Game Design 1


To be a valuable team member it is essential to be familiar with the various skills involved in a game project. You will likely prefer to be a writer, artist, designer, coder/dev or musician, but to have effective communication within your team requires an elementary knowledge and appreciation of all skill sets. So, you will be exposed to a variety of lessons designed to familiarize you with these various game project duties before choosing your BIG PROJECT.sjacobson (at) cdaschools.org

THE BEST STRATEGY is to turn in the work when it's due regardless of completion (a 60% is better than a zero) and then resubmit later for FULL CREDIT!
-Mr S Jacobson

0.0 Class Guide
REVIEW >> CLASS TIPS/GUIDE

0.1 Digital Citizenship

You were probably hoping to get right into game design/development but in order to meet graduation requirements, we have to review Digital Citizenship. But, we'll do it in a gameful way using SafeOnlineSurfing!

  • Complete ALL 7 areas and then provide the teacher a FULL SCREENSHOT of the checked off end map.


1. ART (skill not required)
Choose:
sprites, animation, web comic, or card game
[WEEK 1/2]

Sprites
Create a full sprite collection (20+ frames: main character, enemies, environment -see examples ) for your upcoming game using
Piskelapp or Pixelorama or Inkscape (installed)
Piskel Tutorial Series

Animation
Using Piskelapp or Wickeditor or Pencil2D
(30 sec complex animation) EXPORT as GIF or MP4
 EXAMPLES!!! Tutorials 1 Tutorials 2 Tutorials 3

Web Comic
Using Paint.net or GIMP or Pixilart.com (6 frames minimum)
You can host on tumblr, tapas.io or webtoons.com
Blake Wolf

Card Game
Template 2 x 4
Using Inkscape, GIMP, Paint.net, or Google Draw
example

TRICKS: Reference Pic Layer Tracing

Getting Art Game Ready
Piskelapp sheets

2. WRITING
CHOOSE: Twine or Inkle
[WEEK 3]
Make an original, illustrated, quality Choose Your Own Adventure using Twine (PUBLISH file) OR INKLEWRITER (SHARE link) Inkle requires account but saves in cloud! A 100% requires 15+ narrative blocks (100+ words each), 2-3 alternate endings, 8+ relevant (borrowed, sketched, photos) graphics. Images should be hosted on Imgur. Create an account. Get DIRECT link > e.g. https://something.com/something.jpg (or .png)

BUT I CAN'T WRITE!!!!!
DO WHAT THE PROS DO! -> DERIVATIVE + DERIVATIVE = ORIGINAL
"BORROW" from the PUBLIC DOMAIN

3. MUSIC
[WEEK 4]
Bring your own wired headset/earphones and choose one of the following

to create 3 original 30+ second music tracks (avoiding repetition and randomness) for your upcoming games. Possible themes: Intro, boss, win, adventure, pastoral, etc.

Beepbox Tutorial | Chrome Song Maker Tutorial

Chrome Music.mp4

4. Make an RPG
CHOOSE: Playground, Boss or WOLF
[Week 5]

Playground

Create an account and click the email activation

  1. Watch Intro tutorial then build your level using advanced conversations/quests, well designed multiple levels (door/warps), enemy fights, etc.

  2. PLEASE FOLLOW THE CHANNEL to enable more features sooner!

  3. Check Public, Save game, Click new link, copy the share link in the address bar of the new tab and SUBMIT (CREATE) via Schoology

  4. More tutorials can be found HERE.

EXAMPLES: Mr Severson BONUS! : Little Adventure : Massacre : Dungeon Fighter

BOSS

Installed on your class computer (C:\C11\RPGBoss\ - RIGHT-CLICK FILE and SEND TO DESKTOP SHORTCUT). Similar to the famous RPGMaker software only RPGBoss is FREE and exports easily to both Windows and Mac. One of the easiest game design tools to use and highly addictive!
For an A you must have an original imported title page, different music, multiple maps (indoor, underground, etc), warps and conversations.

Maniac Burners Master Class | Alternate tutorials [Tut1] [Tut2]

Hackable Item Sheet | Piskel Character Template or HERE | Hack/Import Files

Missing rpgboss.exe FILE?


WOLF

WOLF RPG Editor English is a game construction tool that can create complex role playing games. It is often regarded as being aimed at advanced users, so keep this in mind if you intend to use it. The original Japanese WOLF RPGエディター was developed and published by SmokingWOLF (SilverSecond). The English translation is provided by Velella Himmel (vgperson) and edited by Jeffrey Casey (Widderune).

