Ultimate Game Design Building Game Worlds

Name: Ultimate Game Design Building Game Worlds
Availability: OutOfStock
ISBN: 9780072252880

ISBN-10: 007225288X

ISBN-13: 9780072252880

Edition: N/A

Authors: Tom Meigs

List price: $34.99

30 day, 100% satisfaction guarantee!

Out of stock

We're sorry. This item is currently unavailable.

what's this?

Rush Rewards U
Members Receive:

You have reached 400 XP and carrot coins. That is the daily max!

Description:

Plan, design, and create enthralling game environments complete with richly animated characters and objects by applying the expert techniques described in this one-of-a-kind resource. Veteran game developer Tom Meigs covers the foundations of game design, including previsualization, level stubbing and layout, lighting, texturing, behavior scripting, and using particles, and explains in detail each stage of game development and design. Each chapter features an in-depth interview with a game industry expert as well as a case study based on Tom's real-world experiences working on Sony PlayStation games and various other projects. Plus, you'll get priceless advice on how to get into the game…

Book details

List price: $34.99
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing
Publication date: 1/1/2003
Binding: E-Book
Language: English

Acknowledgments	p. XVII
Introduction	p. XIX
Previsualization	p. 1
Introducing the Previsualization Process	p. 3
Step-by-Step Previsualization	p. 3
Utilizing Environmental References and Sketches	p. 4
Architecture for Game Levels	p. 5
Basic Environmental Design	p. 6
Function	p. 8
Room Flow	p. 11
Interior to Exterior	p. 12
Reinforcing Mood	p. 12
Paper-Based Level Blocking	p. 13
Quick Topographic Maps	p. 13
Case Study Comments on Previsualization	p. 17
Mega Tips	p. 22
Level Planning and Building	p. 23
Planning Your Level Work	p. 26
Prefabricated Geometry and Modularity	p. 27
Scale and Grid Sizing Considerations	p. 28
Avoiding Common Level Mistakes	p. 30
Level Stubbing Walk-Through	p. 31
Working from Your Topographic Sketches	p. 33
Create Contour Lines	p. 34
Build a Mesh from Your Contour Lines	p. 35
Utilize File Referencing to Build Up and Populate Your Level	p. 35
Start Checking Layout Details	p. 37
Game Prototyping	p. 37
Post Level Stubbing Considerations	p. 38
Adapting Architecture and Terrain to Games	p. 39
Checking Character Flow Throughout a Level	p. 40
Jump Heights, Hazards, and Scale	p. 41
Keeping the Big Game Picture in View	p. 42
The Early Evolution of Levels	p. 43
The Importance of Early Feedback	p. 44
Are Your Level Goals Enhancing Your Game Vision?	p. 45
Case Study Comments on Level Execution	p. 45
Mega Tips	p. 51
Lighting, Texturing, Particles, Effects, and Audio	p. 53
Lighting	p. 55
Position	p. 58
Light Color	p. 59
Basic Lighting Types	p. 59
Lighting Strengths or Multipliers	p. 60
Lighting Falloff	p. 62
Three Sample Lighting Setups	p. 62
Animating Lights	p. 64
Texturing	p. 64
Using Textures Well	p. 66
Particles	p. 67
Using Particle Emitters	p. 68
Exporting Particles and Dynamics Information	p. 69
Effects	p. 72
Audio	p. 74
Pushing Game Audio Further	p. 76
Design Tools Shift	p. 76
Case Study Comments on Cornerstone Elements	p. 78
The Moonlight Forest Example	p. 79
Mega Tips	p. 83
Actors, Props, Items, and Camera Details	p. 85
Placing Actors	p. 87
