Platforming Schizo

Powell, Ivan

5 November 2010

Game Design Process

KGA 1 Rough Draft

In the game design process there are many different design techniques and it is up to the person(s) to figure out which method they would prefer to use. If you do not know about the processes there are that would prove to be very difficult a task. The processes I know of are core mechanic, narrative, demographic and iterative. The ways to go about these processes are either milestones or stages of development. Core mechanic design process is designing based on the key aspect of the gameplay. For example the Prince of Persia’s core mechanic would be platforming or puzzle solving due to the puzzles and the maneuvers one must do to solve them. Narrative design process is designing from a story. Demographic design process is designing for the target audience, which can also be mixed with core mechanic design process. Lastly, iterative design, which is the design process that is a cycle of prototyping, testing, analyzing and refining. The stages of development is how the designing is done in order. Milestones should be used in the stages to make better use of time as opposed to procrastinating to certain failure.

For the game I am creating I find the best method of design to be iterative design while using the stages of development and milestones to guide the direction. The game I am creating is about a guy escaping from a psyche ward; the twist being he is a severe schizophrenic and he sees things in a completely different way due to lack of meds. Iterative design would be best to find the flaws in his hallucinations or even where and how they should be implemented. Stages of development would be useful in designing with flow instead of rushing the game and taking away from meaningful play. Also, milestones should be set for both the stages of development and the design process because one is needed to improve the other. Finally, the milestones for both should have a final milestone because without a final milestone there would be no end to the cycle for the iterative design process.

For designing the game I, of course, need a game engine to use or base from. The engines that most appeal to me are Id Tech 4, Unity, and MT framework.

Id Tech 4 is most known for its work with Doom 3. It holds superior texturing with mega texture, upgrades from Id Tech 3, shadow volume and Unified lighting and shadowing. Id Tech 4 is great for designing the because his hallucinations are somewhat medieval which would bring need for superior texturing and lighting. Shadows would be intricate and with the flashes between reality and schizophrenic. The only downfall of Id Tech 4, in my opinion, is the lack of downward scalability so the game wouldn’t reach people with older GPUs.

Unity is an award winning interactive game engine mostly used for Wii, Iphone, and Android. The Unity Engine allows the person to be part of the game with their body instead of just their thumbs. The game would be great interactive being in the shoes of a schizophrenic escaping while hallucinating; it just sounds fun. However, the Unity engine limits the audience and truthfully I wouldn’t know how to do it without limiting access whether it is to movement or areas.

The final engine, MT Frameworks, boasts high popularity with the exploring games from Capcom. The game engine has some of the great functions in creation that draw my game to it. With the function of multiple platforms my game can reach a larger audience. Also, the graphics engine has downward scalability. With the engine designing from PC first some glitches may occur, but in production the game can be seen running at its maximum. Lastly I see this game as a side scrolling platformer so the 2.5D capabilities would bring something new to the realm of gaming. Of course designing a game is all personal preference.

In the final decision for which game engine I would choose to use I would select MT Frameworks. Not because of the successful games, but for the fact that the environments that could be created in 2.5D would be trend setting. The creation of a side scrolling platformer with graphics and background design strong as Street Fighter 4, and simple yet challenging obstacles and enemies. Even though Id Tech 4’s engine has more as far as texturing goes, my game would run smoother on MT Frameworks.