For the past week or so, I have been following a tutorial to create a third-person platform game in Unity. The tutorial is pretty easy to follow; I think I could make something similar on my own. I really like this style of game, so I think I will make a platform game for my game project. Before I do that, I need to learn how to make a good game and a platform game. I tried to make a platform game last year but did not go well. This year, I aim to succeed; which is why I looked for articles about making better games or platform games. I found an article on Dev.Mag called 13 More Tips for Making a Fun Platformer. The article didn't specify if it was talking about 3D or 2D platformers, but I think that all the tips refer to both. Tip seven caught my eye immediately. It was to avoid inertia in a platform game because it would take the fun out of it. I learned that while leaps of faith can be fun, they shouldn't be used. Leaps of faith make the player feel like the game is unfair. Another way to make the game more fun is to keep the moving platforms easier to use. Players like when a game is easy and hard at the same time. I found another article that was more about games, not a specific genre. The article was called 10 tips for building a better game. I found it interesting that they suggested not having a ton of action. Action can apparently be boring; so it should be in short sequences. I learned that you should consider the players' lifestyle not just things like age and gender. I didn't know that games could cheat; that was very enlightening. I think that I learned a lot from these articles, and will think about these when I make my game. Making Games:
Works Cited
“13 More Tips for Making a Fun Platformer.” Dev.Mag, 27 Feb. 2013, devmag.org.za/2012/07/19/13-more-tips-for-making-a-fun-platformer/. Staff, Creative Bloq, and Netmag. “10 Tips for Building a Better Game.” Creative Bloq, Creative Bloq ART AND DESIGN INSPIRATION, 17 May 2012, www.creativebloq.com/inspiration/10-tips-building-better-game-5126304.
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While I was working on the Flappy Bird game, I had to make a prefab of the column obstacles. I didn’t know that a prefab was or what it did. Prefabs also came up in the UFO game, which made me curious. I figured out that they must be very important when using multiple objects, so I looked it up.
I researched prefabs and found an article in the Unity documentation called Prefabs. According to the article, a prefab is basically a template of a object in a game. Using prefabs allows you to edit one specific object and then make copies that have that same change. Even though the edits in a prefab copy over, you can override some things for a certain object. If you go to assets and then click create prefab, you can make a prefab. After you do that, you drag the object onto the prefab. You can also just drag the prefab from the project to the scene view. After reading that article, I learned that prefabs are very easy to use and make creating a game easier. Prefabs:
Technologies, Unity. “Prefabs.” Unity - Manual: Prefabs, docs.unity3d.com/Manual/Prefabs.html. Since I have finished my programming tutorials and am about to start making games with Unity, I thought it was appropriate to research how to make video games. Learning how to make games is very important especially, if you are thinking about becoming a game designer. I did what any seriously interested in game design would do, which was look up information on the web.
I searched the web and found an article called How to Make a Video Game. Creating a game is not a simple and quick process. The article went through some steps that anyone could follow. The first step is to envision the game. You can’t just jump into making the first game that pops into your head. You need to lay down the framework before getting into the development. I learned a few basics that are fundamental to making of a video game. First, you need to know the genre of the game and the budget. After you have determined that you have to take in consideration the games’ plot, length, and most important your experience. You can’t try and make a big complex game if your a beginner. You need to know your limitations and use them to your advantage. After you have envisioned your game, then you can figure out what kind of software would best suit your needs. GameMaker and Unity aren’t the only programs that you can use. There are many other programs that may better suit your needs but you have to be aware that some cost money. Every program works differently, so you would have to explore. After determining your vision and software, then comes the fun but challenging part, designing your characters and the games’ environment. I know that Photoshop can be helpful, but also know that it is expensive. You can use programs like Gimp to design characters for a 2D game. What I didn’t know that you can use a free program called Maya for your 3D modeling desires. I thought that you had to pay for that and blender. One of the most important things I learned is that after you’ve built your game there are two more things that you have to do. The first time is to try out your game to find out problems. Then you can export your game and share with the world for feedback. How to make a game:
Widder, Brandon. “How to Make a Video Game (Experience Not Required).” Digital Trends, Digital Trends, 8 May 2017, www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/how-to-make-a-video-game/. One thing that has been coming up a lot in this class is character design. On two different assignments we've had to sketch them, but not truely design them. By this, I mean create them with a backstory and a purpose. So for the purpose of being prepared, I decided to learn how to design a character.
