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
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