DAI 627 Final Project

Design Documents Link

2009-06-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

Click the link below for the design document & blog pdf's
http://drop.io/p3r3xbg

Message For Brandon

2009-05-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

Brandon,

I am very disappointed in you. I asked you to do so little for this project and showed you extraordinary patience and tolerance to your lackluster attitude and inability to attend most of the meetings. You had an opportunity to get an easy 'A' for doing so little; all you had to do was put together a little summary of our project (it was already written up!). I asked you to take the Power Point presentation, convert it to a PDF, add the images and information that is on the blog and drop site, and include information on our card game. What you made is completely unacceptable and distinctly inaccurate:

mislabeled sketches
missing images
out-dated image for the world map
inaccurate description for the map images
incomplete sentences/poor grammar
misspellings
none of the web sketches are labeled
referred to our project as a "game"
used unapproved/inaccurate images (p6)
poor description of MY digital illustration
completely incorrect caption for the HUD image... just the background is from Fable 2, the HUD was designed by me and Laura
disgraceful overall layout and design

Most importantly, though: YOU DID NOT INCLUDE ANY INFORMATION FROM THE DESIGN DOCUMENTS. Why do you think we spent all that time doing it? You contributed next to nothing for this project, which I would have let slide if you had done this one thing. You made your bed, now sleep in it.

Project Manager,
Chris Selig

BRANDON'S TO DO LIST

2009-05-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

PDF deliverable (add media: sketches, pics, illustrations) DUE THURSDAY
change all references of Neo-Terra to Faralon in deliverable
include info on RUSE in deliverable
prepare for presentation: slides 9-14 & 21-22 DUE TOMORROW

market place

2009-05-18T08:58:00.001-07:00

Pictures for stadium

2009-05-18T08:56:00.001-07:00

House pictures

2009-05-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

House for noob (above) and champion (below)

The Ranking System, A Distinct Motivator

2009-05-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

To make up for the fact that there is no story to this world and players are free to do what they please, certain measures must be taken to ensure that players are both entertained and motivated. The primary motivator in this virtual world is the ranking system. A player can only go so far and do so much in this world without competing in matches and tournaments. The world is divided into realms, regions, and districts and some areas require the player to be a certain rank to enter. Likewise, some stores won't sell to lower ranked players. Also, the higher one raises their rank, the better the homes, furnishings, and outfits that will become available; grand champions are allowed to live in exclusive gated communities with unique amenities.

A player's rank is determined by their position on the leaderboards. Users can participate in matches, tournaments, invitationals, and quests. Each of these activities will have several leaderboards associated to them. For example, there are leaderboards for furthest distance traveled, most wins, rarest collection (based on a point system), and so on. The average of a player's leaderboard standings determines his/her rank.

upload or email please

2009-05-17T23:42:00.000-07:00

would you guys (not laura) upload any images (concept or otherwise) to the blog or drop site so we can use it in the presentation. thanks

Concept HUD

2009-05-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

Background taken From Fable 2, the HUD is our design. This is an apt representation of what the world of Neo-Terra will look like.

Artistic Sketches

2009-05-17T14:40:00.001-07:00

Technical Sketches

2009-05-17T14:36:00.001-07:00

Digital Illustration

2009-05-17T00:46:00.000-07:00

I only had time to do one digital illustration... it's not perfect, but it might do.

There's our drop.io account.

2009-05-16T14:23:00.000-07:00

http://drop.io/p3r3xbg

I posted up scanned sketches. This is also good for uploading files blogger can't.

5e

2009-05-16T00:53:00.000-07:00

e. Society – Rules, Economy, Government, Judicial System, Safety System

The government of Neo-Terra (NT) exists as a shadow entity, influencing the flow of the world society and the games played within it. There will be a bureaucracy of administrators that will facilitate the economy, environment control, and policing the populous.

The rules of the virtual world are pretty straight forward. No griefing, but trash talking is allowed (within reason). Sexuality is tolerated, but not explicit or pornographic material. Violence is not an issue because there is no actual fighting in this game. Players may enter other people’s homes, but are not allowed to alter anything. Official matches are organized according to rank, but exhibition matches are free to any rank.

