3DGC:Design

3D Game Comparison - Game vs. game. No hype; just facts.™

Revision as of 04:40, 8 August 2007 (edit) Eep² (t|c) →'''Wiki markup comparison''' ← Previous diff		Revision as of 15:10, 20 August 2007 (edit) (undo) Eep² (t|c) →'''Wiki markup comparison''' Next diff →
Line 20:		Line 20:
	<th>System		<th>System
	<th>Markup		<th>Markup
-	<th>Adavantages	+	<th>Advantages
	<th>Disadavantages		<th>Disadavantages
Line 52:		Line 52:
	* [[:Category:Characters|Characters]]		* [[:Category:Characters|Characters]]
	** [[:Category:Actions|Actions]]		** [[:Category:Actions|Actions]]
-	*** [[bow]], [[break]], [[climb]], [[close]], [[crawl]], [[crouch]], [[dance]], [[dive]], [[drink]], [[duck]], [[eat]], [[drop]], [[fly]], [[hit]], [[hop]], [[hug]], [[jump]], [[kick]], [[kiss]], [[lean]], [[lie down]], [[open]], [[pick up]], [[primp]], [[punch]], [[push]], [[roll]], [[run]], [[search]], [[shoot]], [[sit]]. [[skip]], [[sleep]], [[sneak]], [[stab]], [[stand]], [[strafe]], [[shoot]], [[strafe]], [[swim]], [[swing]], [[talk]], [[throw]], [[tumble]], [[vault]], [[walk]]	+	*** [[bow]], [[break]], [[climb]], [[close]], [[crawl]], [[crouch]], [[dance]], [[dive]], [[drink]], [[duck]], [[eat]], [[drop]], [[fly]], [[hit]], [[hop]], [[hug]], [[jump]], [[kick]], [[kiss]], [[lean]], [[lie down]], [[open]], [[pick up]], [[primp]], [[punch]], [[push]], [[roll]], [[run]], [[search]], [[shoot]], [[sit]], [[skip]], [[sleep]], [[sneak]], [[stab]], [[stand]], [[strafe]], [[shoot]], [[strafe]], [[swim]], [[swing]], [[talk]], [[throw]], [[tumble]], [[vault]], [[walk]]
	** [[:Category:Footprints|Footprints]]		** [[:Category:Footprints|Footprints]]
	*** [[:Category:Surfaces|Surfaces]]		*** [[:Category:Surfaces|Surfaces]]
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	*[[:Category:Objects|Objects]]--see [http://tnlc.com/eep/compare/gameform.html] for extensive list		*[[:Category:Objects|Objects]]--see [http://tnlc.com/eep/compare/gameform.html] for extensive list
-	** [[book]]s, [[candle]]s, [[door]]s, [[flare]]s, [[:Category:lights|lights]] ([[flashlight]]s, [[lantern]]s, [[torch]]es, etc), [[key]]s, [[ladder]]s, [[rope]]s, [[scroll]]s, [[staff]]s, [[weapon]]s, [[window]]s	+	** [[books]], [[candles]], [[doors]], [[flares]], [[furniture]] ([[beds]], [[chairs]], [[desks]], [[tables]], etc), [[lights]] ([[flashlights]], [[lanterns]], [[torches]], etc), [[keys]], [[ladders]], [[ropes]], [[scrolls]], [[staffs]], [[weapons]], [[windows]]
-	** [[:Category:Weapons|Weapons]] (melee/ranged?, general type/kind only?)--see [http://tnlc.com/eep/compare/gameform.html] for extensive list	+	** [[:Category:Weapons|Weapons]] ([[melee]]/[[ranged]]?, general type/kind only?)--see [http://tnlc.com/eep/compare/gameform.html] for extensive list
-	*** [[:Category:Bows|Bows]]	+	*** [[:Category:Bows|Bows]]/[[bows]]
-	*** [[:Category:Guns|Guns]]	+	*** [[:Category:Guns|Guns]]/[[guns]]
-	*** [[:Category:Projectiles|Projectiles]]	+	*** [[:Category:Projectiles|Projectiles]]/[[projectiles]]
	**** [[arrows]], [[bullets]]		**** [[arrows]], [[bullets]]
-	*** [[:Category:Swords|Swords]]	+	*** [[:Category:Swords|Swords]]/[[swords]]
	* [[:Category:Surfaces|Surfaces]]		* [[:Category:Surfaces|Surfaces]]
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	** [[:Category:Water|]]-->		** [[:Category:Water|]]-->
-	* [[cutscene]]s, [[FMV]]s, [[inventory]] ([[:Category:Interface|Interface]]?)	+	* [[inventory]] ([[:Category:Interface|Interface]]?)
-	* [[Gameplay]]?	+	** design: [[store and use]], [[combine]], [[encumbrance]]
		+	** [[map]]
		+	** [[objects]]
		+	** [[pickups]]
		+
		+	* [[:Category:Gameplay|Gameplay]]?
		+	** [[cutscene]]s, [[FMV]]s
	** [[difficulty level]]s, [[boss]]es		** [[difficulty level]]s, [[boss]]es
-	** linear, [[open-ended]]/[[sandbox]]	+	** [[linear]], [[open-ended]]/[[sandbox]]
-	** [[saving]]: anywhere, end-level, in-level, save points	+	** [[saving]]: in-level (anywhere, save points), end-level
	<td>		<td>
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	* sprite (computer graphics) -> sprite (fantasy creature)		* sprite (computer graphics) -> sprite (fantasy creature)
	* level (environment term) -> level object		* level (environment term) -> level object
-	* map environment term) -> map object	+	* map (environment term) -> map object
		+
		+	:Combining a noun (object) with its verb (action) on the same page may just be easier.
-	<tr valign=top><th>Namespace	+	<tr valign=top style="background:#797b86"><th>Namespace
	<td>		<td>
	*[[Game:Games]]		*[[Game:Games]]

