DFA: "Fantastic Environment"

The next assignment for DFA was to analyze a game that has a non-realistic style and make a painting of an environment in that style that you might see in the game.

For my game I chose Rayman Origins.

Here was my process:

It was at this point where I decided I didn't like the values and the composition just wasn't doing it for me so I switched it up.

And here is the final turn in:

In our 3D class, after we finish up our realistic environment, we will be making these into a space in UDK. Can't wait for all those hand-painted textures!

A Beautiful Biome

In 3D for Games our 3rd assignment was to choose a biome (I chose the arctic tundra during summer) and create a nice layout in UDK by making foliage, one rock, and a log, and using the landscape editor. The challenge was to see how versatile your assets could be because you were only allowed to make one rock and log while managing to populate the seen believably. This was my favorite assingment so far this year. I got a lot out of it and I am very happy with my end product.

Here was my process:

 

 

 

 

Programming Ball Contraption

This is a small project I did in Programming that uses programming and physics to sort the balls by color and mix them together, then loop around again.

Board Game Completion

It's 3:34 a.m here on the fifth floor of Ulla Searing Student Center and Spencer Curtis has just finished making his very own board game!

Third person aside, I am very please with this end product I have made. I put a lot of time and effort into this game and it really paid off. From sculpting miniatures in maya, to engraving wood, to making a board with a router machine, to even hand carving the name of the game onto the box.. It was all worth the effort put in. Though i'm pretty sure my hands will be permanently stained after all of the wood stain I have used.

Here are some pictures of my work station after everything is complete.

P.S- Thats a $20 parking ticket from good ole Ringling for parking in a "visitor" parking spot. Why do they need more money from me?

Board Game Fabrication

I just bought some wood and wood finish for some of my pieces. About to test out our school's laser engraver for the first time. Hopefully iteration won't be necessary for this part but I am ready for the worst.

Testing Quoridor Results

Iteration from Game Design Club

Last night at Game Design Club I brought Quoridor and had Jati, Maya, John, and Ignacio play it in 4-player mode. Due to the fact that we only had time for one round, I didn’t get to test my ideas for a mod out but when I asked everyone afterwards what they thought some good mod ideas might be for the game I was happy to see that they wanted a mod I had already thought up!

The first thing that came up in conversation was that it would make the game even more interesting if there were different kinds of gates, like L-shaped gates or U-shaped gates, and that was one of the mod ideas I wanted to use more than most so it was relaxing to know they thought it would be a good idea too. As they played the game they got confused with diagonal jumping and whether it applies in certain situations, and that is one of the few things I don't like about Quoridor is that it doesn't give a detailed description of when diagonal jumps can be made, so I might either nix it all together or come up with concrete rules that can't be misconstrued. They also mentioned how the game currently doesn’t have much of a theme at all, which is another asset I knew I wanted to add when modifying Quoridor. I talked about one idea for a theme I came up with when brainstorming, which was farm animals, and everyone just looked at each other with unimpressed expressions on, wondering if I was joking. I see no shame in making a game about farm animals attempting to escape their pens, I think one of the reasons Chris Lewis’ game mod was so successful was because of his clever story he told with his game. Granted, I know my idea isn’t nearly to that level yet, but that is the level of creativity I want to have when making my mod. I probably won’t stick with the farm animal concept, mainly because I haven’t explored the myriad options of themes yet, but I think it’s a better starting point than zombies, aliens, soldiers, terrorists, or anything else that is having the life squeezed out of it in today’s games and media.

When watching people play my game in 4-player mode there is always this interesting mechanic that just develops on its own as the game progresses, and that is the sacrificing of your chance to win in order to prevent another person from winning. Basically when the game is coming to a close you will usually have 2 players who are neck and neck, a player who is too far away to be able to win but has the most gates left, and then a player who has no gates and has no chance of winning. The 2 players who are neck and neck have to rely on the player who has the gates to determine who will win the game. This is just a generalization but it has happened quite a few times from the games I have watched or taken a part in. So it would seem that in the game of Quoridor it is best to be a gentleman/kind lady when playing, because if you’re talking smack the whole time and you’re neck and neck with someone else, the person who controls your fate will not choose you to win.

All of this teaming up and ganging up sparks the notion of a cooperative mechanic, but I am finding difficulties in how to make it work when in the end players are fighting for themselves.

So as of right now I’m going to keep thinking of ways to make this game NOT be Quoridor. It’s really difficult because Quoridor is such a well balanced, elegant game, that it just makes it hard to stray away from a great thing. After I find those mechanics I need I can then come up with the overarching theme and bring it all together.

Brainstorming For Board Game Mod

Things Quoridor has going for it:

·      Simple ruleset that allows for emergent complexity

·      Elegant board design

·      Fast gameplay

Things that could make it more interesting:

·      An overarching theme

·      More simple mechanics to add to the emergent complexity

·      Unique pieces to support the theme

A lot of people tend to forget what color piece they are so making each piece unique will be key to solving this problem.

What if my game…

1) Has upgrade abilities?

            When you reach half way you can do two things in a turn instead of one

2) Lets you move your gates after they’ve been set down?

            This could be done by giving up something in return for the ability to move a gate that’s already in play

3) Uses dice or cards to give it a random nature?

4) Has smaller in-game goals like points?

5) Uses different shaped gates for more variation?

            Normal gates, L-shaped gates, U-shaped gates; the number of which gets distributed out in accordance to their power to affect the board.

6) Uses a different shaped board?

7) What if my game had diversions?

            Like if a player laid down something on one of the squares the other players had to reach it to move on.

8) Was simpler than it already is?

9) Is about farm animals escaping from a sadistic farmer?

10) Allows players to slip up but punishes them?

            Allow them to completely block another player from getting to their goal line but punishes them by sending them back to their home line and lets the opposite player take a gate off the field.

11) Has paralyzing and speed squares, which make you draw a corresponding card?

            These squares could make you lose a turn all the way to have the ability to move 3 times in one turn.

12) Gives players a chance to change their end goal while the game unfolds?

            Combine this with #7 to make it so that a player who has no gates left can pick a spot anywhere on the board and choose a player who has to reach that spot instead of their original goal.

13) When played with 4 people has a coop attribute?

14) Limits the distance a player can set a gate in relation to their position on the board?

15) Makes players second-guess the decisions they make?

16) Has magnets to make movement easier?

            The pieces in Quoridor are too light and always get knocked over.

17) Gives players a chance to redeem themselves late in the game?

18) Gives the players an ability to swap places with another player?

19) Encourages players to set down gates earlier in the game?

20) Penalizes players for not setting down all of their gates?