Unit 72- The use of concept art in vehicle design.

Unit 72- The use of concept art in vehicle design

The purpose of concept art is to bring new and different ideas to the table during the early development of different projects. Projects that are movies, animations, video games, and sometimes books all require concept art in order for it to have original, generated environments, characters and for the purpose of the current project: vehicles.

I looked at the concept art for the movie Wreck it Ralph when I was gathering ideas for an insectoid form of transportation. There were two concept artists that stood out to me in the art book that I own, the first on was Kevin Nelson (right) and Ryan Lang (below). I looked at how each vehicle by Kevin Nelson was so smooth and streamlined. I thought about how insects are usually aerodynamic, and how this enables them to fly fast through the air.


I then moved on to look at the concept art for the Cy-Bugs by Ryan Lang, which were minor bad guys in the movie. I looked at the different variations of the Cy-Bugs designs and really liked how some were only able to crawl around on land and how others had large wings that enabled them to fly. The shapes and design of these creatures really inspired me in the initial sketches of my own vehicle.

Next I looked at concept art for vehicles in the table top game Warhammer 40K. There is a race called the Eldar in this game and the design for their vehicles is rather slender and curvy. I really liked these different designs and how quick the vehicles look. I aimed for this when I started developing the concept art for my vehicle.

The swiftness of the jet-bikes inspired me to create the body of my vehicle. I tried many different shapes and finally designed the width and height of the body I wanted after observing the details of the Warhammer vehicles.




Lastly I started looking at the wings of dragons. I had looked at the Wreck it Ralph concepts for insects and such but I wanted something a little more graceful. Fierce insect wings are usually fast and jagged, However I was more interested in a graceful, yet threatening vehicle. I wouldn't say that dragons count as vehicles in their own environment, but I recently watched the movie How to Train Your Dragon and I was very interested in how the main character Toothless was used as a form of transport for the other main character Hiccup.

The artwork has several qualities that evoke emotions in the viewer, for instance, his wingspan makes him look quite terrifying, not to mention the point nature of them. It creates this feeling that he has great power. However, when you look at how his body dangles, he looks quite innocent and graceful. All the different poses that have been created a potent of these qualities.

Styles of Fback Interface

Styles of Feedback Interface

Visual

Visual information is needed for the player’s survival in game, and/or winning the game, through text, colour and size.

Iconic

This visual information can be manifested in different ways on the games screen. These manifestations can represent such things as; Health, Experience or Ammo. But this information cannot be displayed in the same way as everything else on the screen, so the best way to display this information is through colour. ‘The Legend of Zelda’ series uses these methods to their full ability by displaying information on how much health the player has, how much ammunition they wield and how much magic they have. The health bar is represented as hearts which indicate to the player that they must be vital for their survival.

Colour Psychology

Colour psychology is a huge part in the development of a video game. Colours can foreshadow what may happen in the game, such as displaying the colour red to infer that the player is in a dangerous situation, or increasing the intensity of calm/harmonious colours such as blue or cyan/ beige or cream.  It can also be referred to what’s important within the game, such as health bars and experience bars. Take the Pokémon franchise for example. These games use an array of colours that humans use as a reference to danger or progress. When the chosen Pokémon’s health is full, the health bar is green; green is a cool, natural colour. It represents nature and well-being, once the player notices this they will realise that they are safe and will be able to survive in battle. Once the Pokémon’s health is half way, its health bar will turn orange; orange is a more alerted colour as it is a combination of red (a colour that displays danger) and yellow (a colour that creates joy and amusement). And finally when the Pokémon’s health bar is nearly empty, it will glow red, which indicates danger. There are other games that can be frustrating with how they display their health bar and how they indicate to the player that they are in danger. I find that Skyrim has a very annoying health indicator; the bar is constantly red, which is understandable. But during combat, I don’t have time to pay attention to my characters health. And when I’m in danger of dying within the game, I have no opportunity to check whether or not I need to replenish my health. It would be much more helpful if the health bar changed colour or even at least glowed a little. 

