Principals Of Game Design

This blog is now used for Principals of Game Design Module. Please ignore all the other posts, except for the previous, game review post.

Backdated Work

My first Attempt at OpenGL

LECTURE
This week's lecture is about the size and the difference of colour in computer graphics. For example a pixel takes about a byte and that colour is more or less human perception not. for example the colour is actually the same in a bunch of tiles, but the eye perceives it differently.

Question -My artist are told they have a maximum of 32MB to use for textures. How many textures can they use if they are limit to 256 x 256, with a 24bits palette of 8bits color depth?

(32*1024*1024)/((256*256)*(24/8)=170

LAB
Question 1 – Define a Callback function?
A callback function is a function that is called through the pointer of a function. The address of the pointer is passed as an argument to another, when that pointer is used to call the function it points to it.

Question 2 - When exactly is myDisplay()called? How do you get to your findings?

It is called after the initialization of the program window. It can be seen in debug mode. Set a breakpoint at the point when it calls for myDisplay().

Question 3 – List the process to access the VRAM.

It first obtains the memory pointer to VRAM. Then it obtain double buffer memory. It then clears double buffer memory. There after, modify double buffer memory, Copy double buffer to VRAM. aand then clear the double buffer memory again.

Question 4 - What color format are we using here i.e. 8 bits, 16 bits, 24 bits or 32 bits?

8bits.

Question 5 - How much memory have we allocated?
800*600*1= 480000bytes


Question 7 – Describe what has glDrawPixel() done.
It begins the command to draw the pixels on screen. This line is initialised before the image appears on screen.


For the practical, it is the first encounter to opengl. thus it was the first time we got a particular art on the screen. after drawing a couple off lines i experimented with the code and created some of the following.

Here is some screenshots from the lab practicals.

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3

Title of the Game: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3

Platform of Game: Available on the PC, Xbox360 & Play Station 3

Genre of Game: Real Time Strategy

Developer: Electronic Arts Los Angeles

Product Model Year: 27 October 2008

Game Requirements: OS Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista (32-bit)
CPU Any Intel Core Duo machine,
XP: Intel Pentium 4 2.2 GHz or better, AMD Athlon XP 2100+ or better,
VISTA: Intel Pentium 4 2.6 GHz or better, AMD Athlon XP 2800+ or better
RAM 1GB or more
VIDEO NVIDIA GeForce 6800 or better, ATI Radeon X800 or better
SOUND DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
DISC DRIVE 8x DVD drive or better
HARD DRIVE At least 10 GB of free space
Internet connection required to install (Cable, DSL, or faster connection)

Description of the game: Red Alert 3 is the next epic sequel to the Command And conquer franchise. It is the brainchild of the then, Westwood Studios. The game continues where Red Alert 2 left off. However with a new plot twist. With the soviet union backed up in Moscow facing almost total loss, on all fronts, A general(Played as Andrew Divoff), the leader(played as Tim Curry), and a scientist(played as Autumn Reeser), went back in time to erase Einstein from history. They return to the present finding themselves with an altered time line where nuclear weapons were never created and where the allied forces have freeze rays and the new faction, the rising sun. The Franchise is famous for its well known cheesy yet exciting Full Motion Video, with this time round, a full star studed cast.

• Gemma Atkinson (the UK's Hollyoaks)
• Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Hunt for Red October)
• Andrew Divoff (LOST)
• Kelly Hu (X2, The Scorpion King)
• Jenny McCarthy (Scream 3, former Playboy Playmate of the Year)
• Ivana Milicevic (Casino Royale)
• Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean)
• J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man, Juno)
• Autumn Reeser (The OC)
• Peter Stormare (Prison Break, Armageddon)
• George Takei (Star Trek, Heroes),
• Randy "The Natural" Couture (former UFC Heavyweight champion)
• Gina "Conviction" Carano (Undefeated Elite XC fighter, American Gladiators)

The game is famous for its’ over the top acting where the actors take it so seriously it’s almost a joke in itself. The game sprouts random humor as it progress and allows players to enjoy it.

