Blog 18 - Answer 2

Playtesting is a necessary part of game design, at both the physical and digital level. 

1.  What is your EQ?

My essential question is: How can a video game be designed to enhance the player's experience? 

2.  What is your first answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

Through the implementation of well-designed and developed characters, the experience of a video game can be enhanced for players.  

3.  What is your second answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

Play-testing regularly is a vital step in the design process to gauge if a game is reaching the designer's player experience goals. 

4.  List three reasons your answer is true with a real-
world application for each.

1. The primary role of a designer is to "advocate for a player"-- focus on making the player experience positive.

To keep the design process from straying too far from the intentional player experience, it's vital that the designer(s) stick to a continual iterative process of design: playtesting, evaluating, and revising. It is vital to test from the very beginning in the project, as testing late in the development cycle (when a game is more "complete" and subsequently thought to be more enjoyable to players) does not allow for much changes or improvements to be made, as time is restricted. 

2. Testing with different audiences/kinds of playtesters throughout different stages of development will bring about different feedback. 

For example, self-testing and testing with strangers will result in two different kinds of results. Self-testing is typically done to figure out how the core mechanics of a game functions, as well as experiment with the concepts the game is focused upon. Testing with strangers, on the other hand, is typically to test the experience of a game, and gives designers honest, unbiased opinions and feedback on the project thus far. 

3. Enjoyable games are games that are "balanced". 

Balancing games is essentially defined as ensuring that the game meets the player experience goals the designer has set for the project. Therefore, playtesting is a huge part of balancing games. Balancing the variables of a game, for example, is vital in ensuring that the game plays out properly. For example, the game Connect Four features a 7x6 game grid, 21 black pieces, and 21 red pieces. Increasing the size of the grid would require an increase in player pieces-- the same goes for digital games. A change in a fundamental concept of a game can, in turn, change other fundamental concepts of it. 

5.  What printed source best supports your answer?

• Fullerton, Tracy. Game Design Workshop. Burlington: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 2008. Print.

6.  What other source supports your answer?

• Salen, Katie and Eric Zimmerman. Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2004. Print.

7.  Tie this together with a  concluding thought.

Playtesting, as a whole, can influence a wide variety of areas of game design. However, it's main purpose to ensure that the player experience goals are being met. 

As advocates for a player, it's vital that the designer maintains a consistent relationship with the target players' wants and needs. In order to do so, playtesting is a necessary exercise within the development cycle. 

Blog 17 - Interview 3 Reflection

A screenshot of the game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, a project on which my interviewee, Richard Lemarchand, was Co-Lead Game Designer. He was Lead Game Designer on the first and third installments of the game series.

The five-minute audio clip of my interview can be found here.

Transcript of the interview can be found here.

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?

I learned so much from this interview, so it's rather hard to narrow down what the most important thing I've learned from it. However, I think I can narrow it down to the few most important things (yes, plural) I've learned from my time speaking with Richard Lemarchand.

(Note: I will now refer to him as simply Richard from here on, as that's how I address him in real life.)

For one, I've learned that my personal preference to holding characters in video games as more important than their stories is a good approach towards narrative games; from the beginning, I've thought that more than anything, a game needs well-designed characters to remain interesting to the players. Story matters, but it pales entirely when the characters the player controls and engages with are bland and boring. Richard told me that good characterization is fundamental to great storytelling. We should craft characters that are recognizable for their human-like qualities, as that's what makes them more realistic and believable to us. 

Another important thing I've learned from this interview is that another portion of game design is considering who your audience for a game is. What's so enlightening about the conversation we had about this was that a game can be for a specific audience, yes, but that audience could be less general-- that audience could just comprise of one. It could solely comprise of you, the game designer, if you so wished. Games, as art forms, can be designed either for others or oneself. It's often seen that games should be designed to be sold to an audience and reap the benefit there-- but a game doesn't necessarily have to be for someone else. It can be more personal, it can be something that the designer wants that simply doesn't exist yet in the world.

2. How has your approach to interviewing changed over the course of your senior project?

I believe my approach to interviews has stayed relatively the same throughout the course of the senior project, thus far. If anything, I've gotten better at brainstorming questions for my interviews-- I believe that's because I've narrowed down the focus on my project. It's made it easier to think of questions to ask my interviewee, since I'm not so overwhelmed with all the possible topics of discussion my interview can cross. 

