Reference no: EM133525008

Game Development Fundamentals

Overview
Your task this semester will be to first pitch, then plan and create assets for, and finally develop a small video game prototype. Your game must not be based on any existing artistic works or media, such as film, television, games, stories, or characters. It must be your own original creation based on a provided randomly generated Scenario.

Learning Outcome 1: Discuss games design and development methodologies;
Learning Outcome 2: Identify and explain the appropriate and correct syntax and programming constructs for different game development requirements.
Learning Outcome 3: Select and apply appropriate games design and development approaches to align with industry needs;
Learning Outcome 4: Design and develop a range of art and programming assets, implementing aesthetics and logic into a game project;
Learning Outcome 5: Analyse, design, implement and test game concepts using a games engine and programming constructs;
Learning Outcome 6: Utilise appropriate software packages to design, build and program game prototypes and assets that align with user experience and project expectations.

Follow the rules below while completing ALL three assignments.

Your pitch, plan and developed prototype must:
• Use your provided randomly generated Scenario.
o Review your randomly generated Scenario on Moodle and See Part C for more details about requirements of scene(s) and events.
• Be an original design.
o Do not copy an existing artistic work. They can inspire your ideas.
- You cannot base your characters, story, or world on an existing artistic work, another student's ideas, or any other forms of existing media. It must be an original creation of your own, or it may be considered plagiarism, and a breach of copyright.
o If you are repeating this course, your game must be a new concept based on your new randomly generated Scenario. You cannot use the same game idea/concept as previous attempts at this course.
• Be designed and developed as a single player game, with a single controllable object (that will be the player character and is controlled by the player)
o It can be any object you can think of, for example: a person, an animal, a vehicle, a piece of food, a tool, etc, if you can match it to your generated Scenario. The choices are endless!
• Focus on one single level/scene. You can create multiple scenes IF you have time, but it is not advised.
• Have ending condition(s) (win, loss, and/or completion of level/area) so the player can finish the prototype.

Part A: Game Pitch and Peer Feedback

Your task for Part A of this Assignment is to:
1) Pitch a new video game concept based on your generated Scenario in a short, recorded video.
2) Provide constructive peer feedback to another student regarding their pitch.

Game Pitch Video
Using your provided Scenario that has been randomly generated specifically for you, your first task is to think of a new game idea that fits the variables of your scenario, then pitch your game idea in a recorded video. The full details of what to do for this pitch are outlined below:
• Your game pitch will form the early concepts for the game prototype level/scene you will be planning in Part B, and then developing in Part C. Therefore, read over Part B and Part C below to gain a full understanding of the game prototype you must plan and then later develop into the small prototype.
o You should start your planning document for Part B early in the semester and have a good idea of what your game will be about. This will help you immensely for this Game Pitch.
• A game pitch in industry is used to try to sell your game concept to a potential investor and their market, or directly to the gaming target audience via crowdfunding; you want to them to fund your game!
o Imagine you only have 2 minutes time to describe your game concept to a game publisher! Therefore, it should be short, interesting and informative!
• Read these instructions thoroughly and think carefully about your pitch.
o Your game pitch will be a recorded video presentation. Have fun with it! It is about games.
o It must meet the criteria and be between 1:30 to 2 minutes in length.
o It can be recorded and edited any way you like, but you must be identifiable at the start of the video, and be talking throughout to explain your game concept.
o If recorded on a mobile device, it must be in landscape view and must be clear in video and audio.

Write a transcript of what you are going to say in the video. In the written transcript, include:
• A screenshot of your randomly generated Scenario. There are penalties for not following your scenario.
• A high concept statement of your game idea. Use this to introduce your game idea during your pitch.
o This is a concise but informative description of your game concept. A few sentences (~one paragraph) are used to summarise your game in an exciting manner - sometimes called an "Elevator Pitch" - a short and persuasive pitch that quickly defines the value and excitement in your product.
o Try to include as many of the most important details as possible, briefly summarised into a one paragraph high concept statement (Lecture 2 explains high concept statements, with a few examples), including:
- The Game Title
- Genre (see lecture 1)
- Player control such as player viewpoint, and game engine used
- General Story/Setting and major Characters/Objects (see lecture 3 and 4)
- Important game Mechanics, including the major goal (see lecture 4)
o Make sure it is clear (for the marker) when your high concept statement begins and ends.

• After your initial high concept statement, provide some expanded details such as the most interesting features of your future game prototype.
• During your pitch, in both the high concept statement and expanded details, you must back up your discussion with supporting materials:
o Supporting materials can be anything that helps you to describe your game quickly:
- Examples: Sketches, images and/or videos
• Characters, objects, diagrams, ideas, game mechanics, and/or maps.
• They could be your own, or examples from similar games that inspire you.
o Supporting materials can be shown:
- In person during your pitch (record them clearly on the camera).
- Edited into the pitch using any video editing software.

