School of Rock – Day 5 – Rhythm Basics

SUMMARY

The rhythm is very important, but it’s also the most overlooked. See how you can create your own!

CLASSROOM

How Rhythm Works (47 minutes)

Cuban rhythm has inspired modern music, enough for the connection to be forgotten.

Adding in new instruments slowly (pieces) can have an amazing effect, much like how PJ creates his music.

LAB

Drum Arrangements Made Simple

Arranging Drums in Hookpad

Advanced Drum Arrangements in Hookpad

big events generally have big fills, while small events have smaller fills or even none at all.

alternate between big fills and small fills, use them sparingly

PRACTICE ROOM

Time for the right hand to take center stage (if you are a right-handed guitar player).

Mike Palmisano shows you how to play guitar like a drummer.

Find a Funklet beat you like.

A Side Note

OUTSIDE / JOURNAL / IDEAS

Flip through the Quizlet on Rhythm Terminology flashcards a couple times.

Image Metric levels from the Wikimedia Commons

I thought of some music ideas.

Protagonist: me

Antagonist: the world (time, expectations, myself)

Sub-themes: corporatism, anxiety/bipolar, chasing worries, where I am vs. where I think I am

“Vomiting on my Sweet Sixteen

and time is running out

but I can’t do anything

too slow, too fast

can’t bring out the best in me”

– Hem, after hearing about my idea.

STUDIO

CONTROL ROOM

Funklet is back!

Import it into Soundtrap.

Record a rhythmic guitar strumming pattern over the beat.

Watch Mr. Le Duc’s Tutorial for Exporting and Importing MIDI Files with Funklet, HookLab, and Soundtrap, if you get stuck with any of these steps.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

Funklet is pretty cool- I found myself putting a beat on loop and leaving my blog post to go chat with my friends. I also learned how beats work together to create rhythm, which is something I had no exposure until now. 

School of Rock – Day 4 – Harmony Basics

SUMMARY

I did multitudes of things relating to the composition of harmony in music.

CLASSROOM

How Harmony Works (47 minutes)

A note on an instrument has multiple frequencies, contributing to its rich sound.

 

LAB

“Four Chord Theory” explains that there’s a set of 4 chords that can pretty much work in most major pieces of composition.

PRACTICE ROOM

Quizlet Guitar Strings / Notes Flashcards

OUTSIDE / JOURNAL / IDEAS

Think about the Tonic (1 chord) and the Dominant (5 chord) and how they create push and pull, tension and release in composition.

  • Tonic (1 and 8 chords)
    • Root note creates a feeling of resolution and stability
  • Supertonic, Mediant, Submediant (2, 3, 6 chords)
    • Moderate tension, useful for transitions
  • Dominant, Subdominant, Leading Tone (4, 5, 7 chords)
    • Create lots of tension to get to the tonic

Key of C Major Notes and Chords Chart (PDF)

STUDIO

I experimented and came up with a motif.

CONTROL ROOM

Quizlet Guitar Strings / Notes Flashcards

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

I learned the basics of GarageBand, and the structure of music composition through seeing PJ go through his own process for the SpongeBob Remix we’re making. 

School or Rock – Day 3 – Melody Basics

SUMMARY

Write your daily summary last, at the end of the day here… Only one to two sentences.

CLASSROOM

How Melody Works

most music is on the pentatonic scale.

different civilizations came up with different scales of music (different scales).

universal agreement for instrument wasn’t reached until 1600s.

new keys were created through social evolution.

LAB

HookPad is easy to use, but because it only allows 1-7 as input, it doesn’t recognize if I want to put a high C. Some things need to be manually tweaked, but its simple enough. The rainbow color coding is easy to the eyes, associating each note with colors.

PRACTICE ROOM

OUTSIDE / JOURNAL / IDEAS

Create a work ethic that separates creativity from the rest of your day, yet foster creativity with different methods.

I noticed that I have ideas, but never act on it, since I’m too often distracted. After that the idea doesn’t feel as unique, and it gets discarded. Maybe I could improve this by carrying a small notepad and a pencil to write everything I come up with.

STUDIO

By Jamie Henke, music.wisc.edu/faculty/jamie-henke/

Melody Composition Terms

    • Theme – long, flowing melodic idea
    • Motive – a short rhythmic idea
    • Period – musical sentence
    • Phrase – a set within the music sentence (a sentence fragment)
    • Antecedent (Question) Phrase – first phrase, sets up the music
    • Consequent (Answer) Phrase – second phrase, responds to the first phrase
    • Scale Degrees –
      • Tonic – begins the scale and ends the scale. one scale degree, creating a sense of stability and resolution
      • Supertonic, Mediant, Submediant – tonics, need to move forward but significantly less force
      • Dominant, Subdominant, Leading Tone – has the most force, several scales that creates tension for the tonics to resolve
    • Steps – any movement using half or whole steps
    • Leaps –  any movement using intervals larger than whole steps
    • Conjunct motion – melody built out of steps
    • Disjunct motion – melody made out of leaps
    • Repetition – use repeated material to create a link between two phrases of period
    • Contrast – phrases contrasting with one another, but has enough similarities for them to work together. this could be two phrases with repeating segments in each other to tie it together, or similar beat layout
    • Variation – halfway between contrast and repetition. the two phrases include some recognizable materials and and varied materials

Melody Resources

Key of C Major Notes and Chords Chart (PDF)

CONTROL ROOM

Learn how to Create Tracks

Explore the Piano Roll, Drawing and Moving Notes

Learn to Edit Notes, Velocity, and More

Learn to Create Your Own Presets

 

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

I managed to enter two collaborations, one for a SpongeBob end theme remix, and another about the summer break. I learned how to write lyrics, or started on it at least. I’ll need more information on lyric writing to refine the idea I have. 

School or Rock – Day 2 – Basics and Foundations

SUMMARY

I took my first step of creativity-based music education, and it was much more fun than I expected.

CLASSROOM

 

5:13 Most music uses 7 keys

6:23 scale name -> root name. Eg: C major starts at C

7:53 whole whole half, whole whole whole half relationship stands true with all major keys

 

 

LAB

https://www.hooktheory.com/theorytab/charts/chart/top

Happier, motivational, or brighter songs were mostly in some type of a major key, while reflective and depressing songs had a minor key and were slower in tempo. “unique” songs that didn’t follow this format were generally in the pentatonic scale. 

PRACTICE ROOM

JOURNAL

I did not have the time to reflect today. We were still in the process of figuring things out.

STUDIO

FiSoundtrap.com expert training

https://academy.soundtrap.com/p/soundtrap-expert

I messed around with a guitar I borrowed. My fingers hurt, and I think it was supposed to.

