Class Hours: 10:05 – 2:40
Mr. Bohmann | wbohmann@ewsd.org
10:05 Today’s Notes & Attendance
- Vacation week ahead – Enjoy!
- Please jump right in to your pinball game build
Assignment: Create an Improved new Version of your Pinball game
- Custom Themed Board
- Custom Bumpers / Obstacles
- Custom Flippers
- Include a score
- Include three lives – then a Game Over
- Sounds
- Lights?
Your completed Game will be ready for publishing with these bare minimum requirements on Friday – May 2nd.
10:10 The Worst Video Game Ever Made
Originally I was going to have you listen to a short podcast and respond to a few questions. Episode 387: “The Worst Video Game Ever” from 99% Invisible. Link to Podcast.
In this episode you will learn a little history about the video game console, Atari, and what happens when you don’t consider your primary user. However, we’ll extend and look at the origins of video games, esports and classic games like pac man and space invaders as well as a very cool game designer’s journal in the Netflix Series High Score.
– Episode 1 Boom & Bust
10:50 Break
11:00 Let’s Play Some Games – Game Loops and Game Mechanics
Most well thought out games have a core game loop. Every action and feature set is fed back into this core loop. For example, in Sea of Thieves you explore a open world, plunder ships and amass your fortune.
In Don’t Starve you explore, collect food, shelter and try to keep yourself alive by not freaking out (losing your mind), getting sick or starving. The core loop has a night and day cycle. Crafting is a core mechanic.
Every game has a core game mechanic. In a platform game this is usually jumping (SuperMario) or in CSGo it is shooting. The core mechanic is an purposeful interaction that happens most frequently. What’s Flappy Bird’s Mechanic? Halo – running, jumping and….shooting – the shooting is a major part of the core of the game – If you couldn’t shoot in Halo, it would be no different than a first person Sonic the Hedgehog.
One of the best ways to figure out what a game is all about is to sit down and play some. Let’s do just that. BaseAttackForce Slither, GeometryDashand then take a stab and identifying what the game is all about. Let’s do this together. We’ll spend 5 minutes with each game. And – one wild card game….
11:30 One Button Game Assignment
You work for a hard-core gaming company called CAWD Top Tier Inc. The sole purpose of the company is to make money by creating simple and addicting games. The Management wants ideas for a game that can only have one button as the main interaction.
Wild Metal Country is a vintage Rockstar game released in 1999 – Yes, before you were born. This is a classic one button game. In Wild Metal Country the firing of a projectile happens on the release of the button. This has an important effect on the player. They will know that once they have pressed down the button they are committed to firing at some point in the future (or jumping their tank in this game). With the added element of trajectory involved, there are the mechanics for a simple skill based game.
Your Task: Write a game proposal for your best one button game. Include:
- Game Title
- Game Genre
- Overview: the basics of the game
- Rules
- Setting
- Challenges
- Core Game Loop – what is the main thing you do (loot, bomb, snipe)
- Game Mechanics – what is the primary mechanic that feeds back to the loop
- Victory Conditions
Create your One Button Game Proposal on a Google Doc or Google Slide. You can organize your document as you see fit – and it might be easiest to follow my bullets above as the topic for each of your slides. Spelling, grammar and punctuation count! Have someone proofread your proposal. Make sure you have a complete and well thought out proposal.
Title it: CAWD Top Tier Games – One Button and Submit in Google Classroom. – Due Friday, May 2nd -which is after Break.
Pinball build out – let’s continue our design and build of your pinball game.
12:25 Lunch
