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CA Design Test

The Creative Assembly Design Test

Name:_Giacomo Vaccari______________________________________ Date:_11/11/2016_______

GuidelinesThere are no “right” answers to this test. We are looking for a certain mental flexibility, clarity of analysis, and the ability to express an argument cogently.A working knowledge of existing Total War titles will be an advantage in answering these questions.Each answer should fill no more than a single side of A4/US letter as an absolute maximum.

The suggestions, designs, ideas and materials which you submit as part of the interview are only reviewed for the purposes of that process and CA undertakes that it will not incorporate or use such material in games in any way without first seeking your approval. However, for your part you acknowledge that CA has substantial internal and external creative resources and that it may well be that material which the company does incorporate entirely independently and in the normal course of its business from these sources does bear coincidental similarities with your submission. In consideration of CA’s undertaking and of this interview process you hereby assign to CA all rights of any kind including copyright in any contribution you make during the interview process and in relation to CA’s games and waive all rights of recourse of whatever kind in relation to such material in relation to CA’s use of ostensibly similar material.’

I have read and understood the above information and I hereby agree

Giacomo Vaccari 11/11/2016

Please include your name and the date within the response document itself.___________________________________________________________________________

1) Some games in some genres use “rubber-banding” techniques, creating negative feedback to keep the game close, whereas others use positive feedback to reinforce a leading position.

1) Outline some of the pros and cons of each approach, giving examples of when you would use and when you would avoid each technique.

Page 1 of 17© The Creative Assembly 2011

CA Design Test2) Outline examples of different mechanics in a Total War game which

provide positive and negative feedback and briefly describe how effective you think these are.

___________________________________________________________________________

2) All units in Total War and other games have a variety of numerical values defining their properties. For example an attack stat could be 4 for a weak unit and 12 for a strong unit. Bonuses and penalties can be applied to reflect the unit's current circumstances or inherent special abilities. When “charging” into an attack for example, a unit could gain a “charge bonus” to reflect the initial impact of its arrival in melee.

3) Briefly explain the advantages and drawbacks of using a fixed "+3" additive bonus as opposed to a multiplier bonus of, say, +20% for the charge.

4) Outline two cases where (i) you would use a multiplier bonus and (ii) you would use an additive bonus for any unit stat, explaining your reasoning in each case.

5) How would you handle a bonus for a veteran unit's “experience”, and why?

___________________________________________________________________________

3) In game development it is important to try to find different ways of using game systems and assets to create different experiences for the player without needing new underlying mechanics or assets.

a) In an action adventure game, outline several different ways to reuse a given level to provide different gameplay experiences without changing the level’s core geometry.

b) In a Total War campaign, outline several different ways one could create new gameplay without changing game systems or the map.

___________________________________________________________________________

4) In Total War battles, including a “morale system” means that units can run from battle without being killed. Outline the fundamental changes this kind of system produces in gameplay terms compared with a battle system without morale.

___________________________________________________________________________

5) Making a game portraying 18th and early 19th century naval battles (as seen in Empire and Napoleon Total War) presents a number of challenges. One issue relates to the fact that a ship’s firepower generally comes from the sides rather than from the front (where the ship is facing).

a) Outline some of the problems this might pose, along with potential solutions.

b) How effectively do you think Total War dealt with these issues, and why?___________________________________________________________________________


CA Design Test6) Total War battles involve combat mechanics that simulate every bullet and

cannon-ball on the battlefield, rather than simply using generalised game rules to resolve projectile hits. Outline the pros and cons of this simulation approach in any 2 of the following 4 scenarios:i) Small-arms fire from height onto a large group of men below.ii) Small-arms fire into and out of a building or other area of cover.iii) Firing into different formations of men.iv) Any other area you wish to mention.

___________________________________________________________________________

7) Imagine a simple RTS game where you have 5 possible unit types, and 4 statistics that can be attached to them.

a) What 4 stats would you choose to create the most interesting and varied gameplay?

b) Create a table showing suggested stat values for all 5 units.c) Outline your intentions with each unit and how the resulting gameplay

might work.___________________________________________________________________________

8) In many Total War campaigns, an assassin character can be ordered to sneak in and kill a general commanding an army. All characters have varying skill levels & attributes as well as different situations they might be in. Suggest a simple formula for the chance of assassination success, explaining your reasoning. Feel free to make and state explicit assumptions about underlying systems in order to make your formula specific.

