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Friday, May 27, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Nindou
1) What is the player experience?
2) What is the nature of interaction within the world?
3) How do players communicate?
4) How do players socialize?
5) What happens if/when players logout or are dropped from the game?
6) What do you have to do within the game?
7) What do you think of the game?
8) take a screen capture of the game and post it here.
1) What is the player experience?
2) What is the nature of interaction within the world?
3) How do players communicate?
4) How do players socialize?
5) What happens if/when players logout or are dropped from the game?
6) What do you have to do within the game?
7) What do you think of the game?
8) take a screen capture of the game and post it here.
May 13th in class excersise
Imagine the game you developed for your item 2 submission was online in a massively multi-player mode.
Answer the following questions about the game from this perspective:
(one paragraph per question)
Design Practice QUESTIONS
1. How do you plan to deal with the issue of new players arriving in the middle of
a long game? Get rid of the victory condition, or find a way to make sure that players are matched with those of similar ability?
In order to deal with new players we would make sure players are matched with players of similar abilities. This works best with our game since it is an action RPG and would have characters at different levels. Matching players abilities would provide fairness as well as create less frustration for players. This way, players have the oppurtunity to level up with without being constantly killed by stronger players.
2. What will happen to the gameplay when a player vanishes? How will it affect
the other players’ experience of the game (what they see and hear)? Does it disrupt
the balance of the game? Will it make the challenges easier or harder? Is the game
even meaningful anymore?
If a player chooses to leave mid-game, they other players will be notified by showing a message in the corner of the screen. Players will be affected differently depending on the goal of the game. If the game is team based then unfortunately the team that lost the player may be at a disadvantage. However, if it is a free for all or death match then the other players will not be affected by a player leaving.
3. What happens to the game’s score when a player vanishes? Is the game still fair?
The games score will only be affected in team based games when a player vanishes. Because scoring system cannot be changed to give the team with one less player more points, it will be unfair. That team will have to work harder to make up for the player that left.
4. Does your game offer a player an advantage of some kind for intentionally disconnecting himself (whether by preventing himself from losing or by sealing his
own victory)? Is there any way to minimize this without penalizing players who
are disconnected accidentally?
The player will gain no advantages for disconnecting themselves. While it would be a nice feature to have in the case that the player were accidentally disconnected, it is very likely that players will take advantage of the feature in order to gain points quickly and unjustly. There really is no way to make it fair for those who truly get disconnected accidentally since as with many online games, any way that can be used to get ahead will be exploited immediatly.
5. In a turn-based game, what mechanism will you use to prevent a player from
stalling play for the other players? Set a time limit? Allow simultaneous turns?
Implement a reasonable default if the player does nothing?
A player will not be allowed to stall since they may do so to unfairly win the game. Each time their turn arrives they will be given a set time limit to decide what they want to do. This way they must continue otherwise risk losing their turn. If a player attempts to stall by letting the timer run out, the other player will be able to steal that players turn and then take two turns simultaneously. This way a player would be forced to take their turn otherwise risk losing.
6. If you offer a chat mechanism, what features will you implement to keep it civil?
Filters? A complaint system? An ignore system? Or will your game require moderated chat spaces?
While a filter would be nice, it would be difficult to enforce. So instead you can simply choose to ignore the chat. A text chat will be available for those who do still feel the need to chat but that will be moderated and not allow any profane or derogatory language.
7. Is your game designed to prevent (or alleviate) collusion? Because you can’t prevent players from talking to each other on the phone as they play, how will you
address this? Or can you design your game in such a way that collusion is part of
the gameplay, as in "Diplomacy"?
As there will be both team and death matches, collusion will be allowed. In the team games, players will likely want to collude to get more points. With the nature of death matches it is very unlikely players will collude since you never know if the player you are in collusion with will turn on you just for points.
Answer the following questions about the game from this perspective:
(one paragraph per question)
Design Practice QUESTIONS
1. How do you plan to deal with the issue of new players arriving in the middle of
a long game? Get rid of the victory condition, or find a way to make sure that players are matched with those of similar ability?
In order to deal with new players we would make sure players are matched with players of similar abilities. This works best with our game since it is an action RPG and would have characters at different levels. Matching players abilities would provide fairness as well as create less frustration for players. This way, players have the oppurtunity to level up with without being constantly killed by stronger players.
