Evaluation

We first started this project by researching app or games for IOS games . I researched the games Jet pack joy ride, and Dumb Ways to Die, and looked at the apps Instagram, Vine, and Snap-chat. We also did research on 2D and  3D platform games, and also did research on game characters like Sonic, Mario, and Donkey Kong. We also made rough designs of the character and levels, as well as computer designs for character and levels.

I was influenced by old side scrolling games like the original Mario and Legend of Zelda games which where both 6 or 8 bit games at one point in there game life. I was also influenced by the Indie game Shovel knight which I got the design for my Character A.I (edited to look different). I choose the design because I wanted the game to be medieval like or just ye olde days like so the main character is  a old suit of armor  but of course is a robot.The dog was made by accident he was originally going to be the main character but I  liked A.I's design more then the dog AL. I did like AL though so I thought he would make a good companion who could help A.I. get over obstacles. 

The target audience is for 12+ just like the Zelda and Mario franchise, The designs are simple yet complex at the same time, The design will be in pixel form so there won't be much detail in it, I also thought the dog would be good for kids because every kid wants a companion whether it be a cat or a dog. The characters are also designed more childish with comedic parts added on e.g. the wizard wears high heels because he can't reach high places.

I could improve by looking back on my characters and developing them more, I could have looked at more designs for robot dogs, and old 6/8/16 bit games to get ideas on what the design would look like on my characters.

I think the designs of the characters and the story line of the game is good, Although I think the characters could look better I think that they look like what I planned them to look like. The story although It wasn't necessary to go into much depth I gave Ideas on what the point system would be and how the hub would be set out.

 I used illustrator to make the characters and the levels so we had an idea of what the character looked like. I used the pencil tool to make the outline of the characters and there add-on's like the Bow and arrow you can find. I then exported the illustrator document onto Photoshop so I could add color to the designs. This didn't work on the level design though because I tried to color the hill but there must of been a bit that didn't join correctly because it colored the sky the same color. I took the image back into illustrator to try and fix it but it wouldn't so I left it and wrote a note on it to remind myself on what it's meant to look like.

I have learnt how to use illustrator a bit better as well as Photoshop because I learnt how to export from illustrator to Photoshop, I also learnt that It's best to plan things out in order so things go according to plan which I did. 

Designs

A.I (Main Character.)

This is AL (Short for Alsatian) he is the robot dog that transforms.

Boat Form

Normal Form(Extendable legs)

Flying Form.

Evil Wizard

The Level Design

Secret room.

11/11/2015

For the first session we mad five different snowflakes patterns. we made this by using one point then adding it to the pattern brush setting we then drew a hexagon and clicked the pattern design and it made it look like a snowflake.

Character research

Mario
Red clothes Italian plummer catchphrase "Let's go"
The character style started of as a 2D Italian plumber and turned into one of the most loved Mascots of Nintendo and evolving in graphic to be a 3D Italia plumber with a Mustache. The colour scheme is a red cap/hat with a white circle on the front with a red M in the Middle, he then has his blue Dungarees with a red shirt and White gloves then his brown Hair, Mustache and shoes. The particular facial features he has is his mustache and big round nose. the main Items he uses are all his power old and new like his fire flower power which lets him shoot fire or the Cloud outfit (super Mario galaxy 2) which lets him make clouds he can use to climb places with.



Sonic
Blue talking hedgehog that runs faster then the speed of light/sound?
Once again another character that started 2D but later after Mario so it was a bit better the 6-8 bit graphics he also evolve alongside the others what makes instantly recognizable is his blue spiky fur his shoes and his speed. his colour scheme is blue with a skin coloured bib at the front with white cloves and red and white shoes. he has big eyes and a small stick out nose. He well known for collecting ring and if you get 100 you get a life, but you can also get the chaos emeralds to power up and turn super sonic.



Donkey Kong
A monkey/gorilla with a tie with brown fur
He is a monkey that attacks over animals that are charging at him. his first appearance was in Donkey Kong Where he is the villain preventing Mario from getting the princes. He then moved on to get his own games of  Donkey Kong country and Donkey Kong country 2. Where you play as Donkey Kong.

Level and character design

Characters
Wizard (Evil trying to destroy or dismantle robot hero)

Al: K-9 companion- this little fella is going to help you out in the majority of the wonderful adventure. you receive him in level 2 of the game where you will get a brief tutorial on how to use him, he will help you get past obstacles and get to secret areas which will seem impossible to reach in the first place. Can get upgrades that are optional with the point system. He has a tongue that can assist in battle because of the electrocuting substance on it stunning enemies so you can get past or easily defeat them (optional), a tail that can be used as a propeller to fly or transport across water(optional), And extendable legs to get to hard to reach places(starts of with).and many more which are optional.

A.I: The Robo Fighter of the game, you will be playing this guy finding his story and helping him complete his quest to defeat the evil wizard who has taken over other robots and using them to stop the hero from getting revenge. Through out the game you will be getting points in the form of gears at the end you will see a tool which will upgrade you to be better if you have met the required amount of gears, the upgrades are required for the game if you want the game to be easier for you but you don't need the upgrades for yourself if you want to struggle.

