Designing Arcade Computer Game Graphics

by Feldman, Ari

• ISBN13: 9781556227554
• ISBN10: 1556227558
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-12-01
• Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Pub

Summary

Graphics play a central role in the computer gaming experience, and arcade-style games are no exception. "Designing Arcade Computer Game Graphics" emphasizes the development of quality graphics for 2D arcade-style computer games, both online and offline, including such topics as game design and documentation, graphics tools, animation, proper color usage, and fonts. Graphic designer and animator Ari Feldman provides a step-by-step example of designing 2D graphics and animation for an arcade-style game.Understand the capabilities of various display modes and learn the nuances of designing for each of them.Follow the step-by-step Fish Dish example for designing 2D graphics and animation for an online game. Create detailed design plans that document every aspect of the creative-related issues associated with your games.Find out the most important features of graphics creation tools, including painting programs and screen capture utilities.Identify the essential graphic file formats used in arcade game graphics development and find out which image compression techniques are most suited to arcade game graphics.Implement file naming conventions, version control, and backup strategies to manage your graphic assets.Discover how the proper use of fonts can liven up your graphics in addition to displaying important game information.Ari Feldman is the creative lead at ZapSpot (www.zapspot.com), where he designs artwork and animations for arcade games. He has created game artwork for the Atari ST and Windows platforms, and is also the creator of SpriteLib, a collection of animated objects for arcade-style games.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xvi
Acknowledgments	xviii
Introduction	xix
Arcade Games and Computer Arcade Game Platforms	1	(16)
What's an Arcade Game?	2	(7)
Arcade Game Sub-Genres	2	(1)
Maze/Chase Games	2	(1)
Pong Games	3	(2)
Shooters	5	(1)
Puzzlers	6	(1)
Platformers	7	(2)
This Book and Arcade Games	9	(1)
Computer Arcade Game Platforms	9	(8)
DOS	10	(1)
Windows	10	(2)
Macintosh	12	(1)
Linux	12	(1)
Java	12	(1)
Video Game Consoles	13	(4)
Designing for Different Display Modes	17	(38)
A Summary of Video Hardware Standards	18	(2)
Color Graphics Adapter (CGA)	18	(1)
Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA)	18	(1)
Video Graphics Adapter (VGA)	19	(1)
Multicolor Graphics Array (MCGA)	19	(1)
Super Video Graphics Adapter (SVGA)	20	(1)
Display Modes	20	(22)
Screen Resolution	20	(1)
Why It's Important	21	(3)
Screen Resolution Issues	24	(3)
What You Can Do	27	(1)
Aspect Ratio	28	(1)
Why It's Important	28	(2)
Aspect Ratio Issues	30	(2)
What You Can Do	32	(1)
Refresh Rate	32	(1)
Why It's Important	32	(1)
Refresh Rate Issues	32	(2)
What You Can Do	34	(1)
Color Capability	35	(1)
Why It's Important	36	(2)
Color Capability Issues	38	(1)
What You Can Do	39	(1)
Gamma Level	40	(1)
Why It's Important	40	(1)
Gamma Level Issues	40	(2)
What You Can Do	42	(1)
Choosing Display Modes to Design For	42	(13)
Screen Performance	43	(2)
Image Clarity	45	(1)
Color Capability	45	(1)
System Compatibility	45	(1)
Audience Hardware Capabilities	45	(1)
