daryl bates engine terminology

Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Produce a glossary of terms specific to the methods and principles of Video Game Design and Video Game Terms. Using a provided template, you must research and gather definitions specific to provided glossary terms. Any definitions must be referenced with the URL link of the website you have obtained the definition.

You must also, where possible, provide specific details of how researched definitions relate to your own production practice.

Name: RESEARCHED DEFINITION (provide short internet researched definition and URL link)

DESCRIBE THE RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCHED TERM TO YOUR OWN PRODUCTION PRACTICE?

IMAGE SUPPORT (Provide an image and/or video link of said term being used in a game)

VIDEO GAMES / VIDEO GAME TESTING

Demo (Demo (video games)) A game demo is a freely distributed demonstration or preview of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_demo

If we make a demo of our game we can show others a quick snip-it of our creation. This will help generate buzz and hopefully grantee buyers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgFnJ6Ek7W8

Beta Beta's are just a test for developers. They want to see how well their game works when randoms are playing it, find out if they got anything wrong before they sell it ect. 

Some betas do look at your playing habits inside the game, and send details on your playing back to the developer. It lets them check whether you’re playing the game the way they intended. A large amount of beta feedback is also relayed through forums and questionnaires. You can

We could place our game into beta and allow people to play our game and tell us what they think. This will help with finding bugs and it will also help us get an idea of what people think of our game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5TuhL2VfIM

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

probably find the relevant forum in Google if you want to provide feedback to the developer. 

In short, it lets the see if they messed anything up, or need to make anything better, and fix it before people actually pay for the game. https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110421155200AAjBaBn

Alpha In independent games, or just "Indie" Games, The alpha stage is a low cost release to gain popularity before the game is released as a retail copy. http://johngreasygamer.hubpages.com/question/228316/what-is-the-alpha-stage-in-video-games-and-their-testing

The alpha stage will be useful to test out our game mechanics and the game in general.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvIZUrB92fI

Pre-Alpha Pre-Alpha is a standard term to denote a number of interim milestones between prototyping and alpha, each of which includes new functionality and/or game content.  http://www.whatgamesare.com/pre-alpha.html

This will be used to help us test out the game engine before we go deeper into production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snAMl0YU-hU

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Gold Basically, when a game goes "gold", the beta-testing phase has been successful and passed, therefore allowing the game to be duplicated/produced and published for retail sale. https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070607052358AAxntHM

The gold stage will be extremely useful because it would signify the end of production and tell us that our creation is a success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMaF401505E

Debug Debugging is a methodical process of finding and reducing the number of bugs, or defects, in a computer program or a piece of electronic hardware, thus making it behave as expected. Debugging tends to be harder when various subsystems are tightly coupled, as changes in one may cause bugs to emerge in another. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debugging

This stage is a key stage because it allows us to play through the game and fix any problems we come across, making the game an overall better experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFwo14_O8bg

Automation The use or introduction of automatic equipment in a manufacturing or other process or facility. https://www.google.co.uk/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=oJUJVJf5KeOq8wfb14GYDA#q=what+is+automation (google definition)

This would be where we add game mechanics (by the use of scripts), a very useful procedure in the whole creation process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRkO9huYEh0

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

White-Box Testing

Also known as glass box, structural, clear box and open box testing. A software testing technique whereby explicit knowledge of the internal workings of the item being tested are used to select the test data. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/White_Box_Testing.html

This will be useful to test out our programming to see if it all works, and if not. Fix it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bJcvBLJViQ

Bug Sometimes called a glitch, a bug is just something wrong with the program. Sometimes it might be not serious maybe something like when you prone on the ground, you might be displayed incorrectly. And sometimes it might be serious, like in Call of Duty 4 (recently fixed) you used to be able to dodge headshots by leaning, even though a bullet would hit your face, the game would register it as a miss. https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080622111127AAsXob5

Understanding this term will be useful so that we can understand and identify problems we experience or is reported to us during beta testing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DUTHdavZ68

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

GAME ENGINES

GAME ENGINES

Vertex Shader

A Vertex Shader is also GPU component and is also programmed using a specific assembly-like language, like pixel shaders, but are oriented to the scene geometry and can do things like adding cartoony silhouette edges to objects, etc. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/832545/what-are-vertex-and-pixel-shaders

This will be useful to us so that we can make objects in our game look more realistic (or not), in other words making objects look like we want.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbw4DQnzOkI