The economy is similar to that of Second Life. There will be an in-game currency (gold). Users will be able to exchange USD for in game currency. Players will start the game with 100g (and a starter deck for one game of their choosing) and receive a weekly allowance of 25g. Costs are as follows:

single common card: 5-10g
single uncommon card: 10-25g
single rare card: 25-50g
unique card: 100-500g
standard pre- built deck: 50-100g
custom built deck: (ranges by shop)
clothing, accessories, & furnishings: (ranges by region & shop)

When it comes to the rights and safety of the players, there are several safeguards in place. Any players violating the terms of agreement will receive a warning and a time-out (in the underworld) from participation in matches. If the violations continue, that user will be banned from the world, not by username, but rather IP address and/or credit card.

TCG Title Suggestions

2009-05-14T22:22:00.000-07:00

Just posting up my suggestions for the title for the TCG here:

Hands of Requiem
Cascade of Chains
Parte de Moarte (Romanian, "Hands of Death")
Drawn by Aggression
Tieria

TECH DISPLAY

2009-05-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

SLURL for dislpay:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Tech%202/152/196/33

5d: Fun things to do.

2009-05-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

There will be many fun things to do besides playing trading card games: minigames, hidden item secrets, and interacting with other users. Making a conscious decision to have the trading card games be the focal point of our world, this means we decided to only make quests restricted to special events (i.e. Halloween). Users who finish the special quests will receive in-game prizes: money, special cards, boosters, etc. Tournaments will play a large role in our TCG, prizes proportional to the size of the tournament will be given to winners and winners will also be displayed on a scoreboard.
Outside of the TCG area will be minigames, a minor distraction and break from playing tcgs. Some of the minigames envisioned in the area will be retro arcade games like 1941 and Pong. Since interacting can determine how well users will experience trading and playing, we’ve made clubs specifically for mingling and networking with other users. Certain areas, such as adult-oriented social zones will be designated for users 18 and over.
Aside from the TCGs within our world, users will be able to create their own TCG to showcase in our world, provided that they purchase our TCG Development package, much like XNA and Apple’s SDK, this will allow users to program to our system; streamlining content creation.
The environment will also be designed to optimized the TCG playing experience, but it will also include secret easter eggs. There will be clues within the environment to where hidden items are, but those will be constantly moved or changed to keep the users on their toes.

5c

2009-05-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

In this virtual space, players are encouraged to play the card game. This sounds obvious, but play is just the fundamental. Because of getting involved in playing the game, players must use online communication skills to trade/buy cards. And this also creates the virtual world economy and this point also tie back to our target audience, who are willing to spend money. On top of that, players must commit to the game by spending hours and hours of time to play the game, develop their own unique strategies (that gets to the creative aspect), and getting powerful cards. With that said, official/unofficial forums are there for players to share their experiences and strategies, or what kind of special cards are out there for the hunt. People can talk/debate about different aspect of the game.

Tournaments are set up frequently. Prizes could be money (virtual credit or real cash) or/and rare cards, and the size on the prize is proportional to the magnitude of the tournament. This creates an online economy, so the most skillful elite players can always make a living by just playing the game.

-Presentation Intro-

2009-05-13T14:24:00.001-07:00

What players should expect:

In this virtual world, players will explore the world finding hidden areas and treasures while competing against AIs & PCs to expand their collection, learn new techniques & strategy, and increase their rank on the leaderboards. The higher one's rank, the better the tournaments one will be invited to. There will be regional and worldwide tournaments as well as special invitationals. Winning exhibition matches and tournaments yields rewards proportional to their difficulty and scope. Champions will be granted unique rewards and privileges, and have access to special regions/areas. Players will also be able to design and create their own avatars and living spaces and be able to share them with others around the world.

The world is divided into different regions and and sub-districts to allow players an easy way to navigate to where they need to go. The four primary regions are based on the four Trading Card Games (TCGs) that this virtual world has to offer. They are located around the central tournament district, or the Stadium District. This is where players go to participate in major world tournaments or special invitationals.

