Thursday, December 13, 2007
Module :- Games Scripting 2
Assignment Title :- Deep Space Supply Station
Introduction
We approached this project in a systematic way. I took on most of the level design tasks as I feel that is my strongest point. Tom dealt with sound design, as well as some lighting, as he is stronger with audio. The result is a deeply immersive series of levels that convey both the oppressive enclosed nature of a space station as well as the majesty of space itself. We worked jointly on the scripting and cameras, as well as the initial concepts.
Rather than describing the level and story, this blog entry is a list of the systems which were used in the process of designing the levels.
Level design
The level design called for a Deep Space Station. In an attempt to create a more memorable piece of work, I attempted to avoid using Shiptech textures or static meshes. The station was instead made using materials from Desp-sms and mechstandard packages.
Rather than create each level as a single piece, I made a series of film set type rooms in which the action take place. This afforded us greater control of the action.
To give some more life to the level I modified some of these textures giving them light reflections. This is something that I worked out myself, no tutorials were used.
The level also makes use of custom built scripted textures which show live action from areas of the level.
Particle effects
A number of particle effects are used across the level, including sprite, mesh and beam emitters. The skybox utilises what is probably the most visually interesting emitter to create a large nebula outside the station. This went a long way to making the space look more dynamic than a blank star field.
Custom scripts
I developed two distinct scripts that are included in the final project, the QuickStart and the KBSTriggered joint.
The QuickStart code prevents the initial game countdown from starting, providing the map is a death-match. It was based on a tutorial which was downloaded from UnrealWiki.
The second script is an extension of the KBSJoint actor, which controls Karma actors. The customised KBSTriggered script reacts to a trigger and destroys itself, freeing the Karma primitive. It also contains an option to react differently depending on which trigger, or which pawn activates it. In the final level design this functionality was not utilised. The KBSTriggered actor was modified from a tutorial from 3DBuzz.net.
Camera work
We utilised camera effects to create the credits and maintain the flow of the level via sub action triggers, as well as creating the cut scenes. I was able to use camera overlays to create a fade in followed by a fade out on the credits, by reversing the alpha channels on alternate overlays. This gave the level a more professional feel. The overlays were created in Photoshop.
Cameras were used to trigger music changes, actor scripts, particle effects and various movers in the level. The timing on these triggers has been refined to work precisely with the action.
Also worth mentioning is the inclusion of several scene managers which moved look actors, in order to create more cinematic panning shots and other camera movements.
Actor scripting
Me and my partner, Tom Gamwell, both worked on the actor scripts in various scenes. The scripts were kept as short as possible, to avoid conflicts and erratic behaviour.
Assignment Title :- Deep Space Supply Station
Introduction
We approached this project in a systematic way. I took on most of the level design tasks as I feel that is my strongest point. Tom dealt with sound design, as well as some lighting, as he is stronger with audio. The result is a deeply immersive series of levels that convey both the oppressive enclosed nature of a space station as well as the majesty of space itself. We worked jointly on the scripting and cameras, as well as the initial concepts.
Rather than describing the level and story, this blog entry is a list of the systems which were used in the process of designing the levels.
Level design
The level design called for a Deep Space Station. In an attempt to create a more memorable piece of work, I attempted to avoid using Shiptech textures or static meshes. The station was instead made using materials from Desp-sms and mechstandard packages.
Rather than create each level as a single piece, I made a series of film set type rooms in which the action take place. This afforded us greater control of the action.
To give some more life to the level I modified some of these textures giving them light reflections. This is something that I worked out myself, no tutorials were used.
The level also makes use of custom built scripted textures which show live action from areas of the level.
Particle effects
A number of particle effects are used across the level, including sprite, mesh and beam emitters. The skybox utilises what is probably the most visually interesting emitter to create a large nebula outside the station. This went a long way to making the space look more dynamic than a blank star field.
Custom scripts
I developed two distinct scripts that are included in the final project, the QuickStart and the KBSTriggered joint.
The QuickStart code prevents the initial game countdown from starting, providing the map is a death-match. It was based on a tutorial which was downloaded from UnrealWiki.
The second script is an extension of the KBSJoint actor, which controls Karma actors. The customised KBSTriggered script reacts to a trigger and destroys itself, freeing the Karma primitive. It also contains an option to react differently depending on which trigger, or which pawn activates it. In the final level design this functionality was not utilised. The KBSTriggered actor was modified from a tutorial from 3DBuzz.net.