Pixel Shader

A Pixel Shader is a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit) component that can be programmed to operate on a per pixel basis and take care of stuff like lighting and bump mapping. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/832545/what-are-vertex-and-pixel-shaders

Similar to vertex this will help us make environments look like we want.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOBJXxz8h6M

Post Processing

Post Processing seems to be the new GFX eye candy fad in games.It the effects you see in games like:Depth of Field - Blur landscapes in the distance or close up like Camera Out of Focus.Motion Blur - Blurs screen movement to give games a more "movie feel" during fast motion.HDR - High Dynamic Range Lighting - Lighting of environment changes according to were the

This is helpful to help the game look more visually appealing and create a smoother running scene, by creating a blur on further away textures.

http://www.comsol.com/video/postprocessing-tutorial-creating-plot

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

camera view is (Inside/Outside)Colour Correction and Clamping - Seems to limit the range of colours to give a more realistic feel or washed out feel.Looks to be all GPU intensive (Shaders) and can stress graphics cards a lot more at higher resolutions. Coli McRae DiRT is a good example of Post Proccesing intensive game which can chug on even the newest cards at extreme resolutions. http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/192383-what-postprocessing.html

Rendering Rendering is the process of generating an image from a 2D or 3D model (or models in what collectively could be called a scene file), by means of computer programs. Also, the results of such a model can be called a rendering. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendering_(computer_graphics)

This will be useful to help us create and introduce objects and characters into the game engine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00gAbgBu8R4

Normal Map

Normal mapping used to re-detail simplified meshes. In 3D computer graphics, normal mapping, or "Dot3 bump mapping", is a technique used for faking the lighting of bumps and dents – an implementation of bump mapping. It is used to add details without using more polygons. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping

We can use this to polish over noticeable imperfections and make the game look better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-6Yu-nTbUU

Entity Entity-component-system (ECS) is a software architecture pattern that implements concepts

Entities will be used to life and intelligence to in game AI.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwwfTWMrM9k

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

from Composition over inheritance using a database-like structure. Common ECS approaches are highly compatible with Data-driven programming techniques, and the two approaches are often combined. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entity_component_system

UV Map UV Texturing is how you texture inside of Blender. It can be quite difficult, so this tutorial will help you learn the basics of unwrapping/texturing simple meshes. You will also learn the basic techniques in unwrapping complex textures. http://bgetutorials.wordpress.com/2007/12/18/uv-texturing-mapping/

This will be useful to add textures to 3d objects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIvTUDgaXik

Procedural Texture

A procedural texture is a computer-generated image created using an algorithm intended to create a realistic representation of natural elements such as wood, marble, granite, metal, stone, and others. Usually, the natural look of the rendered result is achieved by the usage of fractal noise and turbulence functions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_texture

This will be useful to help the game run a lot smoother by only generating complex images when required.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8CmR_5KXFo

Physics Computer animation physics or game physics involves the introduction of the laws of physics into a simulation or game engine, particularly

Physics will be useful to implement real life aspects into our game such as gravity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4ACKAUU3O0

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

in 3D computer graphics, for the purpose of making the effects appear more real to the observer. Typically, simulation physics is only a close approximation to real physics, and computation is performed using discrete values. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_physics

Collision Collision detection typically refers to the computational problem of detecting the intersection of two or more objects. While the topic is most often associated with its use in video games and other physical simulations, it also has applications in robotics. In addition to determining whether two objects have collided, collision detection systems may also calculate time of impact (TOI), and report a contact manifold (the set of intersecting points). Collision response deals with simulating what happens when a collision is detected (see physics engine, ragdoll physics). Solving collision detection problems requires extensive use of concepts from linear algebra and computational geometry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collision_detection

Collisions will be useful to stop objects passing through each other and allowing hit boxes to be created so that game mechanics will work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTDcR4smi5A

Lighting Lighting is one of the most important and influential elements in environments. It has the power to make or break the visuals, theme and atmosphere. http://www.moddb.com/tutorials/lighting-in-game-environments-the-hows-

Lighting is one of the most useful aspects of creation. Applying lighting can make mediocre textures look high end, with no lighting high end textures look mediocre.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5DNkxkXBeI

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

and-whys

AA – Anti-Aliasing

Anti-Aliasing is a term used lots when selling graphics cards, but what exactly is Anti-Aliasing? We look deeper into the reasoning behind Anti-Aliasing and why we need it in the first place. There are varying types of anti-aliasing producing different results and different levels of performance hit. http://www.pantherproducts.co.uk/index.php?pageid=antialiasing

