U72: Gameplay Fundamentals

Task 1: Deconstruct a game level you have played and identify key elements of gameplay indicated above.Include screen shots or video clips to help when explaining.

Game to deconstruct - Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun.

Level - Capture hammerfest base

____________________________________________________________

Goals
Primary Goal - Destroy the enemy base
Secondary Goals
- Capture Hammerfest base to produce a force in order to attack the enemy base.
- Collect resources
- Build refineries, power plants and buildings to generate resources, power and units.
- Defend your construction Yard

Challenges
- The player starts with only a handful of units to take the base, these are finite and if they are destroyed the player will have to restart the level.
- The player has to use this handful of units to defeat enemy forces to recapture the bases, these can retaliate and overwhelm the player if they do not positon their troops correctly and don't take advantage of objects (Such as Oil barrels that can destroy units and blockades)
- When the base is recaptured, the player has to defend it from initial attack using the few troops still availible.
- The base is heavily damaged and can be easily destroyed, this also means the damaged power plants do not output enough power for buildings and defensive weapon turrets, which means the base is more vulnerable to being attacked. The player has to try repair everything and still keep the base intact.
- There is a finite number of starting resources and the player must spend these on generating more resources, buying units to protect the base and amassing a force.
- The enemy constantly produce new units to defend and assault your base, as well as reconstruct their own defenses, so the challenge lies within getting a stronger force at a faster speed and destroying the base to eliminate any chance of them recuperating.
- The Fog of War shrouds the map in blackness, the player has to move units into this fog of war to reveal it on screen and on the minimap. This means it will be difficult to generate strategies and requires a risk in sending units to scout the new area, which could be an ambush or a heavily fortified area.

Player Actions
- Can select individual or multiple units to attack specified targets or buildings to destroy them.
- Players can select buildings to perform actions such as repair them, shut off their power (To divert to other buildings) and sell what structures you do not require, or if you need the resources from selling them.
- Use the UI panel on the right hand side of the screen to build units, buildings and research. Right click to stop, cancel and remove units, research and buildings from the build queue.
- Place buildings, walls, turrets and other structures down to access their functions via the UI panel.
- Can use explosive weaponry (Missiles, grenades, disc throwers) to destroy bridges to cut off enemy reinforcement, and send enemies on the bridge plunging into the water to destroy them easier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M9PEVO7FkA&feature=relmfu
The above video's opening seconds show this tactic being employed to sink an enemy infantry man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Onxcs3is1ck&feature=related
This shows a quick video of the UI panel, on how to build and place structures, queue units and unlocking the tech tree (Building & placing Structure X, will unlock structures Y and Z, for example)

- Ctrl+Left click. When units are selected, this can be used to "Target the floor" meaning units will fire at the spot
Rewards
- Completing the main goal allows the player to complete the mission and progress through the campaign to other missions.
- Completeing some of the secondary goals unlock the primary goal (Taking over the base to attack the enemy)
- Destroying certain units/objects can unlock additional units to make taking the base much easier.
- Generating resources, destroying enemy units and structures, protecting your own structures and other similiar accomplishments increase your score and stats in the debriefing screen.
Game Mechanics
- Fog of War, is a game mechanic that restricts vision so tactical decisions on how to approach or explore an area must be considered.


As you can see, the map is black until the units approach
The blackness, it is likewise revealed on the minimap.

- The level & camera border is also a mechanic that stops the player from placing structures and units outside of the map. It also means there's a limit on the amount of resources available, as well as a build limit.

- Terrain is a mechanic that limits player actions and forces them to change their tactics to accomodate the effects of terrain. For example. cliff edges, hill slopes and the resources (The green Tiberium on the floor) restrict placing structures and buildings. Tiberium & vines can slowly kill infantry that move across it and the vines can, over time destroy vehicles. Water will stop any non-flying, non-amphibious units from moving through it, and ice can be destroyed to sink units on it, heavy vehicles also fall through ice and are destroyed. These force the player to maneuver their units stretgically through the safest possible route, or provide a risk if a player needs to get units A through dangerous terrain, to area B in cases of urgency.

This image shows two things, firstly how the terrain forced the Nod vehicles (Red) to traverse the bridge, whereas the MLRS (Yellow flying vehicles) are floating across it easily, as you can see the bridge is being destroyed and the resulting carnage forces them to plunge into the water to be destroyed, this is a way how terrain can limit the way you move your forces.



- Power is another game mechanic that players have to keep in check to keep their base functioning. The player needs to construct power plants to provide power to their buildings, without power, the building's functions will not work (E.g. Turrets will not fire, radar dish will not show the minimap). Damaging a power plant will lower its power output, meaning less power available to provide for the base. Players will need to provide power, and defend their plants to keep their base from being destroyed in its vulnerable state.



 This is the power bar, the red potion indicates how much power is being used. The yellow and green bars represent excess energy, bot currently being used. Yellow means a low amount of excess, it is a sort of 'danger' signal, if you're in the yellow power bar ONLY, then you are likely to use more power than you generate when you build more structures. Green means there is a surplus of energy, and that you are less likely to power down when placing new structures.














- The resource, Tiberium, is the most important mechanic in the game. This resource system is used for everything from purchasing units, to spending resources to build structures, turrets and repairing structures. Players will primarily fight over collecting this "Tiberium" to produce more units, larger bases and gain an advantage over their enemies.

The green particles you can see to the north-east and southwest. Units called "Harvesters" have to collect these and refine it in order to produce money to spend as a resource.