Movie Madness

The movie I am choosing is forest Gump. Well i am thinking it would be an action adventure game. The game will take place over his life Like in the movie where he tells of different things that have happened to him. The game play will be broken up in to mini games. so that you can have a different level feel to it. the game will be just like the movie where he has all these different things he experienced like running from the bullies or going to Vietnam.

Chapter 6 question 3

the game I'm using is fallout  new Vegas. the type of combat is that of an action type. you have this character who uses different kinds of weapons. the types are ranged melee or explosion but there wasn't really a fun thing to it the game used very simple combat moves. The game was trying to make things better by giving this thing called vats which gives you this almost turned based feel which for awhile makes it fun but is not the most fun it could be it seems. the game would get really boring after awhile. which is not good for the game the only thing that keeps is the story which is the fun part of the game.

Character development revisited

The game I'm choosing is mass effect 2. the game is set in this futuristic world where you are this kind of super soldier and you are on this quest to save the galaxy. Well this really effects the character because you're flying around in your ship and a lot of your core character building events happen on your space ship. but the game also uses this future society to describe the way the powers he has are done. If the game was flipped id say it would go to a medieval time is where id put it. The reason for this is it could use magic for the powers he has. but this would have effects on some of the game play like the hacking feature of the game were robotic enemies could be taken over. This would be one of the problems with transferring but it wouldn't be impossible.

Basic AI

When playing the game with my rules it seemed easier. But what I learned from making our board game is the reason it is easy is that we are so used to what we are trying to do. So I do not really know if my rules were really that much better or I just knew what it was I wanted to do. But judging by the way we did not get a vote it was not that great. What I learned was the importance of the area of making this feel of drama which is what brings people to play your game and finish it. This is actually really tough to make this balance that is just right to make the player feel that he or she is in this up for grabs contest to see who will win if its them or the game.

Chapter 5 question 1

The three games I have chosen are fable 3, oblivion, and mass effect. Well in each game you have this feeling of morality you make decisions that either make people feel good about you or feel like you are a "good person".  In games like fable 3 you have this ability to make whole towns really like or hate you. your fame or infamy in oblivion and mass effect are the same as the morality in mass effect. the games really give different choices to everything whether it is playing the passive person or the evil tyrant even the saving grace of people.

Game Of Dice

Dirty Dozen!

Dirty Dozen          

Setup: 2-4 players

-Each player is given 2 red dice that acts as their “hand” for the entire game.

-White dice are placed in the middle of the playing area to act as the “Deck”

Materials:

-8 red dice

-12 White Dice

-Rule sheet

Objective

The goal is for your “hand” to be close to or equal to 12 without going over.

The first player to reach 10 points wins.

Gameplay

1. First roll goes to the youngest player, and then rotates clockwise each round.

2. All players roll their hand of two red dice.

3.On the players turn they decide whether to roll up to 3 extra white dice from the “deck” in an attempt to get to 12. Players roll one of their possible 3 extra die at a time. Once you decide to stop rolling, you “stand” and you are finished for that round,  then the next player goes.

4.If a player goes over 12 they lose a point, at the end of each round, the player(s) closest to 12 get a point, if multiple players tie, they receive a point.

5.At the end of each turn return white dice to middle and prepare to re roll your hand.

Design Chemistry

The makeup of the team can have a great effect on the game its self. If the team that makes it up is mostly programmers then the game will be a very code intensive game with what I feel would be less of an artistic view. then if there was only artist it would be more art and less game. so to me it seems like it's ideal to have a equal balance of the two. the article says that the people that made the kung fu game were a mixture of people that made the game with different backgrounds.

Prototyping

Personally I feel prototyping is an important part of the design process. It helps you get your feel for the idea down as well as getting the possible problems you might encounter out in the open right at the start. What seems to happen and what I feel makes a good game or a bad game is the prototyping that is involved. What it does is bring things to light like if the idea will be a problem to make or to complicated. This also really irons out the game mechanics so that you kind of have a base idea of how the game will play.

Chapter 4

Question 2

The Player Character

ragamuffin street thug  ginger named Ian who has a delicate side. He is a kind of wish he was tough so he acts it. but deep down he has this undying obsession with hello kitty. he has a friend who he confides into and that is his best friend Jon. Who has the same love for the little kitty. But it is tough because his nemesis the dreaded RL makes fun of him and Jon.