CONTROL ROOM

Get to Know the Studio

Explore the Regions

Explore Tracks

Soundtrap is a far easier tool to use than what I’ve experienced before. It’s so much intuitive and has a clean UI, with simple settings to create whatever I want. 

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

I learned how to play some of the common chords on the thicker E string of guitars. I did this together with two of my classmates, one a similar newbie as me and another guiding both of us along. 

Game Feedback

LINK

 

Summary

  • An elf that looks suspiciously similar to Nissa Ravane with an energy sword is fighting a hoard of evil dragon moths to save the world from destruction.

Questions

  • What can be improved?
  • How can I make it more interesting/fun to play through visuals changes only (so no score-keeping system)?

Peer Feedback

    • Maybe add an animation for the character to move – Jett P.
    • add more grass – Briley T.

Game Analysis: Magic The Gathering

Summary

Magic The Gathering is a trading card game loved by both casual players and competitive players for it’s unique and original gameplay.

Game Play Analysis

Formal Elements

The Basics

Name of the game Magic the Gathering (specifically the EDH format, also called Commander)
The platform Played in person with real cards or an online platform that is designed to mimic real gameplay (MTG Arena, Untap.in, Tabletop Simulator…)
Time played (should be at least 30 minutes) learned about it for the first time in 9th grade, attempted to play it in 10th, really got into it only recently (after the pandemic)
If you could work on this game (change it), what would you change and why? Balancing and the cost to play

A lot of cards are banned because it’s too OP in some formats. I don’t enjoy the idea that some cards were printed with the thought of it being banned, or that something exists and I can’t play it.

Regarding prices, Magic cards can be VERY expensive. When a player makes a deck they want certain things in it, to have it perform the best it can. Prices are determined by how rare it is (supply), and how good it performs, and thus how many people want it (demand). card power and price somewhat go hand-in-hand, which is very disappointing, considering that my EDH deck is about $235 right now.

Players

NOTES
How many players are supported? 2+ (but usually no more than 4 because individual turns take time)
Does it need to be an exact number? 2 players or more is the exact number requirement since it’s a game that revolves around player combat.
How does this affect play? with 2 players it would be head-to-head. anything more than 2 would have the concept of ‘group play’, as EDH is a social format. Things like bargains, trades, and collaboration and begging that one player to not kill you will take place.

In the end, however, the goal is to eliminate everyone and land the first place.

Some types of player frameworks:

  • Single Player – like Solitare.
  • Head-to-head – 1 vs. 1, Chess.
  • PvE – Player vs. Environment, or multiple players vs. the game. Common in MMOs like World of Warcraft.
  • One against Many – Single-player vs. multiple (obvy).
  • Free-for-all – Every man for himself (1 vs. 1 vs. 1 vs. 1..). Most common for multiplayer games, from Monopoly to Modern Warfare.
  • Individuals Against the System – Like Blackjack, where the Dealer is playing against multiple players, but those players have no effect on each other.
  • Team Competition – Multiple vs. multiple, i.e. sports.
  • Predator-prey – Players form a circle and everyone’s goal is to attack the player on their left and defend themselves from the player on their right.
  • Five-pointed Star – Eliminate both players who are not on either side of you.

Objectives/Goals

NOTES
What are the players trying to do? grow their ‘army’ to damage the opponent players to win the game
Some common objectives include:

  • Capture/Destroy – Eliminate all your opponents pieces (Chess).
  • Territorial Acquisition – Control as much territory as you can, not necessarily harming other players (RISK).
  • Collection – Collect a certain number of objects throughout the game (Pokemon).
  • Solve – Solve a puzzle or crime (Clue).
  • Chase/race/escape – Anything where you are running towards or away from something (playground game Tag).
  • Spatial Alignment – Anything involving the positioning of elements (Tetris or Tic-Tac-Toe or that game at Cracker Barrel).
  • Build – Advance your characters or build your resources to a certain point (The Sims).
  • Negation of another goal – The game ends if you perform an act that is forbidden by the rules (Jenga or Twister).

Rules/Mechanics

There are three categories of (what the book Rules of Play calls) operational rules:

  • Setup – the things you do at the beginning of a game.
  • Progression of Play – what happens during the game.
  • Resolution – How an outcome is determined based on the game state.

Controls

NOTES
What controls are used? real-life hands (?)
Was there a clear introductory tutorial? somewhat, as something called ‘starter decks’ exists to teach the basic rules, such as upkeep, abilities, combats, etc.

Tutorials almost always rely on friends teaching one another, as it’s a TCG rather than a downloadable game.

Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller? inapplicable.

Resources & Resource Management

NOTES
What kinds of resources do players control? Life (HP), Mana, cards in your hand/field (some are also RNG based as well)
How are they maintained during play? on the board (and in your hand) in your view
What is their role? to make the game fair for everyone and provide decently fast-paced gameplay.
A resource is everything under the control of a single player. Could be the money in Monopoly or health in WoW. Other examples are:

  • Territory in RISK The number of questions remaining in 20 Questions Objects picked up during videogames (guns, health packs, etc.)
  • Time (game time, real-time, or both)
  • Known information (like suspects in Clue)

Game State

NOTES
How much information in the game state is visible to the player? every card on the field, for both the opponent and the player

cards in the player’s hand (the opponent can’t see this- same for their hand as well, but you can count the number of cards they have in their hand)

life total for both players

amount of cards in your/the opponent’s library (you can legally count them, nobody will stop you)

cards already used (graveyard and exile)

A snapshot of the game at a single point is the game state. The resources you have, the un-owned properties in Monopoly, your opponent’s Archery skill all count towards the game state. Some example information structures are:

  • Total Information – Nothing is hidden, like Chess.
  • Info per player – Your hand of cards is only visible to you.
  • One player has privileged info – Like a Dungeon Master.
  • The game hides info from all players – Like Clue, where no one knows the victory condition.
  • Fog of War – In video games, where certain sections of the map are concealed if you do not have a unit in sight range of that area. You also cannot see other players’ screens, so each player is unaware of the other’s information.

Sequencing

NOTES
In what order do players take their actions? the initial method of deciding for turns is dice rolling. whoever gets the highest roll gets to choose who goes first (in 1v1, the player that goes first doesn’t get to draw a card for their first turn)

individual turns are organized in phases:

beginning (untap lands and creatures, draw a card)

main phase (play a land, cast creatures/sorceries)

combat phase (declare attackers, opponent declares blockers, the damage is dealt. This is skipped if you don’t declare attackers.)

