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Chapter 40: Game Development

Slide Deck

Games Are Difficult

Why?

There are a lot of technologies to put together:

• Graphics
• Animation
• User interface design
• Sounds/audio
• Artificial intelligence

Putting everything together involves some difficulties:

• Timing and sequencing: need to keep track of what things are happening and when
• Performance: there’s a lot going on and it needs to be fast to be playable

Game Designer Liz England has a great motivating example for describing the difficulties of game design, which she refers to as “The Door Problem”. It’s a quick read that I highly recommend.

The Door Problem

We can expand the door problem to talk about some of the problems a door poses from a game development perspective.

• You need to find a mesh for the door
• It needs to be transformed in such a way that it can rotate about its hinge
• How do you open the door? Need to tie a key press event to the door opening
• Do you need to be close to it or do you need to look at it? Maybe we need picking
• Can you open a door when you’re dead? Okay, we need to filter door controls
• What happens if the character is in the doorway and the door is closed?
  • Is the character pushed out of the way, or is the door stopped?
• Is there a sound effect associated with the door?
• Are AI characters aware the door is open/closed?
  • It’s a piece of the scene that can sometimes be seen through, sometimes not
  • This poses interesting problems

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