Thanks in part to a $50,000 award from the Mozilla foundation, the Godot game engine is gaining the ability to be run in a web browser.   You can try it out right here if you have the latest version of a Chrome based browser, or Firefox Nightly.

Explanation for the rationale for Godot in a Browser from the Godot news page:

Godot Engine supports exporting games to the HTML5 platform (i.e. browsers). Given that the editor itself is written using the Godot Engine API it should be possible to run the editor in browsers as well.

The reason why the editor wasn’t able to run in browsers up until now was due to some historical Web browsers limitations, mostly lack of support for threading, but also file system access.

With the introduction of WebAssembly, WebAssembly threads, Javascript SharedArrayBuffer, and possibly an upcoming Native FileSystem API, it should now be possible to have an almost-native user experience when running the editor on the Web.

This will be beneficial in many ways to the engine itself for multiple reasons:

1. It will lower the barrier for new users, which will be able to try out the engine without the need to download anything.
   
2. Any modification towards reaching that goal will also improve the HTML5 export itself (given that the editor is made like a Godot game).
   
3. It will allow to use Godot in a reasonable way in environments where installing/downloading applications is not an option (e.g. schools’ computers and tablets), fostering the usage of the engine for educational purposes (which is something we, as an open source community, deeply believe in).

This DOES NOT mean that Godot will move completely to the Web, nor that the Web browsers version will be the recommended way for professional development, but it will be an additional option for cases where it might be useful (again, pick the education sector as an example).

Perhaps the most interesting part is the future plans for mobile usage:

• Virtual keyboard in the HTML5 plaform, for working text input in mobile devices.
  
• Persistence support, WebDAV integration.
  
• Gestures for the editor, allowing using the editor from touch devices (this will also be beneficial to make native Android or iOS versions of the editor for example).

These features, as well as Dropbox support, could truly bring Godot to Android, iOS or ChromeOS devices in the future!  You can learn more about Godot in the Browser in this video.  This is the second project to bring Godot to the browser, details of the first ‘Godot.Online’ is available here.  Note, Godot.online is not an official Godot project.

GameDev News Godot HTML5

Details of a now-patched vulnerability in the “Sign in with Apple” account authentication have been revealed, a zero-day that could have allowed an attacker to take control of a user’s account.

If you missed your chance the first time around, or if you’re hoping to enjoy a second bout, you’ll be pleased to know that Ninjala is about to host its second open beta test.

You can see the timings for the event below; all you need to do to take part is head to the Nintendo Switch eShop and download the free Ninjala software (which you can do as we speak). Then simply load up the game at the time of the event and join in the fun.

As a quick reminder, Ninjala’s release date got pushed back to the end of June due to coronavirus issues. All the more reason to be grateful for this second beta test, we suppose!

Will you be joining in? Did you take part the first time around? Tell us below.

The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra’s community.
The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.

In the first part of this chronicle dedicated to the level design of open world games, I addressed a question that every game designer must ask: What design objective(s) should the open world meet?. In other words, what should it be used for?. but once this answer is found, the designer has to define the  map features that will make it possible to reach this objective.

In this second part, I will cover a key need that an open world map must meet: Players’ progression.

An omnipresent feature

I am sure you noticed all open world games offer players many possibilities to develop their character or their opportunities in the game: Access to better equipment, improvement of character attributes, new features, unlocking new areas, etc.

It is not a coincidence. The choice to integrate such mechanisms meets many needs:

– The progression mechanisms give players short and medium-term goals, which bring them rewards. As a result, they encourage players to play a lot. It’s the principle of “open loops” that make freemium games so addictive. Let’s not forget that offering a long lifespan is one of the main benefits brought by open world games, especially in the eyes of publishers.

– The rewards associated with a progression mechanism are often gratifying for the players because they affect their experience of the game, they are not cosmetic. They, therefore, enrich the game.

