Cuphead Notes
Actions
Run, Jump, Crouch, Dash, Shoot, Parry, Special, Revive, Collect, Drop down ledges
Rules
Shoot in 8 directions only, Health starts at 3 (or higher with upgrades) at the start of every level, Invincibility frames upon getting hit
Goals
Reach the end of the stage, collect coins, defeat bosses, upgrade your character
Objects
Parryable objects, platforms, enemies (Toadstools, sunflowers, slimes, tulips), Exit sign
Playspace
Levels are on a 2D plane, The overworld is presented in 2.5D (Similar to A Link to the Past), chaotic and (initially) unpredictable levels
Players
Retro gamers, animation fans, people who are encouraged by learning patterns, people who can handle frustration well
Smash TV game - Top-Down Twin-Stick Shooter, very fun mechanic that is always enjoyed and appreciated when played by most audiences.
Binding of Isaac - Most modern example, is loved by a large variety of audiences. Focuses more on items, bosses and story.
Dead Ops Arcade - Not full game as such, as it is a finished game hidden within Call of Duty: Black Ops. Nothing was changed to the genre/mechanics of these games here.
Total Carnage - Spiritual successor to Smash TV, innovated by creating a wider variety of enemies and having large open areas to scroll-through and clear. Total Carnage also tried to integrate story more than Smash TV.
I feel that the ‘Top-Down Twin-Stick Shooter’ genre is something that has always been loved, but never developed to its full potential. Whilst Binding of Isaac did a fantastic job of resurrecting the genre, I don’t believe that it can be played with the same experience as Smash TV. Because what Binding of Isaac does to create difficulty is make hard enemies, but what Smash TV does to create difficulty is throw masses of enemies at the player - Much like you would see in the Diablo series (mainly Diablo 3’s ‘rifts’).
What is particularly good for our team is that tackling a seldom-touched genre & mechanic allows us to feel comfortable in creating our own artstyle and innovating outdated concepts.
The Running Man film nearly exactly mirrors the plot of Smash TV and creates a brilliant picture of a dystopian future in which media controls the world. This concept has been proven to work very well for creating stories and artstyles for games, films and books. The Watch_Dogs series is based entirely on this concept and although both games approach it completely differently, both games and their stories are adored by many fans from varying ages.
Westworld (the book, film and series) uses a trope that I feel could work quite well. The trope that there is a ‘world’ of robots who are starting to learn and realise that they are robots can open up many, many possibilities for a storyline and artstyle, whether robots are trying to take over the world like in I, Robot or the main character is a robot who is trying to escape etc. So conceptually I believe it should be explored.
Design Values
1. Experience - What does the player do while playing?
2. Theme - What is the game about?
3. Point of View - What players sense?
4. Challenge - What constraints does the game present?
5. Decision Making - How and where do players make decisions?
6. Skill/Strategy/Chance/Uncertainty
7. Context - Where and why does the player play the game?
8. Emotions - What emotions are the players encouraged to feel?
Design Values: Pong
1. The players can move their paddles up and down at a set speed to return ball.
2. Competition/ Sports
3. Top-down perspective with 2 basic white bars to represent paddles, a white square 'ball', and a thin line down the center to represent the net.
4. Players can only move the paddles at a set speed, there are deadzones at the top of the screen the paddles can't reach.
5. Players decide where they can move their paddles and what angle the ball can go back at.
6. Skill/Uncertainty
7. Pong would be played at an arcade or at home on an Atari 2600.
8. Stress, frustration, determination to beat the other player/computer.
Design Values: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
1. Run around an open area, steal vehicles, attack people and complete missions as Carl 'CJ' Johnson.
2. 1990s gang-based story.
3. 3D world played from behind the character's perspective, an orange tint is on screen when its daytime to represent the weather in San Andreas (Largely based on Los Angeles).
4. The player has set health and only as much weaponry and ammunition as they choose to bring. Some missions include time limits and distance/damage meters.
5. The player constantly makes decisions that effect how the game is played i.e. choosing to drive different vehicle or bring certain weapons with them.
6. Mainly a game of skill with elements of uncertainty e.g. whether police officers/gang members spawn near you or what/how vehicles move.
