y1 gd engine_terminology amy brockbank

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Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games IG2 Task 1 Produce a glossary of terms specific to the methods and principles of Video Game Design and Video Game Terms. Using a provided template, you must research and gather definitions specific to provided glossary terms. Any definitions must be referenced with the URL link of the website you have obtained the definition. You must also, where possible, provide specific details of how researched definitions relate to your own production practice. Name: Amy Brockbank RESEARCHED DEFINITION (provide short internet researched definition and URL link) DESCRIBE THE RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCHED TERM TO YOUR OWN PRODUCTION PRACTICE? IMAGE SUPPORT (Provide an image and/or video link of said term being used in a game) VIDEO GAMES / VIDEO GAME TESTI NG Demo “A game demo is a freely distributed piece of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Game_demo A demo is a small piece of a finished game that is made available to the public so they can try the game. In my own production practice, I would use a demo to show off parts of the finished game, so people who like the look of the game could try it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-Iykz0gb7Q Video showing off Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, which was a demo designed to show off the HDR lighting in Half- Life 2. Beta A beta is software still under development that is made available to a select few to test, examine, and report problems they face. A beta is the stage in a game’s life cycle where it is nearing completion, and about to be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gu_bN21AsY Video showing off beta footage of Battlefield: Hardline 1

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Page 1: Y1 gd engine_terminology amy brockbank

Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Produce a glossary of terms specific to the methods and principles of Video Game Design and Video Game Terms. Using a provided template, you must research and gather definitions specific to provided glossary terms. Any definitions must be referenced with the URL link of the website you have obtained the definition.

You must also, where possible, provide specific details of how researched definitions relate to your own production practice.

Name: Amy Brockbank RESEARCHED DEFINITION (provide short internet researched definition and URL link)

DESCRIBE THE RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCHED TERM TO YOUR OWN PRODUCTION PRACTICE?

IMAGE SUPPORT (Provide an image and/or video link of said term being used in a game)

VIDEO GAMES / VIDEO GAME TESTING

Demo “A game demo is a freely distributed piece of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_demo

A demo is a small piece of a finished game that is made available to the public so they can try the game.

In my own production practice, I would use a demo to show off parts of the finished game, so people who like the look of the game could try it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-Iykz0gb7Q

Video showing off Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, which was a demo designed to show off the HDR lighting in Half-Life 2.

Beta A beta is software still under development that is made available to a select few to test, examine, and report problems they face. Beta testing allows developers to find problems they may have missed and fix them before the program is released.

Often there are two beta testing phases, open beta and closed beta. An open beta also known as a public beta refers to beta testing that is open to any user, who is known as a beta tester. Closed beta refers to beta testing that is only available to a select few individuals or

A beta is the stage in a game’s life cycle where it is nearing completion, and about to be finished.

In my own production practice, during the beta phase, I would start making sure that everything is finalised, and any last bugs will be worked out of the code.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gu_bN21AsY

Video showing off beta footage of Battlefield: Hardline

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

company employees only. Many games in development have an open beta for several months and allow anyone interested in the game to play and report problems.

http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/b/beta.htm

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--kl4tevBb--/q0r5sr3kccqdbasd5lyr.png

Screenshot of Battlefield: Hardline beta footage.Alpha A very early version of a software

product that may not contain all of the features that are planned for the final version. Typically, software goes through two stages of testing before it is considered finished. The first stage, called alpha testing, is often performed only by users within the organization developing the software.

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/alpha_version.html

An alpha is the stage around about in the middle of a game’s life cycle, where more assets are being added.

In my own production practice, I would make sure that, during the alpha stage, I would add more visual appeal, and start to add more features to gameplay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MiMjQwd2VE

Developers of the game ‘Shadowrun Returns’ showing off Alpha footage of the game.

Pre-Alpha Pre-Alpha is a standard term to denote a number of interim milestones between prototyping and alpha, each of which includes new functionality and/or game content. Pre-alphas often mandate incremented improvements on a number

A pre-alpha is around about the start of a game’s life cycle, everything looks pretty rough, but the basic idea is there.

In my own production practice,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNv9PbRxg14

Pre-Alpha gameplay footage of Unreal Tournament 4

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

of parallel areas in a project, but rarely expect any one of those areas to be complete. The exact content of each pre-alpha is often an ongoing discussion between producers on the team and those at the publisher.

Pre-alphas are usually followed by alpha, beta, release candidate and gold master milestones.

http://www.whatgamesare.com/pre-alpha.html

I would make sure that idea and concept works before adding any visual effects or tweaking the level design.