Camera work
We utilised camera effects to create the credits and maintain the flow of the level via sub action triggers, as well as creating the cut scenes. I was able to use camera overlays to create a fade in followed by a fade out on the credits, by reversing the alpha channels on alternate overlays. This gave the level a more professional feel. The overlays were created in Photoshop.
Cameras were used to trigger music changes, actor scripts, particle effects and various movers in the level. The timing on these triggers has been refined to work precisely with the action.
Also worth mentioning is the inclusion of several scene managers which moved look actors, in order to create more cinematic panning shots and other camera movements.
Actor scripting
Me and my partner, Tom Gamwell, both worked on the actor scripts in various scenes. The scripts were kept as short as possible, to avoid conflicts and erratic behaviour.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Games Scripting 2
Getting Lost in Translation
The simple problem with working from a storyboard is trying to match what you have planned out with what you can do. Many of the scenes that I set out won’t (or perhapse don’t want to) work the way I intended.
It would have been nice to have the Blue team aiming correctly, firing at the right time and moving like I had planned to have them move. However, UnrealEd is a little jumpy and I have had to revise a number of my scenes from what was included on the storyboard.
That said I’m happy with the final result. It took a lot of, shall we say creative choices. But it works more or less the way I had planned.
I think that the strongest element that I have managed to achieve with this project is the fact that it is a fight scene, but has a narrative to it. Rather than having two teams who run at each other guns blazing, my piece is based around a central character trying to defend his group’s ship from invasion.
This may have been somewhat ambitious for two weeks work, but I managed and with hours to spare.
Given the quality of some of the Machinima that won the Europe 07 festival, I’m happy that my work is of a level that I can show to other people.
Getting Lost in Translation
The simple problem with working from a storyboard is trying to match what you have planned out with what you can do. Many of the scenes that I set out won’t (or perhapse don’t want to) work the way I intended.
It would have been nice to have the Blue team aiming correctly, firing at the right time and moving like I had planned to have them move. However, UnrealEd is a little jumpy and I have had to revise a number of my scenes from what was included on the storyboard.
That said I’m happy with the final result. It took a lot of, shall we say creative choices. But it works more or less the way I had planned.
I think that the strongest element that I have managed to achieve with this project is the fact that it is a fight scene, but has a narrative to it. Rather than having two teams who run at each other guns blazing, my piece is based around a central character trying to defend his group’s ship from invasion.
This may have been somewhat ambitious for two weeks work, but I managed and with hours to spare.
Given the quality of some of the Machinima that won the Europe 07 festival, I’m happy that my work is of a level that I can show to other people.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Games Scripting 2 :
Workflow Issues
I reached an important milestone in this project today, finishing the last of the basic level design. Unusually for me I've managed to structure my workflow a little better for this project. UnrealEd has, for me, a tendency to throw a wrench in your plans with it's never ending stream of crashes or awkward parameters. To counter this I came up with a simple plan for how I would work this project:
1 Storyboard
The storyboard for my level is there to let me visualise what the action will be, and what the basic shape of the level needs to be. I don't think that it is the right place for intricate level design. However, I did manage to work up a flow diagram of the level's rooms based on the boards.
2 Level Plan
Rather than get caught up trying to develop everything on the fly in UnrealEd, I chose to plan the level first, in greater detail than my storyboards would have allowed. Since it is a cinematic piece the plan needed to include Visual references, i.e. there would be a vanishing point here, the fog emitter can’t be think enough to obscure the action here, etc. I was already confident of which texture and mesh packages I would be using, so I referenced them for my own benefit in the plans.
3 Building
Structuring the level was a great deal easier following the plans I had laid out. Of course I have made revisions to the plans as I've progressed, mainly in the Maintenance Room. I laid out basic geometry, followed by meshes, followed by any more geometry needed. I still have lights, particle effects, karma actors and some of the movers left to add.
It seems that my work is benefiting from the more structured approach. It remains to be seen if the camera's and scripting will hold up to this approach.
Workflow Issues
I reached an important milestone in this project today, finishing the last of the basic level design. Unusually for me I've managed to structure my workflow a little better for this project. UnrealEd has, for me, a tendency to throw a wrench in your plans with it's never ending stream of crashes or awkward parameters. To counter this I came up with a simple plan for how I would work this project:
1 Storyboard
The storyboard for my level is there to let me visualise what the action will be, and what the basic shape of the level needs to be. I don't think that it is the right place for intricate level design. However, I did manage to work up a flow diagram of the level's rooms based on the boards.
