With the making this year's PBM finally behind me, I'd like to reflect on some of the experiences which my classmates and I went through. I've heard lots of insults thrown at the Unity Game Engine, which we used to create educational parkour games for our 2021-22 AGAD Proof of Learning.
"Unity is literally the worst application ever made." A classmate of mine confessed this strongly opinionated statement very recently. I took a moment to think about it and I eventually realized his perspective. Bugs in games, tiny errors in scripts that are hard to fix, weird issues that seem unsolvable, and an aura of frustration are some of the things that the Unity Game Engine has given my class the past couple months. I've experienced my fair share of difficulties. I had terrible issues with my respawn script, I had lighting bugs in my published game, I had problems switching scenes from my main menu, and more. However, I appreciated that Unity Game Engine allowed me the freedom to solve these problems through consulting Unity Forums, examining the Project Settings, or by engineering my own solution through Unity's basic yet useful 3D modeling interface. Every major issue I had I could either circumvent by doing something differently or solve. Was it frustrating? Yes. Is frustration present in all game engines sometimes? How could it not be? Perhaps the best thing Unity offers is the Unity Asset Store, which I've used to find wonderful free assets to upgrade my games and add to the environment. For my upcoming team game, I already have many prefabs from the Asset Store lined up. Although Unity isn't a perfect piece of software, I can look beyond my frustration with certain issues and see it for what it really is: a powerful tool to create games. A flawed tool, but still one with limitless potential that I'm excited to explore more of. Summary
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I've gotten to a working edition of the Parkour Games - the big project I've been ranting about on this page - but I'm far from finished. There are still missing features that I can't wait to add.
First, let's examine the respawn system. It has given me trouble for a while. Initially, it was especially troublesome with triggers and colliders and teleporting the trigger to a checkpoint instead of the player. I worked around the respawn issue by creating a level underneath the caves with arrows serving as signifiers to direct the player back to a starting point. However, I still want to do work on the respawn system, whether that means improving what I currently have or revamping my original idea to work more consistently. Although it would be nice to change the respawning mechanics, the most important thing to change is definitely the controls. I began development of the Parkour Games with a third person perspective in mind. However, during my process of simplifying the educational aspect, I switched to a first person view. I didn't change scripts or assets, though, I just swapped my player object with a camera object. I'd like to implement the built-in FPS controller into my game to have a more manageable movement and view panning system. Now, it's time to go over my level ideas. Right now, there are only the desert and tundra levels, but I'd like to add more. The forest and grasslands levels would be perfect additions, along with a final boss of sorts (i.e. a quiz on what biomes look like to polish off the educational aspect of Parkour Games). Hopefully, these additions coming soon will really help my game feel complete. Summary
A parkour game. Possible. An educational parkour game. Also possible. An educational parkour game geared towards kindergarten through 2nd grade? Maybe possible? Let's take a look at what I've managed to do this week about educating young children through parkour.
The educational aspect of my parkour game has evolved greatly since my prototype was published earlier this week. I changed many things, which I'll outline here. The most obvious change is certainly the shift away from countries. Initially, Parkour Games revolved around different countries competing to be the best at parkour. The player could select a country at the beginning of the game and have a third person look at a representation of the country to play as. That's been scrapped. I've changed the focus of the educational aspect from a scrambled, disjointed, fifth or sixth grade geography lesson to a basic biome activity. I also removed the continent screen from the instruction screens, as it was no longer necessary for my new focus. I changed the biome map from the falling instructions from a complicated, fourteen-biome mashup to a simple four biome image that's much easier for young kids to digest. It's a shame to see the country and continent stuff gone from my game - especially because I spent a lot of time creating textures, programming, and debugging features revolving around them - but it's definitely worth it. Taking into account my target audience and rethinking certain design decisions has led to a great outcome. Now, thanks to my adjustments, Parkour Games is a much simpler parkour game which I'm proud of. Summary
During my development of a parkour game called The Parkour Games the past few weeks, I've done a lot of things in the Unity Game Engine. However, there's also been some problems in the process.
