GAN YI KIAN / 0374572
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Games Studies
Exercise / Series of investigations
INSTRUCTIONS
Exercise 1 - My favourite video game/board game
In this exercise, we need to introduce a favorite video game or board game. A game that you will continue to come back to even after you have played it.
Honor of Kings
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| Fig. 1.0 Game Cover |
Game Type:
MOBA – Multiplayer Online Battle Arena
Development Company:
Tencent Games
First released in 2015, it is one of the most popular mobile games in mainland China.
Game Objectives and gameplay introduction:
- Two teams of 5 players each fight on a symmetrical map.
- Heroes are each player's choices, and the heroes have different skills and roles, with examples of tanks, shooters, mages, etc.
- Its objective is to destroy the rival’s main base (crystal). While doing this, you push down the enemy defense towers, fight wild monsters, and team battles as well.
- By defeating enemy heroes, minions, monsters, etc., players can get gold and experience, upgrade levels, and buy equipment.
- The game, within 15 to 25 minutes, is fast and great for mobile devices.
I have been playing this game for nearly 10 years. I got to know this game through a friend's introduction. I believe that all Chinese in Malaysia know this game. Even most of the young people playing games in the mamak are playing this game. I usually play this game with my friends in a mamak.
Game Modes Overview
In Honor of Kings, there are countless game modes that make choice for yourself as per your interests.
- Ranked Match (5v5): The standard competitive mode where players aim to climb the ranking ladder.
- Quick Match (5v5): A more casual mode without affecting player rankings.
- Arcade Modes: These include special modes like Clone Fight, Infinite Brawl, and Dreamland Clash, offering unique gameplay experiences.
- 1v1 and 3v3 Modes: For players seeking more intimate or faster-paced matches.
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| Fig. 1.2 Game Screen |
The left side of the screen controls movement, and the right side clicks to release skills.
Similar games such as: League of Legends, Mobile Legends, DOTA 2
I personally prefer playing mages and warriors. Different professions in this game also represent different abilities and missions. There are a total of Five different map lanes in the game, such as Clash lane, Farm lane, Mid lane, Jungler, and Roamer.Many heroes are based on figures from Chinese history and mythology, such as Guan Yu and Lu Bu.
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| Fig. 1.3 Game Map |
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| Fig. 1.4 Map Lanes |
Clash Lane (Solo Lane)
- Main Role: Solo laner, usually plays against another single opponent.
- Hero Type: Warrior or Tank.
- Gameplay Focus: Survive in the lane, grow, and then join the teamfight.
- Team Impact: Acts as a vanguard in late-game teamfights.
Jungle
- Main role: Roaming in the jungle, killing wild monsters.
- Hero type: Assassin or warrior.
- Gameplay Focus: Control map targets (buffs, tyrants, lords), raid the opponent's output, and snowball to gain early advantages.
- Team Impact: Control the game rhythm, control resource flow, and initiate combat.
Mid Lane
- Main Role: Clear the lane and roam to support other lanes.
- Hero Type: Mage.
- Gameplay Focus: Provides burst damage, control, and map pressure.
- Team Impact: Key controller in teamfights, usually able to deal powerful magic damage.
Farm Lane – Marksman (Gold Lane)
- Main Role: Deal sustained ranged damage.
- Hero Type: Marksman.
- Gameplay Focus: Stay alive and farm early, become a major damage dealer in the late game.
- Team Impact: Core damage output.
Support (Roamer)
- Main Role: Protect allies, initiate fights, provide vision.
- Hero Type: Tank or Support.
- Gameplay Focus: Roam with the team, shield or heal allies, engage or disrupt enemies.
- Team Impact: Protect the back row heroes and start the fight with the front row
Player Progression and Ranking System
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| Fig. 1.5 Rank Tier List |
Honor of Kings like many MOBA games, has a feature of a competitive ranking system. In ranked matches, players take part in different tiers from Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master, King, and Legendary King. based on their performance.
And this, this kind of ranking system is quite usual in MOBAs like League of Legends, Mobile Legends, and Arena of Valor. It brings some progress, competition, and motivation because players are trying to show their skills and climb higher.
Therefore, the ranking of the rank is also proof of strength. Other players can infer the strength and skills of the player through the rank.
- Ranking Tiers: Players progress through tiers such as Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master, King, and Legendary King.
- Star System: Within each tier, players earn stars through victories, and accumulating enough stars leads to promotion to the next tier.
- Seasonal Resets: At the end of each season, rankings are reset, and players receive rewards based on their highest achieved tier. (This is why players can play this game for a long time.)
Game Mechanics
In "Honor of Kings", heroes are divided into six professions: tank, warrior, assassin, mage, shooter and support. Each profession has a unique combat position, for example:
- Tank: high health, absorb damage, responsible for the first team (such as Zhang Fei, Bai Qi)
- Assassin: high mobility, high burst, kill the enemy back row in seconds (such as Li Bai, Han Xin)
- Mage: long-range magic attack, control the enemy (such as Daji, Wang Zhaojun)
Each hero has 3 active skills + 1 passive skill, and the skill combination and release timing have a great impact on the victory or defeat.
