Introduction
I am a newly recruited assistant producer in Tudno Studios and I am going to make a article to make a understanding of principles of game design with a few games to show examples of games to help understand the games and their visual and gameplay within the games themselves.It will also be showing the game goals difficulty, rewards, feedback, game mechanics, interaction model/avatar, the game settings, challenges,game struture and addiction of the games. showing the full extent of what makes a game good and what makes a game bad and comparing one game to another. It will identify and explain the uses within non playable charatcers within the games also and why they are there.
Evaluation
In the principle of games a game must always need rules, story and interactivity. there are also additions to game principles such as sound, terrain, FMV, characters, non playable, characters, rewards/achievements. genres also to include as not all games are the same. with each principle has certain conditions as terrain as it has to be used to help the player have a better feel in the game. if there is no terrain the game would be uninteresting and hard to understand where certain things are making the game too complex. rewards/achievements are in the game otherwise the game has no real point into playing the game and the sense of a achievement to the game making them want to win something or to unlock a new scene/character/soundtrack to make the game even more fun for the players entertainment. the FMV been full motion videos help add to the story and the visual since they help give a more better feel to the games story and make the player want to carry on with the story.
characters and non playable characters give the player a story to play to and a way to go through the story to give a part to the game play as a player has to have a main characters otherwise there is no story to the game which means there is no game. the player can be used in interactivity as well as a control for the player in the game. non playable characters are characters that are either quest givers, enemies or allies. Most times the non playable characters are usually the bad guys or the enemies in the video games. The non playable characters are also seen as allies in games such as halo where you have the ally humans helping you in story mode.http://worthplaying.com/article/2010/5/26/reviews/74503/images/259822/
In monster hunter tri where the hunter been you asks the village people for different work or ask the guild member for quests to progress into the story.http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=43277
rules are extremely important part in game industry because if there are no rules there is no entertainment since anyone could do anything and no rules means it would be boring and no contest for either player making the game boring and not entertained so the rules are there for entertainment and challenge. rules also balance the game so that one side doesn't have a handicap over the other side making the game incredibly difficult and probably impossible.Boundaries are set into the game also so that the game has a set place otherwise people would get lost or confused. In games there are winning conditions and losing conditions and to get the achievements the rewards are usually the winning conditions and losing conditions been fail or defeat.
Interactivity is a key point to a game as interactivity makes a game a game and not a film because if you are watching something but not doing anything to change the game or to make things interesting for you then its a film since films are movies which have no interactivity but have entertainment. When making a game from a film that has been produced by another company you will need copyright agreement so you are allowed to use there story in the game otherwise it is against the law as it would be theft to use someone else's work and use it for your profit. It is the same with sound if you use a song from a different game or a band they can sue you if you did not do the copy right tax as it helps people not use other peoples inventions for there own profit.
Cut-scenes in games are handy as they can show the story in more detail and also they have a higher resolution and polygon count to make sure that the game doesn't lag which can be annoying when playing a game like first person shooters and not been able to see the enemy moving due to the lag. As with final fantasy 9 there was no lag since the polygons in the game as the playstation one had really low graphics the games hardly ever lagged but the consoles back then were very low polygon restrictions as well as polygons are the base to what the characters look like as they were impressive at the time the game was produced but the polygon count now is far superior than the past. its losing condition was when your entire team died or when your team has some dead and the rest in statuses that prevent them from moving such as stopped in time, petrified or venomed.
The winning condition in the game is completing the story to the game but along the way sometimes you will encounter mini games which are part of the story making the game more fun rather than a linear of entertainment.
The Characters that are playable are Zidane Vivi Steiner Garnet Freya Amarant Eiko and Quina all playable and have there own unique skills and ways of fighting. there are temporary characters like Blank Beatrix Marcus and Cinna where they are only playable for a period of time maybe even a few fights then they are back to non playable after that brief amount of time.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FFIX_characters.png
This shows a picture of the main characters in final fantasy 9. In the game there is swearing so the age approve rating is 12+ so the kids don't get to learn foul language at a young age. It is a RPG meaning role playing game which is a game that makes you play through the story in order to unlock more about the story as it is a game which makes you more interested in the story as you play it and makes you want to continue with it. The cut scenes are extremely better detailed than the actual game play itself. In the game you can achieve titles as you go through the game or from mini games just to show a record of you doing it and achieving something in the game.It is a good game with the graphics the storyline in the game since it is a playstation one game which is incredibly old now. the bad points with the game I found was the lack of speak as they didn't have any voices so most people made them up and its weird boss battles where zidane can get really good weapons/ clothes from bosses if he steals from them so stealing items from bosses is a good thing while they try to kill you. The good advantage in the game is that it can give you a challenge unless you find a flaw in the game and manage to defeat monsters over 20 levels your level which then the system becomes flawed and easy to win. The feedback in the game usually is when the games story changes or gets updated. the main goal of the game is to complete the story but if your a true gamer who loves final fantasy they will usually complete the mini games in the game also for more better weapons and completing the abilities and basically getting everything in the game you can. the interactivity is in the story and has a text based where they do speak but no vocals appear and the movement of the character is your will and sometimes you play as different characters but it is usually zidane that the story makes you play as as he is the main protagonist in the game. Although the game lets you switch most of the charatcers usually Zidane is always the leader. The non playable charatcers in the game are usuallly the enemies but there is also the Hotels/Inns, Weapon sellers, Item sellers, civillians that speak to you and some side charatcers with some story to the game but not a huge impact to the game.
