Computer Games Design and Development

Game Implementation

For this task I created my second game using the Unity game engine. In this instance the game was based on a Technical Design Document provided to me from the project brief. This game did not have to be a completed game with all levels but have a few levels to a professional standard and demonstrate as many variety of gameplay features as possible. The task emphasised how coding was the focus and not so much the artistic side.  This game required me to create code that were free of any serious bugs and to implement crash handling code and logging  where possible.

Project Details:

    Team Size:
     Platform:
     Project Length:
     Engine & Language:

Myself
PC
6 weeks
Unity3D, C#

Contribution for the project:

  • Audio Implementation
  • Collision Implementation
  • Efficient and fast gameplay
  • Enemy AI –
    patrol, detect and shoot, move to player when in range
  • Environmental Design
  • Game Design
  • Highscore Table
  • Level Design
    (all 3 levels)
  • Lighting and Shadows
  • Particle Effects
  • Physics Implementation
  • Pickups
  • Player Mechanics
  • Scaling Difficulty
  • Score System
  • Timed Levels –
    lose condition
  • UI System

Console Comparison

Write a detailed report for the main game consoles available (at the time of writing), along with the most popular game genres.  For this I covered Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft consoles. I researched and detailed my findings along with comparisons of each console to one another. The report also included details such as their individual USP’s, sales figures and likely future hardware developments.

Technical Design Documentation

I had to create my own TDD that I would present to a fictional publisher. This required me to include a number of key sections that a TDD is expected to consist of. These sections would cover areas such as; the project overview, game mechanic specifications, AI, game scripts, UI, details of game assets, etc. For this task I drafted a concept for a fictional game that I could then base my Technical Design Documentation from. 

Bug Reporting

This task necessitated me to write bug reports for six different games that came with the project brief. The provided games would contain a variety of issues of which I would have to identify and then document. These bugs are categorised appropriately and are given a detailed description. With my bug reports, pictures and video clips were included to supplement my findings and ultimately be of benefit to the bug report. 

Installation Documentation

This task was an exercise in creating an installation manual for a completed game. This had to be written in a style so that any person regardless of computer experience level can follow the instructions to then be able to install the game. Pictures and a clear layout were devised to make the process as user friendly as possible.