Programming Support	46	(1)
Graphics Production time	47	(1)
Display Mode Selection Matrix	47	(1)
Comprehensive Comparison of Display Mode Attributes	48	(2)
Specific Display Mode Recommendations	50	(1)
Display Mode and Arcade Game Sub-Genre Recommendations	51	(1)
Arcade Game Type Recommendation Explanations	51	(1)
Rules for Display Mode Selection	52	(3)
Image compression and Graphic File Formats	55	(30)
Image Compression	56	(5)
Lossless Compression	57	(1)
RLE Compression	57	(1)
Packbits Compression	58	(1)
LZ77 Compression	58	(1)
LZW Compression	58	(1)
Lossy Compression	59	(1)
Color Reduction	59	(1)
JPEG	60	(1)
Essential Graphic File Formats	61	(6)
BMP (Bitmap)	61	(1)
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)	62	(2)
IFF (Interchange File Format)	64	(1)
PCX	65	(1)
PICT (Picture)	66	(1)
Important Graphic File Formats	67	(7)
FLIC	67	(1)
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)	68	(1)
PNG	69	(1)
PSD (Photoshop)	70	(1)
PSP (Paint Shop Pro)	71	(1)
TGA (Targa)	72	(1)
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)	72	(1)
XPM (X PixMap)	73	(1)
File Format Suitability for Arcade Game Graphics	74	(5)
File Format Compression Savings	77	(2)
Caveats for Working with Graphic File Formats	79	(2)
File Corruption	79	(1)
Incompatible Versions	80	(1)
Graphic File Format Recommendations	81	(4)
Graphics Applications	81	(1)
Development Environment	81	(1)
Artwork Type	82	(1)
Operating System and Platform	82	(3)
Files and File Management	85	(28)
File Naming Conventions	86	(6)
DOS and Windows 3.1 File Naming Rules	86	(1)
Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0, and 2000 File Naming Rules	87	(1)
Macintosh File Naming Rules	87	(1)
Linux File Naming Rules	88	(1)
General File Naming Guidelines	88	(1)
A Sample File Naming Scheme	89	(2)
Managing and Organizing Directories	91	(1)
Exchanging Files Across Platforms	92	(6)
Disk Compatibility	93	(1)
Macintosh Disk Compatibility with Different Platforms	93	(1)
Linux Disk Compatibility with Different Platforms	94	(1)
DOS Disk Compatibility with Different Platforms	94	(1)
Windows Disk Compatibility with Different Platforms	94	(1)
File Compatibility	95	(1)
File Format Conversion Issues	95	(1)
File Naming Across Platforms	96	(1)
Compressed Files	97	(1)
File Backups	98	(3)
Importance	99	(1)
Change	99	(1)
Device Capacity and Performance	100	(1)
Cost	100	(1)
Portability	100	(1)
Reliability	100	(1)
Security	100	(1)
Backup Media	101	(5)
Floppy Disk Drives	101	(1)
Zip Drives	102	(1)
CD-R/CD-RW Drives	103	(1)
Internet-Based Backup Systems	104	(2)
File Backup Strategies	106	(1)
A Final Word about File Backups	107	(1)
Version Control	108	(2)
How Version Control Can Help	108	(1)
Go Back in Time	108	(1)
Compare Revisions	108	(1)
Preserve Content Safely	109	(1)
Lock Files	109	(1)
Implementing Version Control	109	(1)
A Final Word about Version Control Systems	110	(1)
Basic Asset Management	110	(3)
Do You Really Need an Asset Management System?	111	(1)
Choosing an Asset Management System	111	(1)
Database Driven	111	(1)
Thumbnail Support	111	(1)
Asset Keywords	112	(1)
Large Catalog Capacity	112	(1)
Multiple Image Catalogs	112	(1)
Low Cost	112	(1)
Evaluating Graphics Creation Tools	113	(42)
Graphics Creation Tool Categories	114	(3)
Painting Programs	114	(2)
Screen Capture Utilities	116	(1)
Image Viewers/Converters	116	(1)
Palette Tools	116	(1)