Final fantasy 9's game mechanics involves inventory for the charatcer to hold items and a score for the minigames which give rewards when you meet a specific target and the goals been the titles or the rewards from doing the part of the story to continue with it or items for free in the mini games. The graphics in the game are really bad compared to the game graphics now as the pixels are really pixelatted and distorted but the game story itself is really good which can make the game very addictive.
The way Super Smash Brothers Brawl works is that the game makes you unlock alot of character through the story of subspace emissary or by playing with friends and winning the fights against the unlockable characters which means the game has a non linear storyline but a a narratives finish where you unlock all the characters and modes, stages, everything. Its losing condition been too many dies in story or not been first in brawls.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/media/1563/1/449.jpg
This is a example of the story since it can be played as 2 player and not just 1 player.
http://uk.wii.gamespy.com/dor/objects/748545/super-smash-bros-brawl/images/super-smash-bros-brawl-20080108115454787.html
This picture shows a brawl game where anyone can win computer or the players and the power ups appear more often and makes the game go back and fourth in who will win. the game play and cutscene difference is a little but not alot it seems to be a bit more detailed but not hugely detailed. The rewards can be stickers which improve the charatcers stats in the story mode to help u complete it on the harder difficulties and the trophies which are mainly for show. In super smash brothers brawl the games graphics are very high but not realistic it is mainly a cartoon look to it with no gore in it.The FMV in the game are a bit more detailed than the game itself but the speed they run at are both equal and similar. the heroes are mostly silent and hardly speak in story mode as they usually just use movements or emotions to speak. The non playable charatcers are usually bad guys or bosses within the game however there are assists in the game who come out to help u within the battle who are also non playable. http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1qRG29fyTqg/0.jpg
This shows an example of a basic boss battle within the game where your hp is a % to get knocked off screen and their hp is a red bar which when is empty means they are defeated.
This also shows that you can name your own name on the charatcer to show who is who and who to attack rather than P1 for player 1 and P2 for player 2 they give a better option for names which is much better than n most games.
In single and multi mode they are given a actual language as some speak Japanese others are still silent and some speak English. There is no main protagonist in this game as the story can switch to a different charatcer or a charatcer of your chocie when u play the game story and in the arcade mode/ single player multi player you get to choose the charatcer yourself but the avatar will always be the charatcer you play regardless of skills they possess. No matter who you are the story will continue to be the same so it has a linear storyline and the stories ending will always be familur. When upon completeing the story can you play the story levels in harder difficulties but before that you must complete the story on its default setting which is normal. The single player or multiplayer brawls have different types of opponents from all over the world or different types of enemy computrer opponents from the really new people to the masters of super smash brothers brawl. The games enviroment can varies from happy and cheery to dark and scary to give different emotions for different levels.
As each game mode has different ways of winning but most of the main brawls usually mean you been the winner by killing the most.In my view it is a very good game and its good points is its very handy in parties and 4 people and has good graphics and is fun for all the family. The downsides to the game is there is alot to unlock so if you have a busy lifestyle the game will be very tricky to complete with . Another bad point to the game is the map maker its really bad and limited compared to the actual maps you can play on. The feedback in supersmash brothers brawl is that they will give you it when you or a enemy takes damage and as the charatcer gets more dmagae recieved to them the more of a handicap and out of balance the game gets the more of a challenge the game becomes when in the fight. The goal in supersmash brothers brawl is to unlock all the characters all the stickers, maps challenges events and complete 100% of the game and the rewards are the characters , stickers, trophies , maps and map editor parts. http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Tfi1Dse8uZk/0.jpg
With call of duty world at war its visual is realistic as it wants to give the first person shooter more real life but not to be too realistic as people would find it sick and disturbing. The rules of this game depends on the mode of game you play as each mode has different rules and conditions to win. the terrain in the game is very detailed as if you were there in world war 2 and the full motion videos are very detailed like the game itself . since it has very good graphics the guns look realistic also with the noises when shot and also the detail of the guns. first person shooters can be either very detailed and realistic or cartoon like depending on the game and with call of duty they make the game as realistic as possible to make it look like its more entertaining and as it is a world war shooter game it makes sense for there to be gore and blood.