Jon

Ian's best friend and has been for many years they have grown up together hiding in there tree fort looking at hello kitty magazines giggling of the shirts and bags. But they know that to survive and not be picked on by RL they must act tough and not show there soft side.

RL

A mean cruel person who makes fun of anyone who is a little different. He leaves the people he makes fun of in this horrible slump that they hide in basements and become pale in color. He is very aggressive in his tormenting and has been looking for a reason to target Jon and Ian.  

Game Mechanics Examined

Okay well I agree with the fact that there are too many things at times. He really gets into some really good points I have my minor in psychology so it makes a lot of sense that it is good to limit the amount of decisions that a person has to make because after you get to higher and higher you really will start to feel overwhelmed. For example when you try to remember a phone number from your head you for the most part remember the first seven numbers and the last two are always tough to remember. But for people that have been desensitized by many games that are giving way to many choices well they become accustom to it and it does not really bother them that much.  But just because some people are able to handle it does not mean every game should be like that. The games do need to be more simple based some of the most memorable games are the simplest tetris, pac-man both super simple games. But just because you should limit the choices that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on the game. Just take an unneeded choice out. To make what I would feel as one of the better games is one that is extremely cleverly designed to keep around the magic seven numbers. As for some games like this I would say the game Oblivion is a good example. When you are fighting you have really a few decisions magic, melee, or ranged,  then attack that only four decisions that you have to worry about. Then when you aren’t fighting its watch for enemy, buy goods, sell goods, find quest, complete quest. That is it so it has got simple decisions that you should make and that’s it nothing to complicated.

Accessibility

The game I choose is bubble spinner it’s a very simple game were you just use your mouse to shoot different colored bubbles at a big group. If you match the color in at least three matching colors they disappear. The main goal is to clear the board of all the colors. The controls are extremely simple to understand. They are very easy but the angles and bounce are very tough. If you mess up after a certain number of times the game throws back a bunch of bubble things back on to the group.

After playing the game for ten min with no arms I must say is very frustrating the game wasn’t meant to be played that way. You really cannot do anything and I did try a lot of things to it. I tried yelling, playing with my feet and yes they were clean so don’t ask. Well as for changing its really tough to play another way maybe make it more accessible by making it verbal use if you wanted or something else to control the device maybe make it less sensitive to movement.

Well I played the game now for ten minutes with no monitor and it is really frustrating also. You cannot see any color so you don’t need what you are shooting at so you end up losing rather quickly that does get frustrating. Well as for changing maybe make a voice tell what color you are shooting and were it might go. This would make the game extremely simple and not as fun. So I don’t really think this is a reasonable idea but It would make it accessible to someone that is blind.

I played the game with one arm and must say that the game was very easy to play with one arm. The game was meant to only be played with the mouse so the game is rather easy for someone with this disability. There really isn’t anything I could change to make it easier for someone.

Chalk Free Play

Well chalk was fun I guess it was weird some silly little girl being protected by a flying magic piece of chalk which would not strange if was a certain Harold and his purple crayon. Well the weirdness really made the game kind of fun they had strange boss type enemies which my favorite was the first who had a giant zit you were supposed to pop. It was all just very strange I must say. This strange chalk world gives it a creative side. You’re supposed to take the magic chalk and draw lines or whatever to protect your little person who follows this little star thing completely oblivious of the danger around. Well in my opinion I would say if she that dumb well its time the chlorine was added to the gene pool.

 As for replay yeah I might if I had a few minutes to kill but I’m not going to be all running around bragging about it and to get everyone to play.  So it is ok I might be playing it every once and awhile that way I could just have some fun time when I am waiting for a class. That’s really the only time that I would really ever play this game it was fun but it is just not that fun.

 The game is really gameplay driven and not really well much of a story. Your kind of thrust in to this world well if you don’t read the help screen to get clues to play which you really don’t need its very simple to understand.  You just try to get to the end of the level. There is not any real character interaction you just kind of protect the person and that’s it there really is not any real reason to feel anything.

 Well the graphics really went well with the idea of the game it is really interesting the background is a moving background of a chalkboard. So I mean I really like it a lot the graphics have a cartoon feel and really make the game enjoyable to everyone. The game really has some different characters well the bosses are the boxes and lines can be creative. So the game is really good for the humor that its given as with the boss with the zit it is fun.