2nd main phase (play a land if you haven’t already, cast creatures/sorceries)

end (creatures all regain full health, passes your turn to the opponent)

How does play flow from one action to another? one player holds the ‘authority’ every turn, and the other player is set to be playing reactive (declaring blockers and casting instants, which can be done any time).

however, in the grand view of the whole game, one player will outpower the other in a snapshot, due to factors such as more game knowledge/better strategic gameplay, better deck, or plain better luck.

Some structures include:

  • Turn-based – Standard board game technique.
  • Turn-based with simultaneous play – where everyone takes their turn at the same time (like writing something down or putting a card down in War).
  • Real-time – Actions happen as fast as players can make them. Action-based video games.
  • Turn-based and time limits – You have this long to take your turn.

Player Interaction

Some examples:

  • Direct Conflict – I attack you.
  • Negotiation – If you support me here, I’ll help you there.
  • Trading – I’ll give you this for that.
  • Information Sharing – If you go there, I’m warning you, a trap will go off.

Theme & Narrative

NOTES
Does it have an actual story structure? Yes, but that isn’t exactly important to enjoying the game. Stories show up as snippets on the flavor text, or card title/ability fitting a certain story theme.
Is it based on a historical event (or similar)? not that I know of.
Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play? A good example of this is the Ravnica block, where there were ‘guilds’ in a single realm that were representatives of magic’s different duo-colors (Magic is comprised of 5 colors total, often called the color wheel).

for example, the Dimir guild from Ravnica is blue-black, which is a set of colors to be knowledge(blue) and amorality(black) in the history of MtG. this is represented by the ability ‘Mill‘, which puts cards directly into the player’s library(knowledge base) to the graveyard(death and ruthlessness).

Does it have emotional impacts? It feels good to win, or when the deck you’ve built is proving itself to be viable.

A social game with a 2+ player group is fun of itself, as it’s also enjoying the company of others while playing a fun card game.

Also, look for en media res (does it start in the middle of the game)? If the player dies, they’re dead.

The Elements in Motion

NOTES
How do the different elements interact? mana can be used to cast all the other spells.

you and the opponent’s creature can deal damage to each other.

some cards erase target specific card types from the field.

sorceries/instants can grand temporary advantages, card draws, or other effects that alter the game’s state.

 

What is the gameplay like? taking your turn, pass it to the opponent, hope he doesn’t wreck your board, and also wait for him to either attack or pass his turn to you
Is it effective? it’s quite fun, especially since you can also take conversations while playing as well.
Are there any points where the design choices break down? the turn system is solid.

card effects on each other, though, can get very messy and uncoordinated.

Design Critique

NOTES
Why did the designer make these particular choices? It’s a basic TCG game that allows you to fight your friends.
Why this set of resources? all the resources begin at the same amount for all players. it limits the actions while being fair.
What if they made different decisions? the landscape of the TCG genre wouldn’t be the same, as MtG is the precursor to all the TCGs out there.
Does the design break down at any point? A deck can be made that gains infinite of something, which definitely can break the game.

Graphics & Sound

NOTES
Does the game art pair well with the mechanics? The game is full of, well, magic. The story itself is set in a high fantasy world, and the game art resembles the serious arts from fantasy RPGs (or D&D).
Did you find any bugs or glitches? inapplicable
What about sound? inapplicable
Can you spot any technical shortcuts? balancing issue is definitely a shortcoming by the developers/card designers, although it’s understandable since MtG has over 20,000 unique cards (that’s including fillers that have no ability).

Various Stages of the Game

NOTES
To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play: there are a LOT of deck types, so don’t judge the opponent’s deck  by the first 5 cards they pull out (honestly, ask, it’s considered to be rude to lie to someone about how your deck works)

it’s expensive to play in person with physical cards, but it’s much cheaper to play online (it’s free for Untap.in!)

What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them? the opponent/by tactically playing the game (what cards you put on the field, what instants/sorceries you use)
Is the game fair? it starts off fair but definitely leans towards one player based on their luck and/or their play.
Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience? replayability depends on the deck you’ve built and the opponent you’re fighting against. a magic player isn’t limited to a single deck, so it is replayable.

There aren’t multiple paths to victory unless you employ cards that has the text ‘__ you win the game’ (like this card).

What is the intended audience? TCG players
What is the core, the one thing you do over and over, and is it fun? taking your turn(listed out above) is the core of the game.

the turn entirely depends on your deck’s functionality and who the opponent is, so it’s not repetitive.

This analysis form was adapted from https://notlaura.com/a-template-for-analyzing-game-design/

Resources

Books

Mr. Le Duc’s Game Analysis Resources

Game Analysis: Stardew Valley

SV_farm

My first farm. 

Summary

Stardew Valley is a critically-acclaimed RPG farming simulator that avoids being a repetition, as the players follow the self-made routine they set for themselves.

Game Play Analysis

Formal Elements

The Basics

REMINDER: PLACE YOUR RESPONSES IN THIS COLUMN (DELETE THIS MESSAGE BEFORE YOU WRITE)

Name of the game Stardew Valley
The platform Pretty much everywhere from Android to Playstation VITA. (I will be talking about PC, though.)
Time played (should be at least 30 minutes) 107 hours
If you could work on this game (change it), what would you change and why? ‘Guides’ for new players. Of course, the game can be enjoyed without looking everything up, but it’s a sucky feeling to realize that you didn’t prepare for what the game offers later (because, well, you don’t, as a new player).

This may not be as much of a problem as I make it out to be, however, since most players buy Stardew Valley to play with their friends than to play alone (and their friends generally know what to do around the farm).

Players

NOTES
How many players are supported? A single-player version, and a multiplayer version (4 max, without modding). Through modding, however, this can be expanded as much as possible (as much as the host’s PC allows)
Does it need to be an exact number? no
How does this affect play? Multiplayer games have the cooperation element. individual save files can be pre-setted to be more multiplayer-oriented (shared vs. individual banks, larger maps, 4 individual corners of the maps)
Some types of player frameworks:

  • Single Player – like Solitare.
  • Head-to-head – 1 vs. 1, Chess.
  • PvE – Player vs. Environment, or multiple players vs. the game. Common in MMOs like World of Warcraft.
  • One against Many – Single-player vs. multiple (obvy).
  • Free-for-all – Every man for himself (1 vs. 1 vs. 1 vs. 1..). Most common for multiplayer games, from Monopoly to Modern Warfare.
  • Individuals Against the System – Like Blackjack, where the Dealer is playing against multiple players, but those players have no effect on each other.
  • Team Competition – Multiple vs. multiple, i.e. sports.
  • Predator-prey – Players form a circle and everyone’s goal is to attack the player on their left and defend themselves from the player on their right.
  • Five-pointed Star – Eliminate both players who are not on either side of you.

