March 6, 2006
Thesis Exhibition Model
Since I haven't heard of the detailed designs from all of the students or the actual size of the Stage, the model is still not finalized yet.
Posted by Jenova at 12:13 AM | Comments (7)
February 13, 2006
Thesis Exhibition Spec
Exhibition Spec
* PC Desktop x 4
* LCD Monitors x 4
* Stool/Chair (1.5'x1.5') x 4
* Table (2'x2') x 4
* Desktop Billboards x 4
* Projector x 1
* Projector Screen (6'x4') x 1
Posted by Jenova at 7:31 PM | Comments (0)
January 30, 2006
Darwin Island Prototypes
"IK creatures"
Dec05, 2005
"eat & grow"
Dec07, 2005
"catch the dragon tail..."
Dec14, 2005
Visual Concept Sketch
"Sound and Animation Prototype"
Dec30, 2005
Dec31, 2005
"Fighting, growing system Draft"
Jan30,2006
Posted by Jenova at 5:08 PM | Comments (12)
January 26, 2006
On going Thesis Bibliography
Articles
GameFlow: a model for evaluating player enjoyment in games
A paper on Computers in Entertainment (CIE) thoroughly developed a evaluation model based on the 8 elements of enjoyment from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory. It also has a nice analysis between Warcraft 3 and Lords of the Everquest based on flow experience.
If you are not an ACM member, here's the link for the PDF.
Flow & Coliberation from Bernie Dekoven
One of the creator for new games movement, who spent his entire career in researching fun and game design. He has great experience in studying fun and social game-play.
Learning by Design: Games as Learning Machines
Well done article about learning systems in good games. It supported the flow theory from all different aspects and also pointed that to change player's attitude from passive consumer to active agents is the key for a fluent learning experience.
The Psychology Behind Games
One very decent article talking about game design with pyschology concerns.
Researchs
Information Processign Technology Office
Researches to create interface that helps people to manage mass information based on cognitive feedback.
Robin Huncke
AI for Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment in Games
Artificial Intelligence Phd. at northwestern university whose thesis is very close to what I'm doing. She is creating a FPS system that continually examines player progress, modifying the difficulty and pacing of in-game challenges to adjust the player's overall experience of "flow".
http://info200.infc.ulst.ac.uk/~darryl/Papers/Digra05/digra05.pdf
Posted by Jenova at 1:39 PM | Comments (0)
December 8, 2005
Flow in Games Thesis Presentation
Posted by Jenova at 3:58 AM | Comments (0)
October 3, 2005
How emergent do we need in game? Thoughts from Second Life
Second Life is one of the most open ended games I have ever seen. Unlike games, it does not contain any fundamental and universal game mechanics. There is no clear goal in Second Life either. From some aspect, Second Life is a sand box, or an empty island where people meet and try to figure out some thing to do. Of course the first reaction most people want to do is game.
Emergent is a word used to describe a phenomenon that simple rules creates complex and unpredictable result. It is one of those words everybody is after in the game design world. However emergent is not the elixir for video game when player is not sure what to do.
Like There.com is a virtual cocktail party, Second Life is not a game either. To me, it is an online authorization environment where users use Second Life to create their own properties and trade to each other.
In video game, emergent is very precious due to all the established rules and constrains for the world. So when people still can do lots of things out of their expectation, they will feel like they just found a treasure and fun. However, in Second Life most of the emergent events are there because there was nothing there. As a player I don’t appreciate the total open world, it is not the kind of emergent I want. I felt lost, both the sense of control and the sense of value. Although as a human I can adapt, but I would rather play something else, that is simpler to adapt.
Is Second Life emergent? Yes, you can never predict what people will make in that world. Is it fun? Not being a part of the creator in that world, I’ll say “No~~”. I would rather go to play tennis than standing on the field waiting people to come up some thing similar to ping pong……
Posted by Jenova at 11:38 AM | Comments (0)
September 18, 2005
CTIN 482 Assignment 4
This week’s reading for CTIN 482 designing online multiplayer game environments is an interesting one. It uses MUD as a test bed to analyze the player type and social dynamics in the online games. Although this article is done years ago, it still applies to today's online game, especially MMO game.
In the article, it divides players into four stereotypes on 2 dimension map:
The four types are pretty self-explanatory. However, it is really hard to say some one like myself to be one of the stereotypes. Most of us are some where on the graph. But more important, our location on the graph will change based on the game experience.
I’ll use World of Warcraft as an example:
The first time I played this game, I was very curious about this immense game world. How do I play this game? What will happen if I do this? What does it look like behind that little hill? During this period, I’m somewhere between the achiever and explorer.
After I hit level 10 I realized that I can’t get to see the entire picture in one day. So I went bed and planed to level up little by little. Between level 10 to level 30, I was a pure achiever, finished all the quests and leveled up my crafting skills.
