Category: physics games

More Thesis Physics Game Concepts

digm520admin / / physics games, Physics Topics, Programming, Thesis
February 14, 2019

Thesis Physics Game Concepts

Prototypes

Angular Speed and Momentum

So far this prototype has a simple concept where the angular speed is kept constant, but the player can move the center point to change the center of rotation as well as the radius of rotation. This altering of the radius lets the player influence the local velocity of the object significantly. They can also change the direction of rotation.

  • Left Mouse Click: moves center of rotation
  • Space: changes direction of rotation


Magnetic Force with Rail Gun

This is a very basic replication of how a rail gun works with currents creating magnetic forces through the Lorentz Force. The player can alter the amount of current in the rails, as well as the rail length to change the distance the projectile is fired.

  • Q, W: Raise, Lower current in rails
  • E, R: Increase, Reduce length of rails
  • Space: Fires projectile
  • P: Resets game


Coulomb’s Law

This concept emulates the basic Coulomb’s Law, producing forces between charged particles. Opposite charged particles will attract, while same charged particles will repel. The player can also add horizontal force to move the object.

A game concept using this foundation might be that a player moves along a certain axis automatically, but this “track” has charges on each side that the player can either increase/decrease to influence the position of their charged particle within the track (horizontally).

  • Left/Right(A/D): Add left/right force to object


Buoyancy

This system focuses on emulating buoyancy forces. The main player object has mass and weight, so it only floats when the buoyancy force is greater than the gravitational force (otherwise the object will still sink, as seen when it hits the top liquid, butane). This system also uses Unity’s drag so the velocity of the object does not get out of control.

The game concept for this is the most fleshed out. This would go with a physics puzzle game where there are separated containers that initialize as empty. Before the player traverses through the level, they can see the level and attempt to fill the various containers with different liquids to travel through the level. Having different liquids will change your speed in that section, as well as what direction you are going (floating/sinking), so the player must set the level up in a way they can successfully navigate through various obstacles.

  • Left/Right (A/D): Move object left/right

Concept for System for Generative Approach for Physics Based Games

digm520admin / / physics games, Procedural Generation, Thesis
January 31, 2019

Thesis – Generative System for Physics Based Games Concept

Text Book Problem Generator

My current thought on a system for developing generative processes for these games is somewhat like making a framework for problems in a physics text book. With the new system I’ve setup for directly tying physics concepts to these physics games (those lists of physics topics), I think I can relate a game’s parameters (those systematic game mechanic values) to the variables of the foundational equations corresponding to that same game’s potential learning concepts. Again, using Angry Birds as an example, let’s say “Impulse and Momentum” is a potential learning concept. A basic equation for momentum is (momentum) = (mass) * (velocity). Using this information, we can see that varying any parameters equivalent to or pertaining to the variables in this equation will require the player to “solve” the new “problem” presented to them by similarly varying their responses to the system.

So for example (an example within an example), varying the bird’s mass parameter directly correlates to varying the mass in the momentum equation. If the player is still trying to meet a similar/certain momentum result, they basically have to “solve” this equation by determining the correct velocity.

I know this might seem a bit obvious, but I’m hoping it’s one of those situations where it just works out so nicely because it’s actually a good solution. This system also presents a fairly basic way of ensuring different in-game scenarios feel differently. You could keep track of the values for the “problems” presented to the player, and just check if a produced “problem” has values that are “too close” to these archived values. Back to the Angry Bird example, a game scenario presented to the player that they needed momentum in the range of (10 kg*m/s – 15 kg*m/s) with a bird of mass 5 kg (so solution range velocity is (2 m/s – 3 m/s)). The next produced scenario is a momentum range of (11 kg * m/s – 16 kg * m/s) with a bird of mass 5 kg (solution range velocity is (2.2 m/s – 3.2 m/s); maybe the system throws this out and generates a new scenario because it sees the momentum range, mass, and solution velocity are all very similar to something produced before.

The needed “distance away” from an archived problem could also be a weighted, combined distance of all the variables that could be tweaked depending on how you want to setup the system. This way, maybe you have another problem with a similar solution value (like the (2 m/s – 3m/s)), but the momentum and mass involved in the scenario are so different that it still feels like a different, interesting experience.

digm520admin / / GameDesign, Physics Engine, physics games, Readings, Research
April 21st, 2018

Exploring Uses of Physics in Gameplay

Physics in Games: A New Gameplay Frontier – from Gamasutra.com

Article by Pascal Luban on Dec. 4th, 2007. This is an older paper explaining some of the possibilities opened up by computers becoming stronger and being able to process physics in games more readily. The author suggests ways of using physics as a core gameplay element as opposed to just some aesthetic element.

digm520admin / / DIGM540, learning games, physics games, Research, serious games
April 16th, 2018

Research Readings for DIGM 540

Automatic generation and analysis of physics-based puzzle games

By: Shaker, Sarhan, Naameh, Shaker, Togelius

Learning Mechanics and Game Mechanics Under the Perspective of Self-Determination Theory to Foster Motivation in Digital Game Based Learning

By: Proulx, Romero, Arnab

Mapping Learning and Game Mechanics for Serious Games Analysis in Engineering Education

By:Callaghan, Savin-Baden, McShaneEguiluz

Link to Circuit Warz Game

Above is the link to Circuit Warz, the game created for the research paper on “Mapping Learning and Game Mechanics for Serious Games Analysis in Engineering Education”. This game attempts to teach some advanced electrical/circuit theories through a first person action game.