The N00bz Guide To Onslaught

1. The N00bz Guide To Onslaught

2. CSE1GDT – The Finale Paul Taylor 2009

3. World Spaces Revisited in Detail • A long way back we covered the Game Space • ..... • .... • ... • .. • . • We did!

4. The Basic Game Spaces Linear Grid Based Web based Points in space Divided Space Don’t forget that putting some of these in a blender can make a really interesting game

5. Landmarks • How do landmarks affect the game space? • Where is the centre of the University?

6. Architecture and Christopher Alexander • He’s a highly regarded old guy who made buildings • His first book 1979 ‘The Timeless way of Building’ can almost be ripped down to creating spaces shared by objects that have gestalt • The next slide shows his definition of these spaces (highly abbreviated)

7. They feel: • Alive • Whole • Comfortable • Free • Exact • Egoless – connected to the universe • Eternal • They are free from inner contradictions

8. Inner Contradictions • This is what you can buy now on the shopping channel • Basically you write down what something is supposed to be, now look at what it is • If they are different that’s an inner contradiction • If the pilot of your aeroplane turns out to be a chicken this is an outer contradiction * Given we are considering objects, considering spaces, this would be a space with an inner c.

9. Patterns in Design • C. Alexanders second book (1977?), and most famous is ‘A Pattern Language’ • The book contains 253 architectural patterns that have seem to have gestalt The University of Oregon is based on this book!

10. If you are truly interested read his third book ‘The Phenomenon of life’ This book breaks gestalt down to 15 fundamental qualities, and it seems they are shared with living things!! (If you are ½ interested flick to p336 of TAOGD)

11. So we know a little about architecture • What about Virtual Architecture? • There are rules that still stand (People must fit through doors) • There are rules we must break (Bizarre map layouts to conserve space)

12. Breaking the Law • Firstly we must start with some hard numbers • In Unreal 1 meter = 52.5 UU (Unreal Units) • If we keep a real world measure, we have a physical point of reference • When building a Temple, maybe it looks too small, Google it, they seem to be around 60-100m high • Now you can measure it properly

13. Now we actually break the law • Once you know it is the height it should be, we need to make it look right. • Things that can mess up your world • Eye Height • We assume eye height, which in a 3rd person perspective makes us VERY tall. • Doorways • Players assume doors are made to fit people

14. Texture Scaling • Yes, you even need to measure the size of the bricks on the walls. • Rescaling rooms • If you build a perfect scale room, players will usually hate it • In life we can walk around easily in a room • In games we move far more clunkier and in a more clumsy manner, getting stuck

15. So just make the room bigger, and space everything out more • This makes the room look too sparse and weird • Make the whole lot bigger, room and objects • You’ll end up making the player feel like a midget or a child • Make the room larger, and the objects a little bigger • This was done in Max Payne and works well • Perhaps your solution will be to give the player the dexterity they are used to in life?

16. The Aesthetics of your World The aesthetics of your world is how you tie the following together: • Mechanics • Story • Technology The better you do, the more aesthetic appeal your game will have

17. The Aesthetics cont. • Sound • Technology • The Distant Mountains of JRR Tolkien • Balancing Technology • A lot of the artwork is powered by your crack programmers • They are typically crack programmers NOT artists

18. Supporting Gamer Communities • What drives players towards multiplayer gaming? • Competition • Collaboration • Socialising • Exploring with friends • Exploring our own abilities

19. Why do players join a community? • Membership • Influence • Integration and fulfilment of Needs • Shared Emotional Connection

20. Why do we care? What do we get? • Extended Play time • A longer period of Contagion • Basically how long viral advertising exists • Word of mouth, Facebook, ...

21. So how do we build a Community? #1 Give players the ability to talk (Nintendo??) • Give them someone worth talking to • Make it easy to find people based on how players are aligned • Give them something worth talking about • Complex games have an inherent interest that will support discussions, other games you may need to find ways of generating interest • Allow players to form friendships • Allow players to meet easily • Allow players to connect easily • Allow players to re-connect!

22. #2 Conflict • According to Jonathan Baron (old online gaming creator dude) conflict with something is the heart of every community. • Having something to oppose or defend is what ties communities together. • Bushfires • Wars • Anarchists?? • The conflict can be against each other or against the game.

23. #3 Architecture • The structure of your community can control how players communicate, and who with.

24. #4 Community Property • People love ownership!! • When they are part owners, players will tend to talk more and keep stronger friendships.

25. #5 Allow Expression • Players love to be able to express themselves • Being different (or the same) is so important to people normally, and in game it is equally important. • Look up the different Mii’s on Google if you want to see how far players have gone with a very simple customisation tool.

