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Senior Project Paper

Introduction
For my project senior year, I will be using the skills learned in arts classes to create a
video game, with a professional programmers help. I will do many things on the game. My
senior project is will entirely drawn by me. All items, characters, buildings, objects, and natural
objects in the game will be drawn by me. This includes background and foreground elements,
and similarly all different perspectives of characters that are used in game. Each piece is drawn,
inked, coloured, and finally scanned into the computer by me. Any piece may consist of multiple
separate parts, and may have to be drawn to function independently or as part of a full item or
character, which is new to me and constitutes part of my learning stretch. Some elements must be
drawn with cohesiveness in mind or the background they will be placed on must be kept in mind.
Characters also have to be designed with some semblance of what they are supposed to be, and at
least must look like their real counterparts, and function like real animals. While I do not
specifically program any elements of the game, I input different elements into the game and part
of that is based in coding and different coding, as well as the use of programming elements used
to create the effects seen in the game. The program being used, Unity, uses editor mechanics to
input programming dynamics into the game system, and is entirely new to both me and the
programmer. Neither of us know how it works, and this is my main learning stretch. While I do
not need to know programming for the game, as my programmer does this for me, I need to
know the basics of programming to communicate with the programmer effectively and convey
everything he and I need to talk about with regards as to art, design aspects, story elements and
dynamics of the game. Design aspects are another thing I work on, primarily because I am the
sprite artist for the game. Design is necessary so that layouts of scenes do not get too confusing

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or busy, but are not too empty or boring. The world must be created for function first, and then
for aesthetics. Both aesthetics and function are important, however. Function means that
everything works as it should, and creates a playable scene or mini game. Appearance is
secondary, and many graphics get substituted in after temporary ones have been used, and are
specifically designed to function in tune with the rest of the game elements. Examples of this
include using a dragon fruit sprite in place of a bee while an appropriate bee is being created, or a
dragon fruit sprite in place of a porcupine. The dragon fruit serves a function, but is replaced my
more pleasing and appropriate graphics later on. Finally, I am heavily involved in the writing of
the game. Crucial to any game is story. As a writer, I write quests for the player to go on, things
for the player to do, and the dialog of the non-player characters (NPCs) that appear in the world
and give these quests. It is up to me, partially as a game designer and partially as a writer to give
each NPC a character that seems relatable and interesting. Each NPC is also different, and all
should sound and act, though their words, like unique individuals once the writing process is
over. The story is also part of the game designers job and part of the writers, as both, in a
normal setting, would give input as to where everything should occur. Pacing must make sense,
the story should fit the world, and major elements of the story need to have impact, or the story
will not matter.
Information
The art portion of the project is probably the biggest part and the most intricate. A sprite
artist, or game artist, is the person that creates the graphics used in game. A multimedia artist, by
literal definition, works in more than one media such as paper and sculpture, or painting and
digital ("Research Areas."). Sprite artists create animation and other visual things for on screen
viewing such as television, movies, or games, fix sprites that dont look right at behest from

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designers, producers, and other higher ups, also research their projects to try and maintain some
reality to their art ( Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition 1). A sprite artist needs
artistic talent, communication skills, and good time management ( Occupational Outlook
Handbook, 2014-15 Edition 2).
In the industry, approximately 57% of sprite and multimedia artists are self employed. In
this field, regular work hours are expected, and sometimes odd hours can be worked to finish a
project on time (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition 1). Influential styles have
a big impact in an artists life. Influences can come from anywhere, and make the art itself even
more subjective. Influences come from earlier in life, through the shows one watched as a child,
and the art one saw when they were young ("Multimedia Artist or Animator."). An artists style is
instrumental to their work and can be a deciding factor in whether they get a job or not.
At the job, decisions must be made. These decisions will be made by a higher up person,
or the game designer, but tend to reflect the artists ideas as well ("Research Areas."). Ideas are
taken into account and then put into work in the most functional and appealing way by the artist
at the animator or designers beck and call. Art is one of the most vital elements of a game
(Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition 1). The art can sometimes define a game
or give off the style necessary to the atmosphere of the game. Artists have the task of creating the
world the designers have come up with, and realising it in a way that pleases everyone.
Animators can be a form of multimedia artists and be the artist entirely ("Multimedia
Artist or Animator."). Animation varies, and come in many different forms such as 3D, threedimensional and usually computer generated or sculpted, or 2D, two-dimensional and flat
("Research Areas."). An animator must create a cohesive unit of a drawing or model, and have

