Grind Quest: Information Structures

    In any type of game, whatever the style, the player must be given some form of information.  Whether it be an RPG, or a simple board game like checkers, information is going to be given to the player in some form.  How this information is given to the player can be interpreted very differently from one game to the next.  In class, we learned that throughout games, there are four different styles of styles in which the information can be presented to the player.  These styles are: open, hidden, mixed and dynamic.  Over the course of this blog post, I will be going through a few popular games and the types of information styles used in each.

    The first game on the list is Ubisoft's hit 2012 title, Far Cry 3.  Far Cry 3 places the main character on an island surrounded by a private militia that is out to kill you.  Throughout the game, the player acquires and learns how to use different weapons, while gaining help from the local tribesman.  This FPS is action packed from start to finish and allows the player to adopt a style that suits them, whether it be up front guns blazing, or stealthy assassinations.  While recently playing through Far Cry 3, I came to the conclusion that the information given to the player definitely adopts the dynamic style.  This is because the player starts of with only a small amount of knowledge in terms of the island, the enemies, and how they plan to escape to the safety of the mainland.  As the gameplay presses on however, many things are revealed to the player, such as the skills they can learn, the boat they can use to try and escape, and the identity of the criminal mastermind, hellbent on keeping you trapped on the island. The game also uses the dynamic information structure through the in game map system.  At the beginning of the game, there is a type of fog over areas of the map that the character has yet to explore.  Upon visiting these areas however, the player will reveal locations and hidden items, gaining this knowledge at their own pace.

By far, the craziest character I have encountered in a video game.

    The second game on the list is Minecraft.  The simplistic game that has taken the world by storm since creator Notch released it back 2011 (Full release).  I have put my fair share of time into this game and I can confidently say that Minecraft presents its information in a very open way.  This is because from the very beginning of the game, everything is available to the player with no need to "unlock" their rewards.  The player will have to put some effort into retrieving some of the harder minerals, but at no point is a restriction put on the player.  If they have the required items/materials, they can build whatever their heart desires.  In the same sense as the materials, the game world is open for the player to explore.  There are no level restrictions for certain areas, and the player does not need to explore for items before they can accomplish a certain task.  The world is completely open to the players imagination, just like the information system.

With a game world bigger than Earth! Yeah, the possibilities are endless.

      Next up on our list of game information structures is the 2007 hit game Uncharted.  This game is a 3rd person over the shoulder action adventure game, where the player must help Nathan Drake seek out the lost treasure of El Dorado.  This game, I feel embodies a dynamic information structure, similar to the Far Cry 3 game.  I believe this to be true because the character starts out with only a small fragment of how the story is going to progress.  Only through playing the game and traversing the different levels, can the player really learn how he will be attempting to claim the treasure.  This embodies the dynamic structure of information because the player has an ever changing knowledge of some of the key elements in the game.  It does not stay consistent and the only way to gain all of the knowledge is to play until the games end.

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    Madden NFL 13 brings up odd feelings when it comes to reviewing it and the information structures contained.  Having grown up with sports games, and now learning of how information is presented to players, I think I can safely say that Madden 13 portrays a very mixed information structure.  This is mainly portrayed in the style that Madden uses to choose the plays.  Although the player will have no idea what sort of route or moves the opposing team is going to attempt, they can still gain a fair bit of knowledge by examining how the players on the other team are lined up.  At certain times, the player is able to make a hypothesis on whether or not the opposing team will rush, simply by noticing the two linebackers moving towards the line of scrimmage.  This portrays the mixed information structure quite well, as the player is not given all of the information about the opposing team, but based on player movements they make some educated guesses as to what the opposing team might be up too.

Oh the nostalgia of my old gaming days

    Lemmings is a classic puzzle platforming game released way back in the golden age of 1991.  Being that it was release before I was born and since I have not played this game since I was 8, my knowledge is a little rusty.  After a little research however, the memories came flooding back and I remembered how the gameplay worked.  With this newly re-discovered knowledge, I was able to deduce that the information structures in Lemmings was very open.  At the beginning of each level, the player is given a starting point, an end point, and a certain amount of unique lemmings that they need to guide towards the exit.  This type of play-style makes the game very open, as nothing is hidden at any point in the level from the character.  All of the information they could need is presented to the player, with little being left to the imagination.  Although certain lemmings may be unusable at that point, the character still knows that they exist and what abilities they have.

Has it really been that long? I should really find a copy somewhere!

    Next up on the list is a combo paragraph.  We are going to change the flow of this blog, as we will be examining board games from here on out.  The board games that will be examined here are Scrabble and Clue.  I decided to combine both of these games, as I find that they both demonstrate the mixed style of information presentation.  Scrabble portrays this information style because even though the players keep all of their individual block hidden from the other players,  the board will all letters used is still visible to every other player.  The players also know that their opponents have to have some letters from the alphabet hidden, and can then make educated guesses as to what words they may attempt next.  Clue works in a mixed style as well because each player is allowed to listen in on the other characters guesses and make guesses as to what the location, person and murder weapon may be.  By playing off of your opponents, not all of the information is hidden at any point in the game.  

