Task 7 - Evaluation
Unit
4 - Creative Media Production Management Project
Unit
5 - Working to a Brief in the Creative Industries
Final
Major Project - Kyle Thomas Fielding
Monday
05/01/2015 - Friday 12/06/2015
Evaluating
Feedback
As a media production
specialist approaching the end of my two year college course, the time came to
demonstrate my ability in managing an independently devised production through
the stages of pre-production, production and post-production.
I must devise initial
ideas and select one that I will further develop using a broad combination of
skills that I have acquired over the past two years of studying my BTEC
extended diploma. The project must relate to one or more disciplines across
video, audio, motion graphics, photography and graphic design.
I must demonstrate
that I am able to plan in advance all stages of production and fulfil to a
production schedule that I myself have devised. I must also, if encountered,
evidence how I adapt to changes in my production schedule and overcome production
difficulties.
I must use a range of
web 2.0 technologies; evaluate my success in responding to my Final Major
Project brief. One simple and easy way to do this is to ask people questions
and get their feedback, so I made a questionnaire and sent it to a few people,
out of the lot I will choose 3 to evaluate.
This is my very first
response to the surveys I sent out, the first question was simple but it had to
have some creative insight into the game. the question states; "Do you have any ideas of how SWITCH II could be made better?". which is a simple way to get feedback that could make my game a lot better depending on how many people answer this. But as this person said they couldn’t
think of anyways the game could have been made any better, this was no use to
me.
The question; "Did you encounter any glitches in the game? If so what were they?". glitch or a bug means something that shouldn't be in a game, but may appear anyway due to some coding or animation that shouldn't be there. glitches and bugs are usually patched by developers in downloads known as patches. as this person gave me some valuable information about "the red shirted guys seemed to get stuck in the floor a lot" in my experience this happen once or twice, but it never occurred to me as a problem, now i now it affects at least one player, and must be fixed to create a fluid game play experience.
"Any ideas for another arena or level to be added into the game?" was a question to help me extend the games pliability and make it longer, this person helped a bit as they gave me an idea that may not be possible in Gamemaker but for another game maybe it could work.
I asked another question to help me make my game better, "Would you prefer a level picker or just be sent into the action level by level?", this could help me create an entire set of levels and the player gets to chose one or a few to play one after another, if they have a preference to a map or a background, to play on. but as this is complicated procedure to make i asked if players would prefer this, instead of wasting time on something that only a few people would like.
Since this is my first game i ask if the player liked the game that i made, asking them for their opinion if my game was to their standards or if it needed to be a lot better. this person answer was kind, but offered no information on why apart from just "I liked it".
since i asked a few questions and didn't want to take too much of their time, i asked one last question; "Any additional information you would like to add about the game?" asking for their feedback and opinions lets the player know i care about their opinions and game play. they didn't give me any constructive criticism although "I enjoyed what was of it", which is reassuring that i did do a good job.
This was randomly selected out of the surveys i have received back, they have answered all the questions differently than the last which is a very good thing, it gives more information and more to work with. they answered "Nope sorry I like it how it is". this does not help one bit but it does give me some feedback as another person likes it.
This person gave me some feedback that I've received before as well as some new information "A few," which means they've encountered more than one and i have a lot to fix "the enemies continually hurt you and they got stuck in the floor" i already knew about the floor glitch now I'm learning about this new continual attack glitch which should not happen, there may be a problem with their punching animation.
This person gave me a great idea for another level "Water? Slow movement and very blue" which could refer to an underwater level of half under water and half above surface, or even a beach level
This person also gave his opinion on the level picker or straight campaign type level. With "Level picker" as their answer. This will help me in the future as people do prefer to choose their own game and arena. I now know that people do like some customisation, and in the future I will so for feedback for more customisation ideas and options.
Asking for someone's opinion whether they thought the game was well done or not, is important in the game industry, as if no one likes the game no one will buy it, it will receive negative reviews and then will be hated and forgotten very soon.
Aski the player for more insight for the game is also important as it helps me build a better game for everyone to play. But this Person answer the question with; "I enjoyed what was of it", high may imply there wasn't enough of a game to get really into but however they did enjoy the game, which is a very good thing.
I added in 3 different enemies into the game which isn't many but for a quick 5 minute game, I thought it seemed enough. There are also 3 different levels, but this didn't seem enough for his player, so I will attempt to add in another 2 enemies and another 2 levels in the future. Increasing my games playability and length, offering more enemies to kill and more levels to enjoy, will make my overall game many times better.
