Presents…

Presentation Created By: Julia Tartakovsky

Project Manager, Web Developer & Programmer ( AI and Integration ): Julia Tartakovsky

Integration and AI Programmer:Anton German

3D Modeling and Artwork:Santi Vitayaudom

Game Engine Programmer:Cole Krumbholz

Game Team:

Game Concept:

- Remake of the 8-bit Nintendo ExciteBike Game

- Game Platform: Electro•Utilizes a physics engine

•http://www.evl.uic.edu/rlk/electro/

Game Features:• Multiple AI’s

• Finely tuned physics engine to maximize the FUN factor

• Interesting obstacles and complex terrain

• Complete Menu System ( Start, Controls, High Scores (I/O) & Exit )

• Detailed model of the snowmobile

Game Features:

• Complete game sound effects ( multiple sounds per event )

• Collidable objects & powerups ( boosts and cool offs ):

• Heads Up Display: overheating bar, speedometer & time

• Varying camera angles (I.e. dramatic camera angle during a boost including a shake effect]

Complex AI ( Part I )Decision Point Driven• The track is divided in multiple decision points

• At the decision point the AI randomly selects from a number of paths• Some paths are more advantageous than others•Multiple waypoints per path ( not a straight path )

Complex AI ( Part II)• 1st group of waypoints is the most advantageous

• Causes AI to avoid most difficult obstacles, drive over boosts & cool off spots

• 2nd group of waypoints is of medium advantage • Half of the time it causes AI to drive over disadvantageous locations & half the time it drives over boosts, cool off spots and ramps

• 3rd group of waypoints is least advantageous

• Causes AI 3 out of 4 times to avoid boosts, cool off spots & drive over various terrain

Waypoints:

Complex AI ( Part III)AI Personalities• There are 3 types of personality AI can have

• MAD• AI enters AGGRESSIVE state within 15 units from player and returns to PASSIVE state when it’s 2 units behind it (by that time the AI would have already rammed the player due to momentum)• AI will go into AGGRESSIVE state 90% of the time within the distance mentioned above

Complex AI ( Part IV )AI Personalities ( continued … )• There are 3 types of personality AI can have

• ANGRY• AI enters AGGRESSIVE state within 10 units from player and returns to PASSIVE state when it’s 3 units behind it (by that time the AI would have already rammed the player due to momentum)• AI will go into AGGRESSIVE state 70% of the time within the distance mentioned above

Complex AI ( Part V)AI Personalities ( continued … )• There are 3 types of personality AI can have

• SHY• Never goes into aggressive state• Exclusively follows its randomly chosen WP groups

• AI is in the high speed mode 50% of the time

Finely Tuned Physics Engine:• Focus on FUN and Playability over “accurate

simulation”

• Dynamic collisions( Between terrain, snowmobiles and obstacles )

• If at first it doesn’t work, try, try again.

Main Menu with Submenus ( Part I ):

• Main Menu with animated submenus ( All menus are screens )

Main Menu with Submenus ( Part II ):

• Main Menu with submenus ( All menus are screens )• Play

• Not a separate screen, but it is on main screen and it initiates start of game

• Controls • Separate screen

• High Scores ( Scores )• Input/Output involved

• Exit• Not a separate screen, but it is on main

screen and it exits the menu and overall the game.

Main Menu with Submenus ( Part III ):• High Scores ( a.k.a Scores. Looked at in greater

detail. )• Reading in from file for outputting existing high

scores to screen

• Writing to a file for saving high scores

• Top 5 scores stored

• Player gratification … FUN!!!

Detailed Snowmobile Models: • “Person” on the snowmobile is animated

• Moves up when the snow mobile jumps and sits down when the snow mobile is on the ground• More real and action look and “feel” of the game

• Snowmobile Models:• Different colored models• Detailed models for enhanced look

Integrated Game Sounds (Audio Effects) :

•Complete game sound effects ( multiple sounds per event )• Event-driven Sounds:

• Hitting against the rail• Various Landing Sounds ( sound randomly selected )• Numerous collision sounds• Cool Off & boost picked up sounds• Overheat alarm sound• Ready, Set, Go noise• Wipeout Sound• Lap Sound• Engine Sounds ( frequency adjusted to match RPM )

Game Indicators:•Game Indicators:

• overheating bar

• speedometer

• time

Varying Camera Angles:

•Varying camera angles

• Short dramatic camera angle during a boost ( zoom in & forward-like view )

• Default game camera angle ( side scrolling view )

How Visual Effects Implemented:

• Snow ( wrote a vertex program to modify the behavior of Electro Galaxy Implementation )

• Shadows• Sprite overlayed below the snowmobile• Attempted to modulate the ground texture with a shadow texture ( chose to not use it because it was not the best solution in Electro )

•Reflections: Electro Environment Maps

General Game Finite State Machine:

QUIT GAME

MAIN MENU

FSM designed by Anton German

CONTROLS HIGH SCORES

GAME LOOP Finish Line

Play

Exit

Concepts That Were Learned From Lectures and Attempted/Applied:• High Scores Screen• FSM concept was used in the game• Simple indicator bars•Physics incorporated into the game ( very essence of the game)• Menus/ User Interface -- important for a complete feel to the game• Artificial Intelligence ( AI )• FUN aspect of game is VERY important

Tradeoffs Made in the Game & Why:

• Originally we were going to have two-wheel bikes in the game:

• After testing the game out with a two-wheel bike we came to the conclusion that it’s extremely unstable.•Next we decided to use a two-wheeler in appearance, but in reality a four wheeler ( 2 invisible wheels ) – undesirable •ATV vehicle concept for the game:

•The ATV game was later scraped because we came to the conclusion the game was still not quite stable and was extremely BORING looking … •And that lead to the birth of eIF-Zero, a neat looking snowmobile game – very FUN and stable!!!

Some Thoughts …Q: How would you have approached the development of the game if you had the chance to do it all over again.

• Iterative complexity increase in the physics system ( not start from a two-wheel bike )• Refine pieces of the game throughout development• Choose the theme early on • Cole would have paid more attention to college math class

Q: How has this experience affected the way you think about commercial games

• Now we can really appreciate all the work that goes into a game• It’s MUCH easier to play the game than make one

FUN Features:• Boosts• Varying Camera Angles• Complex and challenging AI to compete against• High Score List• Exciting Physics • Complete game sound effects ( multiple sounds per event )• Challenging game play

• Overheating •Need to avoid situation by use of objects & smart game play

•Seek cool off rings and go through them• Time oriented game

Questions?

http://www.cs.uic.edu/~jtartako/BurningMouseStudio.html

Thank You

http://www.cs.uic.edu/~jtartako/BurningMouseStudio.html