Midterm Board Game Assignment

Transcription

1 Midterm Board Game Assignment Introduction: Creating a simple board game and game design document reinforces the basics of game play. Include debugging possible problems with the rules and the play of the game. Background information: Game mechanics fit into several different categories, used to help classify games. 1. Turns. A turn in any type of game is the segment of that game set aside for a player to complete certain actions before moving to the next section or player. Many times the segments can repeat thus the term taking turns. Most popular board games use the term turn as a method of regulating play. Players take turns playing the game. Some games use the turn as a passage of time. Another type of turn, called the impulse-based turn, divides a turn into smaller segments or impulses. With impulses, players do some of their actions at one time, and then react to the current situation before moving on to the next impulse. In some games, not all turns are alike. A game for example, might have every third turn as a sleep turn where the player cannot fight and must rest. 2. Turn-based game. One classification of a game is a turn-based game, also known as turn-based strategy (TBS). This type of game is separated into well-defined and visible parts, called turns or rounds. For example, when the game flow is concerned with the time element, turns represent units of time, like days, weeks, months, or years. The player in a turn-based game is usually allowed time to consider the results of a turn before taking actions. This period of planning and strategy usually leads to better solutions. Once every player has taken a turn, that round of play is over. This is followed by the next round of play. Most board games such as Trouble and Monopoly are turn-based; otherwise game play might get out of hand. Many single-player video games that are strategy based are also turn-based. In some games however, the time necessary to take a turn becomes part of the strategy of winning. For example, in chess, a stop watch records how long each player takes to make a turn. Time then becomes part of the winning requirement. 3. Movement. Many games, especially board games use the movement of a tokens or game pieces. How tokens are allowed to move, and when, is governed by game movement mechanics. These movement rules explain how and when a token can be moved to another area or square. Dice or some other randomizer may be used to determine the movements. Some games use boards with equally sizes spaces (squares, circles, or triangles) which are occupied by one or more game pieces. 4. Action points. Action points are used to control what players can do on their turns in the game. The actions may be controlled by allocating each player a certain number of action points. The player may use the points to perform various actions according to the game rules. The actions might include moving

2 pieces, drawing cards, collecting money, etc. This type of mechanic is common in many German-style board games. 5. Auction or bidding. Some games allow a player to auction or bid on the right to perform particular actions. Auctions can be based on different forms of "payment". For example, the winning bidder may use some type of game element such as play money, turns, or points for these privileges. Payment does not usually occur at the beginning of the game, but is a contract that must be completed by the end of the game. Cards games such as Bridge, Hearts, and Spades are example of bidding games. 6. Cards. Cards are used in many games as a method of randomizing outcomes of play. The cards are mixed and placed down in the playing area. A player will select a card and perform some type of action or activity that is written on the card, the cards can also act as tokens or assets that a player can gather or collect. 7. Capture. Some games require players to obtain as many tokens as possible. The strategy of some games allow for the capture of opponent s tokens. The act of capturing a token can be accomplished in many ways. Moving a tokens into a space occupied by an opposing player s token (Trouble) Jumping a token over the space occupied by an opposing token (Checkers). Challenging or attacking an opposing token. The outcome of the challenge would be determined by the rules of the game. Surrounding an opponent s token with one's own tokens in some manner. Playing cards or other rules allowed by the games to capture tokens. Captured tokens can be removed from the game, taken by the capturing player, or can reenter the game at a later point. 7. Catch-up One mechanism of game play is to make the end of the game more difficult as a player is about the win the game. For example, a player must roll an exact number on a dice to land on a single ending space. This mechanism allows other players to catch up and remain interested in the game. Other games allow the player in the lead a faster chance of winning, such as in Monopoly, and thus ending the game sooner. 8. Role-playing. Role-playing games (RPG) require the player to act out the role of a fictional character. The RPGs games such as Dungeons & Dragons relied heavily on randomizers such as dice to determine the outcomes of role-playing actions. As games matured, the use of the standard "good role-playing helped determine if the player or action is successful.

