For GAD recently, we have been looking at types of game mechanics, why games are fun, and other related thing to game design as a whole. To do this, we played board games of our choosing. Being online to di this obviously isn't preferable, but it's all we have. We are looking for things such as use of space, time, resources, interactions, actions, etc. and how they are used in conjunction with each other to create a whole and enjoyable experience. We would play the game out normally but take some screenshots here or there to convey what ideas we are presenting. The project portion will begin soon, so I have not started on organizing things quite yet. I still have gone over things like making clear goals and having difficulty go up with experience as the player continues to play. Other things included how to implement certain rules or options and when certain actions should be used, like progression and those sorts of conditions. There are so many different types of mechanics and ways each mechanic can be used. Using them in innovative ways while keeping something fun can be difficult, but it's not impossible. Overall, mechanics are very complex and deep, but are fundamental to decent understanding of game design.
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As the game industry grows larger, more and more potential jobs open up for people who want to pursue this path. But as the industry grows larger, it also grows more competitive. Just as more opportunities are created, the more people are vying for those spots. With this much competition, professionalism becomes more and more important. The easiest way to not only show professionalism and put yourself that one extra step ahead is with a well organized portfolio. This portfolio should not only showcase your talents but also be oriented towards the company and position you are applying for. Your portfolio is meant to grab the eyes of the employers that are meant to hire you and make them interested in what you can do.
Another thing to worry about in your portfolio is how it's presented. You need to make sure that whatever is going in your portfolio not only exemplifies what you can do, but is also consistent. You want all of your art pieces to be similar quality (that quality obviously being as high as you can make) and represent you well when put next to each other. You should construct your portfolio in such a way as to highlight the things that you excel at. There are a lot of small things that the people that will hire you might nitpick or criticize, so try to scope out what they look for to keep those inconsistencies minimal. Overall, I could definitely revamp my profile to make it more appealing and easy to look at. as I am not that experienced, I still have a long way to go in terms of artistic quality, but for the time being I can definitely try to make all of my works have a similar and more consistent style and quality. Summary -Portfolios in the game industry are more important than ever -You want your portfolio to not only exemplify your talents, but also be tailored to your employer -You should try to keep a consistent style and quality among your displayed works Citations -DeFelice, Karen. “Create an Awesome Design Portfolio with These 20 pro Tips.” Learn, Canva, 29 Aug. 2019, https://www.canva.com/learn/portfolio/.Sierra Mon. -“Top 10 Portfolio Tips for Game Artists.” ArtStation Magazine, 28 Mar. 2019, https://magazine.artstation.com/2019/03/games-portfolio-top-10/.James Brightman. - “Your Game Portfolio Is Your Greatest Asset.” GamesIndustry.biz, 30 Apr. 2014, https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-04-30-your-game-portfolio-is-your-greatest-asset. The elements and principles of design are used often in photography but are also important in video games. Video games need to be visually appealing, while also fitting a certain theme. Most successful games use these elements well, from online first-person shooters to story driven masterpieces. These games might contrast but will still use the elements and principles of design. “Moore, Chris. “pl_badwater0102.” Flickr, Yahoo!, 14 Oct. 2008, www.flickr.com/photos/crypticon/2940555190/.” Team Fortress 2 is one of the oldest and most popular FPS games of all time. The reason for its popularity was its accessibility, its unique characters, and its art style. You can make a case for all the elements and principles being in this image, but some appear more clearly than others. Blue really helps the checkpoint stand out and be more visible to the players (compared to the bland grey environment), the contrast of the two team colors of red and blue help create a sense of rivalry and competition between the two. The visible proximity of the weapon you are in possession of and the environment you are in on screen helps to determine the importance of what you are holding. Shape is also used to create an unnatural, industrial feel using your weapon, the checkpoint, and the un-even construction of buildings. One complaint I have is that there could be more use of colors (even though it’s supposed to be bland, I feel like there could still be more variety between tones) in the image. There could also be more use of alignment, so that more items and areas seem more related than one giant heap of grey and brown. “Othree. “Super Mario Odyssey.” Flickr, Yahoo!, 29 Dec. 2017, www.flickr.com/photos/othree/38493690805.” Super Mario Odyssey is another super popular story game that had its 1-year anniversary on October 27th. This game also has most if not all design elements and principles present. The Purple Moon really stands out from the sand. The size of the ball compared to Mario makes it seem like an important object. Proximity is also used to show the importance of the current objective in the image (the volley ball game) from the other people and objects in the background. An issue I do have with this image is that the sand and the color used for the counter are way to similar.
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Othree. “Super Mario Odyssey.” Flickr, Yahoo!, 29 Dec. 2017, www.flickr.com/photos/othree/38493690805. Moore, Chris. “pl_badwater0102.” Flickr, Yahoo!, 14 Oct. 2008, www.flickr.com/photos/crypticon/2940555190/. Colors are more than just something pretty to look at- they can invoke feelings and set tones that can really affect many situations. Different colors create different feelings, each one with multiple different positive and/or negative feelings associated with them. That’s the reason that fast food restaurants may use colors like red and yellow to make people feel hungry, or royalty in shows and movies be represented with purple. Video games will use colors in this way too. Games will use different colors to set moods and make the player feel things like fear or accomplishment. One game that I like to play is called “Geometry Dash”. In this game, players can play levels created other players, or “creators”. These creators have a plethora of different objects they can use to make the hardest, most fun, or best-looking levels they can. These creators also have access to a very large amount of colors as well. One level can contain an infinite amount of colors and color combinations, on top of the large number of available objects. These levels will often have themes, and this is especially present in the most difficult levels in the game. Levels created purely to be difficult will most commonly have a blood red “hell” sort of theme, present in famous levels such as Bloodlust, Crimson Planet, and Yatagarasu. This theme of a dark red and black creates a general sense of fear in the player, cementing the idea that the given level should not be taken lightly. A segment form the Geometry Dash level Bloodlust; image used from the Geometry Dash fan-wiki This is not the only present theme in these levels, though. There are sometimes themes like a futuristic blue, or a more gray-scale atmosphere. But that’s just for the hardest of levels. The different possibilities of themes and diverse ways players can use them make this game interesting.
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Citations: “Bloodlust.” Geometry Dash Fan Wiki, geometry-dash-fan.wikia.com/wiki/Bloodlust. Stadust. “#1 - Bloodlust.” Pointercrate, www.pointercrate.com/demonlist/1/. |
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