7. The story is very well-written and is the main objective of the player at all times, but the game also rewards the player significantly for exploring the world, finding collectibles, completing side objectives, increasing skills etc. It can be played on PC, Mac, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox, Xbox 360, iOS & Android.
8. Determination, power, surprise, suspense, excitement.
Design Values: Our Game
1. The player controls one character with a basic gun that must defeat multiple waves of enemies in a certain room, after they have survived the initial room they can proceed to the next room and fight more enemies.
2. Survival against large quantities of enemies for as long as possible.
3. A Top-Down perspective of the character and enemies with a visual representation on the character to show where they are aiming. The enemies will all move towards the character no matter what.
4. The player can only move along the X and Y axis, the player can only shoot in one direction at a time.
5. Completely instinct-based decision-making as they can only decide where to move and where to shoot.
6. Skill-based game that encourages players to learn how it works and how to best survive against enemies by learning how they work.
7. The game would be played on a PC, although would support either controller or keyboard controls. It could be played with others or just with one person. The game would work great on an arcade cabinet as this is where it was inspired from, but that isn't a viable option as far as our own capability and would not be feasible from a business perspective.
8. The player should always feel powerful but never feel entirely prepared for what they will face.
P3
Evidence Of Elements
A - Character Animation
The enemies and the player all have their own animations as shown above. They animate much cleaner within Unity and therefore the final game build itself.
B - Backgrounds
The Tutorial Room (Cutscene Room) and the Main Dungeon (Gameplay Room) each have their own well-made thematic backgrounds.
C - Soundtrack
Cutscene/Tutorial Music: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1pQ6jmT_f591Z03yRpetFn1WZ2sGNpifn
Main Game/Dungeon Music: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1N153vDsJB2TxijirM64ox0m1pyxXqjLm
D - Props/Assets
All rooms feature a box that can be moved or become damaged and broken.
Within the Main Dungeon, where the enemies spawn, various sounds are made by the enemies and the player. Krabbo Sound /\ Eye Sound /\ Slime Sound
M2
The game is technically apt and works very well. There are no game-breaking glitches or immersion-breaking glitches. The artstyle is unique and works well with other assets within the game. This further adds to the game's intended atmosphere. A realistic sense of emotion can be felt from the player when being hit or dying through the use of relevant sound effects.
D1
I believe we have correctly placed and followed the conventions of wave-based survival games. We have various enemy types and intuitive gameplay for the player. Enemies spawn from each door simultaneously and attack the player, giving the player the choice to attack, move or lose health.
Animations are suitable and believable in showing the main character's emotion upon being hit by an enemy. This is shown through the animation shown above and a suitable sound effect. It's worth noting the main character expresses emotion mildly within the cutscene in the Tutorial Room.
GDC Notes - Game Design
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?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfMDUrq5dyY
Design Values: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
1. Run around an open area, steal vehicles, attack people and complete missions as Carl 'CJ' Johnson.
2. 1990s gang-based story.
3. 3D world played from behind the character's perspective, an orange tint is on screen when its daytime to represent the weather in San Andreas (Largely based on Los Angeles).
4. The player has set health and only as much weaponry and ammunition as they choose to bring. Some missions include time limits and distance/damage meters.
5. The player constantly makes decisions that effect how the game is played i.e. choosing to drive different vehicle or bring certain weapons with them.
6. Mainly a game of skill with elements of uncertainty e.g. whether police officers/gang members spawn near you or what/how vehicles move.
7. The story is very well-written and is the main objective of the player at all times, but the game also rewards the player significantly for exploring the world, finding collectibles, completing side objectives, increasing skills etc. It can be played on PC, Mac, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox, Xbox 360, iOS & Android.
8. Determination, power, surprise, suspense, excitement.
Design Values: Our Game
1. The player controls one character with a basic gun that must defeat multiple waves of enemies in a certain room, after they have survived the initial room they can proceed to the next room and fight more enemies.
2. Survival against large quantities of enemies for as long as possible.
3. A Top-Down perspective of the character and enemies with a visual representation on the character to show where they are aiming. The enemies will all move towards the character no matter what.
