Skills required to create a game
Creativity
Flexibility
Able to handle high levels of stress
Programming knowledge and/or Design ability
Perseverance
Determination
A passion for the project
P1 Video Games Production Pipeline
Naughty Dog Video Notes
Video 1 - Consists of a lot of blunt statements and cold showers in regards to how your work is to use.
Video 2 - Lead programmers are responsible for overseeing and evaluating how other aspects and functions in the various codes are working and try to make them better. Graphics programmers are responsible for creating realistic motions and animations for characters and environmental objects. Game programmers are responsible for coding the game to function and play well.
Video 3 - Game designers are responsible for creating the way events take place, in what order and at what pace. Often they will have to change their designs on the spot.
Video 4 - VFX artists create the effects that make the environment more interesting i.e. waterfalls, rays of light, explosions, dirt, dust, blood etc.
Video 6 - Environment artists are responsible for creating the world that players will see. This also includes adding collision and creative visuals to objects and formations in the world.
Lead programmers need to be supportive but also know how to lead others effectively. They must understand everyone of their team's roles and be able to help each of them. They need an advanced understanding of programming.
Game designers need good communication skills and need to quickly be able to adapt and change ideas or existing work. Be able to take lots of critical feedback. Have good ability in drawing, visual design and some programming knowledge.
Level editors need to know how to effectively layout designs and have a good understanding of game design. They must be creative and have a very good knowledge of 3D modelling software.
Lead artists need to have a developed style of their own whilst being able to adapt to others' styles. They must have excellent communication skills and be able to lead people to a shared vision. Have good problem-solving skills. They must have very good drawing and artistic ability.
P2 - Team Meat
M1
Edmund was most important in the Concept, Pre-Production and Post-Production phases. Tommy was most important in the Production phase, although did help in the Post-Production phase also. This is because Edmund was more decisive with the business-side of development and was responsible for creating and sourcing all artistic and mechanic resources to be used within the game.
Concept
The concept stage was almost entirely driven by Edmund, as Tommy didn't have anything to contribute at this time. Edmund was very busy creating concept art and thinking of different game mechanics that they could utilise.
Pre-Production
The pre-production stage was largely done by Edmund also, where he developed his work in the concept stage, but Tommy was responsible for programming extensions, tools and an engine at this point for himself and Edmund to use later.
Production
Tommy did almost all his work in the production phase because this is where he programmed the assets to function together and form the game. Edmund was also important as now he would be applying all his previous work into the game design and art at the production stage.
Post-Production
In the post-production stage Edmund was somewhat important from a business point-of-view, as he created merchandise to promote and sell the game. Tommy, on the other hand, spent a large amount of time bug-fixing and beginning work on a level editor that would be added 8 months after release.
Production Skills: 4/5. I am very good with a variety of different software, such as PhotoShop, Illustrator, Maya and Piktochart, and can pick up new skills quite easily (as shown above).
Written Communication: 3/5. My written communication is very thought-out and well-written, but not always written as clear and fast as it should be. I feel what I lack in efficiency, I gain in quality. Above is the notes written for a review of Skate 3 last year.
Presentation from Unit 10
Verbal Communication: 4/5. I am well-spoken and know how to effectively discuss, converse and convey opinions on different topics and issues. Shown above is a presentation I gave about a theoretical video game. The presentation itself was a pitch.
Creativity: 2/5. I am not very creative and struggle to create my own ideas. This can be seen in my self-portrait above, created in the style of Julian Opie.
Chosen Roles in Game Development
3 Roles ranked by personal ability
1. Game Designer
2. Producer
3. Programmer
My strongest asset is definitely my production skills as I can showcase a variety of well-crafted creations and modifications of existing creations.
Resources to improve upon Skill-sets:
Creativity: To improve upon creativity, I will need to improve upon my mental stimulation. This will mean I need to spend a large amount of time imagining and creating new ideas through various lateral thinking exercises.
http://www.folj.com/lateral/
https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/creative-thinking.html
https://greatist.com/happiness/ways-to-boost-creativity
Written Communication: To improve upon my written communication I need to practice writing both formally and informally as well as creating scripts and narratives to further develop a particular writing style and make a coherent story.
Verbal Communication: To improve upon my verbal communication I need to practice speaking formally and pitching imaginary ideas to people so as to develop a more confident and consistent tone.
Production Skills: To improve upon my production skills further, I primarily need to learn the software and tools I use and practice producing various creations.
https://www.codecademy.com/
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/maya/learn-explore?sort=score
https://lifehacker.com/5758404/learn-the-basics-of-photoshop-the-complete-guide
https://unity3d.com/learn
Diablo 3 Demon Hunter
Talented designers most often make mistakes when:
-In a process that impedes good decisions
-Influenced by emotional or social motivations
-Accepting unnecessary constraints
Therefore designers must:
-Set up a process or system that facilitates good decisions and highlights bad decisions
-Get more productive behaviours
Issues must be spoken of and addressed.
'Ok' quality work should be hard to accept, if not at all.