Peer Feedback
The second task of Part A requires you to watch other students' game pitches and provide some constructive feedback to one other student to help them improve their designs for Part B.
After posting your own video of your game pitch (see below on how to submit):
• Read the titles of other students' game concepts and view some game pitch videos that appeal to you.
o If not many are available after you have submitted, wait a little closer to submission deadline for more to be uploaded (but don't forget about this!)
• When you discover an interesting game concept among your peers, reply to their forum post and provide polite and constructive feedback:
o Evaluate their high concept statement and reflect on how they can improve it for Part B planning document.
o Provide advice on how they could better meet the overall rules for the game prototype on page 2.
o Suggest forms of media and games that may inspire them or assist them to explain their game concepts.
o Address the energy and excitement from the presenter and their content.
• The goal is to provide constructive feedback on how they could improve their game concept when they work on Part B and eventually Part C, while still meeting the criteria of each.

Part B: Prototype Plan and Assets

Prototype Plan

You should begin working on this assessment when the course commences, with a solid plan for your game prototype, this will help you to create your Pitch more easily.
Remember, this planning document is about making plans for just the game prototype you will develop in Part C, it is not a full game design document, but rather the design of a single level or area intended for your prototype using your provided Scenario that has been randomly generated specifically for you.
This prototype planning document does not have a word count requirement, but
• Expect to write more than 1500 words to address all of the criteria outlined further below.
• Include lots of images to support your designs and make it easier to understand!
• Your planning document should be easy to understand, visualise, and be detailed enough to develop a prototype for your game without any confusion.

The following areas should be addressed in your prototype plan document:
0. Generated Scenario (review your generated Scenario in Moodle)
o A screenshot of your randomly generated Scenario. There are penalties for not following your scenario.
- The penalty is much more severe in Part B and C, as you have had time to fix issues since Part A.

1. High Concept Statement (see lecture 2)
o This is similar to the high concept statement provided in your Game Pitch, but now you have a chance to follow up on any feedback and improve it! If you have made any major changes since your pitch (or were requested to change something in your Part A feedback), make sure the high concept statement reflects this.
o Once again, try to include as many of the most important details as possible, briefly summarised into a one paragraph high concept statement, including:
- The Game Title
- Genre (see lecture 1)
- Player control such as player viewpoint, and game engine used
- General Story/Concept and major Characters/Objects (see lecture 3 and 4)
- Important game Mechanics, including the major goal (see lecture 4)
- World/Setting (see lecture 5)

2. Mechanics (see lecture 4)
o Every student will have game mechanics to discuss that emphasises exactly how your prototype will function. With the main concepts summarised through the high concept statement, this section requires detailed explanations of your mechanics for the game prototype scene you will build.
o There should be thorough discussions of each of these aspects from the lecture:

- Space - This should address the space that the prototype level/scene will be played within, focusing on the dimension, movement, and boundaries. Environment is to be discussed in another section.
- Time - This should address any conditions that affect the timing in the prototype level/scene. Discussion should include time of day, and how time affects actions, gameplay, and player control.
- Objects - This should be a comprehensive list of all objects including their usage, purpose and states that will be needed in the prototype level/scene, and can include characters/enemies (lecture 3), props, cameras, lights and other objects.
- Actions - This section requires basic actions and possible strategic actions conducted by the player in the prototype level/scene, as well as the keyboard/mouse input required to conduct the actions. For the complexity of this course, movement and 1 or 2 additional basic actions is usually enough.
- Rules - This section requires the rules of the prototype level/scene: object interaction, action usage, end condition(s) - win, loss, and/or prototype completion, as well as scoring, etc. Include any chance elements here that may create randomness and uncertainty for the player, and/or alter the rules.
o Include images/diagrams to help support your descriptions of mechanics.

3. World / Setting (see lecture 5)
o A 3D game will require some sort of world, environment, or setting - even if it is abstract.
o Your randomly generated Scenario will provide you with a broad environment type. You should expand on this to provide detail and can consider the following when documenting your designs:
- Is it indoors, outdoors, more surreal, abstract, etc.? What does it look like?
- Does it draw influences from any culture, atmosphere or setting?
- What year is it based in? Is it fictional, historical, contemporary, fantasy, etc.?

