Sustainable Design in Creative Industry Towards Better Human Life International Conference on Creative Industry 2011
Action Recognition System Using Finite State Machine for Support of Adaptive Reward System in an Elementary Student Education Game Hanny Haryanto1, Sugiyanto2, Ronny Haryanto3 Faculty of Computer Science, Dian Nuswantoro University Jalan Nakula I No.5-11, Semarang Phone : (024)3569196, Fax : (024)3569196 E-mail :
[email protected]), ,
[email protected])
Abstract— Nowadays, games or video games have become one of the most popular computer technologies for everyone, especially for the youngsters. Most youngsters spend their free time to play games. Therefore, games can be used as an effective education tool for elementary students, called education game. One of the fundamental and the most important element in a game is reward system. Recently, most games have implemented reward system by merely focusing to the results, not to the processes of achieving those results. We use finite state machine to build a reward system that has action recognition system to determine the rewards based on the actions of the player. The player will go through game by choosing certain actions in the game world. Those chosen actions will cause state transitions in the finite state machine that result in changes of behavior in the reward system. Index Terms— finite state machine, education game, action recognition, adaptive reward system.
I. INTRODUCTION Nowadays, computer software is developing rapidly. Kids are the biggest users of computer software [5], especially games. As we can see, games are mainly for entertainment purpose, but recently people started to see games not only to entertain but also to educate. That’s why now games are used to be a media for education [1], which is called education game. The whole purpose of using game as an education tool is to make studying more fund and entertaining. As we all know, studying can be pretty boring and tiring, especially for kids, and so we thought, “Why don’t we create something by which kids can play and learn at the same time”. One of basic element in games is reward. Reward is something that player receive as he/she do certain action. Mostly in games, the reward system is limited on whether the player reach the goal of the game or not, thus focused on the result, but not the process. The process of what the player did or did not to achieve the result. Finite state machine (FSM) is a method that is
implemented to build an adaptive reward system, which able to recognize and record player’s action, what the player did and did not, and then decide the reward(s) the player will receive depends on the player action to reach the goal. Each of player’s action will cause a state transition in FSM that will result in change of behavior of the reward system.
II. AIMS OF THE RESEARCH The aims of the research are to build an adaptive reward system which will recognize and record player’s actions to achieve the goal of the game, and based on those will decide what reward the player shall receive. The reward system recognize and record player’s actions using finite state machine, which each states will change according to player’s action to decide the reward(s). Therefore, the reward(s) depends on the player’s actions.
III. PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION Mostly in games, the reward system is limited on whether the player reachs the goal of the game or not, thus focused on the result, but not the process. The process of what the player did or did not to achieve the result. Different actions between one player to another will lead to the same result. It will cause the player to think that to achieve a result does not require proper actions. For an education game, a system reward that focused on the result and not on the process will cause children that play it will do anything possible, whether it is good or bad to achieve the result, thus receive the reward. Furthermore, a game with a non-adaptive reward system will become monotone and boring, because the reward will always be the same and predictable. That’s way we need a method to recognize and record the player actions. This way will prevent a monotone gameplay and give more variable
Sustainable Design in Creative Industry Towards Better Human Life International Conference on Creative Industry 2011
challenges to the player, because each action that the player made will result on different rewards.
IV. FINITE STATE MACHINE Finite State Machine is an abstract machine that is able to move between one state to others that have been defined before [3]. Finite State Machine will define the conditions that must be met to change states.
graphic, sound, and gameplay. Device that functions to give input to the game called game controller. Depends on the platform, each game controller has various form and function. In console platform, game controller has a form of joystick where it has several buttons lined up nicely, some are action buttons, and the others are direction buttons. In personal computer (PC) platform, game controller is keyboard or joystick that is connected to USB. As one form of multimedia, game has all elements of multimedia, that are text, picture, sound, and animation. Game is often categorized by its genre, but it can be also classified based on the depth of the gameplay or the level of difficulties, development process, target audience, and the purpose of the game.
A. Core games
Picture 1. Finite State Machine [3] According to picture 1, each state is illustrated by a circle. In picture 1, there are four states (Si, S1, S2 and S3). Transition between states is illustrated by an arrow (t1, t2, t3, t4 dan t5). FSM starts ini Si as the initial state. If condition t1 is met, then state Si will move to state S1. Therefore, each condition (t1, t2, t3, t4 dan t5) will cause state transition. At state Si, only condition t1 can cause state transition, at state S2 and S3, there are two conditions that can cause state transition.
