MDDN 243 - Project 1 Final

Let the hand-in commence, I decided to use a cohesive visual style over all the slides instead of using individual styles for each game. For my environmental implementation of the mechanic I was more than a little inspired by a recent rendition of Monty Python's Lumberjack song.

MDDN 243 - Momentous Occasion

So I've decided to focus my efforts on the use of momentum as a mechanic and the games that utilise it. Although most (if not all) racing/vehicle games us it as a major mechanic I thought it would be more interesting if I concentrated on games in other genres that revolved around momentum.

Mechanic: Momentum

Games: Attack on Titan Flash Game
            Sonic Generations
            Mirror's Edge
            Portal

Side Mention: Just Cause 2 (Grapple/Parachute)
                      inMomentum

Possible Environmental Implementations:
     Race the oncoming tide of global warming?
     'Flower'-esque game for collecting waste paper - paper dart floats to create air currents (Paperman style)
     My personal favourite: Running, climbing and swinging between trees to kill demonic lumberjacks!

MDDN 243 - Final Mechanics

And secondly, the final three I have selected to focus on for the project:

Attack On Titan Flash Game - Grappling/Momentum System
An innovative little flash game based on the anime of the same name, the game's single mechanic is entirely based around momentum and movement, specifically using twin grappling hooks to swing around and between buildings. Keep swinging to build up momentum. The game does not hold your hand in any way, instead leaving it entirely up to you to figure out how to best utilise the grappling hooks to defeat the giant 'Titans' that inhabit the terrain.

Minecraft - Creation and Destruction of Terrain
Minecraft is built around a singular mechanic, destroying and rebuilding the terrain of a randomly generated world. The complexity and expansion of the mechanic comes from all the different types of blocks that make up the world, and a crafting mechanic that allows the combination of blocks into various tools and items. Minecraft spawned an entire genre of its own that revolves around the creation and destruction of terrain.

Shadow Of The Colossus - Movement & Climbing
A game often referred to as an example of art, Shadow of the Colossus' underlying mechanic is simple movement - running and jumping and climbing - to the extent that this is all you do in the game. I'm not joking, aside from menu navigation the only other thing you do is ride a horse to get between jumping and climbing segments. As to extensions to the mechanic there is a dwindling grip meter that becomes very central to the game, providing a great sense of urgency when you're clinging to the back of a giant flying snake monster.

MDDN 243 - Mechanics Revisited

So here is a list of all the mechanics I considered studying/working off for Project 1. Firstly, the mechanics that didn't make the cut:


Pokemon Series - Monster Catching
Spawning an entire genre of monster catching games, the Pokemon games are based entirely around the one mechanic of simply trying to catch every creature in the game. Oddly addictive and an extreme time waster, the reason this wasn't picked as one of the final three was mostly due to my insistence on finding less-known mechanics to use.


Persona Series - Social Link System
The most touted mechanic of the series, and one that inevitably consumes most of the play time, the Social Link system involved forming relationships with characters outside the dungeon crawling side of the game. These sections are simply lots of dialogue interspersed with the occasional multi-choice dialogue option. It's this simplicity that made me choose not to use this as a mechanic.


Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep - Command Fusing
Aside from the basic hack n slash combat, the gameplay of Birth By Sleep revolves around levelling and fusing combat commands. Once a command reaches a certain level it can be fused with another to create a more powerful command. Different combinations of commands create different outcomes. I didn't end up using this mechanic due to the lack of potential creativity or real innovation, each combination of commands creates a definite, predetermined outcome.


Mirror's Edge - Free Running
This mechanic was very close to being used in my final three. A personal favourite of mine, the sense of speed and fluid motion is one not found in many games. Running, jumping, sliding, climbing and swinging over and around obstacles in a chain of motion where momentum and timing are critical.


Audiosurf - Music Based Tracks
Also spawning a genre, Audiosurf analyses an audio track and generates a course populated by coloured blocks based on the music. The main attraction of the mechanic is the ability to use whatever content (music) you want to create the course. This wasn't used in the final three due to the rather rigid nature of the mechanic.


The World Ends With You - Dual Screen Combat
The singular mechanic in The World Ends With You is the use of both screens on a DS during combat. Controlling two separate characters (one with the d-pad, one with the touchscreen) is a very unique feature and one that is surprisingly difficult to get your head around. It encourages multi-tasking and uses your brain in a way that's not often used in games.


Final Fantasy VIII - Junction System
At its core, the Junction system involves attaching elemental attributes to in-game statistics. In the context of the game this affects the damage and effects attacks do to both you and your enemies. It's a very deep and highly customisable system that allows you to structure the characters any way you want. I decided not to focus on this due to the fact that it's really a secondary mechanic in the game.