REQUEST install or FIND in C:\C11 folder

RPG Playground

5. Make a game!
 CHOOSE: FUSION or GDevelop
[Weeks 6/7]

FUSION (already installed)
Five Nights at Freddy's , Freedom Planet , The Escapists , Baba Is You

HERE is the *.mfa TEMPLATE with Zelda/Platformer/Collector examples. Pick one and delete the other 2. Replace the graphics and sounds with your own and completely redecorate adding extra functionality.
SUBMIT the *.MFA file when done
 Template Video ::: More templates [HERE] ::: 100's of examples: NIVRAM's :::

Teacher template REPOSITORY HERE

GDEVELOP (download for Windows & install)
Top games made with GDevelop

Pick a STARTER or EXAMPLE and Switch out the graphics with those from the previous Piskel Sprite Sheet assignment and completely redecorate, also adding your own music from previously.
SUBMIT the PUBLISHED LINK when done (account required)
Teacher GDevelop templates HERE
THIS DUDE has some pretty sweet templates!


6. Make a 3D game and OC!!!
[Weeks 8/9]

BlocksmithXR - EASY VR/AR creation tool
already installed in C:\C11 folder

Be sure to create accounts!
Blocksmith/Tinkercad

Animated OC for MAX points! (see below)
SKELETON FILE (download-open in blender)

EASY ANIMATED OC
XR Builder 6.6.2.15 - Untitled 2022-03-13 12-15-43.mp4

END OF QUARTER


PLAN Your PROJECT!
COPY, FILL OUT >>> THIS PROJECT TEMPLATE

  1. Bottom line... Don't overthink it!

  2. PLAN an ORIGINAL CREATIVE DIGITAL** PROJECT based on a previous lesson or investigate something NEW just keep yourself inspired and progressing

  3. ALSO, come up with a BACKUP PROJECT option in case your first project stalls for any reason)

  4. Submit the SHARE LINK via the Schoology Create tab

  5. ADD a new dated entry at the end of every week

** Must be able to work on it during class and not require ADMIN install privileges. Also, NO Minecraft or Roblox.

EXAMPLE:

REAL PROJECTS

Continuing Explorations Path

For those seeking more options, you will be doing this CONTINUING EXPLORATION TRACK.
UPDATE your project page accordingly.

  • Every 2 weeks you'll be choosing to EXPLORE "on your own" one of the 2 listed options.

  • Make it original, go as far as you can

  • Post work details, links and screenshots WEEKLY.

WEEK 11/12
CONSTRUCT
Create account. Install. Browse examples (game/barebones templates)
Send .C3P file at end of the 2 weeks
OR
CLOUD NOVEL - HELP
Sign up, create, publish and share link

WEEK 13/14
Game Maker Studio! - Youtube TUT : Also has built-in tuts.
already installed in C:\C11 folder
OR
Wickeditor - EXAMPLES Tutorials 1 Tutorials 2 Tutorials 3

WEEK 15/16
MakeCode Arcade
Complete THIS and THIS and THIS and provide the 3 SHARE links
OR
APP LAB

WEEK 17/18
microStudio
Complete Levels 1-3 and provide the 3 SHARE links
OR
THUNKABLE - HELP
Create original app and share link

YOUR NAME: <HERE>

PROJECT TITLE: CONTINUING EXPLORATION TRACK

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: I’ll be exploring the following 4 tools. <remove 1 from each pair of choices>

CONSTRUCT OR CLOUD NOVEL

Game Maker Studio OR Wickeditor

MakeCode Arcade OR APP LAB
microStudio OR THUNKABLE

END OF COURSE!

Additional Project Choices:

You are mostly on your own with these excellent choices but they are all well worth the extra effort!

GODOT - an up and coming Unity contender (python-like GD Script)
https://godottutorials.com/
https://academy.zenva.com/course/godot-101

microStudio - a free all-in-one web based game engine with excellent tutorials (JavaScript, Python or Lua)

RAYLIB (C) / Defold (Lua)

APP INVENTOR / THUNKABLE / APP LAB (Block)

LEARN 3D Modelling with BLENDER
Find a good tut! already installed in C:\C11 folder
Making Characters Fast

Rigging in Blender

Short But Sweet Rigging Tutorial THANKS Mr Gower!!!

UNITY - popular indie dev platform
Find a good tut! already installed. Try the 2D & 3D Game Kits!

CONSTRUCT
Top games made with Construct

CREATE AN ACCOUNT AND INSTALL AS APP to access exporting and advanced features and so you can use OFFLINE!
SUBMIT *.C3P FILE (PROJECT-SAVE AS-SINGLE FILE-NAME)

Choose one of the EXAMPLE BROWSER TEMPLATES to make your own by replacing ALL graphics and sound effects! Enlarge the level and rearrange the layout.
Additional teacher templates HERE.

Game Maker Studio!
Spelunky, Undertale, Shovel Knight, Hyperlight Drifter, Forager
already installed in C:\C11 folder
---Youtube TUT : Also has built-in

MISCELLANEOUS