I still have to come up with a good title..

Today’s improvements to the game consisted in the implementation of a pathfinder functionality.

This will allow AI objects to “travel” across the levels, calculating a path that intentionally avoids predefined areas.

As you can see in the picture above, the program determines particular paths, that represent “walkable areas” (green lines), and unwalkable zones (the areas that surround the red cubes).

These maps are generated automatically, providing an extremely powerful tool to manage AI movements.

The script comes from the A* Pathfinding project from Aron Granberg.

In my particular project I intend to use this path finding functionality to drive AI vessels, such as an ally Zodiac during inflatable boats confrontations.

Another possible usage could be the reenactment of the pursuit between the spy vessel Shonan Maru 2 and the Steve Irwin, challenging each others’ seamanship skills in dangerous mazes of iceberg fields.

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..and I’m finally satisfied with this model..!

The MV Steve Irwin is the flagship of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a non-profit marine conservation organization that operates to protect ocean wildlife, enforcing existing regulation against poachers, and much more.

I’m going to use this model in an advergame that for long time i’ve been planning on developing, and that will probably evolve from the existing Overfisher prototype.

But for now, enjoy the show..! Read the rest of this entry »

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..and yet another day working on 3D Studio Max.

Today I faced for the first time the problem of texturing a model. I ended up following this really good tutorial:

Using UVW Mapping Texture Technique In 3D Studio Max – http://www.republicofcode.com/tutorials/3ds/unwrap_uvw_mapping/

Talking about the model itself, it is not perfectly accurate, ok yea, not accurate at all , but for the level of detail needed in the game it is more than enough.

It must be reminded in fact that the average potential player will probably have only heard of Sea Shepherd via the tv show Whale Wars, or even just its cartoonish version signed by South Park.. My goal was to make the vessel recognizable.

The next step from here will consist in texturing the helideck, and probably add a couple of Zodiacs on the deck of the vessel.

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..And here the result of another day working on this wonderful project!

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..originally thought as an academic project, the production of this game became something different, something real.

The main idea, when i started, was a vague “to study Advergaming“.
..Suddenly I realized that if I wanted to brand a company via a game, I had to have a very deep understanding of the organization i was dealing with, to efficiently identify which values and which messages to communicate via an interactive application.

..This process brought me through a long period of analysis of the history and identity of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, the organization chosen as topic of the advergame.

This allowed me to create a campaign motivated by a real issue, pushing me towards the necessity of finding a concrete solution to the problem I chose to face.

What fascinated me about this project was the nature of Advergaming itself.

I consider this marketing strategy to be an often misunderstood and underestimated one, which can reveal itself incredibly powerful, if developed properly..

The Issue

Most of you have just heard of these guys on tv news, without paying to much attention.. You know, those gangs of punks, driving inflatable boats at near-miss distance from whaling vessels, holding banners representing “eco-terrorist thoughts”..? Ok, the guys I worked for (..or better said, worked with) are the evil cousins of them. Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is a non-violent no-profit organization, who aims at protecting marine animal wildlife via direct action. In the case of the issue concerning this project, this direct action takes the form of physical obstruction of whaling operations, justified as enforcement of the international commercial whaling ban disregarded by the Japanese government.
Using a loophole in the treaty, in fact, year after year the Japanese whalers carry out whaling operations under the false pretense of being “researching” the cetaceans. Where diplomacy and international pressure fails in enforcing the international moratorium on commercial whaling, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society takes a stand to protect biodiversity, and to face the illegal poachers.

The Game

The player will play the role of an anti-whaling activist, opposing the whaling operations. Initially she will be asked to document the situation but, keeping faith to the real course of events, when faced by the ineptitude of governments and their games of power and economical interests, the goal of the game will pass progressively from the will to Expose the poachers, to the will of Confronting them. This can be seen both as challenges the player will face, and also with the fading mood of the history, fading towards a more and more dramatic struggle. This progressive deepening of the intensity of the story will essentially provoke emotional immersion in the game, enhancing the possibilities of successfully communicate a message embedded in the story.

Converting a game into an AdverGame..

..and this is where the magic happens. Emotional immersion will hopefully ease the chance of having the player embracing the set of values pushed by the game (carefully chosen to communicate a message positive to the brand). Moreover, interaction with the game will enhance the retention of this message, in a much more powerful way than other more classy forms of advertising. A last attempt to make this application useful for the organization, is the idea of embedding a last playable level unlockable only on the main Sea Shepherd website. This will close the gap between the casual gamer and the organization, in a situation in which the player will suddenly realize that the history she is immersed into is actually real, and that action and information is at one click of distance.