The controls are a little strange. The controls are for drawing with the mouse with holding the left click. Then there is the controlling of the little star so it’s a little different the game is different with the controlling of  the star it has got a really weird feel I don’t know how much I really like it to be honest. The games movement of the star is very different when you are controlling the star but the girl you don’t in a way control gets hurt. Its really different I feel.

There really was not many special features I have come across that I just was like wow.

If I could change one mechanic it would be the controlling of the girl not the star. I feel that would be better than controlling that stupid star thing. There really is not anything I wouldn’t really change the game is for the most part simple so not really much to change its kind of nice not having much.

As for a scale of 1-10 id give it a 7 its fun not amazing fun but still fun and enjoyable I like it.

Chapter 3

Question 1

I'm going to chose gears of war as the game I would change the camera control. The game is on a third person kind of view. I would change the view to a first person kind of hybrid. The way I would do this is the game would be in first person until you do things like go to cover or do the crouch run. When you do these it would go to third person. The game would change by making it I feel more ranged fire then what it is now. The game wouldn't have as much use for the chainsaw but it would really give it a feel of distance and range combat.

Journal 1

Our story begins in Slamdog (Pic 1). Many years ago this building was a real jive place. Were all the greats of past congregated . There was the mythic Mr. T. Whose name simply uttered would bring fear to all criminals. This is because his crime fighting skills were so legendary so long as his "Bling" did not get in the way or blind his adversaries. Then there was the troubled little ragamuffin who was named after a sweet treat that wont melt in your hand but only in your mouth Eminem. This little hooligan was from a park were homes were on wheels and his rhyming skills were beyond belief. But his skills for rhyming were only used for his enjoyment of making humors remarks about his mother and other people. But this story tells of world savers and how could these two unlikely of world savors come to meeting.

            Well I will tell you it all began on a blistering cold night nothing like our warm comfortable night. That little ragamuffin i told you about earlier well being a hooligan he was outside but the cold was getting to him so he looks and finds Slamdog and figured it would be easy to sneak in. But he did not know that the crime fighter Mr. T was on guard duty there. As Eminem snuck in he was spotted as he went to hide in a closet but to his dismay it was not cleaned out. When Mr. T saw him the chase ensued but Eminem was no match for Mr. T's huge strides but before they could tussle something happened a elevator shot down with gold and many different pictures on it (pic 2). But before they could examine it the doors slid open. It revealed a tremendous white light and a white smoke. Then came the surprise a man slowly walked out dressed in all white. The man said he was Morgan Freeman and was messenger of god and turned and clapped and the light went out. he tells them of a great evil man whose name was Quasimodo. He tells them it is up to them to save the world.

            Well as you might have guessed they were not too happy about this. Both men were very mistrusting of each other but they knew they had to work together. well as they traveled to Quasimodo's crib they became closer. They were soon good friends and were joking to keep the tension down because they knew that they were only stops away and the bus was speeding. Ten minutes passed then twenty and then they were there. When they got off and paid there fair they were standing in front of a massive door with many pictures on it (Pic 3). As they examined the door they saw there was no handle so at first they pushed against it but no it was not that easy it would not budge. so there they set for days trying there hardest to figure out what it was they needed to do then it struck them what they should do. The pictures were depicting an interpretive dance. So there they began their dance. sit down hands together run a way scared  and so it went and when they were finished the doors did not move as the realization that they might not get in they noticed a button and when it was pressed the doors slid open. well that frustrated them and they were angry and ready to face Quasimodo. As they slowly made their way to his tower (pic 4) there was a calm about them that they knew they would succeed at vanquishing their foe.  Well they found him at the top of his tower staring outward near the stone gargoyles. They sneak up on him and start their attack Eminem bust out his hateful rhymes and as Quasimodo is distracted Mr. T searches for a light and when he finds it reflects the light with his shiny bling and blinds Quasimodo and as he stumbles falls off the building. Well they thought they had won but when they went down some men with batons and metal hand restraints took them and locked them up. but the story was not over now years later the task has been left to you (queue the dramatic music).   

