Ultimate Game Design : Building Game Worlds

Filled with tips and techniques from veteran game designers at Sony, Blizzard, Disney, LucasArts, Activision, 3DO, and many others!Plan, design, and create enthralling game environments complete with richly animated characters and objects by applying the expert techniques described in this one-of-a-kind resource. Veteran game developer Tom Meigs covers the foundations of game design, including previsualization, level stubbing and layout, lighting, texturing, behavior scripting, and using particles, and explains in detail each stage of game development and design. Each chapter features an in-depth interview with a game industry expert as well as case a study based on Tom's real-world experiences working on Sony PlayStation games and various other projects. Plus, you'll get priceless advice on how to get into the game development industry now with details on the different types of jobs available. \* Develop a comprehensive previsualization process for your game project \* Create topographic maps and reference drawings for level planning and layout \* Build up your game scenes with lighting, texturing, particles, effects, and audio \* Place actors, props, and items and tune specific camera details \* Learn about game design by genre - sports, fighting, RTS, role-playing, FPS, sims, MMOG, and others \* Script action events using JavaScript, Visual Basic, Python, Perl, and other tools \* Develop and design games for wireless devices including PDAs and mobile phones \* Implement a testing loop \* Learn how to avoid mistakes and set yourself up for success Ultimate Game Design : Building game worlds Cover Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, INTRODUCTION, 1 Previsualization Introducing the Previsualization Process, Step-by-Step Previsualization, Utilizing Environmental References and Sketches, Architecture for Game Levels, Basic Environmental Design, Function, Room Flow, Interior to Exterior, Reinforcing Mood, Paper-Based Level Blocking, Quick Topographic Maps, Case Study Comments on Previsualization, Mega Tips, 2 Level Planning and Building Planning Your Level Work, Prefabricated Geometry and Modularity, Scale and Grid Sizing Considerations, Avoiding Common Level Mistakes, Level Stubbing Walk-Through, Step One: Working from Your Topographic Sketches, Step Two: Create Contour Lines, Step Three: Build a Mesh from Your Contour Lines, Step Four: Utilize File Referencing to Build Up and Populate Your Level, Step Five: Start Checking Layout Details, Game Prototyping, Post Level Stubbing Considerations, Adapting Architecture and Terrain to Games, Checking Character Flow Throughout a Level, Jump Heights, Hazards, and Scale, Keeping the Big Game Picture in View, The Early Evolution of Levels, The Importance of Early Feedback, Are Your Level Goals Enhancing Your Game Vision?, Case Study Comments on Level Execution, Mega Tips, 3 Lighting, Texturing, Particles, Effects, and Audio Lighting, Position, Light Color, Basic Lighting Types, Lighting Strengths or Multipliers, Lighting Falloff, Three Sample Lighting Setups, Animating Lights, Texturing, Using Textures Well, Particles, Using Particle Emitters, Exporting Particles and Dynamics Information, Effects, Audio, Pushing Game Audio Further, Design Tools Shift, Case Study Comments on Cornerstone Elements, The Moonlight Forest Example, Mega Tips, 4 Actors, Props, Items, and Camera Details Placing Actors, Hero Actors, Enemy Actors, NPC Actors, Boss Actors, Types of Props and Their Use, Using Props, Placing Props, Types of Items/Power-Ups and Placement, Camera Considerations, Interface Detailing, Floating Cameras, Fixed Cameras, Special-Case Cameras, Common Camera Problems, Case Study Comments on Actor Loading and Camera Tuning, Mega Tips, 5 Design by Genre Sports Games, Fighting Games, Puzzle Games, Real-time Strategy Games, Role-Playing Games, First- or Third-Person Action Games, Simulations, Creating Cinematics, Developing Backstory, Creating Dialog, Summary of Designer's Work Tools, Case Study Comments on Design Flux, Mega Tips, 6 Scripting Action Events Scripting Technology Choices, JavaScript Sample, Visual Basic Sample, Python Sample, Perl Sample, Applied Scripting Examples, NPC Conversation Templates, Shooter Flying Patterns, Using Triggers, Fearthis, Line of Sight, Crowd, Weather Effects, Counter, Material, Audio, Message, Light, Building Behaviors, Creature Creator, Engine Solutions and the Unreal Engine, Script/Editing System Considerations, Case Study Comments on Scripting a Baseball Game, General, Pitching, Fielding, Hitting, Catching, Mega Tips, 7 Quality Assurance and Play-Test Feedback Quality Assurance, QA Setups, Bug Tracking, Technical Support, Testing MMOGs, A Three-Stage Completion Process, Writing a Test Plan, Play-Test Feedback, Managing Feedback, Listening to Feedback, Impact of Play-Test Feedback on Daily Design Tasks, Case Study Comments on the Impact of QA, Mega Tips, 8 Design Considerations for Massively Multiplayer Online Games MMOG Production Challenges, Defining Titles, How Is the MMOG Player Different from the Console Player?, Saturation Concerns for the MMOG, Pure Production Risks for the MMOG, Cost and Support Considerations for the MMOG, MMOG Construction Factors and Solutions, General MMOG Structures, MMOG Design Factors, Latency, Modularity, Monitoring, Tools Support, Special Events, Pace and Balance, Player Dropout/Lost Connections, MMOG Play Mechanics, MMOGs and Design Orientation, MMOG Genre Growth, NPCs and Familiars, Isolating MMOG Strengths, MMOG Player Categories, Deep Social Factors, Current Challenges, Sports Fans or Groups and MMOGs, MMOG Opportunities, Case Study Comments on Challenges for UBO, Mega Tips, 9 Cell Phones and Wireless Gaming The Impending Boom, Global Competition, Development Considerations, Design Issues for Cell Phones, Multiplay Cell Phone Gaming, Wireless Toy Networks, Building the Cell Phone Gaming Market, Opportunities in Wireless, Case Study Comments on Development Factors in the Infancy of Wireless, Mega Tips, 10 Getting Started in Game Development Why Diversify?, Role Definition for Game Designers, Growth Areas and New Opportunities, Microsoft, Mattel, Intel, and LeapFrog, Challenges for PC Toys, Advergames, Interesting Trends for the Near Future, Web Game Entertainment with Physical Counterparts, Toys and Card Games Go Online, The Importance of New Opportunities for Developers, Anecdotes from the Game Development Frontlines, Think Fish, Sacking Sanka, Case Study Comments on Final Thoughts for Designers, Creating Your Perspective and Maintaining Your Passion, Mega Tips, 11 Game Development Career Choices Programming, Game Programming as a Career Choice, Art, Game Artist as a Career Choice, Design, Game Designer as a Career Choice, Production, Production as a Career Choice, Audio, Audio Composer and Engineer as a Career Choice, Quality Assurance, QA as a Career Choice, Opening an Independent Game Studio , Joining a Game Developer, Industry Economics, Game Development Studio Breakdown, Executive Department, Product Development Department, Creative Department, Programming or Technical Department, Marketing Department, Breakdown Conclusions, Case Study Comments on the Testing Doorway, Mega Tips, A Reference Information Education, Events, Industry Magazine, Industry-Related Sites, Organizations, Breaking In!, Agents and Recruiters, Job Sites, Design Document Reference, TV Programming, COPPA Guidelines, Self-Publishing, Outsourced Testing Services, Game Industry Market Research and Reports, Recommended Sites, Recommended Reading, Recommended Topics for Further Research and Reference, B Tools Discussed 3-D Modeling Packages, Art Tools, Level Editing, Middleware, Production Tools, Sound Editing Tools, 3-D Construction for the Web, Scripting Languages, Game Dynamics Libraries, Motion Tracking, Programming Language for Console/PC, MMOG Box Solutions, Wireless Development, Introducing Children to Game Design, C Career Guideline Worksheet If You Want to Explore Production, If You Want to Explore Game Art Construction, If You Want to Explore Game Programming, If You Want to Explore Quality Assurance, If You Want to Explore Game Audio, If You Want to Explore Business Relations or Marketing, D Quick Topic Summary for Designers Reference Material, Design Document Writing, Quick Modeling, Layout and Staging, Scripting, Mapping or Level Building, Audio, Testing, Support Software, Team Focus, E Gallery UBO Game Interface, Player Creation Screen, Early Game Setup Screen, Game Details, Position Selection and Batting Order, Basic Character Construction, The Motion Capture Process, Baseball Stadiums, Game Action, Index Team DDU

