Courtroom Cahoots Game Docuementation

Here's the link for final version of Game Docuementation in Courtroom Cahoots:

http://word.office.live.com/wv/WordView.aspx?FBsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fattachments%2Fdoc_preview.php%3Fmid%3Did.246762555383497%26id%3D4796845b9e3693a4478bd35217661f92%26metadata&access_token=1588790053%3AAQCpQhnv-Q1sp4Z7&title=STP_Game_Design_Document_Template1

Thanks to Tim Heverin and Evan Bremer for creating that version.  Great job, guys!

Economic Hit Men Progression

My team and myself added some progression to our second Small Team project: Economic Hit Men.  Here's the updated task list of completetion:

- Updated Start Menu screen
- Updated Credits screen
- Updated Tutorial/Instructions screen
- Updated Player GUI Scores
- Implemented "Add Money" and "Lose Money" GUI buttons; used for special spaces "LoseLoot"
- Implemented background music

Economic Hit Men Digital Version II

After lots of trimming and compromising, myself and rest of the team came up to a few solutions:

- Using DragObject script (found from the Unify Wiki site), got rid of key/button movement
- Got rid of the turn based system (waste of time and no point)
- Kept individual player scoring system (Player name and score GUI text)
- Kept the gameplay real freakin' simple (each Player moves three spaces, no diagonals)

All there's left to add are:

- Audio sounds (thanks to the Audio Mercs crew)

Extra Credits

From yesterday's feedback in class, there was a tad bit of drama without any notice.  I became accused as the victim of soicumstance for the player turn system code WITHOUT any permission from another team's project.  I did NOT realize that at all until AFTER one of the members noticed and got pissed off at me.  Therefore, for those who have created that system code I give you ALL 300% credit and my own sincere apology.

Matt
John
Phil
Shimika
Ryan
Jacob

Updated Screenshots

Screenshot # 1: Updated start screen with "Start Game", "Tutorial" and "Credits" buttons

Screenshot # 2: Updated game space with "Reset" and "Main Menu" buttons

Screenshot # 3: Updated "Credits" screen

Screenshot # 4: Updated "Tutorial" page

Screenshot # 5: Updated and fully functional Player Turn System (thanks to Ryan Czaja)

Economic Hit Men digital version Update

Here's the most recent and playable version of Economic Hit Men:

Economic Hit Men digital version

Developers: Andrew Forster, Evan Bremer and Timothy Heverin

Audio: the Audiomercs crew (sounds added soon)

Economic Hit Men Progression

From a failed first digital prototype demo presented in class yesterday, with way too much negative feedback in line.  The amount of time given in these next three weeks are pretty harsh.  Myself, as leader of this team, will NOT give up.  As of this morning, within the past two and half hours, I have accomplished a major progression stone:

- Implemented basic grid movement for each character
- Added a four wall barrier outside of the level area
- Implemented the redesigned robber/hitmen player pieces instead of colored cubes
- Extended the game level itself to an even 30 x 30 grid square
- Synced each of the game object pieces to whole number positions
- Added simple vault walls for both vaults

Our main goal is to prove EVERYONE wrong that we WILL have the bestest best playable game through Small Team in the very end!

Digital Play Test Feedback: Economic Hit Men

It became a mixture of good and bad feedback from in class participation: 3 good and 1 bad.  The only bad feedback we got was no objectives given, no tutorial section implemented, no explanation of pickup certain game objects as shown (green spheres for money loot, red cylinders for kill/rob action).  On the positive side, many others loved the flashlight mechanic (inspired from Luigi's Mansion, GameCube), very simplistic gameplay, straight forward score system.  Our professor, Janell, was impressed that we have something as a functional prototype.  However, due to the fact that I've been hard coding most of the work myself (including help from Morgan), she indicates we're more behind than before.