Firstly, the pre-production. I created a Google document and got all of my ideas down. Next, I designed levels on paper and did a brief Game Design Document outline. Then. I compiled a list of all textures, models, and scripts I needed. My initial step in production was texture creation. I found images and tweaked them in Adobe Photoshop for some textures. For others, I created my own. For instance, I found pictures of thin ice and sand, very similar obstacles in The Parkour Games, and adjusted image filters to make them stand out.. I didn't create any 3D models in 3DS Max, my 3D program of choice, but instead made everything in the Unity Game Engine. I also created multiple scripts in Windows Visual Studio, including a player controller and camera controller script. Now, the game itself. The main premise is that the player represents a country and tries to survive an intense game of parkour. The first level is the desert level. There are pitfalls and sand traps, which cause the player to fall into the cave height of the level. The caves have pitfalls, which teleport the player back to the beginning of the level. They also have stalagmites, which also send the player back. The ending of the level, white flags, sends the player to the second level, the tundra. There is snow and thin ice in the tundra, which act like the desert default and sand traps, respectively. Likewise, there are pitfalls and caves, but this level has more obstacles and is more difficult to complete. Issues are next up on the menu of this blog post. My main problem was a discrepancy of the camera script and player script, which I haven't resolved. Either the camera or player is always faster than the other, regardless of how I change speeds. I solved texture issues, rigidbody issues, and a problem with the camera not following the player down into the cave height. Overall, although I couldn't finish The Parkour Games, it was good to be back in Unity and to feel more prepared for the creation of my team game. Summary
Recently, Activision Blizzard, a prolific video game development company, has been exposed for a very toxic work environment. There were many reports that surfaced of harassment and abuse that occurred daily at Activision Blizzard. However, it's still a company and still working on games.
There's been an array of great quality, best-selling games produced by Activision Blizzard, some of which I've played. Crash Bandicoot, World of Warcraft, Candy Crush, Overwatch, and the Call of Duty series are all games made by the company. There are, of course, many future games expected to be produced by the game development studio, including a new Call of Duty game set to release this year. But how realistic is it to expect new games from Activision Blizzard, and, if so, is purchasing them morally wrong? First, let's take a look on something essentially every business has: a work environment. Whether it's bustling cubicles or a peaceful private room, the atmosphere is crucial to productivity. With heightened tensions only being added with the past year's exposure of Activision Blizzard's toxicity, it's safe to say that delays should be expected. How about the moral situation? To start off, the CEO, Bobby Kotick, who has been accused of continuing harassment, is still employed despite calls for his exit. It's clear that Activision Blizzard isn't completely committed to the safety of their employees. However, many video game companies overwork their employees in times such as crunches in order to release a game on time and not buying from Activision Blizzard would their harm their employees as well. Although occasional overworking is nowhere near as bad as daily abuse, it's important to consider that no business is perfect. That being said, I can understand the perspectives of both sides of the argument to boycott Activision Blizzard. Summary
Anyone who's ever been to high school should know that high school logos are notorious for copying professional sports teams. I've observed copycats of the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies, and even universities such as Arizona and Virginia in high schools in the past few weeks alone.
Is this even legal? Some logos are blatant copyright infringements, while others have their own unique flair. Even the most obvious thefts, though, wouldn't be worth it to stop. Professional sports leagues can send cease-and-desist orders to countless high schools across the United States, but it probably isn't worth their time. Additionally, it would create mountains of bad press and create general unhappiness. Sometimes, people can get behind the idea of borrowing a pro team's logo: In 2010, the director for corporate communications of the National Football League (NFL) said that "We support football on all levels and do not have an issue with high school and youth teams using NFL team logos." It's also an easy thing to do. Why create an entirely new logo instead of tweaking an already existing one? I'd argue for the latter of that last sentence. The pinnacle of graphic design is creativity. Taking other people's work is not only illegal, but it's wrong. Even with an endorsement from the NFL, it must leave a sour taste in the mouths of high school principals across the country to lift their logo from a pro sports team. I'd love to see a future of high schools with exciting logos that are unorthodox and special. In a world full of talented graphic designers and endless possibility with software such as Adobe Photoshop, why not take the time to have uniqueness? My recent observations have only reinforced the importance I place on graphic design, and I can't wait to see - albeit unlikely - a wave of new high school logos. Summary
Creating the UI of a game is one of the most crucial design decisions. It can be done in a wide array of methods that span across many different genres. Today, I'm going to step foot in the jungle of user interfaces and explore how some games I enjoy playing employ it. First, I'll launch an investigation into the uber-successful sandbox/adventure game available on all platforms: Minecraft. Its user interface is very simple, containing a health bar and inventory. This can help focus the player on playing the game instead of being distracted with a complex UI. However, a highlighted box surrounds the item the player is currently selecting. This prevents confusion surrounding which object is selected. Additionally, Minecraft added a hunger bar beside the health bar a few years ago, which lets the player understand the hunger mechanic by displaying how hungry they are. The UI is located in the center bottom of the screen to not obstruct gameplay while still being easily found.
