Game Architecture and Prog
BE Information Technology Game Architecture & Programming
Core Design: What is a Game Games are not Everything Game Means Game Play Creating Game Specs Example of Game Specs Initial Design: The Beginning Hardware Abstraction The Problem Domain Thinking in Tokens Use of Technology: The state of Art Blue sky Research: Reinventing the Wheel Use of Object Technology Building Bricks: Reusability in Software Initial Architectural Design: The birth of Architecture The Tier System Architecture Design Development: The Developmental Process Code Quality Coding Priorities: Debugging and Model Completion Seven Golden Gambits Three Lead Balloons 2 2 5 6 9 20 26 28 31 48 51 80 84 97 111 112 122 124 176 177 186 197 206 207 210 237 241 250 254
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03 3634_CH02
9/30/03
10:26 AM
Page 35
Chapter 2
KEY TOPICS • Working up the concept
Core Design
• Adding gameplay • Developing the game spec • Prototyping
I
n this chapter, we’re going to show how to turn a raw idea into a first-pass working document. By now, you have your game concept—which means that you already know the environment in which the player will be making choices, whether that be a starship, a dream world, or the British empire. You will even have a good idea what those choices will involve—searching for dilithium, hiding from pursuers, or sending armies off to war. Now it’s time to pin down the details. What are the spells, weapons, units, or tactics that will feature in the game? Throughout this chapter, we will be using as an example, one of Dave Morris’s own designs, Warrior Kings, a medieval realtime strategy game that was developed at Eidos and Black Cactus Games.
What Is a Game?
If we want to start putting in some gameplay, the question “What is a game?” can serve as a good starting point. But first, let’s consider what a game is not:
➤ ➤ ➤ ➤
A bunch of cool features A lot of fancy graphics A series of challenging puzzles An intriguing setting and story
Core Design: What is a Game Games are not Everything Game Means Game Play Creating Game Specs Example of Game Specs Initial Design: The Beginning Hardware Abstraction The Problem Domain Thinking in Tokens Use of Technology: The state of Art Blue sky Research: Reinventing the Wheel Use of Object Technology Building Bricks: Reusability in Software Initial Architectural Design: The birth of Architecture The Tier System Architecture Design Development: The Developmental Process Code Quality Coding Priorities: Debugging and Model Completion Seven Golden Gambits Three Lead Balloons 2 2 5 6 9 20 26 28 31 48 51 80 84 97 111 112 122 124 176 177 186 197 206 207 210 237 241 250 254
1
2
3
4
5
6
03 3634_CH02
9/30/03
10:26 AM
Page 35
Chapter 2
KEY TOPICS • Working up the concept
Core Design
• Adding gameplay • Developing the game spec • Prototyping
I
n this chapter, we’re going to show how to turn a raw idea into a first-pass working document. By now, you have your game concept—which means that you already know the environment in which the player will be making choices, whether that be a starship, a dream world, or the British empire. You will even have a good idea what those choices will involve—searching for dilithium, hiding from pursuers, or sending armies off to war. Now it’s time to pin down the details. What are the spells, weapons, units, or tactics that will feature in the game? Throughout this chapter, we will be using as an example, one of Dave Morris’s own designs, Warrior Kings, a medieval realtime strategy game that was developed at Eidos and Black Cactus Games.
What Is a Game?
If we want to start putting in some gameplay, the question “What is a game?” can serve as a good starting point. But first, let’s consider what a game is not:
➤ ➤ ➤ ➤
A bunch of cool features A lot of fancy graphics A series of challenging puzzles An intriguing setting and story