The Final [Assessed] Showdown

2-Player Head-to-Head - Rob Vs Chris (Best of Three)...

"Let the judging commence!"

Rob wins 2-1. Well done Rob 

(and we'll get you a little bell to try out before the end of the semester I promise)

Final Presentation Slideshow

View Slideshow

Playtest Feedback Forms

More Playtesting

2-Player Head-to-Head Playtest Joseph Vs Justin Beiber...

ITERATION: Pizza tripods added at the top of each player Start Ramp to act as 'starting block' Ball Holders, so they cant move about of their own accord before the game begins.

2-Player Head-to-Head Playtest Joseph Vs Jesus...

ITERATION: Giant Ring goal moved to inside of track to give players a better angle (no stretching or bending across the table needed).

Playtester Jack raises some unexpected/awkward questions, so I appease him with Chaos emeralds...

ITERATION: Control Mechanisms (Straw and Paddle) compared.

Single Player Game - Sully decides he wants to see once and for all which game mechanic really is best in a brutal straw Vs paddle showdown...

ITERATION: Gold Rings made smaller in an attempt to stop the ball getting lodged/stuck if travelling on the outside or inside of the hoop. This was interrupting the flow and speed of the game.

Single Player "Collector" Game - A more leisurely test lap but nevertheless, Ruth proves that the game does appeal to female players, young or old (older than me anyway)...

ITERATION: Gold Rings moved to outer edge of the racing line to remove risk of getting stuck entirely.

ITERATION: Larger Straws!

2-Player "Cheat-to-Cheat" Playtest Alfie Vs Grant (then two minutes Vs the ramp)...

2-Player Head-to-Head Playtest Grant Vs Eddie...

ITERATION: Extra Grass Buffer added near both player Start Ramps to help prevent the Balls from being intentionally blown off the table by mischievous players.

And Here's One I Made Earlier.

When I say "made earlier" it actually took about a week of hard work and involved a tedious amount of cutting and sticking, plus shed loads of cash spent on printing! So was it all worth it? Absolutely I say!

Concept Sketches and Notes V0.3

I tried to consider various circuit designs where I could incorporate my rail idea but it wasn't working out - neither in my head or on paper. I just couldn't get around the fact that I knew an opponent would end up interfering (intentionally or not) with any player ball that was attempting to traverse it. I felt that this would by criticised by my playtester's and rejected as unfair. Since I couldn't decide on a solution to this potential problem I abandoned it. Time was short and I wanted to get my final prototype into production ASAP.

After deliberating for the rest of the evening I returned to one of my original sketches and realised it had everything it needed, so why was I over-complicating the matter? I carefully re-drafted my earlier track concept (to help me think on how easy/feasible it would be to build as I did so) and locked it down as 'FINAL' ... well, subject to change only after all components were complete and playtested is what I mean!

Track Designs For Final Cutouts

I've prepared some image templates in PhotoShop, which I can print on good quality A2 paper and cut my final track pieces out of...

Game Logo

Similar(ish) Concepts That Already Exist

As part of my research I scoured the internet looking for games that were similar to my idea. After many MANY hours I failed to come up with a direct comparison but there were some products I noted as bearing some resembling features (which should be obvious just from the photos) and wanted to mention them on the blog. If you wish to learn more about any of the items listed here, please follow the links provided on the Reference and Resource List page for further details (including videos of many of them in action).

• DaGeDar 

• Screwball Scramble

• Paper Rollercoasters/Marble Runs

• Handmade Cardboard R/C Race Tracks

• Fingerboarding

• Block N Roll/Race N Roll

• BiSikle

• Hair Formula 1

Though completely unaware of it happening at the time... this piece was perhaps the original subliminal trigger behind Sonic Blow/Wings - I randomly came across an art installation many months ago whilst researching for my Box of Neutrals F1 racing game. I think it somehow embedded itself deep in my memory banks because ultimately what I've done is replaced the hairdryers with a non-electrical means of wind power! Looking back on these images now, it's no wonder I was inspired - you can't help but marvel at the creative ingenuity of this masterpiece.

A Formula 1 racetrack constructed from hair dryers, hair curlers and hairpins. When the audience pushes the red button all the dryers start simultaneously, which results in a massive sound reminiscent of the roar from cars at a racetrack.

The ping-pong ball follows the current of air around the track, and the guardrail of rollers helps it to survive the “hairpin bend.”~ Michael Johansson

60 Second Retro Gamer Podcast 01 - Sonic The Hedgehog (MegaDrive)

Listen to the full podcast episode by pressing play below...

Quantum Superconductor Race Track

The Cool Gadgets - Wipeout 2048 PS Vita Game: Quantum Superconductor Race Track

If only I had this technology at my fingertips!

