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Thursday 14 January 2016

Appleseed Alpha - Practice Assignment 2

Appleseed Alpha – Movie Story

Characters
  • Two Horns – He wants money
  • Talos - Wants power and access to Iris and the huge weapon
  • Iris - 
  • Olson - Wants to protect Iris and stay away from the cyborgs
  • Briareos

Beginning
  • Two characters, a female (Deunan) and a cyborg (Briareos) are trying to transport some sort of vaccine on a train. They are attacked and the train crashes, so they have to go into the city (destroyed New York.)
  • They talk to their boss, Two Horns who wants the vaccine, but they don’t have it anymore.
  • They meet a junk collector called Matthews who charges Briareos.


Middle
  • They go to clear out a town that’s full of robots, and save a man called Olson and a girl called Iris that are driving through the town. They decide to help each other out.
  • It becomes clear that there has been a war, and they are trying to clean up all the hostile robots that are left over.
  • A group of robots land in town and are trying to track the main characters, it turns out Iris is wanted by the robots. It’s their “mission.”
  • Two Horns tracks them down and attacks them with a tank.
  • Iris blows up the tank.


End
  • The bad guys get Iris and guy and take them away in a helicopter. They kill Olson.
  • Iris it taken to a hidden underground area storing a huge weapon.
  • Deunan and Briareos find them and move in. They run into Two Horns and Matthews who are trying to help them.
  • Iris is being used to power the weapon, Deunan is running after her in a robot suit.
  • They don’t get to her in time and the weapon starts shooting.
  • Deunan teams up with Two Horns to stop the weapon.
  • Deunan kills Talos.
  • Iris has to stay in the ship and die to end the mission. Briareos successfully destroys the weapon.
  • Two Horns survives and along with Matthews gives them a suit of armour.


-film ends

A game based on Appleseed Alpha...what would it be like?

I think that Appleseed Alpha would work as an open world role playing game. This is because the world that the film is set in could be quite interesting to explore, and having the freedom to go wherever you want would work really well. The characters in the game would have the same objective as the one in the film, which is to save Iris, however it could have more information about each of the characters past. There could also be more quests and different characters that you can complete that lead up to the end of the game, making it longer than the film and more engaging.

It could also work as a linear shooter, however that might not be as interesting and immersive.

Tuesday 12 January 2016

Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games

Task 1
Exercise a: Video Game Music and Effects

1: Game: Penumbra 
Track: Close to Evil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qNgJeJwzNk
Penumbra is a horror game that really relies on it's music and sound effects to create a creepy atmosphere. This track begins to play when an enemy is near, and it really works. It's a really intense track, and it gets your heart pounding because you know that any second something could come running towards you. As well as creeping out the player, it also helps them, because it's giving them a warning. The player will be a lot more careful when exploring and will be prepared for the worst.

2: Game: Mirrors Edge
Track: The Shard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZoHgTle2fw
Mirrors Edge is a free running game that involves a lot of action and intense moments. This track plays on the last level of the game, that involves lots of fighting and loud gunfire. I think the opening of this track fits really well, because it's like the calm before the storm, and as you go through the level the track changes between intense and calm as certain things happen.

3: Game: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Track: Endgame/Final Fight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sInUQYOhS9w
This track plays at the end of Modern Warfare 2 as a fight breaks out between the antagonist and one of the main characters. The music is very dramatic and fits with the scene, and it keeps repeating, making it seem like all is lost and the battle is going to keep going. That is until the sudden loud part towards the end, when your character manages to kill the antagonist. 

4: Game: Animal Crossing 
Track: The Whole Soundtrack
Animal Crossing uses relaxing music since it's a life simulation game. The music track changes every hour, so if you play the game a lot it's easy to tell what time of day it is just by listening to the music. The earlier times in the morning tend to have weirder sounding tracks, but as the day goes on the tracks become quite relaxing. There also different tracks in each shop, when you catch insects etc. The soundtrack does a good job of making the player feel relaxed, excited, and it gives the game and its characters lots of character.

5: Game: LIMBO
LIMBO is a very mysterious game, and so is the soundtrack which is why it fits so perfectly. The tracks use soft sounds, but manage to sound sinister as well as relaxing at times.

