Using Director

Game Design

Created and designed by Vivienne Trulock for ilikecake, 2005

Game Screens

The introduction screen

  1. ‘Click to begin’
  2. Colour with graphics and text to get user in right mood

Instruction screen

  1. Shouldn’t need it cos game should be self explanatory BUT some people will appreciate it
  2. Use humour to lighten to lighten up the game

Backstory screen

  1. Tells the player, with text or audio narration, what happened to bring them to this point
  2. Can be simple or complex story

Game Background

  1. Will there be a score field?
  2. What about level or rank?
  3. Summary of which keys do what…
  4. Graphics should continue theme of previous screens
  5. Music soundtrack should continue theme

Between levels screen

  1. If your game has levels add a screen that appears between each level
  2. Gives the users a break from the game
  3. Could be as simple as ‘Ready for level 4?’

End Game screen

  1. Recap score
  2. Play again?

High score screen

  1. Where users enter name

High score display screen

  1. At start or end of game or both

Payoff screen

  1. Usually for games where there is no score other than winning
  2. Or if the score is of a certain value
  3. Usually contains animation

Planning & preparation

Idea

  1. What elements are involved?
  2. What are the rules by which the elements move and change?
  3. What is the goal of the game?
  4. How will the user interact with the game?
  5. Mouse / keyboard / both
  6. What behaviours / scripts will you need?
  7. What cast members do you need?
  8. How will the elements interact?

Where to start

  1. Gather media – images, sounds, text
  2. Program in the simple scripts – mouseovers, looping on frames etc
  3. Begin more difficult programming with a few elements – experiment & debug
  4. Finish game – sound effects, background images, intro screens, instructions, other little touches

User testing

  1. Bugs are not always obvious.
  2. Games need to be tested by their audience.
  3. Inconsistencies in game need to be ironed out

Alpha testing

  1. Friends, students in your class
  2. Thresh out major bugs or issues before anyone you don’t know sees it

Beta testing

  1. Next step after alpha testing
  2. People outside immediate group of friends who will report back

Live testing (used for web products)

  1. Instead of beta, put on web and ask for feedback
  2. Easily updated as required

Fan testing (used for CD ROM products)

  1. Cross between beta and live testing
  2. Give preview of game as magazine freebie and ask for feedback

Distribution

CD ROM

  1. Create a Projector (executable file) if distributing by CD
  2. You can also distribute a Projector over the web as a download, depending on size.
  3. Can be played on both Mac and Windows computers

WEB

  1. Usually, for web the movie is shockwaved (compressed).
  2. Need shockwave reader to view and play movie
  3. Almost no distribution costs
  4. Can be played on both Mac and Windows computers