At level 30 I began to feel bored with the repetitive grinding and questing. The nice thing about the design of World of Warcraft is every time you feel bored about questing alone there will be a group quest. The game forces people gather together to deal with the quest. And I started making friends list of the people that I trust. Very soon, the game play experience migrates to a socialiser.
Although there were some PVP happening, I was not very into killing until level 40. Plus all the battlegrounds Blizzard added in recently, players who are into killing can enjoy it at any level.
When I reached 60 as the current level cap, I started to manage my game flow, shuffle between the four modes to keep myself motivated. The game itself offers plenty of content for all these four stereotypes, and keeps adding new content, which is one of the reason that keeps me playing it after two years.
A good online game can satisfy players’ needs in all these roles.
Posted by Jenova at 7:27 PM | Comments (0)
September 11, 2005
CTIN 482 Assignment: FPS meets Flow
When I see this assignment I felt very exciting because my thesis is about implementing mechanics to help more player get into flow in the game. I've read Mihaly Czicksentmihayi's book last spring. And pretty familiar about flow theory and all that.
So I want to talk about Battle Field 2 again which I gave a game deconstruction presentation before. To make this short. I'll give out my version of most important three elements in flow experience instead of the eight in Dr. Czicksentmihayi's book:
1) The player must have the active attitude to enter the flow. If he is sensitive about him being in flow or not, it will not reach him. If he look at games with negative bias, it probably won't catch his flow either.
2) The player has to be totally involved in his action so that he loses track of time and even space.
3) The player should feel in the control, a feeling makes you believe you are on the right track towards the positive goal in your mind
So let's look at Battlefield 2 game play experience among us:
I believe most of us can reach flow in this game especially when we played it before we were assigned this assignments. Although some people may argue, I believe I didn't realize the same flow I had before due to the negative entropy of being conscious about whether am I in the flow or not, itself broke the fundamental rule of total involvement. Yet I reached flow here and there during the player, during those moments I totally forgot about the assignment but concentrated on the game play.
Battlefield 2 is a very mature and polished game. The "polished" here means the gaming experience is not too hard or too easy. It's fair and the player won't complain about the rules, settings or graphic qualities. They barely have any psychic entropy during the game play. This keeps a player in the flow zone.
In terms of lose track of time and space. Nearly all video game today can do that due to the fact when player start playing video game they concern themselves inside the game world. And most video games have fairly enough cognitive loads. In Battlefield 2, player has to pay fully attention to the environment, other players, vehicles, game interfaces, voice and sound effects. They don't have any other time spare to think about their rent or unfinished homework.
Most people will fall in flow when they are winning in the game, but rarely in a losing team. When a player fights his best but still losing, he will feel out of control, and anxious. The normal positive goal between players is to win the game. That's why most people feel frustrated when they are losing. However if the player set his goal to something else for example, team kill or doing stunt. They will not feel bad at all when their team is losing, and they can still fall in to flow in killing their own teammates or doing crazy stunt.
The fully simulated world in Battlefield 2 supports all kinds of possibilities and free spaces for player to define their own goal which helps a lot in terms of getting people in the flow.
Posted by Jenova at 5:56 PM | Comments (2)
September 5, 2005
CTIN 482 Assignment #2
Puzzle Pirates -> Theme Park of Puzzle Games
This is a very casual and welcoming world with all kinds of puzzle game you can play with others. Players travel through the world and take adventures by playing puzzle games. Players do social activity mostly while they are waiting and organizing players and also during the puzzle games. Different from other puzzle games, Puzzle Pirates has a large amount of puzzle games for player to choose. But it is not another Pogo, it imbue each puzzle game into the persistant game world very well, and has the great advantage as an MMO which track player's investments.
Sissy Fight -> Middle School Social Conspiracy
The game itself is a chatting game. It is very social intensive because in order to win the game, you have to get people to support you while you are trying to get rid off them eventually. Lair is the essential elements in playing game like this.
Whyville -> Science Faire
This game is a social space filled with content of middle school educational content. Player can walk around, talk with others and play different science related games. It's very casual, no assignment, no lecture. It's all about active learning which is the soul of it.
Posted by Jenova at 2:52 PM | Comments (0)
August 25, 2005
CTIN 555a Assignment Week One
1) thesis presentation next week, 6 - 8 min
2) 5 drawings a week
3) email advisors name & thesis title
4) email brad software request
Prof Mark Bolas's Contat:
Cell 650-868-5014
AOL IM: Mark8680707
Posted by Jenova at 5:44 PM | Comments (0)
August 23, 2005
CTIN 482 Assignment Week 1 8/22/2005
First weeks class is a bit crude, we played two table games to explore the difference in social dynamics of each.
