Lecture 4, Maybe I've got this a bit wrong. And here comes a bomb.

 Lecture 4
 Now after two weeks of doing the sort of same thing again, I am starting to wonder more and more whether my course is mostly playing game. After last week of playing games from the internet, for actual research into other peoples games and needing a working model of our game by today we had to explain and watch people play test my teams game and likewise the same with other peoples games.

So as a group our current stage is that we have two games that are similar and and have to whittle it down to one. So our main objective of the play test is that we have to see which game our peers prefer to play. So setting up the play test we got all kinds on comments, that good things about the game, the bad things and constructive criticism on how we could improve our games. While play testing them we had similar positive feed back from both games which didn't really help the team to decide which game to develop.

However after an interesting conversation with our lecturer we were to why has there got to be a decision on what game we should do, why not do the both of them. So as a group we thought about this and how we could go about developing each game at the same time. As a team we decided to go with the two ideas, making a two in one game to play, letting other people decide on which one they would like to play. So as a team we are going to go further and make two games for our first Board game.

However feeling like a bomb is approaching us, we have three concerns. One that next week on Tuesday I will be away from the group as I am heading with other Uni friends to Nottingham GameCity festival until Saturday. Then the week after that is the presentation and on top of that, Peter, one of my team mate is to be heading to London Monday to Thursday evening, with the presentation on Friday afternoon, it seems that it will be a little bit more of a push to get both games finished but we will make it possible. but sure we will do it.

Further Development

Now from our last meeting we had on Monday we came up with a board game concept. Now by Friday (tomorrow) we have to have a working prototype of the game so we can play test it to see how it works and what other people thing of it.

So from the previous meeting we had decided to use blocks for the structural material to use to play the game. Ideally we want Jenga blocks but none of us could find them and Peter lives in University accommodation and I'm sure not many students bring a Jenga set to Uni from where they lived. So instead Fraser brought some plastics domino pieces (good old Fraser). 

Now thinking about the game I have came up with the decision in which changed the structure and play of the game where there is a set way to build a Pyramid with 30 blocks in a 4x4 base then 3x3 2x2 and 1. You roll the dice to determine how many blocks you place first to start your pyramid. However if you roll a Six then you can do either of three things, that is add the six to your pyramid, roll the dice again and whatever number shows you can take that number of blocks away from the other player and back in the middle. Or if the player is close to finishing then the you can use the Pendulum once to try and knock the pyramid down. 

So we discussed and couldn't decide which game to go with so we will take both tomorrow to a test session with the class and see which one of the games they like the most. 

Initial Idea to Take Over

Now before this Friday we have been told to have a working prototype of our game. Well at the moment we haven't really got any game, its all different ideas in our head in which we have to get down onto paper, so not much.

From a little bit of research behind the picture that Bridget Riley Painted, 'Ease', we found out that it was painted in Egypt and around the theme of it. After todays meeting together in the group and the recurring word 'destruction' in a brain storm, after a couple of hours of debating some ideas. we came up with the idea of building, like Egyptians did with the Pyramids (see more of a connection) and well having some mechanism which you can use to destroy.

So the basics of the game is that two players have two minutes to build build a structure that is strong and resist to knocks. After the two minutes each player rolls a dice and whatever number appears on the Dice (this is where the destruction part comes in) that player gets that number of tries to knock down the other players structure with a pendulum. The number of blocks that are on top on each other are the number of points that you get for that round. Over 5 rounds, the person who has had the most number of blocks left on top of each other wins.

Now from this by Friday we have to have a working prototype. and we have scheduled another meeting for Thursday too so we can review what we have to use as a prototype as well.

Lecture 3, well this was nothing like a lecture

Not much to say today but for everyone who asks me 'Will you be playing games all day then on your course', I do now formally say I am sorry (-ish). For the duration of my 3 hour lecture today, we played GAMES. Yes, board games for "Research" which has actually helped as I have realised that all board games involve you going around space by space on a shape and on a chipboard board.

Even better these were brand new games which you can get and make from the internet easily. The website we got the games from is called CheapAss, yes the Company which makes the games is called Cheap Ass Games. Why, because they make games which you can download and make the game board required from paper and download the instructions to play the game. Then you use little counter pieces which you might have around the house to use as players and a dice. Simple, fun and all for free (may I suggest Take-Back-Toe and Devil Bunny needs a Ham (don't ask because I'm still not sure and I have played the game)).

So in all, a very productive day (fun also). Ohh and also by next week, we have to have a working model of the game, lots of meetings to report next week.

The Official Start

Today, what I would call my first official lesson/ lecture (that's what Uni students are to call lessons) in the module, I had the task of presenting myself to the class.

Form the previous lecture going through the course module handbook (dull and boring) and getting our mission for the first semester, the class was also given a advanced, get to know you task to present yourself and favorite childhood board game to the class. This weeks lesson I was presenting myself to the class and my favorite childhood board game which I decided to do Jenga. It had to be 5 slides long, no more or no less and present it in 5 minutes.

Now presenting in front of people, big or small (small being 10-ish people) I have always found it a bit hard but over years I have been trying to develop my confidence and presenting skills at any opportunity available to me to get to grips with doing it. Thankfully, for the first time it really helped with all the practicing I have got in. It went really well as my lecturer is said to be very critical to bad things that you have done ,but he didn't say anything bad just good. Woo hoo.

So that was very good. Then the exciting part happened, form the first week of being given our task, we got to choose who we wanted to be in a teams with. Thankfully I would happily say that I have a very good, kind, friendly and most of all smart people in my team called Fraser and Peter. A good friend I have met in Uni and another friend who has come up with me from College.

And as the A-Team we went to go and get our image in which we had to base our board game around. Well at random choice, PETER choose this very weird strange picture by a girl called Bridget Riley called 'Ease'. Well to finish off this post, please offer us as a team good luck (Image beside).

Bridget Riley 'Ease'.

Our Object

Details.....
Objective..... Create two full working board games
Count Down ....... T- 2016 hours (12 weeks)
Location..... University of Wales, Newport 

As the blog description says above, this is a blog showing the progress through the Computer Games Design module 'The World Played and Controlled'. In my very first lecture for the module, we were given our mission objective, 'Control the World'. Ha ha, joke. Our actual task to create two fully functioning board games within 12 weeks.

Why two. Well, divided into two, I have six weeks to create one and the other six for the other. The first board game we have to create comes with a circumstance, the game we have to create has to be based around a randomly given picture by and artist. The other (better one) has to be a physical game that takes a considered
game mechanic from a digital game and rethinks it in physical form, so basically design a game which is based around a game mechanic.

For now, more of the focus is going on the first board game. From the picture in which I will be given within a team of three people, the game doesn't need to be based around the theme of the picture of the elements of the picture only. It can if we want to but it could be based around where the artist original idea can from or an even deeper meaning.

Well now briefed and given our mission objective. My official start time is in next weeks lecture when we will be assigned into teams and given our initial start plans for our first board.