Secondary regions (Home, Marketplace, Social, Tutorial) exist to facilitate the player in ways to enhance the overall game experience. Upon entering the virtual world, the player will find him/herself in the Tutorial district. There, the player will be guided through the basics of the world such as navigation, interaction, collecting/trading, and competition.

This virtual world cannot be called a mere video game, it is much more than that. This is a place where people can go to play "old-school" style trading card games within a digital environment. People can network with like-minded individuals and make friends around the world. Whether one's motivations are social, creative, or competitive, this world all that and more to offer.

World Layout

2009-05-13T14:21:00.001-07:00

General Layout for the world map

5b

2009-05-13T12:00:00.001-07:00

b. Place – World Story, Navigation, Purpose, Ownership, Creativity and Expression, Impact. Description and visual design

The virtual world will be flat with definable natural boundaries. The world will be split up into different regions based on TCG association (Magic, Yu-gi-oh, pokemon, etc), with the center of the world containing a large stadium for special tournaments and occasions. There is no need for a back story because the focus of the world is not on the where you are, but what you can do there. Players will navigate through the world from a third person perspective (behind the back). The camera can be adjusted to other pre-programmed positions such as over the shoulder or first person. Players will also have the option of free-controlling the camera to look at their own avatar or focus on someone else (similar to second life). Navigation within an given area can be done via a mini-map overlay (players can control orientation and transparency). Worldwide navigation can be done through a map item (Far Cry 2).

The purpose of the world is to provide a bridge between real-life TCG’s and virtual community based games.

Users will have ownership rights of all cards, outfits, accessories, and home furnishings collected, but all in-game items are still subject to copyright laws. Users will be able to rent an in-world apartment or home and store their property there (PlayStation Home, Animal Crossing).

Using a separately released creator package, users can design and create their own in game property, such as custom card games, avatars, and animations (Valve Source).

This world will allow greater exposure of traditional TCG’s to a broader, more digital minded audience. It will also bridge the gap between virtual world enthusiasts, video gamers, TCG players and social networkers.

5a

2009-05-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

5. World Design Feature Categories:
a. Self – Appearance, Expression, Communication, Connection to Others, Persona and Reputation. Describe in detail and visual design

Users will create 3d avatars using in-game design engine. At the start of play, users can choose to either “quick-start” with a random or pre-made avatar, or create a customized avatar using a system similar to Oblivion and Mass Effect.

Similar to Second life and WoW, the avatars will have at their disposal an extensive list of pre-made gestures (sound & animation) ranging from “waving hello” to “middle finger” expressions. (think Fable II).

Communication can be done through local chat, private chat, or third party voice chat (ventrillo). The game can monitor third party social networking sites (facebook, myspace) and alert users as to when their friends log online. Likewise, third party social networking sites will have access to our online users list and alert their users when friends log online.

Users will be free to create a persona that fits their wants and needs within the virtual world within the terms of agreement (offensive and explicit material discouraged).

There will be multiple ranking systems based on rarity of collection and win/loss ratio similar to xbox live’s leaderboard system. Players who work their way up the tournament circuits will be ranked according to wins, losses, and in-game skills (determined by time and strategy of battle). A separate leaderboard will display players who have the rarest collections based on rarity systems embedded within each card game. There can also be sub-leaderboards that track statistical information such as players who have walked the furthest, most outfits collected, most hours played, etc.

Teleport here for project.

2009-05-07T09:45:00.001-07:00

Coordinates: 198, 175, 21 - DAI 627: Design of Virtual Worlds. (on Paradisiac)

FEEDBACK PLEASE

2009-05-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

I was wondering where everyone was standing on their tasks?

Some tweaks..

2009-05-04T22:33:00.001-07:00

I made the trading area be more of a lounging and trading area. There's also a winners area and its lighted with spot lights.

Not Finished Yet.

2009-05-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

I've been working on the decorating. It's still unfinished. Just posting up progress.

2009-05-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a sketch for the environment design:

Crunch Time

2009-05-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

So we're presenting this week. I would like to see all assets done by tomorrow (Tue.) and a rough run through done on Wed. (we need to meet in the morning). Here is a reminder of who's doing what:

Steve/Brandon: Costumes and distribution

Chris/Laura: Environment design

Land Update:

2009-04-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

Beth (aka Cassandra Avedon)
has been added to the DAI 627 Group.

