Mechanic Development: Corona SDK

So the last few weeks have been comprised of me getting up early every day and heading to the library and learning how to code. I decided that my first ever proper indie game will be designed in Corona SDK, which i decided upon after plenty of research that showed that it is one of the quickest ways to develop a game with fewer restrictions than other drag and drop software out there such as GameSalad, GameMaker and Stencyl. Construct was also another option, although it has only been out for a short amount of time and It was also drag and drop based mainly. I wanted to dig into some code and actually start getting the hang of it so I could code in the near future too. The more you know about every field, the better, but at the same time you don't want to spread yourself too thin.

Corona uses a very simple language called Lua. It is the same language that was used in Crackdown 2's Menu System and has been used with every Corona SDK game invented. It is a very basic language and is really easy to understand for beginners.

As part of my 4th year of university studying computer arts, I have to create a project and create a research question and delve into the depths of experimental bliss. The question I am thinking of is 'What various aspects of game development define a game as being successful?" although I am fully aware that that is quite vague. So I would like to expand on that question and get more specific. The question is, specific with what? as it is hard to find something truly specific which doesn't landslide the potential of creating a fully immersible experience for the user.

I want to delve into the lines of creating a game based on cathecting the user with the game, but even deeper than that, cathecting the game character with another character in the game which in turn creates feelings for the game. I will have to look up a lot of psychology articles on what it really means to feel emotionally attached to something.

Imagination will take you anywhere...

Recently, Abertay University held a digital showcase even displaying work from various students from various programs. I attended this event and got the feeling that this event, which held a number of video game prototypes and experiences was trying to display art.

The big debate in the gaming world is whether video games can be defined as an art form or whether that is just wishful thinking. In this event, wishful thinking was far from the agenda as each game was presented in such a modern art perspective and was appreciated just like any other art gallery you could find.

The event showcased several games such as the infamous 'Minecraft' which has now been ported onto X-box Indie Arcade by 4J Games. Showcasing the student game 'Into the Sky' which was made by a group of 3rd years last year. Also on display was the Samsung Bada Challenge game Moeba created by prior Abertay graduates. A few other games created by previous Abertay university students were also on display at the time.

Each game was displayed as if it was a work of art in itself and of course some of the artifacts weren't games, but were animated shorted or interactive pieces with more of a story based focus.

One of the creators of the game Moeba game wishes to create games which specifically blur the barriers of art and video games. In the interview contained in the video above he says:

“This exhibition is de-contextualizing it (games). Which is good for games and it is also good for art. So, on that kind of level, we are hoping Quartic Llama will be able to makes games which are works of art and works of art which are really fun to play.”

Tom, Quartic Llama  

This was the starting point for my inspiration starting this project and got me really thinking about how I could possibly try and achieve the same thing.

Research Topic Unveiled

To start off with my Honours Project for University, I thought about all the things that applied to me within my areas of interest. What aspects actually make me feel passionate and inspired within the related fields of media. That was the big question, these are the things that stood out to me when I thought not only about what I excelled in, but also, what I have a particular interest in. It turns out that, I mainly am interested in Games Design and 2D art, this calls for some thoughts of creativity as to how I can possibly combine these two aspects within my project to bring something fruitful and enlightening to the world.

 

 The idea of art, so spawning from this inspiration, I originally that going 2D would be a wise choice, as I knew I had more experience within 2D art and after all it is an art degree. The above pictures, were some sketches I produced in order to experiment with emotions and how they could be expressed within characters. Particularly characters with little or no expressions or features within them.