I've definitely gotten better at it, though. I'm not so rigid nor reliant on the list of questions in front of me anymore. Rather, I let the interview flow in the direction it goes-- especially with Richard, this has proven to be very useful and enlightening. I'm happy to say that my interview with Richard was really quite incredible, and I'm very grateful that he took the time to speak with me.

Interview 3: Richard Lemarchand (AUDIO)

This is the clipped version of my interview. The full-length version can be found here.

Blog 16 - Independent Component 2 Approval

Video game programming is a lengthy process. I'm sure it'll be a learning experience for me.

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

For thirty hours of my second Independent Component, I plan on focusing on the creation of a digital video game. This game will be based off of the pre-production work I completed in my first Independent Component. This game will be PC-compatible, and have a focus on its narrative and messages conveyed to players. Throughout this process, I'm sure details regarding the game's plot or mechanics will fluctuate, but the medium remains certain: I am making a video game. I don't expect to have a perfect video game at the end of my Independent Component, but I expect to have a finished, playable game. 

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

The literal creation and design in video games is a lengthy process. There is quite a bit of groundwork to be set: I must create things through a game-creating software/program such as maps, character sprites, etc. There's a heavy amount of programming involved in video game design-- this is something I know I will be dealing with regularly throughout the course of creating my game, so I'm sure I will often be spending time programming/coding different parts of the game. In doing so, I can expand the game, clear out any bugs/mistakes, and ensure that the game is playable by the end of my thirty hours. 

3.  Explain how this component will help you explore your topic in more depth.

I think researching about games and focusing on the pre-production of games are two vital things in game design, but I know that there is no better way to learn more about my topic than to create a game myself. Game design, as a field, is very experimental; like many arts, there isn't necessarily a "right" or "wrong" way of doing things. Figuring out what makes my game one that delivers a positive player experience is something that must be done through creating and testing. Game design is a very hands-on field; I believe that creating a game myself is a great way to gain a different understanding on the field and the work that occurs within it. 

4.  Post a log in your Senior Project Hours link and label it "Independent Component 2" log.

I have updated my Senior Project Hours; it now has a new section titled Independent Component 2 Hours. My hours can be accessed here, or via the link on my sidebar.

Independent Component 1

(Throughout the course of IC#1, I've learned not only a great deal of information, but some valuable lessons. Maybe some that are a bit life-changing.)

Literal

(a) I, Clerisse Cornejo, affirm that I completed independent component which represents 31.5 hours of work.

(b) Works Cited: 

• Burton, Neel. "What Makes You Who You Are?" Psychology Today. Psychology Today, 5 June 2013. Web. 22 Dec. 2015.

• Fullerton, Tracy. Game Design Workshop. Burlington: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 2008.
• Isbister, Katherine. Better Game Characters By Design: A Psychological Approach. San Francisco: Elsevier Inc., 2006.
• "Tabula rasa." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2016.

• Nimbalkar, Namita. "John Locke on Personal Identity." US National Library of Medicine. NCBI, Jan. 2011. Web. 21 Dec. 2015. 

• Piccirillo, Ryan A. "The Lockean Memory Theory of Personal Identity: Definition, Objection, Response." Student Pulse. Student Pulse, 8 Nov. 2010. Web. 29 Dec. 2015.

• Pierce, Jeremy. "The Brain Account of Personal Identity. Parableman. Parableman, 24 May 2012. Web. 20 Dec. 2015.

• Urban, Tim. "What Makes You You?" Wait But Why. Wait But Why, n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2015.

(c) I've updated my hours in my Senior Project Hours log. That log can be found here. My IC#1 hours can be found towards the bottom of the spreadsheet.

(d) In the total 31.5 logged hours I spent on my independent component, I've focused mainly on research of the core concept(s) I want my game to focus on, as well as character design and setting design. I wanted to ensure that I understand to the best of my ability what message exactly my game is trying to convey to it's audience; since I'm dealing with human memory and its relationship with personal identity, I had to do more extensive, in-depth research on both topics. Furthermore, my game focuses on memory loss-- there was a significant amount of research done on amnesia and memory disorders, which were all very interesting to read about.