Exercise b: Key Words
Waveform: A waveform is the shape of a sound wave, often seen in recording software.

Wavelength: The wavelength is the distance from crest-to-crest between waves.












Amplitude: The amplitude is the height of a wave. The quieter the sound, the lower the wave. The louder the sound, the higher the wave.

Frequency: The frequency is the amount of waves. More waves = higher frequency.
Pitch: The pitch is how high or low sounding the sound is. If something is "high pitched" then it's more squeaky, if something is "lower pitched" then its sounds more bassy. 

Hertz: The unit for frequency. 

Foley: Foley is the making of artificial sounds. E.g. a slapping sound could be created by something clapping their hands, not actually slapping someone around the face. 

Task 2
Sound as Information

In video games, sound can be used to tell the player something. This includes, music sound effects and speech.

1: The Super Mario Games & Other platformers.
In the Mario games, you have to collect coins to up your score. When a coin is collected, a sound effect is played. This means that even if you aren't paying attention to that certain part of the screen, you'll know that you've collected a coin because of the sound effect. The same thing is used in many other games such as Sonic The Hedgehog. Other playing actions also trigger sound effects, such as picking up a life, losing the game, killing and enemy etc.

2: The Stanley Parable
The Stanley Parable is a game that has a narrator constantly communicating with you and telling the story as you play. He always tells you how your character is feeling, where you should go, and he even shows his own emotions depending on what you do.

3: Amnesia: The Dark Descent (horror game)
In Amnesia, the music plays a huge part in controlling the players emotions. In the main areas of the game the music makes the player feel uneasy, and that anything could suddenly happen. When enemies are near, you can hear the grunting of moaning, and walking around, and the music becomes more tense the closer they get to you. If you're being chased the music becomes very loud, almost as if it's screaming "run!" at the player. There are also smaller sound effects used throughout the game, for example the sound of glass breaking, books falling off a shelf, and other things to improve the games ambience. 

Task 3
Sources of Music and Sound Effects

1. Incompetech
Incompetech is a site created by a composer called Kevin MacLeod. All of the music is royalty free, and to use it all the have to do is credit Kevin in your work. 

2. Freesound.org
Freesound is a site that contains user uploaded sound effects. All of the sounds are creative commons licensed.

3. Produce your own
Lots of game developers produce their own music, or have other people on the development team produce it. External bands and composers may also contribute.



Task 4
The Purpose of Video Game Music

1. Horror Games e.g. Amnesia and Outlast

Horror games heavily depend on the music and sound effects to immerse the player. Games like Amnesia use lots of ambient sounds such as wind whistling past, things smashing and creaking etc. The music in horror games usually changes depending on the situation. In a mysterious dark area, the music could sound mysterious and creepy, making the player scared as they think about the possibility of something jumping out at them. Horror games also sometimes use soothing music, but with a hint of creepiness added. This keeps the player on edge and makes them unsure as to whether they're safe or not. When something fast paced is happening such as a chase, the music may become loud and intense, and also increase in speed. The purpose of this is to get the players blood and adrenaline pumping.

2. Counter Strike: Global Offensive

Counter Strike does use some music to make the experience more intense. At the start of the match some slower music will play. I see it as preparation music and it's building up to the action that will take place during the match. There is also music that plays when the bomb is planted, and it starts off soft and gradually builds up to the explosion of the bomb. This music always gets my heart pumping, especially if I'm the last player left alive during that round. The overall purpose of CS:GO's music is to hype up the players and get them in the mood.

3. Dark Souls 2

For Dark Souls 2 I am mainly going to talk about the sound effects. Dark Souls 2 is a very challenging game that has a dark, gloomy and gothic style. For lots of areas I've found that the game is pretty quiet, but I think this works, because you have no idea about which enemy you're going to encounter next. It also adds a creepy feeling to the game when all you can hear is your echoing footsteps. When entering a battle the game becomes louder with lots of attack and enemy sounds, and when paired with the quietness of the game this works really well because it makes encounters more sudden, and the player has to think fast at the same time as being startled. 

