Gamemaker Basics

(Helpful tips)
Name stuff with a convention, eg obj_car to make code easier.
Speed = Target Frame rate (important due to step events (do this move 60 times a second).


There a 4 main aspects to gamemaker.

• Rooms - Screens/levels of your game  (e.g menu or levels), Containers for objects and backgrounds.

1. Right click the room button on the menu on the right
2. Name the room (e.g rm_skyroom)
3. Adjust size
4. Set speed

• Backgrounds (static image which doesn't interact) e.g clouds)

1. Right click on background and name (bg_)
2. Goto load background and select image.
3. Hit OK.
4. Goto room and goto background tab - tick visible when room starts
5. Pick image (above tile co ords)
6. Set speed to make background scroll

• Sprites (Visual element for animatited/imteractive objects)

1. Right click on sprite to create new sprite
2. Name (spr_)
3. Goto edit sprite (where you edit the sprites animation set of frames)
4. Create sprite
5. (add more frames using page+ simbol)
6. Set speed of animation
7. Change origin to select point of rotation (center normally)

• Objects (Containers for all interactivity/controls/characters for your game) (Very important).

1. Right click on object to create object
2. Name (obj_)
3. Set sprite
4. Click ok
5. Goto room and goto objects tab
6. Right click the add objects are
7. Select object
8. Then click on room to add objects
9. (Change properties (e.g scale) if required)
10. Add interactivity to objects using the event and action window on object panel
11. Events = if Actions = then (e.g if space is pressed then move obj_smiley 2 on the x

Rock Paper Scissors

Unreal engine Blueprints

Nodes are pieces code which can be can be connected together.

Red: Event node
Blue Function node

When T is pressed it initiates the upper print string. This is in the red node on the left.

 It is linked with a pin . (white line) Then the string 'congratulations in put into the game When it is released (the lower pin on the red event) it says the text in the lower print string

To create groups, highlight the nodes and select create 4

To create a blueprint for a static mesh:
 

Problems/ Solve

- Paddle Spinning

 Enable Lock rotation

To create a blueprint from an object, right click and select create blueprint.

To use maths in the blueprint right click and press a maths key e.g * or /

Game Survey data

	yes	no
Do you play video games	33	22
	Phones	Web games	Console Games	PC
What games?	8	2	12	13
	Daily	Everyother day	Occasionally
How often do you play video games	20	10	6
	Mintues	1-2 hours	More
How long to you play games for?	7	10	18

i

Game Trend Comparison

Year	World of Warcraft	Runescape	DOTA 2	League of Legends
2006	100	41	1	3
2007	94	30	1	4
2008	100	30	1	4
2009	75	20	2	5
2010	45	23	1	7
2011	22	17	1	10
2012	17	11	3	14
2013	15	7	4	17
2014	18	6	3	15
2015	10	5	3	13

This data I got from Google Trends. It shows the amount each game is being searched on google over time. The data was measured at December each year.

The data is relative to WoW peak search of 2006 (100).

As you can see MMOs , while still a large part of the gaming market, have sufored a huge decline which seems to correlate partly with the Rise of the biggest 2 popular MOBA's, League of legends and DOTA 2. From this we can presume that perhaps some of the audience which played MMO's have changed to MOBAS.

One touch Proof of Concept

one touch apps

1. Touch to change direction while driving into oncoming traffic.
2. Press to jump over chasms.
3. Spam clicker, spam touch to fill bar within time
4. Touch to fly up, constantly falling otherwise, ovoid obstacles.
5. destroy spaceships as they come towards you by tapping them
6. Canoe down rapids, rowing one side at time to avoid rocks
7.  touch ever side of character to  punch approaching enemies. 
8. Faster you tap the faster you go, get to the finish first.
9.  Balance the two rockets of a rocket to reach a maximum hight, avoid birds and blimps.
10. fire a rotating gun by tapping, The bullet bounces off, destroy as many objects with one bullet.
11. Curling simulator, brush your finger in front of the puck to stop at certain areas.
12. Fire a catapult at forts by dragging the catapult.
13. drop bombs on enemies and time it to get maximum combos, as enemies wander. some have built in explosives which trigger combos.
14. touch to drop boxes on top of each other to make a largest possible tower, The boxes move back and forth on top of the screen
15. slide down a toboggan, tap to break, complete it in the fastest time without falling off. Going to fast may cause to fall off.
16. Grapple hook by tapping the borders of your screen  complete  get as far as possible without hitting obsticles.
17. Try and long jump, pressing to jump, get as close to the line as possible, going pass the line will disqualify you.
18. Land a moon lander by pressing ever side to active retro thrusters.  Land as slowly as possible in a tough landscape. You have limited fuel.
19. Flick to through a ball into a hoop, you have limited balls to throw.
20. Tap with beat of music to get accuracy. 