Objectives/Goals

NOTES
What are the players trying to do? Build- developing your farm, character, wealth, in the direction the player wants.
Some common objectives include:

  • Capture/Destroy – Eliminate all your opponents pieces (Chess).
  • Territorial Acquisition – Control as much territory as you can, not necessarily harming other players (RISK).
  • Collection – Collect a certain number of objects throughout the game (Pokemon).
  • Solve – Solve a puzzle or crime (Clue).
  • Chase/race/escape – Anything where you are running towards or away from something (playground game Tag).
  • Spatial Alignment – Anything involving the positioning of elements (Tetris or Tic-Tac-Toe or that game at Cracker Barrel).
  • Build – Advance your characters or build your resources to a certain point (The Sims).
  • Negation of another goal – The game ends if you perform an act that is forbidden by the rules (Jenga or Twister).

Rules/Mechanics

There are three categories of (what the book Rules of Play calls) operational rules:

  • Setup – the things you do at the beginning of a game.
  • Progression of Play – what happens during the game.
  • Resolution – How an outcome is determined based on the game state.

Controls

NOTES
What controls are used? WASD for movement,

M1 to take actions

1-0 for using certain equipment/tools

E for inventory (TAB for shifting through the 3 bars of inventory slot)

Was there a clear introductory tutorial? No
Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller? PC control is mostly intuitive, but the individual components like the orientation of the character on M1 were pretty awkward for me to learn.

Resources & Resource Management

NOTES
What kinds of resources do players control? Money (gold), Energy, Health
How are they maintained during play? GUI.

Money- top right

Energy- bottom right, a green bar

Health- bottom right, next to energy, a red bar (only shows up when the player is in the mines(PvE area), or has critically low health)

What is their role? money limits the things you can buy, as late-game items cost significantly more money.

Energy and health limit the player’s actions and challenges them to spend their day wisely.

A resource is everything under the control of a single player. Could be the money in Monopoly or health in WoW. Other examples are:

  • Territory in RISK The number of questions remaining in 20 Questions Objects picked up during videogames (guns, health packs, etc.)
  • Time (game time, real-time, or both)
  • Known information (like suspects in Clue)

Game State

NOTES
How much information in the game state is visible to the player? Time, date, season (it rotates out what’s available), year (year 2 and 3 unlocks more items)

crop status, weather, NPC reactions/movements

A snapshot of the game at a single point is the game state. The resources you have, the un-owned properties in Monopoly, your opponent’s Archery skill all count towards the game state. Some example information structures are:

  • Total Information – Nothing is hidden, like Chess.
  • Info per player – Your hand of cards is only visible to you.
  • One player has privileged info – Like a Dungeon Master.
  • The game hides info from all players – Like Clue, where no one knows the victory condition.
  • Fog of War – In video games, where certain sections of the map are concealed if you do not have a unit in sight range of that area. You also cannot see other players’ screens, so each player is unaware of the other’s information.

Sequencing

NOTES
In what order do players take their actions? real-time (single-player or multiplayer)
How does play flow from one action to another? early in the day would be used for tending the crops, after that maybe talking to the NPCs, and fishing late at night (example)

alternatively, players can plan as much as they want and set aside specific days to do certain activities.

Some structures include:

  • Turn-based – Standard board game technique.
  • Turn-based with simultaneous play – where everyone takes their turn at the same time (like writing something down or putting a card down in War).
  • Real-time – Actions happen as fast as players can make them. Action-based video games.
  • Turn-based and time limits – You have this long to take your turn.

Player Interaction

Some examples:

  • Direct Conflict – I attack you.
  • Negotiation – If you support me here, I’ll help you there.
  • Trading – I’ll give you this for that.
  • Information Sharing – If you go there, I’m warning you, a trap will go off.
cooperation

Theme & Narrative

NOTES
Does it have an actual story structure? Yes. The player moves to Pelican Town to escape their grueling day-to-day job, and shape a brand new country life for themselves.
Is it based on a historical event (or similar)? Not historical, but it is in the realm of realism.
Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play? roughly, but not quite. the tutorial sets up the story and also identifies who the mayor and the carpenter of the town are(who are significantly less important than, say, the shopkeeper or the blacksmith), and also teaches about the farming mechanic.
Does it have emotional impacts? The game is supposed to be a relaxing break from reality, in a world where the player is free to explore the new world given to them.

I really enjoy how the in-game main character decides to start a whole new life portrays the real-life player buying the game as a means of escapism.

Also, look for en media res (does it start in the middle of the game)? when the character faints (from either energy or health depletion), the character wakes up on his bed, with some items missing from his inventory (randomly). They’ll also be owed a sum of money(1,000 g maximum) to the villager doctor.

The Elements in Motion

NOTES
How do the different elements interact? the player does things to complete their short-term or long-term goals.
What is the gameplay like? planting crops, watering crops, foraging, fishing, mining, combat in the mines, befriending the NPCs, feeding livestock and petting them, completing bundles(collecting sets of different items) to help revitalize the town
Is it effective? the game gives you things to do and also makes it part of your gameplay routine (for example, specifically harvesting tomatoes for a bundle)
Are there any points where the design choices break down? It can definitely get a little repetitive, so the game has measures to prevent it. Nothing has a ‘hard due-date’ set by the game itself.

Map design is a bit unintuitive, but there’s also uniqueness coming from the environment looking like a rural town.

Design Critique

NOTES
Why did the designer make these particular choices? modernistic pixel art style with calming sound design.

as I mentioned before, Stardew Valley is a game grounded on escapism. players can hop on and immediately feel relaxed by the environment.

Why this set of resources? it feels as realistic as possible while being a doable workload for a single developer.

The ambient sound of the game is honestly the best. Some of the ambiances are bird wings flapping, squirrels squeaking, grass being rustled, and ocean waves. They make what Stardew Valley feels real.

What if they made different decisions? I personally like the pixelated, yet full-detailed art for the character portraits. Stardew Valley benefits from its light-but-not-pastel color scheme as well.
Does the design break down at any point? No.

Graphics & Sound

NOTES
Does the game art pair well with the mechanics? Both are simple, so yes.
Did you find any bugs or glitches? Not myself, but there are exploits. The developer, ConcernedApe, is frequently addressing them through the updates.
What about sound? Amazingly beautiful. If you haven’t heard of them yet, please do so here, you won’t regret it!
Can you spot any technical shortcuts? None, that I know of.

