Research Breakdown
Prototype(interactive)
Primary Research
22/03/21
Questionnaire
I created a questionnaire to receive some feedback on how I should make my game as it would help me understand what people like and don’t like about stealth games so that I can make my game better. A link to the questionnaire is above and the responses/summary can be seen below.
After receiving answers to my questions I now better understand what the audience likes in stealth games and so I can use this knowledge to assist me in creating a good top down stealth game demo that will appeal to my audience. Overall this went really well and I enjoyed conducting this research, nothing about the experience was negative however in the future I would add more questions as looking back there are some other things I could have asked that would help me create my game.
Payday 2 Released 2013 By Overkill Software
In order to help me create my game I played Payday 2 to better help me understand stealth/heist games, despite it not being top-down it was still valuable research for me. The game consisted of typical mechanics such as standard movement, jumping and crouching which of course my game will have however it also had other things that will help inspire me such as the option to stealth partly and then go loud which is something I had not thought about adding to my game however it is something I may consider if I have the time to so, another interesting mechanic is that bodies will be spotted by npcs and alert them which is another thing I may add, The detection system is also very interesting in that it gives players a few seconds if they are seen by a guard (due to the lack of an indicator of if the guard will see you) before they are alerted which is definitely how I will do it in my game as this mechanics worked really well and I liked it a lot. I also liked how the missions did not end once you got what you had to steal and you had to then escape while carrying what you stole which usually slows you down and once again this is an idea I really like and may implement into my own game after I spend some more time thinking about it. The game is also set in modern day like my own and some missions even occur in secret facilities that look like what I want mine to and so I will use this to help me design my game. Payday 2 also contains a difficulty selection for each mission which while it is a good mechanics I do not think would fit my game as good as it does Payday. The stealth was fun to do and was a good challenge but wasn’t too hard nor easy which made it feel really good to successfully stealth a section. There was nothing in the game I did not really like as the whole thing was a blast to play and I really enjoyed the experience.
Grand Theft Auto 5/Grand Theft Auto Online Released 2013 By Rockstar Games
Another game I played was Grand Theft Auto 5 since it contains heists that can be done with a stealth approach which will help learnt about the aspects of stealth in games, Like most games it had the standard movement and jumping however the way it handled stealth was quite different to Payday as instead of a meter filling upon being in a guards sight you are instantly spotted however you are able to see the guards and camera cone of sight on the mini-map on the hud. Like Payday it did not end upon stealing the goods and instead you once again had to make you way out which was quite fun to do so I will definitely consider adding that feature to my own game. The game also had a difficulty selection for the heists while it wasn’t as customizable as payday the choice was still there which is good. The player could access certain things if they had met requirements within the heist set up missions which made the heist easier which I do really like but it would be too much work for me undertake within my game but I may add some powerups in my game to help assist the player. Overall it was pretty fun despite not having the detail that is found in Payday 2 however this makes sense as the heists are the focus of Payday 2 but for Grand Theft Auto The Free roam is the focus.
SCP Containment Breach Released In 2012 By Joonas Rikkonen
Next I Played SCP Containment Breach because of its science facility setting and somewhat stealth elements, the game contains standard movement as well as many other mechanics but the one I will focus on are that the player is constantly hunted and must hide from the SCP’s let loose in the facility trying to kill them. The player constantly feels scared since it is also a horror game but at times the player feels really sneaky which is something I wish to replicate within my own game. The game does have difficulty setting like the previous 2 which is always a welcome feature. The game at times can be very difficult however it was always quite fun. The game does a good job at the science facility setting with its use of colours and map layout that I hope to achieve within my own game, the design of the facility guards was something I took note of as I quite liked their design and may use it to help me come up with my own design for my guards. The only negative I found was the repetitive nature at times but even still it is not that bad and the difficulty of certain parts of the game.