Genre VS Type

I agree with the way that the article describes as what Genre and Type are. I personally think that the really should not be used as interchangeably as they are. They are two very different  kinds of description. Game type describes the action and way the game is played. It doesn't describe the way the game is written and style which is the genre.

High Concept

Ian Bentley, Tyler Baum, Jon Luoni, And of course Jeff Harman

well here it is.......

Palling ‘Round with God is a 4 player epic adventure of three heroes who are looking for the all-powerful, radiating orb of infinite shenanigan wisdom…which is covered up by gold coins and $20 bills in a steamer trunk hidden somewhere in the world.  The one lucky buck that gets to play God must defend the treasure at all costs.  Sadly, it’s all that’s left worth saving.  The housing market’s crap nowadays.  Television hasn’t been good since 1959.  And your son hates you.  He had the nerve to stay in bed all day on his birthday last year just to spite you and your festive holiday party plans.  Screw ‘em.  You’re the boss.  Your t-shirt says so.  You guide gloomy buffer angels, dirty devil demon crawlers, and a mega-giant of massive meanness to stop a trio of bumbling schmucks from getting your stash.  The three searchers are lost in a vague world.  Slowly proceeding over an empty landscape where untold riches (actually just about $8,020.17) or fierce tooth-to-toe battles await just around the corner.  Movements are direct and the mission is clear.  Steal God’s thunder fund.  Memory and luck will reward the patient, but be careful of your teammates in this quest.  They can choose to revive a fallen comrade as they lay bruised and confused on the path ahead or they can take an extra long step over the carnage, give a thumbs up sign, smile, and keep on looking for that confounded treasure box thing.  And always remember, far, far above - God’s watching it all.  Reveling in the squabbles and near misses with the loot.  One of the heroes walks mere centimeters away from the loot?  Should God have said anything?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  It’s up to God.  But remember, as the result of an old football injury, he can’t move the heavy treasure after initially putting it down.  It’s there forever.  And once it’s discovered - the great big gig’s up.  It’s been fun palling ‘round with you, God, but I’ve got to go!  (fade-up distant angry thunder, wait for electricity to go ou-------  -

Pal around with god!

Ok so this is our video for this highly entertaining game we have started to make. So far we are in the design phase but its gone really far we have an idea of how it works and have played it and had a blast. watch our video and give me your thoughts. any questions just comment. Now enjoy........

Our first game check it out!!!!

                          School Days!!!!

1. Roll to see who goes first. Highest goes first.
2. What you roll is the number you move.
3. If you land on a dot - get card and follow instructions.
4. If you go to detention - you need to roll the same # twice to get out.
5. Win by finishing school.
6. If you get detention - move to the detention square.

items Needed to Play

Dice, 5 "Reward" cards, 4 "Go to Detention" cards, coins, stick of gum, fake lobster claw
 

Free Play

Toribash is a interesting little fighting game.

Question 1

 was the game fun?

It was ok I would not classify this game as fun or not fun it was extremely challenging and I found it hard to grasp the basic tools to do anything worthwhile. But for some strange reason I want to keep trying which is very frustrating at times cause you keep failing. You fail a lot multiple times and its just hard. you do not get a lot of instructions at first so it is kind of tough. But they do have a fight training which is cool it teaches you.

Question 2

Does the game have replay value?

Yes it does I did not hate the game and it is a very open game to begin with and there is a lot of possibilities for moves and just fun. The open concept of the moves is what makes it have such a good replay value. Many fighting games give what feels like a set of  simple moves that can be chained together to make new stuff but this game moves each section of body so that you can make your own.

Question 3

Story or game play driven?

The game is game play driven. There is no story to this game it is just fight this person and that's that. the game just is simple and fun it is not supposed to be a story kind of fighting game.

Question 4

Presentation?

The game is presented well the graphics are pretty cool. The games graphics are different there is nothing that special but they are very cool simple feel the camera can be rotated around the player 360 degrees so its completely 3d so it is very cool. The game is graphic with blood and what not and the blood has the big dots kind of like a lego feel.

Question 5

The controls?

Well the games controls are clicking the mouse. But the clicking and pointing just is to simple for the complexity of the game. There is a lot of things that can take place with just one click and it is hard to really grasp everything in the little simple clicks and movement. The game seems more complicated even with just using the clicks at first. But as you play it gets easier and makes it seem fluid but i do not know if it is because I am used to it or it really is.