    Finally, we come to Battleship.  This is one of the few games that I feel keeps a hidden information system throughout the majority of the game.  This is because in order to win the game, the player must make random guesses as to where the enemy has placed their boats on a grid system.  The hidden aspect of this game is present throughout, but even when the player obtains a hit on the enemy boat, they still are not given much information on the boats exact whereabouts.  For example, if the enemy placed one of their boats on B2, 3, and 4, even if the player obtains a hit on B4, they still are not sure if they will score a hit if they guess B3, C4, B5, or A4. This type of hidden feedback means that until the character has fully destroyed an enemy ship, they can not be 100% certain where the next shot needs to be fired.  

Great game, not so great movie!

Blog Quest 2: Design Your Game Item 2

     It is time for round two for the design a game item blogs!  The game that I have chosen to implement an item into is one that has always held a special place in my game collections, as it was one of the first games I purchased by myself for the PlayStation 2 system.  The game that I am referring too is Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland, from the game design company Natsume.  The Harvest Moon series (originally introduced in 1996)  is a farm simulator role-playing series, wherein the player can plant, grow, and cultivate crops, raise livestock, and perform general upkeep tasks around their farm.  In the case of Save the Homeland, the player's home town is under threat of being bulldozed by a big evil corporation.  This would cause all the residents to lose their homes and have to re-locate.  To try and prevent this, the main character must complete one of many storylines in order to prevent the corporation from buying the land, thus saving your home!  An example of one of these storylines is the cake contest ending.  If the player raises their animals properly to achieve golden eggs and milk, they can use these ingredients to enter and win the cake baking contest, putting your homeland on the map and saving the town from destruction.

The game also have an incredibly cute art style too it!

    Since one of the main concerns during my play-through was not having enough money to buy the required upgrades for my farm, I decided that the item I would choose to add would give the player an edge when it came to gaining money and saving time.  The main money making task in the game is by far farming corn.  The crop does take a substantially longer time to grow than the other crops, however it pays off in the end.  To farm in the game, the player must first use the hoe to till the land of the eight different two x four grids of fertile land.  After this has been completed, the player is able to play the seed of whichever crop they wish into the spots.  The next part of the farming process is by far the most tedious.  The player must use the watering can to water each individual plant to prevent them from wilting and dying.  By the time the player finished watering the 64 plants, the day is nearly over and there is no room to continue the story elements.  This is where my item would come into use.  Instead of using the watering can, the player can save up enough money to have a professional come and install a sprinkler system into their farm.  These sprinklers would cover the two x four area grid of one of the patches and would turn on at 7:00 AM everyday to prevent the crops from dying.

Minimum of 10 minutes to water the crops... Every day

    To begin explaining how this upgrade would work, I must first explain how the character would acquire these nifty little time savers.  The construction shop in the game offers the player the option to upgrade in game objects such as their house and dog house.  With the introduction of the sprinklers, the player would be able to purchase sprinklers from the shop until all of their fertile patches our filled.  Since this seems a little over powered, the sprinklers would not only be sold individually, but they would also be quite expensive for the player to purchase.  This would mean that the player would have to gain the money through water can farming (or other means) before they could upgrade their farm.  By introducing this idea of individual purchasing and higher price, it prevents the player from exploiting the sprinklers early on to purchase the other upgrades for the farm sooner in the game.

I cannot stress enough how tedious the watering can is!

    Now this will change how the player plays the game in a couple of different ways.  The first of which is allowing the player to have a higher likelihood  of actually completing one of the story quests!  In my first play through of the game, in order to get the kitchen upgrade for my farm house, I had to spend a substantial amount of time growing corn on my farm.  As stated earlier, when the player commits to growing a full farm of crops, the days become 80% watering, while spending the other 20% actually completing tasks for the townspeople.  By adding in even one sprinkler system, the player will save a couple minutes per plot of land, allowing them to spend this time completing tasks and gathering quest specific items.

    Another gameplay mechanic that will be altered is the need to visit the well on the farm.  While watering the crops in the game, the player only has a certain number of uses with the watering can until they need to trek to the other end of the farm to fill their watering can.  This became a really frustrating mechanic to the game and at times, deterred me from farming altogether.  With the sprinkler system being in ground and connected to the well water, the player would have no need to refill it.  To counter act the jump from under powered watering can to overpowered sprinkler, I thought of adding a mechanic where the sprinkler system on a plot of land could have a random chance each day of breaking (very low chance).  To repair the sprinkler, the player would have to visit the construction shop and pay a moderate fee for the repair services.  This could add an interesting mechanic to gameplay as well, as characters may always keep a set amount of money save, just in case a sprinkler breaks while they are growing a high cash crop.

 

It may not seem very far, but that well might as well be in Middle Earth
with how fast the characters move

    Lastly, I would like touch on a game mechanic that the sprinkler system would not add, but improve upon. During the course of a few of my play-throughs, I eventually gave up on farming altogether since the watering can was too repetitive of a task to keep me entertained.  With the sprinklers however, the character would be more inclined to plant crops, in turn gaining a high amount of money.  This would allow them the chance to not only purchase a couple upgrades in the game, but all of them.  I was quite disappointed during my first play-through, as I was unable to purchase the dog house.  If I had the sprinklers, I would have definitely planted more crops and purchased a place for my pup to call home!