Asking players if they found any glitches in a game is a way of QA testing a game, and QA testing is by important as it can fix game ruining bugs and keep players from complaining about the game, making it a better game to enjoy overall. This person did find a gotcha where I presume they are saying "going offscreen made me teleport", which is a known bug to me. Although I can't fix this, I know why it happens, maybe in the future I will learn a good and workable way of fixing this.
Once again I asked for the players input in level design, to see if they have any good ideas to make more levels for the players. They simple replied with another question "spaceship?" Which implies they don't know whether it's a good idea or not, but since my game does already have a space level maybe I could edit the background to give it a more space ship textural feel.
This person replied with "level picker" helping me once more Decide to add in customisation options in or not. Although all players have given me a proper negative response to level picker, they have mostly given me good positive feedback on whether a level picker should be added in or not.
Is player said that they "found it new and entertaining", which is a extremely good response to my first game, as I tried to make it unique, this response lets me know this person did notice that, and my work wasn't wasted.
The player also said that the main menu was original to them, legit the character and not a mouse or a control pad do the work, giving the game more of a fun design.
In conclusion (change), I found that getting feedback from third party's or players is valuable to a games designer, as people gpcan give you fresh ideas, give back constructive criticism, and help me find buys and glitches. Other people have other ideas, sometimes better, sometimes worse. But a little help could go a long way.
Unit 4 - Creative Media Production
Management Project
Unit 5 - Working to a Brief in the
Creative Industries
Final Major Project - Kyle Thomas Fielding
Monday 05/01/2015 - Friday 12/06/2015
Evaluation
As a media production specialist approaching the end of my two
year college course, the time came to demonstrate my ability in managing an
independently devised production through the stages of pre-production,
production and post-production.
I must devise initial ideas and select one that I will further develop
using a broad combination of skills that I have acquired over the past two
years of studying my BTEC extended diploma. The project must relate to one or
more disciplines across video, audio, motion graphics, photography and graphic
design.
I must demonstrate that I am able to plan in advance all stages of
production and fulfil to a production schedule that I myself have devised. I
must also, if encountered, evidence how I adapt to changes in my production
schedule and overcome production difficulties.
To start of pour project I had to look at a creative brief and
find out and learn the 8 different briefs there are, to do this I had to do
some internet research and look at real life briefs from company to company.
After analysing them and paying close attention to what one party wanted and
the other needed to do, I myself looked at my brief and followed it accordingly
To keep up with my work I created a work log online, so I knew
what I did last time I was working and what I needed to do next time. I updated
this log daily ad put into some pictures and some detail, but not too much as I
didn’t want it to be too demanding and take too much time away from my work. My
made plan was easily followed and it helped me a lot to keep up to date with my
work and not fall behind.
My next task was to do some ideas generation to decide ad get some
ideas on what to do for my project. I contemplated art styles, settings, game
genres, and characters, all to be added to a game. But in the end I settled for
a simple pixel art style as I am neither an artist nor a great script writer
but that’s what I learned during this project. After deciding on what I was to
do, I continued the assignment to the next task on my list.
For the 3rd task I was to pitch my idea to the
group, as an indie games company with my ideas and what I had f my production
(tech demo, sprites, sounds and future production). To make the pitch
successful and correct to the brief, I had to finalise my idea for my game,
prepare a proposal in response to the brief, prepare a presentation including
visual aids, delegate notes and notes, and give the presentation in the form of
a pitch to the client. Although very nervously, I believed my pitch went very
well.
To help me making my game I had to research many forms of games
that were made -preferably- by an indie developer, and Game Maker. I found 3
videos all tutorials for a Game Maker platformer, all which gave different
explanations to make a simple game. Also two of them I found were worded
tutorials by YoYo games (the creators of Game Maker). Which of all were very
helpful in making my game.
In a pre-production effort to make sure while making it, my game
would be fine and nothing bad will ever happen to it. I made a risk assessment
which I would think of problems with anything in production, like Game Maker
not working correctly, so I had a feasible fix for it. In case anything
incredibly crippling did happen to my game files, I made 3 contingency plans.
This involved last second measures to make a totally new game. But in case that
never happened I decided to make my map layouts so I knew straight away how to
shape my rooms.
Finally is was time to create my game probably, which took many
weeks, watching and reading tutorials, while slowly building a game. After
experiencing many errors and many many bugs in my game, I was eventually able
to create a finished version. Full with tutorial, main menu, pause, score and
health systems.
