Research

1. Research
Ayrton Starkey

2. Existing Product
Undertale is a game which challenges all the fundamental values of the RPG genre. There is no
repetitive grinding unlike most RPG’s, there is no unoriginal and melodramatic dialog between
characters and this helps you connect more with the characters and like them more than you
would with your typical RPG game. The game also has a great story which is only 5 hours long
but gets through much more and makes the game more enjoyable than your typical RPG over
10 hours long. The game has graphics that are basic yet also complex enough to tell a story
about a character. It also doesn’t matter that the graphics are not exactly like what you would
see in a new final fantasy or another RPG like that, this is because the graphics don’t need to be
top notch because the story and the great colour scheme are what carry you through the game.
The scenery and way that colours are used in the game is fantastic. One minute you are in a nice
area with bright colours and lots of people and then another minute you are in a dark and
gloomy place with a darker, sombre colour scheme which can symbolise the loneliness of the
area that you have just entered compared to the bright and vibrant place you were just in.
The characters are all made through pixel art yet there is so much detail and fine tuning done to
them it doesn’t seem like they were made through pixel art. The same can be said with the rest
of the game. The terrain and objects of the game are incredibly detailed which makes up for the
simplistic art style and gives it a unique edge over newer RPG’s coming out. Everything is based
around this certain art style which makes the design even better.
As mentioned earlier, the dialog within the game actually makes you like the characters due to
the normal and comedic conversations that you have with them. This is great because a lot of
RPG’s like final fantasy for example, have a overcomplicated story with awful dialog which
makes you dislike and even hate the characters because of it.
The music for Undertale is also fantastic. It contains a 100 track soundtrack where the majority
are great and work with the game well, especially in different zones you enter which will make
the music go from a happy tune to a more sinister one, suiting the zone you have entered.
Undertale is a great game due to its originality and willingness to defy what has become the
standard for RPG games as of late.

3. Existing Product
Rimworld is a game that combines survival and simulation with construction and
management and does it fantastically. In Rimworld you can chose different scenarios on
how you want the game to start and how you want to play the game. If you choose the
“Crashlanded” scenario, you will start the game with three survivors who have just
landed in an emergency pod. You also spawn with enough food and materials to get you
started in the game. You can also choose a story teller which can cause bad things to
happen to you, with the frequency depending on the storyteller that you pick. Once you
are in this scenario you are free to do what you want.
The character of the game are colonists that you start with and ones that join your
colony as you progress through the game. Although there is no dialog between the
colonists, it still feels like they are alive and human. This is probably because of their
mood mechanics and a lot of their other mechanics. The mood mechanic for Rimworld
can be complex and confusing but when you figure out how too use it and keep your
colonists happy, it is very rewarding. Due to the amount of variables that can effect your
colonists moods, they behave and act like human beings, although sometimes they can
over exaggerate some emotions, but there are also times where the colonist will have a
mental breakdown and under some of the situations that they have to live through in
your colony, it probably isn’t very surprising that it happened since a human would
probably do the same thing. This realism from the characters of the game provide a
good amount of immersion but combining this with the soundtrack that the game offers
makes the game even better.
The soundtrack of the game is very immersive due to the 30 tracks in the soundtrack
that dynamically play depending of the situation you are finding you and your colony to
be in.

4. Existing Product
Stardew Valley is a game where you inherit your grandfathers farm. During
the game you have to decide whether you want to help out the local
community or join the corporation which is planning to take over local
businesses. It is a game filled with moral choices which engages the player.
When you arrive at the farm at the start of the game it is overrun with
wildlife. After you spend some time clearing some land so that you can
begin your farm, you slowly grind to get more money and more seeds until
you have a sufficient farm to make a decent amount of money. Although
there is quite a bit of grinding in this game, there is also a lot of things that
you can do. For example you can go mining to get expensive ores, go
fishing, speak to villagers and participate in events.
The graphics of the game are quite basic yet it has such a vibrant colour
scheme which makes the game feel more alive and happy. You can create
your own character with a good amount of detail considering the
character is made with pixel art.
The music of the game is relaxing which furthers the immersion of the
player and it works well with the entire game since there are different
tracks for different zones and different tracks depending on different
variables.

5. Existing Product
In Terraria you start off in the middle of nowhere and probably not
knowing what to do but after some time of gathering recourses,
crafting and building you start to get a feel for the game and you
are then free to do whatever you want. The art style of this game
is 2d pixel art and is a side-scrolling game. The colour scheme for
the game varies on where you are. If you are above ground and
near where you spawn, then there are bright, vibrant colours but if
you are underground or in a dungeon then the colour scheme
goes dark and gloomy.
The soundtrack for this game is great to immerse the player since
the soundtrack holds a number of tracks that change dynamically
to your situation and your location. The way that the music works
with the graphics and colours of the game is great as the music will
become sombre as well as the colours becoming gloomy if you are
in a dungeon yet if you are above ground during the day then you
will have some nice colours with a happy upbeat tune playing in
the background

6. Research Analysis
• What common features do the researched
products have?
All of the products that I have researched have been 2D and
have great soundtracks and colour schemes that work well
together and provide an immersive experience.
• What aspects of the research will you include
within your on work?
I will make it so the colours and music work well together to
make it so they both work dynamically. I will also try to make the
characters as detailed as possible with pixel art.

7. Interviews

8. Interview 1
• What genre of game do you prefer?
My favourite genre of game is RPGs because they have a lot more story aspects to
them than other genres of games do.
• What would you expect from a turn based RPG?
A vast reward/levelling system to go along with the combat or exploration in the
game.
• How important is the story of a game to you?
The story to me is quite an important aspect of a game.
• Would you like the option to customise your character?
I don’t think character customization is a particularly important feature but for the
sake of player immersion it would be a good feature to include.

9. Interview 1
• Observation: This person enjoys RPG’s because of the story and expects
a good reward and levelling system to go along with the combat.
• What this says about my audience: This says that my
audience enjoy RPG’s and want a good story in the game accompanied with a good
turn based combat system.
• How will your product appeal to this
audience: There will be an engaging combat system.

10. Interview 2
• What genre of game do you prefer?
I prefer FPS/TPS games
• What would you expect from a turn based RPG?
A lot of quick decision making and waiting for someone to make a turn.
• How important is the story of a game to you?
The story of a game is usually the most important part of the whole game
because it gives the player a direct link into how the character is feeling.
• Would you like the option to customise your character?
Yes

11. Interview 2
• Observation: This person prefers fast paced games with a lot going
on.
• What this says about my audience: This says that
they like fast paced combat.
• How will your product appeal to this
audience:The turn based combat will be fast and interesting.

12. Bibliography

13. Bibliography
1. Fahey, B (2018) Target Audience Interviews (conducted on 28/11/17)
2. Interviewees, Name. (2018) Target Audience Interviews (conducted on
DATE)
3. Nathan Grayson. (2016). The Wild Things That Can Happen In RimWorld,
Steam's Latest Hit. Available: https://steamed.kotaku.com/some-great-
stories-from-steams-latest-hit-rimworld-1784005318. Last accessed
24/11/2017.