Post 25 - Task Three Completion

My Task Three ACM Report has now been finished. The word count is 3494 excluding references, or 3372 excluding references and sub headings. I am very pleased with the result and feel that it encompasses research, which backs up any significant states made. The addition of more game examples was a good move. 

My only regret is that I feel that I should of addressed more of the practical, technical side of what I am proposing to do. However, this has to an extent been elaborated on in my time line, which was also submitted at the same time.

I will update this blog once received the marks.

 

> I'm so happy, but my hands and feet have fallen off.

Post 24 - Objective Update: TESTING

Now that I have started work on the final editions to the ACM report, I have just updated the objectives. I have included a 'Testing' phase. This is very important and is the result of completing my task one NSD project proposal. This required a detailed set of objectives and various testing phases. Testing will be important as it will allow me to gain feedback and develop constructive strategics to improve the animations.

Post 23 - ACM category additions

After looking into the additional research and materials, I have decided to include a couple of extra passage headings. The following is the new structure of my ACM report:

1. INTRODUCTION
2. PROJECT AIM
3. PROJECT OBJECTIVES  
3.1 Objective One - Industry Context
3.2 Objective Two - Theory and Methods
3.3 Objective Three - Technology and Actuation 
3.4 Objective Four - Applied Research 
4. THE PROCESS
4.1 Research
4.2 Actuation
4.3 Testing
4.4 Documentation
5. RESEARCH
5.1 Current Industrial Rationale
5.1.1 Emotion and character traits in Games
5.2 Gaming and Conveyance
5.2.1 Progressive Narrative & User Engagement
5.2.2 Hybrid, Moral and Emotional Consequence
5.2.3 Emotion Led Informative Structure
5.3 Animation Fundamentals
5.3.1 Game and Animation Evolution
5.3.2 Progression through Animation
5.3.3 Flaws, Archetypes and Motivation
6. CONCLUSION
7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
8. REFERENCES


5.2.2 and 5.3.3 are new additions I plan on making. 5.2.2. will be concerned with looking into more of the additional ways in which a video-game's progression is driven by the characteristics and by the gamer's own moral code. I have chosen two additional game examples to describe these different types. Value's Half Life 2 uses the 'Cypher' method, where by the protagonist has no influence onthe gamer and so allows: 

-the gamer to immerse themselves and empathise with the character in the game.
-Develop a moral and emotional connection with significant characters through the need to save and rescue. 

Bioware's Mass Effect 2 is another great example for exploring different ways in which games utilise character traits. The good to bad options and responses the gamer is given also add an extra element of moral understanding and humanity. This in turn requires character to be all the more believable, as well as successfully conveying a persona (whether a good or bad one).
 5.3.3. will be concerned with animation concerns and what is needed for a convincing and engaging performance/sequence.


I plan to continue my research into these fields in order to complete the task three.

Post 22 - Useful Web Document

I have just stumbled upon an interesting, if not quite brief academic conference article. It is titled: Why We Play Games: Four Keys to More Emotion Without Story. This is written by Nicole Lazzaro, at the time of its establishment Founder and President of XEODesign, Inc. This paper describes a series of 8 forms of emotion that a game can evoke in a gamer. These are as follows:

• Emotion: Common Themes and Triggers
• Fear: Threat of harm, object moving quickly to hit player, sudden fall or loss of support, possibility of pain
• Surprise: Sudden change; briefest of all emotions, does not feel good or bad, after interpreting event this emotion merges into fear, relief, etc.
• Disgust: Rejection as food or outside norms. The strongest triggers are body products such as feces, vomit, urine, mucus, saliva, and blood.
• Naches/ Kvell (Yiddish): Pleasure or pride at the accomplishment of a child or mentee. (Kvell is how it feels to express this pride in one’s child or mentee to others.)
• Fiero (Italian): Personal triumph over adversity. The ultimate Game Emotion. Overcoming difficult obstacles players raise their arms over their heads. They do not need to experience anger prior to success, but it does require effort.
• Schadenfreude (German): Gloat over misfortune of a rival. Competitive players enjoy beating each other especially a long-term rival. Boasts are made about player prowess and ranking.
• Wonder Over whelming improbability. Curious items amaze players at their unusualness, unlikelihood, and improbability without breaking out of realm of possibilities. 

