Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
truck To move the game's virtual camera laterally, perpendicular to the direction
that it is facing.
tuning stage The final stage of game design in which designers refine the core
mechanics and other aspects of the design without adding any new features.
tutorial level A level whose purpose is to teach the player about the user interface
and the game's atomic challenges and its actions.
twitch game A game whose primary challenges are physical, concentrating chiefly
on reaction-time tests.
unique entity An entity describing an object, character, or datum of which there
is only one example in the game world.
unique selling points Unique characteristics of a game that will make it stand out
in the marketplace.
unit In a strategy game, a combatant or support entity (such as a transport vehicle)
under the control of one of the players or an artificial opponent.
upgrade A change to gameplay that gives the player an advantage or capability he
did not formerly possess. It usually occurs in one of two forms: as an improvement
in the performance of his avatar or units or as a new action that was not previously
available. The term is typically used in RPGs and strategy games; in action games it
is more commonly called a powerup . See permanent upgrade and temporary upgrade .
user interface The collection of presentation elements and control elements that
mediate between the player in the real world and the game world. User interfaces
translate player actions performed on the machine's input devices into game-world
actions, and they translate game-world events and other data into images and
sounds produced by the machine's output devices.
variable scrolling A characteristic of 2D scrolling camera models in which the
landscape scrolls under, or behind, the avatar in response to his movements.
Contrast with continuous scrolling .
vector variable A set of related numbers that collectively describe something. In
physics, a vector normally describes how to get from one point in space to another
(on a 2D plane this requires two numbers, an angle and a distance). In games, any
collection of related data can be considered a vector. Data describing the amount of
water available at each point on a map would be considered a vector.
victory condition An unambiguous true-or-false condition that determines when
a player has won the game or the current level . The highest challenge in the hierar-
Search WWH ::




Custom Search