SimulationOutlineMilestone #4: ProposalSlide 4Simulation IIMappingBasic factExample: HaloGame physicsNatural?ScriptingExampleSlide 13Advantages of scriptingDisadvantages of scriptingSlide 16Benefits of simulationDisadvantages of simulationDesign decisionSlide 20The role of simulationActivitySimulationRobin BurkeGAM 224OutlineDesign Milestone #4SimulationGame design activityMilestone #4: ProposalNew gameusing the core mechanic from Milestone #3should differ completely in theme, story, setting, and semantics1 page descriptionDue 5/23SimulationGames simulate real-world activitiessports gamesracing gamesCentral ideamapping between the game and the real-world activitySimulation IIGames also simulate fantasy and fictional activitiesany RPGmost FPSCentral ideamapping between the game and...MappingThe mapping will be incompletethe game may leave out inconvenient or boring partsthe game may include improbable situations for gameplay reasonsThe mapping will be inexactthe game may exaggerate the physics for effect or gameplaythe game may (will) abstract from physical reality for practical reasonsBasic factAll physics is simplificationcomplex multi-body physical simulations are too slowreality is chaoticlimits to what can be rendered graphicallyExample: HaloWhat happens when a grenade explodes?do we simulate the ignition and rapid oxidation of explosives, pressure waves, metal shear and shrapnel trajectories?do we simulate concussion injuries, soft tissue damage, and bone trauma?Game physicsPhysics = the evolution of the game statewe want the player to feel as though there is a real world in the gamethe game state must be complexits evolution must seem naturalthe player's control over it should seem naturalNatural?Games are profoundly unnaturalAliens? Psychic powers? Controlling a civilization over centuries?As in fiction"willing suspension of disbelief"natural within the game world contextGame physicsmay have nothing to do with Newton's physicsScriptingWhen there is a fixed stereotyped response to an action in the gamewe say it is "scripted"As opposed to "simulated"ExampleDesigner decides what should happen when a grenade explodesx amount of damage to all units within certain radiusx/2 damage within a larger radiusleaves a certain "stencil" on the floor or wallSimplifying the actual physicsExampleLocked door in ZeldaIf player tries to go through locked door with key in inventory, the door opens and key is used upSimplificationsDoors are logical, not physical barriers•Cannot be battered down, blown up, removed from hinges•Locks cannot be pickedAdvantages of scriptingMuch, much fasterto apply a simple rule than to run a physical simulationEasy to write, understand and modifyDisadvantages of scriptingLimits player creativityPlayers will try things that "should" work•based on extensive physical intuitionWill be disappointed if they don'tGame will need many scriptspredicting their interactions can be difficultcomplex debugging problemSimulationWill still be a simplificationRepresent the quantities of interestrepresent the forces that act on themcreate physical laws for the game worldevolve the game state according to these lawsBenefits of simulationMore player optionsDesigner doesn't have to anticipate every way to do somethingPhysical laws reusableDo not have script every objectCan build (or buy) generic physics engineDisadvantages of simulationSpeedextensive simulation may make the game too slowMemorygame state may become much largerTestingdifficult to test all possibilitiesDesign decisionHow much to simulate? Where player creativity is importantWhere realism is importantWhere a simple enough model can be builtWhat level of detail is required?depends on the constraints of the gamealways a computational costExampleScriptwhen player enters room, guards converge and attackSimulation #1when player takes a step, sound is heard over certain radiusif guard is within radius and in room, guard will converge and attackSimulation #2when player takes a step, volume of sound is calculated based on level of stealth, floor material, etc.sound is propagated through room and attenuated based on room contentsguards receive sound signal and if loud enough to reach attention, they will move in the apparent direction of soundSimulation #3same as #2, but in 3 dimensions, through floors, etc.The role of simulation"Immersive fallacy"the best game is one in which the player feels that they are totally immersed in a simulated worldemphasizes only a certain aspect of the game experienceCounter-examplesMore detail is not necessarily better•Katamari DamacyNeed for ironic distance •GTAActivityRe-design Hearts to be a game of