Pitch Presentation No.4

Summary

My last presentation of this year was a useful experience in which I could see my prject finally taking off as I finally have a game up and running. It certainly isn't perfect, although as an artist with no programming experience I feel quite pleased with myself and the end result.

The presentation went well and Lynn said that I "presented very well as always" which is always encouraging to hear as a student. I feel that after each time I give a presentation, I improve every time. Just before a presentation I am extremely nervous and dread going up there, but once you just stand up and start speaking and are confident in what you are talking about, then there is no need to fear and you just talk with passion about what you have been up to and share your thoughts.

I talked about Dayna's previous framework which had inspired me to speed up the process of the creation of my own framework. Through a lot of academic research and with the assistance of the MDA framework which I discussed earlier, i was able to create my own framework.

It is named the Mechanics and Aesthetics framework, which displays the traits of what create the subjective aspects of a game in an objective way. 

Here is the framework applied to Tiny Wings, evidently, the challenge and feel are aspects which it excels at. This was rated after a few short plays and an in depth case study will take place later.

The main meat of the presentation was the updated creation of my game: Destony which is now running. I played a video of the game running during the presentation and people seemed to like it. You cannot yet collect the white block, although this feature will be added in the future.

Feedback

General feedback was very positive, Lynn suggested that I create blinking eyes for the blocks to make them more interesting. Ryan wasn't so sure about the direction of my project anymore as it has changed a lot since it's inception. Although despite that, the feedback was very positive and they said to just keeping going and polishing the game and the theory coming up to the final hand ins and exhibition.

Appraisal:

• Great that you have the game working.
• The art has significantly improved and is easier on the eyes. 
• You present very well as always.
• Your theory is really strong behind your game, it would be nice to see how you can package that in the end product of your game and showcase.

Constructive Criticism:

• Make sure you know how you will package the whole concept and theory at the end of the semester.
• Create blinking eyes for the blocks to make them more interesting.
• It would be interesting if you could use that framework on a game which actually scores high on freedom so that the results can be more varied.

Coding Issues: Block Collision

Why Coders get paid more than Artists?

Yup, I said it. Yes, I am an artist and have been one since I was around 5 years old  or maybe younger. I have been drawing since I can remember, but now I am programming or at least trying to and I have come to realize that it takes a lot of creativity, arguably more than art itself.

With art, you can almost literally produce anything and it is considered Art as long as the purpose was for it to be admired or critically appraised. With coding, it a whole different ball game, the level of creativity is on a of mental exhaustion is on entirely a different level. Coding in most cases, takes far longer than the art process, particularly with a 3D game engine. I have to admit that I have many times unappreciated the efforts that coders go through. I think it's a trait many of us artists share, who think that because coders lack a certain visual understanding, that they cannot really appreciate what we do, although through coding myself, I feel humbled by anyone who codes and takes it seriously.

Speaking of someone I respect, and someone who was a big help for me during my game development process. That someone was Alastair Low, who also has a blog on his 4th ear development: http://alshonours.blogspot.co.uk/

Alastair was the one who got me kick started with Unity a while back as we would meet up every Friday at 10am to work on our honours together. The work sessions we had were always quite productive and it was an inspiration to see how focused he was and to try and take notes from his highly productive work ethic. I suggest any student to meet up with like minded people and do the same.

He made this for me for my birthday which was very kind of him.

 Block Collision Issue

One of the Friday work sessions with Al, we encountered an issue. This issue was basically that the white boxes within the game would not destroy on collision with the main character. Alastair tried to help me with this and tried replacing certain code for the collision using JavaScipt, but nothing was working.

The white box and the character.

This is the JavaScript of collision script that we tried to use and it didn't work. We actually tried several different versions of scripts, may of which had worked for Al and for other unity members but it didn't work for me.