In addition, the equipment system plays a very important role in the game. Players get gold coins by killing soldiers and wild monsters, which are used to buy attack, defense or functional equipment. Different equipment orders will affect the rhythm of the whole game.
The map design adopts the classic three-way laning mechanism (upper, middle and lower + wild area), plus resource points such as big and small dragons, to encourage team cooperation and strategic layout.
Community & Social Features
In "Honor of Kings", you can invite friends to form a team at any time, and there are built-in voice functions, friend lists, and team halls to facilitate communication and cooperation.
The game also has mechanisms such as likes, reports, and credit points to encourage cooperation and punish malicious behavior.
Gameplay
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| Fig. 1.6 Mainpage |
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| Fig. 1.7 Ban hero |
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| Fig. 1.8 Loading |
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| Fig. 1.9 Game Screen |
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| Fig. 1.10 Checkout screen |
Conclusion
Why do I play this game? I was introduced to it by a friend, and I am still playing it now. This is not just a game, but a memory that I have kept from the past to the present. I have also met many new friends from this game, and developed a gaming mindset. I like to guess the opponent's psychology in this game and grasp their direction. Even if I don't have their vision, I can predict from the time they last appeared. Everyone can play it, but it is difficult to play the mechanism, and not everyone can do it.
Exercise 2 - Non-digital to digital - Evolution and remediating this game
We need to select an identification of non-digital games that have been converted to digital versions and explain how the player experiences them temporally during both play dimensions.
Lami
Lami is a hybrid board game based on Mahjong and Rummikub rules, suitable for 2 to 4 players. The game uses a set of cards containing numbers and symbols. The player's goal is to combine the cards in his hand to form a specific card pattern (such as a straight or a same-number group) to play all the cards in his hand as quickly as possible. During the game, players need to strategically draw and play cards, and adjust and combine them according to the situation of the cards on the field.
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Type "lami" in the App Store, and several similar games appear. These games usually include not only Lami, but also mahjong, Texas Hold'em, and other gambling games, which is also for the playability of the game.
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| Fig. 2.3 Lami Mahjong app mainpage |
Game Introduction
Lami is a classic number and color matching game that combines strategy and luck. Players need to "play cards" by combining the cards in their hands (such as a straight of consecutive numbers of the same color, or a group of the same numbers of different colors). The goal is to play all the cards in their hands as quickly as possible.
Each player usually draws 14 cards at the beginning of the game and takes turns to play or draw cards. The rhythm of the game is both brain-burning and fun, suitable for family or friends.
It is also the most famous among the Chinese in Malaysia. Usually during the Chinese New Year, the Chinese will play this game and add gambling elements. Later, we can see this game in the app store on our mobile phones. After downloading it, it becomes easier to play at any time.
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Core Game Mechanics and Time Experience
As a turn-based game, the core mechanisms of Lami include:
- Deck combination: players need to combine the cards in their hands to form a specific card type (such as a straight or a same-number group).
- Strategy planning: formulate a card-playing strategy based on the situation of the cards on the field and play all the cards as soon as possible.
- Resource management: manage the cards in your hand reasonably to avoid being blocked by the opponent.
During the game, players need to make decisions in each round and consider how to combine their cards most effectively. This turn-based experience makes the game rhythm relatively smooth, and players have enough time to think and plan strategies.
Physical version(real life)
Players move the cards themselves, the pace of playing cards is slower, and there is more room for thinking.
Digital version(on screen)
Players operate by sliding or clicking, and the system will automatically prompt the best card combination at the moment, which greatly improves the game's rhythm and is friendly to novices.
Time
In the physical version, players may spend more time thinking and moving cards; while digital versions often add timers or animations to make the game faster.,
Gameplay
Physical vs Digital
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| Fig. 2.5 Physical vs Digital |
Comparison of 2D and 3D versions
"Lami" was originally presented in two-dimensional form, and as technology developed, a three-dimensional version also appeared.
Advantages of the three-dimensional:
- Enhanced visual effects: 3D images provide a richer visual experience and enhance the immersion of the game.
- Improved sense of space: The three-dimensional perspective makes it easier for players to judge the position and combination of decks.
- Strong animation expression: The movement and combination of decks are more vivid, which increases the viewing experience.
Disadvantages of the three-dimensional:
- High hardware requirements: 3D games require higher device performance, which may affect the gaming experience of some players.
- Increased development costs: 3D modeling and animation production are relatively complex, which increases development costs and time.
Conclusion
"Rami" has moved from the physical card table to the digital platform, showing the vitality of excellent game mechanisms in different media. Whether you touch the cards yourself or slide them out, strategy and wisdom are still the core charm of the game.
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