Domnio
This game is treated as kids game in certain country, meanwhile is regarded as the man's game in other country. It's mainly due to the simple game mechanics and limited pieces, that people will think its a simple game being all about randomness by their first impression. However, similar to Poker, there's science behind it. And it takes lots of caculating and guessing to master it. The physical texture of the domino piece is really important, it please the player and encourage them to smash them onto the table loudly. The visual and aural stimulation and the comfortable domino help to liberate the overall gaming experience.
This game can be played by 2 - 4 players. Since each player has only 7 pieces (average human cognitive load is between 5 - 9 things at the same time), the choices player need to make is relatively easy. The social experience between two players is very calm and casual. It has the potential to be very intense between four players while money is involved.
Monopoly
Grand daddy board game, I still remember the excitement I had when I played it with my cusins when I was still a kid. The game's premise sets the player up into this surreal world as a real estate tycoon competing with others. The fake paper cash and elegant game pieces enhanced the role playing experience.
Monopoly usually support 4 - 6 people to play. It consists of trading, charging, investing, gambling between the players. The social dynamics in this game is wide open. Similar to Domino player can not only play very friendly and slowly, but also play very aggressively and competitively. However, because of the premise, monopoly is not as good as domino in terms of covering players on all ages. It's probably because Domino is more abstract so that player can project it onto different things in their life, while Monopoly's premise is very material.
Posted by Jenova at 6:31 AM | Comments (0)
May 1, 2005
BOT_Arena 3
This version is another iteration for based on BOT_Arena 2. You can click to choose one BOT and use your cursor to guide him to survive under this crazy environment.
In order to make this an artful piece, I used blue and green to represent the confidence and anxiety of each BOT. BOTs will rebirth after their death. And any BOT who is not controled by the user will die if they become too powerful.
Posted by Jenova at 6:43 PM | Comments (0)
April 28, 2005
Optimal Experience Design in Video Game Environment
CTIN 548 Thesis Prep Final Presentation
Download PowerPoint Presentation 6.4MB
Posted by Jenova at 12:55 AM | Comments (0)
April 20, 2005
BOT_Arena_Updated
Added in growth and different species based on the Rock, Paper, Sisser relationship.
Click Here to Watch
Posted by Jenova at 9:56 PM | Comments (0)
April 13, 2005
BOT_Arena
I had fun with some random A.I. project for Perry & Michael's class. It is actully really fun to code these little BOTs. I think I reached "Flow" when I was doing this.
The BOTs in the Arena have two physical attributes:
Stamina: Determine the health maximum value, and the energy usage when BOTs move.
Agility: Determine the moving speed and energy regeneration speed when BOTs idle.
The BOTs also have personality which will affect their confidence and anxiety which directly affects the caution range, attack and flee strategy and so on.
You can move your mouse on certain BOT to see their detail attribute, the whole Arena works as a Darwin Island, where to filter out the weak BOTs and find the strongest one.
Posted by Jenova at 4:24 PM | Comments (0)
March 1, 2005
Stereoscopic First Attempt
Posted by Jenova at 6:45 PM | Comments (0)
February 15, 2005
Introduction to the World of Warcraft - Open Mic in CTIN 542: Interactive Design & Production
Having played and tested World of Warcraft for about a year, I'm very honored to introduce this marvelous game to you all, what it is, why it rules and how it is made.
Download World of Warcraft.ppt
Posted by Jenova at 9:00 AM | Comments (0)
February 14, 2005
Multi-image performance works by Norman Magden
I did a bit research on the topic going on in Perry and Michael's class about stage projection. And I found this artist, NOrman Magden who is focusing on projection and performance. Have a look at what he's doing first......
"Cocoon"
Live performer with portable screens; multi-image projection environment - six 16mm movie projectors, three programmed ektagraphic slide projectors and stereo sound.
clip1.MOV
"Odori To Ki (Dancer with Wood)"
Live performer with slate screen costume; multi-image projection environment - three 16mm movie projectors, three programmed ektagraphic slide projectors and stereo sound.
clip2.MOV
Here's his Artist Statement
Norman Magden Artist Statement
"My works involve the creation of multi-image performances in which live performers/dancers move in an integrated environment of projected images. The live performers interact with the projected images by carrying portable screens as an extension of their performance persona or by wearing specially designed reflective costumes, allowing their own bodies to become screens. The portable screen surfaces include variously formed white shapes that can be extended away from the body or passed over the body in continuous motion causing the images to appear three-dimensional, as they seem to come forward or recede.
Because the performance takes place without any stage lighting, the projections provide the only illumination. The performers' actions only become visible when the portable screens or the white costumes interject the projection beams. In some works, the screens and the
costumes have a black side upon which the images will not appear, adding to illusions in which there are no precise divisions between the real and the projected performance. Live performers acting as screens become a metaphor for the polemical human struggle between the beauty and terror of technology and its ever increasing presence in contemporary society.
