Quadrivium Report:January 07 2009

Aldi Purnama Mark Gaucher Stephen Mulvihill Amandeep Singh

Introduction

• Multi-touch Framework that uses a Multi-touch table.

• A lot of changes to our project

• Today: Hardware, Framework, Application

Change of Plans

A Multi-touch War Strategy Game Uses gestures to play on a table surface

Introduction

• Why did we have to change things?– Improvements in the multi-touch community – Fall Term Schedules – Creating and coding a multi-touch gesture engine

is extremely difficult. – Coding a game gives better focus, than trying to

make a generic framework

Project Focus

Application

Hardware Gesture Engine + XNA

Present State

Battlegrounds

Hardware Gesture Engine + XNA

• Finalize design• Replace parts • Repair projector enclosure

• Engine fully coded • Core gestures functioning• Unique gestures need to be coded

• 2D and 3D Assets in progress• Game Menus and Screens needed • Game structure in XNA done

Hardware – Fall Term

• Optimization – Faster detection of finger tips (blobs) – Upgraded components

• Ongoing Maintenance – Replacing IR-LED bulbs– New Surface Frame

FTIR Technology

Comparisons with BitBox

• FTIR vs. DI– Very similar in data capture reliability – FTIR works in dynamically lighting conditions • DI is light sensitive since it uses shadows on the surface

– FTIR requires less set up time

The Battlegrounds Game

• Multi-touch war strategy game – Objective: World Domination

• Like Risk and Axis and Allies– Conquer the world using your fingers.

The Battlegrounds Story

• It is 1942, and the world is at the brink of World War II.

• Command your army, and conquer all the world territories in a quest for world domination!

• Make alliances, strategize your resources and attacks.

The Armies

• Players choose one of five major armies in WWII:

Russia (Red)

Japan (White)

Great Britain (Green)

USA (Blue)Germany (Black)

Gameplay Fundamentals

• It is a multi-player (2-4) turn based game• Win enemy territories using army units that you

purchase and position on the world map

Winning Conditions Losing Conditions

100% of all territories Lose all territories that you own

Predetermined total limit Lose your Capital

Captured All Capitals

Game Phases

• With each turn, a player performs 3 phases:1. Evaluate Resources 2. Move and Attack 3. Allocate Resources

• Mimics the style of war strategy board games

Game Phases + Map Views

Game Features:

• Alliances can be made (and broken) • Rewards are given for achieving objectives • 3D battle simulations that use gestures to play– Replace the use of dice – More engaging and uses skill to determine outcome

Game Design Style:

• Simple colors and textures – “Toy” feel that are similar to game pieces – Able to distinguish between armies quickly

• Vector based graphics• 2D – to – 3D switch when a battle occurs

– Textures are still simple and based off the army colours – Cartoony animation effects

• Promotional items will reflect World War 2 military styling

Art Assets

• 2D Assets • 3D Assets

Territories

• A section of land that encompasses a region of the world

Territories

• Total of 58 Land Territories to conquer

Continent Total Number of Territories

North America 6

South America 5

Europe 12

Eurasia 20

Africa 11

Australasia 4

Territory States

• Territories exist in one of three conditions– Friendly (occupied by your army)– Hostile (occupied by enemy armies)– Unoccupied (no association)

Friendly Hostile Unoccupied

Army Units

• There are 3 types of units:– Ground forces – Aircraft – Naval forces

Ground Forces (2D Symbols)

Artillery Infantry Tanks Anti Aircraft Guns

Air Forces (2D Symbols)

Fighter Bomber

Naval Forces (2D Symbols)

Submarine

Destroyer

Naval Transport

Aircraft Carrier

• Patrol Water Territories around land territories

Flags (2D Symbols)

• Used in the Player Dock and Alliances• 3D Asset graphics/insignia

Player Docks

• A graphical platform that displays all the buttons and icons needed to buy new units, form alliances, and display the Unit Production Value.

Buying and Placing New Units

Alliances

Players make alliances by “calling” other armies from the dock

Alliances

Press the Call button, and select army

AlliancesReceiving (from the Germans)

Rewards Rewards are given upon the completion of an objective, and provides extra money or units

Reward Objective Reward Given

Control North America +2 UPV

Control Europe +5 UPV

Control Africa +3 UPV

Control Eurasia +7 UPV

Defeat a rival army AND control their capital

Atomic Bomb

Take over 6 territories in one turn Airfield

Take over a continent in one turn +2 Infantry

Rewards Rewards when given are placed in the dock.Designed inspired by military rank insignia.

Asia (+ 7)

Europe (+ 5)

Africa (+ 3)

N. America (+ 2)

Extra Infantry

Airfield Atom Bomb

3D Assets - Infantry

3D Assets - Artillery

3D Assets – Anti-Aircraft Gun

3D Assets – Tank

3D Assets – Fighter Plane

3D Assets – Bomber Plane

3D Asset Considerations

• Low poly-count• FBX file size• Follow design style (“Toy look”)

• XNA required a single mesh• Texture size has to be a multiple of 4

3D Assets in XNA

3D Battle Simulations

• These are the “mini-games” that players play to determine the outcome of a battle.

• There are 4 scenarios:– Ground Forces vs. Ground Forces– Air Forces vs. Ground Forces – Naval Forces vs. Air Forces– Naval Forces vs. Naval Forces

3D Battle Simulations Ground Units vs. Ground Units:

3D Battle Simulations Ground Units vs. Aircraft:

3D Battle Simulations Aircraft vs. Navy Units:

3D Battle Simulations Submarines vs. Other Navy Units:

Game Architecture

• Core classes have been setup– More functionality/code needs to be implemented– The pieces are there we just need to put them

together

Game Architecture Chart Game

Map

Territory

Core

Settings

Menus

Media

Math and Physics

Player

Army

Units

Views

Gesture Engine

Grafiti TUIO

Game Mechanics

• The uniqueness of the gameplay needs to reflect the uniqueness of the system

• Gestures are used, instead of mouse events.

What is a Gesture Engine?

• Responsible for Gesture Recognition– Compares a hand or finger movement to a

predefined gesture logic– Recognizes multiple points or touches

• Built on Grafiti

Grafiti

• What?– Gesture Recognition mAnagement For Interactive

Tabletop Interfaces– Open Source Gesture Recognition Library• Alessandro De Nardi

• Why?– Written in C# and .NET 3.0– Modular– Easily scalable

Gesture Recognition Process

• Webcam Data• Sockets

Blob Detection

• Conversion• Groups• Traces

Group Management • Process Data

• Find Targets

Gesture Manager

• Compare• Throw Event

Gesture Recognition

List of Gestures

Working Gestures• Tap• Double Tap• Translate• Rotate• Scale

Incomplete• Slingshot• Lasso• Flicking

Demo : Gestures

Gesture Engine Problems

• Very complex– 5000+ lines of code!

• Debugging– Multiple Threads– Synchronization

• XNA Integration

Tasks for Winter Term

•Completing all assets•Create basic gameplay mechanisms •Alpha Test

January

• Code all Battle Simulations (3D + unique gestures)• Marketing Campaign • Beta Test (Focus Groups)

February• Integrating all game components (game transitions)•Optimizing the game, debugging as necessary •Project Fair Preparations

March

•Project Fair•Website, Manuals and other deliverables April

Critical Lessons

• Keeping to a schedule is important• We need to focus• Stick with the plan. No more feature creeping

or trying new technologies• Trial and errors = a wealth of knowledge

Questions?

Aldi Purnama Mark Gaucher Stephen Mulvihill Amandeep Singh