Question 6

special features?

The special features are multiplayer which is cool as it adds like a cool concept to the fighting style. I if did not play but when you do you have to really think a lot for your next move and try and counter someone else's. Then there is the shop where you can customize your character and that is really cool it you get money from beating people online and what not so it is something i did not get to use.

Question 7

Change one mechanic?

Well if I could change one mechanic id change the ability to have like preset moves like jump and simple not combat moves. this would make things a little easier to actually do moves and stuff. Which is my main complaint about this game. Changing this would make this game a little more simple to play and in my mind fun.

Question 8

I'd give this game a 7 out of 10 shenanigans. This is I feel that the game could be a little easier to just pick up and play. The game needs better rules to make it a lot more accessible to everyone.   I do not think it is horrible so I do like it.

Chapter two book work

Question 1

Ok well The three games are Starcraft 2, Mass effect 2, and Pacman. Well for starcraft  2 I feel was a technology driven design process. I feel this way because well in the book it talks about making a sandbox kind of style at first . This is while you have the ability to decide so the level is laid out the way the designer wants then the rest is yours.  Mass effect is a big story driven game while yes it does look good. The game has very large scope to it you get attached to your character and what is going to happen. to me that is what makes a good story driven game the ability to feel for the character as if they are a friend or something. Pacman is definitely a game play driven design. It is a fun simple game and it seems that it was just made to be just that. It does not have impressive graphics or cool visuals even for the time some later versions came out but it stayed in this simple easy to play and fun game.

Game Play and Control

Well I think I'm going to chose a game most people have played it was called Phoenix. It was for a graphing calculator and I must say I spent many a day blowing up little pixel space ships instead of listing to my teacher talk about the Egyptians and how some kind of math. Well anyway the game is very fun for being a calculator game its got a feel of space invaders and if you going thinking its that its definitely what you would expect. The controls are so easy a caveman could do it so its actually fun. But the big plus about the simple controls you could do it very ninja like so the teacher would never be the wiser. This game goes well with algebra or calculus what ever is your preference it feels like the people who made it wanted it simple so it didn't give an overwhelming feel to it. So if you really want to kill some time in a math class check out Phoenix and don't make my mistake and play in a English class.

Game Design Document

OK well I completely agree about the importance of these documents. They kind of give a basis of whats going to happen. They are the basic bread and butter of what makes the game good or not whether it be a board game or a video game. To me by what the article says makes them seem like the script of a movie and without a good solid script you get the Blair witch project. Which I did not find of any use other then a good Frisbee from time to time. But as for board games it makes perfect since its like getting your ideas and compiling everything you have had and puts it in a nice little fun sized package. It is a lot of work but I feel the pros out way the cons.

Ch 1 question 3!!!

     Well the game I particularly did not find to fun was gears of war 2. To me the game was good looking but as far as fun goes at times was very lacking. The levels themselves were at times had a feeling of being really linear. The game is for the most part set were your character does not know how to get where they are supposed to go. But they just seem to be strolling along knowing exactly which way to go like this was their child hood stomping grounds or something. Then when you got to the enemies it was like just mini versions of their game type horde were its just wave after wave. which at first you are like "chainsaw yeah take that!!!" and what not but after about an hour its turned into a silly repetitive routine. Now for something I have got to say the weapons were not balanced. when you got one It was like a kid with a magnifying glass on a cloudless day and you are the ant. You would just have to chalk one up for a lost on that.
     As for fixing these problems well the level feeling linear is a tough little cookie iv figured to fix. But to me what might do it is make it more of a players choice they have at times were you split up and you chose which path you the player will go. maybe if that was incorporated to say you can go down one way and even if they both eventually led to the same place. Just having that one break were its like "wow I really do not know where to go". that feeling of being lost or just you actually deciding I think would really get rid of that feeling. As for the enemies and the wave after wave Maybe making them come as more of a sporadic thing instead of hey here is a place to get ambushed queue the dramatic music. Maybe give the player the feeling like they could strike any moment since you are invading their turf. Have the points be more random and just make the enemies stronger or more fierce. As for the weapons I really do not know what goes into making it feel that everyone has a equal chance not just who ever got lucky and got there first. I would not want it to be like everything is like shooting the same I just do not preferably like a god weapon. But I really do not know how that would be fixed maybe just lowering ammo so it is not so devastating making it more like a it will get one or two just not team.