It's better to ask for 'crappy first drafts' so that no one gets too attached to their creation and are willing to adapt it for the better.
When a designer's work is seen early, the designer feels it won't be judged fairly or will be misunderstood. The longer they avoid feedback, the more 'control' they feel they have.
If something is 'too good to cut', designers often get heavily invested in the idea emotionally. These ideas must be reviewed by uninterested parties, otherwise the final product won't be enjoyable outside of its own concept.
'Does the thing we have designed line up with the goals we set?'
Creativity & attention whittles down after 15 minutes and dies down almost completely after an hour.
Creative Fatigue most commonly occurs when designers have to accept a lot of constraints about what the idea has to be and what it cannot be.
Designers must not design for themselves. If a designer makes a complex design that they love and people like them will love, most of the time it won't be adored by other designers or players and will have far more priority than it deserves.
What is an Action Game
-A set of actions responding to output
-Passive activity
-Activity based on prior(active) input
-Adventure/Horror games
-What are "action skills"?
-The player's ability to deal with a given situation
3 Gameplay systems
-The selling point of a game (USP)
-The unique elements that define a game
-Expanding features
-Unlockables, different items for situations to allow for more lateral gameplay
-Depth
-Combo systems for example expanding the ways the game can be played and enjoyed
Game Systems
-If a game has selling points A/B/C, expanding features D/E and depth elements F/G:
-Players complete the game having experienced A and B
-They've completed and enjoyed the game
-Players complete the game having experienced A, B and C
-They've completed the game and feel like they got a lot out of it
-Players complete the game having experienced A, B, C and D
-They've completed the game, and become good at it in a variety of ways
-Players complete the game having experienced A, B, C, D and E
-"Wow! I didn't know you could do that! This game is awesome!"
-Players complete the game having experienced A, B, C, D, E and F
-"I am a god amongst mortals."
The selling point of an action game
-Not about functional design (not about what abilities or design should the player experience)
-Its about situational design (what kind of situations do we put the player in and what are we going to make them do?)
Skills Update
As shown through my success in designing and developing Delve Deeper, our game, I have learned a tremendous amount about game development, Unity and a fair amount about C# programming.
Week 3
Basic Corridor
Delve Deeper
Prototype 4
P3
Production Skills: 4/5. I am very good with a variety of different software, such as PhotoShop, Illustrator, Maya and Piktochart, and can pick up new skills quite easily (as shown above).
Written Communication: 3/5. My written communication is very thought-out and well-written, but not always written as clear and fast as it should be. I feel what I lack in efficiency, I gain in quality. Above is the notes written for a review of Skate 3 last year.
Presentation from Unit 10Verbal Communication: 4/5. I am well-spoken and know how to effectively discuss, converse and convey opinions on different topics and issues. Shown above is a presentation I gave about a theoretical video game. The presentation itself was a pitch.
Creativity: 2/5. I am not very creative and struggle to create my own ideas. This can be seen in my self-portrait above, created in the style of Julian Opie.
3 Roles ranked by personal ability
1. Game Designer
2. Producer
3. Programmer
My strongest asset is definitely my production skills as I can showcase a variety of well-crafted creations and modifications of existing creations.
Resources to improve upon Skill-sets:
Creativity: To improve upon creativity, I will need to improve upon my mental stimulation. This will mean I need to spend a large amount of time imagining and creating new ideas through various lateral thinking exercises.
http://www.folj.com/lateral/
https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/creative-thinking.html
https://greatist.com/happiness/ways-to-boost-creativity
Written Communication: To improve upon my written communication I need to practice writing both formally and informally as well as creating scripts and narratives to further develop a particular writing style and make a coherent story.
Verbal Communication: To improve upon my verbal communication I need to practice speaking formally and pitching imaginary ideas to people so as to develop a more confident and consistent tone.
Production Skills: To improve upon my production skills further, I primarily need to learn the software and tools I use and practice producing various creations.
https://www.codecademy.com/
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/maya/learn-explore?sort=score
https://lifehacker.com/5758404/learn-the-basics-of-photoshop-the-complete-guide
https://unity3d.com/learn
P4
GDC Notes - Game DesignTalented designers most often make mistakes when:
-In a process that impedes good decisions
-Influenced by emotional or social motivations
-Accepting unnecessary constraints
Therefore designers must:
-Set up a process or system that facilitates good decisions and highlights bad decisions
-Get more productive behaviours
Issues must be spoken of and addressed.
'Ok' quality work should be hard to accept, if not at all.
It's better to ask for 'crappy first drafts' so that no one gets too attached to their creation and are willing to adapt it for the better.
When a designer's work is seen early, the designer feels it won't be judged fairly or will be misunderstood. The longer they avoid feedback, the more 'control' they feel they have.
If something is 'too good to cut', designers often get heavily invested in the idea emotionally. These ideas must be reviewed by uninterested parties, otherwise the final product won't be enjoyable outside of its own concept.
'Does the thing we have designed line up with the goals we set?'