Technicalities..

Bababa the game was developed in Actionscript 3, putting particular effort in developing a program with a flexible and pondered architecture.

Working alone, I preferred to organize my available time into multiple sprints, with the recurrent production of prototypes widely tested in both quantitative and qualitative manner by relevant representative of my target group. This allowed me to focus on the usability of the game, in the intent of enhancing it’s entertaining potential, improving the chances of both a viral effect and the retention of the message due to the repetition, seen as replay value.

And yeah, i had some kickass good time doing this stuff..! ..handed in wanting for more!

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A quick video made to represent the experience given by the advergame, if developed a step further..

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I’m currently working on the visual aspects of the game: For now I did the menu, navigation etc.

Tomorrow I’ll be refining the ingame graphics, and hopefully improving that horrible attempt of drawing a credible representation of the Nishin Maru

You can try the prototype following this link.

As usual, any comment will be a helpful source of reflection

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Oh yes, you read it well.

The scary moment of having to begin to design the graphic user interface is arrived, brought more by deadlines than by motivation..

(yes, i do hate designing stuff SO much)

Nevertheless, here a quick preview of what’s going on behind the scenery.

The levels are ready to be dispatched, those which i chose to develop (just a more polite way to say that i didn’t code the last one yet.. )

So, here ye go, some graphic beauties!

edit: ..ah, sorry for the misleading ultra mega spectacular tweet.. just fishing visitors, you know, business..

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Ok, here finally the moment in which everything begins to come together getting the form of a game..!

Here follows a script of what’s going to happen in the game, how and most importantly why.

Read the rest of this entry »

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I’m currently working on the functionality that will allow you to take pictures to the whaling vessels.

This will be one of the first challenges, teaching the player how to navigate the zodiac.

The camera in fact has a very short “range”, and this means that the player will be forced to drive very near to the vessels, dodging icebergs and avoiding to crash against the enemy ship. This requires good control over the throttle, making the player understand the enhanced control over the vehicle if managing the speed appropriately.

The player will have only a limited number of possible shots, in order to make the function more challenging.

When activating the camera a target will appear, indicating the point that the camera is directed to. Getting targeted by a watercannon will influence this function, making it more difficult to aim the right spots.

A new prototype will be posted on Wednesday..!

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In a hurry?    Try the game

Otherwise take your time to keep reading through..

You can finally try the latest prototype, with the following improvements:

• Boundaries limited. You won’t get lost out of the screen ever again. Your world is limited now.

• Watercannons are more annoying than ever. They will slow you down and they will push you away from the ship. Hopefully into an iceberg.

• Luckily crashing into an iceberg is not so annoying as the latest versions: You will still slow down, but eventually you can “run over” them. This makes the game usable, and easier for less able zodiac drivers.

• I’m siiiinging in the raaaaaiinn. Yes, it rains, if you get hit by a watercannon.
• You can try to deploy a propfouler! I still need to tune that function not to make it too hard either to easy, but it begins to take form.

I also changed some settings of the gameplay: Now the zodiac will seem to have more inertia. It feels like driving a Camaro in Need For Speed.. It’s a pleasure to send it in drifting

Try the game and comment what you think..!

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What a better way to test a new control mode than during a stealth antiwhaling operation on pitch black Antarctic waters..?

This version has some new stuff: Read the rest of this entry »

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Lots of user testers begged for a different control mode.. Well, here you go.. ye pirates!

The new version allows you to drive the zodiac entirely via keyboard, while still permitting you to use the mouse if you want more control over the vehicle.

..and don’t forget the stilish effect of driving with one hand like a real cowboy!

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The first Sprint is completed and tested.

I’m finally able to reorganize my ideas and start a new prototype, more refined than the precedent.

This implementation will focus on:

Read the rest of this entry »

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Argh, i have to come up with a name for the game, any ideas?

Today i held a focus group to check the work done so far, plus get inspired by new interesting points of view shooting in different perspectives.

Here the game at this stage, feel free to leave feedback

Click here to try the prototype

Controls: A and D to turn, drag the throttle up and down to manage the speed.  Press 1 to activate/deactivate the camera and 3 to deploy a prop fouler.

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