Hero Actors	p. 87
Enemy Actors	p. 88
NPC Actors	p. 90
Boss Actors	p. 91
Types of Props and Their Use	p. 92
Using Props	p. 93
Placing Props	p. 93
Types of Items/Power-Ups and Placement	p. 94
Camera Considerations	p. 95
Interface Detailing	p. 95
Floating Cameras	p. 96
Fixed Cameras	p. 97
Special-Case Cameras	p. 97
Common Camera Problems	p. 98
Case Study Comments on Actor Loading and Camera Tuning	p. 99
Mega Tips	p. 105
Design by Genre	p. 107
Sports Games	p. 109
Fighting Games	p. 112
Puzzle Games	p. 114
Real-time Strategy Games	p. 116
Role-Playing Games	p. 120
First- or Third-Person Action Games	p. 121
Simulations	p. 123
Creating Cinematics	p. 125
Developing Backstory	p. 125
Creating Dialog	p. 126
Summary of Designer's Work Tools	p. 128
Case Study Comments on Design Flux	p. 129
Mega Tips	p. 133
Scripting Action Events	p. 135
Scripting Technology Choices	p. 137
JavaScript Sample	p. 139
Visual Basic Sample	p. 139
Python Sample	p. 140
Perl Sample	p. 140
Applied Scripting Examples	p. 140
NPC Conversation Templates	p. 140
Shooter Flying Patterns	p. 141
Using Triggers	p. 144
Fearthis	p. 145
Line of Sight	p. 146
Crowd	p. 146
Weather Effects	p. 147
Counter	p. 148
Material	p. 148
Audio	p. 149
Message	p. 149
Light	p. 149
Building Behaviors	p. 150
Creature Creator	p. 150
Engine Solutions and the Unreal Engine	p. 151
Script/Editing System Considerations	p. 153
Case Study Comments on Scripting a Baseball Game	p. 154
General	p. 155
Pitching	p. 156
Fielding	p. 156
Hitting	p. 157
Catching	p. 158
Mega Tips	p. 163
Quality Assurance and Play-Test Feedback	p. 165
Quality Assurance	p. 166
QA Setups	p. 168
Bug Tracking	p. 168
Technical Support	p. 170
Testing MMOGs	p. 171
A Three-Stage Completion Process	p. 172
Writing a Test Plan	p. 172
Play-Test Feedback	p. 173
Managing Feedback	p. 175
Listening to Feedback	p. 177
Impact of Play-Test Feedback on Daily Design Tasks	p. 178
Case Study Comments on the Impact of QA	p. 179
Mega Tips	p. 184
Design Considerations for Massively Multiplayer Online Games	p. 187
MMOG Production Challenges	p. 188
Defining Titles	p. 189
How Is the MMOG Player Different from the Console Player?	p. 189
Saturation Concerns for the MMOG	p. 190
Pure Production Risks for the MMOG	p. 190
Cost and Support Considerations for the MMOG	p. 191
MMOG Construction Factors and Solutions	p. 194
General MMOG Structures	p. 194
MMOG Design Factors	p. 197
Latency	p. 197
Modularity	p. 198
Monitoring	p. 198
Tools Support	p. 198
Special Events	p. 198
Pace and Balance	p. 198
Player Dropout/Lost Connections	p. 199
MMOG Play Mechanics	p. 199
MMOGs and Design Orientation	p. 200
MMOG Genre Growth	p. 201
NPCs and Familiars	p. 201
Isolating MMOG Strengths	p. 201
MMOG Player Categories	p. 202
Deep Social Factors	p. 202
Current Challenges	p. 203
Sports Fans or Groups and MMOGs	p. 203
MMOG Opportunities	p. 205
Case Study Comments on Challenges for UBO	p. 206
Mega Tips	p. 212
Cell Phones and Wireless Gaming	p. 215
The Impending Boom	p. 217
Global Competition	p. 219
Development Considerations	p. 220
Design Issues for Cell Phones	p. 222
Multiplay Cell Phone Gaming	p. 226
Wireless Toy Networks	p. 226
Building the Cell Phone Gaming Market	p. 228
Opportunities in Wireless	p. 229
Case Study Comments on Development Factors in the Infancy of Wireless	p. 230
Mega Tips	p. 234
Getting Started in Game Development	p. 237