I believe that my game is quite original as when I researched I
found no other games that a switching ability and the coding for the switching
are extremely long and arduous to make. There is now animation for the
switching ability as it is not needed due to the suddenness of death in most
plays.
In my game there are a lot of sprites in my game and due to this I
put in a lot of work in Piskelapp and game makers in game sprite maker and
editor. The amount of time and effort that I put into this is seen as I am no
artist but I tried my best and with many different sprites for each level,
object and background, the game is very diverse.
there is an incredibly a lot of coding whether it was made by drag
and drop or written, the enemy objects have around 50 lines in the step event
alone and a few of them lines have drag and drops while most are written code.
Although with all the work I put into the game it could be better
as I have still not fixed the tutorial bug where the text pops up one after the
other with no timer at all. Although the tutorial does work in every other way,
it does teach you the main elements of the game.
Due to sprite and object limitation in GameMaker I was unable to
add in more than a few traps if I wanted to keep the game play fluid and fun. I
had to delete many weapons and traps half way through making the game and this
halted my production by a week and a bit as I had to change most of the game.
Although, my game is named after the 'Switching' ability the play
itself doesn't 'Switch' correctly when the player is killed they take over
a random enemy object and not the one that killed them. Also the only trap in
the game (a timed grenade) does not take a life or end the game, it instead
makes the player object take over an enemy object.
I believe even with these faults that my production and work is
still quite good in terms of the briefs requirements and the entire length of
my production is a good stand point on that. As with 3 working levels, a
tutorial, interactive main menu, and ending room. Having checking in the brief
constantly with each new task I made sure that I would complete the unit to the
briefs requirements.
Finally I do believe strongly that. I learned many professional
industry practices, as I learned how to keep to a time and how to make a
semi-professional indie game in the GameMaker engine.
Task 6 - SWITCH II
My idea is a retro pixel arena
game where you fight to the death
between other characters while avoiding traps and death, there will be a time
limit to obtain as many kiss as possible. Each kill will be rewarded with
points.
But, when the player is killed by
an enemy the game is not over, they will then ‘Switch’ to that character and
take over them, giving you more time to create more havoc.
The game is set in a various
degree of places, and arenas, from underwater caves, to Antarctic regions and
Moons.
Mainly the setting will be in the
background, but the foreground (and actual floor) will have elements of the
current location of the game map.
The genres of the game are;
The genres of the game are;
Retro
Platformer
Arena
5 Minute
Fast-Paced
Fantasy
This is a video of the end result;
here are some extra screen shots of the game;
Platformer
Arena
5 Minute
Fast-Paced
Fantasy
This is a video of the end result;
here are some extra screen shots of the game;
this is the loading screen you will see at the start of the game, mid animation with a little elevator music as you wait.
this is the finished main menu all buttons are pressed with the character which i believe is unique and never done before
this is the tutorial level where you learn the main functions of the game, the enemy is trapped for an easy kill
this is a quick glimpse into the first level or arena, where many enemies of all types will attack you.
as you finish the game a credit scene will appear thanking all the helpers and the players of the game or if you touch the logo in the main menu
Task 5 - Pre-Production
Risk Assessment
Arena Maps (Layout Plans)
Production schedule
Yellow - Begin (Latest)
Green - Finish by
Contingency Plans
Plan A; Make a side scrolling space shooter, on game Maker since, I know the basics and have done one before so it shouldn’t be too hard.
Plan B; Team up with another and become either the artist or coder.
Plan C; Change to and learn Construct 2
Arena Maps (Layout Plans)
Production schedule
Yellow - Begin (Latest)
Green - Finish by
Contingency Plans
Plan A; Make a side scrolling space shooter, on game Maker since, I know the basics and have done one before so it shouldn’t be too hard.
Plan B; Team up with another and become either the artist or coder.
Plan C; Change to and learn Construct 2
Task 4 - Research
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
|
Title, author, date, source (web address, publisher, etc):
Shaun Spalding
|
|
In your own words and in a summary paragraph, what information
does this research source tell you?
This video and its playlist teach you how to make a simple run
and jump platformer with simple enemy’s that you can jump on to kill, in Game
maker. It teaches you simple coding and how sprites, objects, rooms, and
scripts work.
|
|
Is the information in this source the point of view of one
person or several people? (Summarize in a paragraph &
clearly state name(s) of people who have contributed if known)
It
does not contain many points of view but the few that it does it would be one
person.
|
|
Is the research source factual (providing information), opinion
led (the authors point of view) or both?
