Havoc Command

Engineering Senior Presentations Spring 2006

Founder’s Day, 2006 1University of Portland School of Engineering

Havoc Command

AuthorsRay Dehler

Brandon Moreno

Will Supinski

Tom Watson

AdvisorDr. Bart Rylander

Industry RepresentativeBrian Olsen and Van Le

Harland Financial Solutions



Agenda

• Introduction Will Supinski

• Background Will Supinski

• Methods Brandon Moreno

• Results Tom Watson

• Conclusions Tom Watson

• Demonstration Ray Dehler



Introduction

• Thanks to Industry Representatives– Brian Olsen and Van Le from Harland Financial

Solutions.

• Thanks to Advisor– Dr. Rylander

• Thanks to Volunteers– Voice Actors: Dustin Thomas, Nicole Lesage, Kyle Rene, Kelly

Brown, Andrew Baldavin, Eric Paugh.

– Artists: Kara White, Anna Supinski.

– Music: Kessa Kagi



Introduction continued...

• Computer Game: Havoc Command– 2D Animations– Music– Sound Effects– Voice Actors

Havoc Command



Introduction continued...

• Important because: combination of audio, visual, and storytelling.

• Audience will learn: how to design, plan, implement, and release interactive entertainment.



Background

What are Computer Games?

• interactive entertainment

• driving force of hardware advances

• competition

• fun

Elite



Background continued…

Who is Playing Computer Games?

• 60% of Americans play games

• 61% are adults • 43% are women • average age is 28

Monkey Island



Background continued…

Why Create a Computer Game?

• Challenge• Creative Expression• Fun!

Civilization 4



Methods Overview

• Research (brainstorm phase)– Typical game industry standards

– Using C++?

– SDL Library

• Project Definition (definition phase)– What type of game?

– Features

– Story Concept



Methods Overview cont.

• Project Plan (design phase)– How to put things together– Class Definitions– Delegation of work tasks– Script

• Prototype Implementation (code phase)– Coding– Outsourcing and Voice Actors– Debugging– Testing



Methods - Research

• Industry Standard– Possible with many languages– C++ is the standard

• Using C++– Fast, machine ready code– Memory management problems

• Graphics integration– SDL for audio and video



Methods – Project Definition

• Different Game Styles– First Person Shooter– Role Playing Game– Real-Time/Turn-Based

Strategy• Features

– Look and feel of the game– User controls and interaction

• Story Line– Compelling and Fun



Methods – Project Plan

• How do we implement features?– Class Definitions– Inheritance

• Partitioning the work

• The enticing Script



Methods - Prototyping

• Coding– Getting things done.– Lots of code.

• Outsourcing and Voice Actors• Debugging

– Bounds Checking– Memory Management– The Weird Stuff

• Testing



Results

• Divided into five parts that pass data along.– Start Screen

– Hero Selection Screen

– Unit Selection Screen

– Battle Map

– Combat Screen



Start Screen



Hero Selection Screen

• Main Character Class

• Classes– Fighter

– Priest:

– Rogue

– Mage



Unit Selection Screen

• Units– Footmen– Spearmen– Horsemen– Archers



Battle Map

Takes in

• Heroes

• Units

• Tile map



Combat screen

• Portraits

• Attack/Defense Values

• Unit animation



Conclusions

• Team of 4 with the help of 9 volunteers created a computer game.

• Completed in 7 months time.• Improvements:

– Implement further features: role playing elements

– Sound and image compression

– Full Screen

– More levels



Demonstration

• Features Demo– Spells and Combat

– Dialog

– Unit Actions

Documents

Havoc Command