This will be useful to fix broken textures that may appear due to insufficient or incompatible aspect ratios.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_0do0jo5yY

LoD – Level of Detail

In computer graphics, accounting for level of detail involves decreasing the complexity of a 3D object representation as it moves away from the viewer or according to other metrics such as object importance, viewpoint-relative speed or position. Level of detail techniques increases the efficiency of rendering by decreasing the workload on graphics pipeline stages, usually vertex transformations. The reduced visual quality of the model is often

This will be useful to allow the game engine to run smoother since it is loading less detailed images for the further away objects, AI or landscape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX-9ofr2D5w

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

unnoticed because of the small effect on object appearance when distant or moving fast. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_of_detail

Animation Art and animation in video games refers to how things physically look, which includes everything from the packaging on a retail video game, to the texture of the skin on each character, to the graphical user interface, to the way a character rolls her ankle when she walks. It does not include how the game-playing device or controller (the hardware) looks. http://www.gamecareerguide.com/features/413/game_art_and_animation_an_introduction.php

This is useful to help finish off the games visual appeal, textures and landscapes may look beautiful but without animation the movement of the AI and, possibly, objects will ruin the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWC6Pw63BAY

Sprite 1. In computer graphics, a sprite (also known by other names; see Synonyms below) is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene. Initially including just graphical objects handled separately from the memory bitmap of a video display, this now includes various manners of graphical overlays.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Sprites are useful if we would like to create a 2D sidescrolling game, so that the game engine doesn’t struggle loading complex 3d models.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzqltQ3vEtg

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Sprite_(computer_graphics)

Scene Scenes contain the objects of your game. They can be used to create a main menu, individual levels, and anything else. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you will place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. http://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/CreatingScenes.html

This will be useful because this is the area where the objects and characters/AI will live. Without the scene, there is no game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQoTGXTn25M

Library In computer science, a library is a collection of non-volatile resources used by programs on a computer, often to develop software. These may include configuration data, documentation, help data, message templates, pre-written code and subroutines, classes, values or type specifications. In IBM's OS/360 and its successors they are referred to as partitioned data sets. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_(computing)

A library will be useful to help us keep all of the game files together and organised in one place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8jKebCBSr4

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

UI User interface design in games differs from other UI design because it involves an additional element -- fiction. http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/AnthonyStonehouse/20140227/211823/User_interface_design_in_video_games.php

This is the first place the player comes into contact with the game. This will be useful to us so that we can create an appeling interface that keeps the player playing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOX6itCuKOc

Frames Frame rate, also known as frame frequency and frames per second (FPS), is the frequency (rate) at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to film and video cameras, computer graphics, and motion capture systems. Frame rate is most often expressed in frames per second (FPS) and is

These are used to help us monitor the speed the game is running at. We hope to achieve a solid 60FPS or above.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEtiNxlTJ8I

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

also expressed in progressive scan monitors as hertz (Hz). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_rate

Concept In game theory, a solution concept is a formal rule for predicting how a game will be played. These predictions are called "solutions", and describe which strategies will be adopted by players and, therefore, the result of the game. The most commonly used solution concepts are equilibrium concepts, most famously Nash equilibrium. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solution_concept

This is useful to allow us to generate ideas on how we would like the game to play, without this the gameplay would be choppy and incomplete.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmMXXC_TdU0

Event So, what are events? Basically, these are discreet moments in the game loop where things are made to happen based on what you have programmed for them. You see GameMaker: Studio works with cycles of these events - from the moment a room is started to the moment it is finished there is a game loop running where every step (a step is a moment in game time, governed by the room speed setting) a series of events are run, and you can choose to place code or DnD actions in your instances that respond to these events. http://docs.yoyogames.com/source/dadiospice/000_using%20gamemaker/events/

Events are useful to keep the game running smoothly, by activation events it triggers certain bits of code/script to allow/make the game continue instead of doing nothing or maybe crashing. (Allowing a constant flow)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjXlC-rrdDc

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

index.htmlPathfinding Pathfinding or pathing is the plotting, by a

computer application, of the shortest route between two points. It is a more practical variant on solving mazes. This field of research is based heavily on Dijkstra's algorithm for finding the shortest path on a weighted graph. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinding

If the game scene is a complicated layout, the AI is going to require a complex pathfinding in order for it to smartly move around the map.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvVcIpAGLRk

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