Goals of this session

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Goals of this session

• Takeaway
• EVERY GAME LIVES OR DIES BY ITS CONTROL SYSTEM.
  THIS IS HOW WE MADE OURS.
• Who is this for?
• Control guys or those who work with them
• We found a process that worked really well for us
  and want to share it.
• Save Time
• Improve Quality
• Its FUN!

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Who are these guys?

• Eric Holmes Lead Game Designer
• Incredible Hulk Ultimate Destruction (PS2, Xbox,
  GC)
• HULK (PS2, Xbox, GC, PC)
• Sled Storm (PS2)
• State of Emergency (PS2)
• Earthworm Jim 3D (PC, N64)
• Bryan Brandt Lead Gameplay Programmer
• Incredible Hulk Ultimate Destruction (PS2, Xbox,
  GC)
• HULK (PS2, Xbox, GC, PC)

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Radical Entertainment

• www.radical.ca
• Founded in 1991, 25 titles published, 230
  employees, based in Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Acquired in March 2005 by Vivendi Universal Games
• Recent hits
• The Incredible Hulk Ultimate Destruction (IHUD)
• The Hulk
• Crash Tag Team Racing
• Simpsons Hit and Run
• Simpsons Road Rage
• Scarface (coming in 2006)
• 3-5 production teams, plus Advanced Technology
  Group

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Incredible Hulk Critical Reception

• 85 on Gamerankings
• Best Superhero Game Ever according to ratings
• Gamespy Game of the Month Aug 2005
• IGN Game of the Month Aug 2005
• OXM Game of the Month Aug 2005
• Action/Adventure Game of the Year AIAS finalist
• Official PlayStation Magazine UK, May 2005
  the feeling of power is immense. Already
  it's clear that they've got the most important
  thing right - the actual feel of the Hulk - so in
  terms of accuracy we have little to worry about.
  
• Youll get more out of this
• session if you play the game.

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Game Demo

• Play video!

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Hulk To Date

• Hulk IP
• Comics began in 1962
• TV Series 1978-83
• Hulk Movie in 2003
• POWER FANTASY!
• Sequel
• Schedule approx 24 month
• Licensed IP in Comic Book Space
• 2005 Super Hero Summer

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Game Direction

• Target Market 13-17 year old males
• Defines The Hulk Experience gameplay on a scale
  you cannot get anywhere else
• ACTION ON THE RICHTER SCALE
• INTIMATE Spider-Man throws a fist-sized web-ball
  at a purse snatcher
• EPIC Hulk throws a FLAMING BUS at a COLUMN OF
  MECHS
• Rich Worlds with Mission Gameplay

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HulkUD Game Goals

• UNSTOPPABLE MOVEMENT
• SMASH EVERYTHING
• EPIC FIGHTING
• TOTAL FREEDOM
• ULTIMATE POWER!

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Action Game Controls

• What is an action game?
• conflict, struggle, skill, achievements, success
• The Importance of Game Controls
• They are the interface to fun.
• GOOD controls create fun WITHOUT content
• Mario64
• GOOD controls GOOD content GREAT GAME
• Castlevania Symphony of the Night
• ANY content weak controls sub-average game
• Youll know it when youve played it
• As GAME DESIGNER it is YOU who will drive the
  game controls

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The Character Functionality Group

• Strike Team
• AI Programmer
• Design Scripter
• Gameplay Animators x2
• Gameplay Programmer
• Lead Designer
• Radical Engine
• Gym Tool
• Maya 6
• Observation TOYS

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Hulk Move Types

• Locomotion
• Walking
• Running
• Wallrunning
• Jumping
• Climbing
• Combat
• Strikes
• Grapples
• Weapon Use
• Weaponization
• Weapon Pickups
• Gethits
• Struggles
• Wallhits
• Floats
• Lands
• Acting
• Ambience

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To Action!

• Original Process(first 10 dev months)
• Document the moves
• Animate the moves
• Script in the moves
• Reviewmaybe
• Results TEH SUCK
• Reviewed the results vs. Goals
• FAILED!

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Return To Action!

• Relocation/Reorganize/Reboot (Milestone 12 to
  final)
• Game References
• Movelist Design
• Prioritization
• Meeting Session Process
• Pose, play, have fun!
• References photos and movies
• Action Figures STIKFAS recommended!

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STIKFAS Grab and Play
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New Process DO IT NOW

• Process Focus NOW
• Animate NOW
• Get Ingame NOW
• Play with it NOW
• Reiterate NOW
• Lock down - and move on NOW
• Observable Results
• Momentum!
• Fun!
• Synergy!
• Quality!
• RESULTS!

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Anatomy Of A Hulk Animation

• Runtime Demo
• Idle
• Windup
• Execution
• HOLD
• Execution Transition
• Return to Idle
• OPPORTUNITY
• Plus
• Sound Effects
• Visual Effects
• Impact scripting
• Gethits
• Physics
• Floats
• Damage
• HUD Feedback
• Special Properties (Crushers etc)

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Combos

• Combo flow
• Initial failure
• Readable DISTINCT poses required
• FORGET SUBTLETY
• Overly Theatrical is good (Shatner)
• NO acting is BAD acting (Man With No Name)

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Extreme Moves

• Hulk has many one-off techniques
• Grapples
• Weaponizations
• Strikes that ARE grapples
• Devastators
• Issues
• Move Scale
• Character Scale
• Timing for readability bigger means longer
• Camera as your silent partner
• Targeting
• Auto Targeting
• Target Selection
• Did you notice?

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Tool Ground Rules

• No Dead Ends
• Guiding Principle, Power
• Best Superhero Game Ever
• Quality Target, Competitive, Power
• When in doubt, favour the Hulk
• Balance, Power
• Action On The Richter Scale
• Go big or go home ULTIMATE POWER

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How This Group PWN3D THE HULK

• OPEN COMMUNICATION Brutal honesty with
  respect, Best idea wins.
• NO EGO - Check your ego at the door
• EXPERIMENT When in doubt, try it
• REITERATE Fast iteration is key to forward
  progress
• LOCKDOWN Fun first, then fair

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Structure of the Strike Team

• Appoint a leader who is RESPONSIBLE
• Move fast, cut off dead end topics
• Keep minutes rotating chair
• You are part of a team - know yourself and others
• Knowing yourself is the most important!
• No one person knows it all
• Strive to develop trust
• Work with others to figure out each others
  strengths
• Seek feedback. Recognize failure.
• Be critical of what you do! Find critical
  allies!
• Embrace your weaknesses!

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Enemies (in brief!)

• Lock down the player early
• Need exaggerated windup to attacks
• Add unnecessary Theatricality for vulnerable or
  dangerous stageseven more important than with
  player
• Visual Effects are CRITICAL
• Lots more hit and miss with enemies
• AI is a huge variable
• (K.I.S.S.)!

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Findings

• What have we discussed?
• Controls gt Feel gt Player interface with game
• Who should be involved?
• Programmers, Artists and Designers who get game
  feel and can communicate it
• An egoless group that deservedly trusts one
  another
• Professionals willing to have fun, make mistakes,
  learn and move on

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QA

• Eric Holmes Bryan Brandt
• eholmes_at_radical.ca bbrandt_at_radical.ca
• Radical Entertainment
• 369 Terminal Avenue
• Vancouver, BC
• V5A 4C4
• CANADA