Filled with tips and techniques from veteran game designers at Sony, Blizzard, Disney, LucasArts, Activision, 3DO, and many others!

Plan, design, and create enthralling game environments complete with richly animated characters and objects by applying the expert techniques described in this one-of-a-kind resource. Veteran game developer Tom Meigs covers the foundations of game design, including previsualization, level stubbing and layout, lighting, texturing, behavior scripting, and using particles, and explains in detail each stage of game development and design. Each chapter features an in-depth interview with a game industry expert as well as case a study based on Tom's real-world experiences working on Sony PlayStation games and various other projects. Plus, you'll get priceless advice on how to get into the game development industry now with details on the different types of jobs available.

• Develop a comprehensive previsualization process for your game project
• Create topographic maps and reference drawings for level planning and layout
• Build up your game scenes with lighting, texturing, particles, effects, and audio
• Place actors, props, and items and tune specific camera details
• Learn about game design by genre—sports, fighting, RTS, role-playing, FPS, sims, MMOG, and others
• Script action events using JavaScript, Visual Basic, Python, Perl, and other tools
• Develop and design games for wireless devices including PDAs and mobile phones
• Implement a testing loop
• Learn how to avoid mistakes and set yourself up for success

Publisher's Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. Create game worlds with professional techniques and insights offered by one of the gaming industry giants, Tom Meigs, who has worked at THQ, Sony, and Disney Build games with techniques and insights from a pro. Author and game developer Tom Meigs shows you the finer points of world building and behavior scripting. Learn about level stubbing, lighting, prop and item placement, camera tricks, particle and effects systems, communication loops, Massively Multiplayer Online Games, and much more.