    I feel like the sprinklers would be such a great system to add to the game because it allows the character to experience more of the homeland.  It fits within the games theme perfectly and would help to balance the ratio of time farming to time exploring.  With less farming worries on the players mind, the game would become a much more enjoyable experience. 

   

Blog Quest 3: Becoming a Critic

     Although I tend to put a fair amount of thought into a game before I purchase it, there is one game I can mention that I bought on an impulse and have regretted ever since.  That game for me was Diablo III.  Diablo III was the long awaited sequel to Diablo I and II.  Gaming staples that showed the world what role-playing hack and slash games could really be.  From all of the hype surrounding its much delayed release, I was sure that Diablo III would be a game that I could enjoy for hours on end.  After purchasing it however, many different factors have deterred me from going back to attempt and play this game.

"And the Heavens shall Tremble".. I tremble just thinking of playing this game.

     Since we were asked to analyze the formal gaming elements of one of our least favourite games, I thought that it would be appropriate to start off with a list of all the elements that were outline for us in the class:

     Players
     Objectives
     Procedures
     Rules
     Resources
     Conflict
     Boundaries
     Outcome

     When all of these elements can work together in a cohesive manner, generally the game will be enjoyable for the player.  I will be outline how each of these elements was portrayed in Diablo III.

     The first element, Players, is one that did not strike home with me at all during the course of this game.  For certain players who enjoyed the game and invested many hours, I am sure they became very attached to their in-game character as on certain game modes, dying as that character can mean permanently losing everything.  For myself however, I felt as though I had no connection to my avatar as there is no customization whatsoever.  Sure, you can switch armor sets and colours, but every class has a generic looking character that you must play as.  For some this may not be an issue, but it made this part of the game very un-enjoyable.

     The objectives in this game could have been vastly improved with a little more thought.  Most of the questlines include retrieving an item or making it to a certain point in a dungeon.  There was very little variety and at no point did I actually feel as though I was adding anything to the story.  I was just another mindless warrior beating monsters to a pulp while everything occurred around me.

     The procedures in the game is one thing they did execute well.  Everything was laid out for the character in an easy to understand way.  The GUI is very clear and simplistic as well as the inventory management screen.  The time it took me to fully understand the controls were significantly smaller than I have experienced in other games.  Overall, this is one of the few aspects of the game that Blizzard completed well.

    Rules in Diablo III are fairly outlined in the same fashion as the procedures.  The main idea of the game is to traverse through the quests in the order which they appear in order to unlock the next area.  The player is ultimately working towards defeating the evil demon Diablo.

    Resources was an area of the game that I had mixed emotions towards.  The player can only use certain items depending on the class they choose at the beginning of the game.  This mechanic can become frustrating, as monsters defeated will drop a wide variety of items, most of the time being unusable by the player.  As a result of this feature, my inventory would take a relatively short time to become full and I had to always be re-arranging based on what I wanted to sell, drop, or use.

    When it came to the resource variety however, Blizzard did a great job at adding a surplus of items with different stats and abilities.  However, I found that there did not seem to be a wide enough variety of weapon models as I progressed throughout the levels.  With such a AAA title release like Diablo, I was expecting a much higher caliber of model variety.

    Conflict will be the final topic discussed as I feel as though boundaries and outcome can be found within the other elements descriptions.  The conflict in this title happens to be one of the elements that I found to be very boring and monotonous.  Although this should be expected in a hack and slash type game, I just found that there was such a small amount of variety in Diablo III that I was already bored during the starting chapters of the game.  The dungeons seemed very cookie-cutter in their style and the bosses seemed to lack any depth.  Overall, I just felt that this area of the game could have been vastly improved.

    The worst part about playing Diablo III and being so disappointed, was that I really did want to enjoy the game.  The elements of the game when looked at individually should have worked well.  This was not the case however and along with many other features, the game just became something that I could easily toss off to the side and forget.  An example of one of these features was the always online DRM system that the designers decided to implement.  For the game to be played, the player must always have a stable internet connection so that they can stay connected to Blizzards servers.  This turned out to be a huge flop for the design of the game, as many players upon release were having connection issues and were unable to play the game for hours or even days at a time.

What a great way to fill the hype surrounding the game for years.

     Another issue I had with the game was how they handled how the player would handle their resources in the way of upgrades and in game purchasing of items.  Before I begin, I should quickly explain that like their other title World of Warcraft, Blizzards Diablo III has an in game auction house where players can sell the items they have looted for in game money.  This feature is great in a game such as World of Warcraft where the main focus is on the MMORPG element.  In Diablo III however, this takes away from the purpose of having in game shops and blacksmith upgrades.  I felt no desire at any point in the game to waste my hard earned money on upgrading my low level bow, when I could just buy a new higher level bow on the auction house.  It really drew away from the story and RPG immersion element of the game because I found myself interacting with auction house more than all of the in game shopkeepers.