Additional Kit

I've brought in a few more bits and pieces for my next track design iteration. I now have:

• A second (duplicate) polystyrene ball ready for some head to head Player vs Player action!
• Loo Roll tube for making a tunnel section
• Some decent tape so I can stick the board tiles together and/or to a table so it remains nice and flat
• Two cut lengths of wood which have the perfect curved bevel dimensions for the ball to use as a rail and -with player care- will travel all the way along it. I am hoping to mix up the track layout a bit more this time round by altering variables such height/size and type of obstacle/challenge I pose to the player.
• Some ready-made "Flickies" - It may be a bit of a whim but I have a hair-brained idea in mind for these little chicks. All will hopefully be revealed later on!

Evaluation

Here is a summary of my observations and findings so far: -

• The small polystyrene ball works best in terms of speed and amount of effort expended by the player to make it move.
• The raised wall buffers adequately and effectively prevent the ball from falling off the track.
• Sonic Wings appears to be accessible and appealing to different player types. It is easy to pick up and play immediately (instant entertainment) regardless of age or skill set.
• A mix of obstacles make gameplay more challenging, varied and interesting without becoming frustrating or impossible to pass.

"Most people would agree that one thing that engages them in a game is challenge. What do they really mean by challenge, though? They don’t simply mean that they want to be faced with a task that is hard to accomplish. If that were true, the challenge of games would hold little difference from the challenges of everyday life. When players talk of challenge in games, they’re speaking of tasks that are satisfying to complete, that require just the right amount of work to create a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment." (Fullerton, 2008. p86)

• Players seem to prefer (and enjoy) the physical interactivity of manipulating the ball with a straw, as it gives them better control in terms of speed and direction.
• Spectators like to gather round and watch other people play...

"In addition to thinking about categories of play and types of players, the level of engagement can also vary; not all players need to participate at the same level to find the same enjoyment. For example, spectators might find watching sports, games, or other events more satisfying than playing them. We don’t tend to think of designing games for spectators, but the truth is, many people enjoy games in this way. How many times have you sat and watched a friend make their way through the level of a console game, waiting for your turn at the controls? Is there a way as a designer to take this spectator mode into account when designing the play?" (Fullerton, 2008. p93)

• The game requires concentration - players appear to automatically 'get in the zone' and stay focused, eyes fixed on the ball.
• Sonic Wings does work as a Single Player game. However, the experience is totally different without an audience - it lacks the feeling of pleasure and achievement derived from showing off in front of your friends and the banter it generates.

Track Design Notes

• Track Width

...making the road wider will make corners easier as it creates a more obtuse angle for the clipping points and also provides some forgiveness in the track design.

...each lane should be 1.6 car widths wide, allowing three cars to be side by side in two lanes with a very minimal distance separating them... This makes the player take a risk by taking this strategically powerful position -- especially around corners where the lateral force will be trying to pull the vehicle's mass against the player's will. Having a wider section of track used for a corner will allow for more margin for error. Wider corners also give experienced players more ability to apply longitudinal force as the race line can become far more smooth.

• Camber

...on-camber turns allow for impossible corner entry and exit speeds, designed to empower and reward [players] for little input.
...off-camber corners ultimately require more from the player in terms of practice and hence is not suited to an arcade environment.
Ideally, all corners will be on-camber, as this allows for some bold and empowering cornering.

• Height Variation

...a purely emotional component of both track design and level design in general. Limited line of sight will result in the player being anxious, as they are less able to plan ahead. When the player has increased line of sight, they feel empowered, as they are able to easily plan their moves several steps in advance.

From an emotional perspective, height variation makes tracks interesting.

• Needle Threading

...a needle threading corner is one which provides a very wide corner entry point, an ideal clipping point (just one) and then the perception of a very narrow corner exit.

Needle threading corners have significant emotional value, and often give the perception of mastery for the players who are able to achieve them. Just like anything in game design, it is all about making the player look better than they actually are.

In Figure 21, you can see how the corner exit becomes noticeably wider than the entry, meaning that the ideal clipping point can be much earlier in the corner designs. The addition of the barricade is the illusion that the player needs to embellish their actions and make them feel empowered.

...creating an empowering experience with a set of design heuristics, based on the five metrics of track design:

• The use of straightaways needs to be implemented in such a way that the player is never able to significantly overshoot the ideal corner entry speed.
• Corners need to be progressively tighter to ensure that players are able to have close to ideal corner entries.
• The standard deviation in speed should be quite narrow, ideally within a plus or minus 30 percent region.
• track markings are essential to creating a sense of speed.
• Needle threading corners should be used to provide a sense of awe for the player and embellish their skills.
• All corners should be on-camber.
• Height variations should always be used in track design to create emotional diversity. Rapid changes in height should be avoided though.
• Use straights to create "punctuation" for the player. Separate corners using landmarks or iconic features to aid this.