I found a seven step process on how to design your own character on wikiHow. The first step is to get an idea of the purpose your character. The second step is figure out the gender and if it is a main character or not. The third step is give it a personality and figure out if it relates to its purpose in the game. The fourth step is very common in the creation of a character whether in a game or a book, which is finding its strengths and weaknesses. The fifth step is determine the characters relationship to other characters in the game. The sixth step is to discover your character's play style in the game, for example is it one who in a chaotic situation takes charge or waits for someone else to make the first move. The last step is very important, which is to create more characters. Designing your character isn’t just about its outside self, but it’s inner self. How to design a character:
For our project, we are going to start playtesting in the coming week. I read a chapter of our book on playtesting, but didn't feel that it helped me understand it. Playtesting is a very important of the creation of a game. I wanted to prepared to start playtesting, so I decided to research some more.
Playtesting is how you test a game before you release it. Playtesting is very common in the game industry. Game designer playtest at different stages in the design process. According to Technopedia, the different playtestings that occur are gross, in-house, blind, and final playtesting. I learned some do’s and don’ts of running playtests on League of GameMakers. To be successful in your playtest, you should be very clear about your game, including the development stage, mechanics, and theme. You should be patient and polite, while also being respectful of time. According to the League Of GameMakers, you can change rules and revive the game while they are playtesting. Things you shouldn’t do while running a playtest are very simple. You shouldn’t be defensive when you get feedback or ask biased questions. When running a playtest, you shouldn’t take up space that the playtesters could be using. One thing that keeps the players from being overwhelmed is that you don't give them all the rules at the time. Quick things to remember:
So we are working on a project in which we create a board game. My job is the 3D artist. So I have to create some of the pieces for the game and create a prototype. Ideally the whole game is a prototype, but I think my sketches are a mini prototype. Prototyping is very important for any career in which you have a product that is to be produced. I think this part of the project caught my attention because different people may have different ideas of what counts as a prototype. I was searching the web for a definition of a prototyping, and found an article on the Interaction Design Foundation’s website called Prototyping. According to the article, prototyping is a crucial part of design and is a representation of a problem where people can participate in it. I learned more in depth information on prototyping from an article on Uxpin. I learned that prototypes have four main qualities. The qualities are precision, evolution, interactivity, and representation. Some people believe that prototyping only needs to be done a couple of times at the end of the process, but that is not accurate. You shouldn’t wait till the end. I learned about some of the advantages and disadvantages of different prototyping methodologies. Some of the advantages to paper prototyping are that it's fast and inexpensive. That can be very useful if you don’t have a lot of money or time. A disadvantages can be that it doesn’t give you that gut reaction which is needed for a successful design. Another kind of prototyping is not on paper but digital. An advantage is it’s fast, but a disadvantage is that it you may have to learn the software you're using to make it. The last prototyping method is HTML, which has a low cost. The disadvantage is it doesn’t give you the creativity aspect that paper and digital give you. Things about prototyping:
Works Cited “What Is a Prototype: A Guide to Functional UX.” Studio by UXPin, 1 Feb. 2017, www.uxpin.com/studio/blog/what-is-a-prototype-a-guide-to-functional-ux/. “What Is Prototyping?” The Interaction Design Foundation, www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/prototyping. Last week in class, we presented our game pitches. We came up with ideas for games based on the topic choices we were given. All the topics were educational and had something to do with Durham. Game pitches are essential for game creation. So if you want to be a game designer, then you need to know how to create them. My game pitch wasn’t very good, so I decided to learn more about game pitches and how to make them better.
I found an article called How to Make the Perfect Game Pitch (in 3 sentences or less) on Gamedonia, I learned that game pitches can be pitched to publishers, press, the players or the platform. Pitching is important because it serves as a respectful way of propositioning an idea to someone who is busy or doesn’t have much time to talk. It also serves as a way to communicate, which is very important. Game pitches are suppose to answer the questions why, who, and what. You need to keep in mind what would this gain cost and what would you gain from what you’re pitching? What am I pitching and why am I pitching that? Who am I pitching to and why am I pitching that to you? But most importantly you need to know who am I? Gamedonia had some tips about game pitches. They recommend to start your presentation by passing out business cards, always be ready to pitch, and don’t be afraid to pitch. Things about game pitches:
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AuthorI'm a student at Durham School of the Arts, and currently in the Game Art Design pathway. I like playing the Sims 4, playing with dogs, and riding horses. This blog will reflect my learning and discoveries. Archives
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