Comments on: Assignment 1: Play a Game (due 9/7)

By: jcarpenter2

jcarpenter2 — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:40:46 +0000

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.

By: zemella

zemella — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:02:05 +0000

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).

By: James Merrill

James Merrill — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 01:29:10 +0000

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.

By: ryanbehnke

ryanbehnke — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:52 +0000

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.

By: What’s going on in 679 (Sept 7th edition)

What’s going on in 679 (Sept 7th edition) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:57:07 +0000

[…] have an account on this website, and be able to post comments. If you have not successfully done Assignment 1, do it immediately! (even if its just making a post saying a game you played in the […]

By: Andrew Zoerb

Andrew Zoerb — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 21:21:15 +0000

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.

By: sok

sok — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:28:31 +0000

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.

By: dszafir

dszafir — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:12:36 +0000

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…

By: wasmundt

wasmundt — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:47:01 +0000

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.

By: Sheng-peng Wu

Sheng-peng Wu — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:56:04 +0000

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.