Today in Ewans class We learnt in groups how to create games using Paper Prototypes.
Paper Prototypes are playable basic examples of a game, user interface or software made out of paper in the concept/ design stage. They are deigned to be easy to use and provide a clear example of the final vision of the design team. They are cheap, effective and can be thrown away if they are no good.
We had to design a board game using graph paper and coloring pencils.
After some discussion and brainstorming My team settled on designing a board game based around survival in an apocalyptic world. The game placed 2 players against each other, the main objective is to grab as much food as possible using a car and return it to your base, therefore denying the opposing player the food. You can see in the picture above the layout of the board, the food represented by the small yellow squares is dotted around the map. The players are in the large blue and red squares near the corners of the map, their base camps are right behind them. We also created different zones and terrain on the map such as grasslands and swamps. These affect the players movement by slowing down the car. We also placed bridges that cross the river, these act as a choke point on the map allowing the other player to effectively defend their side of the map.
Players move by using a dice. For example if I was to roll the dice and land a 6 I could then move the car 6 times its own length. A car is roughly 3 squares in length meaning that by landing a 6 I would move the car 18 spaces along the board. Movement penalties in difficult terrain mean that You knock 1 off of your dice roll. So if the player was to roll a 4 He/ She would only move 3.
So how does the player lose? The player to start off with has 10 food stored back in their own base. Every round (So every time both players roll a dice and move) they lose 1 food each due to attrition and food consumption. Meaning the player has 10 rounds by default before they lose due to lack of food. The player obtains food by placing it into their car and transporting it back to their base. It then increases the players food count. The players can attack each others bases to steal food however We didn't finalize this process before the end of class.
If our team were given time to expand upon this prototype game We would refine the combat and food spawning system. There is also potential to add in other resources such as fuel for your car. We would also add weapons such as rifles allowing you to hunt for food and defend against the other player. We could add in a deck of cards that create random events, every 3-4 turns a card is drawn by a player that would create an event such as an earthquake, a freak storm or a party of bandits. This in turn would then add its own set of new resources such as waterproof clothing to defend against inclement weather, or equipment for traps to defend against bandits. This would help open up multiple victory conditions for each player to follow in order to defeat the other player. The potential for expansions with this type of game are virtually endless.
After designing a board game We were asked to in groups design a multiplayer map for a first person shooter; again using a Paper Prototype.
I put forward the idea of designing a map based around a WW2 shooter. I remember vividly playing Medal of Honor: Frontline when I was younger on the PlayStation 2. The very first mission "Your Finest Hour" really got my adrenaline pumping. It put me right there on that beach, and it still is to this day the only mission in any game I have played that resonates in my memory so vividly.
That mission was the main source of inspiration for this map design. I roughly sketched out a beach landing complete with concrete bunkers and landing craft. Although I didn't have very long to create a map I was constantly thinking of how long it would take to get from the landing craft and up the beach where cover awaits the player. I was also thinking of possible avenues of approach and lanes in which the players can attack and defend. The spawns and possible power weapons also played a part in the design. This map is objective based with the defending team spawning up in the bunkers and the attacking team spawning in the landing craft. Sporadic cover is spread across the beach so attacking players have to move quickly to get to cover before the defending team can take up positions in the bunker.
Once the map had been sketched out We were asked to play the map using paper to represent players. We played the map using a method found in a book called 'The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, Second Edition' by Jesse Schell. We used a metronome that ticked every 5 seconds. Every time it ticked We were allowed to move the player 1 space on the graph paper. The moment a player had line of sight on an enemy player He/ She had to shout BANG to represent a gun firing. If you had line of sight on the enemy and called out BANG then you have killed the enemy player.
We began to play with 3 players in total. We divided the teams with 2 players attacking and 1 defending. We gave the attackers an advantage due to the huge fortifications the defender had on their side. I was on the attacking side and managed to get into the enemy bunker unharmed. Unfortunately My teammate was killed by the enemy player leaving a tense 1 vs 1 standoff. However I managed to clip the defending player when He exposed himself meaning I had won the game.
Overall learning how to use Paper Prototypes to design a level was a useful exercise. They allow Me as a designer to really think about a level and how I would build it. It gives Me an insight into what the gameplay will be like before I even make the level in 3D, this is extremely valuable and will save so much time down the line. Its simple but extremely effective when conveying ideas to a team.
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