GAME CREATION IN KODU GAME LAB

1. GAME CREATION IN KODU GAME LAB SELECT A LESSON 1. A WORLD AND CHARACTERS 2. PATHS AND ENEMIES 3. KODU RACES 4. USING PAGES TO CHANGE THE RULES 5. GAME ANALYSIS AND DESIGN 6-7. CREATING YOUR OWN GAME 8. GAME TESTING AND EVALUATION

2. A WORLD AND CHARACTERS

3. Understand how to use the terrain tools and control a character’s movement using Kodu Game Lab. • Good  A world demonstrating different heights, types of terrain and water. Collectable objects added to the world. • Better  Character added to the world and controlled by the user. • Best  Score added to keep track of the number of objects collected.

4. Using Kodu Game Lab Kodu Game Lab can be used with an Xbox 360 controller or a mouse and keyboard. Top left-hand side of Kodu

5. Create Your World • Create a world and include: • Different heights • Different terrain • Water (maybe a river running through the middle?) • Add objects to the world, including some that can be collected (ie, apples)

6. Adding a Player • Add a character to use as the main player. • Program your character to be controlled by the user: • Program your character to collect the objectswhen it bumps into them: (how could you add a score to this?)

7. Good  A world demonstrating different heights, types of terrain and water. Collectable objects added to the world. • Better  Character added to the world and controlled by the user. • Best  Score added to keep track of the number of objects collected.

8. PATHS AND ENEMIES

9. Understand how to add different types of paths to a world and use these to control enemies or NPCs within a game. • Good Walls and roads added to the world to make it look more realistic. • Better Use a plain path to control an enemy or NPC’s movement. • Best World Settings tweaked to improve the overall appearance.

10. Starter Activity In pairs put all of the When and Do instructions together in the correct boxes to carry out each of the tasks listed on the sheet.

11. Answers

12. Adding Paths • Open the world you created last lesson. • Add walls in suitable places within your world. • Add roads to move around the world and maybe a bridge to go across the water?

13. Gameplay • Add a plain path and an enemy to follow the path. • Program the enemy to follow the plain path and shoot at the user: • Program the player to shoot when a button (of your choice) is pressed. • EXTENSION: Find and have a look through the World Settings, experiment with these to see what affect they have on the game.

14. Good Walls and roads added to the world to make it look more realistic. • Better Use a plain path to control an enemy or NPC’s movement. • Best World Settings tweaked to improve the overall appearance.

15. KODU RACES

16. Understand how to combine programming and design skills learnt so far to use paths and opponents within a racing game. • Good  Basic racing game that is won when the player reaches the end. • Better  Opponent added that races against the player by following a path. • Best  Game Over displayed when enemy reaches the end first.

17. Kodu Races • Use the terrain tools to create a race track (think about racing games you may have played before). • Choose a character for the main player and add controls so they can move around the track. • Add an opponent to race against – they will need to follow a path.

18. Good  Basic racing game that is won when the player reaches the end. • Better  Opponent added that races against the player by following a path. • Best  Game Over displayed when enemy reaches the end first.

19. USING PAGES TO CHANGE THE RULES 4 3 2 1

20. Understand how different pages can be used to change behaviour of objects within a game. • Good  Additional objects added to the racing game that act as speed boosts, using pages to change the speed. • Better  Areas of land used to slow down the racers using different pages. • Best  Finished racing game that is visually appealing and includes some extra features of your own.

21. Speed Boosts • Open your racing game from last lesson. • Add objects around your race track to use as speed boosts. • Add a new page of “Kode” to your character so that his/her speed increases for a set amount of time when they bump into the chosen object. • EXTENSION: Think of additional features you could add to your racing game (think of racing games you’ve played before).

22. Homework • Choose one of the games from the guide sheet and create it using Kodu Game Lab.

23. Good Additional objects added to the racing game that act as speed boosts, using pages to change the speed. • Better Areas of land used to slow down the racers using different pages. • Best Finished racing game that is visually appealing and includes some extra features of your own.

24. GAME ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

25. Be able to use previous knowledge of games to produce a concept idea and plan for own computer game. • Good  Decide on a game idea and produce a plan of how this will look. • Better  Plan the background story and characters to the game. • Best  Completed game documentation which clearly covers all features of the game in detail.

26. System Lifecycle Identify Evaluate Analyse Implement Design

27. Game Genres Genre is the style of game you are going to make. Name some examples. Puzzle Action Adventure Sports Educational Role Play Strategy

28. Audience Male or female? Eight or eighty? Casual or hard-core gamer?

29. Game Ideas • Think of three ideas for your game. For each idea write down the following: • Genre • Setting • Audience • Here’s one example:

30. Designing the Game Choose your favourite idea and think about how this would work as a game, ask yourself the following: • How will it look? • What is the storyline? • What characters could you use? • You have 30 seconds of SILENT thinking time Teacher note – click the stopwatch to start the timer 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 End 14 13 15 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 29 30 16

31. Share your Ideas with a Timed Pair Share • In pairs you are going to tell your partner about your game idea. • You will have 30 seconds each to explain your idea. • The person with the shortest hair goes first . . . 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 End

32. Design Documentation • Open the Game Design Template and fill in all of the sections to plan out your game. Here are a few of the characters to give you some inspiration:

33. Homework • Look up “Kodu Video Guides” on YouTube and note down at least three programming techniques you have not used before. (Try to pick out techniques that will help you to create the game you have designed).

34. Good  Decide on a game idea and produce a plan of how this will look. • Better  Plan the background story and characters to the game. • Best  Completed game documentation which clearly covers all features of the game in detail.

35. CREATING YOURGAME

36. Understand how to combine programming techniques learnt in Kodu Game Lab to produce a game to meet a chosen design. • Good  Own game created using Kodu Game Lab. • Better  Own game created that matches the design documentation (some bits may not work as planned). • Best  Own game completed using a range of programming techniques and works as expected.

37. Creating Your Own Game • Use your game documentation to create the game you have designed. • Try to remember programming techniques you have already used (look at your previous games if you need to.) • If you get stuck ask a neighbour before putting your hand up.

38. Good  Own game created using Kodu Game Lab. • Better  Own game created that matches the design documentation (some bits may not work as planned). • Best  Own game completed using a range of programming techniques and works as expected.

39. GAME TESTINGAND EVALUATION

40. Understand the importance of testing and reviewing a game to make it better. • Good  Completed test table and fixed any errors highlighted as a result of testing. • Better  Completed peer assessment sheet giving useful feedback to a friend. • Best  Detailed evaluation explaining results of testing, peer assessment and own opinions.

41. Test Table • Create a Test Table to check your game works properly (include at least four additional tests of your own). • Fix any problems with your game.

42. Evaluating Your Game • Ask a critical friend to play your game and complete a Peer Assessment Sheetto give you their feedback. • Underneath your Test Table write an evaluation of your game. This should include: • A breakdown of what you have done • The results of the testing • Feedback from your friend • Your own opinions (what went well?, even better if…)

43. Good  Completed test table and fixed any errors highlighted as a result of testing. • Better  Completed peer assessment sheet giving useful feedback to a friend. • Best  Detailed evaluation explaining results of testing, peer assessment and own opinions.