I've also decided that the general setting and "feel" of the game should be closely tied to the core concept. As I'm dealing with memory loss, I feel that the character in the game who would suffer from said memory loss may see the world around them a bit differently, or even the world within them differently. I want to portray a more dream-like, surreal landscape, with just as surreal characters.

Interpretive

Overall, learning more about memory and the relationship it shares with personal identity has been a major part in the formation of my project. It's helped to formulate not only the foundation in which I want my game built upon, but also has created the kind of story and message I want to express to my audience. I think video games are a special kind of media, an art form that best tells stories and conveys ideas through their interactive nature. I think the topic of personal identity in relation to memory will create an experience that can reach out and touch people-- I think it's something that's not only interesting to people, but potentially something that can change they way they see themselves, others, and the world around them.

As for evidence, I have a whole separate document for that, loaded with explanations and pictures. It's called a game design document, which a pretty common way of organizing your design process and decisions among video game developers.

My document containing evidence can be found here.

Applied

Working through the component definitely helped me to understand the process of game design much better. Reading about it is one thing, but actually doing it is another.

Most notably, I've found that the design process is a cycle of creating work, scrapping it, creating more work, scrapping that, and doing such over and over again. The game constantly fluctuates and changes-- it's almost like a living, breathing thing, just like how many art forms feel like.  We can't expect it to stay stagnant, so it's important to often take the time to think about if my current design really paves the path towards reaching my ultimate goal: delivering a story and message that is meaningful to players. 

In my process, I thought I had it all figured out from the beginning. Hours in, I realized I was quite wrong. I was able to adopt some of those aspects into my design, but for the most part, the design changed drastically. The story I realized that I wanted to tell and the story that I needed to tell were two different things. In game design, you can't always settle for something just because you put time and effort into it. Sometimes, you have to give up something that you worked towards in order to create something better. 

Blog 15 - Lesson 2 Reflection

(My first answer to my essential question, and the answer I focused on in this presentation, is quality character design.)

1.What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?

In terms of my second lesson presentation, I'm much more proud of my composure and research. I think that I had more of a solid belief in my research this time around-- as I had more quality .esearch to support my claims, I felt a lot more comfortable and prepared. I think that showed through in the actual presentation, as well; I was very comfortable speaking up there to the class on my topic.

2a. What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

I think I did pretty well on this presentation, overall. I had quality research, presented relevant information, and presented well, to be honest. Overall, I think I deserve a P+/AE on my second lesson presentation.

2b. Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.

Based off of the expectations from the component contract, I believe I met all of them. There are some areas I believe I performed better on than others, however. Specifically, I think the depth of my research really showed through in this presentation; I had a lot to talk about from my learning experiences over the past few months, and I wanted to channel that into the presentation. I was able to do so, for the most part.

Furthermore, I was pretty happy with how focused many members of the audience were during the activity. Some were very focused on their designs of their own villain, only speaking when they had a question for their table group regarding which direction they should take their designs. I saw that, while some people did like their designs, some were shy to show it off. Others were quite happy to present their designs though. Overall, I think the audience was quite engaged throughout the course of the activity.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?

The use of a powerpoint really helped me out in this presentation. I think having something visual like that not only captures the audience's interest more, but it also keeps me grounded as a presenter. While I generally know what order I want to say things in a presentation, there are times where I get so caught up in presenting one thing that what I need to talk about next momentarily slips my mind. Having a powerpoint to indicate the flow of my presentation really helped out.

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?

I really liked how my presentation turned out, actually. If I could go back in time to change anything, I'd only make minor changes. For example, I'd go back and spend more time making my powerpoint more aesthetically-pleasing, to be honest. While I did like the way it looked (and it did its job well), I always love it when my powerpoints are pleasing to the eye. I find that it gives me a sort of confidence.

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?

Originally, I was going to focus on storytelling & plotting as my second answer to my essential question ("How can a game be designed to enhance the player's experience?")

With more reflection and research, however, I've found that creative design is only but one important thing to enhancing the player's experience. I think I would like to talk more about gameplay and game mechanics for my second answer-- the more technical side of design.

I suppose my second answer, if I were to follow this route, would be "game mechanics".