– The progression mechanisms are inspired by those of RPGs. Players are offered many options to develop and specialize their characters as they see fit. The more choices a game system offers, the better.

– Finally, the progression feature can be used smartly to teach the game. The stakes are not negligible because open world games are often complex. If players do not understand properly how to develop their character, they do not benefit much from the experience of the game.

That said, the ubiquity of progression mechanisms tends to standardize open world games. In other words, their themes may be different, their game mechanics, and therefore the experience that results, are very similar and could tire players. It is for all these reasons that the implementation of progression mechanisms in level design is so important.

Strategies for building progression in an open world

A quality design is a design to meet needs. A good open world is therefore not designed at random by “sprinkling” elements of scenery and gameplay. Its construction must be a response to an intention to create a specific gaming experience. What can they be?

In an open world game, the players’ progression can be built to seek out three types of game experiences:

– The progression of players’ abilities. This is the most common case. Players start with weak characters and will seek to improve their capacities: Equipment, attributes, teammates, territories, etc. This strategy is at work in most Ubisoft open world games like those in the Far Cry and The Division franchise. The motivation of players is to continually increase the “power” of their character.

– The development of storytelling. For story-driven games, it is the progression of the main narrative arc that motivates the players. This is the case in Red Dead Redemption 2. Players’ characters have little to develop. Of course, they can earn (steal) money or goods to acquire better weapons or a better horse, buy outfits or potions. But this is not the interest of the game. While in the Ubisoft games mentioned above, the increase in the capacities of the players’ character becomes their main motivation to play, it is the development of the story in Red Dead Redemption 2 that drives players to play and get attached to his world.

– The progressive discovery of the world. In this case, the entire open world is not accessible at once. Players must progressively unlock access to new areas. This strategy is used in The Witcher 3.

Of course, most open world games mix these three experiences, but in different ways. It is therefore important, as a designer, to ask yourself very early on the question of the mix between these three strategies. The answer will lead to design choices for the world itself.

Implications for the open world level design

Let’s start with the player capacity development strategy. What are the best practices in building the open world?

I recommend making sure that obtaining the resources sought (materials, XPs, equipment, consumables, etc.) is only partially the result of luck. In other words, the discovery of resources must above all result from the choices of players and their knowledge of the world. This is a principle of good design. Excess chance kills good gameplay because it takes away the ability of players to perform with their talents and decision-making abilities.

Here are some recommendations that go in this direction:

– Develop a level design grammar. It is a set of rules determining, among other things, where players are most likely to find a given resource. For example, mushrooms can only be found in the woods at the feet of large trees. Once players have linked a resource to its location, they will be pleased to have “guessed” how to find a coveted resource.

– Associate resources with points of interest. Players will naturally be guided to them. In addition, it will be more immersive than constellating the mini-map with icons indicating where to go.

– Avoid “sprinkling” resources on the map. If players realize that it is enough to walk around at random to find resources or targets, the exploration of the map becomes mechanical, aimless. It is, therefore, less rewarding. It is more interesting to group the points of interest or the resources around “mini-clusters” whose access is similar to a mini-trip. The construction of the topology makes it possible to channel the movements of the players and therefore, to dress the course with interesting points of view, artifacts to find, encounters of opportunity, and the use of alternative means of transport. Thus, going to a point of interest, or a cluster of them,  becomes a mini-adventure, rather than being a monotonous interval.

Let us now see the case of the progression strategy which is based on the development of storytelling. What are good practices for building the open world?

– Of course, missions must be used as the main progression mechanism and not the harvesting of resources. But above all, missions must not be mere pretexts; missions must contribute to give meaning to the players’ actions as well as to allow them to forge relationships with NPCs and to get to know them better. This is how the team responsible for the script will be able to develop real narrative arcs and offer quality storytelling. I will deal with this last point in more detail in the fourth part of this chronicle dedicated to the level design of open world games.