Anyone who has paid Endo Chrome or Bomber Oller, 400 Linden Dollar, please email
lvmunoz@sfsu.edu or comment.

You will be added to the Group, and therefore also own part of the land as well.

Show Me the L$

2009-04-22T18:04:00.001-07:00

We really need to collect the L$ that ppl owe us for the usage of our land.

New Costumes

2009-04-14T09:21:00.001-07:00

Mario
Link
Sonic
Master Chief
Pokemon

I found some buildings

2009-04-13T22:14:00.001-07:00

Here's the Deal...

2009-04-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

So we decided to purchase a good sized plot of land. We are willing to share it with the rest of the class for the modest fee of 400L$ per person. This money will mostly go towards the maintenance of the land (rent). Bring it up in class or comment on this blog.

Coordinates: 198, 175, 21 - DAI 627: Design of Virtual Worlds. (on Paradisiac)

Research Roles -- SL Experiment

2009-04-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

Laura:

Rent/Buy Land (large)
Location Mechanics (i.e. daytime or well lit, open for adding objects, closed/no unauthorized entry, no-fly script?)
Location Specific Objects (ex. signs, stage, retail area/tables/L$ registers/vending machine)
Costume Research
Environment Design (with Chris)

Brandon:

Costumes (5 parts: head, torso, hands, legs, feet) - Build our own or purchase/free? If build, then what is the ETA for completion of all 6 costumes?
Work with Steve on Item packages, distribution, exchange rates (25L$/package)
Slot machines (work with steve)
Banana Hammock

Steve:

Rarity of costumes (we'll choose on thursday)
Distribution of parts within the packages (how many different packages? Try to formulate it so the experiment will last about 45 minutes.)
Prizes (fastest, rarest, all costumes, most innovative... determined by audience)
Research any useful scripting and how to implement (instruction signs, etc.)

Danny (day laborer):

Documentation (screenshots... sent to email)
Costumes
video capture?
Information Resource (to be utilized at will by any and all full members of this group)

The Trading Game -- SL Experiment

2009-04-07T11:44:00.000-07:00

1. Experiment Title

"The Trading Game"

2. Scenario

Buying, collecting and trading clothing objects with the objective to complete a full costume set.

3. Mechanics

Participants will enter the building wearing the required attire. They will then purchase costume parts and attempt to collect a full set by trading with other people. Some sets are more rare than others so certain costumes will require both patience and L$ to complete. The participants who fulfill certain criteria (such as finishing a costume set first) will win a monetary prize.

4. SL Location

Coordinates: 198, 175, 21 - DAI 627: Design of Virtual Worlds. (on Paradisiac)

5. Roles

Group members will be acting as administrators, the participants will be the players, and a select few will perform the duties of documentation.

6. Role Assignments

Information Desk Clerk - When someone needs a refresher to the rules or help.
Documentors - Taking screenshots of the event to document it.
Finished Costume - Person will be dressed in the finished costume to show what the players could end up with.

Information Desk - Laura
Documentors - Danny and Jane
Finished Costume - Brandon

Non-character driven Roles

Vending/Slot Machine - Providing players with costume pieces
Vending Machine - Providing players with undergarments, (we start the game in our underwear).

7. Assets Provided

Undergarments, Costume pieces.

8. Participant Preparation

No preparation is required. Instructions will be clear during the experiment.

9. Production Plan

Develop an experiment that would implement the idea of trading, "the trading game."
Set rules for the game.
Second Life scripting and modeling research.
Research costume development.
Acquire costumes.
Research distribution of costumes. Research randomized package distribution.
Find and acquire land for staging the game.
Develop environment for the game.
Set roles for the game.

Building Treasure Chests

2009-04-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

Links:
http://purplewyvern.co.uk/thenest/2008/05/26/arrr-treasure-chest/

It's super expensive to buy them too.
https://www.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=1227629

Transparent Walls?