Various Stages of the Game

NOTES
To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play: Energy conservation is important, but also don’t keep all of your food for ‘later’.

There’s no ‘playing wrong’, but there are ways to optimize your play. It doesn’t matter though, there aren’t any consequences.

Don’t forget NPC hearts, and giving them gifts if you want to take their hand in marriage. They decrease over time if you don’t talk to them.

save some of your low-tier items (no stars) just in case an NPC wants them.

What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them? Community center bundles require the player to collect multiple things throughout their gameplay to unlock some buildings and additional contents.

Other challenges are primarily created by the player based on the things they wish to accomplish.

 

Is the game fair? yes- it doesn’t bash the player for wanting to do things they want to do.
Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience? there are benefits to restarting in a new save, but most things will stay the same. A good replayability feature I can think of is different farm layouts and marriage options (6 bachelors and 6 bachlorettes)
What is the intended audience? casual RPG players who want a relaxing, farming simulator experience
What is the core, the one thing you do over and over, and is it fun? farming/fishing/foraging, the action itself is not but the accomplishment of the goal is fun.

This analysis form was adapted from https://notlaura.com/a-template-for-analyzing-game-design/

Resources

Books

Mr. Le Duc’s Game Analysis Resources

Game Analysis: Team Fortress 2

LD1000-Verse: Team Fortress 2

legodemension1000’s rendition of the mercenaries on Flickr.

 

‘…The objective here is to make YOU that better medic!’

– ArraySeven the Master Medic Main

Summary

Team Fortress 2 is a game that combines both humor and an excellent design into a masterfully-crafted casual FPS.

Game Play Analysis

Formal Elements

The Basics

Name of the game Team Fortress 2
The platform PC and Xbox (but discussing PC version here)
Time played (should be at least 30 minutes) 90 hours (Steam)
If you could work on this game (change it), what would you change and why? Due to the VAC system being unfitting for this game(as it doesn’t protect from multiple accounts being generated for botting), hackers and bots are common in public lobbies. The game itself doesn’t have any issues, but the anti-cheat could use some improvements.

Players

NOTES
How many players are supported? modifiable (through community server modding)

maximum of 24 (12 on each team, 2 teams total) on casual games

maximum of 12 (6 on each team, 2 teams total) on competitive. This is alternatively called highlander.

(this analysis will focus on public, valve-hosted casual lobbies)

Does it need to be an exact number? no, but matchmaking tries it’s best to make the teams have an even number of players. This is capped at 24 total players in a single lobby.
How does this affect play? Team composition is important if the individual/the team wants to win. 12 v 12 is a large number, so fights are much more large-scale.

Team composition is not heavily enforced, at least not by in-game limitation. However, the general player consensus is that having more than 3 classes is overkill, and players might be persuaded to pick a different class.

Some types of player frameworks:

  • Single Player – like Solitare.
  • Head-to-head – 1 vs. 1, Chess.
  • PvE – Player vs. Environment, or multiple players vs. the game. Common in MMOs like World of Warcraft.
  • One against Many – Single-player vs. multiple (obvy).
  • Free-for-all – Every man for himself (1 vs. 1 vs. 1 vs. 1..). Most common for multiplayer games, from Monopoly to Modern Warfare.
  • Individuals Against the System – Like Blackjack, where the Dealer is playing against multiple players, but those players have no effect on each other.
  • Team Competition – Multiple vs. multiple, i.e. sports.
  • Predator-prey – Players form a circle and everyone’s goal is to attack the player on their left and defend themselves from the player on their right.
  • Five-pointed Star – Eliminate both players who are not on either side of you.
Team Competition (12v12)

Objectives/Goals

NOTES
What are the players trying to do? Win the game;

More descriptively, capturing the point in order to win (think of capture the flag)

this gets bit more complex between the different game modes, but all the modes have objectives that players need to capture in order to win.

Some common objectives include:

  • Capture/Destroy – Eliminate all your opponents pieces (Chess).
  • Territorial Acquisition – Control as much territory as you can, not necessarily harming other players (RISK).
  • Collection – Collect a certain number of objects throughout the game (Pokemon).
  • Solve – Solve a puzzle or crime (Clue).
  • Chase/race/escape – Anything where you are running towards or away from something (playground game Tag).
  • Spatial Alignment – Anything involving the positioning of elements (Tetris or Tic-Tac-Toe or that game at Cracker Barrel).
  • Build – Advance your characters or build your resources to a certain point (The Sims).
  • Negation of another goal – The game ends if you perform an act that is forbidden by the rules (Jenga or Twister).
Arena: Destroy (the enemy).

Capture the flag: Capture(points) by destroying (the enemy).

Control point: Territorial acquisition, game win after controlling all the territories.

King of the hill: game fought over a single control point

Payload: push the cart(the payload) by standing next to it. the control points are checkpoints, and the cart moves faster if more people are pushing it.

(Mann vs Machine and Pass time were excluded due to it being a PvE environment and socialization-based game format, respectively.)

Rules/Mechanics

There are three categories of (what the book Rules of Play calls) operational rules:

  • Setup – the things you do at the beginning of a game.
  • Progression of Play – what happens during the game.
  • Resolution – How an outcome is determined based on the game state.

Controls

NOTES
What controls are used? WASD for movement

mouse movement (left-right, up-down) to change the camera and your aim

M1 to shoot, M2 to activate special abilities (Demoman’s sticky detonation, Medic’s Übercharge)

1 2 3 to change your weapon- primary, secondary, melee, respectably.

Shift to crouch, space to jump.

Was there a clear introductory tutorial? No. There is something called ‘training mode’, but it’s so well-hidden. I learned this existed after watching a YouTuber discuss some problematic aspects of the game.
Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller? controls are the same as everyday pc games. What was more frustrating about the lack of a clear introductory tutorial was how the game doesn’t tell any information on how to play, like class abilities and team composition.

Resources & Resource Management

NOTES
What kinds of resources do players control? ammo, health, secondary items(sandvich, mad milk, jarate… etc), class abilities like the Übercharge(medic), cloak meter(spy)
How are they maintained during play? GUD information
What is their role? to limit resources and determine player death
A resource is everything under the control of a single player. Could be the money in Monopoly or health in WoW. Other examples are:

  • Territory in RISK The number of questions remaining in 20 Questions Objects picked up during videogames (guns, health packs, etc.)
  • Time (game time, real-time, or both)
  • Known information (like suspects in Clue)

Game State

NOTES
How much information in the game state is visible to the player? state of the control points (controlled by other players as well),
A snapshot of the game at a single point is the game state. The resources you have, the un-owned properties in Monopoly, your opponent’s Archery skill all count towards the game state. Some example information structures are:

  • Total Information – Nothing is hidden, like Chess.
  • Info per player – Your hand of cards is only visible to you.
  • One player has privileged info – Like a Dungeon Master.
  • The game hides info from all players – Like Clue, where no one knows the victory condition.
  • Fog of War – In video games, where certain sections of the map are concealed if you do not have a unit in sight range of that area. You also cannot see other players’ screens, so each player is unaware of the other’s information.