After a few hours of frustration, we looked out for some coders to try and help me with my issue and low and behold after 3 different programmers came and helped me, one programmer named Alan Roberston finally figured it out, that JavaScript basically didn't work and that using C# (the above code) works and finally the problem was solved and the coding battle had been fought and won with the help of Abertay coders. 

Honours Project Podcast: Graphic Design

Another honours project podcast, this one in particular discusses the topic of  Graphic Design, it's relevence in my personal development and it's importance in everything design based. You can listen to it bellow:

Podcast: Graphic Design

Surrounded by Rectangles: Thomas was Alone Analysis

Play-testing a Narrative Platformer

Play-testing TWA was a satisfyingly pleasant experience. I admittedly judged the game from an outside perspective looking at the graphics alone and the graphics can easily be overseen without coming to understand the minimalist approach.

Excerpt from Dissertation:

Case Study: Thomas was Alone

Thomas was Alone was also created by a single developer, namely Mike Bithell for the PC in 2012. The game is a minimalist 2D platformer in which you begin the game as a small red rectangle, called ‘Thomas’. Thomas is an AI program who is part of a larger system within the game. The creators of the AI did not anticipate that Thomas would develop an adventurous personality of its own. You travel through the system discovering portals and after learning how to jump you are enabled to make it through each portal to progress to further levels. The objective is to guide the characters through each bordered level to reach the portal, as you progress through the game you are assisted by a group of other quadrilaterals of all shapes and sizes as well as their own unique abilities. 

Thomas was Alone is often primarily revered for its simple and extremely effective systemic ability, particularly the brilliance of a single jump mechanic (Kotaku). As well as this, the great story telling, well executed gameplay as well as lastly the minimalist appearance which could often be seen as a negative but is really what brings this game into unique and intriguing territory (IGN, PC Gamer UK, Telegraph). The game manages to create a memorable experience of the least distinctive characters and minimal graphics in a game which drives a narrative experience out of simple coloured rectangles. The mechanics of the game are simple, yet is a case of extreme polish of simplicity which presents this game as a worthwhile study.

Challenge 4/5: The balance of challenge and skill within Thomas was Alone is almost refined to perfection as each level gets progressively more difficult, at the same time, there are not many levels that cause frustration or too much repetition. None of the emerging ideas are over-exploited and each level gives you significant space to take a breather and refresh (TWA IGN). Once the familiarity of the pace of movement and jump are figured out, the game becomes a quality experience filled with alternative thinking and playfulness as time becomes irrelevant. Despite these perfections, at some point there are moments in which having to change character constantly or trying to move the slower and less able characters can birth impatience. Generally, the game has a very well thought out design and flow filled production. 

Freedom 4/5: There is a particular amount of freedom within Thomas was Alone as you are bound to the constraints of your often limited environment, although there are several different options available to you. A key part of that particular option is within the option to choose several different characters throughout the game which open up an interesting amount of freedom. Characters which can jump higher, move faster, float on water, define gravity or create a bouncing pad. These all create such a diverse sense of freedom within the game as well as the environment and puzzles being broad and some solvable in alternative ways.

Retention 4/5: The balance of playability and depth within this game is vastly developed. Your attention is caught by each triggering scenes of the professional in game narration appearing as it subtly hints and guides your character throughout each level. There are ten different level themes and each theme holds ten levels, the game can take up to three to four hours to complete which is an abundant amount to keep the user entertained. The main game mechanic, which is undoubtedly the jump mechanic holds a level of smoothness and a sense of satisfaction which can keep one entertained for hours. The only thing possibly holding back the game’s playabilty is the irregular point of slight repetition when you have to move along a vast amount of characters to progress through the game, although this is a small complaint within such a sophisticated and enthralling game.  