___________________________________________________________________________

9) Total War campaigns involve turn-based mechanics as opposed to working in real-time. Highlight how this impacts gameplay (both positives and negatives). What pros and cons can you see with regard to moving to a real-time campaign environment?

___________________________________________________________________________

10) Outline one major feature change or addition you would make to a gameplay mechanic in Total War campaigns. Be specific and explain the benefits and potential risks or problems (also consider AI, UI & visual implications).


CA Design Test

Responses SectionName: Giacomo Vaccari Date: 11/11/16Note: To see images in full resolution, please right-click and select “Edit with external tool”.


CA Design Test

1) Some games in some genres use “rubber-banding” techniques, creating negative feedback to keep the game close, whereas others use positive feedback to reinforce a leading position.

a) Outline some of the pros and cons of each approach, giving examples of when you would use and when you would avoid each technique.

i) Pros

Closes the gap between players at different skill levels and therefore is a good balancing tool for competitive situations.

Likewise, it encourages continued play from casual players as it increases accessibility without necessarily affecting the game's depth. It may even help maintain player agency relevant in situations where competition is important. Otherwise a competent player might constantly execute a dominant strategy and never experience new interesting choices in gameplay style.

Finally, it allows for potentially spectacular comebacks, a very desirable trait in competitive multiplayer games. This must, however, be executed with subtlety.

ii) Cons

It can be perceived as unfair if incorrectly balanced, specially by the more proficient players who may become frustrated at their acquired skills becoming irrelevant.

In some types of games the skill-based nature of the game must be respected, allowing for runaway effect: racing simulators, resource-based combat, some types of fighting games, etc.

b) Outline examples of different mechanics in a Total War game which provide positive and negative feedback and briefly describe how effective you think these are.

i) One of the clearest feedback loops in Rome: Total War is the tax mechanic (I will later discuss unit routing as a feedback loop):

As a positive loop, increasing taxes allows for more troops to conquer more regions as well as build more buildings, which allows for more tax collection.


CA Design Test However, troops create a negative loop as they require recruitment and

upkeep, as well as more regions needing more troops for defense and having a higher chance of rioting.

This particular mechanic is well balanced in terms of feedback loops, although in some TW titles it diminishes player agency as there is a clear dominant strategy in terms of tax collection levels.

2) All units in Total War and other games have a variety of numerical values defining their properties. For example an attack stat could be 4 for a weak unit and 12 for a strong unit. Bonuses and penalties can be applied to reflect the unit's current circumstances or inherent special abilities. When “charging” into an attack for example, a unit could gain a “charge bonus” to reflect the initial impact of its arrival in melee.

a) Briefly explain the advantages and drawbacks of using a fixed "+3" additive bonus as opposed to a multiplier bonus of, say, +20% for the charge.

This is quite a context-dependent subject, with no “right way” of approaching. Yet, we can make informed decisions basing our analysis on

data and desired outcome.

For example, let us imagine that these two units (Weak and Strong) are both charging into each other, in turns or simultaneously. By using an additive bonus on both units, we increase the relative strength of the weaker unit. By using a multiplier bonus, we keep both units at the same relative strength. The latter reinforces the power equilibrium, while the former helps the “underdog”. Therefore we can expect “fair” and “rubber-band” results respectively. It depends on the context which is preferable.

b) Outline two cases where (i) you would use a multiplier bonus and (ii) you would use an additive bonus for any unit stat, explaining your reasoning in each case.

In my personal preference, I prefer to use additive bonuses for inherent and permanent stats such as health, strength… where there is a maximum known ceiling and we desire for a linear progression.

Likewise, I prefer to see multiplier bonuses in situational stats, such as a bonus provided by a charge, poisoning, blindness, experienced gained… where temporary good execution is to be rewarded and stacking bonuses will not break game balance indefinitely.