Hotline Miami Released In 2012 By Dennaton Games
The next game I played was Hotline Miamia which is a big inspiration for my own game, the game is top down similarly to the product I want to create and contains the usual movement however due to the top down camera there is no jump or crouching, The core gameplay is killing every enemies in the stage in whatever way possible without dying and gameplay is very fast paced and rewards trial and error which makes it very fun and rewarding to beat a stage. The score system adds replayability to the game and so is something I will consider adding into my own game. The game can be very difficult at times however due to the pretty much instant respawn it never gets annoying and every death feels like your own fault which causes you to learn from your mistakes. I really liked the game and the synthwave aesthetic is really unique and fits the game quite well so due to this cant really find and negatives about it and it will be a good reference for my own game since I want to create something fairly similar to this however the focus is on the stealth rather than the combat.
Hitman Released In 2016 By IO Interactive
To help me create my own game I played Hitman to assist me in better understanding stealth games, The game has the usual movement mechanics minus a jump and has many mechanics in the stealth aspect of the game such as stealth takedowns from behind, “accident” kills to eliminate targets, a score system to add replability, disguising to avoid suspicion, throwing item and the detection meter that rises upon the player being seen doing something suspicious. The games various setting are each done really well and every location feels alive which greatly adds to the games immersion. The game was really fun to play and the freedom given with how the player can tackle each mission is great and while I would be unable to do so to the same extent in my game its something I might attempt to do. The games difficulty changes depending on how you tackle the mission but overall the game isn’t easy but isn’t really hard either as long as you give your approach some thought. The game tackles its story really well as its something that is clearly present but can be completely ignored if you player choses to which I really like and may mimic within my own product. While playing the game I did not find anything I disliked about it aside from a few mishaps with the AI which only happened twice and I overall really enjoyed my time playing Hitman because of the creative options available to the player.
Secondary Research
23/03/21
Current Stealth Games
Bit-tech.net. 2021. The 10 Best Stealth Games | bit-tech.net. [online] Available at: <https://bit-tech.net/reviews/gaming/pc/the-10-best-stealth-games/1/> [Accessed 22 March 2021].
From this source I have learnt that stealth games tend to be in an very open 3D setting when created by an AAA company and are usually 2D or more limited 3D when created by an Indie company, as can be seen in the source some example of AAA stealth games include Alien:Isolated and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell:Chaos Theory and an example of an Indie stealth game as seen in the source is Mark Of The Ninja which stands out from the rest of the games mentioned in the source as it appears very unique in its nature, which makes sense since in order to be successful Indie games have to stand out from the crowd and innovate so that they are unique enough to not be lost to time. The AAA stealth games contrast this as while the setting and story may be vastly different some of them seem quite similar to each other and rarely have anything as unique as that seen in an Indie game to set them apart in the game play area. This source is useful as I now know some good examples of stealth games.This source raises the questions about AAA stealth games and so I will conduct more research into this area.
Youtube.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EdjbvgoSgE> [Accessed 22 March 2021].
Using this source I have conducted secondary research into modern day stealth games which will help me create my own stealth game, the source shows Metal Gear Solid 5 which contains many stealth aspects and design choices that will help inspire me when coming up with ideas for my own game. The gameplay looks fun and intriguing which is what I want my own to be like, I also really liked the game soundtrack as it always fit the mood and sounded great however it didn’t really sound like what I’m going for with my own game however it will still help me when I need to add audio. This source is useful as it shows what recent stealth games are like, this source raises the question of what older stealth games were like and how the genre has changed over time.
History Of Stealth Games
GMagazine. 2021. In the Shadows: A Brief History Of Stealth Games – | CGMagazine. [online] Available at: <https://www.cgmagonline.com/2015/10/20/in-the-shadows-a-brief-history-of-stealth-games/> [Accessed 22 March 2021].
