game design for development brent m. dingle 2014 game design and development program mathematics,...
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Game Design For Development
Brent M. Dingle 2014Game Design and Development ProgramMathematics, Statistics and Computer ScienceUniversity of Wisconsin - Stout
Game ArchitectureDecomposition
to Master Task List
Consider
• Designing a game FOR Development– requires consideration and understanding of– all the aspects of creating and implementing it
• Lots of people have game Ideas
• Some can put that idea into a Design description
• Very few see their designs be Developed into real games
• Increase your odds– Design so it is easy to Develop
Who Are You?
• You are– NOT just an Artist– NOT just a Programmer
• You are learning to – Design– AND Develop– Games
Millions of these
Very few Understandand Can Do this
Development Process for Gamestransfers to development of other things-- remember that
Emphasis for Today• Designing and Developing a game– requires understanding many aspects– of the development process
• You should be learning – how to think at all levels of the process
• When designing a game you should consider – all the aspects of creating and implementing it
• in addition to all the other things that make a good design
Game Architecture
• Building a game from Assets
Game Architecture
• Building a game from Assets
Game is made from AssetsPremise is
Game Architecture
• Building a game from Assets
Game is made from Assets
Assets Build Into Components
Premise is
Game Architecture
• Building a game from Assets
Game is made from Assets
Assets Build Into Components
Components Build Objects
Premise is
Game Architecture
• Building a game from Assets
Game is made from Assets
Assets Build Into Components
Components Build Objects
Objects Build Scenes (levels, menus, …)
Premise is
Game Architecture
• Building a game from Assets
Game is made from Assets
Assets Build Into Components
Components Build Objects
Objects Build Scenes (levels, menus, …)
Scenes Define Games
Premise is
BUT we Start at the Top
• You will be given a high level game description
• You must Design the Gameso it is possible to be Developed successfully – using an approach that is
easy to understand and implement
From the Top
• Decompose the game into manageable pieces– Assets, or game elements,
that can be assigned to people to create
• How?– Categorize the assets– Similar to how people are categorized
People Categories
• Generic Game Company (GGC) divides employees by disciplines– Design– Art and Animation– Audio– Programming/Engineering– Production– Quality Assurance
Asset Categories
Asset Categories
Asset Categories
Asset Categories
Asset Categories
Asset Categories
Asset Categories
Asset Categories
Decompose
• Have categories of people and assets
• Now Decompose the game – From the Top
Top Down
• Since we have only a high level (top) view
– We start with a TOP-DOWN approach– Later – When we have lots of basic pieces/assets
» We may add extra stuff using a Bottom-Up Approach• Re-using assets already created (crazy isn’t it?)
May also think:Design and Planning go Top-DownDevelopment and Implementation go Bottom-Up
Asset List Creation – Top Down
• From Big to SmallWe have a description of a game Should include scenes/levels/menus/…
Asset List Creation – Top Down
• From Big to SmallWe have a description of a game Should include scenes/levels/menus/…
Decide on a scene to create
Asset List Creation – Top Down
• From Big to SmallWe have a description of a game Should include scenes/levels/menus/…
Decide on a scene to create
Determine what type of objects areneeded to create that scene
Asset List Creation – Top Down
• From Big to SmallWe have a description of a game Should include scenes/levels/menus/…
Decide on a scene to create
Determine what type of objects areneeded to create that scene
Determine what components we need to make each object in the selected scene
Asset List Creation – Top Down
• From Big to SmallWe have a description of a game Should include scenes/levels/menus/…
Decide on a scene to create
Determine what type of objects areneeded to create that scene
Determine what components we need to make each object in the selected scene
Determine what assets are needed tomake each of those components
Asset List Creation – Top Down
• From Big to SmallWe have a description of a game Should include scenes/levels/menus/…
Decide on a scene to create
Determine what type of objects areneeded to create that scene
Determine what components we need to make each object in the selected scene
Determine what assets are needed tomake each of those components
And viola we have a list of assetsfor ONE scene
Repeat for the other scenes
Game Decomposition: SCENES
• Game into Scenes– Often derivable straight from Game Description– Usually Easy• As things go may add more, sometimes delete extras
Game Decomposition: OBJECTS
• Scenes into Objects– Usually Easy• Add, delete, and move between scenes• Different Scenes
should decompose into similar same objects– This is good design that makes
reuse doable during development– Saves time and money– Can make scenes more unique later (after success)
Game Decomposition: COMPONENTS• Objects into Components
– Can be tricky
– By accident often become equal• Try to avoid accidents
– Intentional is okay
• Think:– Component = Generic Ship– Object A = Bomber Ship, Object B = Fighter Ship– Object A = Generic Ship + Bombs, Object B = Generic Ship + Guns
– Try to design so that objects are all made from similar components• i.e. Objects should decompose into similar components• Just as scenes decompose into similar objects
Game Decomposition: ASSETS
• Components into Assets– Also can be tricky– A component should be made of a small number
of assets of the same or different types
Object Decomposition Example• Example: PAC-MAN Object
– Script Component• Asset: Script for user interface motion control• Asset: Script for collision with walls
– with food and points update– with ghosts and death (if not powered up)– …
• …
– Image Component• Asset: Static Image for marketing• Asset: Static Image for menus
– Animation Component• Asset: Image Sequence for Moving • Asset: Image Sequence forDying,
– Sound Component• Asset: Sound for moving• Asset: Sound for eating• Asset: Sound for dying
Decomposition Summary
• Simple Enough?