Sequencing

NOTES
In what order do players take their actions? free for all (network limitation included)
How does play flow from one action to another? every action has it’s own responses from another player
Some structures include:

  • Turn-based – Standard board game technique.
  • Turn-based with simultaneous play – where everyone takes their turn at the same time (like writing something down or putting a card down in War).
  • Real-time – Actions happen as fast as players can make them. Action-based video games.
  • Turn-based and time limits – You have this long to take your turn.
Real-time

Player Interaction

Some examples:

  • Direct Conflict – I attack you.
  • Negotiation – If you support me here, I’ll help you there.
  • Trading – I’ll give you this for that.
  • Information Sharing – If you go there, I’m warning you, a trap will go off.
Team-based direct conflict

Theme & Narrative

NOTES
Does it have an actual story structure? yes, but unimportant to playing the game. it’s set off to the side on the game’s website, not in the game.
Is it based on a historical event (or similar)? Somewhat. the game is set in the middle of the cold war(the 60s-70s), somewhere in Nevada, US. This is important for the humor of the game, but not so much for the story.
Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play? yes. the game takes between mercenaries of two companies (RED: Reliable Excavations and Demolitions, and BLU: Builders League United).

RED is, well, red, and the materials used for the level design is earthly (like wood). BLU is blue, and takes colder design elements like metallic and concrete buildings. This helps players intuitively recognize the characters and levels.

Regarding the ‘lore’, it doesn’t take itself seriously enough to incorporate story into the game (nor have a serious, brooding story). The in-depth story was made well-after the game launched.

Does it have emotional impacts? It’s meant to be a relaxing and humorous, carefree environment.
Also, look for en media res (does it start in the middle of the game)? yes- players respawn after a certain time period if they die. since other players are still alive, the game is still in progress.

The Elements in Motion

NOTES
How do the different elements interact? two teams attack each other.
What is the gameplay like? constant combat, while following the roles of each mercenary
Is it effective? yes. through this system, team play is much more emphasized.
Are there any points where the design choices break down? no.

Design Critique

NOTES
Why did the designer make these particular choices? the designers wanted the game to be non-serious as possible.
Why this set of resources? since the game was in development for about 10 years, they could utilize newer technology that impacted the gaming industry.
What if they made different decisions? TF2-esque game with a different mood already happened before, with the Team Fortress classic (which was released in 1996, developed with the Quake engine from the same year).
Does the design break down at any point? sometimes the maps get confusing if you’ve not played them before. The design is definitely focused on players who know the general level layout, then new players.

Graphics & Sound

NOTES
Does the game art pair well with the mechanics? Simple and stylistic, it leaves more room for the player to interpret the game itself than obscuring it with difficult design elements.
Did you find any bugs or glitches? lel
What about sound? yes, the sound design is simple yet dopamine-releasing. whenever the player lands a shot, a ‘ding!’ effect will play, which is very rewarding to hear.

For medic specifically, with his crossbow, a gallant sound-effect (the sound of a holy choir singing, and the sound of multiple bird wings flapping) will play, which is probably the most satisfying thing about playing team fortress 2.

Can you spot any technical shortcuts? no, Valve is meticulous regarding that aspect of gameplay.

Various Stages of the Game

NOTES
To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play: if you’re new: look up guides on how to play. the game is not intuitive to the beginner AT ALL, and different weapon variations from the stock will change your playstyle as well. (also, don’t be fooled by items with gold borders, stocks can do their job just fine)

There’s always going to be a sentry nest (engineer) somewhere ahead.

know your roles, play them, and don’t overextend. be a team player.

What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them? the enemy team/by eliminating them.
Is the game fair? mostly, except for random crits that just happens, not rewarding good behavior or anything. this was designed to ‘break stalemates’, but it’s just not a good design choice.
Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience? definitely replayable: different items, 100+ official maps, various game modes, and team composition makes every game a new experience.
What is the intended audience? casual shooter players who want to enjoy the game, rather than grinding out a loadout.
What is the core, the one thing you do over and over, and is it fun? killing enemy players is likely the core, and yes it’s super satisfying.

This analysis form was adapted from https://notlaura.com/a-template-for-analyzing-game-design/

Resources

Books

Mr. Le Duc’s Game Analysis Resources

Game Analysis: Shattered Pixel Dungeon

SPD/Mage/Warlock2

Warlock and Ripper Demon’s brawl on the 23th floor. 

 

SPD/Mage/Warlock1

The satisfying “BOSS SLAIN” screen after defeating the final boss, Yog-Dzewa. 

 

Summary

Shattered Pixel Dungeon is a roguelike game that allows the player to experiment with builds while traversing down a series of procedurally-generated dungeon floors to acquire the elusive Amulet of Yendor.

Game Play Analysis

Formal Elements

The Basics

Name of the game Shattered Pixel Dungeon (SPD) by Evan Debenham, forked over from the open-source game, Pixel Dungeon, by watabou
The platform Roguelike
Time played (should be at least 30 minutes) played since 2016 as a pastime- approximately 400 hours?
If you could work on this game (change it), what would you change and why? Balance the wizard and the huntress on the early game, they’re too fragile compared to the warrior and the rogue.

Some games are heavily RNG-based. Implement a hard cap on how many wands and artifacts can spawn. Try to match this cap as much as possible.

Players

NOTES
How many players are supported? 1
Does it need to be an exact number? Yes
How does this effect play? Interaction with the game itself than other players
Some types of player frameworks:

  • Single Player – like Solitare.
  • Head-to-head – 1 vs. 1, Chess.
  • PvE – Player vs. Environment, or multiple players vs. the game. Common in MMOs like World of Warcraft.
  • One against Many – Single-player vs. multiple (obvy).
  • Free-for-all – Every man for himself (1 vs. 1 vs. 1 vs. 1..). Most common for multiplayer games, from Monopoly to Modern Warfare.
  • Individuals Against the System – Like Blackjack, where the Dealer is playing against multiple players, but those players have no effect on each other.
  • Team Competition – Multiple vs. multiple, i.e. sports.
  • Predator-prey – Players form a circle and everyone’s goal is to attack the player on their left and defend themselves from the player on their right.
  • Five-pointed Star – Eliminate both players who are not on either side of you.
Single-player/PvE. player’s actions are calculated by the game after the player makes their move.