Gold A game has "Gone Gold" when the final master copy has been produced at the developer and sent off for replication, packaging and shipment. The game is not yet released, but it will typically be around 2-3 weeks (sometimes less) before it begins appearing on store shelves and online pre-orders arriving at doorsteps. The term itself comes from the old practice of recordable CDs being manufactured with gold film. Hence the gold coloured CD actually being the source, with no reference to copies sold as in the recording industry.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gone%20Gold

When a game is gold, it is almost finished, any last minute bugs are being fixed, no changes to visuals should happen.

In my own production practice, I would make sure that at the gold stage, my game is completely finished. I may push updates out after the game’s release if there are any serious bugs left in the game, but I should aim to completely leave the game alone at this point.

http://www.gametrailers.com/side-mission/files/2013/09/DestinyBoxArt640.jpg

Image showing the box art of the game Destiny on the PS4 and Xbox One. Games that have gone gold generally tend to have physical releases at this

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

stage.Debug In computers, debugging is the process of

locating and fixing or bypassing bugs (errors) in computer program code or the engineering of a hardware device. To debug a program or hardware device is to start with a problem, isolate the source of the problem, and then fix it.

http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/

definition/debugging

A debug is where developers try to get rid of bugs in the game to fix anything that shouldn’t happen.

In my own production practice, it would be important to keep debugging my game so the game works and doesn’t break during gameplay.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debug_menu#mediaviewer/File:Mario64debug.png

Image showing the Debug menu of the game ‘Super Mario 64’Automation In software testing, test automation is

the use of special software (separate from the software being tested) to control the execution of tests and the comparison of actual outcomes with predicted outcomes. Test automation can automate some repetitive but necessary tasks in a formalized testing process already in place, or add additional testing that would be difficult to perform manually.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Automation is a type of testing that is mainly left to run by itself.

In my own production practice, it would be important to use automation to test the game and keep it bug free.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbSlW8jZFe8

Video detailing what automation is, and when it is best to use it.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Test_automation

http://www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~cah/G53QAT/Report08/jas06u-WebPage/figure11.jpg

Image explaining the process of automation.White-Box Testing

White-box testing is a methodology used to ensure and validate the internal framework, mechanisms, objects and components of a software application. White-box testing verifies code according to design specifications and uncovers application vulnerabilities.

http://www.techopedia.com/definition/3891/white-box-testing

In my own production practice, it would be important to use white-box testing in the same way it would be important to use automation, so bugs can be worked out of the code before the game goes gold.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bJcvBLJViQ

Video explaining what white-box testing is and some of the methods used in white-box testing.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pm4v3moJJXM/UNYGq1uaZSI/AAAAAAAAC4s/HfySQPvDSvE/s1600/White+Box+Testing.png

Image explaining the process behind White-Box TestingBug A software bug is a problem causing a

program to crash or produce invalid output. The problem is caused by insufficient or erroneous logic. A bug can be an error, mistake, defect or fault, which may cause failure or deviation from expected results.

http://www.techopedia.com/definition/24864/software-bug-

A bug is a glitch in the code of the game, bugs will generally cause gameplay to act irregularly or crash the game.

In my own production practice, it would be important to get all of the bugs out of the game’s code, so the gameplay doesn’t crash or behave incorrectly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3g2840zXKY

Video showing various bugs in various games and what they do.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

http://venturebeat.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/skyrim-bug-e1329535460985.jpg

Image of a glitch in the game Skyrim. Riding a horse in this game can be quite buggy.

GAME ENGINES

Vertex Shader

A programmable function in display adapters that offers a graphics application programmer flexibility in rendering an image. The vertex shader is used to transform the attributes of vertices (points of a triangle) such as colour, texture, position and direction from the original colour space to the display space. It allows the original objects to be distorted or reshaped in any manner.

http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/53754/vertex-shader

A vertex shader allows for 3D models to be changed however is needed to change the look of the model.

In my own production practice, I would use a Vertex Shader to change the look of 3D models to suit the game accordingly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZNJ_KytrE4

Video detailing how Vertex Shaders and UV Maps work together

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

GAME ENGINES

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

http://www.adobe.com/inspire-archive/january2011/articles/article1/images/1_shaders.jpg

Image explaining what vertex shaders do.Pixel Shader Pixel Shaders create ambiance with

materials and surfaces that mimic reality. An infinite number of material effects replace the artificial, computerized look with high-impact organic surfaces. Characters now have facial hair and blemishes, golf balls have dimples, a red chair gains a subtle leather look, and wood exhibits texture and grain. By altering the lighting and surface effects, artists are able to manipulate colours, textures, or shapes and to generate complex, realistic scenes.

http://www.nvidia.co.uk/object/feature_pixelshader.html

A pixel shader changes the look of the textures in the game to make them look more realistic and life-like.