To push the dissolution of boundaries between realities even further, the images being projected on the performers often contain a reiteration of the performance actually taking place, creating an intriguing visual confusion in which it becomes almost impossible to separate the images of the performance from the live performance. These multi-image environments are not designed to be mere stage scenery, but created as extensions of the living energy in the movement and the sounds of the actual performance."
After I browsed his website at
http://web.utk.edu/~nemagden/default.html
My overall feeling about Norman and his stage performance is very stunning. But I still don't think it is anything revolutionary. Anything that can bring back the golden day of stage performance. I personally think the soul of the performance is the actor, not the content in the projection. There is a big difference between watching a recorded performance in the theater and sitting in front of the performer is different. And that is the part which stage art is really about and should be proud of. In Norman's piece, somehow I feel the distance between the audience and the actor. That's a invisible barrior between the camera tracking and the projection. It's not as vivid or as life as the actor itself and it also make it very dark to see the actor.
Projection can definitely produce a visual satisfaction, but stage performance is not just about visual. There's still a long way for people to figure out a revolution format for the stage performance.
Posted by Jenova at 5:08 PM | Comments (1)
February 12, 2005
Thesis Prep Update
I've had a pretty solid ideas about my thesis project so far.
Title: Dynamic Game-play Adjusting System
Brief Description:
This is a research about the relationship between different game-play settings and different players reaction. Explore how to give the different players the right amount of rewards in the right time; How to offer hard enough chanllenging for different players before they get bored; How to read the players' needs from their in game interactions.
Most of the current video games are very scripted. The design of the video game are fixed once it's released. Normally designers design their games to a stereotype from the target market like teenager hard core gamers or middle age female non-gamers. Good game that fits for everybody is really hard to find.
Each person is an individual, their desire and needs for the expereince is different. Like body building, a good trainer knows to how design a good plan for different people. To design a game, a designer should also consider to adjust the weight and times for his different trainees. Tetris is boring for the hardcore gamer but very addicting to the beginners. RTS is really attracting mature gamer, while the non-gamer can not easily understand what's going on in the games. There are player like chanllenging, there's also players prefer casual play. If a game can ask and adjust the play based on the player's needs, it will be a great step forward from today's game design.
Media:
I'll use multiple prototypes to focus on detailed areas like: difficulty
chanllenging
rewarding
time
stimulation
After that I'll try to combine all these prototypes into one. If the game makes different players feel exsiting and different, I think the grammar and vocabulary will be a great reference to the industry and acadimia.
Posted by Jenova at 4:29 PM | Comments (0)
January 25, 2005
CTIN 542 Assignment 1: Examples of local and far away interactive media in public spaces (Update)
Shanghai Science and Technology Museum
Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, an important base in Shanghai for science education and spiritual civilization construction, is dedicated to science education with "Nature Mankind Technology" as its theme. By integrating display and participation, education and scientific research, cooperation and exchange, collection and execution, leisure and tourism, the Museum is to popularize the scientific and technological education for the visitors by means of knowledge integration and learning through play, who will enjoy edification of the modern technology and scientific spirit through various amusing activities in the Museum.
six exhibition sections and one branch museum to the public in the first phase:
1)Earth Exploration Section
brings experience of all kinds of geological change to visitors.
2)Wide Spectrum of Life Section
showcases the topography in the rain forest, tropical plants and wonderful species, and displays the mystery of being.
3)Children's Technoland
where children can observe the outside world and participate in the scientific activities.
4)Light of Wisdom Section
demonstrates many scientific phenomena and unveils the order of nature
5)Audio and Video Paradise
displays the modern information and movie technology
6)The Museum of Natural History
exhibits more than three thousand pieces of precious specimen of human being, animals and ancient creatures, telling the legend of life.
http://www.sstm.org.cn/howyi/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
Map
http://www.sstm.org.cn/cgjs/dxyc.jsp?t=xcty
California Science Center
West Coast's largest hands-on science center
The Science Center's Mission Statement
We aspire to stimulate curiosity and inspire science learning in everyone by creating fun, memorable experiences, because we value science as an indispensable tool for understanding our world, accessibility and inclusiveness, and enriching people's lives.
1)Creative World
2)World of Life
3)Science Plaza
4)IMAX Theater
5)ExploraStore
http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/GenInfo/GenInfo.php
Posted by Jenova at 12:37 PM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2004
CTIN532 assignment 14 pictures for ZML
Download Zip file with seperated pictures
Posted by Jenova at 12:06 AM | Comments (0)
November 8, 2004
CTIN 532 Assignment - Product Design Chart
Posted by Jenova at 9:15 PM | Comments (0)
October 25, 2004
100 Bugs about cell phone
Physical Looking
Still too big to carry, not comfortable
Why antenna?
Why it's so hard? I want some soft material like rubber
I don't like flat square screen
I hate rectangular shape
They looks so fragile
When can cell become necklace?