Temple Run, another very popular game, is an adventure-ish infinite running game on mobile. The UI of Temple Run has three main components: the coin collection, the score indication, and the pause button. Each of these three are away from the center of the screen, each in a corner, which is imperative for a mobile game for good visibility. They also are stylized in the aesthetic of the game. The coin collection shows how many gold coins the player has collected. The score indication - you guessed it - indicates the score the player has earned. Finally, the pause button allows for the player to momentarily leave the game, another high importance thing for mobile. Star Wars Battlefront 2, available on consoles and computers, isn't nearly as well-selling as Temple Run or Minecraft, but it's a great example of a unique UI and it's a first person shooter game. The top of the screen shows information relating to the objective of the game: how many kills each team has, how many areas each team controls, etc. The bottom right displays items the player has and when they are available to use. The health bar, at the very bottom of the screen, shows how much health the player has. Above it lies more information: how fast a gun is overheating and indicating damage or kills. These are important elements to include in a game that includes guns. Lastly, in the bottom right, there's a minimap that includes the locations of nearby players. Summary
I'm the project manager for my team and we will make a playable, creative video game by the end of the school year. Being the project manager, I have the responsibility to manage my teammates and the work that we're doing. This entails creating a board on a website named Trello, specifically built for ensuring that teams function well.
I was a bit skeptical at first, but I've grown to like Trello over the past few days. At first glance, it's a convenient and organized place for a to-do list. In reality, though, it's much more - you can automate movement of tasks to different sections, label individual cards, and even put links to Google Docs. Think of it as a bulletin board but online and with superpowers. Trello can help my team be efficient in communication and staying on track for working on tasks to develop our game. I, as the project manager, decided to organize the board in a certain way: I used the default "To Do," "Doing," and "Done" sections, but added a couple pertaining to our team website to brainstorm logo and name ideas. Our organization will surely help us stay on track and finish tasks in a timely manner. Prior to using Trello, I had no idea of the momentous impact that project management software has on teams, in the video game industry and elsewhere. I can't wait to see me and my team develop a game together with the utmost efficiency using Trello. Summary
Every game is made through a team - a cohesive unit of people working separately on unique tasks to create a game. I believe that I would be most effective as an asset artist. I've come to this decision based on my skills and the skills of my teammates, so I predict that being an asset artist is an achievable goal, but I will maintain flexibility to ensure that everyone on my team is happy with the final assignment of roles. Firstly, I think that I have the required skills to be a proficient asset artist. Although I am a capable 2D artist and passable programmer, my true skills lie in 3D modeling. I know how to do an array of processes in 3DS Max, and I flex my versatility in Maya. Within specific software programs, I can do lots of things ranging from creating complex editable poly objects to performing unique operations like splines to better make detailed assets. To overcome obstacles, I can make use of creative workarounds to diminish the problems I experience. My modeling skills are certainly on par with where I should be to be a good fit for an asset artists, and my uncanny ability to mold objects as I please should be of great assistance when creating game environments. While creating an outpost game scene recently, I showed my prowess in the aforementioned field, proving that I can be a great asset artist.
