Showing posts with label spectra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spectra. Show all posts
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Beachball Spectra
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Games User Research Summit, GDC 2012
My GDC trip this year is shaping up to be a lot more exciting than I'd expected it to be. I'm enjoying the chilly San Francisco breeze (I miss it a little), and marveling at the city architecture.
Tuesday I attended the Games User Research Summit, and definitly learned a few things:
On Touch Interface
Visual assets for touchable buttons should be at least 7-9mm in width.
The visual asset should be at 60% of the touch target size.
Three ways to classify Interfaces are by their Freedom, Precision, and Direct Manipulation.
Intuitive is misleading, because everything is learned. Familiarity and Awesomeness is a more efficient targets.
On ABC model of attitude
Affect -> Emotion
Behavior -> Action
Cognition -> Thinking
Each of the three affect the other, and recursively affect themselves. They are immeasurable because this state is always changing and in the moment.
Behavior is observable while Affect and Thinking can only be intuited.
Media can affect one of these aspects to influence another.
Bartle's Player Types and Biometrics
A researcher presented a study that he did on players of a trivia game, as requested by the developers. He quickly realized that the data that was needed required observation of the four Bartle player types in relation to one another.
It is important to note that the decision to use Player Types: Killer, Explorer, Achiever, and Socializer, were a result of the data, and determined to be fitting after properly analyzing player behavior under their target behaviors.
The researchers watched for the interactions between two players and measured the frequency of:
Shared awareness
Requesting Info
Shared History
Shared Sucess
Shared Failure
Team Optimisation
Trash Talk
Self Indulgence
ABC in Games
During this talk I realized that this would allow me the vocabulary and surface understanding to put one aspect of Spectra into words. The purpose of Spectra was to place players in a situation where they would have to help the other player, their partner. My intended result would be that these repeated acts of kindness would influence the player's emotions and thoughts about each other.
The game never yielded an answer, as I haven't observed enough play sessions of it, or run lab tests with specific player-types, but I have had good reaction to the premise and players tell me that they enjoy the game.
Tuesday I attended the Games User Research Summit, and definitly learned a few things:
On Touch Interface
Visual assets for touchable buttons should be at least 7-9mm in width.
The visual asset should be at 60% of the touch target size.
Three ways to classify Interfaces are by their Freedom, Precision, and Direct Manipulation.
Intuitive is misleading, because everything is learned. Familiarity and Awesomeness is a more efficient targets.
On ABC model of attitude
Affect -> Emotion
Behavior -> Action
Cognition -> Thinking
Each of the three affect the other, and recursively affect themselves. They are immeasurable because this state is always changing and in the moment.
Behavior is observable while Affect and Thinking can only be intuited.
Media can affect one of these aspects to influence another.
Bartle's Player Types and Biometrics
A researcher presented a study that he did on players of a trivia game, as requested by the developers. He quickly realized that the data that was needed required observation of the four Bartle player types in relation to one another.
It is important to note that the decision to use Player Types: Killer, Explorer, Achiever, and Socializer, were a result of the data, and determined to be fitting after properly analyzing player behavior under their target behaviors.
The researchers watched for the interactions between two players and measured the frequency of:
Shared awareness
Requesting Info
Shared History
Shared Sucess
Shared Failure
Team Optimisation
Trash Talk
Self Indulgence
ABC in Games
During this talk I realized that this would allow me the vocabulary and surface understanding to put one aspect of Spectra into words. The purpose of Spectra was to place players in a situation where they would have to help the other player, their partner. My intended result would be that these repeated acts of kindness would influence the player's emotions and thoughts about each other.
The game never yielded an answer, as I haven't observed enough play sessions of it, or run lab tests with specific player-types, but I have had good reaction to the premise and players tell me that they enjoy the game.
Friday, December 2, 2011
The First of December
The First of December came and went as quickly as the Winter winds blow. The day before, Erica Zhao and I turned in a completed build of Spectra for class. No project is without its crunches, and Spectra was no exception. I worked as many hours as I could as soon as Thanksgiving Thursday ended, clocking in about 5 hours of sleep by Monday night.