---

Revision as of 15:10, 20 August 2007

This page is MediaWiki-specific but see http://tnlc.com/eep/compare/database.html for general design ideas.

Originally designed for a database, conversion to MediaWiki presents some problems:

Contents 1 Classification 1.1 Categories 1.2 Namespaces 1.3 Subpages 1.4 Wiki markup comparison 1.5 Extensions 1.5.1 Dynamic Page List (DPL) 1.5.2 Semantic MediaWiki (SMW) 2 Comparison table

Classification

There are different ways of designing this "database"'s classification system using MediaWiki.

Categories

The most obvious is with categories. Unfortunately, these can quickly clutter up the bottom of pages if there are too many (if categories could be displayed in an organized way instead of by declaration or alphabetically...) Categories could be named like namespaces (i.e. Game:Tomb Raider) but why not just use namespaces then to reduce having to type the link (Category:Game:Tomb Raider vs. Game:Tomb Raider)?

Namespaces

Perhaps the next most obvious is with namespaces for games (game:), companies (company:), engines (engine:), characters (character:), effects (effect:), etc.

Subpages

Less obvious is using subpages (games/Tomb Raider) but they may be easier to manage than namespaces, although I'm not sure how DPL (see next section) can handle them. Additionally, subpages are automatically transcludable via template calls ({{/Tomb Raider}}).

