First Person Shooter Game: Ournal OF Bject Echnology

JOURNAL OF OBJECT TECHNOLOGY
Online at http://www.jot.fm. Published by ETH Zurich, Chair of Software Engineering JOT, 2008
Vol. 7, No. 1, January - February 2008
First Person Shooter Game

Rex Cason, Erik Larson, Jonathan Robertson, Jonathan Frisch, George
Trice, and Dr. Lakshmi Prayaga
Abstract
3D game development is an exciting activity for many students. But getting a handle
on 3D game development for novices may be a daunting task. We take this
opportunity to present a quick introduction to 3D game development through a few
tutorials. For the next few columns a set of tutorials for a 3D first person shooter
game developed by graduate and undergraduate students under the guidance of a
faculty member from the University of West Florida will be presented. These
tutorials were developed with 3D game Studio by Conitec. To follow along,
download the software from www.conitec.com. These tutorials include all elements
of game development such as modeling and animation, lighting, collision detection,
sound and scripting. Each tutorial will focus on one or more of these aspects. This
week we start out with creating a room and adding some objects to the room. The
instructions for this are presented below.
1 IMPORTING A MODEL
Importing a Model is easy and fun! Models can include your character, nonplayer characters, level objects, weapons, health supplies, etc. To make a
working entity in GameStudio, you must first import a 3D model and then
assign functions, or behaviors, to the model. These functions give models
unique properties. For example; if you import a model of an elf, you can
assign player functions to the model that will allow you to control the elf.
Likewise, if you import a health pack, the functions you assign to it will make
the model act like a health pack. Things can get really crazy if you assign
functions to models incorrectly! How funny would it be if you ran into the elf
and it healed you while you controlled the movement of a health pack!
Cite this article as follows: Rex Cason II, Erik Larson, Jonathan Robertson, Jonathan Frisch,
George Trice III, Dr. Lakshmi Prayaga: First Person Shooter Game Journal of Object
Technology,
vol.
7,
no.
1,
January-Februar
2008,
pp.
43
58
http://www.jot.fm/issues/issue_2008_01/column5
FIRST PERSON SHOOTER GAME
1. First open the WED (World Editor Program), and click Object Load
Entity
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2. It is very important that your model is saved into GameStudios Work

folder
This folder is usually under C:\Program Files\GStuido6\work this is
the default folder in the popup menu
3. From here, select your model and Click Open (open cbabe.mdl or
warlock.mdl)
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45
4. Notice that cbabe may be outside of your room. To get her within
the room, simply click the Move button (on the toolbar) and drag her
into the room. Be sure to examine all windows to make sure that shes
properly aligned
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5. Your model is now inserted into your level. Wow! That was easy! You
can now continue to move this model wherever you want it in your
level. You can resize and rotate it!
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47
2 ASSIGNING A FUNCTION/BEHAVIOR
Once you have the model in your level, you probably want it to do
something. In order for your model to have some sort of properties, you must
assign a function, or Behavior, to the model. To begin with, make sure that
you have assigned a script to the game that you are making. The script,
which is written in a programming language called C-Script, is what contains
all the variables, functions, and other bits of code that will add to making your
game awesome!
Code1.wdl
Open the SED (Script Editor) and copy & paste this code into it. Save the file
as "Code1.wdl" into the work folder (usually under "C:\Program
Files\GStuido6\work")
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
// Code1.wdl
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
path = "..\\template"; // path to wdl templates
subdirectory if you are in the Work folder
path = "..\\template_6"; // path to wdl templates_06
subdirectory if you are in the Work folder
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
include <movement.wdl>;
include <messages.wdl>;
include <doors.wdl>;
include <actors.wdl>;
include <menu.wdl>;
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
// The engine starts in the resolution given by the follwing
vars.
var video_mode = 8;
//1024x768;
var video_screen = 1;
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
// The MAIN function is called at game start
string mainLevel_wmb = <StudentGame.wmb>; // the main level
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
function main()
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{
start_game();
}
function start_game
{
render_inflate = 0.5;
anim_walk_dist = 2; // for the girl
anim_run_dist = 5;
walk_or_run = 10;
//// menubar_pan.visible = ON; // makes the menubar panel
invisible
// now load the level
load_level (mainLevel_wmb);
camera.ambient = 0;
camera_solidpass = 1;
through solids
TURB_SPEED = 0; //CG
}
// see camera light