Cell Skins
Why does each new type have a different looking? I like the old shell but the new funtion
Shell and chips should be compatable for newer or older version
Give us a universal format, so individuals can develop more personalized looking
Health
Bad for your health, cancer, brain cell killer
Why not get some healthy viboration instead?
I heard there is certain ring tone or viboration position can increase the size of women's breast.
My friend get illusion of cell's viboratoin even when he's naked!
Can't we move the antenna to somewhere farther from our body? Like underground?
Input
Why there is only 12 keys?
Why there are 12 keys on such small places?
I don't want to type alphabits with 12 key.
Handwriting input is cool, but it takes two hands, how could you write on a bus or driving?
Voice input makes people frustrated in public place.
Can we come out a whisper input?
Gesture input?
Output
Signal is poor
Headphone is cool, but you can't wear it 24/7!
When I'm listening to MP3, my cell ring, which ear phone should I use?
Why there is no teleconfrerence mode? Or hands free mode (no earphone)
Camera
Camera is still way too far from acceptable resolution
Sending picture between cell and PC or Mac is difficult
Need an external database of your photos instead of internal
I want to see the screen when I take photo of myself
Where is Zoom in and zoom out?
Still too offensive when you try to take picture of some stranger
Some one install a Photoshop on my cell plesae
What if my photography sucks? Aid, training?
Exposure and F-stop control?
Can I scan pages in the book with my cell?
Voice controlled camera?
Service
Should not charge users from both sides
Monthly charge? Waste stamps.
Besides longer limits and internet browser, what else can I get by paying extra money? Too little.
No stealling protection
Should have some GPS tracking to find the cell back
Game
Want more games
Where is Tetris!?
Bad input methods for game-play
Need a www server to support more than 2 users to play
Loading speed is extremely slow
We want downloadable games a lot
Allow personal modification to those games
Allow us upload independent cell games
What is the hottest cell phone game? I don't know, what is the marketing people doing?
Sound
Can I turn to silent automatically by entering certain area?
Can I force other cells into silent in a close range?
Why should I carry MP3 AND the cell
Isn't the ring tone too limited?
I want to download musci from my cell!
I want to record good quality sound not voice crap.
DJ?
DDR?
Can I have 5.1 or at least stereo?
Info Management
No ASCII input, No (*^&^%$
No easy address export, what if my cell die
Search people in a two hundred name lists is not that easy
Who is Jenova Chen? I forget, what if there is a photo for the contact
What if there are two people sharing the same number, will I figure it out eventually?
Can I compress Info?
Exchange address book?
Can I get a digital Yellow Book Package?
Misc
I want to use my cell as remote controller, TV, Car, Garage...
Cell is a self-defense weapon, charge!
I need to take care of my flower or fish with my cell and the webcam in home
Dog wistle?
My wallet is a cellphone?
Key? All my door needs passcode, ha.
What if you can mate your cell to other people's cell?
Cell is my pet.
Artificial secretary?
I need some thing help me to arrange work out schedule
Google Cell?
AIM Cell?
Alarm when people I don't want to meet gets close?
Remind when friends are close
Show me how many girls under 22 around
Instant cell, throw after use?
Can I project things from my cell to paper or white board?
Perfume carrier!
Barcode scanner, Beep!
Scope for elder?
Telescope for peeper?
Weapon sensor for police?
Credit Card?
GPS guild?
Where is dictionary?
Name card exchange
Wireless mouse!!!
Torch light
Where is the fancy laser light?
Mirror, make up inventory
DNA sampler
Posted by Jenova at 9:30 AM | Comments (0)
October 13, 2004
CTIN 534 Assignment News Related Stuff
Click mouse, make your choice.
Posted by Jenova at 1:43 AM | Comments (0)
October 12, 2004
CTIN 532 Trailor Target--Lord of the Ring: The Battle for Middle Earth
http://www.eagames.com/official/lordoftherings/thebattleformiddleearth/us/videos.jsp
Posted by Jenova at 6:09 PM | Comments (0)
October 11, 2004
Try out my CTIN 488 Project, Gold Rush Gang
Download & make your Game Map and Play!!?
Title: Gold Rush Gangs
Authors: Jenova Chen & Charles Mallison
Target Age: 10-18
Target Audience: Enjoyers of soft strategy
Number of players: 3
Time required: about 15-25 minutes
Equipment: One Hex grid board (9 grids radius)
One deck of cards
3 Nickels, decorated to represent Professional Thieves
6 dimes, decorated to represent Amateur Thieves
13 pieces of paper, decorated to represent gold
RULES
OBJECTIVE:
You control one of three rival gangs of thieves. Your goal is to achieve dominance in the illicit gold market by being the first to steal 8 sacks of gold from the board.
UNITS:
To steal gold, you have three units to control, two Amateur Thieves and one Professional Thieves. Amateur Thieves move faster than Professional Thieves, but Professional Thieves are much stronger in combat.