Here's the one minute teaser video we put together to showcase our game:
The major changes that occurred during this looong weekend were:
-color changing flashlight
The boy's sprite was overly static compared to the girls. She would have her hair dyed a different color every time her powers changed, whereas the boy had a 2 frame flashlight animation.
I separated the flashlight from his sprite, and let it change colors. It's only a small number of visible pixels compared to the entire screen, but better associates the floating circle with his wand.
-color changing flashlight
The boy's sprite was overly static compared to the girls. She would have her hair dyed a different color every time her powers changed, whereas the boy had a 2 frame flashlight animation.
I separated the flashlight from his sprite, and let it change colors. It's only a small number of visible pixels compared to the entire screen, but better associates the floating circle with his wand.
-animated, reactive picture frame (hud element)
Spectra is bordered by a picture frame. I'd always wanted it to be one that changes according to the game-state, but the design/insignia had always stumped me. I ended up animating a vortex, as if light were emitting from a source in the center of the box.
each individual tile changes colors after every animation cycle, and the color that is matched with the girl's current color is lit brighter than the rest. I will try to post a video soon, but for now, imagine twinking stars.
Spectra is bordered by a picture frame. I'd always wanted it to be one that changes according to the game-state, but the design/insignia had always stumped me. I ended up animating a vortex, as if light were emitting from a source in the center of the box.
each individual tile changes colors after every animation cycle, and the color that is matched with the girl's current color is lit brighter than the rest. I will try to post a video soon, but for now, imagine twinking stars.
-simplified node sprites
The color fountains that I had going before had too much unnecessary detail. I removed the pillar that held up the orb and diamonds, so now they're just left with the base and shape.
The color fountains that I had going before had too much unnecessary detail. I removed the pillar that held up the orb and diamonds, so now they're just left with the base and shape.
-background
Anh gave me a rough pencil sketch for the background. I then spent the entire night painting the repainting the entire thing. Sometimes the flow of the lines would direct eyes out of the picture instead of inwards, and those sections would have to be repainted. Othertimes detail would accumulate in certain areas. Since the background is a decorative element and is not part of the playspace, i had to simplify and remove anything that was distracting.
If you've heard me pitch Spectra before, I talked about playing in a stained glass world, where the picture and the game are one. I mentioned how players would be brought into the stained glass environment. In practice, it is a difficult goal. I do plan on experimenting with that idea again, but it seems unlikely that we will be able to find a convergence of gamespace and the background.
In its place, I plan on implementing 'glitch world' levels, where the the entire screen is filled with gameplay elements, platforms, and players will have to find their way through its maze-like structure.
If you've heard me pitch Spectra before, I talked about playing in a stained glass world, where the picture and the game are one. I mentioned how players would be brought into the stained glass environment. In practice, it is a difficult goal. I do plan on experimenting with that idea again, but it seems unlikely that we will be able to find a convergence of gamespace and the background.
In its place, I plan on implementing 'glitch world' levels, where the the entire screen is filled with gameplay elements, platforms, and players will have to find their way through its maze-like structure.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
What does your Character do?
My partner and I have been working on Spectra, a two player cooperative puzzle platformer, for our Intermediate Game Development class at USC.
We set out not to create just interesting game mechanics, or to tell a touching story, but to also address co-operative play between two players.
Mirror Images
Today, whenever the topic of co-operative play comes up, everyone is quick to refer to Portal 2, which includes a two player campaign alongside its main single-player story. Valve was very successful in crafting an entire experience around their two player mode, stringing together a set of new characters, voice acting and a narrative.
However, these new puzzles are essentially Portal levels that involve a second set of portals. The two players are mirror images of one another, have the same controls, the same portal gun. players have swappable roles,
Two Layered Cake
Spectra's co-op gameplay is different in that the two players abilities are directional and can be layered on top of each other. Each player is given the same set of colors: white, red, blue, yellow. However, they differ in the way that they use these colors. Games like portal 2 had a straightforward evolution to a two playermmode. It is, however tough to go in the other direction, creating a single player experience out of a multiplayer one. Part of our purpose for creating spectra is to bring two players closer together and feel the intimacy of the hero and heroine. The removal of either of the characters breaks down the structure of control. to use an analogy, Spectra would be the equivalent of two players each controlling a single portal. you need both of the portals for the mechanic to be demonstratable. you need two sets of primary colors to create secondary colors.