2009-04-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

For an invisible border we can just make very big windows.
http://vodpod.com/watch/763558-make-a-1-way-tinted-window-second-life-video-tutorial

Land

2009-04-05T23:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice walkthrough on how to adjust the settings on your land. The land can be a no-fly zone.
http://blog.coveislands.com/2009/03/17/the-about-land-panel/

This link is about a group owning land:
http://blog.coveislands.com/2009/03/31/group-owned-land-in-second-life%E2%84%A2/

I haven't found anything on building invisible walls in SL, yet.

Actually, owning land in SL is pretty weird. You have the ability to own land, but you have to pay a land maintenance fee each month.
https://support.secondlife.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=4417&task=knowledge&questionID=5198

Trading Card Game Rule Examples

2009-04-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

I've got the rulebooks for Yugi-Oh and Magic.
I also uploaded rules for MapleStory TCG and High Stakes Drifter.

http://drop.io/p3r3xbg

password: tcgworld

Reminder: final class meeting - 5/19

Themes

2009-03-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

This post will detail the themes for each color; it is currently a work-in-progress and will continually be updated as more things come to mind.

Passion (Red)

Play Style: Fast, aggressive, reckless
Creature Themes: Mercenaries, Orcs, Goblins, Trolls
Spell Themes: Fire, Electricity, Unholy Magic, Missiles, Rockets
Mechanics: Direct damage, creature destruction, mimicry (at a price), fast answers, suicide, lower WR than PV

Vitality (Green)

Play Style: Balanced, regenerative, tenacious
Creature Themes: Elves, Dwarves, Druids, Animals, Beasts
Spell Themes: Earth, Plant, Disease, Natural Disasters, Holy Magic
Mechanics: Life gain, damage prevention, energy acceleration, graveyard renewal, lower PV than WR

Will (Blue)

Play Style: Strategic, tricky, alternative methods
Creature Themes: Academics, Cyborgs, Androids, Gnomes
Spell Themes: Water, Wind, Ice, Knowledge, Psionics
Mechanics: Draw acceleration, hand denial, bounce, mill, taking control, balanced PV and WR

Overall Themes

The Three Kings: One of each color.
The Twins: One pair for each color pair.
Essence Spells: In every color; works on emptying the power pool.

Creature Design Guidelines

2009-03-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

After looking over some of the creatures I had designed, I came to realize one thing: they weren't balanced. With that in mind, I went back to what I had designed for creature designs and decided to completely overhaul the system I used, dropping the "feel" system for a more mathematical approach to balancing creatures and came up with the following design guidelines:

Creature Design Guidelines

Each creatures gains a set amount of Creature Points (CP) from their DP, RA and CT.
A creature's CP total must be equal to or more than the CP total spent on its abilities.
Each colored Power [(R), (G), or (B)] is worth 10 CP.
Each non-colored Power [(1)] is worth 4 CP
Regarding RA - E = +0 CP, D = +1 CP, C = +3 CP, B = +5 CP, A = +9 CP, S = +15 CP
The "Legend" CT nullifies the CP cost for having an TA or AA; however, the effect of the TA or AA must still be paid for separately.
All "Legend" creatures have an OD, but the effect of the OD must be paid for separately.
Each point of OP and DP costs 1 CP
Just having an AA costs 4 CP; the effect must still be paid for separately.
If an AA has a Spell card equivalent, the rule of thumb is to convert the Spell's DP to CP; the CP price for having the AA is equal to that amount increased by 25%, rounded up.
Just having a TA costs 6 CP; the effect must still be paid for separately.
If an TA has a Spell card equivalent, the rule of thumb is to convert the Spell's DP to CP; the CP price for having the TA is equal to that amount increased by 50%, rounded up.
If an OD has a Spell card equivalent, the rule of thumb is to convert the Spell's DP to CP; the CP price for having the OD is equal to that amount.

Nomenclature & Abbreviations

2009-03-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

Posting up a list of nomenclature that I'm using in conjunction with the development of the game in order to minimalize confusion when discussing the project.

Parts of the Play Field

War Zone (WZ): A place for creatures who may participate in combat. Creatures in the War Zone may Attack, Block and use Activated Abilities, but cannot work.
Work Force (WF): A place for creatures who may not participate in combat. Creatures in the Work Force may Work and use Activated Abilities, but may not Attack or Block.