Some of my teammates outpace me in other fields - Brian is a terrific 2D designer, Collin is a competent coder, and Madison is a wonderful writer. Thus, I can fill in the gaps and cover 3D design. With my 3D modeling skills present to their fullest extent, my team can complete our goal to create an original and playable game by the end of the year. For us to reach our full potential, we need me to be an asset artist. Summary
If you've read any of my blog posts, you might know that it's not unusual for me to release a tirade of sentences about the Unity Game Engine. However, a recent project that I've done is definitely my favorite activity so far in Unity. Sometimes, coding can get really frustrating, but in this assignment, I avoided it entirely.
I recently made a game scene in Unity, molding an island and modifying three outposts to place into it. It was refreshing to be back in the game engine, especially now that I didn't have to bear the burden of lots of programming. Making use of components - i.e. modular design - was much easier than I expected, allowing me to simply construct and texture the outposts within the game scene. It's a real chore to individually create and assign textures to everything in a particular group of models. It was indeed amazing to just drag and click materials instead of going through a tedious process (after I resolved a couple technical issues, that is). I've always liked exploring and building worlds, in everything from writing to video games to real life. I found it soothing to create terrain in the Unity Game Engine and adeptly mold it to my interests. My team's game idea revolves around terrain somewhat similar to what I created - a forested area surrounded by mountains - so I hope that what I made can help inspire us and possibly provide myself practice for making our game idea come to fruition. I also really liked using pre-made free assets from other people via the Unity Game Engine, which is something I plan to take advantage of in the future. Summary
You've heard of Thanos and Superman and countless other characters from superhero films that have power almost beyond imagination. However, a couple weeks ago, I discovered something with an inconceivable amount of power, enough to rival the toughest fictional characters - and it was right in front of me. Modular design.
Modular design is, essentially, duplicating 3D models to create something larger. For example, one could duplicate 4 walls to create a room instead of spending four times the time and effort to create a room from scratch. It's really useful and a common sight in the game industry. It has countless benefits. There's less lag when loading models, less memory is taken up by the computer running the program, and it's just easier to make. I'll admit it. The first three sentences of this blog post are misleading, to say the least. But modular design is indeed powerful. Last week, I made use of modular design to plan out a simple outpost and build it. First, I sketched out different components of the build. Then, I moved to 3DS Max, where I built windows, walls, and more replicable things. It made the design process infinitely easier. I retained creative freedom and made an interesting final product, even when duplicating multiple parts of a certain model. Making the outpost only reinforced my belief in modular design being a sensational part of 3D modeling. I can't wait to make use of this newfound power in the Unity Game Engine, hopefully making the process of creative a game a little more accessible to me. For now, though, I'm off to fight Thanos with 3DS Max. Wish me luck! Last week, I used 3DS Max for the first time in a year and a half. I almost instantly got comfortable with the move, rotate, and scale tools. I was also able to regain my proficiency quickly regarding editable polys. However, getting used to moving around in a scene and switching viewports took me a couple days. I also took a while to get back into finding things quickly, often having to search the right click menu for the right tool or investigate the main toolbar.
I experienced several problems relating to not selecting all the correct components or selecting too many things. I overcame these challenges by moving the selection and then using ctrl+z to undo the move if there was something missing or added on. While I didn't finish creating a fire hydrant in 3DS Max, going through some of the process of making it certainly helped me refresh myself. Not only did it bring me back into the mindset of 3D modeling, but it also helped in a technical sense. Extruding and insetting came back to me. I remembered how to use the symmetry modifier. I regained my use of the connect tool to form new edges. I'd like to continue doing 3D modeling a little more. I'd especially like to revisit texturing, as it's vital to game design and not too tricky. UVW texturing is another issue entirely, but it might be good to go back to as well. It's certainly been an adventure to be back in 3DS Max and I can't wait to continue the year. Unity's Junior Programmer pathway is an interesting experience. It's a mix of pain and joy, suffering and accomplishment, frustration and satisfaction. Prior to the pathway, I had essentially no experience in programming. It definitely has advanced my knowledge, not only in C# but also in the general processes of programming. I can now write a few basic scripts and more or less understand C#. However, my knowledge isn't what it could be. Sticking to the tutorials means more copying and less creating. It's nice to have opportunities like the Counting Prototype and Debug the App in Simple Functionality to see what I've actually learned, but that independence is difficult.
