Project Two: Publishing Multi-media Games
Further to the underlying Environmental themes that are present in WildScaper and the Visual Arts skills worked with in Project One, students become engaged in actions related closely to curriculum requirements in English, Maths and Technology as they produce standalone WildScaper software application.
The items below identify and describe how to use the tools to produce WildScaper software, effectively following on from the visual arts tools used to produce WildScaper stages in Project One.
Purpose: This project is designed to introduce students to the different ways of thinking about constructing and publishing a game title using a story that is written using 3 different levels.
Key ideas: Use a single theme and art style with WildScaper tools to write stories, communicate instructions and develop multi level games with MP3 audio. Write a story that has relevance to the main character and the painted scene using 3 different levels.
Outcomes: Understand that effective communication using multimedia often requires a theme, style of artwork, and a story that engages users over 3 levels. Understand the use of descriptive words in a story about the character and scene will communicate with and engage users more effectively.
The following activities are designed to encourage users to expand their skill level to become competent at making, playing and editing WildScaper games. To proceed open a new WildScaper game or use an existing level.wld made during Project One.
Assignment 2.1: Art Themes And Original Graphics - level1.wld
Purpose: Build on skills developed in the previous project to create a character in a scene using a theme. Themes could be seasonal or time variations, weather, cultural, educational or environmental. Advanced users can use blank symbols to create original graphics based on research and field observations.
Outcome: Understand how to develop themes by using different elements found in each theme and how these elements can be visually applied to a character, scene and story. Learn how to use original artwork to express your ideas and story visually.
Download: Assignment 2.1 WildScaper .wld
- Create a new work folder on the desktop and title it using your name.
- Open a new file in WildScaper and save it to the work folder as level1.wld.
- Swap symbols using either graphic library symbols or blank symbols to create your scene.
- Develop a main character using a blank bird symbol.
- Paint elements of your theme into all symbols while maintaining a painting style.
- Develop and write a story about your character in the scene.
- Open the Publish panel and set all game text and variables.
- You can copy and paste your story from any text editor.
- Select an MP3 audio file.
- Add scores to the foreground symbols
- Play and test your game.
- Save your file to your working folder.
- Open the Compile panel and create a game folder for both Windows and MacOSX.
- Save your file to both game folder's levels folder as level1.wld.
- Copy your game folders to USB or CD-ROM and test on other computers.
Assignmen 2.2: Publishing A Mult-level Game And Story - level2.wld
Purpose: This assignment relates to the English learning area where students are encouraged to develop stories that are written using more than one level. Explore how audio tracks affects the atmosphere of the game and story. Explore other elements that can affect the content and style of the scene.
Outcome: Understand how to write a story that engages users over more than one level where a theme can be applied and further developed. Learn how to create continuity in art style and story between one level and another of the same game. Understand how to use a template file to create new levels with the same character.
Download: Assignment 2.2 WildScaper .wld
- Open your previous level1.wld file from Assignment 2.1.
- Check the Clear Symbol button in the Library Panel.
- Swap all symbols except the main character to clear all the artwork from the background symbols.
- Save the file as template.wld to your working folder. Create new levels from this file.
- Paint your level2 scene maintaining a similar style to level1 but using different content.
- Assign scores to symbols.
- Open the Publish panel and edit level title, instructions, target score and story.
- Keep the GameID the same for each level of the same game so your game can record high scores.
- Select an appropriate MP3 audio file that has a similar style to level1 but is appropriate for your scene.
- Play and test the game level.
- Save as level2.wld to your existing game folder in the levels folder with level1.wld.
- Open File / Compile Software and save a copy of your MP3 as level2.mp3 to your game levels folder.
- Open the WildPlayer application and test your mult-level game.
- Save your game folder to USB, CD_ROM and test on other computers.
Assignment 2.3: Publish A Finished Software Product - level3.wld
Purpose: This assignment finishes this project using the last two assignments and allows students to distribute a finished product to family and friends via USB, CD-ROM or as a .zip file via the internet. Students should determine a set criteria for analysing the response by users to the inital beta version of their software.
Outcome: Understand how to prepare and test software programs before distribution. Record reponses based on a set criteria of their users using their software. Determine the game's effectiveness at communicating a story and theme. Determine if the scoring is set correctly in regards to time duration and make changes all game levels before a final release version is distributed.
Download: Assignment 2.3 WildScaper .wld
- Open your previous template.wld file from Assignment 2.2.
- Clear all the artwork from the background symbols and swap symbols to create a level3.wld.
- Save the file as level3.wld to your game levels folder.
- Paint your level3 scene maintaining a similar style to level1 and 2 but using different content.
- Assign scores to symbols.
- Open the Publish panel and edit level title, instructions, target score and story.
- Keep the GameID the same for each level of the same game so your game can record high scores.
- Select an appropriate MP3 audio file that has a similar style to level1 and level2.
- Play and test the game level.
- Save as level3.wld to your existing game folder in the levels folder with level1 and level2.wld.
- Open File / Compile Software and save a copy of your MP3 as level3.mp3 to your game levels folder.
- Open the WildPlayer application and test your mult-level game.
- Save your game folder to USB, CD_ROM and test on other computers.
- Analyise game performance and user responses to your software program.
- Make any alterations based on user feedback and update your files.
- Save your game folder to USB, CD_ROM and use a .zip file format to distribute via email or internet.
To create a .zip file of your game folder for Windows
On the Windows desktop select your game folder and right click to create a new folder (compressed).
To create a .zip file of your game folder for MacOSX 10.5 and above
On the MacOSX desktop select your game folder and select File and Compress (folder name).
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