// 3rd person camera can pass
function quit_game
{
exit;
}
ON_ESC quit_game;
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
// Desc: user controlled player
ACTION
my_player
{
my.fat = off;
my.narrow = on;
my.trigger_range = 24;
my._movemode = _mode_walking;
my._force = 0.75;
my._banking = -0.1;
my.__strafe = on;
my.__bob = on;
my.__trigger = on;
my.__fall = on;
my._health = 100;
ifdef std;
my.shadow = off;
drop_shadow();
ifelse;
// not std
ifdef extra;
my.shadow = off;
drop_shadow();
ifelse;
// not std, not extra
my.shadow = on; // shadow on comm or
above
endif;
VOL. 7, NO. 1
49
endif;
my.scale_x = 1.2;
my.scale_y = 1.2;
my.scale_z = 1.2;
player_walk();
}
1. To add a script to your game, click on File Map Properties
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2. A pop-up menu entitled Map Properties will appear. As you can see in
the Script Box, no script has been defined. To do this, click the Folder
icon to the right of the Script Box
3. A pop-up menu will open that defaults to the Work Folder. From
here, select the script file (".wdl") that contains the code for your game.
We will use "Code1.wdl"
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4. Now you will return to the Map Properties dialog box. As you can see,
the script file is now inside the Script Box
5. Then close this menu out simply by clicking the close button. Clicking
the red X to the right of the Script Box will remove the script you just
added to your game
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6. Now select the model that you want to add a Behavior to. When
selected, your model will appear in a red wire frame
7. Right-Click the selected model and choose Behavior
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8. A pop-up menu will appear. In this menu, you can select the Behavior
that you want your model to have. The Behaviors are described in your
script. For example, if you want your model to be the character that
you play as, choose my_player for a health pack, choose
health_pack, etc. You can customize any Behavior and even create
your own in the script. But for now, simply select my_player and press
OK
9. Your model now has the Behavior that you chose for it! See how easy
and fun that was? You now should have learned all the basic elements
of creating a game. If you want to Build and Run your game, you can
do so now!
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3 COMPILING AND RUNNING

In order to test a game out, it needs to be Compiled. Compiling takes all the
code, models, and levels that have been put together and converts it into a
language that the computer can readily understand: machine language!
Please take note that this doesnt create your executable file. This simply allows you
to run your game
1. First, Click the Build button
2. A pop-up menu will appear that lets you adjust what exactly you want
to compile or update. If youre just doing a quick test, make sure that
your Visibility Calculations and Light Calculations are set to Off and
Low Quality. This will dramatically reduce the time it takes to compile
your game. You shouldnt be able to see a difference between these
settings, and (for productivity purposes) you should wait to turn these
on until you have finished tweaking your game
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55
3. Make sure that the Build Level button is selected and click OK
4. A Map Compiler dialog box will appear and, depending on the

complexity of your game, the time it takes to compile your game will
vary
5. Click the Run button
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6. Click the Ok Button once more in the Run Level dialog box
7. Your game will now start! Now how have some fun!
Congratulations you now have all the basic skills to make your own game
using GameStudio! Now begin making your own fun games!
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57
About the authors

Rex Cason II has been working with Dr. Prayaga in the UWF Game Department for
the past few semesters. He currently possesses a Bachelors degree in Computer
Science and is working towards a Masters degree in Software Engineering at the
University of West Florida. Rex is also an active member in the Association of
Information Technology Professionals (AITP). In addition to his studies, Rex works
part time at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), where he is
currently working on developing software to coordinate the actions of semiautonomous robotic vehicles.
Erik Larson has been working with computers since he had purchased a cheap 386
IBM Compatible in 1995. In 1999, he entered the United States Marine Corps and
pursued a specialization in computers. Today he is working towards a Master's degree
in Software Engineering with the University of West Florida. He currently possesses
Bachelor's degrees in Information Technology and Computer Information Systems
with minors in Computer Science, Internet Technologies and e-Business also from the
University of West Florida. He is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi, Gamma Beta Phi,
and Upsilon Pi Epsilon Honors Societies.
Jonathan Robertson currently works at the Game Design Department of the
University of West Florida. A student of UWF as well, his studies is focused on the
field of Information Technology and Computer Science. His experience, though not
without focus, is spread out over most if not all areas of Game Design (including but
not limited to game development programming, art primarily limited to character
design, music, story development, statistical balancing, gameplay enhancement, and
minimal project management).
Jonathan Frisch is working for a degree in Digital Media and studying
animation/modeling itself and in games and movies. He hopes to get into the
animation/modeling field of game development or movie production. His ultimate
future goal is to be an independent film writer/director.
George Trice III is an Honors student double-majoring in Interdisciplinary
Information Technology: Digital Media and Art with a Digital Specialization. His
minor is in Communication Arts. He's been a gamer since age 5. Favorite game of all
time: Super Mario World
Dr. Lakshmi Prayaga has recently completed her ED.d program from the University
of West Florida. She has been actively working on the influence of games in
education. In partnership with Escambia county in Florida, she was awarded a $1.5
million grant from the Florida department of education to develop serious games for
7th and 8th graders for mathematics and its relation to real life careers. These games
will be implemented during this fall (2007). She is starting a gaming curriculum at the
University of West Florida, and some of her students are working on the tutorials for a
first person shooter game that will appear in the next few columns.
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VOL. 7, NO. 1

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JOURNAL OF OBJECT TECHNOLOGY

Vol. 7, No. 1, January - February 2008