McMillan, L. (2011) A Rational Approach To Racing Game Track Design. [Online] Gamasutra: Available at:
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134845/a_rational_approach_to_racing_game_.php
(Accessed 28/02/12)

Reading Excerpts

I thought I'd post a selection of useful quotes taken from some of the module readings that were suggested to us. I am trying to keep in mind the advice given here throughout the course of the project.

"Games are always just systems waiting to be understood. Fun is in the learning, and the payoff is in our influence over these systems. But a player wields influence only through game mechanics. Anyone would agree that by adding mechanics we inevitably complicate the player's influence over their world. But while game mechanics always add complexity to player input, they rarely alter game output."

"Players simply don't enjoy a game about everything. High mechanic counts dilute a title's identity and possibility for engagement."

"It's important to settle on the game's overall feel before deciding on any game mechanics. It's not acceptable to add features and make sure the resulting play aesthetic is okay. Instead, we must engineer the correct mechanics to fit a certain feel. As long as the game has this good overall thrust, no errant mechanics can steer the vision from the goal."

"For a mechanic to be completely successful, a game should fully exhaust its possibilities for fun. Players feel clever when they learn to use one mechanic for multiple purposes. They get a better handle on the game system, and gain a better appreciation for its consistency. They'll feel satisfied only when they've exhausted several well-designed mechanics."

Rose, J. (2008) Fewer Mechanics, Better Game. [Online] Gamasutra: Available at:

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3621/fewer_mechanics_better_game.php

(Accessed 23/11/11)

"Level design is the meat and potatoes of game design, where the designer crafts
the moment-to-moment user experience. In level design, the game designer finally
starts using all of the knobs and variables they asked the programmers to build.
Tweaking these variables in different combinations, the game designer hopes to
make a fun experience with just the right amount of challenge. The game designer
must be willing to make levels with only a partial set of tools while waiting for the
game to be fleshed out. Often these levels must be trashed later as new features
become available. But constantly exploring the potential and limitations of the game
system as it is built will help keep the game on track and focused on the most
important features—those that actually make the game fun." (p.41)

"Here are some general guidelines and approaches for designing levels:

• Be empathetic 
• If you can’t beat your level, then it’s waaaaaaaay too hard 
• Design for the general audience, not the hardcore 
• Ease players into the game 
• Don’t forget to challenge players 
• Build levels around a central concept 
• Teach players to play the level 
• Give players room to explore 
• Occasionally break your own rules (carefully) 
• Create a plan 
• Vary your levels 
• Refine, play and refine 
• Playtest" (p.42)

Trefry, G. (2010) Casual Game Design: Designing Play For The Gamer In All Of Us. Burlington: Elsevier.

"If players feel that an individual game mechanic 'isn't giving them a good enough challenge,' or feel that 'the mechanic is fun at first but gets old quickly,' you need to add depth to your mechanics.

• Buzzwords to watch for: A given game mechanic is 'too shallow,' 'too easy,' or 'flat.' Often players will say the mechanic started out fun, but that it quickly got repetitive or boring.
• It's a good idea to pump up the theatrics when you get feedback like this, but while it might help players tolerate a mechanic for longer, it will only go so far. When theatrics fail, it's time to knuckle down, roll up your sleeves, and get to work on making your game mechanic deeper."

"[Depth] To me, it describes a sweet spot -- that point during a game where the player can repeatedly display his mastery of a game mechanic. Challenges never stay the same long enough to be boring and yet they also don't change so fast that the player can't enjoy his mastery over the game...In my experience, in order for a game mechanic to be deep it needs two very important things:

• It needs clear objectives, so the player knows what he has to do to succeed. Confusion and obfuscation tend to make players feel like a mechanic is LESS deep once they find themselves needing to experiment randomly to win.
• It needs a variety of Meaningful Skills that you, as a game designer, can use to create good challenges for the player and that the player in turn can use to achieve mastery over the game."

Stout, M. (2010) Evaluating Game Mechanics For Depth. [Online] Gamasutra: Available at:

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134273/evaluating_game_mechanics_for_depth.php

(Accessed 29/11/11)

"Many games are directly focused on use of tools... It can even be argued that all video games that use standard console controllers or PC keyboard and mouse are building our hand/eye coordination and tool use skills. New interface devices are expanding the possibilities even further beyond hand tools. It's interesting to note that so much of Physical Fun is tied in some way to our upright posture that freed the use of hands millions of years ago... These interface devices also make real-world interaction between players at the same console more dynamic, a factor that is very relevant to social survival skills."

