Creating Games: Mechanics, Content, and Technology (Hardcover)

Contents

Preface

Minigame Design Exercise
Design
Internal Playtest
Revision
Kleenex™ Playtest
Discussion
20-Minute Variation
Exploration

The Process of Development and Theory of Design
What Is a Game?
Levels of Abstraction
Emergence and Progression
Development Roles
Design as Theory
Industry Structure
Exercises
Resources

Managing Innovation
How Hard Can It Be?
Attitude
Organization Chart
Consistency
Inspiration
Brainstorming
Scheduling
Managing Risk
Exercises
Resources

Critique and Proposal
Critique
Generating Ideas
Format
Examples
Exercises
Resources

The Design Document
Title Page
Executive Summary
Overview
Related Games
Player Composites
World
Characters
Plot Graphs
Art Direction
User Interface Storyboards
Tags and Dialogue
Technology Plan
Software Architecture
Controls
Level Design
Mechanics Analysis
Schedule and Related Elements
Budget
Change Log
Exercises
Resources

Game Technology
Document Tools
Asset Management Tools
Art Tools
Runtime Technology for Video Games
Licensing
Exercises

Strategic Thought
State
Graphs
State Machine
Decision Trees
Algorithms
Search
Complexity
Heuristics
Game Theory
Exercises
Choice and Probability
Statistics and Probability
Random Variables
Generating Random Numbers
Cards and Dice
Outcome Tree
Combining Probabilities
Expected Value
Variance
Compound Expressions
Case Study: Settlers of Catan
Exercises
Resources

Balance
Our Methodology
Before Balance
Fairness
Stability
Engagement
The Role of Randomness
What Players Value
Optimizing for Real People
Exercises
Resources

Mechanics
Techniques for the First Move
Character Building
Action
Lock-and-Key
Geometry
Superunit
Rock-Paper-Scissors
Combat Simulation
Effect Distance
Rush Prevention
Dialogue Trees
Economy
Ensuring Entropy
Reward Cycles and Minigames
Resources

Creating a World
Setting
Motivations for Setting
Characters and Plot
Geography
Exercises
Resources

Art Direction
Visual Language
Reference Art
Concept Art
3D Art Roles

3D Modeling
Triangle Mesh
Particle System
Texture Map
Materials
Exercises
Resources

Real-Time Rendering
Graphics Processor (GPU)
Lighting
Exercises
Resources

Physical Simulation
Newtonian Mechanics
Newton’s Laws of Motion for a Particle
Solving Equations of Motion
Verlet Integration
Rigid Body Dynamics
Collision Detection, Response, and Friction
Constraints and Articulated Bodies
Articulated Kinematics and Motion Control
Particle Systems and Natural Phenomena
Resources
Exercises

Network Programming
An Extended Analogy
Protocols
Ethernet
Routing
Transmission Protocols
Network Address Translation (NAT)
Lag
Synchronization and Topology
Matchmaking
Security
APIs
Exercises
Resources

User Input
Touch-Based Input
Optical Character Recognition
Mice
Inertial-Based Input and Global Positioning
Light and Positional Guns
Sound-Based Input
Camera-Based Input
Exercises

Artificial Intelligence
What Is AI?
How Smart Does My AI Really Need to Be?
Embodied Autonomous Agents
Decision Making: Reaction and Deliberation
Learning
Exercises
Resources

Social Issues
Ratings and Content
Industry Quality of Life
Real and Virtual Economies
Resources

Appendices
A. Minigame Worksheet
B. Overview Worksheet
C. Technology Plan Worksheet
D. Budget Worksheet
E. Schedule Worksheet
F. The Games Canon
Bibliography
Index