    When it came to the resources in the game such as stats and attribute points, Blizzard dropped the ball in this game yet again.  The game does not allow for the distribution of attribute points, unlike other games where you can form the player to your particular play style.  This is similar in the skills tree, as the player does not have a skill set dependent on allocation, instead it is determined by the items the player picks up.  I felt this really restricted the player and made it impossible to try out different gameplay approaches and out of the ordinary builds.  The players were always so restricted and it wore away at what the game could have been.

    After playing the game for an extended period of time in the hopes it would improve, it really shocked me as to how the designers went about creating the game.  With the success of the two Diablo games before it, it seemed as though all the designers of Diablo III had to do was keep the same mechanics and update the graphics with the newest engine.  This was such an opportunity for Blizzard, as there was already an enormous Diablo fan base just waiting to get their hands on the newest release in the franchise.  This was not the case however, as Blizzard just strayed away from the things that made the games before III so addicting.  While in the beginning of the game, the linear and flashy image of the game seemed new and exciting, these feelings quickly wore off and at times, I forgot why I was really traversing this world.  I feel that Blizzard tried to re-invent the game for the newer generation of gamers, instead of catering to their already massive fan base and remaking the originals.  While this tactic seemed to work sales wise, it let down many of the fans who waited years to get their hands on this title.  While the game looked great, I feel that if the developers had stuck to their original roots, many players would still be traversing the land of Sanctuary. 

   

    

Grind Craft: Digital Prototype Feature Treatment

     For this years GDW, the members of my group collectively decided that we were going to make a isometric 3D arena brawler.  We took a fair amount of the inspiration for this game from the old classic Powerstone.  Seeing as I was never familiar with this title, my group members explained it as though it were Super Smash Bros. in a 3D setting, with a health bar instead of arena knockouts.  I agreed that this game would be enjoyable to not only make, but also play so I agreed on the idea.  After laying down the basic concept of how the game would work and deciding on a name (Gamma Gears), we decided that since we only need to have a prototype of the final project for this semesters end, it would make sense for us to focus the majority of our efforts on the gameplay and the kinaesthetics.  We really hope that when creating this game, we can create an experience where the players really feel as though they are taking control of the characters and beating each other to a pulp!  

   

A screenshot of Powerstone for those who are unfamiliar with the Game.

     One of the most important actions in any type of fighter/brawling game is to make sure that the hit detection between player attacks is solid.  There is nothing more frustrating then launching your character in for the killing blow, only to have bad programming of hit boxes cause the characters attack to pass right through the opponent.  This is why we have labelled the hit detection in our game as the highest priority. Since we are using the Phyre engine, with the hopes of porting our game to the PS Vita as soon as possible, we will have an extremely difficult time trying to learn this new engine, while also trying to develop a prototype that gives of a promising feel for the final game.  Since we will also be implementing ranged attacks into our game, we will have to implement the hit box class with the ranged attacks to ensure that these have a fluid feel that seems real to the players.  Finally, with the game being an arena brawler, we hope to implement multiple levels and heights that the players can fight on.  This may seem easy, but a large amount of variables need to be changed when the game moves from a flat plain to multiple levels.  This can have not only an effect on the players movements, but also the ever important hit detection.  However, I feel we have a solid team that will be able to make it work by the prototype demonstration. 

     Another key factor that can ruin almost any fighting game on the market is the control scheme.  The kinaesthetics of these games are so import, as it determines what types of combos the character may attempt and how the general learning curve of the game can be.  For the controls of the game, we have decided to use the left thumbstick on the Vita to control the characters movement, while the right stick will be used to control the direction of the characters melee attacks.  All of the group members have played games with this sort of style and it is one that we found most fluid and natural in this type of isometric environment.  The face buttons on the controller will be used for certain character moves that will be unique to each character.  For example the main character Alex Hale, has a gap closing dash that we will assign to the square key on the handheld.  Bumper buttons on the top of the handheld will most likely be implemented as shields that the player can use to block all sorts of incoming attacks.  It seems like a fair amount of work to code, but once we get one thing fixed to the controller input, the rest will be easy to figure out.

    

We will have 360 shields, similar to Smash Bros.

     As for the aesthetics, we do want to create a game that not only plays well, but looks phenomenal as well.  However, for the prototype presentation, we will not be required to show off the looks of the game, so we will most likely use placeholder assets and focus more on animations of the characters for now.  In the case of the prototype, if either of the two elements listed above fail or do not function how we had hoped, the game will just feel sloppy and underdeveloped.  This is the polar opposite of what we want to happen, as we want to create a hype around our game and leave those who play it anxious to get their hands on the full release title.  Hopefully Gamma Gears will be coming to a GameCon near you in 2014!