3 9. Tile-laying. Other games use game pieces called tiles. Tiles are flat, rigid pieces of a regular shape. tiles are usually laid down on a surface to form a pattern, shape, word, or other action determined the rules of the game. Some tiles have patterns or symbols on their surfaces. Players arrange the tiles Photo by Phyllis Jones form some sort of significant combinations. The tiles are usually drawn at random by the players. The tiles can be drawn right before placing them on the playing surface, or in groups to form a collection or hand of tiles from which the player can make later plays. Tiles are usually used in two distinct ways: The placing of the tile immediately affects the outcome of the game. For example, the player is awarded points for spelling a word correctly. The placing of tiles creates a board upon which other players can build and expand on. The game Tikal, for example, uses tiles to represent areas of jungle, through which archaeologists (represented by tokens) must move to score game points. The flat by to 10. Action. Referring to video games, a player selects an action to complete as they play the game. Actions can be categorized into three aspects: goal, execution, and evaluation. The game starts with an intended outcome goal. A goal could be to win the game or capture a flag. The goal must than relate to an action. First the player has an idea of what to do, the intention. Second the player sets up the sequences of the action. And third the player performs the act. The player can see the action through the game interface and interpret the results from the action. And finally, the player can evaluate the final outcome from the action. Victory condition mechanics Every play wants to win. How to win can change from one game to another. These mechanics control how a player can win the game. Goals. The goal is the necessary action to win the game. Most goals can be very specific to a game. An example is the checkmate of a king in chess. Piece elimination. The player wins when they capture all or a given number of the opponents' playing pieces.

4 Puzzle guessing. The winning player solves or guesses the answer to some type of puzzle or riddle. Examples include Hangman and Zendo. Races. The winning player is the first player to reach a given finish line. Players may move tokens or game pieces in desired paths with given rules. Examples include Backgammon and Trouble. Structure building. The winning player constructs game pieces into a predefined structure. The structure might be better than those of other players. The game could also work in reverse. The winning player is the player who keeps the structure in tack and prevents a collapse. Examples include Jinka and pickup sticks. Territory control. The winning player controls the most "territory" or spaces on the playing surface, or a specific piece of territory. Examples include war games, and Go. Victory points. The wining player accumulates a predetermined number of points or play money. The winner can also be determined by obtaining the most points in a given time. Part 1: The Game: Materials: Foam mounting board or other rigid board for the creation of the boards for the game. Some type of rubber cement or mounting adhesive to attach images to the board. (Hot glue gun) Game pieces such as cards, money, and player tokens that can be purchased, self made, or taken from old games. Markers or pens. Computer with 2D graphics package and color printer. Scissors. Lesson: 1. You are to produce an original board game. You will work in pairs. 2. Use the information from the background information above to help you design your game. Listed below are some categories you can use for your game. You need to confirm with your teacher once you have chosen one of them. Physical skill games. These games involve using some type of physical talent or dexterity in order to win the game. Examples include: marbles, tiddlywinks, operation, pick up sticks, Hungry Hungry Hippos, twister, Kerplunk, Jenga, rubrics cube, Blockhead, perfection, Simon, Villa Paletti, It may appear that some of these are not board games, but the game could be centered on a board in order to play. Mental skill games. These games involve thinking and strategy along with a little luck. A player would need to answer questions, or use strategy in order to win an advantage in the game.

5 Examples include: Trivial Pursuit, Clue, Scrabble, Battleship, Win lose or Draw, Crosstrack, Mastermind, BINGO, Othello, Coda, Pente Maze game. This game would involve having the players transverse a maze on the board. The maze could involve mental abilities or luck to move through the maze. Examples include: Railway Rivals, Tracks to Telluride, Mouse Trap, GOOTMU, Drakon, Maze, Shuttles, Road Rally, Labyrinth, Goofy s Mad Maze Game, Mindmaze, Snafu, Simulation games. These games involve emulating a sports event, or other location or event. Social games. These games involve social aspects within a group. Examples include: Charades, Six degrees of Separation, Who AM I, Apples to Apples, Pin The Tail on the Donkey, Monopoly, LIFE, PayDay, Yahtzee, Risk, Race and luck game. Win by first person to remove all players from the board or win by acquiring the most attributes. Example Sorry, chutes and ladders, Buccaneer, Can t Stop, Mancala, Matching game Children s board games. Educational games. 3. The board games need to have the following: Originally designed board drawn in a 2D graphics package, printed in color, and glued on the board. The board can be several pieces of paper combined together for the total board. The Board needs to follow a chosen theme and be age appropriate. Originally designed game pieces such as cards, money, tokens, or devices related to the game. These pieces can be produced in a 3D graphics package, printed in color, and glued on small pieces of foam board. Some pieces can be used from old games or purchased. A list of specific rules. These are usually included on the box top of many board games. The rules of play should include specific steps on how to play the game, take turns, and ultimately win the game. This is in the form of an instruction booklet or flyer. This flyer should include graphics to help understand the rules of play. Part 2: The Design Document. You must produce a game design document from the instructions listed.