From this source I have Learnt about the evolution of the stealth genre that the first stealth game is 005 which is a Sega arcade game about a spy escaping with some documents, due to it being the first of its kind while it did contain mechanics still used today such as avoiding guards cone of view and hiding in props throughout the level however these mechanics were not as refined as they are now as you would expect. The stealth genre was later developed further with the release of Metal Gear that expanded upon what was seen in 005. Metal Gear set the ground work for the genre which would later bloom, Thief:The Dark Project was a stealth game set in first person which was very unique for its time and it used light and sound as key mechanics more than any stealth game that came before it, this made added quite a bit of depth to the game and the game has influenced many modern day stealth games. The release of Metal Gear Solid really put the stealth genre in the spotlight as it highlighted the possibilities and fun that stealth games can offer and it expanded upon the genre as with every Metal Gear Solid released afterwards did too. Some modern stealth games took different approaches that developed specific aspects of the genre such as the Hitman series which had an emphasis on player choice/creativity and disguises and then there Splinter cells that took the light mechanics from Thief and made that the core focus and expand upon it with a light meter and thermal/night vision goggles. This source is very useful as I have learnt about the evolution of the stealth genre from its beginning to modern day which will help me produce my own stealth game as I now better understand the genre however does lack some detail in some areas, this source raises the question of the development of depth/mechanics found within stealth games.
VentureBeat. 2021. A Brief History of Stealth Games. [online] Available at: <https://venturebeat.com/2010/10/10/a-brief-history-of-stealth-games/> [Accessed 22 March 2021].
This source further details the evolution of the stealth genre and the mechanics seen within it, from this source I now know how mechanics in stealth games has changed over the years, Castle Wolfenstien developed the genre by including several new mechanics such as frisking enemy guards if you pull your weapon first, disguising as the enemy and guards being alerted via sounds. Later on Metal Gear took these ideas and added more to it such as top down view, melee attacks, silenced firearms, cameras and senors and many more and then its sequel added even more such as crouching, distraction items, evasion system and a few over additions. Metal Gear Solid Then Even More expand upon it camouflage, body concealment and player tracks. Stealth has also made its way into none stealth games due to the diverse use of the mechanics the genre can use.This source is useful as I have learnt more about the mechanics found within stealth games which will make it easy for me to come up with ideas for mechanics for my own game. This source raises the question of what makes good stealth design and so I shall look into that next.
Youtube.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4I0l4o65JQ> [Accessed 22 March 2021].
Using this source I conducted secondary research into early stealth games, this will help me create my own game, the source shows gameplay of Metal Gear Solid 1 which will help inspire me when creating my game especially since it uses a top down camera like my own. The gameplay looks very fun and is very similar to what I wish to create in my project and so this will be a big inspiration for me, I like the way the game handles its story however I don’t think I would be able to use the same method in my own game due to my lack of experience doing so .This source is useful as it shows what stealth games were like in the past, this source raises the question of the design of stealth games which I will conduct research into.
Level Design
Medium. 2021. The Polarizing Philosophies Behind Stealth Game Design. [online] Available at: <https://medium.com/@GWBycer/the-polarizing-philosophies-behind-stealth-game-design-c44e6db9aeee> [Accessed 22 March 2021].
From this source I have learnt that when it comes to stealth level design there are two main aspects defensive and apex predator, defensive is when the player is in a situation that is hopeless to try and fight their way out of and so stealth is their only option which gives them a sense of helplessness and fear causing the player to hide from enemies as they are stronger than you. The other aspect is apex predator which maintains the idea of hiding and sneaking but for the completely opposite reason as you are sneaking so that you can find the perfect time to strike, this approach usually means there are multiple ways to solve the problem and its up to the player to find a solution that works for them. This source is useful as I know understand the two types of stealth found within games which will allow me to better create my game the way I intend to, This source raises the question of stealth game level design which I will research next.
Youtube.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmW8HPo4qGc> [Accessed 22 March 2021].