Objectives/Goals

What are the players trying to do? Progress through the dungeon floors to fight the final boss of the game, Yog-Dzewa, on the 25th floor of the dungeon, and acquire the Amulet of Yendor.
Some common objectives include:

  • Capture/Destroy – Eliminate all your opponents pieces (Chess).
  • Territorial Acquisition – Control as much territory as you can, not necessarily harming other players (RISK).
  • Collection – Collect a certain number of objects throughout the game (Pokemon).
  • Solve – Solve a puzzle or crime (Clue).
  • Chase/race/escape – Anything where you are running towards or away from something (playground game Tag).
  • Spatial Alignment – Anything involving the positioning of elements (Tetris or Tic-Tac-Toe or that game at Cracker Barrel).
  • Build – Advance your characters or build your resources to a certain point (The Sims).
  • Negation of another goal – The game ends if you perform an act that is forbidden by the rules (Jenga or Twister).
Build and collection fit the game’s theme the most as the player is expected to collect items as they progress, and utilize them in some way that benefits the player.

Negation fits as well, as the game ends(loss) and restarts if the player dies by any means, assuming the player has no in-game item that revives them (Ankh and Blessed Ankh).

Rules/Mechanics

There are three categories of (what the book Rules of Play calls) operational rules:

  • Setup – the things you do at the beginning of a game.
  • Progression of Play – what happens during the game.
  • Resolution – How an outcome is determined based on the game state.

Controls

NOTES
What controls are used? Click and move. the game optimizes the movements to take the least amount of times possible.
Was there a clear introductory tutorial? The player can pick up pieces of paper throughout their initial run, the basic information about the game being beige-colored and all the alchemy cauldron recipe being green.
Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller? It took me a while to understand that the papers were logs for me to read as a beginning player, but the game itself was easy to understand anyway. The journal logs became more useful for the more nuanced information regarding weapon tiers and different types of item classifications in-game.

Resources & Resource Management

NOTES
What kinds of resources do players control? Items, movement, buffs of any kind on the character, health
How are they maintained during play? all of the resources are accessible through the inventory or the HUD.
What is their role? The inventory system is utilized to keep the player knowledgeable about what they possess. The player can choose to equip/utilize the item’s ability whenever they desire.

Movement helps the player progress through the game. Buffs and debuffs help or hinder the player, and can be used to their advantage.

Health is a resource that determines how many hits the player can take before the game is over(lose).

A resource is everything under the control of a single player. Could be the money in Monopoly or health in WoW. Other examples are:

  • Territory in RISK The number of questions remaining in 20 Questions Objects picked up during videogames (guns, health packs, etc.)
  • Time (game time, real-time, or both)
  • Known information (like suspects in Clue)
Items, movements, buff/debuff, health

Game State

NOTES
How much information in the game state is visible to the player? Through the HUD: HP(thin red bad), player information such as STR/level/character upgrades, list of buffs, 4 quick toolbars for item usage, keys possessed by the hero(unlocks special rooms)

Map: world information such as traps(and different kinds of traps), enemies themselves, how many enemies the hero has access to(through ranged or closed combat), items/chests

A snapshot of the game at a single point is the game state. The resources you have, the un-owned properties in Monopoly, your opponent’s Archery skill all count towards the game state. Some example information structures are:

  • Total Information – Nothing is hidden, like Chess.
  • Info per player – Your hand of cards is only visible to you.
  • One player has privileged info – Like a Dungeon Master.
  • The game hides info from all players – Like Clue, where no one knows the victory condition.
  • Fog of War – In video games, where certain sections of the map are concealed if you do not have a unit in sight range of that area. You also cannot see other players’ screens, so each player is unaware of the other’s information.
The player and world state are maintained through backend calculation and more reactionary than direct player influence. players are reminded to be careful about their surroundings, and visuals help transfer information about enemies/traps/items on the floor/grass.

 

Sequencing

NOTES
In what order do players take their actions? A turn-based system that calculates based on 1 player action
How does play flow from one action to another? Whenever the hero makes an action, the game calculates its own response back. Every action(movement, hit, use of an item, picking up an item… everything) the hero can do takes up a single turn, so the player has to make a strategic decision regarding their play.

Every calculation done by the game is a ratio, compared to the hero. Usually, the player-to-enemy turn ratio is 1:1, but many factors can influence this like the base turn of a sewer crab being 1:2 compared to the hero, or the ‘slowed’ debuff that reduces movement by 50%.

Some structures include:

  • Turn-based – Standard board game technique.
  • Turn-based with simultaneous play – where everyone takes their turn at the same time (like writing something down or putting a card down in War).
  • Real-time – Actions happen as fast as players can make them. Action-based video games.
  • Turn-based and time limits – You have this long to take your turn.
turn-based with malleable turns.

HEAVY repetition, as the player isn’t meant to clear the game on their first run.

Player Interaction

Some examples:

  • Direct Conflict – I attack you.
  • Negotiation – If you support me here, I’ll help you there.
  • Trading – I’ll give you this for that.
  • Information Sharing – If you go there, I’m warning you, a trap will go off.
None; SPD (and all the other PD variants) are single-player.

Theme & Narrative

NOTES
Does it have an actual story structure? Roughly, but yes. The hero comes to the dungeon in hopes to ultimately find the Amulet of Yendor from Yog-Dzewa, the all-seeing eye.

Every 5 floors the level design changes, both the sprites themselves and the design of overall floor generation.

1-5: Sewers

6-10: Prison

11-15: Caves

16-20: Dwarven Metropolis

21-25: Demon Halls

It is heavily referenced and implied that the environments have been corrupted(like the 10th-floor boss, Tengu, who thanks the player for ‘freeing’ him once he’s defeated), the effects much stronger as the hero explores down. This is not a piece of important in-game information, but a reason for why the hero is in the dungeon.

Is it based on a historical event (or similar)? No.
Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play? The idea of ‘gradually challenging dungeon’ is provided from the start. This helps the player prepare for more than the current floor they’re on. This, alongside the fact that the player is expected to fail multiple times before they clear the game,  informs the player that higher-tier weapons and armors have a higher chance of being dropped from the latter stages.
Does it have emotional impacts? Mostly no, but yes at the very end.

Successfully defeating the Yog-Dzewa gives emotional satisfaction, especially if it’s the player’s first game clear. This is emphasized dramatically as the player also likely attempted the game hundreds of times, all of them leading to premature death.

