Unity Tutorial 07

 I have now started unit 4 of the unity tutorials, upon finishing the game of the last tutorial I found this one to be interesting. This tutorial did prove to be slightly more challenging than the last one, I believe that as you go through the units in unity, the tutorials get increasingly harder, which is going of course to build my game design skills!

I was able to learn some new terms about game functionality. I was able to learn how to apply conditions in the script that will allow for the camera to rotate around the game world and also for the player to move in the direction that the camera is facing.  I learnt about co-ordinates within the game world and how they are used to place a specific game object where desired.

Although I learnt many new games task, I was able to revise over old familiar terms, such as vector and movement and direction of the player.

Whilst these are only a small few of the new terms I've listed , I have learnt that completing these tutorials, they are many more useful ones that I will most definitely apply and use when it comes to designing my own game.

source: screenshot from unity hub

First Playable

I now have the fundamental  elements added into my game. Last weeks task involved working on my prototype which consisted of setting up the main game area and collecting all my assets. 

This week I focused on applying roles in my scripts to create a playable version of the game.

I looked back on previous unity tutorials to help me with this. Simple elements like moving forward, and up and down where the main movements that would be required for the player.

I also played around with keys and decided how I would want my player to move in the game. I decided to opt for the mouse option as the main game control, as this is a pc focused game, I decided to keep the player keys as simple as possible.

I now have a game where I can move the bird ( my avatar) up and down and obstacles that the player can crash into. I have made the buildings the obstacles and I have applied rigid body's to them so that when the bird fly's into them they crash and die and hence the game is over.

Below I've attached an image of my current game world which includes the game bird and the obstacles .

source: unity  game world screenshot 

Growth Mindset- : Exploring the Random Growth Mindset Cats

I chose the cate meme randomiser for my extra credit task this week. below are the three images/memes that I enjoyed the most and a little description about why I choose them

I  like the message given in this image, I like the idea that new experiences are required to open up the mind and how once the mind is constantly exposed to new experiences that it can only develop and grow from then onwards.

I like the message provided about success in this image. the idea that it is a process meaning it requires time and work. The message that I was able to take away form this is that success is not just a singular event but it is a continuous process.

This image i think speaks for itself, the concept of idea generation is exiting to me, not only for academic related school ideas, but for all aspects of life, such as business, work and cooking ! etc 

Coding Task- IF statements

For this extra credit coding task, I learnt about “IF Statements”

These statements are needed for the code to make a decision based on a condition.

There is also another statement called the “IF- Else” statement, meaning that it will be conditional, ie below a specific limit.

I learnt that these stamen are useful for making decision in the code and deciding what you want the code to do based on a condition.

source

Game Fun- Reading Week 08

The readings for this week discuss the topic of “fun” in games, what is fun and how is it defined when it comes to game design, the reading also discus the social aspects of gaming and how that is linked to “fun” and game interactivity. below I have included some highlights and thoughts from each reading piece.

 

Social context and its influence on the experience of games

This reading discusses the social nature of games and how social context can influence the user’s experience. The study summaries that use of games in social contexts had a higher enjoyment factor than the latter. The study also has its limitations and further understanding of the social processes and its experiences on gameplay is required. This study has proved useful for this module especially regarding the game design element, it is now beneficial to know that adding in a social aspect such as a group play, or multiplayer option game can improve the user enjoyability of the game

 

 A theory of fun for game design

This was an educational Video Which outlined the theory of fun regarding game design. Some important points to take away from the video are as follow; the fun factor of a game comes from the possibility to provide a space for learning and also a space that will grab our attention and challenge us, this is further explained using Nicole Lazzaro’s 4 Keys to fun  

source

Another element that adds to the “fun” of a game is the provision of a sense of engagement, this comes from having a challenge in the game that will rise in proportion with the individuals abilities

 

Gamification Design 

This last reading provided information required for gamification Design, The reading can be summarised into the following:

• Fun is categorized as subjective- meaning it its personal, what may appear fun to one person may not appear the same to another, this is why gamification design is necessary when it comes to making a game fun
• Fun can be categorized and refined based on cognitive learning, fun and learning are often interlinked

These articles all provided a useful piece of information regarding and gamification design.

When It comes to designing the game for this module, these factors for implementing fun must be considered.