– Develop the topology of the map according to the missions rather than adapting the design of the missions to the topology. It is common for the 3D art team to develop an open map and then for the level design team to grab it and add their missions. In other words, the construction of the decor comes before the design of the missions themselves. This is an approach that I do not recommend because a good mission design requires a tailor-made topology.

– Unlock missions in a cluster rather than in sequential order. For example, missions E, F, G and H could only be unlocked once the players have completed missions A, B, C and D. This system allows the screenwriter to control the progress of his narrative arcs while offering freedom of action for players since they can do the missions of each group in the order of their choice.

– Use the first cluster of missions for onboarding. As a reminder, onboarding does not cover only the tutorial; it also aims to give players the drive to invest in the long term. Good onboarding is therefore just as relevant on triple-A as for mobile games. The order of the first missions should be imposed and they must be built with great care. Indeed, it is during onboarding that players really get attached to the game. The context must be engaging, even spectacular, the missions must be simple to complete while providing a gripping experience, the first characters encountered must be endearing, is, of course, players must quickly develop empathy with their character.

Finally, let’s finish with the progression strategy which is based on the progressive discovery of the map. In this case, the entire map is not readily accessible and mechanisms, more or less restrictive, prevent players from going wherever they want. Thus, players are gradually discovering the geography of the open world.

This strategy offers less depth than the previous two but it offers two advantages: It is particularly motivating for players who like exploration and it helps to reinforce the two previous strategies: The development of players’ abilities and progression of narration.

A level design that integrates such a progression strategy must take care to answer two questions:

– How to differentiate zones? Indeed, if the discovery of new areas is an important element in building the players’ experience, each new area must be significantly different from the previous ones. Just changing the environment is not enough. New features that will have an impact on the gameplay should be introduced: New threats, new resources, new types of game objectives, new tactical options, etc. Once again, the level design must guide the objectives of the art team.

– How to avoid making the mechanism limiting player movement arbitrary? It is hardly elegant, in a game that promises an open world, to artificially block the movement of players. Solutions exist such as requiring players to build a given piece of equipment like a boat. Far Cry Primal offers an interesting compromise: Some cold areas are accessible but without warm clothing, players cannot stay there for long.

In the next episode…

In the third part of this chronicle dedicated to the level design of open world games, I will cover the construction of the map itself, its topology, the use of points of interest, and all that will make the world alive.

Previous publications:

Open world Level Design: The Full Vision (part 1/5)

Pascal Luban

Creative director & game designer, freelance

www.gamedesignstudio.com

The Gamasutra Job Board is the most diverse, active and established board of its kind for the video game industry!

Here is just one of the many, many positions being advertised right now.

Location: London, Ontario

Founded in 1993, Digital Extremes has become an employer of choice for talented people seeking rewarding career opportunities in the gaming industry. We are widely recognized for creating the award-winning Warframe, a free-to-play, third-person coop, PVP action shooter, space ninja adventure game available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. Our early titles include Epic Pinball, Solar Winds: The Escape, Unreal and Unreal Tournament co-created series (and all its iterations) as well as The Darkness II. With over 300 of the industry’s widely talented and culturally diverse employees in both Canada and the US, we are warriors combining our expertise to deliver superior fast-paced gameplay and intense melee combat all with a great deal of passion.

WHY WORK AT DIGITAL EXTREMES

Our culture is centered on providing great opportunities to our employees so that everyone feels they are making a meaningful impact. Developing new and existing talent is our long-term focus. We are honored that our work environment has been consistently recognized as one of “Canada’s Top 100 Employers”. We summon you to join our elite team!