V. GAME AND GAMEPLAY Game or video game is an electronic game media that involves interactions between player with the game interface to produce feedback in form of visual in the video device. Game is a different media compared to book and movie. Game has an interactive element where the player can take an active role in it, compared to book and movie where user acts passively. One of most important component from a game, that differentiate it from other media is it has gameplay. Gameplay is an interaction between player with the game through a set of rules, relation between player and the game, challenges and how to overcome those, plot or story. Gameplay is no same with graphic and sound component in the game. A game can have beautiful graphic, but if it not supported by a good gameplay it will not become a success. Gameplay is the most important element in the game, good gameplay will make a game interesting, and vice versa. A good game is a game that can balance each of its components, that are
Core games are one category of game that has a deep level of the gameplay, which means to play this game and to be proficient needs a lot of efforts. Development process of core games involves a lot of people and money. For a core game to have high quality is a must to be successful in the market. Core games target game lovers, who spend their to play game, therefore they need high quality games to satisfy them.
B. Casual games Contrary to core games, casual games have a simple gameplay, but although it’s simple it’s often very addictive. How to play this type of game can learned quickly in short span of time, also for inexperienced gamer can play this game well. Casual games are often called mini games. This type of game is targeted for everyone, ignoring their age or gender as entertainment purpose. Playing this type of game does not need a lot of time; therefore it is perfect for people who don’t have a lot of time.
C. Serious games Serious games are a type of game that is intended to be more than entertainment purpose only. Usually this game is used to be training tool or simulation, and can be used as advertisement of a product.
D. Educational games Educational games are game that is intended as education tools. This game’s content can have curriculum or study material from school so that the students will not bored when studying and able to understand the lesson well.
Sustainable Design in Creative Industry Towards Better Human Life International Conference on Creative Industry 2011
VI. ROLE PLAYING GAME Role Playing Game (RPG) is a type of game where the player plays a role as a fiction character in the game. In RPG, the player can play role as many type of characters, like ninja, magician, soldier, hero, hunter, etc. The player must complete the missions or quests and level up the character’s ability (like attack, defence, speed, etc) in the virtual world [8]. Picture 5 shows a RPG game called Golden Sun which is published for Game Boy Advance.
to the reward receiver. Good reward system will drive the player to keep desiring and working to obtain the rewards. Contrary, bad reward system will be easy to predict and the player will not be motivated enough to obtain the rewards, thus the player will have no motivation an goal in playing the game
Picture 3. An Example of Reward System
Picture 2. An Example of Game RPG
VII. GAME BASED LEARNING Game based learning [6] is a learning method which utilizes game application that is designed specifically to help student in studying. With game based learning, we can give stimulus to three important elements in learning process, that is emotion, intelligent, and psychomotor. Game based learning is suitable for the currently developing digital generation right now. There are three reasons: 1. Create fun and interesting study environment, thus will give more motivation to student. 2. Competition and cooperation factor in completing avaible missions or quests will also add motivation to students. 3. Fast and spesific feedback will make it easier for students to find solutions to complete the tasks or problems given. In general, game based learning is one method that can be implemented in learning process and of course conventional learning method can’t be left out. There must be a balance between conventional method and game based method.
VIII. REWARD SYSTEM Reward system can be defined as something given or received to give pleasureable effects to the receiver, which able to regulate and control emotion and behavior of the receiver (Wikipedia 2008). Reward system can also induces addictive behavior
As an example, we can look to picture 3, the reward system in Role Playing Game (RPG). The rewards can be money and experience point (exp). The purpose of those rewards is to tell the player that he/she has taken the right steps and to keep the player’s motivation and goals in playing the game. A few examples of reward in game:
A. Money Reward in form of money can be used to buy weapons or items in available shops. There will be many shops available to spend the money.
B. Level Reward in form of level increase. The higher level of one character in RPG, the stronger it is.
C. Ability Ability reward can be in form of new skill or magic, and increase of character’s status or parameter.
D. Story When player complete a mission or quest, he/she will progress the story. The story can have surprising, unpredictable plot and mystery that induce player’s curiosity. The story will regulate and control the player’s emotion.
E. Item After completing missions or defeating enemies, the player will receive an item(s) as reward. The harder the mission or enemies, the better item(s) the player will receive.
F. Place or Area The player will be able to access new places or areas in the game world. For example, as the player is progressing in the story or defeating enemy boss, the
Sustainable Design in Creative Industry Towards Better Human Life International Conference on Creative Industry 2011
player will gain access to new area with more powerful enemy and new items.
G. Perfection/Completion The player will feel satisfied to be able to complete one game completely. For example, to able to gather all secret items, the player will feel satisfied and it will be a reward for him/her.
