ns

Natural Selection: 

Natural Selection Serious Games Paul Mecklenburg

Slide2: 

What is it?

Slide3: 

the process by which forms of life having traits that better enable them to adapt to specific environmental pressures, as predators, changes in climate, or competition for food or mates, will tend to survive and reproduce in greater numbers than others of their kind, thus ensuring the perpetuation of those favorable traits in succeeding generations. [dictionary.com]

… the Game.: 

… the Game. Half-Life 1 Mod (free) Initial release Halloween 2002

NS: In a Gestation Egg: 

NS: In a Gestation Egg Alien movie series Starcraft (RTS) Quake

Game Modes: 

Game Modes Combat (newer) Classic (original)

Combat: 

Combat Team deathmatch Aliens vs. Marines Upgrades based on kills (experience)

Classic: 

Classic Longer games Resource management Team coordination Territory control

Attributes: 

Attributes Aliens Fast Melee wall walk/flight/blink/charge Individual resources Marines Low health range weapons Slow Commander

Marines (Frontiersmen): 

Marines (Frontiersmen) Commander (command chair) Bird’s eye view (only marine with the big picture) Literally gives orders (winning teams obey them) Upgrades Weapons

Aliens (Kharaa): 

Aliens (Kharaa) No commander (hive mind) HUD shows players/events through walls Gorge (builder class) 3 Hives (start with 1) Build other 2 to get more abilities and upgrades

What’s special?: 

What’s special? Rocks-Paper-Scissors No redundancy Few weapons/upgrades Everything has strengths and weaknesses Team play is a must Every Alien or Marine is played by a human (1-to-1)

Examples R-P-S: 

Examples R-P-S Onos 10x armor of light marine Big and clumsy Susceptible to groups of marines and jetpacks Heavy Armor Increase armor Slow Easily devoured by Onos

Marines: 

Marines Commander Buildings Weapons Upgrades

Marine Commander: 

Marine Commander Give orders Only marine that can spend resources Place buildings Must be “built” Purchases all weapons Chooses upgrades Drops ammo/medpacks/catalyst

Marine HUD: 

Marine HUD

Marine Buildings: 

Marine Buildings

Marine Weapons: 

Marine Weapons Primary Light Machine Gun (lmg) Shotgun Heavy Machine Gun (hmg) Grenade Launcher (gl) Pistol Knife Special Hand Grenade Mine Welder (repair other marines, buildings)

Marine HUD: 

Marine HUD

Marine Upgrades: 

Marine Upgrades Arms Lab Armor (1, 2, 3) Weapons (1, 2, 3) Observatory Motion Tracking Phase Technology Advanced Armory, Arms Lab, Proto Lab Jetpacks Heavy Armor

Aliens: 

Aliens Lifeforms Upgrades Structures HUD

Alien Lifeforms: 

Alien Lifeforms

Upgrades: 

Upgrades Movement Chamber Celerity Adrenaline Silence Defense Chamber Carapace Regeneration Redemption Sensory Chamber Scent of Fear Focus Cloaking

Demo!...: 

Demo!...

So is it good?...: 

So is it good?... Genre Friendly Fire Environment HUD Sound Graphics

Cross Genre: 

Cross Genre Fast paced Team work “Chess like” Not just shooting Not a race to “best” upgrade Counter the other team Ninja, jp, ha, etc. High replay value I’ve been playing on and off since the day it was released (4 years) Doesn’t require new weapons / maps to stay interesting (crutch of many FPSs) (chess doesn’t require new pieces to keep people interested)

Friendly Fire: 

Friendly Fire Disabled on most servers Enabled on serious servers Adds to the game when not abused

Environment: 

Environment Adds to feel Sound Visual Quickly forgotten Maps are just a graph to veteran players

HUD: 

HUD Overwhelming at first Very well done Is not distracting Provides needed information Aesthetically well done

Sound: 

Sound Annoying music (easily disabled) Creaking Other “industrial” background sounds Other sounds indicate actions/movement clearly Broadcast global information comm chair or hive under attack

Graphics: 

Graphics Dated (HL 1998) Adequate Permits HUD Not significantly limiting for map design Permits high entity counts/complexity Ignored by veteran players Plastic vs. fine wood chess board