Evaluating Graphics Tools and Essential Features	117	(38)
Essential Painting Program Features	117	(1)
Brush Tools	118	(2)
Shape Tools	120	(5)
Block Tools	125	(3)
Navigation Tools	128	(2)
Color Tools	130	(2)
Image Processing Tools	132	(3)
Special Effects Tools	135	(2)
Other Tools	137	(5)
Miscellaneous Features	142	(6)
Essential Screen Capture Utility Features	148	(1)
Capture Flexibility	148	(1)
Common File Format Support	149	(1)
Ease of Use	149	(1)
Essential Image Viewer/Converter Features	150	(1)
Extensive Graphic File Format Support	151	(1)
Good Interface	151	(1)
Batch Conversions	151	(1)
Image Catalogs	151	(1)
Special Operations	152	(1)
Essential Palette Tool Features	153	(1)
Color Palette Editing	153	(1)
Color Palette Extraction from Bitmaps	153	(1)
Palette Construction from Input Files	153	(1)
Common File Format Support	154	(1)
Essential Graphics Tools	155	(54)
Criteria for My Recommendations	156	(3)
Interface and Ease of Use	156	(1)
Performance and Stability	156	(1)
Compatibility	157	(1)
Unique or Special Features	157	(1)
Availability and Support	157	(1)
Cost	158	(1)
Gripes	158	(1)
Recommended DOS Painting Programs	159	(17)
Deluxe Paint IIe	159	(4)
GrafX2	163	(4)
Improces	167	(4)
NeoPaint	171	(5)
Other Useful DOS Painting Programs	176	(1)
Recommended Windows Painting Programs	176	(14)
NeoPaint for Windows	176	(5)
Paint Shop Pro	181	(5)
Pro Motion	186	(3)
Other Useful Windows Painting Programs	189	(1)
Recommended DOS Screen Capture Utilities	190	(2)
Screen Thief	190	(2)
Recommended Windows Screen Capture Utilities	192	(5)
HyperSnapDX	192	(3)
SnagIt Pro	195	(2)
Recommended DOS Image Viewers/Converters	197	(2)
SEA	197	(1)
Other Useful DOS Image Viewers/Converters	198	(1)
Recommended Windows Image Viewers/Converters	199	(5)
Irfan View	199	(2)
XNView	201	(2)
Other Useful Windows Image Viewers/Converters	203	(1)
Recommended Palette Tools	204	(3)
Opal	204	(1)
PalMerge	205	(2)
Other Useful Graphics Utilities	207	(2)
MkExpl 3.0	208	(1)
Universe 1.6	208	(1)
Color and Arcade Game Graphics	209	(34)
Basic Color Theory	210	(1)
Color Mixing	211	(3)
Additive Color Mixing	213	(1)
Subtractive Color Mixing	213	(1)
Color Temperature	213	(1)
The Language and Meaning of Color	214	(3)
The Cross-Cultural Meaning of Color	217
Color and Mood	216	(1)
Color Perception Issues	217	(3)
Age and Color Perception	218	(1)
Gender and Color Perception	219	(1)
Other Important Color Concepts	220	(2)
Shade	220	(1)
Tint	220	(1)
Contrast	221	(1)
Luminance	221	(1)
Smoothing Objects with Color	222	(1)
Volume, Light, and Shadow	223	(7)
Basic Rules of Light and Shadow	224	(2)
Accurately Representing Volume with Color	226	(1)
Rules for Gradient Use	227	(3)
Transparency, Translucency, and Opacity	230	(2)
Bounding Colors	232	(2)
Bounding Color Rules	233	(1)
Color and Arcade Game Design Styles	234	(4)
Cartoon	234	(1)
Retro	235	(1)
Realistic	236	(2)
General Rules for Using Color in Arcade Games	238	(5)
Color Visibility and Usability	238	(2)
Color Context and Aesthetics	240	(3)
All About Color Palettes	243	(50)
Color Space	244	(2)
Color Palettes	246	(3)
Color Palette Organization	249	(1)
Cross-Platform Color Palette Issues	250	(4)
System Palettes	254	(4)
DOS System Palette	254	(1)
Windows System Palette	255	(1)
Linux System Palette	256	(1)
Macintosh System Palette	256	(1)
Java System Palette	257	(1)
Platform-Specific Palette Peculiarities	258	(8)