In my own production practice, I would use a pixel shader to create more detail on 3D models and environments, so they look much more realistic.

http://assets.overclock.net.s3.amazonaws.com/4/4e/4e776cf7_vbattach2843.jpeg

Image illustrating the difference between having no pixel shader vs using Pixel Shader 3.0

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Post Processing

Post processing allows different effects to be performed on the scene after it has been rendered, but before outputting it to the viewport… Examples of elements and effects include bloom (HDR blooming effect on bright objects), depth of field, motion blur, ambient occlusion, and material effects, which are custom materials run on the final scene image.

http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/PostProcessEffectsHome.html

Post Processing effects allow the game to look a certain way after completion of models and environments.

In my own production practice, it would be important to use post processing effects to make the game look a certain way after the game had been rendered.

http://www.illgaming.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/deadtrigger2.png

Image illustrating post-processing effects in Dead Trigger in the basic version and the version running on the Tegra 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4S__Nyi3t0

Video from the developers of Overgrowth explaining what post processing effects do.

Rendering The term rendering refers to the calculations performed by a 3D software package’s render engine to translate the scene from a mathematical approximation to a finalized 2D image. During the process, the entire scene’s spatial, textural, and lighting information are combined to determine the colour value of each pixel in the flattened image.

http://3d.about.com/od/3d-101-The-Basics/a/Rendering-Finalizing-The-3d-Image.htm

Rendering is the process that allows a 3D image to be turned into a 2D image to be shown on screen.

In my own production practice, it would be important to use rendering to create a 3D image on screen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ysc9PViwgM

Video explaining what rendering is

Normal Normal Maps and Bump Maps both serve A normal map is a texture that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHzIx41eiD4

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Map the same purpose: they simulate the impression of a detailed 3D surface, by modifying the shading as if the surface had lots of small angles, rather than being completely flat. Because it's just modifying the shading of each pixel, this will not cast any shadows and will not obstruct other objects.

[Normal maps] are images that store a direction, the direction of normals directly in the RGB values of an image. They are much more accurate, as rather than only simulating the pixel being away from the face along a line, they can simulate that pixel being moved at any direction, in an arbitrary way.

http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.4/Manual/Textures/Influence/Material/

Bump_and_Normal

allows more detail to be applied to a 3D model without using large amounts of triangles.

In my own production practice, I would use a normal map to add more details onto a 3D model, so processing power could be saved.

Video detailing what a normal map is.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Normal_map_example.png/800px-Normal_map_example.png

Image illustrating how much detail can be added to a model using normal maps.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Entity Entity: A unique ID that tags each game-object as a separate item.

http://entity-systems.wikidot.com/

An entity is an object within a game that can be interacted with.

In my own production practice, I would use entities to separate between interactive items and items that are merely there for show and cannot be interacted with.

http://blog.playcanvas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Entity-context.jpg

Image of an entity being edited.UV Map UV mapping is the 3D modeling process

of making a 2D image representation of a 3D model's surface.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UV_mapping

A UV map is a flattened out 3D model, which is then easier to texture without distortion.

In my own production practice, I would use a UV map so I could put textures onto 3D models correctly, without the textures distorting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIvTUDgaXik

Video detailing how UV maps work and how to create one.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

http://goanna.cs.rmit.edu.au/~gl/teaching/Interactive3D/2012/images/uv-unwrap.jpg

Image detailing what a UV Map looks like on and off a 3D model.Procedural Texture

Procedural textures take an entirely different approach. Instead of creating an image by defining a large, unchanging block of pixels, procedurals create the texture from the ground up. This is where the term 'procedural' comes from. The texture is defined only by the procedure needed to create it. You only need to give the computer a (relatively) small formula, instead of a huge block of pixels. With this formula, the computer is able to create the texture at any scale, in any orientation, extending as far as you need.

http://www.upvector.com/?section=Tutorials&subsection=Intro%20to

%20Procedural%20Textures

A procedural texture is a texture that changes with the model, and can be resized or changed in any way.

In my own production practice, I would use procedural textures for texturing large models without having the texture stretch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtWpdJ92QrY

Example of how Procedural Textures are used in 3D modelling

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

http://www.csee.umbc.edu/~ebert/691/Au00/Notes/Images/slide51.jpg

Example of how procedural textures can be changed.

Physics Computer animation physics or game physics involves the introduction of the laws of physics into a simulation or game engine, particularly in 3D computer graphics, for the purpose of making the effects appear more real to the observer. Typically, simulation physics is only a close approximation to real physics, and computation is performed using discrete values.