26. #6 Support all three levels of player • N00bs • Require help • Should be nurtured • Normal Players • The easiest to cater for, they look after themselves • Uber L33t Players • They have finished your game, how do you keep them? • Allow them to help n00bs, give them input into the game • Make an insanely difficult mode

27. #7 Make your players Dependant on Each other • If players can finish the game on their own, the incentive to team up is greatly diminished • Be wary of drop outs and over-dependance

28. #8 Manage your Community • Community Gardening • Plant Seeds • Grow Flowers • Use Pesticide on Weeds!

29. #9 Obligation and Commitment • People generally feel bad when they commit to something and don’t do it. • This effect drive WoW. Players are committed to their guild and will let the guild down if they miss a raid, loosing social status with their friends. • The Pax guild attempts to overrule this inherent dependence in WoW

30. #10 Create Community Events • No WoW Dance Parties • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sktU62NlVag • Really No! • These form part of your interest curve • Highlights in the interest curve! • Possibly lowlights too (see above)

31. Weeding your Garden • The weeds are the players who enjoy torturing other players. • They are absorbed in their power over others, and use it to spoil their experience. • Play Halo in the n00b servers to experience this 

32. What types of garden do weeds grow in most easily? • PvP Combat • Stealing • Money, Inventory, Kills • Trading • If players can misrepresent items the weeds will grow • Obscenities • Fanboys are #1 at this • Smart filtering can remove tones of chat abuse. • Voice communications are a lot trickier, these need to be policed and the weeds crippled in a fashion.

33. Path Blocking • Make doors over 2 players wide, or allow players to push each other around • Loopholes & sploits • You need to watch for these and fix them as possible. The quicker you fix things the less damage the weeds will do. • If you run an MMO perhaps charge players based on server-CPU usage. • This would only cost ridiculous players a heap (Gold Miners)

34. Playtesting The Four types of testing you should know: • Focus Groups • Research (To be effective they must be well run) • QA Testing • Bug Hunting • Usability Testing • Is your interface as intuitive as you believe? • Playtesting • This is the BIG one for games, bringing people in to play your game and see if it engages and immerses players.

35. Playtesting Isn’t Fun You are paying (or inviting) people to rip apart your game. After surviving your T-Rex and every Executivasaurus, your little baby idea was almost ready to walk, a bunch of kids come in and rip it a new one.

36. Why it is important • You are not perfect, and you will F*#k up sometimes. • If your team doesn’t figure it out, then hopefully the playtesters will. • If they don’t your mistake will be torn MUCH harder by the community, (and consequentially your bosses!)

37. Playtesting and Prototyping (Why Test) A Playtest is pretty much a prototype of your game experience To this end the questions you ask your playtesters need to answer that question. There is no real list of questions you must ask, looking through the book of lenses can generate a lot of good questions about your experience! Another important part of Playtesting is finding out who is enjoying the game and who isn't!

38. Playtesting (Who) • Your Developers • Friends • Expert Gamers • Tissue Testers (Kleenex) • Fresh Meat • You can only use them once

39. Playtesting (Where) • In your Studio • In a Playtesting Lab • In a public place • At the playtester’s house • Over the internet

40. Playtesting (What) • How are you going to get players to answer your questions? • Are you going to remove parts irrelevant to the test? • Look out for surprises, they can be your most valuable feedback

41. Playtesting (How) • Once you have everything in place, you need to get your data • Cameras • One way mirrors • Player faces • Controller Inputs • A Survey • Interviews

42. Games Transform Players Are Games good for you? Yes No Kindof

43. Positive Effect #1 Emotional Maintenance • Games can control a players mood and emotional state • They can make you happy • Allow the player to vent anger / frustration • Give the player space from the real world • Build a persons confidence • Relax and Unwind

44. Positive Effect #2 Connecting • Games can make it easy for people to connect • Remove the social boundary of speech for mute people • Remove body image from conversations

45. Positive Effect #3 Exercise Yes Exercise No one can argue it. Games can give you a mental workout. Some games such as wii ARGs, and project natal promise level of physical exercise too

46. Positive Effect #4 Education, the terrible E word. My teachers never figured out that education and fun can happen at the same time. How does the format of a game compare to the format of a year at High School?

47. TAOGD Players Goals Achievements Time Limits Scores Feedback Challenges Exams High Scores

48. TAOGD Players Goals Achievements Time Limits Scores Challenges Bosses High Scores Students Assignments Handing in Assignments Due Dates, Class Times Grades Assignments Exams ENTER Scores

49. Why not just games then? • Time variations • Pacing • Oldies • Development Quality vs Time • So what have you learnt from games?

50. My Learning from games (some of) • War Strategies (Command and Conquer) • German Sheppards are all over Africa (RE5) • A lot of Mythology (Tomb Raider, Uncharted½) • How to aim and shoot (Point Blank, Virtua Cop) • Problem Solving Skills (Layton, ScribbleNauts) • Zombies should have the brain severd at the stem (all zombie games)