4. Level Design (see lecture 5)
o It is important that you thoroughly plan the level or contained area/scene that you will develop for your Part C playable game prototype. You must include the following:
o Complete level/scene map - Draw a detailed top-down map of your proposed level/scene(s) for the game prototype, to act as a blueprint for the development stage.
- You can use software to design your map, or hand draw the map and scan it or take a CLEAR photo
- Map must be created by yourself, or you will lose marks.
- The map must indicate locations of the following:
• Player start location
• All Triggers/Events
o Including the dialogue event and multiple events assigned to you in your randomly generated Scenario as well as an ending condition to win the prototype.
• All Characters/Enemies/Props/Objects
o All objects (including characters, enemies, props and other objects) from the Object list indicated in section 2 Mechanics should be shown on your map
• The optimal Player progression through the map to win / finish the prototype
o Discussion about the triggers/events with pseudocode, relating it back to your completed map.
- Identify and summarise how each event will be triggered that was indicated on your map.
• (for more details about triggers and events, see Part C). Also Discuss:

• Are certain actions required by the player to trigger an event?
• What is/are the end condition(s)? How does the player win, lose, and/or complete the prototype?
- Provide simple pseudocode to design the process of each event.
o (Events, Triggers and Pseudocode are first introduced in Lecture 6, but you should view Part C to see the requirements of Events and Triggers in the prototype.)

Asset Creation
It is expected that you can develop your own 2D and 3D art assets that are appropriate for your game prototype. All students are required to develop at least three assets (not just primitive shapes or basic artwork) created by yourself in 2D (materials), and 3D (meshes).
The following identifies the specifications for creating your own art assets:
• GIMP Asset (see lab 1)
o Every student must create one 2D asset using GIMP. Your generated Scenario will indicate to create a texture for your randomly assigned environment.
o For higher marks, create a normal map in addition to your texture material (see lab 1).
o Save as a .XCF file type AND export to PNG for submission
• Blender Assets (see labs 2 and 3)
o Every student must create two unique 3D assets using Blender. Your generated Scenario randomly assigns one model, and gives you creative freedom to decide on the second model you want to create.
- These models will be Static 3D models/meshes that will be used as props in your prototype scene.
Do not create animated, humanoid or animal models (this is too difficult and time consuming).
o Save as a .blend file type AND export to FBX for submission

Part C: Game Prototype

With your prototype plan and assets, you must now develop a small functional and playable prototype that showcases one scene (that acts as a small area or level) with game mechanics that trigger events, and an end condition(s) - win, loss, and/or completion of level/area. The prototype must use your provided Scenario that has been randomly generated specifically for you.

Resuming working on Part C
Any time you wish to continue working on your Assignment, open it with Unity Hub. The template project has provided some things for you:
• A scene "MainScene" has been created. Develop your main playable prototype scene using the MainScene.
• In the Project Tab, folders are already created for you. Use them to keep asset files organised.
• (Depending on Unity preferences, your project tab will look like one of the screenshots to the right) ?
• If you do not use the template and/or organised folder structure, penalties will apply!

• Assets that YOU create:
o Interface - Store any interface elements you created (if applicable)
o Materials - Store your texture(s) (and if applicable, your normal map(s)) that you created in GIMP (Part B)
o Models - Store your Part B 3D models that you created within Blender (Part B).
o Prefabs - Store all prefabs that you create within Unity.
o Scenes - This folder already contains a blank scene called "MainScene". Your main prototype scene must be built in this scene. Store additional scenes that you create in this folder (if any).
o Scripts - Store all C# scripts that you create within Unity/Visual Studio.
o <additional folders> - you can create additional folders to store assets that you create if they do not fit in to any of these categories. Eg: "Animators", "Audio", "Particles", etc.
• Assets that you download from the Unity Asset Store MUST be placed in:
o Unity Store Assets - To store any assets downloaded from the Unity Asset Store.
o When sourcing additional assets, you must use the Unity Asset Store, choose free assets, and provide a link to that asset in your brief report. Do not download assets from any other source.
o You cannot download and use pre-built scene assets, kits or templates. Your scenes must be constructed by yourself.
• Packages - created by default for Unity. Do not remove, but you can ignore it during development.

Part C Requirements:
There are a number of requirements that you must adhere to when completing this assessment task:

• Again, the first step is to make sure you complete the "Semester Preparation Checklist" to ensure you are using the correct versions of the software and have setup the project template ready to begin Part C.
• Also recall, that there are Overall Rules first established for the prototype on page 2 of this document.

Unity Standard Assets
• These are available in Moodle in Level 6, and it is encouraged that you use them for your prototype for terrains, controllers and cameras.
• If you do use the standard assets, place them in the "Unity Store Assets" project folder in your Unity project.

Art Assets
• Use your Assets that you created in Part B in your game scene. No other assets are required to be created by you during Part C, but can be sourced from the Unity Asset Store (see below).
o Any assets you do create yourself should be placed in the appropriate project folder in Unity.