H. Victory To wins againts enemy boss or strong enemies will be a different reward to the player. The player will feel great and satisfied to be able overcome strong enemies. Direct consequences from the player’s choices are Reward and Punishment (Fullerton, 2004). In general, players like reward more than punishment. That’s why the game developers focused on reward more than punishment. There are various type of rewards, but a good reward will add values or advantages in the game and induce addictive behavior. Players will have to do certain actions in the game to gain reward and do not to avoid the punishment. Reward aspect of the game gives challenges to the player and rewards will be given to the player who overcome those challenges (Feil, 2005). Players who have worked hard to complete the game must be given decent rewards. No dead end as a reward to player. When the player have to walk through a road, it has to lead to someplace important or interesting. This aspect is very important in a game, to keep the player’s fun and motivation in playing the game. Reward that is too easy to obtain will make player lose motivation, on contrary if the reward is too hard to obtain, it will make the player frustrated and confused if what he/she has done is right or wrong.
IV. GAME LEVEL DESIGN The first level is town, where the player starts his journey. In this town, the player will interact with the NPCs to gain informations and quests. There are 6 key NPCs and some additional NPCs. The role of the key NPCs is to provide quests and important informations to progress the story. Additional NPCs will only provide common knowledge and informations of the world in the game. The town contains buildings as villager's houses, park, town hall, and inn.
Sustainable Design in Creative Industry Towards Better Human Life International Conference on Creative Industry 2011
Figure 4. Town Another level is the main dungeon where the player will explore, battle monsters, and fight the boss to complete the game. The main dungeon is a jungle.Additional map is a map that will be unlocked
if the player meet certain conditions. It is an abandoned town where it contains empty houses and one big mansion. In this map, the player will battle monsters, and fight an optional boss in the mansion.
Figure 5. Dunge
Sustainable Design in Creative Industry Towards Better Human Life International Conference on Creative Industry 2011
item, then by helping NPC 3, 4, and 5, the player will get an ultimate weapon. Another way to get Ultimate weapon, if the player talk to secret NPC. There is one other way, that is by having all the party and completing all the quests. To get all the party, the player must talk to NPC 6. Therefore, the player's actions will determine the reward he will get.
X. FSM Reward system is started in initial condition where no reward is given to the player yet. Reward system will give a regular item to the player if he talk to NPC 1. If the player talk to NPC 1 once more, when he already has regular item, no reward will be given. If the player talk to NPC 2 and already has regular item, a regular weapon will be given to him. The player has to defeat all regular monster and reward system will give an ultimate
Talk to NPC 2
Give Regular Item
Give Regular Weapon Defeat all regular monsters
Talk to NPC 2 & Already have regular weapon Talk to NPC 2 & already have regular item & don’t Talk to NPC 1 & have regular weapon don’t have Regular Item Defeat all regular monsters & Already have Talk to NPC 1 & Already ultimate item have regular item Defeat all regular monsters & Already have regular weapon
Give Ultimate Item
No Reward
Initial condition
Start
Talk to NPC 6 & already have a party
Help NPC 3,4,5 & Already have ultimate item
Help NPC 3, 4 & 5
Help NPC 3,4,5 & Already have ultimate weapon
Talk to NPC 6
Add Party
Talk to Secret NPC
Complete all quests & Already have ultimate weapon
Talk to secret NPC & Don’t have ultimate weapon Complete all quests & Already have the party
Complete all quests
Figure 6. FSM of game rewards
Give Ultimate Weapon
Sustainable Design in Creative Industry Towards Better Human Life International Conference on Creative Industry 2011
Ending #3 Secret NPC has been added
Defeat final boss & talk to secret NPC
Ending #2
Add Secret NPC Defeat the optional boss
Complete all quests
No Reward
Add Optional Boss
Defeat final boss
Defeat final boss and optional boss without talking to secret NPC
Ending #1 Figure 7. FSM of game events
Reward system will also control the flow of the game events based on player's actions. Start from no reward state, then the state will change to add optional boss state if the player completes the required condition by clearing all quests available. After that, an event secret NPC will appear if the player defeats the optional boss. By defeating final boss the state will change to ending #1 state, defeating final boss and optional boss without talking to secret NPC will change to ending #2 state, and by defeating final boss and talking to secret NPC the state will change to ending #3.
XI. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE WORK Player's actions in the game will be recognized by reward system to determine which reward that will be given to the player. Different actions will lead to different rewards. Player can decide to complete the game quickly without doing certain actions, but the rewards he will receive of course will be different if he complete the game and also do certain actions. Finite State Machine will recognize simple and finite actions, that have been defined in states.
For the next research, we plan to develop an action recognitions, where the system able to recognize actions with uncertainty factors so the reward will be hard to predict by the player.
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Sustainable Design in Creative Industry Towards Better Human Life International Conference on Creative Industry 2011
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