Yes, you are about to get course credit for playing a game.
This assignment is due Wednesday, September 7th at noon. You need to do it before noon so we can look at the results and plan for class. Note: there might be a delay in getting you registered for the website, so you might want to do this ahead of time in case there are problems.
The goal of this assignment is to get you in the spirit of the class, to get you thinking about games, and to start working on some of the class mechanics.
- Play a game that involves a computer. (yes, you are getting college credit for playing a game). It can be any game you want. Pick one that you actually like (or think that you will like).
- While playing the game (and/or afterwards) think about the technologies involved. How did the technologies actually contribute to the experience of playing the game.
- Register for this web site. This will enable you to post comments. Please be sure to register with your full name and correct email address. You must register with your CS email address (make sure that your CS email is forwarded to the account that you actually read). Please use your real name for your user name on the website.
- Post a comment on this page saying what game you played. If you want to add your thoughts on question 2, that would be a welcome addition. If you played a web game, give the URL in your posting.
Note: the game that you play in this assignment will be used in the next assignment.
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Zelda Ocarina of Time on N64. One of the first (at least in my living timeframe) games where technology in processing power, graphics, memory/ability to ‘save’, and other available hardware was advanced enough to allow for a rich interconnectivity between gameplay and narrative.
-Phil Dougherty
Which on PC http://gamejolt.com/freeware/games/adventure/which/1523/
It uses grey scale, fog, and grain to make it into more of a horror atmosphere and the fog doubles as the exploratory puzzle element. A small map with key items scattered across a few rooms so the amount of exploration is not overwhelming but still is enough to lengthen the game and give more immersion.
The writing on the walls with fog provides tutorial elements while still keeping the player in the story.
Other fun effects include particle physics at the end, psudo state saves (play the game twice and you’ll understand.) Sound on / volume based on the player’s proximity to the object. Collision detection between two players and upon colliding a filter of static is overlayed on the screen. Also, for the fun of it, they have a 3D option if you have the blue and red filtered glasses.
Bioshock, it would not be the same game if not for the level of detail that was put into Rapture.
Fallout 3 for xbox 360
Although not my favorite of the Bethesda games it has been thoroughly entertaining as the wait for Skyrim comes to a close. A large HD TV is almost a must have with this game as exploring and finding items would be near impossible with the games very dark/post apocalyptic feel. Path-finding and AI also play a large roll in this game as the enemies and companions must also traverse the vast and very tough to manage terrain.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution on the Xbox 360
This is a rare game that goes beyond building a simple environment. The game capitalizes on immersion and pulls the player into the experience, allowing the player to get lost in the game world. I love a game that feels like an alternate reality more than some construct of the developers.
I’ve been playing Deus Ex: Human revolution, and LIMBO.
LIMBO is a platformer, inspired by super mario, that focuses heavily on visuals to provide a gloomy experience and to relate information to the player. A great deal of detail was taken to make sure that the visual feedback in limbo was clear (it actually has no instructions and contains no text asking the player to figure it out). From a design perspective, getting a player to understand how to play your game is HUGE and LIMBO does it beautifully. My favorite mechanic in LIMBO is the ability to change gravity and perspective. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCA79zPaQe0&feature=related
In terms of game mechanics, I would say that Deus Ex is more innovative than LIMBO simply because of the level of customizability. Deus Ex is an action adventure / 3rd person shooter where you control a cybernetically enhanced human fighting against a corrupt world. Although the objectives are similar to other action adventure games, Deus ex allos the play to control how they will execute the objectives. If you want to play it like say, Halo, you can get the augmentations to do so. If you prefer stealth, you can play it like Metal Gear Solid. There are a wide number of augmentation resulting in a large number of ways to play the game. This, in addition to a compelling story arc, have made Deus Ex a soldi game. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAYqjEhaiXE
I played the Wii version of the 2006 Playstation 2 console game, Okami. You can find a featured article on Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Ckami
A large part of the game involves what are known as “celestial brush” techniques, where the player turns their viewpoint into a canvas with which they interact with the surroundings. While in “brush-mode,” a player can adjust the camera and use their brush to draw lines, circles, and other simple marks that cause things to happen in the world once they exit the brush-mode.