Apps Research

Relic Rush

Core Diagram:

Core: Stopping character

Secondary: Using timing to solve to solve levels/puzzles

Progression  Progress through levels to reach new stages (faster the better)

Narrative: Explorer exploring dangerous tombs in different areas.

About Crescent Moon Games

Crescent Moon Games was founded in 2009 with the launch of The Fallen King, There best known and a very successful game. They Continued to make games on Android and IOS as well as amazon fire.

Aldo's Adventure.

Core Diagram:

Core: Jumping.

Secondary: Collect LLamas and coins, avoid rocks, chasms and elders.

Proggresion: Get as far as you can 

Narrative A shepard boy called Alto finds his runaway llamas buy snowboarding.

About Snowman:

Snowman started creating well design ultility app but made it big releasing Altos adventure on the App store which became very popular. 

Portal 2 notes.

Narrative: The game was narrated by several characters as you move through the levels, The sarcastic AI GLaDOS will comment on your actions, mock and deceive you, and possibly manipulate you.

Characters: Wheatley is funny and well acted by Stephen merchant. GLaDOS is a funny as it is evil. Chell is almost underdeveloped, everything you learn about your character is from Wheatley and GLaDOS. The cores are funny.

Gameplay:The gameplay is challenging a puzzling as the game starts you are taught the reasonably simple main mechanic of the portal gun which allows you to create 2 portals between levels. Manipulating objects and liquids with it to progress. All environments inside but are still varied (apart from exceptions)

Visuals: Dated but still very good, Sci fi setting holds up well, Visuals is very good, Graphics are ok. Runs very well. You start in A dated and dilapidated labs, (Overgrown) (Chapters 1- 4) and the test facility rebuilds itself. Then it's clean and new onwards (apart from exceptions).  

Sound/music: Music is extremely good and sound is atmospheric and funny. Ambient and changing with situation. ending song.

Difficulty: The game progresses in difficulty using mechanics to develop the difficulty.  No Difficulty settings. Mechanics - Cube, Companion, Laser Cube, Turret, Moon liquids, jump pads, bombs.

Replayability: I've played it 3 times but for most people it's not hugely replayable, linear story,  Co op makes it a lot more replayable. WORKSHOP adds a lot of replayability, more mods and player made campaigns e.g  Portal Stories: Mel (more difficult)

Genre : Comedy, Puzzle platform, Sci fi,

Target audience: All ages, Older due to difficulty and humour. some jokes more adult (e.g adoption). P-C.

Personal review/response: I love this game because of its simplicity of mechanics, well

developed theme. The levels are always fun with commentary funny, at least for the first playthrough. Characters and backstory is deep with a good lore. Co Op is best locally split screen and control input doesn't matter. A game every gamer should own.  Cheap now. WORKSHOP

Twine Feedback.

Alot of the problems are due to the limited time to test, due to a saving issue.

Plane text game feedback

Needs a more diverse story and could be longer. More interesting endings are needed. The theme is good but the back story could be told more. The twine software could add random events (e.g plane crashing or not in addition to when you run out of fuel.

-Added a backstory card.

-Added a new ending

Text Game reactions

The ones we love alive

Very immersive and other worldly. It seemed as if I was missing some greater meaning though. Although it wasn't a game as you couldn't really interact much. (feeling of false choice was common)

The Domovoi

Again immersive and mythical. I really enjoyed the setting and how mysterious but rooted in reality it was. I enjoyed the slightly creepy undertones. It is a game as you can interact and change the outcome.

Board game feedback

Cards being paper cuased some problems: 

They were hard to handle

You could say through them (allowing cheating)

Cards could be hard to handle

In addition to this:

Some characters were not well known outside our group

Cards font was to small and hard to read sometimes

Cars holders did not match cards asthetic

Board game

Observations:

• Rules not clear enough and also too long. (Could be clearer)
• Good until the cards repeat cycle then it becomes boring and repetitive. 
• needs more and more varied cards.
• Fast paced
• The board didn't fit the theme. 
• The board needed a different ratio of  bad to chance areas. (more chance than bad). 
• Especially liked the swap card. (swap positions on the board)
• Game could last for ages with the amount times you could reset (1:5 'bad cards')

What I would change using the feedback:

I would defiantly add more cards. In addition to this the cards would be more varied. The board would also change with there being less red blocks are more green so the ratio is equal.  I would also theme the board to be more viking themed (add viking ships or treasure chests) As it was too simplistic to fit a viking theme.

What I have learned about making games:

• Play testing is a must. (we didn't do enough so we didn't see that we needed more cards)
• There needs to be a constant theme.
• Never assume that players are going to understand what you have written, (Just because it makes sense in your mind doesn't mean it makes sense to them)
• Try and make the rules as simple and easy to understand as possible.