Immersion 5/5: The immersive quality of Thomas was Alone is what really sets it aside from being a simple platformer to being a highly acclaimed independent game. All throughout the game you are guided by well-placed text and a professional narration which does an incredible thing, it creates sympathy for characters that are nothing more than rectangles. Showing that the power of the story and its display can elevate even the most simple games into something spectacular (TWA IGN). The visuals of the game are simple yet yield a fine amount of polish and attention to detail and composition which might even suggest that such sophistication was designed with a graphic design background. With further inspection, it is noticeable that each level is slightly slanted which furthers the creative illusion. Also on almost every level, a 2D dynamic shadow is subtly casted upon your character and environment further refining the rich experience. From the rain, particle effects and the deep and involving sound, the game is an immersive master piece proving minimalism can create an equally moving perceived reality.       

Value 4/5: The perceived value that the game gives the user is meticulously subtle within its execution. The amount of value a player can gain from a simple jump mechanic is remarkable. As the character jumps, there is an illusion of squish and stretch along with a very fitting jumping sound which give the jump that extra added value. One of the most rewarding aspects are when you complete a level and enter a portal as your character turns white and is animated which indicates the feedback of change and a goal being completed which is highly satisfying. Arguably, the most rewarding experience is when you finally solve the painstaking puzzles and begin to feel elevated in your own intelligence. Although, the only disappointing factor in terms of value was the ending scene of the game which seemed somewhat short and unfulfilling, although overall the game is bountiful in rewarding the player. 

Feel 5/5: The feel of the game is evidently polished and designed with the player being prioritised. From the simple yet brilliant jump mechanic feels immensely satisfying despite the character only being a rectangle. The rectangular characters are in perfect harmony with the square looking environment, even down to the particle effects, water splashes as well as background animation. The feeling of every character you play is varied and provides a well-rounded sensation. Every level and character conforms to the same equalled brilliance of each previous level, yet only expanding. The whole experience seems to mesh together complimenting the sophistication and minimalism of the game creating such a rich, elegant and sustainable familiarity.

	RATING
CHALLENGE	4
FREEDOM	4
RETENTION	4
IMMERSION	5
VALUE	4
FEEL	5
TOTAL (Mean)	4.3

Table of results for Thomas was Alone

In conclusion of Thomas was Alone and its overall game aesthetic, it is not as clear as first assumed that the game excels mainly in its systemic value, as the visual side, although minimal, is of extreme polish. From looking at the data chart, it can be seen that the immersion and feel score maximum points proving that less could potentially mean more. Despite this, it can be said that the systemic significance of the game is also of very high value as challenge, freedom and retention also score very well which displays that Thomas was Alone is a certainly well designed and encompassing almost all the successful aspects of systemic and visual significance needed in designing an extraordinary game.  

Supervisor Meeting 4

I recently had another meeting with Dayna showing the progress of my game, it was finally at a stage in which i was happy to actually have something up and running without too many glitches. Dayna liked the progress that was made and also suggested that a few tweaks could be made and that the story of the game would be the focal part of the game that would separate it from other platformers.

We also discussed the aspect of the game being made in Unity3D even though it is a 2D platformer, and whether I should let the objects rotate on all axis or just the Z so that it would only look 2D. Dayna also suggested that when you collect the white block and nice effect coming from the object would also be a good implementation to create an interesting/eye catching effect to help the mood of the game be felt.

Here is what we discussed:

Meeting Agenda:

·        Showcase the game running in Unity and discuss further development.

·        Discuss next actionable steps for the game.

·        Discuss new relevant research which could be potentially used for the dissertation.

·        Further discuss dissertation structure.

Progress Report:

·        The game has developed well into a polished outcome.

·        The dissertation has been planned further.

·        The critical framework is close to being finished.

·        More sketchbook work has been done.

Agreed action points:

·        Finalise the critical framework and discuss why the framework was built/created.

·        Show development of the mechanics within the game and how you have thought out why these mechanics exist in regards to your project aim.

·        Continue to write the draft of the dissertation and show any progress made.

·        Prepare for your final presentation.

·        Sketch out the game development inspiration or implementation.

·        Decide whether it is a 3D or 2D object orientated platformer.