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the ability to take it to pieces and animate those pieces individually ("Multi-media Artists and
Animators in Delaware.").
Games require and engine to run them, and the engine in use is called Unity. Unity is a
program that inputs the use of scripts, used for direct coding, innovative tools that manipulate
game objects and complicated tools for 2D and 3D animation and gaming (My Next Move.). A
programmer inputs code into a game that creates effects, actions, reactions, speeds, and a living
world that the game functions in. All quests are inputted by the programmer, and all objectives
are set out, all world objects programmed to function within the unit (Unity Software).
Every piece of the game world that isnt drawn or animated is usually created and made
to work by the programmer. Programming can be anything from inputting commands into scripts
to programming a characters behavioural pattern and movements ("Work for Play."). Unity is an
editor that allows the full game and all elements in a scene to be viewed simultaneously (My
Next Move.). It will check for errors to the best of its programming, and attempts to create an
easy to use and understand system for animators, artists, and programmers alike ("Multi-media
Artists and Animators in Delaware."). It is simple to the best of its ability, and very strong while
creating games for every platform; phone, computers, consoles, ect. (Unity Software).
Each element inputted into a game must be looked over by the designer and everyone
involved. Game design helps the overall fell and aspects of the game missed by the artists and
programmers ("Narrative Architecture."). A game designer is a person that storyboards the game,
meets with programmers and artists and works with them to get the game done and get it
working as it should, and looking how it should according to what the designer wants ("Game
Designer."). What the game designers need from the game are usually stated and storyboarded

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out, and the game designers will oversee the artists and animators during the game building
process. They will work with the artists, and sometimes as artists, to achieve the right ambiance
for the game in question, and will often work with other members of their team to fix things that
dont work, or look different than necessary ("Work for Play.").
The designer will usually be instrumental in keeping the game on track. They provide a
sounding board for animators, artists and programmers, as well as a go-between for those other
jobs ("Game Designer."). The artists and programmers may tend to run a bit behind schedule
with bugs and artistic setbacks, but the game designer can work with them to help around that,
while keeping the necessary feel of the game in place ("Work for Play.").
Designers can have certain creative styles that may conflict with the artist, but are equally
important to the games development. The designers may or may not have full say over the game
as it progresses, but will need to work closely with the artists to provide information crucial to
the arts functionality and appearance ("Game Designer."). A designer will often times be forced
to make the hard choices for the game. A certain piece of art may look good, but not function in a
mechanical manner with the rest of the game, and look out of place. It is the job of the game
designer to decide what works and what doesnt, how to fix things and continue to the path of
finishing the game ("How to Become a Video Game Designer.").
The writing aspect of games has grown more prevalent as gaming has progressed as
entertainment and an art form. Story is fast becoming one of the most important and talked about
aspects of a game, and is considered crucial to the game as a whole (Purdue OWL: Fiction
Writing Basics). A game writer must take into account the overarching story of the game, the
side stories, pacing, how they should relate to game mechanics, and the personalities of each

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character. A game without a writer is silent, and without story ("How to Become a Video Game
Designer."). Things the programmers programmed can be done, and the art remains as it was and
the designers kept the project on task to finishing it, but without writers there is no story to
follow. A writer will develop characters, plotlines, and pacing of both game and plot (Purdue
OWL: Fiction Writing Basics).
They may also be game designers and assist in other aspects, but their main job is to
come up with a plausible, believable, relatable story for the player to follow. The voice of each
character in the story must themselves be individual and unique, one of the biggest challenges
writers face (Purdue OWL: Characters and Fiction Writing.). This can be overcome using
voice acting, which assists in giving the writers a specific kind of voice to work with. While this
is not specifically a writers job, this can change aspects of the story as the writer fits a voice to a
character (Purdue OWL: Fiction Writing Basics).
Knowing the audience being written for is a crucial element of all writing. When writing
for children, simple grammar is usually preferable, as well as a simpler story (Purdue OWL:
Characters and Fiction Writing.). Writing for multiple demographics can be more challenging,
and can ostracize certain groups, but a balance must be found by the writer for maximum
efficiency (Writing Children's and Young Adult Literature.).
Resolution
Art, technology, design, and writing are all crucial aspects of a game. Each play their own
role; art in making the game look good or stylistic, technology to create the mechanical game
aspects, design to keep everything cohesive and moving, and writing to have a good story and
keep it moving along. This research will assist me in better understanding the role I play in the

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game development process, remind me what is necessary for each role I take on in this process
and serve as a source of information for any hard learning curve I have. I may have trouble
programming, as I am new at it, animating, drawing things meant to animated, and drawing
things in the right perspective, but intend to rise above it and continue on my project at a brisk
pace. I am new to animating in Unity, and drawing things that are going to be animated, but I
intend to power above that as well and continue as I have been.

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Works Cited
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15
Edition, Multimedia Artists and Animators,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/multimedia-artists-and-animators.htm
(visited September 13, 2015).
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15
Edition, Multimedia Artists and Animators,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/multimedia-artists-and-animators.htm
(visited September 13, 2015).
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"Multimedia Artist or Animator." Multimedia Artist or Animator. Science Buddies, n.d. Web. 16 Sept.
2015. <http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-engineering-careers/math-computerscience/multimedia-artist-or-animator#keyfactsinformation>
"Narrative Architecture." Gaming Film (2013): n. pag. Web.<
http://www.professorrenato.com/attachments/article/121/Game%20Design%20as%20Narrative
%20Architecture%20-%20Henry%20Jenkins.pdf>
"Research Areas." Physics of Animation. N.p., 13 June 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.<
http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/physicsanimation.jsp>
"Unity Manual." Unity. Unity Software, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.
<http://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/index.html>.

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"Welcome to the Purdue OWL." Purdue OWL: Fiction Writing Basics. n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2015.
<https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/754/01/>.
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"Work for Play." Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Fall 2011. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.
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