          

Blog Quest 2: Design Your Game Item

    In the same fashion as many of the blogs before this one, I will be implementing an item into one of my favourite titles released by the company Rockstar Games.  This title is the 2010 hit classic Red Dead Redemption.  Before getting in to the item I would love to have added to the game, I will first give a little overview as to how the game is played before any modifications.  The player begins the game as John Marston, a retired outlaw who has settled down with his family in the mid-western part of the United States in the year 1911.  Marston finds that his family has been taken by the Bureau of Investigation and to get them back he must track down and kill his former gang member Bill Williamson.  This adventure takes Marston through old western towns, New Mexico, and open plains filled with random encounters and wildlife.  The combat in Red Dead Redemption is similar to the kind used in the Grand Theft Auto series.  The player uses a wide variety of pistols, rifles, snipers, and shotguns.  Along with these weapons, the player has special items to use such as dynamite, molotovs, tomahawks, and my favourite weapon, the lasso. By using all of theses weapons together, the player will defeat many enemies and eventually retrieve your family from the corrupt Federal Bureau.

So many possibilities with such a simple tool.

     Since the lasso is my favourite tool in the game, it only made sense that the weapon I design would be used in conjunction with this favourite of cowboy cliches.  The weapon that I would want to introduce to Red Dead Redemption would be the native Americans Bow and Arrow.  To begin I will outline how the player could receive this iconic weapon.  The game is full of minor characters, a few of them being native Americans.  By implementing a simple side quest, the character could receive the bow and arrow (along with training) as a reward from one of these minor characters.  

     

One of the Native American characters in the game.

    Now that we have the weapon, we would have to learn what it can be used for.  The first use would be a simple extension of how far the lasso can reach.  In the normal campaign, the lasso is useful for capturing bounties alive, which in turn rewards the player with more money.  By simply purchasing rope arrows from any general store, the player now has the means to grab the bounty from further distances and rope them in for a hogtie.  Now, while this seems overpowered and would in turn render the lasso completely useless from that point on, the rope arrows would come in very small quantities from the store (a specialty item) and would do a set amount of damage to the bounty, making them more susceptible to being killed before they can be taken to the nearest sheriffs office.
 

Similar to the, but with an arrow in his back.

    Another couple of uses for the rope arrows would be more for traversing the landscape and interaction with objects.  I will begin with the later of these.  At certain points in the game, Marston encounters scenarios where he is hopelessly outnumbered by the enemy.  In these situations, the levels could be altered to allow the player to shoot interactive objects (Pill of barrels, the supporting beams of a ledge) with his rope arrows and give them a sturdy yank, bringing them down on the enemy.  I feel like this could create some cinematic moments that would leave the player in awe of what they just accomplished.  The second use would allow Marston travel over large gaps of land in a short amount of time.  This would be accomplished by shooting rope arrows from a higher point to a lower one.  Once done, Marston would attach the other end of the arrow to an adjacent structure or the ground.  This would create a zip-line of sorts and would assist the player in some situations where they would like to get to a lower point, but no clear path is in site.  As mentioned earlier, the rope arrows would be quite rare and would have to be used sparingly.

    One thing that I noticed while playing Red Dead Redemption, is the severe lack of stealth gameplay.  I know that John Marston is this rough and tough gunslinger, but I feel that with the day night cycle included, the game could have benefited from some form of sneaking.  The Bow and Arrow would fit like a glove in this scenario, as the player would have to forgo using their conventional firearms, for the more tactical approach.  This would also change gameplay, as players would be able to raid encampments silently, while in turn eliminating the aspect of witnesses hearing your gun shots and trying to turn you in to the authorities.  Since players may try to just use the bow at all times and player every mission through with stealth, not only would arrows be particularly rare to find on cowboys, the player would also have to strike the enemy in the upper chest/head area for an instant kill. 

Prime time for sneaking up on enemies.

    Although it is a fairly simple weapon addition, I feel that if it was implemented in the ways listed above, the Bow and Arrow could make for some incredible moments and add to an already astonishing gaming experience.

 

Grind Quest: Objectives

Cole's Top Ten Pick of Incredible Games:

    1. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time:  Third person adventure game. Go on an epic quest to defeat the evil Ganondorf and save the land of Hyrule.

    2. The Elder Scrolls IV:  Oblivion:  Adventure on a massive quest in this single player role playing game to close shut the Oblivion gates that have plagued the world of Cyrodil.  Countless side quests and endless possibilities help put this game in the top three.

    3. Grand Theft Auto V:  Rockstars recently released smash hit lets the player take control of three different protagonists, allowing the player to take part in a plethora of activities that have kept me busy for hours on end.  

    4. Red Dead Redemption: Another 3rd person game from Rockstar North, RDR takes place in the old west where the player can engage in various activities such as poker, stagecoach robbery, and all other sorts out western outlaw tasks to save your family.

    5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim:  Set in the northern province of Skyrim, this 3rd person RPG pits the player against the newly re-born Dragons that have returned to the land.  Just like Oblivion, the massive amount of side quests and exploring puts this game in my top 10/

    6.  Fallout 3:  In this post apocalyptic role playing adventure, the player must fight through the ruins of DC to find your father and discover the source of renewable fresh water.  In the same style as the other two Bethesda titles on the list, the unbelievable amount of exploring allowed puts Fallout 3 at the number 6 spot.

    7.  Grand Theft Auto IV:  This 3rd person action shooter from Rockstar North was an instant hit after the successful San Andreas game.  Set in Liberty City, a Manhattan clone, the player must enter the criminal underworld and make a name for themselves while trying to capture the american dream.

