Game Mechanics
Prototyping game mechanics is usually done by using a spreadsheet and embedding the complex game logic. Start with deciding the core of the game. When prototyping the mechanics you have to make it simple. Don't get carried away with all of the things you want to make in your game. Focus on the main (core) components and make it feasible.
Aesthetics
Aesthetics are used to express the game visually. It is how things in the game are perceived. These visuals are planned out using a variety of different methods listed below. The aesthetics you design do not have to be complex, they only have to convey what is going to happen. If you are going to have a very important cutscene, draw a storyboard of it with stick men so people can understand what you intend to create.
Examples of prototype aesthetics are:
- Storyboards
- Concept art
- Animatics
- Interface prototypes
- Audio sketches
Storyboards are most commonly used. They are used in much more than just video games, movies and film-making too. They are used to show breifly what is going to happen in a certain scene. Concept art just shows off rough designs of in game objects and characters that must be incorporated in the final build. Animatics are just taking the storyboards and creating a rough animation with them. Audio sketches are used to prototype the sounds and music in your game. Its just a quick and rough version of the sounds you want to incorporate into your game.
Kinesthetics
Kinesthetics is how the game feels. How responsive the interface of your game is. Type of controls given to the player is a kinesthetics design. An example from class that had compelling kinesthetics is Katamari Damacy. The way you control the ball and make it bigger is a very unique kinesthetic design.
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| Katamari Demacy |
Technology
When prototyping technology there is a lot to incorporate. You have to test your physics, graphics, AI. Any real specific tech issues of your game. When prototyping this tech you want to use a programming language that is more basic or isn't the one you will be using for your final game. This is because you want it to be small, fast to create, and can be thrown away as soon as you're done so you can move onto the real thing. This is used to validate the good ideas you want to program and refute the bad ideas.
Control Schemes
When desiging control schemes you have to think about what is good and intuitive for your game. What kind of controller type will the player use? (Wiimote, mouse/keyboard, console controller, etc.) You have to understand the capabilities of your controller so you can decide how to use it for your game. The best way to design control schemes is to start with a list of procedures you want to have and then map them to a controller layout. You must test with effortlessness in mind. It should be easy for the player to control.
Viewpoints
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| Isometric Game |
Interface Design
The last thing to consider while prototyping is having effective interface design. Your game needs to have consistency with its visualization. You should plan what kind of feedback your game will give. If the player is being shot at, will the screen flash red? Will they have a health bar that depletes? The visualization of whats going to happen must be planned in advance.
| Interesting HUD to display being shot |