There are several elements that form components of simulation physics including the physics engine, program code that is used to simulate Newtonian physics within the environment, and

Physics make movement and the way objects interact with the player in a game more realistic

In my own production practice, I would use physics so objects would move and react realistically within the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7xojE8I3X4

Video showing off the physics and destruction engine in ‘Next Car Game’

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

collision detection, used to solve the problem of determining when any two or more physical objects in the environment cross each other's path.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_physics

http://img9.mmo.mmo4arab.com/news/2012/05/29/revolutionary_soft_body_physics_in_cryengine3_640.jpg

Image showing off Soft-Body physics in Cry Engine 3.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Collision Collision detection algorithmically calculates impact time by identifying two or more object intersection points. Collision detection is also a virtual interface that determines user and object distance for collision prevention. Collision detection is a key 3-D component associated with robotics, video games and physical simulation.

http://www.techopedia.com/definition/4778/collision-detection

Collision is the calculation that detects when two entities touch each other.

In my own production practice, I would use collision detection to detect whenever two entities collide with one another. Depending on the entity, it may take damage from the collision.

http://www.silverlightshow.net/Storage/Users/MisterGoodcat/__image_10.png

Image showing the collision on the hit boxes of two sprites

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

http://www.heroicvirtuecreations.com/images/twodballtowall.PNG

Image showing how collision detection works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RpZRL-Vt_M

Video explaining how Disney uses collision detection in their animations.Lighting Setting the right atmosphere and mood is

important in any type of game. From Myst-like puzzles to real time strategy to first person shooters, lighting plays a huge role in how players interact with a game’s world are impacted by it. Mysterious and horror games meant to keep players on the edge of their seats usually have darker environments, punctuated by brighter areas and objects

Lighting is the process that lights up the environment of a game to add atmosphere to the game.

In my own production practice, I would use lighting to add atmosphere to my game by lighting certain areas in certain colours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCSRSxET0FA

Video explaining how lighting is used in video games

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

to ensure you notice them. Other genres tend to use more balanced lighting systems, and games that are praised for their appearance masterfully paint their worlds onto our screens, the environments telling stories of their own. Lighting is a topic which merits an in-depth study all on its own; most artists spend years mastering the subtleties of light and color. This article will introduce you to the key concepts of light in computer graphics and how to use it effectively.

http://buildnewgames.com/lighting/

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SyHZijCdJBI/Ra9p8oHaUYI/AAAAAAAAABE/AmXvCJjkbL8/s1600-h/hdrrendering01.jpg

Image showing what a game looks like with or without High Dynamic Range (HDR) lighting

http://www.gdn9.com/userfiles/ambient.jpg

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

AA – Anti-Aliasing

Antialiasing is a technique for softening or blurring sharp edges so they appear less jagged when rendered.Antialiasing is accomplished by multisampling each pixel at multiple pixel locations and combining the samples to generate a final pixel colour. Increasing the number of samples per pixel increases the amount of antialiasing which generates a smoother edge. 4x multisampling requires four samples per pixel and 2x multisampling requires two samples per pixel.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb976069.aspx

AA makes the lines between objects in a game look less jagged and more smooth.

In my own production practice, I would use AA to make the lines of my 3D models smoother and more lifelike

http://www.markhamilton.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Antialiasing.png

Image detailing how a triangle looks when anti-aliasing is applied to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqi0114mwtY

Video explaining what anti-aliasing is and how it affects the look of a game.

LoD – Level of Detail

Level of detail is a general design term for video game landscapes in which closer objects are rendered with more polygons than objects that are farther away. Generally speaking, the level of detail is dictated by the game's system requirements. Given the power of modern processors, very little degradation in the level of detail is noticeable anymore.

Level of detail renders objects differently at different distances to save on processing power.

In my own production practice, I would use LOD to render objects at certain distances, so objects wouldn’t have to be high quality all the time, so I could decrease the amount of

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G2sbjJ7c3k

Video detailing what LOD is, and how to implement it in 3DS Max.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

http://www.techopedia.com/definition/11791/level-of-detail-lod

processing power the game would need to run.

http://hydrogen2014imac.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/level_of_detail2.jpg

Image showing the level of detail on the model of a rabbit at different distances.Animation A simulation of movement created by

displaying a series of pictures, or frames. Cartoons on television is one example of animation. Animation on computers is one of the chief ingredients of multimedia presentations. There are many software applications that enable you to create animations that you can display on a computer monitor.

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/animation.html

Animation is the way the game moves about, whether it be 2D or 3D.

