Manny's Take on Video Game Development

This website provides information about the ideal process of video game development. Since there isn't technically a right way to do it, I'm going to give my spin on how to approach a project. This isn't a guide but more of a journal with specified areas of interest in game development.

Throughout the site, you can navigate pages dedicated to processes of concept development, gameplay mechanics, UI elements, graphics & sound. Concept development wil go over the beginning process of building a game. Gameplay mechanics gives an overview of the loops the player wil be expiriencing. UI elements are what the player sees on the screen that assists with there expirience.(Usully fixed 2D infomation displayed on screen) Graphics are what the player sees in game rather its flat 2D image or a 3D object made up of faces.

Video game concept development drafts the blueprint design of the game. The flow of gameplay is best drafted here and best refined when the overall project is in a workable state. During this process we can determine what the player sees and what happens at each state of the game.

It's very common to see flowcharts during the concept development phase of a video game. Programming isn't a difficult skill to develop but using those skills requires direction. Flowcharts provide the direction to programmers needed to take a project from concept to playable. You can think of flowchart as a planned pathway for the player to follow that's loaded with events and points where conditions are checked determine what happens next. The pathway will start the player at the begin block then run the player through loops and if statements until the reach the end block.

Gameplay mechanics play a huge role in games we play. Without them, you would have a game with no interaction. You might as well well look at an image or watch a movie. This section of development is what happens behind the scenes and is responsible for logic being implemented.

The easiest way get beginning coders to understand gameplay is to mention loops and if statements. From when you start a program you are in a loop. The program waits for you to press a button via loop. If a button is pressed, an if statement checks which button is being pressed. Depending on which button has been pressed an action is performed. Games are a compilation of systems that are just loops and condition statements. Video games are more than that but this true at the surface level.

UI is extremely important in gaming. UI provides the information needed to make decions in game. Common attributes of UI are health, stamina and currency. Seeing how much health you have lets you know how many more hits you can take. A stamina meter displays how much energy you have to perform special actions. Currency determines rather or not you can afford an item or service you're considering purchasing.

As you can see, UI elements are great for players who want important information on hand to make decisions. Some players have played games long enough to know what's going on without constant infomation being displayed. Those players might opt out of using UI elements. This increases immersion meaning the player may forget that they're playing a game.

Graphics are just what you see in the game. It could be simple 2D square to 3D complete recreations of cities. The scale is just that dynamic, but better graphics doen't mean better game. Graphics also don't translate into higher drive capcity requirements. Lots of people make lots of different games that have lots of different graphics. Some may be more appealing than others but I personally believe that graphics shouldn't be what keeps players playing, but they are pretty to look at.

I'm not the most up to date on graphics, but the few classes I have the honor to take are making me aware of what it takes to create assets for games. 3D objects are amazing to see but even more impressive once you figure out how they work. Without paper, most objects start out as blocks assembled to form a silhouette of what it's actually supposed to be. After assembly, you can use tools to cut, shape and mold what you have into what you really want it to be. With 3D modeling, your imagination is your only limitation.

Sound Effects

Power Up Sound

Win Sound

Lose Sound

Sound is one of the main components that keeps players interested. You don't have to be a sound enthusiust to enjoy great sound. Anything you hear while playing contributes to the expirience. The you hear when you complete an objective gives players dopamine hits that keep them playing. Some people trigger certain events in game on purpose just to hear specific sound effects.

Music

Game Theme

Music keeps the beat no matter what. Soundtracks often set the tone of perspective scenes. I've come back to games because I couldn't get tunes out of my head. Some songs start at the perfect time to combine with what taking place on screen to form situations and moments that once expirenced are then hard to forget.

Hello fellow web surfer! I'm glad you made it this far. If it's not too much to ask, I would like to know what you believe is the most intersting thing about the interactive experiences we call video games? Please leave a detailed description that expresses your opinion. Thank you.

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