DOS	258	(2)
Windows	260	(2)
Linux	262	(2)
Macintosh	264	(1)
Java	265	(1)
Creating Color Palettes	266	(20)
Planning a Color Palette	266	(1)
Game Audience	267	(1)
Game Appearance	267	(1)
Game Mood	267	(1)
Technical Restrictions	268	(1)
Implementing Your Color Palette	268	(1)
Step 1-Defining the Required Color Palette Components	269	(5)
Step 2-Deciding on a Color Palette Order	274	(1)
Step 3-Adding System Colors	274	(1)
Step 4-Selecting Your Colors	275	(4)
Step 5-Defining Your Color Ranges and Gradients	279	(2)
Step 6-Reserving Palette Entries for Programmed Effects	281	(1)
Step 7-Testing Your Color Palette	281	(1)
Step 8-Saving Your Palette	282	(1)
A Color Palette Creation Exercise	282	(4)
Tips for Creating Effective Color Palettes	286	(2)
Gradient Selection	286	(1)
Programmed Color Effects	287	(1)
Transparent Colors	287	(1)
Miscellaneous Color Palette Tips	288	(1)
Color Reduction	288	(5)
Palette Optimization	289	(1)
Dithering	289	(1)
Straight Color Remapping	290	(3)
Arcade Game Animation	293	(64)
What is Animation?	294	(1)
Animation Properties and Fundamentals	294	(10)
Motion Lines	294	(2)
Motion Angles	296	(1)
Key-frames	296	(3)
Weight and Gravity	299	(1)
Flexibility	300	(1)
Secondary Actions	301	(1)
Cycles and Loops	301	(1)
Tempo	302	(2)
Sprites	304	(6)
Sprite Properties	305	(1)
Variable Sizes and Shapes	305	(1)
Free Range of Movement	305	(1)
Seprate from Background	305	(1)
Grid Squares	306	(1)
Maintaining Size Consistency	307	(1)
Assisting the Animation Process	307	(1)
Optimizing Sprites for Implementation in Games	307	(1)
Optimizing Sprites for Screen Performance	307	(3)
General Rules for Creating Grid Squares	310	(1)
Core Arcade Game Animation Primitives	310	(41)
Major Arcade Game Animation Primitives	311	(1)
The Cylindrical Primitive	311	(3)
The Rotational Primitive	314	(1)
The Disintegration Primitive	315	(3)
The Color Flash Primitive	318	(2)
The Scissors Primitive	320	(2)
The Growing Primitive	322	(1)
The Shrinking Primitive	323	(1)
Minor Arcade Game Animation Primitives	323	(1)
The Piston Primitive	324	(1)
The Squeeze Primitive	324	(1)
The Swing Primitive	325	(1)
The Slide Primitive	326	(1)
The Open/Close Primitive	327	(1)
The Bounce Primitive	328	(1)
The Stomp Primitive	328	(1)
Complex Arcade Game Animation Primitives	329	(1)
The Slinking Primitive	330	(1)
The Flying Primitive	331	(3)
The Walking Primitive	334	(5)
The Running Primitive (Humans)	339	(4)
The Running Primitive (Animals)	343	(2)
The Jumping Primitive	345	(3)
The Crawling Primitive	348	(3)
Creating Your Animation Sequences	351	(3)
General Animation Tips	352	(2)
Animation Usage in Arcade Games	354	(3)
Fonts and Arcade Games	357	(28)
What are Fonts?	358	(17)
Font Characteristics	358	(1)
Serifs	358	(1)
Sans Serifs	359	(1)
Monospaced	359	(1)
Proportional	360	(1)
Bitmapped	360	(1)
Scaleable	361	(1)
Font Legibility	361	(1)
Face	362	(1)
Style	362	(1)
Size	362	(2)
Aliased	364	(1)
Anti-Aliased	364	(1)
Color	365	(1)
Weight	366	(1)
Leading	366	(1)
Kerning	366	(1)
Tracking	367	(1)
Common Font Formats	367	(1)
ROM Fonts	367	(2)
ZSoft Fonts	369	(1)
GEM Fonts	369	(1)
Fastgraph Fonts	370	(1)
Custom Game Fonts	371	(1)
Borland Stroked Fonts	372	(1)
True Type Fonts	373	(1)
System Fonts	373	(1)
Platform-Specific Font Support	374	(1)
General Rules for Using Fonts in Arcade Games	375	(2)
Using Fonts in Arcade Games	377	(2)
