updated character design

Digital Representation

We also have completed a digital representation of our game to demonstrate the look and feel of our game. This video shows many basic elements of our game including the basic actions such as walking, jumping, performing actions (hitting levers), pushing blocks, etc. Another key element to our game that is shown is the communication aspect aka the signage. We've decided to use signs that we train the player to use instead of already created universal signs. We have decided to do this are to keep the interface simple instead of cluttering it up with signs.

Without further ado:
http://www.sfu.ca/~ddh2/iat403/allnightershd_digitalrep.swf

Week 11 update

So for this week, we ran another user feedback session.

It still is the same paper prototyping done the week before, but with some minor modifications. Some of the bigger problems that were most apparent and quick to fix we addressed immediately for our next paper prototype feedback session.

Our instructor and TAs have suggested a user feedback session similar to a focus group where only words and ideas are exchanged. In a way we did go one step further with the paper prototypes only because we felt that it would be effective.

either way, we've included at the bottom a collection of screen captures from our test session as well as some more brainstorming after the feedback we had recieved from this week's board crit.

The test results, which include the questionnaires and interviews we aren't allowed to share with the public, as we had stated in our consent forms.

We also did some research on other 2d puzzle games, mostly in the form of flash. We used these as references and inspiration in terms of game mechanics, presentation style and how they two of them fit and work together. We went through about 10 different puzzle games, most of them weren't very relevant except for two. One was called rock guardian and the other called boxmen. We've taken screenshots as a means of documenting it for future reference.

Week 10: Planned User Event PDF

Here is the link to our Planned User Event PDF.

http://www.sfu.ca/~mfa4/IAT%20403%20Event%20Details.pdf

week 9 update

One of the things we did this week was take one of the levels that we had brainstormed previously and visualized it and experienced with some of the artistic styles that we may want to adopt.

The top image is the original and the second image is the refined (visualized) version of what it might look like as a final level.

The 3rd to 8th image represents our current interface iteration.







Image 1: Here a black and a blue character are working together.

Image 2: The black character presses one simple button to bring up a dial of 8 icons around his character and selects the message he wants to convey using the mouse as a selection tool.

Image 3: After choosing his action, he must then choose out of the 4 available colors to specific which of the 4 characters this message is for. (black, blue, red, green)

Image 4: A 3rd and final step requires the user to click on the direction or area of interest that this message/icon pretains to.

Image 5: Finally this icon/message is displayed over the user character's head for all other users to see.

We have also done some additional brainstorming for level/puzzles.

week 8 midterm update

First and foremost, apologies for the tardiness of this post. We had some difficulties with our login info, namely our password. Regardless, This week's update is to mainly submit many of the puzzles we had brainstormed. Some of these were taken with my cell phone camera, others are on another member's digital camera, which we will have on here as soon as possible. He is currently VERY busy with 338 (he always is actually). Hence the delay.

These are some of our processes experimenting with different types of contraptions, puzzles, level combinations, story, background, and difficulty.

Week 5 update

Journal update:

We got together on Monday thanksgiving. Yes on thanksgiving. Thank you very much. We brainstormed pretty intensively. We can proudly say it DID pay off. We came up with an idea that impressed most of us. It seemed promising. We worked hard to invent a second concept, but we struggled to invent something else that was equally good and drastically different. For now we have decided to focus on this one good idea we've landed and fully develop it.

After the brainstorming session we delegated tasks to our team members as follows:

Jason: blog update and presentation preparation.
Danny: presentation slides
Michael: Sketches
Paul: functional description of our concept
Mark: conceptual description of our concept

(we had planned under the impression that an in lab presentation was due this wednesday in week 6 until we recently received Ken Zupan's email notifying us otherwise.)

Below are the details of our project:
- Funtional aspect
- Conceptual aspect
- Brainstorm map
- Sketches
(We are currently waiting for other members of the team to finish their portion, which will be updated on here as soon as it is available.)

Functional Aspect:

- Users with different cultural and language backgrounds collaborate with one another to solve group puzzles using only body language and signs.

- Randomly connects people from all over the world.

- Will be presented using a two dimensional platforming game.

- To be implemented in Flash.

- Users can select a limited number of signs from a collection of many before starting their puzzle. These signs along with avatar emotions and gestures will act as the only means of communication. The limited number of signs will introduce a level of difficulty forcing users to intelligently select their set of signs as these decisions can greatly impact their ability to communicate later on.

- Emotion is presented through the avatar either with dynamically changing facial expressions or a floating text-bubble like form hovering over the avatar's head.

- The goal is to explore the possibilities of breaking cultural, language, and physical barriers by immersing users in a virtual world where language is non-existent and communication has taken a very basic, visual, and universal form.

- Compatible with PCs and Macs.

Conceptual Description:

Elevator Pitch:

Our project is a computer game in which randomly matched players work together to solve puzzles, bringing forth a discussion about the idea of collaboration beyond language and cultural barriers.

Experience Properties:

Experience: In the game, every player is unable to talk using verbal or written means. This makes the experience different every time a party of players attempt to solve a puzzle. The experience the players will have will depend on the how they work together as a team. The experience that players can have will range from amusement to anger or frustration.

Sensory Input: The user will be responding to the images, characters and environmental elements on the screen. In terms of input, the player will be using their keyboard and mouse in order to interact with the game’s environment and players.

Action: The game itself is a puzzle/adventure game in similar style to that of Super Mario Bros. where a party of up to 4-5 players work together to solve puzzles. It allows the users to play a game from their computers where in the end will raise a discussion about collaboration and how we can collaborate with others beyond language and cultural barriers.

Context: The context of the game is about play, while the same time cultural and social.