Scaffolding: Concept Review

 For one of our games we chose Undertale. Undertale’s core theme is about the player being directly in control and how every choice matters, so an immersive unconventional controller would expand upon that core theme. The mechanics are simple, you move with WASD and confirm or cancel actions, normally you can only use WASD to move in both the overworld and combat so using a more dynamic controller would make what is a simple system more complex and immersive, the combat is about dodging projectiles and making that more dynamic would better express how the player moves in the world.

For our second game we chose Fireboy and Watergirl. The core theme of the game is cooperation and coordination between two players controlling different characters. Each character has unique abilities: Fireboy can safely move through fire but is harmed by water, while Watergirl can safely move through water but is harmed by fire. Players must work together to solve puzzles, activate switches, and navigate obstacles in order to reach the exit. The mechanics are simple, with each player using a few keys to move left, right, and jump. Because the controls are straightforward, an unconventional controller could make the cooperative aspect of the game more physical and interactive. Designing a controller that requires both players to coordinate gestures or share physical inputs could emphasize teamwork and communication, better expressing the cooperative gameplay that defines the experience.

Questions:

Do the controllers we designed make the gameplay feel more connected to the themes of the game?

What other inputs would you consider using for a controller that matches the themes of the game?

Links to games:

Fireboy and Watergirl: https://www.coolmathgames.com/0-fireboy-and-water-girl-in-the-forest-temple

Undertale: https://ut10-battle.undertale.com/

Sketches for Undertale:

Sketches for Fireboy and Watergirl:

Final Team 22 - Scaffoldig Progress Update

Our controller that we are looking to make allows you to feel like the as if you have more control over what the Monkey Ball characters do in game, as you are holding a controller that simulates the basic platform they move around on in the game. Our controller will be composed of a rectangular board with 4 small walls around its edges forming an open-lidded box. This is to help keep the physical ball from rolling off of the board while it is being used for gameplay. This unique controller mirrors the top down view of the levels seen in the game and gives the player more leverage and understanding of the movement and physics rather than if they were using a joystick to play the game. Our controller will allow players to tilt the world with a more controlled movement as they can directly see how their actions control which direction the ball will move around. As opposed to a standard controller, playing the game with our unique controller becomes a fun and challenging experience to play the game.

Schematic:

Pseudo Code:

```

#libraries

Start

{

Starts Circuit Playground Express;

}

Update

{

Get tilt “X” position of Circuit Playground express = tilt joystick “X” amount;

Get tilt “Y” position of Circuit Playground express = tilt joystick “Y” amount;

If circuit complete detected = Press “A” key for keyboard zooming in/out of minimap;

}

```

Team 12 Final Concepts

 

Team 12 Concept Sketches

        For our final project, we’re considering using the games Limbo and SpeedRunners. We chose these games because while they’re simple from a control stance, they’re also an artistic, gripping experience and an exciting and fun one respectively. Though we will probably only go with one for the final project, its good to have variety. Limbo is mechanically as simple as it gets, left and right take you in those respective directions, up makes you jump, and another input makes you interact with something in your environment, the “action”. While it is mechanically simple, the story and art style elevate the experience to the point that the studio has only made that game and one other and is still seeing success. SpeedRunners on the other hand, is a fast, competitive experience that is artistically and mechanically somewhat simple, but loads of fun because of the chaos that ensues during gameplay. Every match is different due to the changing maps, random item drops, and varying opponents you face. It is clear who is a beginner and who is experienced, due to the competitive nature of the game. This makes a dedicated controller logical.

For questions, we’re wondering if just visual design such as painted figures is enough for the limbo controller designs. Should they reference an in-game item like one of the SpeedRunners controllers? Also, do our current control schemes seem intuitive and beneficial to your experience of the games?

- Ralfo Manzur & Rodrigo Cardenas Rodriguez

Scaffolding: Concept Review Final Team 18

 Jeremy Myers and Ethan Ryno

https://www.emulatorgames.net/roms/playstation/spyro-the-dragon-sces-01438/

    One of our game choices is the 3D platforming game Spyro The Dragon for PlayStation One that has many different worlds and levels. One motivation for making a controller for this game is how simple the controls where since it was first on the PlayStation One with only directional input even if its a 3D game, along with the fact both of us have played Spyro before and enjoyed it. The core mechanics involve running around getting rid of enemies and collecting the trinkets within each level while platforming around obstacles. With how simple the controls they can be interpreted in creative or more interesting ways maybe even making it better than the original controls since the PS1 controller did have to get updated to make a better 3D gameplay experience. Any specific controls that could be represented better or change made to improve upon the design? Any favorite mechanics implanted in one of these controls?

Design #1: Dragon Egg

Taking the idea of a dragon egg and giving it multiple, with covering the light sensors allow for movement, temperature for flame breath when you blow on it, accelerometer for shaking to jump, and a audio receiver to speak at it after shaking to glide. You collect dragon eggs in the third Spyro game which has the same control scheme as one.

Design #2: Magic Chest

    Each gem has an RFID tag inside registered to a different button when dropped in the chest it would be detected by the sensor and perform that action. There will also be key that once put it will start moving the character and depending on how its turned it will change the players movement. Gems are based on the ones you collect in game from chests.

Design #3: Spyrotroller

A model of spyro that has moving parts with each moving part programmed to a button, flapping the wings allow for jump and glide, mouth controls the fire, neck and tail control direction, with the head being charge. Each part is related to the actual part he uses to move in the game such has mouth for fire and wings for glide.