"[On the appeal of a racing game] ...we can see that the basic physical appeal of learning to move as quickly as possible, the social appeal of competing with our peers and gaining status and recognition, and the mental appeal of perceiving constantly changing patterns in the midst of a race and acting on them instantly and correctly all connect back to our prehistory."

Falstein, N. (2004) Natural Funativity. [Online] Gamasutra: Available at:
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130573/natural_funativity.php?page=3
(Accessed 28/02/12)

More Playtesting

This is the last playtesting session I will conduct with the current track set-up. We just quickly tried out a couple of minor things - you will see Michael and Jack testing a heaver ball (made of compacted paper) and the effect of blowing through two straws instead of one. Neither alternative was any good...

Is it Winnable?

I needed to check that the chute worked efficiently and the difficulty level was about right. Dan and I had played numerous times before (we may have an unfair advantage or slightly improved on our ball control skill) so I wanted to bring someone else in who was completely new to the game.

Sully was happy to prove that the challenge was no match for him...

And just in case anyone doubted it...

Plugging the Gaps

Something playtesting helps to highlight is oversights you didn't even consider when developing a level or track layout. In the previous playthrough, Dan struggled when the ball rolled backwards and got stuck under the chute. To avoid this happening in future, I used a spare plastic pizza tripod and wedged it into the gap. This is only a temporary solution but the issue is now something I will keep in mind when creating the finished prototype.

More Playtesting

I rope in my trusty and loyal sidekick 'Demo Dan' to give the chute idea a shot...

Hmm. Lets see if I can do any better...

Nope. I just looks like I'm having a seizure.

I adjust the chute angle in an attempt to make it easier to beat. I've also moved the built up section so it's out the way of the main straight to get a good long run up. I try the new arrangement out myself before others have another a go...

I'm pretty sure it's not as hard as I made it look (but I was holding a camera in one hand), although there's definitely a nice sense of challenge. You can probably tell from the video that I was feeling more than a little pleased with my personal victory.

So now it's Dan's turn again...

Collaborative Brainstorming

Two second year students - Ross and Sean - help by giving me some friendly advice 

and track making tips...

Cheers guys!

Track Add-ons - Start/Finish Points

In true Blue Peter style I made use of some toilet rolls to build a prototype chute for the game's finish line. I also quickly cut out a large gold ring so - in keeping with the original Sonic the Hedgehog game - players have to 'jump' up and go through to hoop to finish the level. It's currently still only in a raw state so not very aesthetically pleasing, but at least people can hopefully associate it more easily with the original digital game even this early on.

The other component I have in the game at my disposal is the 'lollipop checkpoint'. I will use something like this to denote where the player can re-start from if the ball ever accidentally flies off the track. For the time being, I will also use this object to mark the lap starting point. It is only attached by cellotape so I can re-position the checkpoint wherever I like.

Feedback Received!

I found a nice surprise waiting for me when I came back into uni after the weekend. Not only had my prototype not been eaten (always a bonus), someone had been kind enough to leave a comment on my makeshift form!

I wasn't honestly expecting anyone to give it a try without being asked so it's nice to know the game is getting some attention. I've now printed out some proper playtest sheets so if people do walk by it again and are willing to spend just a few minutes filling one out, I'll at least have something a bit more comprehensive and detailed to take into account during iteration.

Note that I have also heeded the request to supply a basic set of instructions on how to play. Although I was initially trying to leave the set-up rule-free in an attempt to get players suggesting their own ideas, I can understand that this is too vague and not providing any guidelines at all gives the game no meaning.

Sonic Website Worth Checking Out

Everything a Sonic fan needs or wants to know is available here...

Go to soniczone0.com

And this is certainly something I will be looking into!

Playtesting - Straw or Paddle?

 Paddle Test 

 Straw Test

In Retrospect

When I returned to the games lab later that afternoon (feeling a little out of breath from all the earlier huffing and puffing), I was telling one of my classmates - Dan - how I'd been getting on and mentioned about how tiring and impractical it was to play. I was stating I'd need a square table, allowing players to run around the track more easily (as we'd been using a rectangular one previously). He immediately wanted to see it in action and give it a go himself. So I set the track up again but this time, on a small square table. Just for fun and something new to try, I added a few random bits and pieces I'd previously rummaged out of the interior design classroom bins...

Then an idea came from out of the blue...

Did we need to use straws or could there be another way of moving sonic that did not require bending down so closely to the surface in order to get decent forward momentum and control of the ball?

I immediately grabbed a piece of long card and began to flap it rapidly behind the ball in an up-down motion. It produced the effect I wanted and with much less physical contorting involved. This has opened up many more possibilities using different equipment to 'power' the ball in future iterations.