    8.  Half-Life 2:  An instant classic from Valve, Half-Life 2 is a first person shooter where the player must defeat the combine and free the enslaved citizens of City 17.  This game really engaged me and had me involved in the story from the moment I picked it up.

    9. ArmA 2: DayZ Mod:  Although it is technically not a stand-alone game, the DayZ mod for ArmaA 2 definitely revolutionized what a zombie shooting game can be.  Incorporating perma-death and the idea of players either helping or hurting each others progress, this game was an instant favourite of mine and I can't wait for the standalone title.

   10. Star Wars Battlefront Series:  I had to put series here as I ran out of available spots and both Battlefront 1 and 2 are favourites of mine.  As a 3rd person capture the bases game, Battelfront stole my love because of the chaos that can ensue when dozens of soldiers storm the battlegrounds set all across the Star Wars universe.

    After examining my list of favourite games, there was one element present in the majority of the games that kept popping up.  I really enjoy open world concept games.  I have always felt this way because I love the idea of getting to take a character in a whole other world and shape them the way I see fit.  With no real world repercussions, I really get to see what type of person I would like to play when I have the world at my finger tips. I also really enjoy exploring in these games.  The open world element really makes me as a player feel like I am not only having my character shaped by my actions, but also by the world I am inhabiting.  A classic example of this was in Fallout 3.  After meeting a specific group of characters in the game and learning their back story, I would no longer shoot these individuals on site and would sneak around them if possible.  Through simple dialogue, I had a whole new outlook on what type of play style my character would use and even my sense of in game morals changed as well.

    Another element included in the Bethesda titles listed (Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3) above is the stealth ability.  Whenever I player any type of role-playing game, I tend to have my character work mainly on their sneak and marksman abilities.  This is because I find games much more satisfying when they can be played as an assassin/rogue type character.  Even in the DayZ Mod, I would still have my character take a stealth approach to combat, instead of the guns blazing Rambo style.  The Rockstar titles listed above however, tend to have me play them in a completely different way.  These games always had me feeling invincible, running into hopelessly unbalanced scenarios with a grin on my face and many bullets at the ready.  They promoted chaos and I loved to be right in the center of it.  

    The two games on my list that do not fit into the open world category happen to be Star Wars Battlefront Series and the Half-Life 2 game.  Although story is not always the most important element for me to enjoy a game, Half-Life 2 however was one game that won me over purely through its storytelling.  The gameplay is that of a basic FPS, but the story of the plight of the citizens of City 17 is so enticing and it always made me feel as though I had to liberate these people, by whatever means necessary.  The Battelfront games are quite the opposite, as they won me over purely through their combat mechanics.  Allowing the player to fight in large battles on land, air and space, really caught my attention and brought me hours of fun with friends.

    Although most of these games on my top 10 list seem to be played in varied ways, at heart they all still give off the same open world feel.  Even a game like Half-Life 2 can make me feel as though I am part of a large expansive open world, even though the story-line is as linear as they come.  I love to have the feeling of being a tiny character in such a massive world and all of these games definitely embody that feeling.  Even after multiple play-through's of each, I still go back to each game in hopes of finding something new and exciting that I missed before.

   

   

     

   

Blog Quest 1: Emotional Contagion

       As one of my favourite game titles of all time, Bethesda studies Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is one of the few games I have played during my life that to this day pops up during the oddest and most wonderful times.  Although this blog will be about the emotional effects this game had on me during the story, the game had already caused me emotional trauma before it was even installed.  After learning of the game in summer of 2006, I have never had more of a desire to purchase and play any game.  So after a trip down to EB games, I had the copy in my hand and I was ready to explore the massive world that was Cyrodil.  However, with only an outdated computer at my disposal, I could barely achieve a decent FPS even at the lowest of settings.  I was crushed.  Seeing the look in my eyes however, my mother agreed that it was time we update our old junker PC, to a beautiful gaming rig.  With some help from our techie friend and a few hundred dollars later, I was ready.  From the starting cinematic of Emperor Uriel Septim VII telling us of Oblivion, I knew I was in for the ride of my life.  

       Being a fan of the Lord of the Rings series (Particularly Legolas), I immediately chose to be an Wood Elf, specializing in Archery and Sneaking.  The tutorial mission and character creation was very enjoyable, but these were not the elements that made me excited to venture on my quest.  This award goes to the interaction with the objects in the jail cell before any dialogue even begins.  Grabbing and moving the chains, punching the rotting rib cage, and picking up something so minuscule as a wooden spoon made me antsy with excitement as the game was so incredibly interactive and detailed.

       While still in the training mission, the Emperor and his personal body guards "The Blades" help to guide you through the underground passageway to safety.  At this point in the game, I was really thinking that these men would be there to guide me through my quest.  Although I was partially right about the Blades, nothing could have prepared me for the shock of what was to come.  While protecting the Emperor from a league of unknown assassins, the player is pulled aside and revealed what their journey will be. At this point my jaw dropped as the emperor is stabbed in the back by a hidden assassin.  I could not believe my eyes.  I reloaded multiple saves to attempt and glitch the Emperor and allow him to live, but my efforts were in vain.

