Chris MorrisonChronicle Games
Prototyping for mobile
Topics
• 1) Gameplay prototyping
• 2) Prototyping today vs. the past
• 3) Tips for prototypers
1) Gameplay Prototyping
Prototyping: Definitions
‣ Testing ideas with a small game
‣ Answering a question
‣ Finding the fun
‣ Failing quickly and cheaply
• Documents & brainstorming =
Prototyping & testing =Science
Faith
World of Goo
Plants vs Zombies
Super Mario 64
150+ web games
3 mobile games
“many” prototypes
8+ complete games
+
Who Prototypes?
Engineer
Artist
Designer
2) Mobile Prototyping
What’s Different Now
‣ Time spent prototyping
‣ Tools (how to build it)
‣Team composition
‣ Outcome
Time Spent Prototyping
1 week
1 month
1 year
AAA / ConsoleMobile
Time
Tools: What’s Different
‣ Engines and platforms
‣ Better coding languages
‣ Online help: Stack Overflow, etc
‣ “Unlimited” computing power
‣ Technology is easy now
1975 - 2005
2006 ->
Mobile Engines
‣ 3D: Unreal (UDK), Project Anarchy, Shiva3D
‣ 2D: GameMaker, Corona, Marmalade, GameSalad, Torque2D, Construct2, Stencyl, Codea
‣ Mixed: Unity, Cocos2D + Cocos3D
‣ Physical: paper, playing cards, board game pieces
Picking your tools
‣ Good released games
‣ Documentation
‣ Plugins / online code
‣ What you already know
“Team” size
Philosophy
Fail Fast
Failing saves time + money
3) Tips for Prototypers
Does Art Matter?
Make it “juicy”
Lazy Engineering, Pt. 1FUNCTION ScaleVariables: how much, how long, grow/shrink booleanVAR: record the starting timeWHILE time is smaller than “how long”Change scale toward “how much”Repeat function with opposite bool to reverse
Confirm:
Powerup:
Notice me:
Grow:
3f: Faster Features First
Lazy Engineering, PT 2
• LIST: all nearby nodes to monster• FOREACH node in list
• IF node is valid• Random chance of picking it
• IF node chosen, move monster• ELSE repeat function
Game idea: Track down a monster
Code ideas: A* pathfinding, preset paths...
LAZYCHOICE
TOOHARD
Touch: Controls
Tiny Wings(1 tap)
Nimble Quest(1 swipe)
Touch: Reaction TImes
Super Hexagon
Jetpack Joyride
Be an Encyclopedia
Find Your Toy
Toy
Find Your Toy
Have No Mercy
Little Inferno
Thank [email protected]