Changing the project

Had a very productive meeting recently with MA Games course tutor Josh Taylor.

Problems with Pianola-themed game

As I outlined my progress of the pianola-themed game it became clear that the project was not where it should be, and starting to stumble.  As Josh pointed out, the pianola concept itself -- which had seemed such a good idea at the time -- was starting to lead me away further-and-further away from the key concept, i.e. the application of nostalgia in games design.

Even worse: as we discussed the primary mechanics -- a traversal-style platform game combined with programmable/pre-programmed sequences -- it became clear that these would work better in other contexts.

In short, the pianola has to go!

Deflection & programmed games

One of the things we discussed was an alternative idea I'd had for bouncing objects off piano keys, with a programmed key movement affecting the way the object bounced.

Josh suggested looking at Reflexions by YoYo Games, is an interactive puzzle in which the player toggles mirrors to deflect a ball at right angles: guiding it from a start point, through waypoints, avoiding traps, to a final goal.  You can play it online here.

It's fun to play and, unlike the programming-based games I'd previously examined, involves real-time problem-solving.  This really appealed to me, because I dislike the notion of having to spend too much time setting a game up before getting to the fun part.  (That's one of the reasons why I detest Kerplunk!)

On a side note, YoYo also produce the GameMaker 2D game engine, which I use with my first year students.  It has its faults -- and is hideously overpriced for HTML5 & mobile app development -- but is relatively easy to use.

If you play the online version of Reflexions, you may notice that GameMaker's HTML5 export is very choppy.  The much cheaper Construct2, an upstart competitor, produces far better HTML5 (easily ported to Android & iOS) but unfortunately suffers from one of the most illogical & impenetrable user interfaces I've ever seen.  GameMaker still seems to be the best tool around for learning to produce 2D games.

Going back to pre-programmed games, Josh also introduced me to Whizzball.  This is similar to the Cow Maze type of game: the player must lay out a fixed series of pieces into a playing grid; when the game begins, these will deflect a ball as it travels from start to final goal.  You can play the game online here.

This game has a number of very nice touches.  First is the gorgeous isometric view -- a very pleasing aesthetic, yet just the right angle to ensure that everything is easy to see.  Great colours and very clear metaphors.

The second nice touch was the handle on the 'flinger', which can be set to different strengths to adjust the distance the ball is thrown.  This makes a pleasant change to the usual drag-and-drop-and-press-go operation of this kind of game.

The final feature which caught my attention is the fact that most of the puzzle levels are designed by players, which means that (a) the game is not restricted by the game developer's project time constraints; (b) new levels will keep appearing all the time; and (c) it fosters a sense of community.

The puzzles are self-rated on a scale from "very easy" to "very hard", and players give a five-star rating to feed back on the quality of the puzzle.  Presumably, with this aimed at a kids' market, the usernames and titles are moderated; otherwise, this is a low-maintenance way to extend the number of puzzles available.

Of course, creating user-designed levels for other people to play is a very old idea (recently given a major boost by LittleBigPlanet) but it doesn't always work well.  Here, they seem to have nailed it.

New project direction?

We discussed the idea of having some kind of Whizzball-inspired puzzle controlled by music, maybe filling in missing notes with actions at set times.  Using nursery rhymes or popular songs (subject to clearance nightmares).

Another consideration was contraption-based games, with set goals such as those found in the old TV show The Great Egg Race.

The legendary Professor Heinz Wolff.

A contraption-based game would re-connect back to the core nostalgia theme: we could make use of all kinds of objects, including spring-and-sucker toys, slinky, Big Trak, Weebles, parachute soldiers, model railways, etc.

The idea of connecting Whizzball with nostalgic items appealed greatly to me, and I could visualise the ball rolling onto a Big Trak which would transport it across to another platform; using a spring-and-sucker toy to launch the ball into the air.  This certainly had potential.

Josh suggested titling this "Dad's bedroom" -- for the father this is a proud trip down memory lane; for a kid it's a chance to laugh at how stupid & 'sad' his dad's childhood must have been.

As we talked I realised that I had a number of things I wanted from this game:

• Live interaction, just like Reflexions; if necessary, have a 'wind-down' delayed start to allow the player to start positioning items.  I want the player's adrenaline to be going.  This also increases the player's feeling of smugness, having beaten a 'live' opponent.
• No time to plan in advance.  Thrown in at the deep end.  That way, the player is likely to feel challenged rather than frustrated on their first turn at a level, giving them an emotional reason to beat the game.  This can be linked to flow as the player's skill develops, and their experience increases.
• Pause, with game hidden.  (To my mind, 'pause' is a vital part of entertainment.  "Live pause" is a big selling point on modern digital TV recorders.  Why?  Because real life suffers from interruptions, and a game is just a game, and not life-or-death.)  If the player pauses, they can't use this to gain an advantage in planning strategy.  Adds to the challenge.

My final thought was to replace the ball with a nostalgic item, such as a Weeble.

A designer needs to design!

This was a good meeting, because it stopped me heading further down a dead end, and got me raring to go in a new direction.

However, Josh had one last thing to say: "Get some pencil and paper!"

Yup, I forgot the golden rule of Games Design.  A designer must design.  There's a place for research, but the emphasis this term is very much on design practice.  So I'd better get on with some!