2. What will happen to the gameplay when a player vanishes? How will it affect
the other players’ experience of the game (what they see and hear)? Does it disrupt
the balance of the game? Will it make the challenges easier or harder? Is the game
even meaningful anymore?
If a player chooses to leave mid-game, they other players will be notified by showing a message in the corner of the screen. Players will be affected differently depending on the goal of the game. If the game is team based then unfortunately the team that lost the player may be at a disadvantage. However, if it is a free for all or death match then the other players will not be affected by a player leaving.
3. What happens to the game’s score when a player vanishes? Is the game still fair?
The games score will only be affected in team based games when a player vanishes. Because scoring system cannot be changed to give the team with one less player more points, it will be unfair. That team will have to work harder to make up for the player that left.
4. Does your game offer a player an advantage of some kind for intentionally disconnecting himself (whether by preventing himself from losing or by sealing his
own victory)? Is there any way to minimize this without penalizing players who
are disconnected accidentally?
The player will gain no advantages for disconnecting themselves. While it would be a nice feature to have in the case that the player were accidentally disconnected, it is very likely that players will take advantage of the feature in order to gain points quickly and unjustly. There really is no way to make it fair for those who truly get disconnected accidentally since as with many online games, any way that can be used to get ahead will be exploited immediatly.
5. In a turn-based game, what mechanism will you use to prevent a player from
stalling play for the other players? Set a time limit? Allow simultaneous turns?
Implement a reasonable default if the player does nothing?
A player will not be allowed to stall since they may do so to unfairly win the game. Each time their turn arrives they will be given a set time limit to decide what they want to do. This way they must continue otherwise risk losing their turn. If a player attempts to stall by letting the timer run out, the other player will be able to steal that players turn and then take two turns simultaneously. This way a player would be forced to take their turn otherwise risk losing.
6. If you offer a chat mechanism, what features will you implement to keep it civil?
Filters? A complaint system? An ignore system? Or will your game require moderated chat spaces?
While a filter would be nice, it would be difficult to enforce. So instead you can simply choose to ignore the chat. A text chat will be available for those who do still feel the need to chat but that will be moderated and not allow any profane or derogatory language.
7. Is your game designed to prevent (or alleviate) collusion? Because you can’t prevent players from talking to each other on the phone as they play, how will you
address this? Or can you design your game in such a way that collusion is part of
the gameplay, as in "Diplomacy"?
As there will be both team and death matches, collusion will be allowed. In the team games, players will likely want to collude to get more points. With the nature of death matches it is very unlikely players will collude since you never know if the player you are in collusion with will turn on you just for points.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Game Map Excersise - By Ariel Valencia and Jeffery Zamora
The war is split into 3 territories. The blue represents the the main hero's location and the yellow is a guest area that helps your village out to fight off the warriors from the red side. As more and more people enter your village your location will expand and more landmarks will be added which may contribute the characters in many ways. The mode of transportation is mainly walking around but it is possible to use the train to obtain more locations passing through the enemy territory without being noticed but confronting the enemy group head on could be dangerous. As long as your village begins to thrive and become stronger the enemies would be doing the same so it would be a game more of strategy and obtaining better materials to claim all of the land and make the world safer.
Cultural Issues Essay - Sexism and Video Games
The video game industry since it’s beginning has been largely male dominated. As a result, games are aimed at males who are anywhere from their early teens to their late 20's. This audience for which many games are made, favored games in which they can be someone who they can’t be in the real world. Games were made to allow them to rescue the damsel in distress, be a member of a gang, fight off aliens, go to war and even simulate flights. However this audience also allowed for sexism in games to arise, showing male dominance over women as well as objectifying women. With the assumption that sex sells and the fact that video games primary audience is male, games have become increasingly sexist, carrying many forms of sexism from the subtle to the blatant in games going as far back as Mario and as recent as Grand Theft Auto.
A classic example of male dominance and female frailty resides in games such Mario. The plot is simple; the protagonist (Mario) must rescue a princess (Princess Peach) from the antagonist (Bowser). This cliché and over done storyline is sexist, showing that women cannot fend for themselves and are delicate, frail and innocent creatures with no hope of saving themselves. While this is the same story concept that we are told as bedtimes stories when we are children, it gives young girls the idea that men are stronger and that they are weak and helpless, further instilling sexism to younger generations. Not every woman is incapable of saving herself. This shows that men believe they are more powerful than women and are the only ones capable of going on an adventure and rescuing someone.