Additional tasks to do in the meantime:

- Implementing turn based system
- Implementing grid movement system
- Adding additional players
- Adding a wall barrier around the level itself
- Implementing a tutorial intro level/instructions
- Adding a win/lose screen
- Retweaking the kill/rob functionality

Economic Hit Men Digital Prototype

Here's our first functional digital prototype of Economic Hit Men with the following:

Picking up money loots
Movable player with flashlight
kill/rob locations (red grid square sectors)

Game Build: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftimothyheverin.com%2FEHMV1.zip&h=vAQHbwijJ <--- Came from Tim's dev blog

Ecnomic Hit Men Play Test update

Here are some in class snapshots of our paper prototype Economic Hit Men:

Snapshot #1: Four players experimenting our newest version of Economic Hit Men

Snapshot # 2: In class gameplay in action

Snapshot # 3: Our newest version of Economic Hit Men in paper prototype mode (version II with updated rules and augmented game board)

 

In retrospect, everyone who tested out this new version really enjoyed the progress.  That made each of us very happy and gave myself a more clearer perspective for both digital versions of functionality.

Economic Hit Men Game Rules

Here's the information about our gameplay rules in Economic Hit Men, all thanks to Evan Bremer:

http://word.office.live.com/wv/WordView.aspx?FBsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fattachments%2Fdoc_preview.php%3Fmid%3Did.145597105540653%26id%3Dd149578260f922b47cb395b79a45369d%26metadata&access_token=1588790053%3AAQCAjmdlBky83uRP&title=Economic+Hitmen+Rule+Book

*Additional information will be added from future play testing sessions

1st Digital version Functional!

The first digital version of Economic Hit Men has become fully functional at basic standards.  Here are some snapshots of progress:

Snapshot #1: Functional 1st digital version from Unity3D editor; objects placed: money loots, kill spots and flashlight (for each player)

Snapshot #2: Script information of the "kill" script

Snapshot #3: In game perspective of gameplay in Unity3D

Economic Hit Men Flow Chart

Here's the updated flow chart for our project: Economic Hit Men

*Note: changes will happen, upon other team members request.

Economic Hit Men Time Line

Here's the time line for Economic Hit Men:

10/26/2011: Project Dark Knight development process began.
10/26/2011: Engine of choice was Unity 3D, two to one vote, over Flash.  I'll look into Flash at a later time, once we've completed this second project 100%.

10/27/2011: Official game title has been selected as Economic Hit Men, inspired from the bank heist scene in the movie Dark Knight; assigned by the special guest Thomas Seager.

10/27/2011: Implementing possible gameplay techniques in first "possible" digital version began; while the official paper prototype began as well at the sametime.

10/30/2011: First versions of the concept and full length documentation were complete, but needed more work.

10/31/2011: First few sessions of our paper prototype turned out successful based on the feedback given; included some snapshots in action courtesy of Evan Bremer and his friends from Anime club.

11/7/2011: Kept on updating any additional progress for the experimental digital version; implemented functional money loot pickups, draggable player pieces, spotlights highlighting certain locations that lead to extra gameplay effects.

11/8/2011: Tim has updated the original game concept documentation and posted the link for each us to gain access anytime.

11/8/2011: I have updated a more modified/organized task list for each of us, as a team, to do what needs to be done.

Additional time line dates added when posted

EHM Task List

Here's the task list what each of us were assigned to do:

Andrew:
- development of digital versions, one and two
- implement functionality into both digital versions, including feedback from paper prototype tests
- program sequence of events while giving any player a better gameplay feel in feedback
- get additional research from Evan and Tim for digital versions

Evan:
- assign up to four players per paper prototype session
- taking several photos of successful paper prototype sessions as records of progression
- sending updates to Andrew daily everyday
- learning the same engine; including programming, development, implementing, etc. (team effort with Tim)
- working on rules/rule book
- package the final product (at the end)

Tim:
- revising/updating game concept documentation
- assist Evan to take notes from each paper prototype play testing session
- learning the same engine; including programming, development, implementing, etc. (team effort with Evan)
- assist Evan with rules/rule book
- assist Evan for packaging the final product (at the end)

Economic Hit Men Documentation update

Here's the updated concept documentation through Tim Heverin's blog post:

http://timothyheverin.com/GameDev/?p=30

Tim took the time to update the game concept documentation in the last three sections that needed attention, including the Backstory.

Economic Hit Men Update

My two teammates, Evan and Tim, have been updating me how paper prototype project: Economic Hit Men, has been turning out.  As of right now, many who have tested it more than once said positive things in game play feel.  I've been modding the first digital version ahead of time with some experimental tests, going to implement updated level board later today for better outcomes.  Other than that, for our team, we're definitely communicating better and ahead of schedule at the moment.