CA Design Testc) How would you handle a bonus for a veteran unit's “experience”, and why?

I would treat experience bonuses with multiplier bonuses, as using additive bonuses might strengthen weaker units over time, leveling the playing field and taking away from the “heroic” status of the more expert units. Additive bonuses could be used for special feats to elevate a particular unit towards a “heroic” status. I realize that Total War systems are much more complex; this is a simplification for the sake of conciseness.


CA Design Test3) In game development it is important to try to find different ways of using game systems and assets to create different experiences for the player without needing new underlying mechanics or assets.

a) In an action adventure game, outline several different ways to reuse a given level to provide different gameplay experiences without changing the level’s core geometry.

Changes in enemy placement, spawns, health, AI, and types.

Use of collectibles as points of attraction.

Use environmental walls and blocking paths to change the perceived geometry of the level: fire, ice, locked doors, etc. (Used to great effect in Alien: Isolation!).

Changes in goals related to level traversal (Great example in DMC4 between different character campaigns, many others mirror the level traversal objectives as well, such as MGS1).

Changes in “mood”: lightning, audio cues, atmospheric elements, etc.

Story driven goal changes.

b) In a Total War campaign, outline several different ways one could create new gameplay without changing game systems or the map.

Enemy faction change and derivative changes such as difficulty, unit selection and availability, AI settings, etc.

Player faction and unit availability.

Illumination (dawn, dusk, etc).

Story driven goals.

Mechanical goals (survive, conquer, envelope, etc).

Story driven war path backtracking.

Starting position.

Available resources.

Surrounding and generally existing factions in the game world.

Diplomatic conditions and objectives.Page 8 of 17

© The Creative Assembly 2011

CA Design Test4) In Total War battles, including a “morale system” means that units can run

from battle without being killed. Outline the fundamental changes this kind of system produces in gameplay terms compared with a battle

system without morale.There are several noteworthy changes, amongst which:

Increase in realism

Morale is important in real conflicts. Considering its effects adds a layer of complexity to the game before, during, and after the battle, and therefore to immersion, as the player must think in similar terms to that of a real general (troops, resources, strategic situation, terrain, etc).

Increase in strategic depth and APM

Morale changes both offensive and defensive strategies and tactics. A general’s situation, unit’s closeness to friendlies, flanking, and others adds situational awareness and -in skilled players- increases APM.

Eliminates “checkmate situation” delays and potential ties

Continuing or ending the battle after the last units route, grants player agency: it eliminates the need to wait until a checkmate situation unfolds completely, and allows for players to gain additional experience (and a pleasurable chase!).

Likewise, battles of attrition are less common, as eventually more and more units will route.

Gives importance to Rank

“Heroic” units gain a layer of complexity. No longer are they only more capable units, they assume a strategic importance and responsibility, adding to immersion.


CA Design Test Potential feedback loop for combat loser

Should a player confront an overwhelming force, routing units can be recovered to be added to reinforcements which can become a morale loop, as well as provide feedback to the loser without completely eliminating their battle capabilities.

5) Making a game portraying 18th and early 19th century naval battles (as seen in Empire and Napoleon Total War) presents a number of challenges. One issue relates to the fact that a ship’s firepower generally comes from the sides rather than from the front (where the ship is facing).

a) Outline some of the problems this might pose, along with potential solutions.

I freely admit that most of my naval experience in TW games comes from Shogun 2, and therefore my analysis is limited. That being said:

Players must place themselves orthogonally to their target, which may feel “slow” to some players. Pathfinding AI must place itself considering this factor -which it does in most cases-.

Tactics must be based on vectoring friendly and enemy units, as opposed to the immediacy of land-based units in changing directions.

Simulation-wise, hits on targets must calculate units hit inside the ship, as well as calculate parts of the ship hit. Should fire be concentrated on one single section, it could imbalance the attack.

Much micromanagement is necessary to control several ships at the same time while keeping them properly aligned to their attack vectors. Pathfinding has a slight tendency to create obstructions when dealing with groups.

