Studio Work Evaluatio

Creating a prototype in BA4 has been a mixed bag of applying what I already know and new techniques in a time efficient and priority based way. The main goal was not to create a fancy looking level with mechanics tacked on, but a level/example of a game that conveys the game mechanics first, and theme second. Throughout the level there are little to no use of normal or specular maps, I just used diffuse maps to get the general feeling of the environment across to the player. By doing all this I was able to achieve a lengthy level that feels like it could be a single level in a game (length wise).

Throughout the construction of my game level I have received constant critique and feedback from friends, family and the game testing sessions. Feedback about the resource system, sense of speed and movement where all taken into account and resolved. From the feedback I’ve learned how to properly prioritise the important feedback, and cover lesser feedback that’s not so important later on when the larger kinks have been ironed out.

One of my biggest aims was to get the game to feel like the player was falling through a scientific testing facility. I started off with making the diagram of the level, showing all the points which the player will fall through. These included areas such as the tesla facility and particle accelerator. I feel these were important parts to make as they would become vital in conveying a purpose to the player’s presence. The second aim was giving the player a reason to be in the game. I did this by including the resource system. I knew the main games focus would be to make it through the level without hitting anything, but I also wanted to include something for players who wanted more from the game than just an obstacle course. The inclusion of the resource system adds risks and an extra layer to the game. If players choose to take these risks then they are rewarded for doing so.

In terms of things that where challenging in the BA4 assignment, I would say it was the scripting side. The game that I thought would be simple enough to script, ended up being one of the hardest. There were little to no pre-sets to be found on the internet, and finding resolves for issues I had turned out to need quite a large work around, never the less with the help of other student and tutors I managed to end up with a presentable prototype.

Overall this unit has been a really great for expanding the fundamentals of game design. Instead of just the visual and technical side of creating an asset/scene, there has been a lot more to now think about. It’s been a good introduction for me into the basics of designing and then developing a concept into a prototype. I look forward to developing my own projects outside of the course in the future.