Inference

Inference is the variable that interprets actions within the video game depending on the player’s actions (trying to guess the players next move). This can involve generating the world around the player depending on the player’s direction; a game that incorporates this method of inference is ‘Minecraft’. The game generates ‘chunks’ (16 by 16 block sections) of the Minecraft world depending on which direction the player walks. The game doesn’t generate the whole world because that would be using too much memory and could lead to game becoming glitched, slowing down or it could even damage the game platform. Another method of inference is the video controlling particular none playable characters so that the player has a challenger whilst playing single player. This method of inference is used in games like the Fifa franchise. The opposing team is completely controlled by the game’s artificial intelligence system, so it has to decide and control the direction of none playable characters and what they do to challenge the player.

Player Viewpoint

The player is also given feedback depending on their characters viewpoint which can either be used in first person or third person. First person allows the player to become more engrossed in the game as it replicates how the player views the real world. It can be used to create ease or fear for the player as the entire screen is almost identical to how humans use peripheral vision unconsciously. Games like Bioshock use this viewpoint to create intense fear of the unknown. The game uses movements at the edge of the characters peripheral vision to create fear and confusion. I find this an effective use of first person viewpoints however third person viewpoints can also be used in an effective way. Third person viewpoints allow the player to have more scope of the gaming environment; this is a much better choice for games that involve complicated combat screens where multiple enemies are attacking the player. This allows the player time to evaluate their situation whilst keeping an eye on the task at hand.  Games such as Gears of War use this method to its full effect. The player can rotate around the character and view to environment on a wider scale, and can also zoom in so that the player is viewing just above the character’s shoulder.

Camera Techniques

Games have started to become more complicated during development, and this has often led to games appearing more like movies. This is because game developers include more camera techniques and cut scenes during story line development in their games. Their technical camera angles can be used in various ways to change the player’s feelings towards characters or inspire them with beautiful cut scenes.  The Professor Layton series uses complicated camera angles to create suspense and awe.  Developers use close ups to express how a character is feeling or wide camera panning to show the player an enormous environment in the game. My favourite camera technique is when developers use ‘over the shoulder’ camera angles to show an important character smiling deceitfully behind the protagonists back, moments like that drive the player forward to find a solution  or answer to the mysterious events that happen in the game. However, these camera techniques shouldn’t just be used during cut scenes; they should be used during gameplay as well. This is where I believe the Professor Layton series suffers. Professor Layton’s strongest point is the puzzles that the player must solve to advance through the storyline. But to find these puzzles, the player must explore every section of the environment, so exploration shouldn’t just be a key feature within the game, it must also be aesthetically satisfying. But exploring the environments in these games is so plain and simple. The player is presented with a section of the environment on the screen through the eyes of the protagonist, and the player can explore the next section of the environment by tapping an arrow in the direction that they want to go. It is understandable why the developers have made it so simple, but that in itself takes away from the exploration of the game. If you could change camera angles or rotate in the centre of the environment the player would feel much more satisfied finding a puzzle they didn’t see beforehand.

Lighting Effects

Lighting effects can be used in various ways to change the player’s feelings whilst playing games.  Dark environments create fear of the unknown, and light environments help the player feel safe. But I have experienced games that use these effects in opposite ways to terrify the player. Take the video game Half-Life 2 for example. Half-Life 2 has small sequences placed throughout the environment where the player must survive a minor zombie attack. Now the player has an array of weapons and a torch at their disposal, but all the weapons can run out of ammunition and the torch can run out of power (for a short amount of time before it charges back up). There will be certain times in the game that the player is in a well lit room and they can replenish their ammunition, health and shields. This gives the player a relaxed feeling and a place where they can calculate their next move. This is the moment where the player is most vulnerable and susceptible to fear, and so, this is when a group of zombies burst through the doors and windows and slowly drag themselves towards the player, the player cannot keep up; they aren’t prepared, and because of this the player might lose valuable health and shield stats. The developers use moments like these to catch players off guard and so this acts as a punishment. If the player doesn’t want to lose their health or ammunition they have to always be prepared for the worst case scenario. But there are games where lighting doesn’t become a big part of the game play, and just ends up frustrating the player. LittleBigPlanet is a good example; there are parts where the developers felt they needed different lighting effects within the game which can be understandable as it is to act as a game play method or it changes the mood of the levels, but there were times where is seemed unnecessary. There are parts in the game where the player might be in an underground environment, so naturally it’s going to be a little dark. But seeing as it’s a platformer and there is a lot of jumping involved, it came to a point where the player has to decide where and how far they’re going to jump to advance. There was a large hole in the floor and there where platforms that rotated quickly in-between five second intervals above this hole. And although it was pitch black on the screen there where small lights in the background so the player could see the outline of the platform (only slightly as the light source was placed further up above the platform). So the player has to determine the best time to attempt to run and jump onto the platforms before they start spinning. I found this part so frustrating and tedious because I had no clue how far apart the platform and the ledge I was jumping from was. I couldn’t even see my own character standing there. So the only thing that was going to help me get across this giant hole was pure luck, and that is never something the player should have to rely on.

