iBusiness, 2013, 5, 64-67
doi:10.4236/ib.2013.51b014 Published Online March 2013 (http://www.scirp.org/journal/ib)
Copyright © 2013 SciRes. IB
Analysis and Design of Main Roles in Educational Games
about Forestry Basic Knowledge
Min Qiu, Ruigai Li, MingSheng Chen
College of Information and Computer Engineer, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.
Email: 2362695085@qq.com, Lirg751@163.com, 584965461@qq.com
Received 2013
ABSTRACT
With the progress of the game production technology, educational games become a developing trend in the field of
education. As the soul of the game, the role of the game to a large extent influences the effect of educational games.
This paper details the analysis and design process of roles about forestry basics educational games. According to the
various elements of the project needs and virtual environments, ultimately the roles are divided into the main role, as-
sisted role and the role of attack, and detailed design for all kinds of roles.
Keywords: Educational Game; Character Analysis; Role Design
1. Introduction
Educational game is an electronic game both game fea-
tures and educational function. Through the game educa-
tional background structure virtual scenarios and design
plot. Excellent educational games need to balance the
relationship between the education and entertainment.
Answer questions from the respective disciplines in the
course of play, players score and clearance, and ulti-
mately achieve the purpose of growth in the knowledge
of the play process. Therefore, the role of educational
games and plot design is to determine a key part of the
quality of the game. The distinctive appearance of the
unique role and realism, fascinating story attracted many
players of all ages and sought after.
This article relying on Project 2012 annual national
Undergraduate innovative projects” Interactive Forestry
basics learning software design”. Aims to design a learn-
ing software of forestry basics. Mainly based on the
characteristics of the various forest ecosystems, such as
the use of the biological characteristics of the dominant
tree species to design game characters and design the
virtual environment of the game based on the principles
of landscape design. In the course of the game players
understand forestry basics, Enhance feelings of the forest
ecosystems internal various biological, cultivate forest
protection awareness and achieve harmony with nature.
Game software design can attract young people to the
forest science and other related fields and even love, and
think of forestry development and the country's future
sustainable development.
2. The Type of Game
With the vigorous development of the game industry, the
game has become another hot topic of today's society,
flooded with a wide variety of games in front. Today's
main game type the following five[1]:
(1)Action Game: Players to control game characters
with a variety of weapons to destroy. (2)Simulation
Game: The players use the strategy with the computer or
other players contest to obtain various forms victory.
(3)Real-Time Strategy Game: The players in the game
in order to achieve victory, we must stop operating, be-
cause the "enemy" is also engaged in similar operations.
(4)Music Game: In order to develop the players of the
music sensitivity, and enhance music perception.
(5) Role Playing Game: In the game players play one
or several roles, and It has the complete story, emphasis
on plot development and personal experience, with up-
grades and skills growth factor. It is the most popular
game types.
Role Playing Game is characterized by its coherent
plot as clues. Players will experience the story as the hero
in the play. In order to fully understand the plot or the
completion of the production design goals the players
must follow the story as it develops. The meantime will
interspersed with some of the obstacles or tasks, players
only crack all obstacles in order to achieve the ultimate
goal. The greatest advantage of this model is to make the
players have a real sense of the experience in the virtual
world, game designers also stay out of the endless
imagination. Therefore, the game use RPG game mode to
design. The Forestry Knowledge is arranged the film's
Analysis and Design of Main Roles in Educational Games about Forestry Basic Knowledge
Copyright © 2013 SciRes. IB
65
plot legitimately and interestingly. The players have the
desire to acquire knowledge, and thus achieve the pur-
pose of the course.
3. Classification of Role and Positioning of
Game
As the soul of the game, roles not only throughout the
game's plot the whole way and play a very important role
in the game, but also is what players concerned about.
How to shape a charming, impressive role is the key of
design a successful game[2]. The game as a purpose to
promote the forestry knowledge of RPG game, according
to the project requirements and forest ecological charac-
teristics extraction results for game design, the game's
main role is divided into the following two types:
(1)PC (Player Character), players control role, is play-
ers responsible for controlling the debut figures. For the
players, the role of the sense of identity is very important,
the virtual character of the players in the game.
(2)NPC (Non Player Character), non-player control a
character, commonly known as a passerby. The main role
is to interact with the players, including the account of
tasks, provide clues powerful BOSS. This project there
are two mainly kinds of NPC characters: assisted NPC
and attack NPC.
Different types of games decided po sitioning and style
of the game character, the project belongs to the Forestry
basics class educational games, in the role design process,
the main idea of designing is based on role appearance,
personality characteristics, identity, artistic style, and
many other aspects of the game character design, design
style highlights the natural style, realistic[3]. Character
design from the following aspects:
Appearance--We do our utmost to integrate natural
elements into the appearance design of actors. Such as
the design of a tree wizard, the tree trunk made into its
body, leaves abstract as hair.
Physical characteristics-- Designed in accordance with
the habits of the animal and plant itself character. The
major aggressor image wolf brutal werewolves design
into bloody ferocious. Designed according to the charac-
teristics of the banyan tree age long figure who trained,
intelligent image of aging and so on.
Identity-- The identity of the various roles designed
according to the principle of living things in nature al-
lelopathy. Strang ling vine attached to the trees grow, and
eventually kill the host, so I designed it as the image of
the monster.
Artistic style-- The role artistic style divided into the
type of cute, realistic, and extrasensory. Considered out
of the game background and game types, the main game
character design cartoon realism type.