ACTION POINTS:
In order to move your thieves, you have to spend Action Points (AP). Amateur Thieves cost one AP to move one space while Professional Thieves cost two AP to move. All units take two AP to move once they pick up any amount of gold.
At the beginning of the game, each player gets five AP per turn. Use your AP wisely between your units. It wont last to the next turn.
Once you bring X sacks of gold back to your base, the AP you can spend in each round will instantly increase X.
STORE & BANK:
Gold is the only resource and the objective for the players. There are three neutral stores at the border of the map where you can find one sack of gold.
A heavily guarded bank is in the center of the map holding three sacks of gold. In order to steal the gold from there, you have to use at least seven AP to break the defense. Once the defense is broken, there is no need for other player to break it again. If the gold from bank drops on your way back, it will return to where the bank is.
GOLD:
Every gang has a total of seven sacks of gold. Each Amateur Thieves guard two sacks of gold while Professional Thieves guard three sacks of gold.
Before the game starts, all the players have to deploy their thieves with gold on the map. They have to be deployed in their own territories. There has to be at least three grids in between your units at the beginning.
GOLD RUSH:
You have to protect your gold from being stolen and steal enough gold (at least eight) from store, bank or your opponents in order to win.
You can only carry one piece of gold a time.
You can not pass through gold with gold in your hand.
COMBAT:
During movement on the board, when multiple opposing units are in adjacent grids the combat will start. The player who starts the combat will be attacker.
Outcome of combat is decided by drawing cards. The player who draws the highest card wins. In the event of a tie, the attacker wins. The Ace card is the lowest card. The King card is the highest.
Amateur Thieves can draw one card in the combat while Professional Thieves are able to draw two. When friendly units are adjacent to each other, you can draw more cards. For example, if a Professional Thief and an Amateur Thief are next to each other, they can draw three cards when combat occurs.
At the end of combat, the losing unit is returned to his home base and must remain there for one turn. This only applies to the one unit which either attacked or defended. While the unit is incapacitated, leave it on the color grid in the base.
Any gold the losing unit was carrying remains in the space the unit was except the gold from the bank.
PROCEDURE
1) At the start of the game, players will draw one card each to determine who will have the first move.
2) On the first turn, each player places his stores and deploys his thieves.
3) Players will then alternate turns until one satisfies the requirements
for winning. Game ends.
Posted by Jenova at 12:45 AM | Comments (0)
Try out my CTIN 488 Project, Gold Rush Gang
Download & make your Game Map and Play!!?
Title: Gold Rush Gangs
Authors: Jenova Chen & Charles Mallison
Target Age: 10-18
Target Audience: Enjoyers of soft strategy
Number of players: 3
Time required: about 15-25 minutes
Equipment: One Hex grid board (9 grids radius)
One deck of cards
3 Nickels, decorated to represent Professional Thieves
6 dimes, decorated to represent Amateur Thieves
13 pieces of paper, decorated to represent gold
RULES
OBJECTIVE:
You control one of three rival gangs of thieves. Your goal is to achieve dominance in the illicit gold market by being the first to steal 8 sacks of gold from the board.
UNITS:
To steal gold, you have three units to control, two Amateur Thieves and one Professional Thieves. Amateur Thieves move faster than Professional Thieves, but Professional Thieves are much stronger in combat.
ACTION POINTS:
In order to move your thieves, you have to spend Action Points (AP). Amateur Thieves cost one AP to move one space while Professional Thieves cost two AP to move. All units take two AP to move once they pick up any amount of gold.
At the beginning of the game, each player gets five AP per turn. Use your AP wisely between your units. It wont last to the next turn.
Once you bring X sacks of gold back to your base, the AP you can spend in each round will instantly increase X.
STORE & BANK:
Gold is the only resource and the objective for the players. There are three neutral stores at the border of the map where you can find one sack of gold.
A heavily guarded bank is in the center of the map holding three sacks of gold. In order to steal the gold from there, you have to use at least seven AP to break the defense. Once the defense is broken, there is no need for other player to break it again. If the gold from bank drops on your way back, it will return to where the bank is.
GOLD:
Every gang has a total of seven sacks of gold. Each Amateur Thieves guard two sacks of gold while Professional Thieves guard three sacks of gold.
Before the game starts, all the players have to deploy their thieves with gold on the map. They have to be deployed in their own territories. There has to be at least three grids in between your units at the beginning.
GOLD RUSH:
You have to protect your gold from being stolen and steal enough gold (at least eight) from store, bank or your opponents in order to win.
You can only carry one piece of gold a time.
You can not pass through gold with gold in your hand.
COMBAT:
During movement on the board, when multiple opposing units are in adjacent grids the combat will start. The player who starts the combat will be attacker.