Physical

Vibration

Controller vibration is a good way of keeping the players interest whilst playing video games. When used effectively it can make the player feel fear, sorrow or even feel heroic. Developers usually assign rumble features to create a realistic feeling whilst playing games, such as using the vibration feature when an explosion occurs in game, or when firing a gun. ‘The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask’ was one of the first game titles (if not the first) to use a vibration feature during gameplay. And considering there was such contrasts in horror compared to the other Zelda games, the rumble features really made the game seem scarier. Especially since the rumble features where used during fight scenes against the games main antagonist, the possessed child know as the ‘The Skull Kid’. Sections of the game were full of demented chuckles and screams that already scared the player, but adding the rumble features terrified them into a state of not knowing what to do or where to go. I believe that this is a successful use of the feature, the fact that it can toy with the player’s emotions seems like an appealing use of the technology. But games that over use the vibration feature to a point where the player can’t feel their hands can be infuriating. Super Smash Bros. Brawl uses this feature a lot when the player uses their ‘Final Smash’ move. The final smash is a move that is specific to the player’s chosen character. The vibration features are used on both the player using the move and the player on the receiving end, however in contradiction to how I have described the rumble feature during the final smash (which was infuriating), the player who is initiating this attack feels as though a goal has been accomplished, in other words; the vibration feature creates a euphoric feeling within the player. But the way in which this rumble feature is infuriating for the player on the receiving end is because the player has no control during this process. If the final smash is already in motion they have no choice but to watch what happens. And whilst this is going on, the player’s controller is vibrating viciously and is a reminder that the player has failed.

Haptic

Haptic controls add a realistic effect during gameplay. They are usually incorporated into joysticks that are supposed to be used during games that use a form of vehicle, for the majority of the time the vehicles that the player controls are planes or jets. This is mainly because the joystick can easily be calibrated to the controls of a jet as they are a little similar in comparison. Haptic applies a form of resistance against the players control, for example if they push forward onto the joystic they will fell resistance the opposing direction. The resistance will bring the joystick back to the centre of the stage.  Again the reason for this is because realistic controls help the player feel as though they are actually controlling a jet or plane.

Audio

Ambient & Foley effects & mood

Sound is an incredibly important factor in games. It can increase the pace of certain scenarios, make environments epic and leave the player with a philosophical outlook on events that happen in life. But there are smaller clips of sound that can create spine chilling effects. These ambience sounds are used throughout the game industry. They are commonly used to induce fear in the player whilst they are exploring unknown territory; a game that uses this feature to its full ability is ‘Slender’. In Slender the player must explore a dark forest with nothing but a flashlight in order to find eight pieces of paper with hidden secrets about a paranormal entity that abducts people in the night. This paranormal entity is commonly referred to as ‘Slender Man’. The game uses normal everyday ambience sounds such as footsteps on grass when the player walks through the forest, and piece of paper being picked up once they find a page and a click when they turn their flashlight on and off. This is to create a feeling of realism whilst the player is playing; they feel a connection between them and the game because they recognise these sounds. But as the player collects these pages, small ominous sounds will play in the background of the game, such as a drum beating very slowly and quietly. The player will begin to feel anxious as they continue to explore the forest, and will on occasion, turn around out of curiosity. This is when they’ll see the games antagonist ‘Slender Man’. Once Slender Man comes into view on the screen, the game plays a loud chord which sounds as though it is from a piano. So ambience sounds are perfect for creating anxiety, curiosity and fear.