Design #4: Spyro Mask

An interactive mask based on Spyros face, with a mouth you can open for fire, temperature sensor or sound sensor for speed, and the mask has an accelerometer for when you tilt it left and right for roll and up for jump and glide. If you look left or right it will also go in those direction depending how much you turn your head. One of the horns acts as a lever for the charge with the other being forward or back.

Design #5: Wizard Tower and Portal

A wizard tower that you can rotate to different slots each slots is given a button related to an ability and you can rotate either direction to use it again. The Portal has RFID tags under it in four spots with "magic" symbols to indicate directions and you can use the wand to sense them and go in that direction. The wand idea was inspired by the brush from Hiroshi Ishii, and the overall portal theme was from Skylanders.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/245490/Trials_Fusion/

    The second game we chose was Trail Fusions a dirt bike platform racing game where you drive through a level as fast as possible and doing tricks all the while not crashing or flipping over. A big motivation for making controllers for this game was the possibility of increasing the immersion for the player by having a bigger controller or devices more resembled to an actual bike that they could control. With something more immersive they could feel as if they have more control over their actions and its adds a lot more physical effort such as revving the engine and tilting forward or back. Any specific controls that could be represented better or change made to improve upon the design? Any favorite mechanics implanted in one of these designs?

Design #1: Dirt Bike Sim

    Inspired by the front of a actual dirt bike with pegs for brake and quick restart, key to bail, electric throttle for gas, and the handle bar to tilt forward or back.

Design #1: Toy Biker

    Based on dirt bike toys this ones in a stand that allows you to lean it back and forward detected by an accelerometer, a dial for the gas, a light sensor in front for brake which can be blocked by using a hand, pull the biker off to bail out which would remove it from the RFID sensor, as for quick restart you would tap the base on the side.

Design #1: RC Bike

    Modeled after a RC car control it uses the wheel dial on the side for gas and break, tilting forward or back to translate in game with an accelerometer, speak at it to bailout, and tap on the one point to restart.

Design #1: Tech Helmet

    Based on helmets people wear when they actually ride dirt bikes this one has an accelerometer for when you tilt you head forward or back, an audio receiver so when you're loud it goes and silent you break, tap the visor to reset, and take off the helmet to bail out revealing a light sensor.

Design #1: Electric Brake

    Base on the handle bar from a dirt bike it has similar features with the brake and throttle for gas, and tilting will allow for tilting forward and back in the game. To bailout it would be done by sound activation and for quick restart would be by blowing on the device.

Final Team 10 - Concept Review (Tetris and Robot Unicorn Attack)

Game 1: Tetris

This game could be a good contender for an alternative controller because of its simple control scheme and room to improve game skill. Tetris features a shape, or "tetromino" that can be turned to better fit along with other shapes. The goal is to complete a full row of shapes to stop them from reaching the top. We think these mechanics are perfect for an alternative controller, as it may help players to visualize what their inputs are actually doing in the game. We had the idea to make our controller visually similar to the shapes seen in Tetris to further the authenticity of the concept.

Questions:

Do the concepts immediately make you think of Tetris? As in, do the designs represent the game?

How can we expand on the light sensitivity and voice-activated controllers?

Concepts:

Game 2: Robot Unicorn Attack

Robot Unicorn Attack is an endless runner where you play as a unicorn who dashes across a bright landscape. The core mechanics of the game are a jump, double jump, and dash. Since the mechanics are very simple, we believe an alternative controller could enhance the experience by adding motion and physicality. Our controller would be shaped like a wand that resembles the horn seen on the unicorn in-game - where gestures like hitting the gem would make the player jump, and shaking the wan would activate the dash action. We have included another possible design, where players would wear the controller around their wrists, much like a friendship bracelet seen in the early 2000's (as referenced in the theming of the game).

Questions:

Do you think that adding motion controls to an endless runner - that speeds up over time - would enhance the experience or diminish it?

Are there any additional gestures that could be used in gameplay and incorporated into the controller?

Concepts:

Team 14: Final Controller Concepts

For our final project, our team chose between Excitebike and original PunchOut!! arcade games. We chose these games because the arcade era around the time of these games’ creation was full of interesting and unique controller designs outside of a standard “joystick and buttons” approach, and we thought it'd be fun to create a controller that reflected the innovation of these times. Creating a unique controller for these games would also add a layer of immersion that games in this era strived for, due to low graphical fidelity.

Excitebike’s core mechanics revolve around controlling a motorbike to get the best times and to qualify for the next race. It has the following controls:

- leaning forwards and backwards ( A and D, “Left Arrow” and “Right Arrow”)

- changing lanes (W and S, “up arrow” and “Down Arrow”)

- accelerating at a slow and fast speed (Z and X)

Link: https://www.retrogames.cz/play_055-NES.php

Punchout!! core mechanics revolve around fighting unique individuals in a boxing match, dodging attacks and punching to lower the enemy's HP bar. It has the following controls:

- left and right punch (Z, X)

- left and right uppercut (Z and X while holding W or “Up Arrow”)

- left and right dodge (A and D, “Left Arrow” and “Right Arrow”)

- block (Down Arrow, S)

- super-punch (ENTER)

Link: https://www.retrogames.cz/play_771-NES.php

One major inspiration to some of these design ideas was trying to create a controller that reflected an equivalent action in game, both to add to immersion and to better reflect some of the more fun aspects of old-school arcades.

Questions:

How well does the arduino accept rotational input, such as turning while its flat?

How extreme can inputs be for the motion sensor? How fine does it “detect” motion?