Studio 2 - Exploring Games and Identifying Games Concepts

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

1. 3D Graphics

Character - Highly customisable character, looks are very customisable and there are a lot of armours available.

NPC's - Hundreds of other people, all designed in the same detail as you(the main character)

Worlds, Objects - Huge landscape, very detailed, filled with a lot thousands of things, such as tree's, buildings and other parts of the game that are interactive

2. Game Mechanics

Physics - Realistic physics engine. Objects on a slope will slide down the slope

Interaction - NPC's will stop and talk to you as you go past, you can pick objects up, move things around. You can't walk through object. Wildlife will react to your presence as well.


Jobs

Concept Artist (Character, environment concepts)
3D Modeller (The environment, world, etc.)
Character Modeller (All characters, wildlife, etc.)
AI Programmer (Interaction)
Game Mechanics Programmer (Physics, interaction)
Lead Programmers


Description

Oblivion can be played in a first or third person view, where the user controls there own character. The looks, race and class of the character is chosen by the user. Although the user can ultimately choose to ignore the story and do whatever they want, there main aim is always to save the lands from the creatures of Oblivion. The gameplay is action based, with strategic and roleplaying elements. but if the user wants, they can completely avoid battle altogether.


Oblivion, in more detail

Oblivion features a wide range or normal and bizarre creatures. For these we need concept art, and later on 3D modelling and animation. Depending on the type of creature, (humanoid, normal wild-life, fish, creatures from oblivion) different types of motion capture are needed.

Oblivion features a realistic physics engine, where objects will fall or react like normal objects. For this we need a Games Mechanics Programmer. The mechanics would need to be different and work realistically for different gradients.

There are a lot of objects and people to interact with in oblivion. For this we would need an AI Programmer. There are a lot of people to interact with, and they all follow a daily/weekly schedule. The AI programmer would need to make sure they interact in the appropriate ways at the appropriate times. For example, if you brake into someones house, they will run or call the guards.

Oblivion features a complex menu and inventory system, for this we would need a User Interface programmer. There are a lot of actions you can take in Oblivion. So the Programmer would need to make sure, it's easy to access magic, equip weapons and user potions.

There is a lot of dialogue in Oblivion, for this we would need an Audio Programmer and voice actors. The audio programmer would need to make sure that everyone says the right things at the right time, the voices match up with how people are talking and that the right people have the right voices.



Gears of War

1. Audio

Voiceover - Characters dialogue,(locusts and human)

Sound effects - Weapon sounds, effects, explosions, vehicles

Music - Background music sets the mood, can make parts more exciting/epic/tense. Indicates events(sound triggered by events)

Job - Audio Programmer(all above)



2. Art

characters/models -

Textures - Gives detail to everything, inc. characters, buildings, environment


Job - 3D Modeller (buildings, environment)
Job - Character Modeller(characters, enemies)
Job - Concept Artist(Concept)
Job - 2D Artist(textures)