4. The player can only move along the X and Y axis, the player can only shoot in one direction at a time.
5. Completely instinct-based decision-making as they can only decide where to move and where to shoot.
6. Skill-based game that encourages players to learn how it works and how to best survive against enemies by learning how they work.
7. The game would be played on a PC, although would support either controller or keyboard controls. It could be played with others or just with one person. The game would work great on an arcade cabinet as this is where it was inspired from, but that isn't a viable option as far as our own capability and would not be feasible from a business perspective.
8. The player should always feel powerful but never feel entirely prepared for what they will face.
P3
Evidence Of Elements
A - Character Animation
The enemies and the player all have their own animations as shown above. They animate much cleaner within Unity and therefore the final game build itself.
B - Backgrounds
The Tutorial Room (Cutscene Room) and the Main Dungeon (Gameplay Room) each have their own well-made thematic backgrounds.
C - Soundtrack
Cutscene/Tutorial Music: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1pQ6jmT_f591Z03yRpetFn1WZ2sGNpifn
Main Game/Dungeon Music: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1N153vDsJB2TxijirM64ox0m1pyxXqjLm
D - Props/Assets
All rooms feature a box that can be moved or become damaged and broken.
Within the Main Dungeon, where the enemies spawn, various sounds are made by the enemies and the player. Krabbo Sound /\ Eye Sound /\ Slime Sound
M2
The game is technically apt and works very well. There are no game-breaking glitches or immersion-breaking glitches. The artstyle is unique and works well with other assets within the game. This further adds to the game's intended atmosphere. A realistic sense of emotion can be felt from the player when being hit or dying through the use of relevant sound effects.
D1
I believe we have correctly placed and followed the conventions of wave-based survival games. We have various enemy types and intuitive gameplay for the player. Enemies spawn from each door simultaneously and attack the player, giving the player the choice to attack, move or lose health.
Animations are suitable and believable in showing the main character's emotion upon being hit by an enemy. This is shown through the animation shown above and a suitable sound effect. It's worth noting the main character expresses emotion mildly within the cutscene in the Tutorial Room.
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?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfMDUrq5dyY
Reflection
What Can We Learn?
Overall as a game designer, a programmer and an artist, we can learn a lot from the paper prototype. For myself, the prototype teaches me that one of the most important aspects of the game is the player health. The prototype implies that the player can take 3 hits from enemies before dying. Personally from seeing the game 'played' I think the player should only take 2 or even 1 hit before death, to focus on the skill aspect of the gameplay.
Practicality
From a practical standpoint, the paper prototype did everything it needed to do and it did it well. But we definitely could have improved the design aspects. The way in which it was orchestrated however, needs to be addressed - as it was slow and was clearly hard to create and form.
Game
Fit For Purpose
Delve Deeper was shown to be very intuitive and well-crafted, with problems only arising when players ignored the controls tutorial. Any further bugs could only be found by players who knew how to find them, with the exception of one major bug in which the player can die before the player health can decrease fully. This bug can be easily rectified however by the player restarting the level by pressing 'R', all play-testers did this instinctively fortunately.
Some players really enjoyed our game, going to the extent where they were adamant to beat the high scores of others. Personally, I feel this definitely shows that the game is fun, which means its purpose was fulfilled.
Some players really enjoyed our game, going to the extent where they were adamant to beat the high scores of others. Personally, I feel this definitely shows that the game is fun, which means its purpose was fulfilled.
Feedback
M3 D2
In our initial planning we planned out that our target audience would be men from varying ages, primarily between 25-30. But as we found out when we gained our feedback and showcased our final game, many men & women aged around 18 years old enjoyed the game thoroughly, whereas some older players weren't as interested in the game.
From older players, we often heard queries and criticisms towards the game's narrative and the simplistic artstyle. However, despite this they all found the game to be well-made, developed and most importantly, fun.
As every audience we gave the game to enjoyed playing it, I feel we more than achieved our goal of appealing to our target audience and to other audiences.
Programming Examples
Art Examples
As every audience we gave the game to enjoyed playing it, I feel we more than achieved our goal of appealing to our target audience and to other audiences.
Programming Examples
Art Examples
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