Such an influential character lost so soon in the game.

       As my tone may suggest, I was quite upset at the lose of the Emperor.  The game makes you feel as though you have failed, before you are even done the tutorial quest!  This feeling of dread was soon masked by a feeling that I can still remember too this day.  Leaving the sewers and entering the main land of Cyrodil just seemed to open up a whole new world of gaming that I had never experienced before.  

Cue heart stopping in 3..2...1... Wow 

      Never in a game have I just sat and looked, not knowing where to go as there was such a wide open world in front of me.  At this point I can remember calling my Mom into the room to see what her investment was for. Her response of "That looks nice" clearly showed the lack of interest in something that brought me such joy.  I continued the game by meeting the Blades and continuing on the main journey and defeating enemies as I went.  As I played however, one thing was always in the back of my mind. How on Earth did they fit so many side quests in one game! I was hooked on any and every quest I could get my hands on.  At times I forgot all about the main quest line with Martin and Jauffre.  A wonderful memory I have of the game took place at the towering fortress Cloud Ruler Temple located north of Bruma and home to the blades.  It was a calm night in the game and as I walked around the area equipped in my Blades Armour, I witnessed a view of the night sky over Bruma that made me feel so at ease and peaceful.  It was as if I had found my own little slice of heaven in the land that was constantly plagues by Oblivion gate and Daedra.  I screen shotted that image so I could always have it as a desktop background.

Not the Original Screenshot, but still beautiful. 

    I could not mention the Daedra and Oblivion gates without quickly touching on the emotinal scars that were left from my first encounter with these monsters.  The player learns they must seek out a man in the city of Kvatch.  Thinking nothing of it, I journeyed to this area, only to find that an Oblivion gate had opened in the city!  I closed the gate outside of the cities gates with little problem, upon entering the city however, I was greeted with death and maimed bodies littering the streets.  It was a site that would only be matched in gore when discovering the body of Lucien Lachance.  Both of these scenes were some of the goriest I have witnessed in a video game up until that point in time.  It made me fear what the designers might have in store for me next.  

The Battle of Kvatch Aftermath

The Hanging Body of Lucien LaChance.  It still gives me shivers.

    Although I could mention the many other instances in Oblivion that have cause such a wide array of emotions, I feel as though I should conclude this blog by mentioning one that I am sure is prevalent in every players mind who has completed the game.  The final battle in the Imperial City.  This final brings together many of the NPC's who you have become so close to the player, in an all out war to finish the Daedra.  It is such a difficult mission to begin, as I was well aware that many of my favourite characters would not make it through the fight.  It was also not uncommon for me to restart the mission twenty minutes in because my I felt that I had lost too many men and the story would not finish properly without them present.  In the final play through of the quest, I had only lost Baurus, who had been a loyal Blade since the beginning of the game.  I entered the next segment of the fight to witness one of the most awe inspiring moments in a game.  The final boss, Mehrunes Dagon.  A towering beast, I felt so hopeless to defeat him.  I had no idea what I was supposed to do so I did the most viable option. Run!  I made a straight sprint for the Temple, only to have a cutscene cement the Elder Scrolls IV as one of my all-time favourite games.  So many words from epic to jaw dropping can be used to describe the final fight between Martin Septim (or Akatosh, the dragon he becomes) and Mehrunes.  It is the perfect end to such a great storyline.  I will admit that I almost shed a tear as my quest came to an end, leaving so many fallen comrades in the wake of all the destruction.  It is a game that has forever changed my view on the feelings and emotions that can be brought on by characters generated on a computer screen.  I would pay anything to play it for the first time again.

So. Awesome.

  

Legend of Zelda OOT: An Unbelievable Reward System!

        The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time was released for the Nintendo 64 console on November 23rd, 1998.  An outstanding title form Nintendo, Legend of Zelda OOT revolutionized what a video game could be.  Being one of my first/ my favourite video game of all time, I feel like this game has really contributed to my knowledge of how games should be created to ensure the a fun experience.  After recently playing through the game over the summer and then attending the reward systems lecture this week, I was hit with the fact that Legend of Zelda OOT had mastered the correct implementation of rewards, even before people were really looking into the science of what makes games fun!

     

A Common Treasure Chest Present in the LOZ: OOT

        One of the main reasons I feel this game was and still is so popular and successful, is because of their use of implementing rewards at correct times to make the game flow smoothly.  Although the game does not present the player with limitations such as an XP bar limiting the levels the player can attempt, the Legend of Zelda does implement a restriction system that works in sync with the in game rewards.  In a genius design by the team at Nintendo, they implemented a system that did not just rely on the player completing a temple to suddenly have the next one become unlocked.  For the player to progress through the game, they were required to acquire certain items that allowed them to access the entrance area to the next temple.  A prime example that comes to my head when thinking of this reward system was when Link needs to somehow access the water temple resting deep underwater in Lake Hylia.  To prevent players from gaining early access to this area, Link is unable to naturally swim down to the entrance of the Temple.  He must instead complete the temples in the correct order, during which he will receive the Iron Boots as a reward.  These boots then allow Link to sink to the bottom of the lake and enter the temple.