Currently path prevision changes as the ship rotates, as opposed to correctly simulating the path immediately.

b) How effectively do you think Total War dealt with these issues, and why?In order:

Pathfinding AI does a good job of placing ships, but it feels sluggish when enemy ships approach for boarding. Perhaps some AI behaviors to keep distance from attacking ships would be useful. Whether visible or opaque to the player is a subject that escapes the scope of this test, alas. Clearly ship speed has been “game balanced”, improving gameplay over real ship accelerations and speeds.


CA Design Test It is sometimes difficult to calculate intersection vectors between ships,

but this can be due to my inexperience in naval battles. An interesting solution would be to draw the projected enemy path on target-click.

I believe there are some “gamified” simulations in this situation, as some projectiles act somewhat unrealistically. As a player, it felt balanced.

A per-ship rotation system would help, as would having more precise vector prevision -both for AI and player purposes.

In MGSV grenade paths are physically simulated in a few ticks before drawing the path on screen. I believe this would be a big improvement for ship paths.

6) Total War battles involve combat mechanics that simulate every bullet and cannon-ball on the battlefield, rather than simply using generalized game rules to resolve projectile hits. Outline the pros and cons of this simulation approach in any 2 of the following 4 scenarios:

Generally speaking, simulation of every projectile is very costly but adds layers of strategy and realism, as well as player agency by making terrain and unit choice deeper. Also, using real ballistics as opposed to percentages allows for emergent complexity more akin to what a real battlefield could have felt, at the expense of losing some balancing control over the game.

i) Small-arms fire from height onto a large group of men below.

Gameplay-wise, this would highly increase the hit ratio for any unit on higher ground and decrease hits received. Certain units may not be able to adapt to the angle and become useless, to the frustration of the player. Moral could also be affected in this situation directly, or indirectly via “winning” stat.

Simulation-wise, depending on the type of projectile the simulation may have to be of certain complexity to allow for angle changes and the parable adaptation -with corresponding animations- which in some situations could become unrealistic.

ii) Firing into different formations of men.

Gameplay-wise, this is a very exciting addition. Seeing the results of a catapult breaking up a formation is very satisfying! On the defending side, it is engaging to have to wait for the formation to be recovered to reset, which if badly balanced could become a runaway loop.

Simulation-wise, it is clearly very costly to create all the traces and consider the collisions. Pathfinding must be well adapted to reset the formation.


CA Design Test Balancing-wise this implies that a good player might use some units

to take fire while their best units are at the back. However I consider this type of player agency a good addition to the simulation.

At large, my opinion is that despite making balancing and simulation more difficult and costly, this is a fantastic addition to gameplay tactics.


CA Design Test7) Imagine a simple RTS game where you have 5 possible unit types, and 4 statistics that can be attached to them.

a) What 4 stats would you choose to create the most interesting and varied gameplay?

I chose stats that would would give the player “unusual” choices: Health, DPS, Range and Camouflage. Please see below for the reasoning behind these choices.

b) Create a table showing suggested stat values for all 5 units.

Speed and Costs are mathematically derived but not used for this question.

c) Outline your intentions with each unit and how the resulting gameplay might work.

I aimed to create a tactical RTS where units can camouflage and approach the enemy’s base to conquer it either via stealth, force, or a mix. Orthogonal Unit Differentiation allows for emerging complexity where each unit has unique tactics that can be learned and countered, where positioning, timing, map awareness, and prioritization are important. No dominant strategies found so far.

Players can choose any unit up to 5, repeating or not units. Maps must have several asymmetric paths and would affect range and camouflage effectiveness.


CA Design Test Units camouflage based on the closest units distance and range. While

camouflaged they can attack but not be attacked, or wait for an opening

to the enemy base.8) In many Total War campaigns, an assassin character can be ordered to sneak in and kill a general commanding an army. All characters have varying skill levels & attributes as well as different situations they might be in. Suggest a simple formula for the chance of assassination success, explaining your reasoning. Feel free to make and state explicit assumptions about

underlying systems in order to make your formula specific. Where:

Assassin Level: Normalized from 0 to 10 for this example. Bonus a → Bonus n: Addition of all bonuses applicable to the

assassin’s situation. Target Level: Normalized from 0 to 10 for this example. Bonuses could be given for specific traits, size of surrounding

garrison, if the target unit is in a city or world map, existence of relevant guilds, etc.