2 Level Plan
Rather than get caught up trying to develop everything on the fly in UnrealEd, I chose to plan the level first, in greater detail than my storyboards would have allowed. Since it is a cinematic piece the plan needed to include Visual references, i.e. there would be a vanishing point here, the fog emitter can’t be think enough to obscure the action here, etc. I was already confident of which texture and mesh packages I would be using, so I referenced them for my own benefit in the plans.
3 Building
Structuring the level was a great deal easier following the plans I had laid out. Of course I have made revisions to the plans as I've progressed, mainly in the Maintenance Room. I laid out basic geometry, followed by meshes, followed by any more geometry needed. I still have lights, particle effects, karma actors and some of the movers left to add.
It seems that my work is benefiting from the more structured approach. It remains to be seen if the camera's and scripting will hold up to this approach.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Basic Matinee Sequence
It is difficult to tell what can be classified as “Basic” when it comes to matinee. There was, I felt, a need to maintain basic camera pathing and shots with some degree of interest in the subject matter. I chose to put together a small industrial style level. My reasons for this were purely practical, the abundance of both textures and static meshes within UnrealEd’s library of files.
The level itself is littered with a few simple particle effects and moving doors, just to try and add a little life to what is, essentially, a very dry scene. The level was lit with a sunlight actor, with different colour lights picking out small details. This gave the area a much greater depth, creating a suitable aura for the Industrial motif. If I had had more time I would have liked to make the area about twice as large, this would have given me more scope for using a greater variety of shots in the matinee sequence.
Using the cameras was somewhat more problematic. I started off trying to use the camera’s own point of view, but this was very limited in terms of what I could look at, I found. To see a specific area I had to set up three or four cameras, and even then the paths didn’t seem to respond as I wanted them.
I experimented with LootAt targets. While they offered greater flexibility I still couldn’t achieve what I wanted. Eventually, after playing around with options and looking at various articles, I found an answer. I created a second scene manager that controlled the Target actor, moving it along an adjacent path to the camera. This gave me the flexibility to control the camera’s movement and point of view simultaneously.
I would like to work more on this level, in order to expand it into something that I could use for my portfolio, or perhaps use it as a template for later work.
It is difficult to tell what can be classified as “Basic” when it comes to matinee. There was, I felt, a need to maintain basic camera pathing and shots with some degree of interest in the subject matter. I chose to put together a small industrial style level. My reasons for this were purely practical, the abundance of both textures and static meshes within UnrealEd’s library of files.
The level itself is littered with a few simple particle effects and moving doors, just to try and add a little life to what is, essentially, a very dry scene. The level was lit with a sunlight actor, with different colour lights picking out small details. This gave the area a much greater depth, creating a suitable aura for the Industrial motif. If I had had more time I would have liked to make the area about twice as large, this would have given me more scope for using a greater variety of shots in the matinee sequence.
Using the cameras was somewhat more problematic. I started off trying to use the camera’s own point of view, but this was very limited in terms of what I could look at, I found. To see a specific area I had to set up three or four cameras, and even then the paths didn’t seem to respond as I wanted them.
I experimented with LootAt targets. While they offered greater flexibility I still couldn’t achieve what I wanted. Eventually, after playing around with options and looking at various articles, I found an answer. I created a second scene manager that controlled the Target actor, moving it along an adjacent path to the camera. This gave me the flexibility to control the camera’s movement and point of view simultaneously.
I would like to work more on this level, in order to expand it into something that I could use for my portfolio, or perhaps use it as a template for later work.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Casual Games and the Evoloution of the Video Game Market
Gamers, and certainly game designers, often split the video game industry into two halves. Casual games and Real-Games. Casual games are notable for the lack of sophitication, simplistic gameplay and control techniques and poorer graphical quality. Real games are the cutting edge of game design, with up to date graphics, complex design and, often, lengthy gamplay. Many people who are familiar with games see Real Games as supperior, I believe that this is an industry trend that is driven by the fact that most games are designed by 18-35 males for 18-35 year old males. What this has led to is a culture of exclusion for other demographics. Spending money on realistic physics may attract a small section of the market, but it will mean absoloutly nothing to the majority of potential buyers. It makes little sense, more and more games competing for the same market along side spiraling costs is not a stratagy that can pay off in the long term. If you ask someone who plays games to design a game, they will come up with an idea that they want to play. And games will eat themselves.
Traditionally the majority of the industry’s focus has been on “real” games targeted at the adolesent to mid-thirties male audience. This makes very little economic sense. Casual games attract a much wider audience. Predominantly female and over eighteen, the casual games have the potential to open sections of the market that have eluded games designers for years. Nintendo recently release of the Wii and DS, both consoles that steer away from the model of traditional gaming, has left them with a year on year profit of 77% (link : http://uk.ds.ign.com/articles/783/783710p1.html), a new high for the company.