Music & Emotion

Music can be an amazing feature in video games. In the recent years it has become a huge asset in how developers want to make the player feel and has progressed to a point that major orchestras or bands have started developing music for huge game projects. The Portal franchise has always had an interesting collection of music, but it is very rare when it comes to game play. On occasion the player might find a small hole in a wall whilst they are navigating a test chamber. There are many secret rooms dotted about the portal games which have a sad story behind them, and better yet, in these rooms the player will hear music played in a minor key. This is an effective way to create sorrow and curiosity and will lead to discovery later on in the Portal franchise. But the music isn’t the only thing that creates sorrow and questions, at the end of both games the credits have been sung by the antagonist known as ‘GLaDOS’, which is very interesting in my opinion. The lyrics from these songs are in the format of a monologue; this can lead to intense character development and will definitely create a form of empathy in the player. After I played this game and heard the music, I felt the need to replay it and whilst playing it a second time I felt bad for GLaDOS. This is my favourite form of music in a game; I think that it helps the player understand the characters and also helps create an emotional attachment to them.

Dialogue

Dialogue is an asset that is used to carry the player through the story of a game. Depending on the characters, Dialogue can vary differently in many forms such as accents, tempo and length. I’d like to reflect on the content of dialogue that the Portal franchise contains. Throughout the game ‘Portal’ the player must listen to the voice of an artificial intelligence system that is in control of the facility in which the player must navigate to escape from its clutches. The voice that is in control of the facility is sarcastic, robotic and malicious. Seeing as though it is the voice of a robot, there isn’t much flow in the voice, it sounds like a ‘text to speech’ simulator is present. It’s only later on when the player confronts the deranged computer that we really get to hear he free flowing voice and it’s terrifying. She goes from something sarcastic to something with a deep slow voice. This is a very effective use of a voice. Plus using the dialogue, which I often find quite comical, adds an enjoyable route in the game. I often find myself playing it again and again just because I like what Portal’s antagonist say’s during the game.

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HCI Technology Task

HCI Technology Task

  
1. HCI stands for Human computer interface. It is a way of making a piece of software and designing it to be as user friendly as the designer likes. HCI can be developed in different ways depending of what the software is being designed for.

 

     2. Screens:

Every game uses a screen of some sort so that the player can see the environment of the video game. PC screens mainly display PC games. TV screens can be used to display PC games but they are not as effective as a computer screen. TV screens also display games from most home consoles such as PS3, Wii etc. Recently 3D gaming has hit the mainstream hard after 3D TVs were released, Nintendo also released their own 3D console called the 3DS. Not only does this handheld have a 3D screen, it also uses touch screen technology, much like many IOS’s such as the iPhone, which can also display games.

 Keyboards:

Keyboards are used across many different platforms. It is most commonly used for PC games, but it may also be used on many other different platforms such as the X-Box 360, the PS3, and the Nintendo Wii. Game companies also like to merge game pad peripherals and keyboards together to create a controller that is handy for messaging your friends.

In early 2012 Nintendo released a blutooth keyboard for the DSi and DSi XL. The keyboard was bundled with a Pokemon spin off game that taught children how to type quickly.

WASD is the most common control set on a keyboard, depending on what type of game you’re playing. Usually if it is a 2D platformer, WASD is used 2 dimensionally (W-jump A-left, S-right and D-duck/dig). Keyboards are used for PC games like Minecraft, World of Warcraft and Guild Wars.

Joysticks:

Joysticks are input devices that function on a ball and point pivot joint. They are used mainly for three-dimensional gaming, like controlling a plane. Joysticks come accompanied with a series of buttons at the stage of the device. The joystick is a device that is mainly used for PC gaming, and such games as ‘X3 Terran Conflict and Independence War’.