 
It is my intention to introduce this information early on in my report, and refer back to it when discussing these types of emotion. These will be done so when discussing details of the individual video-game examples and situations that I will be using.

Lazzaro / XEO Design - LINK

Post 21 - Thinking Animation Book

A book which I noticed Darren Wall had on his desk I have now taken out of the library. 

• Jones, A. & J, Oliff (2007) Thinking Animation, Thomson Course Technology, MA, U.S.A.

   

Thinking Animation by Jones, A. & J, Oliff

 This book is fantastic and features several chapters, which can be applied to other fundamentals (both video-game and animation). The chapters which I will be using in particular include information on archetypes, character motivation and ‘flaws’.

Flaws are something which can prove to be extremely useful in my report as flaws are what make a character interesting. An interesting section of the book states:

"Survival is the core of human nature. Flaws are those traits that will get in the way of our achieving the goal of survival."

Jones, A. & J, Oliff. (2007)

This is great as it ties in with two areas of my paper that I wish to elaborate in. Firstly, survival and fear are easily recognisable human traits and ones which we can relate to. If we see a character who we are initially invested in, then it is our basic instinct to empathise and try to help, or rescue. This is one main draw which video-games use in the their narratives and characters.

The second point to make from this is that 'flaws' are often depicted through secondary, subtle motions. These can be gestures, facial expressions, or when pauses in animation, replicating a thought process. These can be applied to all of the video-game examples that I am using in my paper, but in particular, the relationship between the gamer and the character Alyx in Half Life 2. There are other sections in this book which will also help in my understanding of what aids a character's development, as well as what works in a scene.

Thinking Animation blog - LINK

Post 20 - Software Training Stuff

In Addition to the Richard Williams Book and DVD set, I have also acquired a set of animation training DVDs. These are by the Gnomon Workshop and are presented by Chris Kirshbaum.

• The Gnomon Workshop (2008) Character Animation: Fundamentals [DVD], Hollywood, CA: The Gnomon Workshop.
• The Gnomon Workshop (2008) Character Animation: Mechanics and Emotion [DVD], Hollywood, CA: The Gnomon Workshop.
• The Gnomon Workshop (2008) Character Animation: Acting and Lip Syncing [DVD], Hollywood, CA: The Gnomon Workshop.

 
These DVDs are oriented around the 3d software Autodesk Maya. Although I have suggested that I wish to use 3ds Max, the conventions of animation are not bound by software, or even technology, so I feel that these DVDs will still help in giving me a visual reference to how animation can work.

Once the project gets in motion, I will look more closely at these DVDs and note any useful tips and tricks for my emotion ideas.


Fundamentals - LINK
Mechanics and Emotion - LINK
Acting and Lip Syncing - LINK

Post 19 - Useful Online Research

Here are a couple of interesting on-line resources, which I neglected to post information about until now. They both featured in my task two draft and have been kept in for the task three.

First of all, Jonathan Frome wrote the paper titled : Eight Ways Video-games Generate Emotion. This is a very well written paper, which does shine some light on how video-games are able to evoke emotion. This paper also suggests reasons why this may be the case and explains them in a categorical fashion.

Another article was one titled: Pegboards vs Polygons:Animating for Video Games by Mark Garabedian. This gave me a lot of information into what is involved in creating game based animation, which are both successful and are able to a level of engagement.

The website from which this article was found has since been very useful and is similar to that of the Eleven Second Club site in that it is a central hub for animators from every level of animation.


Animation Arena - LINK
Frome, J - LINK