Embedded Files
Prototypes
Prototypes
The first prototype we did was in Session 2, Week 1.
I misinterpreted the structure of this brief, and documented that first prototype as an in-class weekly activity.
Final Prototype
Final Prototype
Mid-Project Reflection
Mid-Project Reflection
Proficiency: How did you develop your technical skills and knowledge? Give examples of the skills and knowledge, techniques, and self-directed research that inform your project (min. 50 words).
For Prototype 2, I thought it was a good idea to use Unreal Engine 5. This turned out to not be so smart, as I quickly realised that programming in Unreal is extremely difficult. While I managed to create a functional inventory system by following a tutorial (Laley, 2023), I found that online tutorials tend to be very specific to a topic and don't really teach you about how to think about node-based coding. This makes it difficult to problem-solve because you don't know enough to notice how something might be going wrong.
Having to create an Alternate Reality Game (ARG) was a huge learning curve for me, as I had never heard of one before. Although I understand the concept now, it was a very strange thing to wrap my head around at first. Up until now, I'd only ever thought of games as a single-media concept, such as digital or non-digital. When we were introduced to ARGs, I automatically interpreted it as three separate games with a common theme, rather than one continuous game. Kim et al. (2009) explain that ARGs are a relatively new form of social storytelling, requiring people to work together to solve a fictional problem. ARGs also take advantage of existing media to draw players in and keep them interested in the story by "intertwining games with real life."
Process: How did you improve your workflows and processes, including changes and setbacks? Give specific examples of your research and how it influenced your creative process (min. 50 words).
Our prototyping schedule seems to have all but gone out the window, as the class was given an unplanned extension for both Prototypes 2 and 3. Additionally, we didn't have access to a Makey Makey for the ARG in Week 6, so we haven't had a chance to playtest it yet. I'm pretty anxious about how we're going to structure the rest of the trimester, because I just can't see a straightforward way to put together three more Prototypes, a polished version of one to take to Showcase, our level design project, and the work for my other class to a satisfactory standard before Week 12.
However, the process for each Prototype has been about the same. Once roles are assigned, I like to get started on the research side. This has also included setting up the relevant documentation and building ideas. It's been a challenge to relax and remember that our Prototypes are not supposed to be finished, polished games. Pirker et al. (2016) agree that the purpose of a game prototype is to get something playable, not the final product. They also explain that rapid prototyping is a good way to quickly learn how to work in an interdisciplinary team, and a relatively low-stakes way to explore different skills. For example, I had to do some coding for Prototype 1 even though I'm an artist and that is where my strengths lie. As a result, I learned some basics about node-based programming in Unreal Engine.
Person: What communication and collaboration skills did this project require, and how did you develop these skills? How did you manage collaboration, receiving and giving feedback to others? (min. 50 words)
I am grateful to have worked in a team for Prototype 3 as I don't think I would've met the Brief for an ARG on my own. Partly because it ended up being a lot of work, and partly because it was my teammates who helped me really understand the concept of an ARG. We had a hard time getting a solid, clear idea of a Cold-War-espionage-esque narrative, with much back and forth over Discord as we tried to communicate efficiently. At the same time, I was still trying to wrap my head around ARGs so it took me a while to finally link all of our ideas together in a way that made sense. I think the problem was that I was trying to take in too much new information at once and got overwhelmed.
The feedback I got for Prototype 2 was that I definitely overreached, especially since I am not a strong programmer to begin with and learning a new engine in a week is very, very hard. I'm trying to improve the feedback I give to others based on what we learned in Week 4. It's very easy to say that a game was "pretty good", but it's more difficult to go into why. When we tested each others' prototypes in Week 4, I struggled a bit to articulate what precisely I liked and didn't like about each one. For the most part, I am satisfied with the user feedback I received for Prototype 2, as it gives me some actual direction for improvement.
Kim, J., Lee, E., Thomas, T., & Dombrowski, C. (2009). Storytelling in new media: The case of alternate reality games, 2001–2009. First Monday, 14(6). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v14i6.2484
Laley, R. (2023, Jan 2). UE5 Inventory [Video Playlist]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4G2bSPE_8umjCYXbq0v5IoV-Wi_WAxC3
Pirker, J., Kultima, A. & Gütl, C. (2016, March 13). The Value of Game Prototyping Projects for Students and Industry [Conference paper]. Proceedings of the International Conference on Game Jams, Hackathons, and Game Creation Events, San Francisco, CA, USA. https://doi.org/10.1145/2897167.2897180
Post-Mortem Reflection
Post-Mortem Reflection
Appraisal: Overall, how successful was your project? What worked or didn't work, and why? How did it match with your expectations? Give specific examples, screenshots or links (min. 50 words).
Rapid Prototyping as a project in and of itself was about as challenging as I'd expected it to be. I was anxious at the beginning of the trimester, as I'd heard from previous students that it was a very hard part of the unit, but it ended up not being so bad. Once I realised this, it definitely helped me avoid getting overwhelmed. On one hand, having fewer prototypes to complete as a result of some extensions did ease the pressure a little bit. I wasn't as under the pump as I'd anticipated being. However, I feel like we missed out on getting proper Rapid Prototyping experience. The extensions sort of defeated the purpose of a weekly task, and made it more difficult to manage my time during development of my Final Prototype.
Prototype 1 was a great success, so I was very excited to use Unreal Engine, but it proved highly complicated. I'm relieved that we didn't have too many digital games to prototype, even though I would've switched back to Unity for programming. I've finished all five of the prototypes we had to do (including the Final) so I'm satisfied that I've completed the Brief.
Challenges: What obstacles did you overcome and how? What lessons did you learn? (min. 50 words)
The main challenge was by far the workload. It was absolutely intense, and at times I became really stressed at the prospect of possibly not having a prototype for that week. At those times - with the exception of Prototype 2, which was individual - I was able to lean on my teammates for support. I also got to experiment with a number of different game styles, such as ARGs and table-top RPGs, that I wasn't familiar with.
I had some basic understanding of what TTRPGs are and how they work, mostly in the context of rudimentary games of DnD, but as I mentioned in my mid-project reflection, the ARG was totally new. I would've liked to have implemented a player character customization mechanic to my table-top Final Prototype, but unfortunately it was out of scope. Additionally, having constantly-changing teams was also an obstacle. It seemed to create a sense of impermanence that carried over into the Final Prototype and made it hard to keep in mind that it needed to be ready as a complete game for Showcase.
Future Goals: How will you improve your skills for future projects? What will you do differently in your next project? What will you repeat? (min. 50 words)
I learned, first and foremost, that prototyping is a valuable skill to have, regardless of discipline. I will take what I've learned forward into all of my future creative projects, as I found the Final Prototype fairly straightforward because we already had the groundwork laid out. This project was highly stressful for the most part, and I'm relieved that it's finished now, but I'm glad that I got the opportunity to learn these important lessons.
My time management has also improved; I've gotten better at estimating how long a task will take to finish, according to how I work best, so it's become easier to plan ahead and structure my time. I still don't think I would attempt to plan an entire project this closely, at this stage, but it took some of the pressure off to know what my tasks were and approximately how long it would take to complete them. Finally, rapid prototyping has allowed me to start learning how to overcome the need for everything to be perfect before a project or task can be considered finished.
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