Master Of Animation, Games & Interactivity
Master Of Animation, Games & Interactivity

Advanced Play Design - Week 6 - Play and Forces - Samridhi Handa

By Samridhi Handa

Apd Week 6 (Play and Forces)

RATIONALE:

What Have I done this week?

For this week’s response of Advanced Play Design, we had to work with Forces and depict them. I decided to work with magnetic force. In order to depict the magnetic force and use it in my weekly response, I decided to create a supermarket scene where all sort of food is present. As I feel attracted to food in the supermarket and simply pick it up without counting the calories, I decided to recreate the same with the weekly topic.  

In order to create this, I worked in Unity by creating a coin magnet pickup script and then applying it on various objects that I wanted to pick up on my scene. I created an attractor script in order to attract the food to my cart and applied the attractor script on my cart. So, as the cart moves through the supermarket, it keeps collecting food just as I do.

Why I have done it this week?

I have worked on this concept this week, because I felt that magnetic force is also one of the most powerful forces. I began by researching about forces and also thinking what attracts me the most. I came to a conclusion that food shopping is what I love the most and I feel attracted towards food, so I created this supermarket and a cart with magnetic forces to collect all that I like.

CONTEXT

For inspiration on this project I researched online and got inspiration for this project.

  • Similar magnet system pickups have been used Subway Surfers, a running and coin collection game by Kiloo, where the player is constantly running and collecting coins in his path, in addition to saving himself from the obstacles in his path. In this game, the player gets a special magnet power up, with the help of which he can collect more coins, even the ones which are not lying in his path.
  • Another example of a game using this coin pickup system is Temple Run, developed by Imangi Studios. In this game, the player has to run in specific directions, on a specific path and collect coins in his way. The game also uses coin attracter, through which the coins are attracted towards the player.
  • Clever Stuff, February 5, 2018, Magnetic Play-why is it important?, viewed 15 September, 2020, < https://cleverstuff.com.au/blogs/news/magnetic-play-why-is-it-important >

METHODS

In order to create this project, I created the models in Maya first. I textured the models by finding packaging labels online and with the help of UV mapping in Maya and adjusting the textures in Photoshop. When the models were complete, I exported them and imported them into unity. Further in Unity after fixing positions, lights and directions, I worked on the scripts required for the magnet pickup player, which is the cart in this case. I also worked on the objects to treat them like a magnet. I selected some objects from the shelves and applied the magnet script on them and left the others with no script. I also added a cart and added movement script to the cart along with magnet attracted script. I was able to move the cart with the help of the movement script and W,A,S,D keys or arrow keys and attract the objects with the help of magnet script. Furthermore, I played the game and recorded the gameplay and edited that using Adobe Premiere pro and Adobe after Effects.

Work in progress for this project has been documented in a PDF called “Documentation of Work” attached to this post.

REFLECTION/OUTCOME

According to the four theories of Play developed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, this work belongs to recreation theory, which suggests that play is a way to recuperate from the fatigue caused by work. This theory suggests that play can be a way to relax and not do anything which causes tiredness and rather just provide satisfaction and calm to the person.

This project is also a form of recreation and relaxation only as it does not involve a lot of gameplay.

As per Parten’s classification of play in the year 1932, this work is a form of unoccupied play, out of the six forms of play described by him. Unoccupied play is a type of play where the person is not exactly playing but is just satisfied by looking at the game.

By engaging in these practices, I was able to create a supermarket and a cart which uses magnetic forces to pick up stuff from the shelves. By doing so, I was able to portray the weekly topic of “Play and Forces” by using magnetic force.

By studying about play theories, I was able to enlighten myself about various forms of play that are known and recognise which form of play my work exists in. I was also able to attain knowledge through my research and derive inspiration from that. I also got to know about the play theories that have been developed.  

I can work on this in the future and create a more detailed magnet experience for the user. I can play with many other places other than supermarket and many other objects other than food with this system.

REFERENCES

2020-09/week-6

Downloads:

About This Work

By Samridhi Handa
Email Samridhi Handa
Published On: 25/09/2020