In my own production practice, I would use animation to make objects appear to be moving in the game world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4xJaXLE_98

Video tutorial on how to create 3D animations for video games.

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/Files/3798/5/Games_img027.jpg

Image showing the different stages of animation in the Street Fighter 3 character, Ryu.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Sprite A sprite is a bitmap graphic that is designed to be part of a larger scene. It can either be a static image or an animated graphic. Examples of sprites include objects in 2D video games, icons that are part of an application user interface, and small images published on websites.

http://www.techterms.com/definition/sprite

A sprite is a 2D image that is used within the game, they can be static or they can move.

In my own production practice, I would use sprites in 2D games, so I could separate interactive objects with non-interactive objects in the game world.

https://cdn.tutsplus.com/webdesign/uploads/legacy/tuts/373_sprites/angry_birds.png

Sprite sheet example from the mobile game ‘Angry Birds’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tCPzzcBW-4

Video detailing how to create a sprite from scratch in Game Maker.Scene Many games have something called a

scene graph. This is a big data structure that contains all of the objects in the world. The rendering engine uses this to determine where to draw stuff on the screen.

http://gameprogrammingpatterns.com/dirty-flag.html

A scene is the background of a game, or in a 3D game, the layout of the room around the player

In my own production practice, I would use a scene to separate what is interactive and what isn’t within the game world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEKSlsQYhtU

Video explaining how different objects can be interacted with in a scene.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Library A software library is a suite of data and programming code that is used to develop software programs and applications. It is designed to assist both the programmer and the programming language compiler in building and executing software.

http://www.techopedia.com/definition/3828/software-library

A library is a set of code designed to help develop games or other software.

In my own production practice, I would use a library to help with building up code for my game.

http://i.msdn.microsoft.com/dynimg/IC540486.png

Image showing libraries for different Microsoft platforms.

UI UI, or User Interface, refers to the methods (keyboard control, mouse control) and interfaces (inventory screen, map screen) through which a user interacts with your game.

http://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/tutorials/game-ui-by-example-a-crash-course-

in-the-good-and-the-bad--gamedev-3943

UI stands for User Interface and it is what the player interacts with while in game.

In my own production practice, I would use UI to make it easier for the player to interact with the game. The UI I create shouldn’t be confusing or cluttered to risk confusing the player.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCBBQm2QAFY

Video showing Darksiders II’s UI designer redesigning the game’s UI for use on an iPad.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

http://www.thatgamesux.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/full_inventory.jpg

Image showing the UI of Skyrim’s inventory screen.Frames If we measure how quickly the game loop

cycles in terms of real time, we get the game’s “frames per second”. If the game loop cycles quickly, the FPS is high and the game moves smoothly and quickly. If it’s slow, the game jerks along like a stop motion movie.

http://gameprogrammingpatterns.com/game-loop.html

Frames make the game run faster or slower depending on how many there are.

In my own production practice, I would make sure that the FPS of my game was quite high, so that the gameplay is smooth and responsive.

http://slowmotioncamera.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/OvercrankingTimelineForSlowMotion.png

Image showing the difference between the 10 FPS and 20 FPS using a camera and a projector as examples.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Concept The first stage of designing a game is coming up with a concept. This is the idea you will base your design and development activity around. Picture your game and try to give it a category: is it a platformer, an adventure game, or a shooter?

https://www.udemy.com/blog/designing-games/

A concept is the initial idea of a game, which can then be developed into the full thing.

In my own production practice, I would come up with the concept for my game before anything else, as that is what I would be basing gameplay and visuals from.

http://conceptartworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Remember_Me_Concept_Art_by_Paul_Chadeisson_01b.jpg

Image showing concept art from the game ‘Remember Me’Event In computer programming, event-driven

programming is a programming paradigm in which the flow of the program is determined by events such as user actions (mouse clicks, key presses), sensor outputs, or messages from other programs/threads. Event-driven programming is the dominant paradigm used in graphical user interfaces and other applications (e.g. JavaScript web applications) that are centred around performing certain actions in response to user input.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Event-driven_programming

In my own production practice, I would use events to make the certain parts of the game interactive.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

http://oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu/~chelberg/research/images/GPSvis.jpg

An image showing where events occur in a game engine.Pathfinding Pathfinding or pathing is the plotting, by

a computer application, of the shortest route between two points.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinding

In my own production practice, I would use pathfinding on enemies, so they know where to go and how to attack the player in the game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_AurmdOnw4

Tutorial video on pathfinding AI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinding#mediaviewer/File:Pathfinding_2D_Illustration.svg

Image showing the paths of two entities

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