It is
all factual.
|
|
What is the key question(s) the author of the research is
addressing?
How to simply make a simple game in game maker.
|
|
In your opinion, what is the most important information in the
research source?
When it teaches you how to make a game.
|
|
What conclusions have you arrived at after conducting this
research?
N/A
|
#2
|
Title, author, date, source (web address, publisher, etc):
rm2kdev
|
|
In your own words and in a summary paragraph, what information
does this research source tell you?
He teaches you everything about the platformers, physics, player
and a level.
|
|
Is the information in this source the point of view of one
person or several people? (Summarize in a paragraph &
clearly state name(s) of people who have contributed if known)
It is
the view point of one person
|
|
Is the research source factual (providing information), opinion
led (the authors point of view) or both?
It is
all actual as well as a few fiction (the story he gave his platformer)
|
|
What is the key question(s) the author of the research is
addressing?
How to make a simple yet effective platformer in Game Maker
|
|
In your opinion, what is the most important information in the
research source?
How to make the game, or the coding that is involved
|
|
What conclusions have you arrived at after conducting this
research?
n/a
|
#3
|
Title, author, date, source (web address, publisher, etc):
HeartBeast (Ben) |
|
In your own words and in a summary paragraph, what information
does this research source tell you?
How to build a simple platformer in 15 mins
|
|
Is the information in this source the point of view of one
person or several people? (Summarize in a paragraph &
clearly state name(s) of people who have contributed if known)
One
person
|
|
Is the research source factual (providing information), opinion
led (the authors point of view) or both?
factual
|
|
What is the key question(s) the author of the research is
addressing?
How to quickly build a platformer
|
|
In your opinion, what is the most important information in the
research source?
How to quickly build a plafomer
|
|
What conclusions have you arrived at after conducting this
research?
n/a
|
#4
Title, author, date, source (web address, publisher, etc):
YoYo Games
|
In your own words and in a summary paragraph, what information does this research source tell you?
It gives you; game maker files, tutorials and projects for you to complete, to get you started in gamemaker.
|
Is the information in this source the point of view of one person or several people? (Summarize in a paragraph & clearly state name(s) of people who have contributed if known)
Several people
|
Is the research source factual (providing information), opinion led (the authors point of view) or both?
factual
|
What is the key question(s) the author of the research is addressing?
How to learn game maker
|
In your opinion, what is the most important information in the research source?
How to learn game maker
|
What conclusions have you arrived at after conducting this research?
How to learn game maker
|
#5
Title, author, date, source (web address, publisher, etc):
http://sandbox.yoyogames.com/make/tutorials
YoYo Games
|
In your own words and in a summary paragraph, what information does this research source tell you?
It teaches you how to create different 2D game genres, and while learning code.
|
Is the information in this source the point of view of one person or several people? (Summarize in a paragraph & clearly state name(s) of people who have contributed if known)
One person seems to teach you for each game
|
Is the research source factual (providing information), opinion led (the authors point of view) or both?
factual
|
What is the key question(s) the author of the research is addressing?
How to create small game maker 2D games
|
In your opinion, what is the most important information in the research source?
The coding
|
What conclusions have you arrived at after conducting this research?
How to create a scrolling shooter, and platforms and many other game genres
|
Task 2 - Ideas Generation
Use a range of idea generation techniques, including mind
maps, spider diagrams and any other appropriate methods, to come up with some
initial ideas for a specific media production.
this is Pursuit of Hat 2, successor to Pursuit of Hat, which was a very popular platformer a while back. It is a puzzle platformer where you must do anything to get to your hat. which would usually include, tearing of your own limbs to push down buttons to open gates to eventually get to your hat. each level features a fresh new challenge, one you could be your head, rolling around and the next setting up TNT to destroy a nest of baby birds. All in the Pursuit of Hat.
The Company of Myself was one of the few critically acclaimed platformer. which features a lonesome leprechaun man, unknown that he is being controlled by another person. use 'recordings' of your self to cross bridges ad make star cases. but your weren't always alone, you did once have a good friend who you may have accidentally sent to their doom.
Solarmax is a fun and addicting space RTS game, you take control of blue to attack red, but each level gives you a different challenge, one level the red may have a laser tower to destroy attacking ships while you have nothing but a ship to destroy a hundred.
Solarmax 2 is Solarmax's sequel, with a whole new campaign, graphics and engine, but with similar game play. challenge the red, orange, yellow and black menace to control the galaxy for peace.
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