Unit 72:
Computer Game Design
Task 1
Safa Radwan
Throughout this article, I will be
outlining the principles of game design. I will be analysing two games, while
comparing and contrasting their visual styles and gameplay elements.
The two games I will be talking about
are:
Skullgirls
Monster Hunter World
I chose these because, other than
enjoying them both, they both have different features and gameplay that I can
compare.
Visual style
World
Monster Hunter World, is made up of 7
worlds. 2 hub worlds, and 5 worlds, where you will be spending most of the game
hunting and gathering, with different environments and levels in each world.
In these worlds, are huge expanding
environments. Filled to the brim with plants and bugs you can either gather or
catch, and monsters to battle.
Skull girls, meanwhile, has hand-drawn
environments, some are used in cut scenes like below;
But mostly, these are displayed in
gameplay, in the background of the action;
These stay behind the characters, while
you move. You can’t interact with the environment like MHW, instead only
walking in front of it. While, MHW lets you interact with the environment, and
even take items away from it (like cobwebs, or plants) Skullgirls characters
are unable to make a difference to their background, as it only serves a
cosmetic function.
Characters & Non-playable characters
(NPC)
MHW allows you to fully customise your
character, as it is an online game, you can meet other players who could look
completely different than you, including different armour and weapons.
You can customize your character, right
down to the individual eye colour. Although it won’t be very noticeable, these
customization functions that let you in-depth edit your player character are
very thorough.
Because these are already existing
characters integral to the story, you cannot edit their specific
characteristics, however, you can pick from 14 different characters, and within
those characters you can colour palettes
Feedback interface
This is how the game provides
information, or alerts of what is going on. For example, MHW has a multitude of
menus, bars, mini-maps and other things on the heads up display (HUD)
MHW has a plethora of things going on,
because it is a larger game. However, Skullgirls’ HUD is a little simpler…
Perspective
(2D, 3D, first-person, third-person, scrolling, aerial, context
sensitive)
Both games do not use a first-person
view. Although in MHW a first-person may be possible to create, it would not
work, because it is vital that you need to be seeing what you are doing. If MHW
was in first-person, you might be blind-sighted, and succumb to unfair deaths.
Skullgirls would not simply work in first
person, being a 2D side-scrolling game, a first-person view would change the
game entirely.
Full motion video (FMV)
This is used in games as cut-scenes. The
reason game developers may use this, is to create a high-quality scene, that
can create lasting effects, that they wouldn’t be able to create normally
in-game.
Skullgirls, don’t have full motion cut
scenes – it would take too much time and effort to animated them, instead they
have pictures, that move, sometimes with text over them.
Monster Hunter World, has many full
motion, pre-rendered cut scenes. These scenes play when you enter new areas, or
encounter new monsters, and gives the game a very polished feel.
Gameplay
Interaction Model
eg, Avatar, omnipresence
The player interacts with the world
through an interactive model. This is done with an avatar, or as an
omnipresence interaction model.
An avatar is how most games work – you
see the world in the same plane as the character you are playing. For Skullgirls,
and Monster Hunter World this is how both games work. You either create your
own character to play as, or play as an already existing character.
However a small portion of games use the
omnipresence interaction model. This is in games like Clash of Clans, Fifa, and
the Sims. It is where there is no real main character – you control a bunch of
characters (or objects) and this is how you progress the game.
Single player & Multiplayer
Monster Hunter World and Skullgirls are
both games that can be played offline, however, they are mostly played online,
with other players.
Skullgirls has a single player campaign,
a separate mode from its multiplayer. You can play as a different character and
go through their story. Here you can unlock different cut-scenes (art), however
the gameplay is mostly the same. The multiplayer lets you play with friends or
online.
With MHW the entire game is like a MMORPG
(Massively multiplayer online role-playing games). The entire game is online,
and when you enter new worlds, you have the option of grouping with or
requesting players to join up with you. However, you don’t have to do this, and
can play the entire game offline.
Narrative
Games generally have a story or narrative
to them, this gives the reason for the game to exist, push the game forward,
and it can be used for single player.
Without a narrative, the games would be
confusing. For MHW, we are given purpose, we know why and what we are hunting,
and it makes us want to progress. With Skullgirls, without a story mode we
wouldn’t care about the characters we are playing.
Game setting
eg, physical, temporal, environment, emotional, ethical,
The setting of the game, is where the
game world exists. It can set the mood/theme of the world, for example,
Skullgirls is set in a mythical country known as the Canopy Kingdom. This
country is reminiscent of 1940s post-war America, full of corruption and
poverty. It gives the characters a purpose – they want to escape this life, and
obtain the ancient artifact known as the Skull Heart.
Monster Hunter World is set in a
beautiful fictitious world, filled with thriving plants, animal, and monsters
to hunt. This type of setting is best used in adventure games. They give the
player freedom to explore and become immersed with the world.
Difficulty, Balance & Rules
Rules are important to the game. Without
rules, games would not be fair.
Difficulty is also an important factor
with making a game fair. Without a bit of difficulty, a game would be too easy,
thus becoming pointless. Too difficult, and it can be frustrating and tiresome.
Games should try to make the player learn the mechanics, and be able to fail,
learn, overcome and feel accomplished.
Like difficulty, a balanced and fair game
is important. Different types of games try to keep the game balanced in within
their own mechanics. Skullgirls lets the player decide what difficulty they
want (easy to nightmare)
Monster Hunter World, lets you shoot a
flare – this is like sending a SOS to players around the world, who can decide
to come and help you.
Game mechanics inventory, Scoring, Win
condition Goals, Challenges & Rewards
The basic principle of Monster Hunter
World, is you pick your weapon and try to get the enemy (monster) down to zero
HP. However, there is a lot more that goes into hunting monsters than
button-mashing your way to victory. Many different factors play a part in the
damage you deal and receive. As well as this, the monster you are fighting
doesn’t show a health bar, requiring the player to be more tactical, and
observe the monster’s movement to determine its health.
Skullgirls also has a basic principle –
you need to get your opponents health bar to zero, however throw in factors
like blocking, combos, and waiting for the perfect time to use your special
attack, and this game becomes very tactical.
Having goals can push the player to
advance, and play for longer to accomplish these goals.
Feedback
So that players understand what they are
doing, games give the player feedback. This can be in the form of your health
bar being depleted, or obtaining a status element.
Such as in Monster Hunter World,
observing the game for feedback is important, as the game doesn’t show you
enemies’ health bars, it is vital for you to observe the game for feedback.
Example:
The poison gas surrounding the enemy
tells us it’s poisoned
Game structure flowchart
A flowchart can help structure the how
the game will play out:
Visualizing the structure of a game using
a flowchart can help to program mechanics in the game, and is used in
pre-production, in the creation of making a game.
Addiction
Games are designed to be fun and, like
many recreational activities, it can be very addictive, however games by far,
are the most addictive activity. Reasons for this addiction, are that games
promote the player to explore, collect, and find things. Once we complete a
task, our brains are filled with dopamine (a feel-good hormone in our brain),
which can motivate us to keep playing games.
They also provide a challenge, that keeps
players wanting to play, and beat it. For example, MHW & Skullgirls are
difficult, however the way they are designed, you can get better at game the
more you play it, encouraging player to keep practicing, and perfecting their
skill.
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