Mechanics

Power: The mechanic that is one of the primary aspects of resource management in the game; nearly every spell requires Power to be put into play, and every card has at least one method of generating Power.

Passion (R): The name for the type of Power associated with the Red aspect of the game. Passion is also the name used for the overarching Red faction.
Will (B): The name of the type of Power associated with the Blue aspect of the game. Will is also the name used for the overarching Blue faction.
Vitality (G): The name of the type of Power associated with the Green aspect of the game. Vitality is also the name used for the overarching Green faction.

Purge: The mechanic where, by discarding a card from their hand, a player gains an amount of energy equal to the card's purge value. Cards cannot be purged in response in the effect of a spell or ability.
Work: The mechanic where, by fatiguing a creature that is in the Work Force, its controller gains power equal to its Work Rate. Renewed creatures who Work become Tired; Tired creatures who Work become Exhausted.
Fatigue: The mechanic that determines the actions available to a creature. There are three states of Fatigue: Renewed, Tired, and Exhausted.

Renewed: One of the three states of Fatigue that a creature may be in. All creatures are returned to a Renewed state at the beginning of their controller's Renewal Phase. Renewed creatures may Attack, Block, Work or use Activated Abilities.
Tired: One of the three states of Fatigue that a creature may be in. Creatures enter play Tired and may Block or Work while tired, but may not Attack or use Activated Abilities.
Exhausted: One of the three states of Fatigue that a creature may be in. Exhausted creatures may take no actions. Creatures become exhausted when they Attack, Work or use Activated Abilities.

Parts of All Cards

Card Name (CN): The specific name of the card.
Card Type (CT): The type of the card: the card may be one of three types--"Hero", "Legend", or "Spell".
Rarity (RA): How rare the card is; how difficult it is to obtain the card when opening booster packs. Ranks in Grades from S (most rare) to F (most common).
Deployment Cost (DC): The total amount of power, with coloration counted, to put the card into play.
Pure Deployment Cost (PDC): The total amount of power, without regards to color, required to put a card into play.

Parts of a Creature Card

Work Rate (WR): The specific amount of energy any given creature generates while in the Work Force.
Purge Value (PV): The amount of energy any given card generates when Purged.
Offensive Power (OP): The attack power of any given creature. During the Damage Subphase of the Combat Phase, a creature who Attacks or Blocks deals combat damage equal to its Offensive Power to the creature blocking it or blocked by it, respectively.
Defensive Power (DP): The defensive power of any given creature. When a creature takes more damage than its defensive power in one turn, it is killed, removing it from play and putting it into the Void.
Activated Ability (AA): An ability possessed by a creature that is activated by paying its activation cost as well as Exhausting the creature. Players may only use Activated Abilities possessed by a creatures under their control if it is Renewed; Tired and Exhausted creatures cannot use Activated Abilities.
Triggered Ability (TA): An ability possessed by a creature that automatically activates when and if the conditions for its activations are met, regardless of the creature's Fatigue status. Triggered Abilities are generally considered more powerful than Activated Abilities because they can be activated at any time, so long as the triggering event occurs.
Overdrive (OD): Special Triggered, Activated Abilities possessed by every Legend. A Legend's Overdrive is triggered when it attacks, and activated by paying its activation cost. It is considered part of the attack, rather than a separate action.

Parts of Spell Cards

Reflex Cost (RC): The additional cost required to play any given spell when outside of the player’s turn. The Reflex Cost of each spell differs.
Effect (EF): The effect of any given spell. Rules as written, not rules as intended.

Unfortunately, despite this somewhat extensive list, I still need terms for "the Library", "the Hand", and "the Graveyard", along with definitions for each; if possible, I'd like to stay away from "the Library" and "the Graveyard", as neither fit the theme of the game.

Testing

2009-03-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

I'm just testing this. Trying to email requests to contribute to the blog.

Blog Activities

2009-03-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

Trying to friend each other
Setting up following
Adding permissions to edit the blog

First Contact

2009-03-12T12:14:00.001-07:00

this is only a test