Outcome of combat is decided by drawing cards. The player who draws the highest card wins. In the event of a tie, the attacker wins. The Ace card is the lowest card. The King card is the highest.
Amateur Thieves can draw one card in the combat while Professional Thieves are able to draw two. When friendly units are adjacent to each other, you can draw more cards. For example, if a Professional Thief and an Amateur Thief are next to each other, they can draw three cards when combat occurs.
At the end of combat, the losing unit is returned to his home base and must remain there for one turn. This only applies to the one unit which either attacked or defended. While the unit is incapacitated, leave it on the color grid in the base.
Any gold the losing unit was carrying remains in the space the unit was except the gold from the bank.
PROCEDURE
1) At the start of the game, players will draw one card each to determine who will have the first move.
2) On the first turn, each player places his stores and deploys his thieves.
3) Players will then alternate turns until one satisfies the requirements
for winning. Game ends.
Posted by Jenova at 12:45 AM | Comments (0)
September 28, 2004
Sketch of my Ultima Interactive Experience
Physical Interface Setup
World Builder
Experience Interface
Posted by Jenova at 2:25 AM | Comments (0)
August 30, 2004
Random Thoughts of Interactive Experience Assignment I
I've spent a couple days thinking about how to use our ZML as a new media to create some new content. I realized the hard to create new content. Here is some crazy thoughts, most of them is not applicable for 2 weeks project though. But I'm exciting about them when they come through my mind.
In this sketch, I did a rough caculation for the screens we have in the ZML. My ambition is still doing a panorama scene:p. The idea A is a mirror world. Imagine the big screens in ZML are some kind of mirror which can reflect the creature not in the real world. Does it sounds interesting. We can create a human or a creatures illusion in three directions, see if we can feel the existance of it or him or her, whatever. As what I wrote, if we can track a real user in the ZML, we can cheat his or her feeling about him or herself. Seeing a vitual dynamic illusion will be very interesting.
Plan B is really too ambitious. I want to deliver future in this project. First of all, we open our eyes to 220 degree wide FOV environment. A near future street. Then we have this new product, Augmented Internet Surfer, which you can see space based blog everywhere. It origined from one of Scott's works, remember that virtual insects in the campus? I imagine in the near future, this kind of information media will be possible. In the sketch you can see price label, name card, accident report, news report, advertisement are all delivered through virtual world. I'm addicted to imagine a world nearly drowned by the information. No matter it is good or bad? I know we can't stop the steps to that direction. As a 60sec short senario, this DVD is a training session that teaches you how to use this surfer and how to deal with tons of information. Let us prepare for the future.
Plan C is totally inspired from game design. We have such a good media, why not apply the basic interactive elements onto it and see if it is really attractive. I'll talk about this one on the class, in short, it is a game letting people choose their taxi or avatar and race in the campus or Los Angeles. During the middle, they can change cars. We shoot real video of our students racing in the real world and let the audience choose from 12 screens. This game is design to let people participate and look around at the other players.
A lot of detailed design is on the sketch, I'll talk about them on the class.
Plan D is from the thoughts of how to take advantage of 12 screens. 12 is a good number for time. The simple example is a security camera browser. There are 2*12 hours a day. So we can compress and play every two hours on one screen in just one minute. You will easily find the sequence you need. And by choosing it, it divides 2 hours into 10 minutes. And then into 50 sec, so on and so forth. Because you are surrounded by this environment, you can find out the frame you need just in 5 min without watching the 24 hours foliage. Another idea similar is showing a panorama scene in 12 screens which have different time range. So we will see the two corners is night, the middle is noon. I think that will be fantasitc.
Plan E is a game design encourage people to cheat. Personally cheat is a good elements in the game history. I'll talk about it on the class.
Posted by Jenova at 3:59 PM | Comments (0)
April 29, 2004
CTCS 564 FINAL PAPER
World of Warcraft:
MMO Games Future & Influence
Posted by Jenova at 1:04 PM | Comments (0)
April 26, 2004
CTWR 518 Final Project
"Cockroach":
An Interactive Narrative Practice
Posted by Jenova at 1:07 AM | Comments (2)
April 13, 2004
Cockroach Project Started
Environment Setup
Script example
///////////////////////////////////////
//Back Ground Info //
///////////////////////////////////////
//Shon's mystery
Alex: Jill?
Jill: Huh?
Alex: I'm tired.
Jill: (Look at Alex)
Alex: I hate to say this, but I'm tired.
Jill: (Pause)You can return at anytime.
Alex: Jill, you can't stick to this.
Jill: (Stare at Alex)
Alex: What? What are you thinking? He was dead, you know it. Shon's dead.
Jill: (Silence)
//Rally point and short of water
Jill: (Sigh)
Alex: How much water have we got today?
Jill: Two gallons, not even enough for us to reach the next rally point.
Alex: It's not bad, we are still alive at least.
Jill: (Silence)
Alex: Sorry.