Another way in which women are objectified in games is by typically being weaker playable characters. For example, in Dynasty Warriors 5, while there are female characters they are not as powerful as the male characters. Male characters have stronger attacks and better weapons. In the Final Fight Series, female characters may have been faster than the male characters but were still much weaker in comparison. This further supports this idea that some men have of women being weaker than they are. This means that when women, given the option to play a female or male, will typically choose the male character. The same goes for men. Leaving this ideal for both men and women that female characters are weak and that it is always better to choose a male.
Male dominance is not the only form of sexism in video games. Objectification of women, as well as the treatment of women as merely objects, can be seen in many games. One particular example that has been in recent debate is the Grand Theft Auto series. In this game you are allowed to do anything you want such as steal a car, kill innocent people and exploit women for sex. Many of the women are also scantily dressed and there are even strip clubs in the game you can visit. This gives the idea that women are merely sex objects there for men’s pleasure, demeaning women and treating them as if they are not even humans.
Tomb Raider, while having a female hero still shows signs of sexism. The original Lara Croft had large breasts, a tiny waist and slender hips and was usually wearing shorts, a cropped tank top, a backpack and thigh holsters. She was the ideal woman that any man would be happy to play. Not only was she tough and strong, she was also beautiful. This however shows that when men want a playable female character she must be strong and have the body similar to Jessica Rabbit, cartoony and disproportional. Also in later games, the designers even created breast movement, so not only does she have big breasts, but also now they even move as she moves. While this would seem to create more realism, is it really necessary? Why for instance, can she not be attractive but proportional? This however, in the most recent Tomb Raider to be released in 2011, has changed so that she is not as objectified, yet still beautiful.
These are not the only examples of sexism in video games and there are certainly more than the few described in this essay. Games need not objectify women to be fun or make female characters weak and helpless. If video games are to hope to gain a stronger female audience, designers must learn to create female characters that both men and women want to play.
A classic example of male dominance and female frailty resides in games such Mario. The plot is simple; the protagonist (Mario) must rescue a princess (Princess Peach) from the antagonist (Bowser). This cliché and over done storyline is sexist, showing that women cannot fend for themselves and are delicate, frail and innocent creatures with no hope of saving themselves. While this is the same story concept that we are told as bedtimes stories when we are children, it gives young girls the idea that men are stronger and that they are weak and helpless, further instilling sexism to younger generations. Not every woman is incapable of saving herself. This shows that men believe they are more powerful than women and are the only ones capable of going on an adventure and rescuing someone.
Another way in which women are objectified in games is by typically being weaker playable characters. For example, in Dynasty Warriors 5, while there are female characters they are not as powerful as the male characters. Male characters have stronger attacks and better weapons. In the Final Fight Series, female characters may have been faster than the male characters but were still much weaker in comparison. This further supports this idea that some men have of women being weaker than they are. This means that when women, given the option to play a female or male, will typically choose the male character. The same goes for men. Leaving this ideal for both men and women that female characters are weak and that it is always better to choose a male.
Male dominance is not the only form of sexism in video games. Objectification of women, as well as the treatment of women as merely objects, can be seen in many games. One particular example that has been in recent debate is the Grand Theft Auto series. In this game you are allowed to do anything you want such as steal a car, kill innocent people and exploit women for sex. Many of the women are also scantily dressed and there are even strip clubs in the game you can visit. This gives the idea that women are merely sex objects there for men’s pleasure, demeaning women and treating them as if they are not even humans.
Tomb Raider, while having a female hero still shows signs of sexism. The original Lara Croft had large breasts, a tiny waist and slender hips and was usually wearing shorts, a cropped tank top, a backpack and thigh holsters. She was the ideal woman that any man would be happy to play. Not only was she tough and strong, she was also beautiful. This however shows that when men want a playable female character she must be strong and have the body similar to Jessica Rabbit, cartoony and disproportional. Also in later games, the designers even created breast movement, so not only does she have big breasts, but also now they even move as she moves. While this would seem to create more realism, is it really necessary? Why for instance, can she not be attractive but proportional? This however, in the most recent Tomb Raider to be released in 2011, has changed so that she is not as objectified, yet still beautiful.
These are not the only examples of sexism in video games and there are certainly more than the few described in this essay. Games need not objectify women to be fun or make female characters weak and helpless. If video games are to hope to gain a stronger female audience, designers must learn to create female characters that both men and women want to play.
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