This algorithm normalizes the chances of assassination from -1 (min or 0%) to 1 (max or 100%) for simplicity. Bonuses are calculated directly on the assasin’s level as opposed to an overall increase in the probability of assassination, or calculating bonuses on both the Assassin and Target. Those are also viable options, I chose this for mathematical simplicity.This approach has the effect of positively increasing overall chances linearly with players’ investment on their agent, while diminishing negative effects of penalty bonuses for low level assassins. I have chosen the linear approach as I have noticed that many players are confused by the lack of transparency in non-linear approaches.


CA Design Test

9) Total War campaigns involve turn-based mechanics as opposed to working in real-time. Highlight how this impacts gameplay (both positives and negatives). What pros and cons can you see with regard to moving to a real-time campaign environment?

Turn-based Campaign Mechanics

Positives Negatives Easier to approach, particularly

when large amounts of choices are presented to the player.

Eliminates anxiety for new players not accustomed to fast-paced decision making in games.

Allows players time to strategize, prioritize and choose their prefered outcome.

Micromanagement mechanics can be varied and numerous.

Allows for higher levels of complexity (number of units, resource types, diplomacy, etc.) without overwhelming players

Lots of time and space for narrative Prone to long playing sessions Incites deep strategic thinking

Pacing is up to the player, which turns design for the multiplayer scope a challenge.

Should there be imbalances in the game, it is easier to find a dominant strategy when time is ample.

Restricts APM micromanagement style of play.

Eliminates the need to prepare and react to immediate situational choices

Unlikely for players to play when time is limited.


CA Design Test

Real-Time Campaign Mechanics

Positives Negatives Pacing can be designed and

controlled for the best experience both in SP and MP

Directs players to choose and prioritize from several choices quickly

Imbalances in game design are more difficult to observe

Micromanagement is more APM oriented than detail oriented, often desirable in multiplayer

Streamlines choices (and therefore design for UI, Unit, Resource, etc)

Increases feeling of “realism” and excitement when properly paced.

Prone to both long and short playing sessions

Incites quick tactical and situational thinking

More difficult to approach. Can even create anxiety in players due to the playing speed.

Necessarily eliminates micromanagement depth when compared to TBS in order to streamline choices.

Limits amount of simultaneous, parallel choices

Little time and space for narrative Players may play both for long and

short sessions.

10) Outline one major feature change or addition you would make to a gameplay mechanic in Total War campaigns. Be specific and explain the benefits and potential risks or problems (also consider AI, UI & visual implications).

My chosen mechanic, for both historical and gameplay reasons would be Single combat in the following contexts:

Roman Spolia optima: affects morale Samurai Ikki uchi: affects morale Russian Bash na bash: decides battle (historically, could be adjusted to morale in-game) Indian Ankam: affects morale Others across history


CA Design TestThis would allow players to duel their best units, adding a layer of strategy, realism, and excitement to the game, while increasing player agency. Any player could issue a duel to their opponent in the pre-battle screen, which could be accepted or declined by the opponent. Results would influence Morale for the rest of the battle and potentially a few turns of the campaign. Defeated units are either injured or lost, depending on balancing and faction.Technical implementation would include, but absolutely not be limited to:

UX/UI: Additional relative strength bar, duel issue button, historical explanation Battle algorythm: inclusion of bonuses and calculation of highest unit relative strength Cinematics: Rendering of all possible iterations of cultural units, and results. XP: Calculation and addition of bonuses Sound design and music: creation or reuse of assets 3D modelling and animation: creation or reuse of assets for cinematics Writing: Historical explanations Tutorial: Section depicting mechanics Etc.

Note: Apparently some players have already created this mechanic as mods! Pretty interesting.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu1QQ3t5ZzY

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giacomo-vaccari.comgiacomo-vaccari.com/files/tests/CreativeAssembly_Desig… · Web viewAll units in Total War and other games have a variety of numerical values defining their