Creativity & attention whittles down after 15 minutes and dies down almost completely after an hour.
Creative Fatigue most commonly occurs when designers have to accept a lot of constraints about what the idea has to be and what it cannot be.
Designers must not design for themselves. If a designer makes a complex design that they love and people like them will love, most of the time it won't be adored by other designers or players and will have far more priority than it deserves.
What is an Action Game
-A set of actions responding to output
-Passive activity
-Activity based on prior(active) input
-Adventure/Horror games
-What are "action skills"?
-The player's ability to deal with a given situation
3 Gameplay systems
-The selling point of a game (USP)
-The unique elements that define a game
-Expanding features
-Unlockables, different items for situations to allow for more lateral gameplay
-Depth
-Combo systems for example expanding the ways the game can be played and enjoyed
Game Systems
-If a game has selling points A/B/C, expanding features D/E and depth elements F/G:
-Players complete the game having experienced A and B
-They've completed and enjoyed the game
-Players complete the game having experienced A, B and C
-They've completed the game and feel like they got a lot out of it
-Players complete the game having experienced A, B, C and D
-They've completed the game, and become good at it in a variety of ways
-Players complete the game having experienced A, B, C, D and E
-"Wow! I didn't know you could do that! This game is awesome!"
-Players complete the game having experienced A, B, C, D, E and F
-"I am a god amongst mortals."
The selling point of an action game
-Not about functional design (not about what abilities or design should the player experience)
-Its about situational design (what kind of situations do we put the player in and what are we going to make them do?)
Skills Update
As shown through my success in designing and developing Delve Deeper, our game, I have learned a tremendous amount about game development, Unity and a fair amount about C# programming.
Development Log
Week 1
In my first week I decided the best course of action would be to learn how to use Unity comfortably so that I wouldn't be forced to waste time later in development learning how to use simple features in Unity. By following and adapting tutorials and Unity forum posts, we built a first prototype for the game that shows and includes the core mechanics of what would later be the final product.
Oliver, our programmer, & I spent this first week dividing the programming and paperwork between the two of us, whilst Josh, our artist, was responsible for creating concept art and early prototype art for us to implement.
Week 2
Week 2 for myself was mostly about adding and solidifying all important game features that could be easily transferred over to all later prototypes. Features like collisions, box physics, door physics and Z-layering. This was also an important stage for myself as I decided to teach myself how to confidently read and edit C# programs, so that I would become more helpful and efficient in later game development.
Week 3
In week 3 I began working on effectively transferring between the Level 1 'room' and the Level 2 'room'. I tried to achieve this many ways - by loading scenes, having the player run down a corridor between the rooms and by attempting to fade or teleport the player into the next room etc. But unfortunately I could not find a way to get these transitions to a high enough standard to implement into the prototype yet. I finished the week by creating a functioning main menu that could be taken to a 'Controls' screen or to the game itself.
Basic Corridor
Week 4
Week 4 was where I implemented a working, but not final, spawning mechanic for enemies that caused them to spawn at set intervals on top of the boxes in the level. The shooting mechanic was finalised and transferred to my version of prototype 3, meaning we now had a displayable prototype from a mechanical aspect.
Week 5
In Week 5 we implemented the enemy death mechanics, player health, player score and a reset system. Meaning at this point in time we had a playable game that was of a high enough standard to be play-tested and given feedback on. It was at this point I created and updated all 'To Do' lists, feedback sheets and created our 'Priority' list. The priority list helped determine what should be worked upon next for each team member in upcoming prototypes.
Week 6
Week 6 was very important for myself as this was the week I received and formatted all the feedback on our prototype game. This told me and our team exactly what we needed to do to make the game as polished, functional and enjoyable as possible.
Week 7
This week was all about bug-fixing and applying the final touches to the game, such as using the temporary health bar sprites our programmer made for me to program and implement the visual representation of player health into the game. Unfortunately for myself I had to spend a large amount of time fixing my PC and recovering the Unity files.
Week 8
In week 8 we finalised, built and submitted the game for moderation. A lot of time and effort went into the finalisation, particularly the bug-fixing. The game is now ready to be showcased and documentation is being kept finalised for Week 9.Delve Deeper
Gantt Chart
M3
As highlighted by the green & yellow sections of the Gantt chart, it's clear that the majority of my work took place in the earlier prototypes of the game. Whenever my sections have not been highlighted, that is when I took on a more general role of monitoring, leadership helping those outside of my role. A large part of my time was spent innovating on existing constructs within our prototypes or spent finding other, cleaner and more efficient ways to solve problems encountered by our programmer. As the Gantt chart shows I created the core mechanics in what was essentially their entirety and was largely responsible in allowing prototype 4 to be showcaseable and playable. It is worth noting that I created every technical aspect of prototype 1, which would then become the skeleton for every following prototype.
The Gantt chart shows that I continuously took on programming roles throughout the development process, which shows that I was vital and necessary for the completion and functionality of this game. I worked well in my own role and in that of our programmer.
D2
Prototype 1
Prototype 4
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