From this source I have learnt that its important to make the player want to stealth so that it doesn’t become frustrating to them, another important part is setting up the encounter so that it is fun and fair, its important to give the player a safe space so that they can form a plan and have a place to rest so that it is not constant action. The spacing of the enemies is also quite important as that is what makes a section easy or hard so its important the enemy position are right. Lastly its important that the player has some idea of where they need to be going or else it can be confusing and frustrating for them. This source is useful as I now know more about creating good stealth levels and how to do so, this source raises the question of what makes bad stealth games.
Youtube.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysXTQgHP-NY> [Accessed 22 March 2021].
From this source I have learnt about level design within stealth games and what mistakes can be easily made while creating a stealth level, When creating a stealth level it is vital that it is designed so that it is a good challenge for the player that is fair and rewarding to complete as to not cause the player to get frustrated.It is also important to give the player time to think about how they are going to tackle a problem so that they don’t just try and brute force their way through since they would not enjoy that and would be missing out on the core focus of the game. This source is useful as it will greatly help me when designing the level for my game as I now know what mistakes to look out for so I can avoid them being in the finished product, this source raises the question of what make a good stealth game.
Youtube.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC22ZF21Llk> [Accessed 22 March 2021].
From this source I have learnt that its important to make the slower paced sections of the game feel fun as while the player isn’t actually doing anything its important that they are thinking about how to tackle the problem ahead so that the game doesn’t become boring, another important aspect is making navigating the environment fun . Its also important to make the players failures fair so that each death is their own fault which makes those deaths less frustrating for the player and further makes succeeding more rewarding due to those failures. This source is useful as I now know how to make an interesting and fun stealth game that shouldn’t be boring.
Alert System
Youtube.com. 2021. Before you continue to YouTube. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF6c8KJuuEk> [Accessed 13 April 2021].
From this source I have learnt how stealth games use different states for their alert systems, it tends to follow the pattern of idle, suspicious and alert however sometimes other states are added to further the core gameplay as each state changes the enemies behaviour which adds challenge and consequence to the player upon being spotted. I have also learnt how there are many ways to swap between states such as one enemy spotting you could cause them to run off to alert others, have only them hunt you or alert all enemies which would swap between suspicious and alert, sometimes when having evaded enemies the states reverse in order or sometimes suspicious is skipped and they go from alert to idle. Overall it is key you get the different alert states right as it can really affect the gameplay or make the game feel unfair or unrealistic.
Graphics(visuals)
Primary research
Hotline Miami’s graphics look fantastic as the graphics are moderately simply but still look really good and detailed, it also fits the games theme and setting really well and so when I use this to help me create my artwork I will have to adapt it to fit my own game since they are very different in setting and theme but despite this Hotline Miami’s will really help inspire me and be a good reference when creating my own artwork especially due to it being one of the closest things on the market to my own game I can find.
Moodboard
Above is the moodboard I have created for my stealth game, I feel that it greatly reflects my game and the theme/setting I am going for with my product. This will help me when creating my assets as it will be a good reference to come back to and serve as a visual reminder of what I am trying to create with my game. I found creating this to be very easy and fun to produce so there is nothing I would do differently if I were to do this again in the future.
Secondary Research
Top Down Perspective
Youtube.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jj-K3_DLqU> [Accessed 26 March 2021].
I conducted secondary research into some top down games so that I could look at how they did their graphics so that it may help inspire me when I am creating my own graphics, I really like the way the games graphics look especially the level itself and it somewhat look like what I want my levels graphics to be like so it will serve as a good reference however while I do like the player and npcs as well they are not really what I want mine to look like so for this source I will focus on the level for my reference material/inspiration.
Youtube.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O17BSJ96KrQ> [Accessed 26 March 2021].
I conducted secondary research into some top down games so that I could look at how they did their graphics so that I will have a good reference when creating my own graphics. Overall I quite like the games graphics as everything looks really nice despite it not being really what I am going for with my own graphics, I still think it will serve as a pretty good general reference for top down graphics for me since I have not created top down graphics before and this source will help inspire me when I am creating my artwork.