Complication by Humans and English
• Games are made from Assets– The previous
decomposition is very detailed and gets into low level stuff
• Managers do NOT like tricky stuff– It confuses them
Complication by Humans and English
• Managers do NOT like tricky stuff– It confuses them
• Games are made from Assets– The previous
decomposition is very detailed and gets into low level stuff
• Managers do NOT like tricky stuff– It confuses them
– They get Objects– They get ‘types’ of
workers– They kind of get ‘types’ of
assets• Their Asset lists tend
to be more Object Lists– (object) Asset Lists
• Managers do NOT like tricky stuff– It confuses them– They get Objects– They get ‘types’ of
workers– They kind of get ‘types’ of
assets• Their Asset lists tend
to be more Object Lists– (object) Asset Lists
Complication by Humans and English
– And you get (object) Asset Sheets
ASIDE: We will talk more on Asset Description Sheetsat a later date- how to create them,- where you want to keep them- how detailed thy need to be- …
(object) Asset Lists
• Managers create (object) Asset Lists• Example:
(object) Asset Lists
• Managers create (object) Asset Lists• Example:
Object Assets Are Composed of Assets of Various Types
(object) Asset Lists
• Managers create (object) Asset Lists• Example:
Object Assets Are Composed of Assets of Various Types
What is important about this list?
This ties your Design through Decomposition to People Skills
Making it Easier toUnderstand, Manage and Develop
Creating the Master Task List• Managers Use the object Asset List to Create Task Lists:
• To make a Task List, Add columns to it, such as– Estimated Time/Cost– Priority– Status– Actual Time Spent
Adding Columns
• To make a Task List, Add columns to it, such as– Estimated Time/Cost– Priority– Status– Actual Time Spent
Each Sprint, Fill In the Columns
• As a team– Assign a priority to each asset– Estimate the time/cost for each asset
• (total for all categories of work)
Each Sprint, Fill In the Columns
• As a team– For Each Sprint• Based on Object Asset priority
– Team members commit to working on the assets
Additional Tasks• Not all tasks are game asset creation– EX: Give Status Report and Demo to Client
• Some tasks may generate temporary things– EX: Create placeholder image to allow script testing
• Some tasks occur AFTER asset creation– EX: Create new build– EX: Test current build (with all changes)
– aside: all independent changes should be tested prior to committing to build
Object Asset Lists – Just ONE way
• Using Object Asset Lists to generate Task lists – is Just One Way– It is not perfect
• It illustrates how to – Link the Architecture and Design of the Game
to the Development of the Game• never forget about the people aspects• make the development
of the design easy to plan and implement
Summary• Designing and Developing a game– requires understanding many aspects– of the development process
• You should be learning – how to think at all levels of the process
• When designing a game you should consider – all the aspects of creating and implementing it
• in addition to all the other things that make a good design
Summary
• Designing a game FOR Development– requires consideration and understanding of– all the aspects of creating and implementing it
• Lots of people have game Ideas
• Some can put that idea into a Design description
• Very few see their designs be Developed into real games
• Increase your odds– Design so it is easy to Develop
The End
• Questions?
• Additional material may exist past this slide– For practice and/or references