Game Titles	377	(1)
Body Text	378	(1)
Status Indicators	378	(1)
Arcade Game Font Recommendations	379	(6)
Planning Arcade Game Graphics	385	(20)
The Design Plan	386	(19)
The Game Summary	386	(1)
Game Back Story	387	(1)
Game Description	387	(1)
Game Object Inventory	388	(1)
Game Functionality Overview	388	(1)
The Game Action Sequence	389	(1)
The Game Action Flowchart	389	(2)
The Screen Summary	391	(1)
Screen Mock-ups	391	(2)
The Graphics Specification	393	(1)
Game Creative Statement	394	(1)
Artwork Orientation	394	(1)
Target Platform	394	(1)
Estimated Object Count	395	(1)
Artwork Screen Resolution and Playfield Size	395	(1)
Artwork Color Depth	396	(1)
Artwork File Format(s)	396	(1)
Artwork File Naming Scheme	397	(1)
Artwork Color Palette	397	(1)
Artwork Gamma Level	398	(1)
Artwork Object Dimensions	398	(1)
Frames per Object	399	(1)
Object Actions and Facings	399	(1)
Game Text Font(s)	400	(1)
Miscellaneous Art Direction	400	(1)
Technical Restrictions and Stipulations	401	(1)
The Project Schedule	401	(1)
The Game Glossary	402	(3)
Hands-on Arcade Game Project-Fish Dish	405	(74)
Getting Started	406	(1)
The Three Phases of Fish Dish's Design	407	(1)
Phase I: The Fish Dish Design Analysis	407	(26)
Differentiating Game Objects	408	(1)
Size	408	(1)
Shape	409	(1)
Color	410	(1)
Position	411	(1)
Animation	412	(3)
Choosing a Design Style	415	(1)
Audience and Emotional Appeal	415	(1)
Visual Characteristics	416	(1)
Difficulty of Implementation	417	(2)
Characterization	419	(1)
Online Game Issues	420	(1)
The Available Display Area	420	(2)
Artwork File Size Issues	422	(3)
Performance	425	(2)
The Color Palette	427	(4)
Determining the Order of Element Creation	431	(2)
Phase II: The Fish Dish Design Plan	433	(20)
The Fish Dish Game Summary	433	(1)
Game Back Story	433	(1)
Game Description/Game Concept	433	(1)
Game Object Inventory	433	(3)
Game Functionality Overview	436	(1)
The Game Action Sequence	436	(1)
The Game Action Flowchart	437	(1)
The Screen Summary	437	(10)
The Fish Dish Graphics Specification	447	(1)
Game Creative Statement	447	(1)
Artwork Orientation	448	(1)
Target Platform	448	(1)
Estimated Object Count	449	(1)
Artwork Screen Resolution and Playfield Size	449	(1)
Artwork Color Depth	449	(1)
Artwork File Format(s)	449	(1)
Artwork File Naming Scheme	449	(1)
Artwork Color Palette	450	(1)
Artwork Gamma Level	451	(1)
Artwork Object Dimensions	451	(1)
Frames per Object	452	(1)
Object Actions and Facings	453	(1)
Game Text Font(s)	453	(1)
Phase III: The Fish Dish Design Execution	453	(26)
Artwork Templates	454	(1)
Step-by-Step Game Object Design	455	(1)
Salmon Fishdie Object Creation	456	(5)
Red Devil Object Creation	461	(1)
Gold Digger Object Creation	462	(1)
Green Meanie Object Creation	463	(2)
Gray Shark Object Creation	465	(1)
Blue Angel Object Creation	466	(1)
Bad Tuna Object Creation	467	(2)
Head Hunter Object Creation	469	(1)
Starfish Object Creation	470	(1)
Happy Clam Object Creation	471	(1)
M.C. Hammerhead Object Creation	472	(1)
Salmon Fishdie Angel Object Creation	473	(2)
Pause Bubble Object Creation	475	(1)
Shield Bubble Object Creation	476	(1)
Background Screen Creation	477	(2)
Miscellaneous Topics and Final Thoughts	479	(8)
Game Level Backgrounds	480	(3)
Sources of Inspiration	483	(2)
Final Comments	485	(2)
Appendix A Artist Interviews	487	(12)
Appendix B CD-ROM Contents	499	(8)
Index	507