Jill: Never mind, it's not your fault.
Alex: (Look out of the room)
//Birth places
Alex: So...Where are you from?
Jill: Old NewYork.
Alex: Really? I've never believed it was still existing.
Jill: Not until we left.
Alex: (Pause) I'm sorry.
Jill: What's your homeland? United City?
Alex: No, actually, I came from another city. I bet you don't know it before.
Jill: The third mobile city.
Alex: Oh, man, how do you know that? You must tell me, how?
Jill: By friends.
Alex: Oh no, it's impossible. Who are your friends?
Jill: (Ignore)
//Room Info
Alex: These greedy bastards. Is this the place to sleep?
Jill: This is a cabin.
Alex: Sleep on the table? My godness!
Jill: (Ignore)
Alex: Well, this is the only one we can afford though. I wish we can earn more water tomorrow.
Jill: We have to.
Alex: All right, all right.
Posted by Jenova at 1:42 PM | Comments (0)
February 16, 2004
Interactive Writing Porject One
The first act of my animation now is moved to an interactive writing platform.
Jenova2week.html
Posted by Jenova at 4:52 PM | Comments (0)
February 10, 2004
CTWR 518 Two Weeks Project
INT. AIR EXCHANGING TUNNEL - PEON'S HEAVEN - DAY (ACT ONE)
[Intro]
Ten feet wide, gray, dark, rusty, dense exhaust gas roars out of the tunnel. Tremendous noise from heavy industrial engines and fans combines with the echoes of someone striking metal from the abyss.
[Intro]
You are there, a robot, rusty, scratched, oily and dirty, scraggy arms and legs, slightly hunchback, three electrical wires rise on your egg-shaped head with two faint bulbs eye, Rags, brushes, oil pigments and palettes inside your drawer on the stomach. With a little hammer and a tiny chisel in your hand, why are you here? What are you going to do?
[Start dig]
You dig and smash the iron grating which blocks his way to the mouth of the tunnel.
[Look around]
Besides you are many fragments of cements and broken chisels. There is a big hole in front of you. Seems a long work you did by your tiny chisel. But the hole is not large enough for you to escape.
[Try to remember the past]
Although you tried your best, you can not remember anything, even your own name. Its obvious that before you lost your memory, you were keeping digging this hole. But why?
[Look out]
You stop to peep outside the tunnel.
INT. MOUTH OF THE TUNNEL - PEON'S HEAVEN - DAY
[look out]
A tiny corner of the bright sky. The sun light shoots into the tunnel, bouncing on the ground and shining on the dusts.
INT. AIR EXCHANGING TUNNEL - PEON'S HEAVEN - DAY
[Examine your drawer chest]
You take out a tiny golden screw and sadly stare at it under the sun light.
[Examine your drawer chest]
An illusion of a smiling female face appears from the screw.
[!? 1]
Suddenly you hear a special and haste footstep.
[Look out]
You look out through the blinds on the side of the air exchanging tunnel where he can see the main workshop.
INT. MAIN WORKSHOP - PEON'S HEAVEN - DAY
[Look out 1]
Tremendous dark empty well-shaped workshop, full of steam, totems of nude human and human with wings, 1200 feet high, 200 feet wide, hundreds of annular floors can be seen from the top. The air exchanging tunnel is hanged on the corner of 64th floor.
[Look out 2]
Two to three mobile platforms are set on each floor which can extend to the center of the workshop. All the visible platforms form a figure of female face. But there is nothing between those platforms.
[Look out 3]
A human-like white creature floating upon the platform in front of the missing face by his wings. Under his beautiful paean, more than one hundred robots are worshiping on bended knees together.
INT. AIR EXCHANGING TUNNEL - PEON'S HEAVEN - DAY
You glance at your screw and the empty face figure, shaking your head and put it back.
Posted by Jenova at 2:35 AM | Comments (0)
November 30, 2003
Yume, MyGame Design & Proposal
Game Concept Demo
http://www-scf.usc.edu/~xinghanc/Animations/2DAnimation/YumeConcept.html
ftp://anonymous@24.30.101.67:9000/YumeConcept.html
This flash inherits the function from the last assignment: invisible plog branch trigger and backstage information collect.
Game Proposal
ftp://anonymous@24.30.101.67:9000/Game Proposal.htm
ftp://anonymous@24.30.101.67:9000/Game Proposal.doc
Additional Material
ftp://anonymous@24.30.101.67:9000/interactivetext.rtf
ftp://anonymous@24.30.101.67:9000/Yume_outline.rtf
ftp://anonymous@24.30.101.67:9000/biography of Yehova.rtf
ftp://anonymous@24.30.101.67:9000/biography of Mona.rtf
ftp://anonymous@24.30.101.67:9000/biography of Sin.rtf
Posted by Jenova at 1:47 AM | Comments (0)