I certainly have ran into some issues in the Junior Programmer pathway. From using the wrong version to accidentally skipping a step in a tutorial, I've had a wide array of problems. I like to look over my code if it's not working, making sure I've typed it out perfectly. Using Unity's and Microsoft Visual Studio's built-in error messages, I have solved some issues. Once, I even consulted Unity's tech support for help, which was a pleasant experience although they couldn't fix the specific thing. Using the comment section in some tutorial steps has helped me along as well. In order to accommodate for technical difficulties, I usually allot myself extra time to work in Unity so my schedule doesn't get messed up if there's a problem. Even through some terrible issues, I have persevered and am now on track to finish Junior Programmer within a week. I'd be surprised if anyone who spends a decent amount of time on the internet has never heard of the word 'gamer.' But is it just someone who likes games? Or is it something deeper?
Video games have basically taken over the world during quarantine. Twitch, a platform based on video game live streams, has seen extreme growth. In February 2020, the average viewers were 1.41 million. May 2021 averages 3.17 million people viewing a stream. As I'm typing this, over 2,800,000 people are watching a live stream on Twitch, most of which are probably watching someone else play a video game. That's more people than the entire nation of Lithuania. League of Legends, GTA, Fortnite, and Minecraft are some of the most popular games on Twitch - and in real life - right now. They've gained players during quarantine, and with that comes subcultures. Sometimes, though, these subcultures go a little too far. There have been doxxing incidents in gaming communities and "stans (super fans)" of certain creators, notably the uber-famous Minecraft YouTuber Dream, have cyberbullied and been extremely toxic on social media. However, on the other end of the spectrum, fans of Grian, a fellow Minecraft YouTuber, donated over $150,000 to SOS Africa, a South African charity, during a fundraiser livestream. Gamers don't have to be constantly watching gaming content, though. Just playing a quick game of Tetris or Temple Run fairly regularly is enough to be a gamer in my opinion. It doesn't matter whether you play Animal Crossing for 30 minutes every other day or take five hours to play Call of Duty daily. Being a gamer shouldn't come with the weight of having to cyberbully or give money to support your favorite creators. Just do what you enjoy - and try not to criticize Dream on Twitter. Summary
Bibliography “Twitch Statistics & Charts.” TwitchTracker, twitchtracker.com/statistics. We've seen computers go from massive, classroom-sized boxes to small watches in just a few decades. We've seen storage and processing power go up exponentially. We've sat by and watched as computers have evolved, led by the competition between Windows and Apple. Machines have lived and died so fast, with new phone models coming out annually and old devices becoming virtually useless in a matter of years. But what might the future hold for computers?
Firstly, we can simply look at past data. It's rational to predict that storage and processing power will increase. However, size can't keep getting smaller forever and there may be a drastic slowing of storage and power innovation sometime. We can also take a glance at new technology. Artificial intelligence will certainly be integral in computers of the future. it would also be safe to say that face and voice ID will be increased in use, especially in Apple products, as they have already used face ID technology. Windows seems to me moving towards a detachable computer - a tablet and computer in one. Elon Musk is even developing a brain chip, but I don't think that'll take off, at least not in the next few decades. As cool as these new technologies sound, there are some setbacks. With the worsening of anthropogenic climate change and a decrease in available resources, production and transportation of computer products will need to be vastly changed to keep up the current rates. I'm very worried about the resources aspect, as it's exclusive to the industry and is extremely vital to it. I want you to sit down and think. Where do you want computers to go? Why? Is that realistic? Summary
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AuthorHI! I'm a 12th grader and on this page, I will blog about me and what I'm going through, both in Game Design class and in life. There are a mix of required blog posts and personal reflections, which you can sort, among other things, below the disclaimer and archives. DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not represent those of Durham School of the Arts or Durham Public Schools. Archives
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