Unity Asset Store
• You can use the Unity Asset Store to import more objects into YOUR own scene to improve it.
• Record the link to each asset that you have downloaded and imported, add the link to your brief report.
o Do not download assets from any other source.
o Do not download pre-built scenes, kits or templates. Your scene(s) must be constructed by yourself with your own placement of different objects.
o Do not pay for assets, Unity has a huge library of over 7000 free premade assets (suitable for our version of Unity) that you can import and use, and not limited to just art assets (see Lab 6, Exercise 3 for instructions on importing free assets from the Unity Asset Store).
o Unity Store assets MUST be placed in the "Unity Store Assets" project folder in Unity.
o These assets should be used appropriately within your prototype to flesh out your scene objects.

Scenes & Objects
• The main playable game scene must be built in the provided project template scene called "MainScene".
• Remember that you are allowed to download objects from the Unity Asset Store to help populate your scene, BUT you CANNOT download and use a pre-built scene, kit or template. Your scene(s) must be constructed by yourself with your own placement of different objects.
• Unity can be used to develop a Terrain for your generated scenario environment (see Lab 6 for Unity 3D Terrain).
• Primitive objects can be placed in Unity, but may detract from the design, unless arranged into an elaborate scene. You are better off populating the scene with Unity Store Asset objects appropriate for your world/environment.
• Prefabs should be created for objects that require multiple instances in the game scene. Place in "Prefabs" folder.
• Aim for engaging use of Objects (your own Part B created assets, plus additional free Unity Store assets) including 3D objects such as the player, props, cameras, light sources and other game objects to create your scene.

Components
• Components should be added to your game objects where appropriate, such as:
o Colliders for objects that can be collided with, and possibly require scripted collision events.
o Colliders with triggers for objects to set up a scripted triggerable event.
o Rigidbody for objects requiring physics behaviour / physical collisions.
o Materials on objects to distinguish them apart from one another.
o Animators. Examples: Opening doors, moving platforms, premade animations. Keep it simple.
o And other components such as Audio, Particle System, Camera, and UI components as needed.
o NOTE: Transform and Mesh Renderer are required components and not considered for marking purposes.

Player Controller
• You can use one of the "standard assets" controllers, download one from the Unity asset store, or create your own.
• Your player controller must function correctly and support your generated Scenario (especially the player viewpoint).

Scripts
• Your randomly generated scenario requires the following events (events are discussed in lectures):
o A dialogue event with another character in your scene.
- The type of dialogue is random for each student (see your generated Scenario in Moodle).
• (Lecture 7 and 8 has multiple dialogue event examples. When the player approaches a character, some text appears on screen.)
o An assigned event that should display interface information onscreen to the player when triggered.
- The type of event is random for each student (see your generated Scenario in Moodle).
• (Labs 5 to 10 cater to all events that could be randomly assigned. For example, Lab 5 contains an event to collect coin objects, which updates the count score on the interface.)
o An Additional event of your own choice that should display interface information onscreen to the player when triggered.
- This event could be anything you like, but it should suit your generated Scenario.
• You will also need to use Scripts to complete these remaining requirements:
o End Condition(s) - win, loss, and/or completion of prototype
- An ending condition that triggers winning (or completion) of the prototype (this is in addition to the other events above). The player should be notified that they have won (or completed) the game.
- In addition, you may (or may not) have a condition for losing, that should also output to the player that they have lost.
o Comments
- Place your name and student ID at the top of scripts that you have created.
- You can learn from scripting guides on the internet, but any code you implement or adapt from ANY external source must be referenced using code commenting. This will show you have adequately researched and adapted them to your generated Scenario.
• Make sure all code adapted from external sources are clearly identified where they begin and end with comments, or it could be considered plagiarism.
• All scripts you create MUST be placed in your "Scripts" project folder in Unity.
Brief Report
You should also submit a written brief report detailing what you have done. A template is provided on Moodle to make this easier for both you and your marker. This report will address several items such as references to Unity Store Assets used, script/event details, known bugs and limitations, and how to play and win/lose your prototype.
Details are clearly presented in the template on what to include. Fill it in carefully. Be aware that:
• It is easy to determine if you claim someone else's scenes, assets or scripts as your own, and this will be penalised, and may be considered for plagiarism.
• Be honest about limitations or known bugs in the game. It may help the marker to determine if you have attempted a task but could not get it working, in which some criteria still awards marks for the attempt.

Note:  Your task this semester is to pitch, plan and develop a single scene for a game prototype with a Racing theme.

It must be set in a 3D world, in a Islands environment, with one appropriate 2D GIMP texture that can be applied to your environment created by yourself.

It must be set during Night time.

You are required to create two Blender 3D objects yourself, a Cabin and an additional static 3D object of your own choice that suits your game scene.

The player/camera viewpoint should use a First Person camera.

The player can approach another character and trigger an event with Friendly dialogue.

There should be additional events: a Player Respawn and an Event of your own choice (must be different to your other events). When triggered, each event should update the interface, such as displaying information, score, lives, etc.

*NEED PART C ONLY