Quadrivium Report: January 07 2009

1. Quadrivium Report:January 07 2009 Aldi Purnama Mark Gaucher Stephen Mulvihill Amandeep Singh

2. Introduction • Multi-touch Framework that uses a Multi-touch table. • A lot of changes to our project • Today: Hardware, Framework, Application

3. Change of Plans A Multi-touch War Strategy Game Uses gestures to play on a table surface

4. Introduction • Why did we have to change things? • Improvements in the multi-touch community • Fall Term Schedules • Creating and coding a multi-touch gesture engine is extremely difficult. • Coding a game gives better focus, than trying to make a generic framework

5. Project Focus

6. Present State • 2D and 3D Assets in progress • Game Menus and Screens needed • Game structure in XNA done • Finalize design • Replace parts • Repair projector enclosure • Engine fully coded • Core gestures functioning • Unique gestures need to be coded

7. Hardware – Fall Term • Optimization • Faster detection of finger tips (blobs) • Upgraded components • Ongoing Maintenance • Replacing IR-LED bulbs • New Surface Frame

8. FTIR Technology

9. Comparisons with BitBox • FTIR vs. DI • Very similar in data capture reliability • FTIR works in dynamically lighting conditions • DI is light sensitive since it uses shadows on the surface • FTIR requires less set up time

10. The Battlegrounds Game • Multi-touch war strategy game • Objective: World Domination • Like Risk and Axis and Allies • Conquer the world using your fingers.

11. The Battlegrounds Story • It is 1942, and the world is at the brink of World War II. • Command your army, and conquer all the world territories in a quest for world domination! • Make alliances, strategize your resources and attacks.

12. The Armies • Players choose one of five major armies in WWII: USA (Blue) Germany (Black) Japan (White) Russia (Red) Great Britain (Green)

13. Gameplay Fundamentals • It is a multi-player (2-4) turn based game • Win enemy territories using army units that you purchase and position on the world map

14. Game Phases • With each turn, a player performs 3 phases: • Evaluate Resources • Move and Attack • Allocate Resources • Mimics the style of war strategy board games

15. Game Phases + Map Views

16. Game Features: • Alliances can be made (and broken) • Rewards are given for achieving objectives • 3D battle simulations that use gestures to play • Replace the use of dice • More engaging and uses skill to determine outcome

17. Game Design Style: • Simple colors and textures • “Toy” feel that are similar to game pieces • Able to distinguish between armies quickly • Vector based graphics • 2D – to – 3D switch when a battle occurs • Textures are still simple and based off the army colours • Cartoony animation effects • Promotional items will reflect World War 2 military styling

18. Art Assets • 2D Assets • 3D Assets

19. Territories • A section of land that encompasses a region of the world

20. Territories • Total of 58 Land Territories to conquer

21. Territory States • Territories exist in one of three conditions • Friendly (occupied by your army) • Hostile (occupied by enemy armies) • Unoccupied (no association) Friendly Hostile Unoccupied

22. Army Units • There are 3 types of units: • Ground forces • Aircraft • Naval forces

23. Ground Forces (2D Symbols) Artillery Infantry Tanks Anti Aircraft Guns

24. Air Forces (2D Symbols) Fighter Bomber

25. Naval Forces (2D Symbols) • Patrol Water Territories around land territories Submarine Destroyer Naval Transport Aircraft Carrier

26. Flags (2D Symbols) • Used in the Player Dock and Alliances • 3D Asset graphics/insignia

27. Player Docks • A graphical platform that displays all the buttons and icons needed to buy new units, form alliances, and display the Unit Production Value.

28. Buying and Placing New Units

29. Alliances Players make alliances by “calling” other armies from the dock

30. Alliances Press the Call button, and select army

31. Alliances Receiving (from the Germans)

32. Rewards Rewards are given upon the completion of an objective, and provides extra money or units

33. Rewards Rewards when given are placed in the dock. Designed inspired by military rank insignia.

34. 3D Assets - Infantry

35. 3D Assets - Artillery

36. 3D Assets – Anti-Aircraft Gun

37. 3D Assets – Tank

38. 3D Assets – Fighter Plane

39. 3D Assets – Bomber Plane

40. 3D Asset Considerations • Low poly-count • FBX file size • Follow design style (“Toy look”) • XNA required a single mesh • Texture size has to be a multiple of 4

41. 3D Assets in XNA

42. 3D Battle Simulations • These are the “mini-games” that players play to determine the outcome of a battle. • There are 4 scenarios: • Ground Forces vs. Ground Forces • Air Forces vs. Ground Forces • Naval Forces vs. Air Forces • Naval Forces vs. Naval Forces

43. 3D Battle Simulations Ground Units vs. Ground Units:

44. 3D Battle Simulations Ground Units vs. Aircraft:

45. 3D Battle Simulations Aircraft vs. Navy Units:

46. 3D Battle Simulations Submarines vs. Other Navy Units:

47. Game Architecture • Core classes have been setup • More functionality/code needs to be implemented • The pieces are there we just need to put them together

48. Game Architecture Chart

49. Game Mechanics • The uniqueness of the gameplay needs to reflect the uniqueness of the system • Gestures are used, instead of mouse events.

50. What is a Gesture Engine? • Responsible for Gesture Recognition • Compares a hand or finger movement to a predefined gesture logic • Recognizes multiple points or touches • Built on Grafiti