The terrain in the game is usually dark and gloomy as world war 2 had a dark and gloomy look at the time since it was the most deaths and illness for the soldiers in the army and the loss of friends so the visual game play is really dark most times. the full motion videos are similar to the games game play due to the recent development in the graphics in the game. The difficulty of the game can vary from easy which is below the normal gameplay to veteran which is for very skilled first person shooters.
The game has a mini game which has no real relevance to the story of call of duty world at war its just a game you can play with a friend or online just for a way to enjoy a first person shooter without any real competition except surviving. it usually gives you one level for a sample and the others you unlock when getting the map packs. I find call of duty world at war a good game in its time the story was really good and nazi zombies was really fun to play but the bad issues with the game was the overpower with some weapons over others and nazi zombie glitches which allowed people to cheat for the high scores.
The feedback in the game is usually the chat in the game on story mode telling you what to do next but as for online it usually is the same story till the end of the match unless its modes where you switch sides like search and destroy where one team defends the objects and another attcks to plan to blow up the objects. the feedback in Nazi zombies is when you get hurt it shows a red marker showing where you got hit and to show where grenades are in the game also to warn you before they explode. The goal in the game is to survive as long as possible and get the best weapons and keep surviving so it never ends until you die which is given help with defences, power ups(perks) , windows to prevent zombies going everywhere. in every direction helping the players get help from the huge amount of zombies that eventually arrive and attempt to kill you.http://theappera.com/2010/01/23/call-of-duty-world-at-war-zombies-lite-released-and-free/
As you can see the game is very detailed in Nazi zombies and is very dark and gloomy to give a better feel to the games story and the look of the zombies. showing the guns ammo and the number of the wave of zombie you are on by a tally chart. grenade ammo, knife and score.
the story mode is always against Nazi or Japanese as they were the main enemies then the making it have a slight simularity to supersmash brothers brawl but not alot as one is aimed from looking at a side view and the other is aimed at human eyes view and a big difference to final fantasy 9 and the third person view.
Conclusion
In my article I aimed to show how games work and the ideas inside games to give them more uses and more enjoyment for the player to play. I aimed to show that the games can have negative or positive feedback as you play through the game and the difficulties of games can vary depending on the player and there choice of difficulty as the player/ gamers skill. I aimed to show that there are rules within the games and why there enforced otherwise the game becomes boring and uninteresting and give the game a more balanced idea with invo score and winning conditions so that the players can enjoy the winning/victory. The article i produced i used to show how a games terrain and feel gives a impact to the player and the mood of the game to make it more serious or more entertaining and more addicting to play. I aimed to show the way a game gives achievements and how it is different in each game by comparing the games differences on achieving and how the non playable charatcers can have an effect on the player and main charatcer if they do.
same Nazi zombies or online play where you fight other players worldwide. there are no perks to gain in the story just different guns you can use from picking up the weapons or defeating the enemies and taking their weapons.http://www.timeoutsydney.com.au/timein/games/call-of-duty-world-at-war.aspx
The story has a dark look to the game as shown in the picture above and it also shows the detail of the graphics in the game.It also displays the games detail such as the cross hair on the guns aiming position the map and showing the enemies and the objective on the map also. The interactivity in the game is the movement of the character the actions the character can use and the missions available. the hero you play as or 2 heroes are both silent and never speak. The non playable characters are the enemies been japanese and german in the story with a few allies helping you take down some of the enemy while you do a main objective.
Usually for the protagonist/ avatar that you play as progress through the story he usually has to kill enemies along the way and listen to what they have to do next. The addiction in call of duty world at war is the storylines walkthrough on single player and online competetion on multiplayer against friends. the way nazi zombies works in multiplayer is that eveyone there help each other in order to survive against hordes of zombies and collecting money to buy weapons, ammo , perks (powerups), acitvate defenses for a short time and as the game progresses it becomes more difficult to survive. It is addictive due to the fun of online cooperation agaisnt a undead horde. When in nazi zombies the mood is always dark, gloomy, nighttime , scary, mist to give a feel that something dangerous is happening. The online play is mostly human versus himan but there is also online Nazi zombies and story mode which are more coop human versus computer with the computers having different sets of difficulties.
Mostly with Nazi zombies the feedback becomes negative as it becomes harder to win. The achievements in supersmash brothers brawl are alot different to the rewards from final fantasy 9 as they give rewards from minigames and from going through the story unlocking new abilities and spells. super smash bros brawl however gives rewards from different aspects as you can unlock new charatcers from winning a certain amount of brawls or completing the story and it is the same with the music,stickers, trophies and unlockable support moves althoguh some trophies need to be completed by winning the classic mode or the all star mode. The game itself has a variety of mini games which you can unlock rewards in by completeing them on a set difficulty or by completing it in a certain time. The way call of duty world at war gives trophies/ achievements is by completingthe stroy on the hardest difficulty and on certain difficulties as well as the mini game and completing a certain condition in the mini game or the story
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