Programming
Intermediate Game Design
This badge is only available for students who (a) have used Construct 3 to create games in the mobile gaming course or (b) have already completed the "Basic Game Design" badge for the web design course. To earn this badge, you will create a new game from scratch using Construct 3.
Since platform games are the basis of the "Basic Game Design" badge, you cannot earn this badge by completing a platform game. You must create a new type of game, and -- in the process -- you should be exposed to new programming concepts. Possible game genres might include: a space shooter, a role-playing game in which a character gains levels and abilities, a tower defense game, a puzzle physics game, a tile shuffling puzzle game, a political trivia game, a racing game, or some sort of hybrid game.
In designing this new game, you are not required to create the game entirely from scratch. In fact, you are encouraged to create the basic template for the game by following along with tutorials in Construct 3 development manuals or on the Scirra site.
BADGE DELIVERABLES
- Begin by researching the range of possibilities. Point your browser at the Scirra site, and search for the top-rated games in the Scirra Arade. After examining some of the top-rated games, be sure to review examples of different game genres by exploring the "categories" list.
- Search the Scirra forums for other tutorials. The game development tutorials are distributed throughout the forums along with lessons that focus on core programming concepts, so you will have to dig deep into the forums. Keep your eyes peeled for posts with titles like "How to create your own Flappy Bird game" or "Building a tower defense game."
- Begin reading up on the new programming concepts that you will need to incorporate in your game. These include the following topics: data arrays, using loops with arrays, functions, and families. Don't stress about the new material. Read through the postings and jot down any questions you have about how the concepts might be employed in a game.
- Search the Scirra Store and the Open Game Art repository for artwork and other assets that you might be able to incorporate in your game.
- Review the PowerPoint deck that accompanied Stone Librande's ground-breaking presentation on "One-Page Design Documents" at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in 2010. Please make sure that you've read through the deck in PowerPoint with the speaker's notes enabled. You can find examples of documents that were created for the games Day of the Pinata, Catty Fish, Crossroads DX, and Gangnam Game.
- Synthesize all of your game ideas in a one-page design document, and send me a copy of this document via e-mail.
- Schedule a meeting during my office hours to chat about your game concept. I'll do my best to point you in the right direction, and to define manageable deliverables for your game. This is just one badge, so I will do my best to help you narrow the scope.
- Build out a rough version of the game, and maintain a log as you go. Be sure to include comments in your code.
- When you've finished a rough draft of the game, send me a link to the game. You should also share it with friends and classmates, and ask for their feedback.
- After reviewing the game, I'll work with you to come up with a short list of things that need to be changed or tweaked in order to officially complete the badge. (Students from mobile gaming, do not despair. These changes will not be as extensive as the changes required on your final projects. This is just one badge.)
- When you have finished your game, publish the game and upload all of the relevant files to a subfolder on the class web server. Then, in a short blog posting (approximately 4 to 6 paragraphs), debrief the game development process. How did it go? What problems did you encounter, and how did you solve them? How do you feel about Construct 3 now that you've created two very different types of games? What do you want to learn how to do next? Your blog post should include screenshots of your code along with screenshots of gameplay, and you should include a hyperlink to your game on the class web server. All badge write-ups should be posted to your personal blog.
- To formally complete the badge assignment, please e-mail me with the subject line "Pending: Intermediate Basic Game Design" and include the link to your blog posting in the e-mail message.
USEFUL RESOURCES
- Official Construct 3 Manual, January 2017.
- "Gallery of public domain game art," Open Game Art, January 2017.
- "Free sound clips, bites, and effects," Sound Bible, January 2017.