Wiki markup comparison

System	Markup	Advantages	Disadavantages
Category	Games Game (or Game) Years Genres Companies Engines Camera pan, perspective, zoom; shaking (in Effects) Lighting (subcat of Effects or Lighting effects?) Shading pixel shading, vertex shading Physics Collision detection Texture Texture filtering Texture mapping bumpmapping, environment mapping (reflection), mipmapping Sound Sound effects Characters Actions bow, break, climb, close, crawl, crouch, dance, dive, drink, duck, eat, drop, fly, hit, hop, hug, jump, kick, kiss, lean, lie down, open, pick up, primp, punch, push, roll, run, search, shoot, sit, skip, sleep, sneak, stab, stand, strafe, shoot, strafe, swim, swing, talk, throw, tumble, vault, walk Footprints Surfaces Footsteps (subcat of Sound effects?) Surfaces Player characters Non-player characters Animals birds, fish, insects, mammals, reptiles--see [1] for extensive list Vegetation flowers, plants, trees Environment (level/world design) # environments: level, map, world, zone, etc Locations Effects Sound effects Visual effects Interaction Actions Puzzles Traps/hazards (damage) crushing (doors, walls, etc), falling (gravity), explosions, impalement (spikes, etc), water (drowning) Effects (see also Physics) Breath effects cold breath, fire breath, poison breath Dust effects Lighting effects coronas, flickering, lens flare, lightmaps, shadows Particle effects blood, debris, dust, explosions, fire, gas, shards, sparks, smoke, spray, steam; see weather Reflection environment mapping mirrors, water Shards glass, wood Smoke effects Sound effects Footsteps Spray effects Steam effects Water effects bubbles, current, drops, ripples, splash, waves Weather effects clouds, fog, lightning, rain, snow, wind transitions (can also apply to levels) Objects--see [2] for extensive list books, candles, doors, flares, furniture (beds, chairs, desks, tables, etc), lights (flashlights, lanterns, torches, etc), keys, ladders, ropes, scrolls, staffs, weapons, windows Weapons (melee/ranged?, general type/kind only?)--see [3] for extensive list Bows/bows Guns/guns Projectiles/projectiles arrows, bullets Swords/swords Surfaces dirt, grass, gravel, metal, mud, plastic, sand, snow, stone, water, wood inventory (Interface?) design: store and use, combine, encumbrance map objects pickups Gameplay? cutscenes, FMVs difficulty levels, bosses linear, open-ended/sandbox saving: in-level (anywhere, save points), end-level	Less typing Default classification system with auto-generated lists	Mixing same-named articles and categories causes redundancy (redirect to categories only?) Games with simple names (like Rune, Dirt, etc) can conflict with object names (like a "rune") or surface types (like "dirt"); engine names like Steam and Source can conflict with the "steam" effect and "source" of something (though rare; or short for "source code"). Lowercase names can help alleviate most of these conflicts but not these: bow action -> bow weapon Camera pan (view pan, camera pan?) -> object pan (pans?) sprite (computer graphics) -> sprite (fantasy creature) level (environment term) -> level object map (environment term) -> map object Combining a noun (object) with its verb (action) on the same page may just be easier.
Namespace	Game:Games Game:Tomb Raider Effect:Effects Effect:weather Effect:wind	Name conflicts less likely	More typing Must use extension(s) to generate lists Less need to use complicated/confusing Semantic MediaWiki to establish relationships (links between games and features)
Subpage	game game/Dirt game/Rune company company/Core Design engine engine/Steam engine/camera engine/camera/pan engine/sprite engine/texture character character/sprite (generic) character/Sprite (actual name) level design ("environment"?) level design/level level design/map action action/bow action/jump effect effect/particle effect/particle/steam (for particle effect steam vs. some other way to render it, as rare as it may be) effect/steam effect/weather effect/weather/rain object object/bow object/dirt object/level object/map object/pan object/rune object/weapon/bow surface surface/dirt

Extensions

Note: DPL and SMW appear to cause pages to load slower (lots of server calls, flashing the web browser statusbar like mad most of the time).

Dynamic Page List (DPL)

Using DPL, lists of pages linking to other pages (as well as pages in categories and namespaces) are possible. This may be the best option that will allow all classification schemes to be included/used.

Semantic MediaWiki (SMW)

This extension is similar to DPL in outputting lists of pages in categories and namespaces, but also allows more complex relationships between things. Unfortunately, it's a lot more complicated to use (even moreso than DPL), which makes it a last resort. Programmers still code for programmers, apparently...even if they claim to be "semantic"--try being "intuitive" and "user-friendly" instead.

Comparison table

So far I've tried 2 extensions for the comparison table. One (TemplateTable) is easy-to-use but very limited and the other (DPL) is more difficult to use but more customizable (yet still not enough for my needs).