In-Class Pinball Exercise

Answer these questions as a blog entry:

1) What is "good gameplay" when it comes to pinball game design?

I feel that good gameplay in pinball design must have good flow throughout the game. You should be actively having to use the flippers as opposed watching the ball do its own thing for the whole game.

2) How do pinball playfield designers create exciting experiences?

The way that designers create new exciting experiences are to introduce new ideas to the game. A few examples are tilting, and flippers.

"Tilt: The Battle to Save Pinball" Questions

 

1) What was the big innovation in the 1940s that made all other pinball machines obsolete?
Flippers.

2) In the 1970s, what new technological advance brought pinball up to date and enabled another step forward in the industry?

Solid State - Electronic as opposed to electro-mechanical. 

What types of innovations did it make possible?
Lights, digital scoreboards, sounds.

3) Which company specialized in 1970s pop-culture themed pinball machines?

Bally

4) What technology shook the pinball world in the 70s? Why?

Videogames - smaller size as opposed to pinball

5) By the 1990s, was pinball successful or not?

Yes

6) What was the key innovation behind "Pinball 2000"?

The reflective monitor

7) What was the problem with the license behind the first major rollout of the Pinball 2000 idea with a major 3rd party license?

Star Wars Episode 1

8) Why did Williams decide in the end to shut down its pinball division?

Slotmachines generated more money

9) Do you think this was a good idea?

Yes

10) Does a good idea always guarantee a commercial win?

Not necessarily. 

 

In-Class Google Sketchup

This is my first time using Google Sketchup. The instructions for this lesson were to include:

1) Buildings

2) Vehicles

3) Characters (people, animals)

4) Urban details - e.g. roads/traffic details

Use the large archive of online 3D objects to create a scene suitable for one of the following:

a) 3D Shooter Game

b) Top-down role-playing game

c) 2D Game - e.g. platform game

The first object I found as a building was a baseball stadium. My original intention was to litter the field with houses and bad guys with guns and have a the player shoot the bad guys in an FPS fashion. I decided to have some fun instead. This scene takes place as an "all-star" baseball game. Reminiscent of a Nintendo-esque game such as Super Smash Bros or Mario Tennis. The game has a bunch of well known characters from other video games or movies and has them all playing baseball together in a silly fashion. 

The cast is as follows:

Solid Snake - Umpire

Marcus Fenix - Catcher

Master Chief - Batter

Leonidas - Pitcher

Predator - First Base

Terminator - Second Base

Mario - Short Stop

Link - Third Base

Darth Vader - Right Field

Lich King/Arthas - Center Field

Sauron - Left Field

In order to satisfy the "vehicle" portion of this lesson, I added an Abrams tank in the outfield, with a banner behind it that states, "hit the truck and one lucky fan wins it." Also there is a Deathstar in the background if that is characterized as a vehicle.

As far as vehicle and road details, I chose to use The Two Towers from Lord of the Rings in place of foul posts in order to further the fantasy and quite silly world. The Black Gate is in the back as well in order to make the field more "brutal."

Top down view of the stadium.

Perspective from a potential fan in the seats.

Basic camera view where the player(s) will interface with the game. As either the pitcher or the batter.

Far right side view.

Far left side view.

*Updated* Needed an explosion.

Cartoon Network Game Creator Ben 10 and Batman!

1. The first challenge in the Batman game is pure platform and timing game.
    The Adventure Time game is to defeat all of your enemies.

2. The camera mode is 2d static platformed third person.

3. The user uses space bar to use abilities, "X" to use your special (in the case of Batman), and the arrow keys as movement.

4. The goal of the game for Batman is to reach the portal, upon reaching it completes the mission. The Adventure Time game goal is to defeat all enemies.

Freemind Map

Game Idea Paragraph

Based right after the Civil War, you play a Union Soldier who is haunted by the war and the decisions you had to make. Your goal is to explore a war-torn plantation in Louisiana and interact with the environment and the world to discover what the soldier went through. Combat may take place through flashbacks to the war or through seeing traumatic images while traversing the world.

Collaborative Chess

Starting Conditions:

- All 16 pawns one one side of the board. (Each pawn is labeled 1 through 16)

- White King, Bishop, Knight and Black King, Bishop Knight on the other side.

Winning Conditions:

- All 16 pawns are removed from the board, via basic chess rules.

- Both Kings survive.

Rules:

- Both players control their own colored King, Bishop, and Knight, respectively.

- Neither player controls the pawns. Pawns move forward based on basic chess rules. Players can use the number labels to determine which pawn moves forward.

- Turn order is: Player 1, Pawns, Player 2, Pawns, Player 1, etc...

- If a pawn is capable of taking a player unit, that pawn is prioritized and will move immediately.

- Both player's King pieces must survive.