Task 5 
Copyright and Legal Issues

When taking music or sound effects to use in your game, there are things that you need to consider. Firstly, you need to check if the music is copyrighted, and how you can get your hands on it. If it's copyrighted, you may not be able to use it. However, you could buy the rights to it, but it could be quite expensive. You could also get permission from the artist, and they might let you use the music as long as you give them credit. 

Some music is royalty free, which means it can be used by anyone. However, you still need to credit the artist. If the track is licensed with creative commons you also need to mention that.

There are some organisations such as PRS that manage artists rights and who can access the music.

Video Game Storytelling

Task 1: Games with Stories

1.       The Stanley Parable
The Stanley Parable is a singleplayer interactive storytelling game developed by Davey Wreden and William Pugh. The game was originally released as a free Half-Life 2 mod, but a high definition standalone was released in October 2013.
In the Stanley Parable, you play as a man called Stanley, who works in an office. One day, Stanley leaves his office to find all of his colleagues gone. The narrator of the game (voiced by Kevin Brightings) guides Stanley through the office on a journey to find out what has happened to Stanley’s colleagues. The game has many different paths and endings, and the player can choose to do as the narrator says, completely disobey him, or do a bit of both. The player has the freedom to do whatever they want. The Stanley Parable is a great game, because you become attached to the narrator. He is your only friend as you go through the lonely areas of the game. As you progress and choose different paths the narrator’s personality begins to shine through. He isn’t just someone reading out what you do, he’s working with you and having conversations with you as you go.


2.       Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2 is a first-person shooter, action role-playing game developed by Gearbox studios. The game takes place 5 years after the events of the first game, where four vault hunters were guided through the planet of Pandora by a mysterious “guardian angel” in order to find the vault, a place thought to hold many treasures. At the end of Borderlands 1, when you kill the Destroyer, a valuable mineral called “Eridium” began to appear on Pandora. Since the resource is valuable, Handsome Jack (leader of Hyperion Corp) makes use of it, and he claims is going to “make peace.”

Borderlands 2 starts with four new Vault hunters riding a Hyperion train, which turns out to be booby trapped by Handsome Jack. It becomes apparent that Handsome Jack is far from the good guy. Throughout the game, you travel through Pandora completing various quests for NPC’s. As you play, other characters can talk to you through your ECHO device. The “guardian angel” guides you through the game and Handsome Jack taunts you. Borderlands 2 has a story you can become immersed in. The characters are people you care about, Handsome Jack is someone who annoys you, and by the end of the game you really want him dead (even though he is a very funny and has brilliantly-written dialogue.)


3. Mirrors Edge
Mirrors Edge is a game based on rooftop parkour and chaining moves together. The game is about a runner called Faith. Runners are basically couriers that use the rooftops to stay out of the way of the police and people down on the streets. Faith is guided by her boss, Merc, who talks to her through an ear piece. He tells her that her sister is in trouble, and Faith finds her at the office of a mayoral candidate Robert Pope, who is dead on the desk. Faiths sister Kate is framed, and Faiths motivation throughout the game is getting her sister back, and trying to find out what has triggered a sudden battle between the runners and the police.



4. Little Inferno
Little Inferno is a game revolves entirely around burning things. You play as an unknown child in a unknown town, who is playing with his "Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace." Basically, a fireplace for children that allows them to burn toys. The reason behind everyone using a Little Inferno is because it's been snowing for years, and the world is turning into a cold ball. You must buy toys and burn them to earn cash to buy more toys. You communicate with your neighbor who is a young girl, and "Miss Nancy" who runs the Tomorrow Corporation, the company responsible for Little Inferno. Little Inferno may not seem like the story is that important, but it is because of how mysterious it is. And the characters play a big part as you are alone and only have them to listen to.


Task 2: Games Without Stories

As well as games with stories, there are also games with no stories. There types are common on mobile platforms, and more casual gamers tend to play them. For example, a game like Candy Crush may be played by a busy worker when he or she is on a coffee break, just to pass the time. These kinds of games can be picked up and played by anyone because it isn't difficult to understand what is going on and what the players objective is. 

Some examples of games with no stories...