Game Play: The Game features Full Motion Videos by real life actors before and after the game play itself in story mode. The campaign is built around the ability for you to bring your friend along with you as you play the campaign. Unlike previous spin-offs, multiplayer now plays a key role in story mode. This changes the whole aspect of game play, where you can now drag in a friend. Alternatively, if you rather play yourself, you can choose one of 12 commanders all of which are smart enough to not require hand holding but dumb enough to not win the game for you. Each of these commanders are also voiced and acted by real actors, thus bringing a new aspect to the genre. Each unit has now 12 quotes when you click on them and they now interact among one and another when you put them close to other units. From what I’ve seen, the soviets appear to take subtle humor into the game more than the allies, but this remains to be seen.

Naval Warfare is now a key in the game, where many fans previously state that naval warfare was ignored, now, the sea plays important strategic role in the game. Buildings can be built on the water and tanks are now amphibious. I almost laughed aloud when I found out that tesla coils and tesla boats are in the water, with it almost bothering on insanity.

Graphics: Graphics Wise, the game breaks no new barriers, with its’ modified SAGE Engine, it is practically a clone of the then Red Alert 2 game. It does give reminisces of the C&C: Generals Engine, however the outline of the game is more humorous then serious, thus the graphics tend to look a bit cartoony, however the water in the game is Fantastic.

Sound : With the Star-Studed cast sharing both their voice with the game and their bodies(no pun intended), Sounds are definitely a step up. With unit interaction and the subtle jokes and chit chats among soldiers spilling into my speakers, I was giggling like a little girl everytime they made a subtle joke.

Every Explosion and battle sound effect, it almost feel like you are fully submersed into the game.

Conclusion: With EA’s announcement that they are hiring movie directors to create games, this is a good step into their line. Another promising sequal to one of the most longest running series, Command And Conquer.

Abit Of detailings

Here's The latest bot design.

Latest Bot Upgrade

I humbly present MY latest work. I will have to think of a creative name other than dreadnaught now since it has been modified and based off 4 different robot designs, namely, the CNC 3's GDI juggernaut, Battlefield 2142's T39 Bogatyr and L5 Riesig, and ultimately the dreadnaught from warhammer 40000.
Not much comment or creative writing for now since it's still a work in progress.

Edit:
after some critics from some people, i have changed things quite abit... The new bot looks like this
Yeah, the previous design had a flaw, the canons were solid, so they could not be kept, in this version i broke the canons into 3 segmented barrels. The rockets were resized to be larger and the gattling gun is resized to be smaller. Also, i added the exhaust pipe back, since it was missing, but shrunk it for the 13inch guns.

Industry Review

So, for some people who know me or may not know me, i'm intending to make it big in the game industry, but i'm not looking at working for a big time or big name firm in the game industry. Well, it's either the GEN Y push that's making me have this drive since i was small or my experiences in working. Eitherway, one thing i can compile to make a successful business i intend to build.

Firstly, there should be openess. There will be a time to slack and there will be a time to work. They should not go together, unless, well, you consider work to be slacking, heh. Which in some ways will work. For me i enjoy modelling as a part time thing, but i don't intend to do it forever. so yeah.

Secondly, your problem is my problem. If you're not happy, i'm not happy. Simple enough to understand. If you are not happy it would not be in my interests to keep you unhappy, since you would probably do crummy work.

Thirdly, inspiration can come from anywhere. In this industry, we actually incourage people to have extended vacations and what nots as it gives opportunity to relax and at the same time have an inspiration to do other things.

Fourthly, try everything, and choose something you like. If you like rock climbing, why not incoperate that as an idea.

Fifth, one of the important things, ETERNAL FREEDOM, it's something i define as. The freedom to choose where to work, to choose what you want to work on, though sometimes you have to do things you don't like, the freedom to give something a chance.

Sixth, money should not be a factor or a driving force, it should be passion. If you love it, you will work for it, if not then it's not worth working for.

Lastly, and the most important, and is my personal philosophy, if you like your work, you will excell. No point on working on something you don't like. it doesn't make any sense. Have the dream and work towards it.

Mine has always been to be a leader. To create a company well known for games that step out of the boundary and make it big. That is something most companies lack these days. Even yes, dare i admit? Big companies. They neglect proper gameplay for graphics. Which in someways, maybe good, but in others, that just makes the game more of an eyecandy than anything else.

I love games and i love business, that's why i want to merge my both my loves together and making something big in the future. Who knows, perhaps it may grow into something successful.