The rewards of a career with Digital Extremes include:

• Competitive salary with bonus opportunities
• Excellent benefits and paid time off
• Matching RRSP plan
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Professional development and career support
• Fitness and parking/transit subsidies
• Daily lunches prepared onsite by our in-studio Executive Chef and professional kitchen staff
• All-day snacks and drinks, sleep pods, massage chairs, cold brew, dog therapy days and more

ABOUT THIS POSITION

Digital Extremes is seeking an experienced Intermediate/Senior FX Artist to join our team. You will be utilizing traditional art training and knowledge of 3D art, design and computer graphics software to build efficient, high quality special effects while keeping in mind technical specifications relating to memory usage and gameplay speed. You will need to have an excellent understanding of what makes real time special effects work in addition to an understanding of game engines, tools, pipelines and development processes. Preferred extras include experience working with Maya, AfterEffects, Houdini, and Photoshop, as well as a thorough knowledge of the game development process. An understanding of scripting languages such as Python or Lua is also an asset.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Utilize traditional art training and knowledge of 3D art, design and computer graphics software to build efficient, high quality special effects, keeping in mind technical specifications relating to memory usage and gameplay speed
• Keep up-to-date with contemporary effects techniques and research new effects technologies and solutions
• Cooperate closely with art, design, audio and development department to deliver first class visual effects that exceed the state of the art
• Work under the creative guidance of the Art Director
• Deliver work on time and according to schedule as prepared by the Art Director
• Actively participate in the feedback loop including accepting feedback from and providing feedback within the art and level design team as required, staying current on the scope and understanding of the project
• Multitask effectively, prioritize competing demands, and follow through on details

REQUIREMENTS

• 2+ years’ previous experience creating high quality VFX for film or video games
• Excellent understanding of what makes special effects work – particle systems, postprocessing effects and shaders (specular and normal maps)
• University degree in visual arts with specialization in graphic design, commercial art, graphic communications or cartooning or completion of a college diploma program in graphic arts
• Understanding of game engines, tools, pipelines and development processes
• Working knowledge of a commercial 3D package
• Good communication skills across multiple disciplines; ability to follow direction and to collaborate successfully with others
• Ability to handle and prioritize multiple tasks, to meet deadlines and to excel under production conditions
• Strong work ethic, self-direction and artistic vision, dedicated work ethic
• Have a genuine enthusiasm and interest in video games

JOIN US

Digital Extremes is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment process. We thank you for your interest, however, only those candidates selected for the next steps in the hiring process will be contacted.

Interested? Apply now.

Whether you’re just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what’s out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers.

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Think you know everything there is to know about Animal Crossing: New Horizons? Fancy testing that knowledge in a specially designed crossword? Then keep on reading!

Nintendo has published this little brainteaser itself, sharing it to fans on social media as a nice little challenge. There’s nothing on there that should cause too much difficulty for those who have been playing the game religiously since launch, but it’s still a fun little way to pass the time.

We particularly like the very last clue.

If you’re looking for something with a little more challenge, you should check out some of our brand new quizzes, curated by the Nintendo Life team. There’s even an Animal Crossing one. And if you need help with any of the crossword answers, try poking around our exhaustive collection of Animal Crossing guides. You should learn everything you need to know if you look hard enough!

So, how did you do? Manage to get all of them filled in? Feel free to post your answers down below.

Five years ago (well, five years and a day ago, actually) the original Splatoon inked its way onto the Wii U. It was an exciting and fresh take on the online shooter and a completely new venture for Nintendo – and boy are we happy that it was released.

Splatoon and its sequel, Splatoon 2, have arguably been two of the most important games in Nintendo’s recent history. They’ve helped the company to embrace the eSports scene with more conviction than ever before, with tournaments being regularly held all around the world, and through regular updates, in-game Splatfests and more, have helped to create yet another dedicated, passionate fanbase.

That second point has been proven once again this week, with more fans than we could ever hope to count taking to social media to thank Nintendo and fellow Splatoon fans for some great memories over the past five years. Some have decided to share special pieces of artwork to commemorate the occasion, and we thought it’d be nice to share some of these with you below.

And hey, you don’t have to be a master artist to get involved.

Happy 5th anniversary, Splatoon (even if we’re a day late). Here’s to a lifetime of success and plenty more excellent games. Stay fresh!