Point system(gears) The more gears you collect the more upgrades your character gets the gears or not required to be collected if you don't want upgrades but it would be best to collect because they will also assist in upgrading your companion. The gears will not be used up for your character upgrades but they will be for you K-9 companion because they are optional. Each level will have different types of gears.
Level 1:Wooden
Level 2: Stone
Level 3: Iron/ steel
Level 4:Gold
Level 5: Diamond.
Level 6:all
on the final level you will hit a checkpoint (the only mandatory one) where it will take you to the upgrade screen where you can upgrade as much as you possible can with your gears, after that you will see the wizard and chase him to an open area where you will fight.

Weapon: You will have a battle axe which can help attack this will be a default weapon which will level up the more you use it. There will also be a bow which will be hidden in a secret room surrounded by a lot of gears, this will upgrade the more you use it.

The final level: If  you die in the game you just restart as normal except in the final level if you die you can restart from the checkpoint, but there will be an extra scene before you are sent to the checkpoint saying your tale and how you failed to win but will be remembered, with your body dismantled and laying on the ground. But if you succeed people will surround you and cheer for achievement.

Hub world (a small abandoned village) this is where you will get your upgrades through out the game the further you get through the game the more people will appear who you can talk to and get hint's and gifts from depending on how well you do, the village will be crummy and broken at first but the further you get into the game the town will go under construction and look nicer and cleaner. the better you do the more moral the villagers will get as your name gets spread through out the world.

Research 2D and or 3D platform games.

18/11/2015
Session 1

what is a platform game?
A platform game also known as a platformer is a game where you guide the character you play across multiple levels of obstacles and suspended platforms they are often known as jumping puzzles or free running games.

When did they appear?
The game frogs was released in 1978 which depending on how you define a platformer can be counted as the first platformer but others count Donkey Kong as the first platformer because it fits the modern day definition of a platformer (released in 1981).

Why is the platform game one of the most popular game genres?
Platformers  have been with us almost since video games existed with the famous old characters of Mario, Donkey Kong and Sonic, and the newer ones from Little big planet and Terraway. People have grown up with them so they evolve along side us getting better and more addictive then before. For example look ow far Mario has come It was a pixelated 6-bit  platformer which turned into a 3D platformer and with it's latest release Super Mario Maker we can create the games we love so much in  the original format and the new format. All though platformer did die down for a bit in 98 when 3D games came out, when phones where released they skyrocketed again because they where easy to use and access and didn't take much space.  

Do platform games have a specific target audience, what age range and demographics does the platformer appeal to? 
Platformer games are aimed for children  of the age 6+ so it would give them something to do but adults also play them because the y are fun to play and they where probably brought up on them so they just carried on playing them because they had the games and the consoles from when they where young.  



Bibliography
http://www.gamespot.com/forums/games-discussion-1000000/what-was-the-first-platformer-26639878/

04/11/2015

In the lesson we had to do research on 5 apps or games for iOS for phones.

• Jet pack Joy ride.
• Instagram
• Vine
• Snapchat
• dumb ways to die

Jet Pack Joy ride Is a game on the phone where you are this dude that has stolen a jet pack and is destroying/escaping the facility he is in. With this game you can get upgrades for your Jet pack or change the design of it. With this game your target is to get the longest amount of distance with out being killed, you can also get machines along the path which can help you. As well as getting distance you can also collect coins which can assist in getting upgrades. Along side all this you can unlock trophies by completing certain tasks like high five 25 scientists. In general is a good game to use to kill time.This game was made for users over the age of 13.
http://halfbrick.com/our-games/jetpack-joyride/


Instagram is a app where you can follow people that you know or are famous and see what pictures/videos they upload. The pictures/videos vary from person to person some take selfies or some take pictures of scenery or just give a quick update via video. With each picture/video you can comment or like by pressing a heart shape button underneath the picture/video. Instagram is targeted at a teen audience of 13+.
https://instagram.com/?hl=en


Vine is a app where you can follow people and see funny short clips that they upload. They can upload all sorts of things from different genres for example a viner called darkness deer does horror
and some people do comedy.Is targeted for people over the age of 17.
https://vine.co/


Snapchat is a app where you can talk to friends via pictures and a limited space for text. With Snapchat you just take pictures/ videos of  where you are an post them on your timeline for the day or send them to certain people specifically. With the pictures/videos they only last for a few seconds so once viewed you might not be able to see them again.  This app is targeted for people 13 or older.
https://www.snapchat.com/



Dumb Ways to Die is a game for the phone which was made to aware people of the dangers that could happen. all though it has a serious message the game it self is funny to play with some scenarios being things that could happen while others being damn right stupid and not realistic at all and in general is a good game to use to kill time. This game is targeted for ages 8+ to inform people of dangers that may or may not happen.
http://www.a10.com/puzzle-games/silly-ways-to-die



Session 2
We designed some cute characters using a tutorial that we had been given to design The first one we made was a star and then the second one was two monsters.