Casual games, while being much less costly to produce, also sell for much less. This is because the level of content provided is much lower than a traditional game. A possible way forward is to create games that have crossover appeal, the instant fun and accesability of the casual game and the sense of immersion that is prevalent in more hardcore games. A simple method of creating such a game is to employ a context for the gameplay. Storylines or narratives can be introduced as the reason for puzzle or quiz games. Characters could be used to personify the abstract nature of a casual game giving it a hook that would lead to wider acceptance among gamers.
Possibly this could lead to a wave of casual gamers desiring more complexity from their gaming experiences, moving the industry toward something that is similar to the current Real-Games. However this is something that would have to be consumer led, and a great deal of the industry has shown an inability to develop the kind of global market awearness needed to react to such a trend.
Gamers, and certainly game designers, often split the video game industry into two halves. Casual games and Real-Games. Casual games are notable for the lack of sophitication, simplistic gameplay and control techniques and poorer graphical quality. Real games are the cutting edge of game design, with up to date graphics, complex design and, often, lengthy gamplay. Many people who are familiar with games see Real Games as supperior, I believe that this is an industry trend that is driven by the fact that most games are designed by 18-35 males for 18-35 year old males. What this has led to is a culture of exclusion for other demographics. Spending money on realistic physics may attract a small section of the market, but it will mean absoloutly nothing to the majority of potential buyers. It makes little sense, more and more games competing for the same market along side spiraling costs is not a stratagy that can pay off in the long term. If you ask someone who plays games to design a game, they will come up with an idea that they want to play. And games will eat themselves.
Traditionally the majority of the industry’s focus has been on “real” games targeted at the adolesent to mid-thirties male audience. This makes very little economic sense. Casual games attract a much wider audience. Predominantly female and over eighteen, the casual games have the potential to open sections of the market that have eluded games designers for years. Nintendo recently release of the Wii and DS, both consoles that steer away from the model of traditional gaming, has left them with a year on year profit of 77% (link : http://uk.ds.ign.com/articles/783/783710p1.html), a new high for the company.
Casual games, while being much less costly to produce, also sell for much less. This is because the level of content provided is much lower than a traditional game. A possible way forward is to create games that have crossover appeal, the instant fun and accesability of the casual game and the sense of immersion that is prevalent in more hardcore games. A simple method of creating such a game is to employ a context for the gameplay. Storylines or narratives can be introduced as the reason for puzzle or quiz games. Characters could be used to personify the abstract nature of a casual game giving it a hook that would lead to wider acceptance among gamers.
Possibly this could lead to a wave of casual gamers desiring more complexity from their gaming experiences, moving the industry toward something that is similar to the current Real-Games. However this is something that would have to be consumer led, and a great deal of the industry has shown an inability to develop the kind of global market awearness needed to react to such a trend.
Risk can be seen as the template for modern real-time strategy games, if not in execution then certainly in ambition. The basic principle, or positioning troops and re-supplying forces works well in videogame form. RTS games almost always use a similar method of gameplay, option the right units in the right place, while building more units to back them up, using resources gained from the map. In Risk these resources are gained from the amount of land you occupy. While it is rare then some games follow almost identical principles, Dawn of War for example.
Risk does differ in terms of its combat simulation. Based on dice roles, a small group of troops can hold out for a long time against a superior force through sheer luck. This is not something that many gamers would look favourably on. Superior numbers of equal strength units are enough to defeat almost any enemies that you will encounter in an RTS game.
Perhaps saying that Risk inspired the RTS genre is incorrect, as I can find no developers who have said it influenced them directly. Both are examples, though, of games that seek to exploit our fascination with war and combat. They are simply at different stages of technological strength. Hnefatafl (a board game played in northen Europe, mentioned in many Viking sagas) would be an earlier example than risk, Chess even earlier than that. This fascination with combat is something that has been prominent over a great many videogame generes, displaying that the desire to re-create war is more ubiquitas than we may wish to imagine.
Risk does differ in terms of its combat simulation. Based on dice roles, a small group of troops can hold out for a long time against a superior force through sheer luck. This is not something that many gamers would look favourably on. Superior numbers of equal strength units are enough to defeat almost any enemies that you will encounter in an RTS game.
