Configuring Games
Game configuration environment allows you to configure various aspects of your game. We have seen some of them when we discussed the game creation process. Here we discuss all configuration options as they are presented in this environment.
Single-player Game
In a single-player game, each player creates and plays in their own game instance. The game world objects and offers are accessible only from one player. This game type is appropriate if there are no interactions or shared resources (objects, attributes, items, etc.) between players. Even in single-player games, however, you can achieve competition between them (see Game Leaderboard section).
In a single-player game, when the player first asks to enter the game (i.e play), a new game instance will be created. If the player exits (pauses) the game, and then re-enters, it will actually pause and resume the initially created game instance. If, however, the player drops out (abandons) the game and wants to enter again, then a new game instance will be created and the player will enter this new game instance starting to play from the beginning.
Multi-player Game
In a multi-player game, there is a single game instance created (the first time a player asks to play the game) and each player who asks to enter is joining this single instance. When the first player enters the game and the instance is created, the game world is cloned from the initial world that you have defined. In games of this type, however, the game world is a shared work-space and thus players who enter the game later may find the game world quite different from the initial one according to what has been done by the previously joined players.
In multi-player games, players can interact with each other either directly (e.g. selling and buying assets -if the market is enabled), or indirectly by creating and dropping objects in the game world that other players can interact with.
Player Avatar
Rollic allows users to enter games with customized avatars. That is each player must configure their avatar when first entering a game. You, as a designer can configure whether photo and sex are required or not. An Avatar name is always required.
Game Market
In general settings you can also enable or disable the market option for your game (see the section Game Market for details). If you enable the market option, you must declare what will be its currency providing an icon and a name. The market currency will be the medium of exchange for all market transactions.
As described in many sections, when game market is enabled you can include offers in your game, and players can redeem and trade their assets to gain money (game currency). Such functionality is enabled by long tapping on an asset in the player’s Backpack or Traits tabs under the “My Assets” menu in rollick player app as shown in the next image.
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| Options to sell or redeem (liquidate) player's assets |
Redeeming Assets
How assets are redeemed, depends on the type of assets. For items, the player can choose the item and then define how many items wants to redeem at once. For attributes and objects, redeeming is done one asset at time. In redeeming assets the player will be paid the price of the assets in currency. Players cannot change that price.
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| Redeeming player's assets (at fixed price) |
Trading Assets
Trading transactions are initiated by the seller player. The seller chooses what to sell, at what price, and starts a transaction as shown in the next image.
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| Selling player's assets (at desired price) |
Once the transaction is started, the seller’s app generates a QR code that can be scanned by the buyer’s app in a given time period (2 minutes) in order for the buyer to join the transaction. To join such a transaction as a buyer, the player taps on the basket button in their backpack area. Once joined, the buyer can inspect what is buying, from whom, and for what cost. To complete the transaction they have to approve it in the given time frame, otherwise, the transaction expires.
Redeeming Offer Cards
When players get an offer, actually they get an offer card (or a coupon) for the interacting offer. This offer card can be redeemed at designated areas (you have to define these areas in the real world and communicate them to the players e.g. in a shop, in the museum, etc.).
For this, you have to create a QR code with offer info (Offer groupId and Offer Id) and give it to the offeror entity. Offerors must show this QR code to the players who want to redeem an offer card in order to scan it and redeem (invalidate the offer card). To redeem an offer card at a designated area, the player has to choose it (under the menu “Offers and Offer Cards”) and select “Redeem”. Then, the player’s app will ask to scan the QR code that the offeror entity must have.
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| Previewing an OfferCard | Redeeming an OfferCard by scanning special QRCode |
Game Playground
Game playground configuration allows you to define both the physical and technical playgrounds of your game. The first refers to the geographical area in which your game will be played while the latter refers basic screen of the game in the player’s app.
For the physical playground, you have to define the geographical area and give it a name (e.g. Athen’s downtown or Central Park, City of Chania, etc.) For the technical playground, apart from the type of map, you can configure if players will be able to see the game scenes on their map. If you enable this option, scenes will be marked on the map.
Finally, in configuring the technical playground you can allow players to move their avatar by dragging the map (Simulate Move on the Map option). When enabled, the center of the map is the current player location and players can change it by dragging the map.
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With simulated move enabled, the center of the map -in player's app- gives the player's current location |
Enabling or disabling this option changes drastically the way that a game is played and thus it is important to understand what your players can do in each case.
Advantages of simulating player’s move:
- You can test/debug your game while designing it or before publishing it without having to move in the physical environment.
- You can overcome difficulties in the physical mobility of players. Examples:
- Targeted players are difficult, or dangerous to move (e.g. school classes)
- Physical playground is inaccessible (e.g. islands, mountains, etc.) or dangerous
Disadvantages of simulating move on the map:
- Your game is not a pervasive game anymore. Your game is almost played like a video game. Your players are playing only in the digital world; they don’t move in city streets, parks, buildings, etc. and they don’t cross the physical and digital world boundaries.
- Boosting customer foot traffic is gone. If marketing is in your game’s goals, then your game loses an important indirect marketing mechanism for promoted places (e.g. companies, museums, etc.). With simulated move, you cannot increase their foot traffic as you could by asking players to physically visit those places (e.g. to pick an object or offer, to meet a character, etc.) as the game plot unfolds.
Player Capabilities
Under the Policies tab, you can configure what your players can do while playing a game (i.e. the game is active) and what after the game ends (is over).
Player Capabilities while playing the game
- See their assets. Under the “Assets” menu, they can see their backpack (objects, items), and skills (attributes)
- Scan codes. QR Code scanning functionality will be available under both drawer and floating menus
- Type codes. Alpharithmetical code typing functionality will be available under both drawer and floating menus.
- See instructions. Under their “Instructions” menu they can see again info messages that you have marked as instructions.
- See tasks. Under their “Tasks” menu they will be able to see their assigned missions with their progress, as well as pending Todo tasks.
Player capabilities after the game ends.
When a game ends (normally), you may want to allow your players to continue their market-related activities. So you can:
- Allow redeeming assets. Players will be allowed to redeem collected assets (objects, items, and attributes) to get paid in the game’s currency.
- Allow picking offers. Players will be allowed to pick offers that are still available in the game.
- Allow redeeming offers. Players will be allowed to redeem offer offer cards and get free or discounted real-world goods or services. This option is by default enabled once you allow your players to pick offers after the game ends.
- Allow trading assets. Players will be allowed to trade (sell/buy) their assets and get paid in the game’s currency.
Game Leaderboard
Under the Policies tab you can also configure your game’s leaderboard (Player rankings). Leaderboards can be a fun way to drive competition among your players and rollick allows creating a leaderboard not only in multi-player games but also in single-player games. If you add a leaderboard to your game, then you can also configure when this leaderboard becomes accessible by the players: only after they complete the game, or as soon as they enter the game for the first time. [Custom syntax of the player’s score formula is to be supported in upcoming versions]
Game Terms
Under the Terms tab, you can define terms of service for your game. I.e. you may want to make clear the terms under which a game is provided and to ensure that these terms will be known to all those who want to enter a game. Game terms are listed under the game description on the game preview page when browsing games in the rollick player app.
Game Instructions
Under the Instructions tab, you can give some general instructions to your players on how to play the game. These instructions are also shown on the game preview page and are known before the player enters the game. They should not be confused with instructions given during the gameplay which actually are messages or conversation statements that the player can see again.