Course name

Adventures in Game Design

Instructor

Derek Manns

dmanns@knights.ucf.edu

Course Description

Intro from Professor Manns

Design

Your idea can only be as ambitious as your technology
Document your work
Organize and communicate
Make sure your game is fun to play! Gameplay, Gameplay, Gameplay

Planning

We will be designing a first playable encounter for a 3rd person action game. Our solution can be solved with most game engines based on the solid implementation of gameplay and its associated elements from a strong game design approach. The plan is to create a 3rd person action game. The overall process should begin with how your game will look and feel. What is inspiring the style of your game, the character, setting, sound, environments, and most importantly, gameplay?

You will gather as many design references to support your style.
Research the game engine best suited to fulfill your development needs. (Which engine will solve your problem)
Find your music, sounds, texture sets, environmental styles based on storyline
Based on your story and game mechanics(gameplay, gameplay, gameplay), design your levels
Create your User Interface(UI) for in-game and menu system

Lessons

Attach camera, fluid movement, and orbital camera control around mPlayer
Add a camera to the scene -> point it in the direction of the object you are attaching it to, in this case, the cube -> Select the Camera: Add Component -> Smooth Follow Camera -> Target -> add Player from hierarchy Adjust settings Height Damping = 1 Hierarchy: Camera -> GameObject -> Empty Child […]
Core Game Mechanics
Throw EMP blast Reduces battery life Create an EMP projectile for the FaxCopyScanner(FCS) Create GameObject -> name it emp -> Add component -> effect -> particle effect -> Duration = 1 Start Lifetime = 1 Start Speed = 1 Simulation Space = World //When it moves it leaves a trail Emission -> Rate = 20 […]
Character Controller
Windows -> General -> Asset Store(Ctrl +9) Functionality (Character controller) User input: Directional (analog stick, keyboard) – Mouse-Look / Analog-Look – Controller / keyboard Input Create -> C# Script Name the file mPlayer; the class will take the name of the file Move Player Script using System.Collections; using UnityEngine; using UnityEngine.AI; public class mPlayer : […]
Controller Scheme
Character controls 3rd Person perspective Keyboard/Mouse and Joystick NavMesh Character Controls and Pathfinding Navigation Unity3D provides a walkable surface to distinguish between other obstacles and provide additional options. By adding an “Agent” the character and AI (Non-Player Characters) are associated with the NavMesh and the walkable surfaces. Windows -> AI -> Navigation and select areas […]
Implementation
Implementing your game from the concept requires a solid Game Design Document(GDD). While you want a great start through your GDD, it is an ever-changing entity based on simple corrections to a total change in art or gameplay. The aforementioned depends on the use of an existing Intellectual Property(IP), related game engines such as Unity3D, […]
Pacing
Planning the pace of your game is crucial to the level of difficulty, immersive the player and they will learn an entertaining story, and enjoy the character’s journey by leveling up. I refer to this method as d.i.e. and enjoy it. Examples: Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee, Little Nightmares, The Cave, and INSIDE. These games throw you […]
Controls
For a time there were only a few controller schemes the game world was used to: 3D environments: First-Person Shooter(FPS): Keyboard and Mouse **Third-Person: Controller (Grand Theft Auto(GTA)) scheme** Driving: Was X for gas on the Playstation and A on the Xbox But trigger sensitivity and more buttons helped the evolution of the controller inch […]
Environment(Game World)
Based on your environment and immersion, you will need to decide how you want to translate what you know as reality and transform it into a simulated one in order to make it playable. How do you want your game world to mimic reality or be more fictional or fact? Will it be based on […]
Storyline
The story you create must flow with the game mechanics and style of your game. The storyline characters, which include the protagonist, antagonist, and supporting cast. The narrative of your game plays like a typical movie with the introduction of the main character better known as the protagonist. The story can be introduced through a […]