We set out not to create just interesting game mechanics, or to tell a touching story, but to also address co-operative play between two players.
Mirror Images
Today, whenever the topic of co-operative play comes up, everyone is quick to refer to Portal 2, which includes a two player campaign alongside its main single-player story. Valve was very successful in crafting an entire experience around their two player mode, stringing together a set of new characters, voice acting and a narrative.
However, these new puzzles are essentially Portal levels that involve a second set of portals. The two players are mirror images of one another, have the same controls, the same portal gun. players have swappable roles,
Two Layered Cake
Spectra's co-op gameplay is different in that the two players abilities are directional and can be layered on top of each other. Each player is given the same set of colors: white, red, blue, yellow. However, they differ in the way that they use these colors. Games like portal 2 had a straightforward evolution to a two playermmode. It is, however tough to go in the other direction, creating a single player experience out of a multiplayer one. Part of our purpose for creating spectra is to bring two players closer together and feel the intimacy of the hero and heroine. The removal of either of the characters breaks down the structure of control. to use an analogy, Spectra would be the equivalent of two players each controlling a single portal. you need both of the portals for the mechanic to be demonstratable. you need two sets of primary colors to create secondary colors.
What does your Character do?
My partner and I have been working on Spectra, a two player cooperative puzzle platformer, for our Intermediate Game Development class at USC.
We set out not to create just interesting game mechanics, or to tell a touching story, but to also address co-operative play between two players.
Mirror Images
Today, whenever the topic of co-operative play comes up, everyone is quick to refer to Portal 2, which includes a two player campaign alongside its main single-player story. Valve was very successful in crafting an entire experience around their two player mode, stringing together a set of new characters, voice acting and a narrative.
However, these new puzzles are essentially Portal levels that involve a second set of portals. The two players are mirror images of one another, have the same controls, the same portal gun. players have swappable roles,
Two Layered Cake
Spectra's co-op gameplay is different in that the two players abilities are directional and can be layered on top of each other. Each player is given the same set of colors: white, red, blue, yellow. However, they differ in the way that they use these colors. Games like portal 2 had a straightforward evolution to a two playermmode. It is, however tough to go in the other direction, creating a single player experience out of a multiplayer one. Part of our purpose for creating spectra is to bring two players closer together and feel the intimacy of the hero and heroine. The removal of either of the characters breaks down the structure of control. to use an analogy, Spectra would be the equivalent of two players each controlling a single portal. you need both of the portals for the mechanic to be demonstratable. you need two sets of primary colors to create secondary colors.
We set out not to create just interesting game mechanics, or to tell a touching story, but to also address co-operative play between two players.
Mirror Images
Today, whenever the topic of co-operative play comes up, everyone is quick to refer to Portal 2, which includes a two player campaign alongside its main single-player story. Valve was very successful in crafting an entire experience around their two player mode, stringing together a set of new characters, voice acting and a narrative.
However, these new puzzles are essentially Portal levels that involve a second set of portals. The two players are mirror images of one another, have the same controls, the same portal gun. players have swappable roles,
Two Layered Cake
Spectra's co-op gameplay is different in that the two players abilities are directional and can be layered on top of each other. Each player is given the same set of colors: white, red, blue, yellow. However, they differ in the way that they use these colors. Games like portal 2 had a straightforward evolution to a two playermmode. It is, however tough to go in the other direction, creating a single player experience out of a multiplayer one. Part of our purpose for creating spectra is to bring two players closer together and feel the intimacy of the hero and heroine. The removal of either of the characters breaks down the structure of control. to use an analogy, Spectra would be the equivalent of two players each controlling a single portal. you need both of the portals for the mechanic to be demonstratable. you need two sets of primary colors to create secondary colors.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
