copyright © curt hill, 2004-2015 game characteristics and genres the hopeless task of classifying...

Copyright © Curt Hill, 2004-2015

Game Characteristics and Genres

The Hopeless Task of Classifying Computer

Games

Characteristics • A number of variables that for

which each game has a particular value set

• Projection– How is the game viewed by the

player?• Time• Number• Location of the software• Path

– Open world or directed


Projection: How is game viewed?• Text

– No graphics

• Two dimensions– Only an X and Y dimension

• First person, three dimensions– Player cannot see self or behind them

• Third person, three dimensions– The player may see themselves and their

immediate surroundings

• Isometric – Equal measure– Contrasted with perspective

• Two and half dimensions– 2D to appear like 3D


Time• How is time handled• Take turn

– Time is insignificant• Pseudo time

– Time is compressed or expanded to the player’s moves

• Real time– Things happen whether player is

ready or not


How Many Players?• Single

– Usual for games that are not networked

• Two player– May be on a single computer or on network

• Multiplayer– Approximately up to 20 to 50– Client server or peer to peer connections

• Massively multiplayer– Could be hundreds or thousands– Client server


Location• Almost all games have software on

the player’s machine– Has the software been installed?– Run through a browser or other

common client

• Does this software communicate?– Peer to peer?– Client and Server– Does the other machine actively

participate or merely store results


Open World• Any virtual world game that gives

the player freedom to go anywhere• This is generally limited to first and

third person games– Excluding even some of these, such

as racers

• Does not have to be 3D• AKA

– Free roam– Sandbox


What is a genre?• Webster:

a kind, a sort or a typesaid of works of literature and art

• For convenience we classify games into types for comparison purposes

• How do we compare football and chess, both of which are games?

• The following is one possible list of categories


Genres• Shooter/Fighter• Bat and Ball• Racer• Collector• Video Pinball• Puzzle• Strategy• Adventure• Video Board game


• Fighting• Simulation• Role Playing Game

(RPG)• Platform• Sports• Arcade Adventure• Rhythm-Dance

Shooter/Fighter• Game play is all about shooting

and not being shot– Objects– Opponents

• Swords etc. may also be used• These are usually fighting back• Success is measured in length of

life or objects destroyed


Bat and Ball• Using a mouse or other controller

hit an object– Defend an area from the object– Hit the object to a goal

• Pong is an early example• Need graphics, but fairly simple

ones• Many examples are Freeware or

Shareware


Racer• Player is driver on a course• Object is to have a good time or

better time than opponent• Straight line courses are easier• More turns and obstacles increase

the difficulty



Strategy• Player has multiple units or a unit

with multiple capabilities• Object is to defeat an opponent• Not real time but moves in a take

turn fashion• Board games such as chess and go• Star Trek text game


Sim• Simulate some complex system• Most famous are the Electronic

Arts Sim series– Sim City etc– Resource management is the crux of

the game• Predecessors include Lunar Lander

and Oregon Trail• If sufficiently complicated these

may be used for training


Computer RPG• Players explore a large enclosed

area• They gain experience and engage

in combat with other players or bots

• Often turn based rather than real time

• Derived from the non-tech Dungeons and Dragons

• MUDs and MOOs are the software


Arcade Adventure• An RPG with good graphics • Player interacts in real time with a

graphic reality• Usually there is a puzzle to solve

involving the exploration of a dungeon

Computerized Equivalents• Computer equivalent to a

conventional game– Video Pinball– Sports– Video Boardgame– Video Cardgame


Combinations• These categories are not exclusive• We will see combinations of any of

these categories with the characteristics

• We may also discover/develop a game that does not fit in this system



Odds and Ends I• Collector

– Object is to collect a certain number of things while avoiding certain hazards

– Pacman is an example

• Platform games are a derivation– Jump from platform to platform– Donkey Kong and Mario Brothers

• Fighting– Simulating boxing or martial arts


Odds and Ends II• Puzzle

– Solve some type of graphical puzzle– Graphics without a representation of

reality– Tetris

• Rhythm-Dance– Perform actions on a controller in time

with music

Assignment• Generate a document and mail it to

me• Contains a list of games you have

played• Should include:

– Name– Category– Cost

• Due prior to next working day– I would like to discuss this next class

timeCopyright © Curt Hill, 2004-2015

Alternative Classification• Action• Adventure• Casual• Educational• Role Playing• Simulation• Sports• Strategy


Action• Typically real time games where

the user needs to be involved in a second by second basis– Many arcade games– First person shooters– Racing

• The story telling is often confined to the splash screens

• Unreal Tournament is an example


Adventure• A series of problems are presented

that the player must solve– Zork from 1977 is early example

• Before good graphics text based adventure games were very important– They faded when graphics made

them appear boring

• They have re-emerged with good graphics – Often a component of an action game


Casual• Computer implementation of an

existing game• This includes:

– Board, card, dice games– Game shows– Not limited to these


Educational • Any game that disguises learning

in a game format• Must be engaging enough that the

students want to play, yet have enough educational value to be valued


Role Playing Games• Player assumes a role and with this

role comes a goal– Dungeons and dragons was the paper

predecessor

• Game play often lasts longer than others

• Must be a storyline as well as problems to solve

• Often played in groups


Simulation• A complex real world scenario that

can be experienced without great cost or danger

• Typically two flavors:• Vehicle

– Flight simular

• Management– SimCity


Sports Games• A game that simulates a sport

– Football, baseball, soccer– Fighting

• Two point of views– The manager– The player


Strategy• The winners form strategies that

best their opponents• May be real time or take turn• The view is a distant third person

– Usually the entire arena


This Year • We will focus on two similar but

quite different first person games:– Unreal Development Kit– Minecraft

• Your term project will likely be in UDK– Other possibilities exist– Subject to negotiation


Unreal Development Kit• First person open world• Real time• Single or multiplayer• Realistic graphics rendered nicely• Bots substitute for other players

when needed• A strategy is needed


UDK


Minecraft• First person open world• Real time• Single or multiplayer• Very coarse graphics• Bots substitute for other players

when needed• About 60 million copies have been

sold• Who here has not played this game?• Why is this so popular?


Minecraft


UDK and Minecraft• Either of these have uses other than

games• Both are programmable

– Or we would not be interested

• Both have been used to generate machinima

• Both have educational use beyond game design– Minecraft has a quantum physics mod

• Both lean toward certain genres but could be used for any


Discussion• What type of game does Minecraft

naturally lean towards?• How would you do a board game

with Minecraft?


Assignment• On the website there is a link to

emulated DOS games• Find four different games that

represent four different genres on this site

• Play each of them• Write up a one page Word

document that:– Gives the name and genre– Gives a screen shot of the play


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