My review of Pokemon pearl

During my childhood I grew up like a few of you playing Pokémon. Well I got my hands on Pokémon pearl for the DS which was from their new series and I gave it a whirl overall I’m going to give this game a 7 out of 10 shenanigans. I’ve broken up my reasons for this score into Gameplay, Graphics, Sound, Story, Learning Curve, and Control Scheme. So here it goes enjoy my review.


Gameplay/Story

Well the game play is on the elementary level of understanding. See the goal is to become the greatest trainer in the world and as the song goes catch them all that’s Pokémon or pocket monsters as they are also known. Well you are also tasked professor who seems to be in a lot of places all the time with the leveling of these little trouser snakes. You accomplish this by running around and picking on people and beating up there Pokémon and in some places getting a badge of honor that you can shine up in the DS versions. But that’s not all in this Iliad of epics you also encounter a very sketchy group that I am unable to name at this time but will continue to research. Well this little group of heathens run around with a talking cat which I must say is very strange. Well you eventually get into with them because they wanted your pocket monster and you were all “no” and preceded to battle royal it like no other. Eventually you can go to this club house but the only way to get in is if you have eight of those honor badges. Well lucky as I was I got them and proceeded into this little club house. Well in this club house you find its ruled with an iron fist by these people called the elite four which I must say weren’t very elite. So you being the good Samaritan decide you will take down these “elite” four. Well with the royal finished and the not so elite four and there sprawled behind you a very vampire looking gentleman comes creeping out and is not to chipper about what happened so he decides to start a ruckus with you. Well after you humiliate him he surprises you with the keys to the place and says “hey you’re the champ” well now all these elite four and Mr. Vampire are your little peons that you can come smack around whenever you want.

Graphics

Well I came into this I was skeptical as what I should expect from a game based on pocket monsters. But I got to say it turned out not half bad. They had a nice cartoon kind of feel which brought me back to eating cocoa puffs and arguing about who was watching TV first on Saturday mornings. I felt the Pokémon could have been a little more animated the water gun move at time looked as if the Pokémon was taking a leak but that’s up for your own interpretation. It was ok though because at times it made me laugh as it would be a good technique because if you win the fight marked the territory already. The only thing I really didn’t like was the way it didn’t seem as they updated really the look as much as they could have done with the DS think iv seen a lot better looking games on it but im picky so id take a look.

Sound

Well nothing much to say here other then the fine gentleman put in charge of picking music for this game does not need to be in charge of that anymore. Its like a constant repetitive blur of annoyance it’s the only really thing I can say is a failure on there part honestly I don’t understand they can make more of these little creatures then you can count but we get ding ding techno junk. Ok well I got that out the sound was bland on a better note it just wasn’t like it should be music and sound is important watch jaws in mute what do you get? A nice, pretty, and peaceful ocean scene were nothing is happening. Its important and should have been look at more.

Learning curve

The learning curve wasn’t too bad at the begging when you are in m night shyamalan the village-esque town you live in were everyone is scarred of the tall grass. Your shown the ropes by some punk friend of yours who seems to be on speed. Well you get your Pokémon and within what seemed like an instant were thrown into a starter battle with wild aggressive Pokémon mine were bird like creatures so I must have been near there nest. But you are shown the technique by pounding these little pigeon wannabes into the ground. So I must say it was an easy game to pick up and easy to learn very fun.

Control scheme

The controls were simple very simple you have like two buttons and a directional pad simple. It’s a very easy game to learn because of the ease it is to play with the controls and there was even customization of the controls “uhhhhhh ahhhhhh!!!” it was nice. They even tried to use the touch screen but take it from me don’t touch it. For me it was very temperamental and I must say I got into a verbal altercation with it a time or two so use it at your own risk. Overall the controls were easy.

Hello would be readers!

Well first off this blog is as I bet you have guessed well wait... hope you have guessed is about SGD that's Simulation and Game Design for those of you who were still wondering. Its my first semester in this program and I must say I am very excited. But that's not really saying much as I get excited by the fart noise that ketchup makes when its running low. Well unfortunately that's really about it just started this week so not really much for me to say. So......CYA