After the hero acquires the Amulet of Yendor from the 25th stage, the player can choose to end the game there or carry it up to the surface. This makes the player relive through all stages, but the hero is now a much stronger version than what they were before.

When the hero successfully transports the amulet to the top, the ending screen is the hero relaxing on a cliffside with a sewer rat(the first enemy you encounter). This is a cathartic ending, and also implies that the hero ‘freed’ the dungeon from the corruption, also represented by Yog-Dzewa.

Also, look for en media res (does it start in the middle of the game)? Not unless the player possesses an Ankh(choice of revival or quit, cleans the inventory except the items currently worn on the hero, as well as the scroll of upgrade and potion of strength) or Blessed Ankh(acquired through blessing a normal Ankh with full dew vial, an instant revival of 30% health, retains all equip and items)

The Elements in Motion

NOTES
How do the different elements interact? the hero and the enemies are against one another.
What is the gameplay like? strategically thinking about your hero’s placements, tiles, and enemy distances, to utilize your items to the best of their abilities(and with minimal damage to you, the hero)
Is it effective? yes.
Are there any points where the design choices break down? no.

Design Critique

NOTES
Why did the designer make these particular choices? For SPD, a fork version, the design elements are already decided for the dev.

Regarding PD, however, it was likely chosen as it resembled the pixelated style from the games from the 90s. Its simple style makes the playing environment more fit for mobile play(compact screen), which is arguably the most popular, and most comfortable platform to play SPD on.

Why this set of resources? It helps the player differentiate between levels while having a concise design that groups multiple floors as a set.
What if they made different decisions? honestly, it wouldn’t feel like PD or SPD.
Does the design break down at any point? no.

Graphics & Sound

NOTES
Does the game art pair well with the mechanics? it resembles a board-of a sort for a tabletop game, which fits well with the turn-based strategy.

like I mentioned before, Evan, the developer of SPD specifically, wouldn’t want to change any of the graphics nor the sounds. they are a part of what makes the game fall under the brand of ‘pixel dungeon spinoffs’. many players often play multiple versions, as they all offer different styles of play.

Did you find any bugs or glitches? none, that I particularly remember. I probably have, however, but it’s often not telling since the game handles all the damage calculations, map generations, item generations, and etc behind the scenes.

The developer updates frequently to address issues or balance problems, so any bugs or glitches are not serious in playing the game.

What about sound? The sound is definitely lacking in most places. this is probably an intentional choice as the player has limited information about the world, and they have a certain in-game tile radius for information intake.
Can you spot any technical shortcuts? No- I couldn’t find any, at least.

Various Stages of the Game

NOTES
To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play: room generation is always consistent with how many special rooms you can find in each floor.

take note of the message you get from entering a new floor for the first time.

similarly, always take time to read the logs on the bottom of your screen, especially if you’re doing some weird combat tricks. some things may happen too fast, enemy death could happen out of the screen, and your potion flasks might’ve been broken during your previous turns.

utilize the [investigate] button, as you won’t get all the information from the visual itself. it’s worth it to take some extra time to know what buffs/debuffs are affecting the enemy and exactly what kind of traps is on the floor in front of you.

 

What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them? Tricky situations: combat tricks and good, well-timed utilization of your scrolls/potions.

Bosses: learning the mechanics and reading the visual hints. since the game is meant to be played repeatedly, over and over, a first-time player likely won’t get to Yog-Dzewa.

additional issues like cursed items and satiety: identification, precaution, alert on potential issues

Is the game fair? it rewards experience over luck, so yes. it can be played and paused any time, so the average player can casually play it from where they left off, wherever they are.
Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience? very replayable. SPD provides 4 heroes, which are all catered towards different styles. from the 4 base hero types, there are also 2 subclasses that can be chosen after beating the 10th-floor boss, Tengu.

players are free to invest their limited resources into different aspects of the game, such as different weapons, rings, artifacts(which determines a lot of the gameplay), and wands.

What is the intended audience? casual roguelike players
What is the core, the one thing you do over and over, and is it fun? exploring the floors over and over. Yes, it’s fun, as it’s entirely randomized.

This analysis form was adapted from https://notlaura.com/a-template-for-analyzing-game-design/

Resources

Books

Mr. Le Duc’s Game Analysis Resources

Game Design – Week 11 – Updating Workflow – Mind Like Water

 

“‘Be shapeless and formless.. like water’ (Bruce Lee)” by Akinini.com is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“Have a mind like water.”

― David Allen,  GTD

SUMMARY

  • Write your weekly summary here, last, at the end of the week…
    • Only one to two sentences of WHAT YOU DID
  • DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

  • Set a timer for 30 minutes in this ‘room’
    • Continue with either ONE of the scripting languages below, Javascript (Construct 3 / PlayCanvas) or C# (Unity)  (NOT BOTH)

Unity – C#

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

Screenshot from Construct.net
  • Set a timer
  • Spend 15 minutes in this ‘room’
  • Read Why Use Construct?
  • Explore some games made with Construct 3 at The Showcase Page
  • Read this page: Contruct.net
    • Learn about the basics of Construct 3
  • Write a couple sentence description of what you learned
  • Construct 3 looks like a simplistic, and easier-to approach version of unity, with similar layouts. The coding example looks weird, but also looks easier to understand for newer coders.

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

Screenshot from editor.construct.net
  • Set a timer
  • Spend up to 15 minutes
  • Take the guided tour
  • the image/sprite import looks similar to the UI of photoshop and CS

OUTSIDE (PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)

  • Set a timer
  • Spend 30 minutes in this ‘room’
Image from bananatreelog.com

  • Go for a 15-minute walk, if it is safe to do so 
    • Reflect on how you structure your day to maximize your production of the  D.O.S.E. happiness brain chemicals
  • Writing a small paragraph reflection for 10 minutes
  • serotonin is definitely low considering that I exhibit most of the behaviors described, but that could just be a result of social deficiency that comes with online learning/quarantine situations. I wish I could give more time to myself to create, but the time for that rarely comes when I take out time for classes/socializing/maintaining relationships with people. I’m definitely going to change this a bit, and I bought a CS lifetime key to draw and create more.

STUDIO (CREATIVITY)

Screenshot from Construct Begginer’s Guide
  • Set a timer
  • Spend up to 45 minutes
  • Make something to share on Thursday (3rd Period) or Friday (4th Period)
  • Write a couple sentence description of what you made

It’s a short animation of a stick man dancing, but I couldn’t figure out how to record.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

  • I learned how to use some aspects of Construct 3.
  • I had to look up some guides to use it properly.
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