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Unit 70: Task 1 and 2
Report Title: What is a Game Engine
Author: Dylan Enstone
I certify that work contained in this assessment was researched and prepared by me.
Learner Signature: Dylan Enstone
Context - Describe the project (WWWWWH), scenario, its purpose and function your aims and objectives.
Research - Describe how you did your research
Problem Solving - Describe the problems you overcome and how you learnt from the process.
Planning and production - (GDD) Games Design Document. Describe your planning methods and production workflow.
Practical Skills - What skills have you learned in the production process.
Evaluation and Reflection - This is a critical part of this process, make sure this is in good detail. In respect of the project; Your strengths, areas for improvement, the pros & cons, ups and downs, for and against . what were the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT). Blooms Taxonomy
References - (Harvard Style) Provided a minimum of 3 references
Presentation - You provided a professional approach to how your weblog is presented
Task 1
What is a game engine?
There are many different types of game engines. Some popular such as 'Unity', 'CryEngine' and 'Unreal Engine 4', and some not as popular. However popular some may be they all have traits which make them useful and unique for making certain types of games. These types can be separated into many different categories including but not limited to 2D and 3D. Some engines do fit into both categories.
For 2D games the best engines would be:
a. 'Unity' is an easy choice to make because it gives easy methods to import and insert scripts as prefabs. It also has a simple way to add in 2D assets such as UI and cut-scenes.
b. 'GameMaker Studio' is a good choice for beginners and those who like to work fast and simple because it has an easy to use drag and drop system for building scenes and importing assets. 'GameMaker Studios' also includes ample learning tools and tutorials as to make it easier to learn the software. [Website 1]
For 3D games the most efficient game engines would be:
a. 'Unreal Engine 4' is the obvious choice when making any game because of its ability to create 2D, 3D and games on most platforms. It also holds the key to a full toolkit of game creation assets.
b. 'CryEngine' would be a logical choice for making a 3D game for its 'pay as much as you want' service it is one of the most affordable engines out there. Similarly to 'Unreal Engine 4', 'CryEngine' has a complete set of tools for 3D game creation. [Website 2]
Task 2
In this unit, we will be discussing most major components of game engines.
Graphics Rendering
The first thing to go over would be the first to be used after an asset has been moved into a scene, which is, of course, graphics rendering.
Graphics rendering can be used to immerse a player into a game so it is important to show attention to details, such as lighting, textures and shadowing.
Fogging can add suspense and can make it more enjoyable because it can give the player the feel of an unseen enemy or objective. It can be used in a game engine to add atmosphere to the scene.
Lighting and shadowing are just as important as fogging for bringing atmosphere into a game and immersing the players. as can be seen in the image above there is an example of a combination of shadow, lighting, texture and fogging used in 'Silent Hill' the texture is all grainy and smudged and the lighting is dark which goes well with the fog for creating a creepy and suspense building atmosphere.
Animation Systems
Animation systems can be used to add aesthetic value to objects and movements. Animation is also used as a way to actually bring the game to life through
Animation systems allow a developer to add smoke, fog through particle systems, 'Unity' has a full range of customisable particles, I have personally used this to create certain particles in a tower defence game. Kinematics is another area of animation systems. They allow a developer to give movements to a character in a game.
Systems
Sound effects can give spacial awareness to a game because you can use certain surfaces a way to give reverb when there's a large room. Game developers can also make things seem further away or closer by making sounds quieter and louder.
Physics allow the developer to give a more realistic aspect to a game as well as give boundaries (so a player cant walk straight through a wall). It can give a more realistic feel to things by giving objects the ability to fall towards the ground and, if needed, bounce a few times once it hits the ground instead of falling through it (this is more commonly known as giving an object collision).
Artificial Intelligence
Any game no matter the type will nine times out of ten need AI elements in the game, whether this is a Sci Fi assistant in a GUI, a moving character like an enemy/ally or a tutorial/scoreboard. So most game engines will have easy ways to add in and give commands to Artificial Intelligence elements. Aspects such as a map are also included in Artificial Intelligence as it requires the ability to update depending on map changes or things being moved such as the player.
Character behaviours and dialogue are one of the better-known aspects of Artificial Intelligence in games as it tells certain character assets how to interact with one another and the player. The video below is a small recording I made whilst play Just Cause 3 on Xbox and left it running for a few minutes. I believe believe it shows a good aspect of character behaviour artificial intelligence as it has one type of characters fighting another without the player even getting involved.
[Video 1]
Towards the end of the clip, there is a slight glimpse at aspects such as physics and path finding when the civilian car jumps as it goes too quickly up a hill and stops when it encounters a blocked road.
Middleware
Middleware acts as a bridge between the game engine and the other applications and software that are used in the creation, texturing, animation, modelling, scripting and basically any other sub-software used in making the game work. In the same way, a game engine can be seen as a kind of middleware in itself as it acts as a bridge between the assets and the game itself.
Bibliography
[Image 1]: Games Engines. (2018). [Image] Available at: https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/1*LneOPz9iclWycr9N0OnZ-Q.png [Accessed 6th Apr. 2018].
[Image 2]: Graphics Rendering in 'Silent Hill'. [Image] Available at: https://bossdarkseid.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/silent.jpg [Accessed 7th Apr. 2018].
[Website 1]: 2D Game Engines. [Website] Available at: https://www.gamedesigning.org/gaming/game-development-tools/ [Accessed 6th Apr. 2018].
[Website 2]: 3D Game Engines. [Website] Available at: http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/level_design_tutorials/recommended-game-engines.php [Accessed 7th Apr. 2018].
[Video 1]: Just Cause 3 AI. [Video] Available at: https://youtu.be/43LEQVWkLyo [Accessed 10th May 2018] [Captured 24th Apr. 2018]
[GIF 1]: Pong. [GIF] GIF reference: 2d-bj0HSpDl5EmwU [Accessed 11th May 2018]