Why Diversify?	p. 239
Role Definition for Game Designers	p. 240
Growth Areas and New Opportunities	p. 244
Microsoft, Mattel, Intel, and LeapFrog	p. 244
Challenges for PC Toys	p. 245
Advergames	p. 246
Interesting Trends for the Near Future	p. 247
Web Game Entertainment with Physical Counterparts	p. 248
Toys and Card Games Go Online	p. 249
The Importance of New Opportunities for Developers	p. 250
Anecdotes from the Game Development Frontlines	p. 250
Think Fish	p. 251
Sacking Sanka	p. 252
Case Study Comments on Final Thoughts for Designers	p. 253
Creating Your Perspective and Maintaining Your Passion	p. 257
Mega Tips	p. 264
Game Development Career Choices	p. 265
Programming	p. 266
Game Programming as a Career Choice	p. 267
Art	p. 268
Game Artist as a Career Choice	p. 269
Design	p. 270
Game Designer as a Career Choice	p. 271
Production	p. 271
Production as a Career Choice	p. 272
Audio	p. 273
Audio Composer and Engineer as a Career Choice	p. 273
Quality Assurance	p. 274
QA as a Career Choice	p. 274
Opening an Independent Game Studio	p. 274
Joining a Game Developer	p. 276
Industry Economics	p. 276
Game Development Studio Breakdown	p. 276
Executive Department	p. 277
Product Development Department	p. 279
Creative Department	p. 279
Programming or Technical Department	p. 281
Marketing Department	p. 282
Breakdown Conclusions	p. 282
Case Study Comments on the Testing Doorway	p. 282
Mega Tips	p. 284
Reference Information	p. 285
Education	p. 286
Events	p. 287
Industry Magazine	p. 287
Industry-Related Sites	p. 288
Organizations	p. 288
Breaking In!	p. 288
Agents and Recruiters	p. 289
Job Sites	p. 289
Design Document Reference	p. 289
TV Programming	p. 289
COPPA Guidelines	p. 289
Self-Publishing	p. 290
Outsourced Testing Services	p. 290
Game Industry Market Research and Reports	p. 290
Recommended Sites	p. 290
Recommended Reading	p. 291
Recommended Topics for Further Research and Reference	p. 292
Tools Discussed	p. 295
3-D Modeling Packages	p. 296
Art Tools	p. 297
Level Editing	p. 297
Middleware	p. 298
Production Tools	p. 298
Sound Editing Tools	p. 299
3-D Construction for the Web	p. 299
Scripting Languages	p. 300
Game Dynamics Libraries	p. 300
Motion Tracking	p. 300
Programming Language for Console/PC	p. 300
MMOG Box Solutions	p. 301
Wireless Development	p. 301
Introducing Children to Game Design	p. 301
Career Guideline Worksheet	p. 303
If You Want to Explore Production	p. 304
If You Want to Explore Game Art Construction	p. 305
If You Want to Explore Game Programming	p. 305
If You Want to Explore Quality Assurance	p. 306
If You Want to Explore Game Audio	p. 306
If You Want to Explore Business Relations or Marketing	p. 307
Quick Topic Summary for Designers	p. 309
Reference Material	p. 310
Design Document Writing	p. 316
Quick Modeling	p. 317
Layout and Staging	p. 318
Scripting	p. 318
Mapping or Level Building	p. 319
Audio	p. 319
Testing	p. 319
Support Software	p. 320
Team Focus	p. 320
Ultimate Baseball Online Gallery	p. 321
UBO Game Interface	p. 322
Player Creation Screen	p. 323
Early Game Setup Screen	p. 324
Game Details	p. 324
Position Selection and Batting Order	p. 325
Basic Character Construction	p. 326
The Motion Capture Process	p. 328
Baseball Stadiums	p. 330
Game Action	p. 332
Index	p. 335
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.