Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Describe unit types and their attributes, including any special abilities. If you
feel that the different forces in the game are well balanced or unbalanced, explain
this with reference to the units and their attributes.
If you feel the game implements or allows for any classic military stratagems,
document them. Consider flanking maneuvers, diversionary tactics, infiltration
and sneak attacks, cutting enemy supply lines, using reserve troops, and any other
stratagem that you feel the game does well. Show how the way the units are
designed enables these features. (For example, a stealth capability makes sneak
attacks possible.)
Discuss the role of logistics in the game, if any. What resources do the troops
and factories consume? Explain how supply lines and/or influence are
implemented.
Explore the user interface in the primary gameplay mode. Briefly document the
mechanism for giving orders to units. Note important indicators that appear on the
screen and discuss how they improve the playing experience.
Detail the core mechanics. Indicate resources, sources, conversions, and drains.
In particular, be sure to describe the behavior of factories: how long it takes them
to produce a unit and how many resources they consume to do so. If differential
production rates influence the balance of the game, document this.
The design questions in the next section may help you to think about these issues.
In your report, use screen shots to illustrate your points. End the case study with
suggestions for improvement or, if you feel the game cannot be improved, sugges-
tions for additional features that might be fun to have in the game.
Alternatively, choose a game that you believe is particularly bad . Do the same case
study, explaining what is wrong and how it could be improved.
A case study is neither a review nor a design document; it is an analysis. You are
not attempting to reverse-engineer the entire game but simply to explain how it
works in a general way. Your instructor will tell you the desired scope of the assign-
ment; we recommend from 5 to 20 pages.
Design Practice QUESTIONS
When beginning the design of a strategy game, consider the following questions:
1. Is the game turn-based or real-time? The answer to this question has tremen-
dous consequences for the nature and feel of the gameplay.
2. Is the game world 2D (as in checkers), 2.5D (as in StarCraft ), or fully 3D (as in
Populous: The Beginning )? Will the game offer a perspective other than the usual
aerial one?
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