Lake Hylia: The Tree on the Right Signifies the lone part
of the Water Temple above Ground. 

       This is not only an example of great level design on the designers part, but also how they were able to tweak the way a reward system can work for the player as a feel good mechanism, while also allowing the game to flow with little to no interruption.  I can personally vouch for how this system of rewarding the player felt all the more exciting as there is the "Ah Ha" moment present.  What that meant for me, was the moment when I would realize that this new item that helped me defeat the final boss of this temple, is also the item I have been looking for to allow me to keep moving forward in my quest.    I also felt that it made the game slightly more addicting in the sense that I was always on the look out for some new item that would benefit me in my quest and help me trek onward in my endeavors.  It was a new mechanic (for me at least) that helped to break the monotony of completing a level, only to be shuffled to the next one with little flow and a definite lack of meaningful rewards.  

         I am usually very biased to only talk positives of this series, being that they are my favourite, but there is one situation in the OOT game that felt as though the reward system interrupted the main quest line in an unpleasant way.  This moment is when the player is required to seek out the location of the hook-shot, as it is required to access the entrance to the Forest Temple.  However, instead of doing the most obvious option of putting this item as a reward in an earlier instance, the designers opted to add it in a random grave location North of Kakariko Village.  This moment seemed to break the flow of gameplay up to that point as it seemed out of place and not very fitting with the theme of where I was in the story.  Thankfully, the reward system picked up after this point and fit right back to how it had been progressing earlier in the game.

 

Dampe's Grave Race- The unusual race minigame required to obtain the Hookshot

      To this day, I still adore the Legend of Zelda series, as the designers always know how and when to reward the player to make them feel as though they have accomplished an incredible feat.  I would be hard pressed to find another game that makes me feel the range of emotions that the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has made me feel.  If only this played in real life, it would make getting a reward that much more satisfying:!

Blog Quest - Half Life`s Level Design!

        When it comes to designing Levels, I truly believe that a great design can create the difference between a drab and boring game, to one that can change a players life forever.  Level design is such an important element to the games overall experience, which is why I have decided to be one of the Level designers for our GDW project this upcoming year.  To begin designing a level for any sort of game, I usually tend to step back and ask myself a few questions.  What type of mood should the level set for the player, will it be open or linear, and what sort of characters will be inhabiting this area.  To successfully convey all of these elements to the player in a meaningful fashion, I tend to treat the Level I am creating as though it were an NPC with no dialogue. I want the player to feel as though there is a history to the area, like the level itself is a living breathing entity with its own personalities.  One game that I feel perfectly portrayed this feeling, was Valve`s Half-Life 2 released in 2005.

The First Thing The Player Sees Upon Entering City 17

       Half-Life 2 starts the player off with an incredible level structure immediately after the player steps off the train into City 17.  All around the player are objects depicting scenes of poverty and an almost slavery type feeling.  This is further enforced by the leader Wallace Breen addressing all of his subjects through the large screens posted throughout the level.  Instantly the player feels a sense of sadness and dread, suffering surrounds them and the level designers created the level to allow the player to explore and see this.  The player does not even enter any combat until close to 20 minutes into the game.  This is so that the level designers can set the overall tone of the game and show that Gordon`s personality is not that of a soldier.  Once Gordon enters the battle however, we begin to see a different level design entirely.  Instead of innocent, weak NPC`s we are introduced to the resistance who help direct Gordon on his way through the story.

      One of the best moments in the game for me was when the player first receives the gravity gun.  Instead of a basic tutorial on how the gun works, the level designers have the player play a game of fetch with `Dog`, the giant mechanized pet of Alyx Vance.  This is a simple, safe, and controlled environment that allows the player to get their bearings with the weapon, before being thrown the the hordes of combine soldiers.  

     Not only is this level my favorite because of the introduction because of the gravity gun, but because of the events that occur directly after.  After a combine attack, the player is forced into a zombie and gore infested town known as Ravenholm.. This shows the outstanding level design of the team at Valves as it is such a 180 in what the player has been used to up to this point.  Instead of being in open areas fighting human soldiers with the help of the resistance, the player is forced into a town of horrors that took me completely off guard the first moment I played.  When a game is able to instill that sense of shock and awe, simply by a change of scenery, it shows how much thought was put into the structure of the Half - Life 2 levels.   

The incredibly designed city of Ravenholm.
Home to some of the worst horrors I have seen in a video game.

      As one of my favorite games of all-time, I could list many more reasons as to why the level design in Half-Life 2 is near perfect and one of the reasons I wanted to get into level designing in the first place.  When it comes down to it however, Half-Life 2 is such a great game because it encompass all of the elements needed to make a linear level structure seem so open and magical.  It allows the player to feel as though they have options on how they want to tackle certain situations, while still keeping them moving towards the final goal of the level.  Although I am more prone to open worlds adventures, the level design and overall feel of the Half-Life 2 universe is one that all linear action games should strive to try resemble.  

The protagonist Gordon Freeman portrayed on the box of Half-Life 2