Unit 2 Assignment 1Game Engines
Introduction
A game engine is comprised of several different premade tools and functions, which can be used when designing and creating your own game. For example, a tool which can play a specific sound, or a code which can already code a character to move when pressing a certain button. Some of these features may be present in one engine, but not another and some engines may be specifically tailored for specific types of games (For example, the Unreal engine was first used for FPS games, but then eventually started being used to develop RPG’s). There are 5 main components of a game engine:
Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence (or AI) is the term used to describe the seemingly aware and conscious nature of the creatures or characters within the game. The quality and intensity of the AI depends on how well coded the creature or character is, and how they are written to respond to the player. Usually, the AI is designed to reflect human behaviours, and to simulate a normal human response to a situation (i.e. to run from danger, to follow an ally etc.). Sometimes, in order to add challenge to a game, the AI is given information about the player that would not be available to the player in the same situation (like the position of the player, or their remaining HP). This is known as “Cheating AI.�
Sound The sound in video games has come a long way since the days of the SNES. This is because sound were mostly created with low quality, so as to not take up too much of the already limited space available on cartridges. However, when the CD became readily available in the 90’s, and when it became possible to compress sounds so as to take up less memory, it became easier to put in more detailed and high quality sounds.
This was a significant advancement in gaming, as the new technology allowed for music to play a bigger part in a game’s atmosphere, and to increase the feeling of immersion. This is especially true for horror games, which rely heavily on sound to deliver scares and to increase the level of creepiness, especially when there are graphical limitations, such as in “Slender.” It also helps to sustain your interest in a game, as complete silence would allow the immersion to be broken.
One of the most major advances with the new sound technology available in gaming is an increase in the amount of games with voice acting. This is a common element in gaming today, and almost all games today feature voice acting. However, in the 80’s and early 90’s the vast majority of games delivered character dialogue through text, which could easily break immersion, and even bore the player. Voice acting gives the player a stronger connection with the characters, and makes them seem more realistic.
Sound engines allow you to add sound to the game, as well as adding effects, such as looping, echo, reverb and Doppler effects. This creates the illusion that the game is set in a real 3D environment.
Physics
The job of a physics engine is to imitate the physics of real life, whether in space, where there’s less gravity and no resistance, to Earth, where there is more gravity and friction. It establishes realism within a game, and helps to give a game world depth and character.
In some games, however, the physics within a game is altered in order to build a specific style of gameplay (e.g. double-jumping in games like “Crash Bandicoot”). The different ways in which the worlds work help to give games a unique identity and different play styles. It can also help to give games a variety of different level types, such as adding an Ice World, where there is much less friction.
A lot of games use the Havok Physics Engine, which allows objects to react realistically in worlds that simulate real life. It has been used in over 400 launched titles, and by a variety of different developers.
Collision Detection Collision detection within games ensures that a character of moving object stops when it comes into contact with another object, and to respond according to the physics established within the game. For example, a ball being thrown at a wall should bounce back when it hits the wall, and a bullet moving toward a character should stop when it hits them. The better the collision detection (especially in fighting games or games that include heavy emphasis on combat), the better the gameplay is. It adds to the realism of the game, and becomes more satisfying for the player when they manage to get in a hit during a fight. Modern collision detection is much more advanced than in the early days of gaming, as the collision points can be drawn for individual parts of an object rather than as a vague box placed over the model.
Graphics Rendering Graphics Rendering is the process whereby a game world and everything in it is built according to the coding and models which was built by the game designers. The way in which a game is rendered impacts greatly on the visual style within a game. For example, an engine which isn’t suited to the rendering of a certain game’s graphics could result in the game looking bad, and breaking the illusion and atmosphere within a game.
The advancement of graphical rendering has resulted in major advancements in modern gaming, allowing for more to be displayed on the screen at one time, and for a greater draw distance, adding to the feeling of adventure in open world games, and the different atmospheres in horror, action or sci-fi games.
Conclusion Game engines have changed immensely since the inception of gaming, and is essential in creating the games that we see on our shelves today. They allow people, who aren’t as well versed in coding to create their own games easily, and there are engines that can be downloaded for free online or for very cheap, which means that it is available for people everywhere who aspire to create their own games.