Perhaps saying that Risk inspired the RTS genre is incorrect, as I can find no developers who have said it influenced them directly. Both are examples, though, of games that seek to exploit our fascination with war and combat. They are simply at different stages of technological strength. Hnefatafl (a board game played in northen Europe, mentioned in many Viking sagas) would be an earlier example than risk, Chess even earlier than that. This fascination with combat is something that has been prominent over a great many videogame generes, displaying that the desire to re-create war is more ubiquitas than we may wish to imagine.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
My approach to running an evening class in games appreciation would rely on finding games that people who didn’t usually play video games could associate with. Invites could be sent out to existing classes that ran courses with parallels in video games.
Many adult education centres run classes in military history, so perhaps the first week would centre on historically accurate RTS games such as Praetorians. Similarly Film or Literature groups could be invited to a session that featured games that had become notable for their narrative approach. Deus Ex, Fahrenheit or Fable. The third week could centre on simulation games, a much looser genre definition. Perhaps Civilisation, Microsoft Train Simulator and the Sims, as a final attempt to attract more people to try the class.
Once attendance had been established the first week of the course would be dedicated to culturally important games, that is games which have become part of the fabric of our culture even to people who don’t play games. Pac Man, Pong, Sonic and Tomb raider are examples of games that it would be easy for the majority of the population to relate to because of the familiarity of the brand names. This would be an important step. Establishing a point of reference in the world of video games would allow the class to move out and expand their experiences without them becoming overwhelmed by it.
The final two weeks would be concerned with criticaly acclaimed titles that they may not have heard of. I would exclude out those that use violence gratuitously to avoid distancing the class from the subject matter. Ico, Okami and Black and white would be good steps as they are all accesible, inteligent and easy to control.
Hopefully attendance would be high enough to justify a second term.
Many adult education centres run classes in military history, so perhaps the first week would centre on historically accurate RTS games such as Praetorians. Similarly Film or Literature groups could be invited to a session that featured games that had become notable for their narrative approach. Deus Ex, Fahrenheit or Fable. The third week could centre on simulation games, a much looser genre definition. Perhaps Civilisation, Microsoft Train Simulator and the Sims, as a final attempt to attract more people to try the class.
Once attendance had been established the first week of the course would be dedicated to culturally important games, that is games which have become part of the fabric of our culture even to people who don’t play games. Pac Man, Pong, Sonic and Tomb raider are examples of games that it would be easy for the majority of the population to relate to because of the familiarity of the brand names. This would be an important step. Establishing a point of reference in the world of video games would allow the class to move out and expand their experiences without them becoming overwhelmed by it.
The final two weeks would be concerned with criticaly acclaimed titles that they may not have heard of. I would exclude out those that use violence gratuitously to avoid distancing the class from the subject matter. Ico, Okami and Black and white would be good steps as they are all accesible, inteligent and easy to control.
Hopefully attendance would be high enough to justify a second term.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
The origins of Second Life
Second Life was created with the intent of mirroring the Metaverse from Neal Stephenson's novel Snow Crash. A virtual world where people were free to do as they pleased. Not a game in the traditional sense, Second Life still owes a great deal to a number of video games.
The earliest MMOSG (massivly multiplayer online social game) was Habitat. Playable on the Commador 64’s online service, Habitat was an online enviroment developed by Quantum Computer Services (who later became AOL) and Lucasfilm Game. Growing out of Quantum’s chatroom service, Habitat was the first attempt to develop a persistant, graphic based, social online enviroment. The game shares Second Life’s ambition of creating an enviroment based around creating and socialising, rather than conflict or aggression.
Another game that appears important in the relisation of Second Life is The Sims. The Sims proved to a sceptical world that there was a market for games centered around the development of avatars in a non fantastical setting, opening the gate for the possibility of a game like second life becoming a success.
Second Life is a very different game to either of these but owes them a great deal in terms of design and gameplay.
Second Life was created with the intent of mirroring the Metaverse from Neal Stephenson's novel Snow Crash. A virtual world where people were free to do as they pleased. Not a game in the traditional sense, Second Life still owes a great deal to a number of video games.
The earliest MMOSG (massivly multiplayer online social game) was Habitat. Playable on the Commador 64’s online service, Habitat was an online enviroment developed by Quantum Computer Services (who later became AOL) and Lucasfilm Game. Growing out of Quantum’s chatroom service, Habitat was the first attempt to develop a persistant, graphic based, social online enviroment. The game shares Second Life’s ambition of creating an enviroment based around creating and socialising, rather than conflict or aggression.
Another game that appears important in the relisation of Second Life is The Sims. The Sims proved to a sceptical world that there was a market for games centered around the development of avatars in a non fantastical setting, opening the gate for the possibility of a game like second life becoming a success.
Second Life is a very different game to either of these but owes them a great deal in terms of design and gameplay.