Pads:

 

Gamepads have been a vital part of home console gaming for many years.  They are much more complicated compared to joysticks in the early years of game development.  Usually you will find to analogue sticks on modern gamepads. One of them will control the players direction and the second one will control the camera angle. On the N64 gamepad the player had to use the left and right trigger buttons to change the camera angle which was seen as tedious. Gamepads are used for games like ‘Skyrim, The Legend of Zelda and Halo.

Touch Screens: 

Touch screens began to be implemented as methods of gaming after the release of the first touch screen console was released in 2004. It revolutionized gaming as it made the gaming environment more interactive. The player can sometimes manipulate the environment, complete puzzles and solve brain teasers with I more accurate style of controls. Games like the Professor Layton series, Angry Birds and Gravity rush all use touch screen controls.

Steering Wheels:

The steering wheel was used mostly in arcade games before they became a gaming peripheral for home consoles and games such as ‘Live for Speed’. Nintendo created an ‘add-on’ for their Wiimote. It was a plastic wheel that you could clip the remote inside and it would simulate driving games.

Pointing Devices:

Pointing devices have mostly been used on PC’s but then in 2006, the Wii utilised motion sensors which allowed the player to point a cursor and activate commands through the Wiimote. The mouse is normally used to control the players view in the game environment. The Wii cursor isn’t a major part in gameplay. It’s usually just used to select items. However it was used effectively in ‘Super Mario Galaxy’ when the player had to collect starbitz.

Motion Detectors: 

Motion controlled gaming was first released by Sony when they created the ‘Playstation Eye Toy’. Sony admitted that it didn’t become as popular as they hoped. And then in 2006 motion controlled gaming became mainstream when Nintendo released the Wii in 2006. Then Microsoft and Sony released ‘their own’ motion controlled peripherals. Sony released the PS Move which was virtually used in the same way as the Wiimote and Nunchuck. However, Microsoft’s ‘Kinect’ was more comparable to the controls of Sony’s ‘Playstation Eye’ in which you’re body was the controller.

Camera:

Cameras have become huge in the video game industry.  Ever since the Gameboy camera cart was released in 1998, rival game companies have tried to create camera controls that immerse the player into the game environment. Sony’s ‘EyeToy’ read the gestures of the player and through this the player could challenge a game and reach a goal by using their upper body as a controller. Microsoft’s ‘Kinect’ works in the same way. Nintendo have released a new method of playing a game by using the cameras on the 3DS. The 3DS has a new ‘Augmented Reality’ function which allows the player to merge a game with the real world on the 3DS’s screen.

Compasses:

Compasses are rarely used in video games, even by today’s standards. But recently video games and game consoles have started to incorporate elements of ‘Augmented Reality’ which is the method of merging reality with a three-dimensional gaming environment.  The compass mechanic allows the player to rotate around a centre point (in some cases it’s a card with a specific image on it) and the game will stay in the same place, this means that the player can view the game from different viewpoints. This method of gaming has been used on the PSP in a game called ‘Invisamals’ and it has been used often on the 3DS in almost every game released. 

Headsets:

Headsets have become quite common with home consoles recently and can be used is useful ways. Mainly what springs to mind when you mention headsets is cooperative gaming. Headsets allow players to communicate over long distances while playing games together, this way they can strategise what they need to do next to advance. This can be used in games like Borderlands or LittleBigPlanet. 

GPS:

GPS is a rare feature in any video game. World of Goo was a game that was released on the Nintendo Wii three years ago, and I it’s success, became an IOS game later on in a couple of years. This game has a feature where the player can build an infinite tower of ‘goo balls’ (an item found in the game) and as the player goes higher and higher they’ll start to see clouds appear on screen. These clouds represent other player’s heights and scores when they have tried to build their towers. The game uses GPS to locate the player and it will say on the cloud the player’s country and will show their flag next to it. This is essential the same for Pokemon Black version and White version 2 except the GPS tracking feature is used when players trade pokemon over the internet. When they look at the stats of a foreign pokemon they can view the country it has come from the name of the player they traded with and the pokemon’s name will be in that countries native language.