Colour Theory
Disruptedlogic.com. 2021. The Psychology of Color for Game Development – Disrupted Logic. [online] Available at: <https://disruptedlogic.com/2018/03/18/the-psychology-of-color-for-game-development/#:~:text=Games%20with%20a%20rich%20orange,those%20elements%20that%20are%20important.>> [Accessed 24 March 2021].
I conducted some secondary research into colour theory to help me with my use of colours when designing the graphics for my game, while I did research this in more depth last project I felt that having a brief refresher on the topic would be useful for me. From this source I have learnt how colour can be used to show the games atmosphere and game such as a children’s game using bright colours to show a positive atmosphere or a horror game using a lot of darker colours to show mystery and fear. This source is useful as it will help me pick what colours to choice to help convey the theme of my game.
Pixel Art
Youtube.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQHSJL_ZcfA> [Accessed 24 March 2021].
This source shows how to create a good top down pixel art character which I will come back to when I am creating my graphics as it will greatly help me when I start to create my graphics since I have not done top down pixel art before so this source will be an amazing reference for me to use. The source covers how to create each part of a character and how to make them stand out from each other using different colours and shades so its easy to tell what each part of the sprite is.
Caoili, E., 2021. 5 tips for making great animations for 2D games. [online] Gamasutra.com. Available at: <https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/176663/5_tips_for_making_great_animations_for_2D_games.php>>> [Accessed 24 March 2021].
While conducting research I looked into some previous sources I had used in the past to confirm certain things that i was unsure about such as that when animating my its important to make the keyframes look strong so that the animation looks good due to the fact that keyframes are one of the most important aspects of animating sprites, I have also learnt that it is important not to add more frames than what is needed to my animation as it can make it look over flourished. Another thing I have learnt from the source is that its important that your characters look alive and don’t seem robotic or stiff in their actions. This source will be quite helpful as I will take into consideration what I have learned when I create the animations I need for my game.
Lospec.com. 2021. Pixel Art: Where to Start – Lospec. [online] Available at: <https://lospec.com/articles/pixel-art-where-to-start/> [Accessed 24 March 2021].
While conducting research I looked into some previous sources I had used in the past to consolidates some things like that in order to improve when it comes to pixel art there are four vital aspects which can be seen above which are practice, learn, critique and study. Practice is the most important because it the main way to improve and is the only way you will be able to see your improvement, next is learn which is also important as since there is so much information about how to make good art you may as well use it to help improve your art, next its critique as when you look at your own work you tend not to notice issues with it or you view it to harsh or kindly so getting somebody else to critique your work is a great way to see what you need to do to get improve your skills and lastly is study because looking at somebody else’s artwork to help inspire you. This source is very useful as it is very detailed into how to get better at pixel art which will assist me in creating my artwork for my game.
Reference Images
The above images will serve as references for me when I start the production of my graphics as each images correlates to something I will need to create, I found gathering the reference images to be quite easy and encountered no issues doing so however in the future I would gather more as while I have enough references having some more would only be a good thing for me.
Sound(audio)
Primary Research
Reference Sounds
Youtube.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEDqFCM9lZ4> [Accessed 20 April 2021].
Youtube.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnRX_bHbYgs> [Accessed 20 April 2021].
This reference is for the noise that will play upon being spotted by a camera, While I want the alarm to be loud I might make it quieter than this reference depending on the volume of my other sounds.
This reference is for either some ambient noise or guards movement depending on which I chose to do as with the amount of guards the footsteps being for when they move may get annoying and so I am thinking about making it ambience. Once again I will adjust the audio volume to fit with my other sounds and may make the footsteps heavier or lighter.
Youtube.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GDq2MKjyec> [Accessed 20 April 2021].