This aspect of the game particularly intrigues me due to its ingenuity and precision involving this aspect of the gameplay. In one particular example, you draw a line that connects a special flower object to your character, causing a vine to appear in the world that grabs you and drags you to where the flower is. In technical terms, the game generates a three dimensional object (in this case, the vine) using only the player’s illusion of depth in a set perspective. Even though the line you draw on the screen is two-dimensional, it creates a three-dimensional object on the screen.
It reminded me of something I saw in a previous course, Computational Photography, where a three dimensional “room” was created based on a single picture of it.
This week I played Bastion on the PC. This action RPG from Super Giant Games combines a very colorful visual style and a dynamic ongoing narration to create an extremely engaging world.
The game takes advantage of an isometric graphics system to gain a very artistic hand drawn style from using 2d sprites, while still maintaining a feeling of 3d depth in the world.
I played Starcraft 2.
The graphics engine is an extremely important aspect of an acceptable playing experience. When armies each with upwards of one hundred units clash, each filling the screen with the various special effects of their attack, there was the potential for the viewport to devolve into a mass of brightly colored glow. Since this does not happen, I can only believe that a lot of work went into allowing the user to see and effectively control units during larger battles
I played Dragonage 2.
This game relied most heavily on stunning visual effects to throw the player into the world. More than any other aspect I felt like the graphics, especially cutscenes, brought me as a gamer into the fantasy world created by the game.
I played Halo: Reach for xbox!
This is the first assignment I have ever done by accident!
This game combines amazing graphics with action packed multi-player action. The adventure mode of the game was fun, but only consisted of a week or so of game-play. However, by incorporating a multiplayer feature the game pits users from all over the world against each other which allows for an infinite amount of different games with no two being the exactly the same.
I played Battlefield: Bad Company 2.
The game does a good job in depicting a combat experience. Besides the graphics, the excellent sound and destructible environments help immerse the player in the game.
I’ve been playing Castle Crashers for xbox 360. This game doesn’t have much of a plot, it doesn’t have any crazy features, and it doesn’t have any crazy visual effects, but none the less, Castle Crashers is a great game. Instead it focuses on a fun game-play experience. There is nothing like rushing into battle with your friends as little cartoon knights to epic musing and fighting through a series of random comedic levels.
I played Age of Empires Online
This game doesn’t seem to use very elaborate technology for a game that just came out. Most aspects could have been done several years ago. A big part ofcourse is the Online aspect, which has also been around for about a decade (in it’s current form) but sets it apart from other Age of Empires games.
I played Halo: Reach.
The game uses a lot of background loading and caching to avoid load screens and give the illusions of extremely large worlds in the game’s campaign.
Age of Empires Online-
Very similar to Age of Empires I from what I can see so far( I have not played II and III), but with more of a role-playing feel in addition to the RTS nature of the game, because of the ‘quests’ that you supposedly receive and carry out. The graphics are very nice; the architecture , greenery, people and animals show a high level of detail . The soundtrack is nice too, doesn’t distract and doesn’t annoy. What I used to like about the original Age of Empires was that there wasn’t just one single way to get to the goal, I guess that is the point in a strategy game. This probably applies to this version too, although I have not played that far. The gameplay is what I find most engaging because there are so many things to think about(building the city, defending it, attacking enemies etc) and as it gets harder you have to be quicker and smarter. I enjoy the historical aspect of the game too.
This summer I played a second round of Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. The primary draw I have to these games is the numerous ways that choices in the current and previous game can add to the storyline. Additionally, the story writers deliberately chose difficult choices that have subtle ambiguity–I have literally sat at a decision menu for minutes before selecting an option. Mass Effect 2’s ability to import previous choices from Mass Effect adds a great deal of interest in replaying the two (eventually, all three) games multiple times.
More design highlights include:
– The character relationship system (Mass Effect 3 is set to improve friendly relationships along with romantic relationships).
– The Galaxy Map navigation system–strikingly beautiful.
– The segment-based music composition system–inevitably everything must loop, but the audio engine dynamically chains together segments of the soundtrack.