1. Candy Crush - A simple match 3 video game.
2. Pong - A game that involves 2 players hitting a ball back and forth as they try to get it in each others goals.
3. Tetris - Similar to Candy Crush. Blocks fall down and you have to pack them together.

Task 3: Video Game Stories vs Movie Stories

The main difference between stories in video games and movies is that video game stories have many more options and possibilities (sometimes.) A game that depends on the players choice can have multiple endings and paths, and different outcomes for each situation. With a movie, the ending and path is already complete and planned, and there is no way for the viewer to change it while watching. A movie story line is set in marble, and game story isn't.

The experience is also much different. In a game, the player is in control of the story. Maybe a character they love is about to die and they have a chance to save them, however if this was happening in a movie there's no way to change that characters fate. A video game may be more emotional and engaging if the player is responsible for the actions.

Task 4: Linear and Non-Linear Storylines

What is a linear story in a game?

A linear storyline is a story that is the same for every player. It's lots of sequences packed together in a certain order that cannot be changed. An example of a linear game is Call of Duty, which uses linear gameplay for it's singleplayer modes. Clear objectives are shown to the player, and in a way its basically "keep moving forward until you reach the objective."

What is a non-linear story in a game?

A non-linear story is something that isn't a straight path to the objective, in fact, it's the opposite. Non-linear stories allow the player to do sequences in a different order, and the player can have different outcomes. The player could skip out a certain sequence to do something the easy way or to do something else. Or they could do things the hard way to get their desired reward or objective. An example of a non-linear game would be "The Walking Dead" by Telltale games. TWD allows the players to make their own choices, which lead to certain events and endings.

Thursday 7 January 2016

Survivor - Practice Assignment

Characters and Motivations
  • Kate Abbot – Friends died in 9/11. She wants to protect the country.
  • Bill -
  • Sam – Trusted Kate and wanted to protect her.
  • Paul -
  • The Watchmaker (bad guy/assassin) – His motivation became clear at the end. He wanted to be a billionaire.
  • Ambassador – Only really cared about Politics. She didn’t want to upset any countries and wanted Kate dead so that it could all end.
  • Doctor Emil - A bad guy that works with different types of gases.


Beginning
  • Gun fight between US soldiers and terrorists in Afghanistan.
  • 2 soldiers are captured, one is seen being killed.
  • Characters are introduced. They all work for the government.
  • Workers go out for dinner to celebrate Bills birthday. Bill turns out to be a traitor, and the office workers are blown up with a hidden bomb made by the assassin, "The Watchmaker."
  • Kate survives, and with the assassin hunting her she begins her long escape.

-end of beginning

Middle
  • Bill finds Kate after she has escaped from the assassin. Since he is a traitor he tries to shoot her, but she turns the gun on him. Bill dies and everyone sees what happened. The whole scene is recorded and people think Kate is a murderer, so she has to keep running away.
  • A man meets up with the Watchmaker and creates a device allowing him to track Kate. After making this the Watchmaker kills him and leaves.
  • Important building is blown when the Watchmaker shoots a gas tank with a sniper.
  • Kate’s friend is going to meet up with her and the bad guys are following.
  • Kate is at St Pancras station trying to find her friend. Bad guys and Watchmaker are chasing her and trying to shoot at her. They are bad at aiming.
  • The Watchmaker finds Kate and tries to blow her up. He fails.
  • Kate runs into her friend Sam and he takes her to safety.
  • Bills son turns out to be the soldier who died in Afghanistan at the start of the film.
  • The Watchmaker finds Kate and Sam. Sam gets blown up but of course Kate gets away.
  • Watchmaker says there will be blood on the streets of New York, just like 9/11.
  • Kate starts her journey to New York.

-end of middle

End
  • Kate sees on TV in the taxi that cooling gas will be used to cool down the New Year lights in New York. Kate knows that Doctor Emil is behind it and he will try to blow it up.
  • Kate goes down an alley and gets into a fight. She wins and runs away.
  • Kate is on her way to stop the Watchmaker and the Doctor from shooting the light and setting off the gas bomb.
  • Watchmaker kills the doctor.
  • Kate finds the Watchmaker before he can set off the bomb. She throws him off the roof.
  • Sam calls her. He survived. Kate saves the day.
-end of film