This reference is for the sound my guards will make when they die and it will be very similar to this reference and so it will really help me to create my sound. Once again I will change the volume to match my other sounds.
Youtube.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6-rOAe5FtE> [Accessed 20 April 2021].
This reference is for the sound my turrets will make when shooting, as per usual I will change the volume to match my other sounds but I really like this sound effect and its pretty close to what I want so it will really help me to produce my sound.
Secondary Research
Examples
Payday 2
Youtube.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WQvdsVUCVw> [Accessed 25 March 2021].
Payday 2 uses tradition sounds such as music, ambience, movement, enemies, collectables and some others such as announcements. Each sound is distinct from each other and can be easily linked to an action that has occurred such as the collectable noise which has such a unique sound that it stands out and is hard to miss despite whatever else may be going on , all the sounds fit together really well and match the games style. The music is also really well thought out as their is usually a massive change in the style depending on if you player is stealthing or going loud which really captivate each gameplay style as the loud music fits the fast paced action and the stealth music matches the slower pacing of going quiet.
Hotline Miami 2
Youtube.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSzxdN8-IV4> [Accessed 25 March 2021].
Hotline Miami 2 contains very little range in sound as its mainly just the music and the different attacks that can be heard, the lack of movement sounds such as footsteps or environment sounds works really well with the games theme and pace as due to this there the sounds fit the action. The music also doesn’t restart upon the players death to match the gameplay as its all about trial and error so dying is somewhat common and so the if the music reset after each death then it would get annoying for the player which they avoid by having the music be continuous, the music also fits the fast paced action of the game really well and fits with the games theme as well.
Good Sound Design
Youtube.com. 2021. Before you continue to YouTube. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ991uRSlMw> [Accessed 24 March 2021].
I conducted secondary research into the sound design of stealth games and using the source above have learnt about how sound is used in stealth games, such as how sounds the player causes can cause npcs to change their action for example they may investigate the sound the player caused by throwing a rock somewhere, this means that the player can use sound a distraction. Another use of sounds can be the players sounds such as footsteps drawing in npcs caused them to investigate the player which would incentives the player to be quiet or the players noise raising suspicion if the game has a detection meter system. Sometimes the player is given the ability to muffle or reduce sounds to their advantage such as crouching to make their footprints quieter or eliminating a guard calling for help. Another use of sound is showing that an npc has detected or suspicious of the player using either a sound effect or having the npc have dialogue showing this. Sound can also be used to give the player information such as having some guards the player cannot see but can hear so that they know that there are some guards around or they can give the player some tips using dialogue such as having some guards discuss a weak spot in security that because the player has heard they can now take advantage of. This knowledge will be useful as I know better understand how to utilize sound for my game.
Youtube.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyqv7giul2s> [Accessed 24 March 2021].
From this source I have learnt how sound can be realistic while still being exaggerated to sound good and satisfying to the player without not fitting in with the realistic graphics or aspects of the game so the players immersion is not broken, which is called hyper realism sound design. It is used to make sounds that would be dull and boring better fit the game by adding more impact to the sound such as the example the source uses of throwing a rope which in real life sounds very dull but in Uncharted the rope has a satisfying snap and sounds more like a whip. This source is useful as I know better understand how to make good realistic sounds which I may use for my game.
2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcorIwJscFA> [Accessed 25 March 2021].
While conducting research I looked into some previous sources I had used in the past to consolidates some things such as how there are three main aspects of what good sound design does which is gameplay cues, feedback and driving emotion. Sound can be used as gameplay cues to help inform the player of certain things for example when you hit an enemy a sound is played to show you got a successful hit, feedback is when sound is used to convey a positive or negative action such as upon beating a level a sound may play which is positive feedback however in contrast when you due a sound may be played which would be negative feedback and lastly driving emotion which is where sound or the lack of it are used to make the player feel a certain way such as in subnautica in which when the player submarine is destroyed a frantic and energetic piece of music is played to panic the player and give a sense of emergency.
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