– The Command Bar/Power Wheel squad control system–by no means perfect, it offers a unique paused view of combat.
– Nicely increased difficulty levels–my Insanity-level playthrough currently offers me far more strategic opportunities and satisfaction than the far more haphazard playthrough I made on the “normal” difficulty.
– An extensive Codex of non-essential game information–this fleshes out the Mass Effect universe with mythos and sustaining contextual details about technology, culture, history and more.
Overall a wonderful package between the two games so far, and a good study in design choices over time (e.g. combat system revisions, inventory revisions, etc.), tightly-woven storytelling and world-building, interactive fiction and so much more. I’m obviously a fan.
Sherwood Dungeon
http://www.sherwooddungeon.com/
It’s a free 3D MMORPG, sort of similar to World of Warcraft, and it involves technologies of: 1) database management (islands, players, items, …); 2) graphics design (static and dynamic); 3) handlers to calculate combat results; 4) sound effects; and 5) narratives & game settings.
Company of Heroes (CoH)
The game is a WWII realistic, real time strategy game. The game is very well put together in it’s different technology aspects: the AI is well thought out, the graphics are well done making it aesthetically pleasing, and for those who care the historical accurateness makes those who know it happy and is an educational experience for those who don’t. I played the game online and in that regards its a common RTS game, however one that tends to be on the smaller scale max pop cap limit is at 125 units.
I played Diablo II, probably my favorite all-time computer game.
I think its amazing that I can still play it and enjoy it 11 years after its release. Sure, the graphics are pitiful in comparison to modern games, but they along with the lighting and music really contribute to the gothic mood. Also, I really enjoy playing a game in the isomorphic view that Diablo and Diablo II made famous. As someone who has never found WoW fun, I really hope Blizzard doesn’t screw up Diablo III…
I played Nba 2K11 on xbox 360.
Technologies that are involved in this game make this game very enjoyable. The physics of the ball and player movement make the game very realistic. Character models are close to the real life.
I played the game MineCraft on my computer.
It’s incredible that you can do so much in MineCraft with just some simple rules for the redstone circuits and things which use them. This – essentially a schematic sim – lends the game a depth which is hard to find in your average games. I’ve seen people recreate the old atari pong game using only blocks, redstone circuits and pistons (It had AI and everything). People have also created entire computer systems in MineCraft (From the processor down to the printer). That depth is what make games like MineCraft, and is something that I hope to expand even more on in the game that I’m helping create for my start-up company Door 6.
I played Dead Island which is a very realistic zombie slaying game. Most games like this the zombies are just mindless and just chase after you as soon as you get close. In Dead Island, the zombies are realistic and vary in intelligence and speed. Also, there’s a legit story line, instead of just running around shooting up zombies. Finally, the environment is very realistic and interactive, which makes this game very fun.
I played From Dust.
In this game, the player is able to “absorb” water, dirt and lava in order to shape the world around them. The player is able to use these mechanics to allow the tiny villagers to reach their destination. The physics engines at play make every experience memorable as the player uses lava to create rock formations to block incoming tidal waves and pours water town a mountain which “accidentally” floods the the nearby village.
I played Fruit Ninja on the iPad.
It is very addictive in Arcade mode getting the highest score from your friends and the multiplayer is fun and really easy for anyone to learn.
It has physics, the fruit falling, and touch sensors (native to iPad), so you can slice the fruit before it falls, and enhance your skills to score higher combos.
One thing I love about mobile games is that they can be (and usually have to be) very simple but you sometimes design games from the ground up for this new environment (phones / tablets).
Civilization V. I recently started playing it. The games are very long. I have not yet finished one. One thing I don’t like about the game design is that it feels like it takes more mouse clicks than it has to to get various pieces of information. There are various overlays that provide information, but some of them are mutually exclusive. What if I want to have three overlays open at the same time so I can see how everything changes when I do X? I’ve played turn-based games before, and Civilization V’s turn structure is a little clumsy at times. It’s not always clear what happens on turn n and what happens on turn n+1. You can’t get to the next turn unless you give all of your units orders, even if those orders are “Do nothing.” It prevents the user from forgetting to use all of their available resources, but it’s more annoying than helpful.
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