which made to promoting competition between players. If you get 7 you can steal resources from other players by putting the thief doll on their territories. Although Settler of Catan really tries to make us feel like a Middle Age colonial commander fail because all what we actually do is manage resources as money. I felt like a banker rather than a Commander. So this is a good example how mechanics and dynamics are in conflict with the (supposed) aesthetic. Only the building dynamic (with the roads and settlements) is truly innovative. It is a good board game to learn basics about strategies games in general. But the smell of Monopoly is just too strong. It is always hard to coordinate a group of people. After meeting each other nobody knows exactly what to do or how to start. I suppose this confusing situation is normal because this is our first semester and my classmates are too young. Anyway, as I like to write I started to work on game design document to fill out all gaps James had left. In order to do that, I needed to know more about what kind of game we were building. So I asked Mai a lot of questions because she was only that seems disposed to talk about the game. We discussed issues like gameplay, controls, characters or environments.
Although I was able to almost finish the entire game description (I wouldn't say the whole document because I know It needs far more develop) I still feel we should be doing more. It is true that Mai, Angelica, and Carly were working on characters design and James was trying to do some programming (not without a lot of distraction, by the way). I would like to take the leadership from here but I still need more speaking skills. So this is the situation right know, I am indeed learning how to make a game design document and basis concerning different part any game should have but I am still worried about our general performance. As you know Daryl, our team wasn't ready to your first evaluation last week. Of course, we all were aware of this situation but we expected to finish before our turn. However, (and that's why procrastination is always a risk) for some reason half of our team couldn't arrive (the CEO, for example, wasn't there). So Leo had to defend what we had which obviously was very little. We need to focus on main aspects of the game like gameplay, mechanics, or dynamics which still need more develop. In order to finish those issues, we agreed to meet on Sunday. Unfortunately, the meeting was canceled at the last minute because on
Sunday morning nobody showed. At this rate, we will fail the next presentation I hope we can put ourselves together. I have talked with Leo about this several times. Moreover, I really had a hard time trying to figure out how in the world we will monetize this mega man style game. Turned out it was very difficult, our budget was just too high (because we are a 9 people indie company) to our Life Time Value. Then, I tried to find alternative financing like DLC or Kickstarter but is never that easy. We need to finish the game before making this kind of decision. I feel true relief seeing that our team is finally taking shape. Last class the CEO asked to work in small groups (according to related departments) to have a few minutes brainstorm. So in only 30 minutes Open Door Games (they want to change the name I still don’t know why) came out with almost 15 different ideas to a video game. Leo showed his huge creativity and proposed around half of the total ideas. His 2D platform and action game (like mega-man) “Ignite” won the polling. I can’t deny it was a pretty interesting idea to control fire a see how the fire determine the gameplay (for example the main character could die if he overheats his body by shooting too much). But I would like work in something more experimental and less traditional… I suppose my idea of controlling time through ages it was too twisty for our first project I hope to have the opportunity to work in something risky anytime soon. Then we start talking about where the levels could be and how the mechanics should be. They already selected Lab, Woods, and City as the main levels (a little hasty if you ask me but that is the way Democracy works). The only bad news was that we didn’t agree our weekly meeting this time (I don’t know why honestly look like everybody just forgets about it). Even so, all my classmate seems interested with the project and I managed to finish my tentative budget so it is was a productive class.
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AuthorI want to study Video Games in a theoretical way. Archivos
May 2018
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