4. Design and Implementation of Main Roles
of Game
Excellent game role is the role of the high reliability,
enabling players to produce immersive personal experi-
ence [4]. Major roles and their characteristics are as fol-
lows:
4.1. Hero
Name: Ling Che Gender: M Age: 18
Physical characteristics: The boy looks handsome, tall
and handsome. Ling Che's clothing, ordinary style, but
compact design, and is very consistent with the public
aesthetic. The clothing detail design delicate, such as
linen clothes, shoulders fur, the right hand with the arch-
ery with the armband gloves, and belt patterns, maximize
reflects his growing environment and identity.
Story background: Ling Che had grown up in a small
mountain village, together with his father practicing
medicine. The way once herbs in the mountains, Ling
Che unfortunately hit by torrential rain, trapped in the
mountains more than half. Unexpectedly, he goes down,
to see the village littered with corpses. Original over the
years the villagers do not know how to maintain the eco-
logical balance, and wantonly destroying the ecology.
Finally they were punished by nature. Ling Che took the
ancestral prescription, determined to find a cure, to save
the people.
Character attributes: Character level in the game is di-
vided into three. Hero increase wealth and experience
through finishing the task, and supplementary items in
the backpack.
Tasks Classification: The main task is divided into ad-
venture and access. Adventure tasks include exploration
and beat monsters. Access tasks are competitive answer
of forestry basics. The degree of difficulty of the task
increases as the level increased.
Physical value: Each level are the initial physical val-
ues, normal walking, complete the task process, combat
process will consume different physical values, when the
physical value is too low, he cannot carry out the task,
when death is equal to zero. Through the normal supply
of food and drugs can enhance physical strength values.
Health value: Each level are the initial health value,
under normal circumstances don't consume health value,
when encounter attack healthy consumption values, such
as consumption was bitten by a pig monster, hurt by tree
strange poison consume two points. When the health
value too low cannot carry out the task, zero death,
through the drug can promote health values.
Wealth value: can be provided through the system of
small tasks to earn gold, use coins to buy ordinary food,
drug, experience and weapons and equipment, etc.
4.2. Assisted NPC
The assisted NPC roles that designed for this system
mainly extract representative species with little ATK
Analysis and Design of Main Roles in Educational Games about Forestry Basic Knowledge
Copyright © 2013 SciRes. IB
66
from various forest ecosystem, such as arbor, shrub, and
precious herbal. According to their ecological habits, it
designs the assisted NPC roles, such as Banyan tree fairy,
small Ginseng goblin, Blueberry elves, small Schisandra
elves, Bamboo sister Manchurian ash grandfather and so
on. They don’t have ATK, as the assisted roles of the
system, they mainly have the function which can interact
with the players, including explain the task, provide clues,
answer difficulties and so on. Some assisted roles and
their features are as follows.
Banyan Tree Fairy
Appearance characteristics: The lush treetop turns into
the brain full of wisdom. According to its “one tree be-
comes forest” character, its plate-like root turn into the
beard and the beard can stretch as the weapon to attack
enemies. At the same time, according to the character of
its longevity, it is designed as a wise man. The light of
wisdom is always flashing in its eyes.
Appearance Background: The clever and big banyan
tree will appear as a role which can assist the adventure
of protagonist. When the protagonist goes through some
unsolvable problems in the adventure, he can consult the
clever banyan tree, but the protagonist need gain definite
wealth in return. At the same time, it also can become a
role as the existence of conveying knowledge for us.
Fish Elves
Appearance characteristics: For the overall image of
fish, the place in detail do some exaggerated. Such as
huge colorful fish, clever eyes, etc . In a word, fish elves
give a person a kind of a group of lively and lovely chil-
dren feeling.
Appearance Background: Fish fairy appeared in the
lakes, the hero help fish elves to complete the task, they
reach the shore hint hero method.
The mode of “Mining lotus song” task is as follows.
The mode name: Mining lotus song. The level of task
is One-level, the aid of task is help the fish elves find the
lotus, gain the lonus and improve its magical power. The
system will reward 20 values of wealth, 20 values of ex-
perience an d the lonus which worth 50 coins.
Figure 1. Program flow chart.
Figure 2. Auxiliary strategy flow chart.
Main dialog is as follows.
Fish elves: I need lonus to improve my magical power,
but because of the limit of area, I can’t arrive there. If
you can help me get the lonus, I will give you some re-
ward in retu rn.
Protagonist: OK, I will help you get the lonus.
4.3. Assisted NPC
The offensive NPC roles that designed for this system
mainly extract the plant and animal species with the of-
fensive characteristics from the forest ecosystem. The
roles are designed depend on ecological habits. There are
werewolf, tiger goblin, cannibal tree goblin, flower mon-
ster and so on. They have attack power. As the offensive
roles of the system, they mainly have these functions:
attacking players, avoiding players to complete task and
preventing players pass the checkpoints. Some offensive
roles and their characteristics are as follows.
Pig Monsters
Appearance Characteristics: It likes pig and also likes
man, it has the sharp tusks , but it can walk as a man.
Appearance Background: The murderous and cruel pig
monsters appear in the mountain when Ling Che looking
for the elixir. The protagonist will meet with the pig
monsters at the necessary road to mountain. As the
guardian of the elixir, pig monsters don’t allow anyone to
encroach on the elixir. They spread cruel attack against
Ling Che and pledge kill him at here. Ling Che struggles
with the pig monsters witho ut co nsider h is life, he k ill th e
pig monsters and pick up the elixir.
Human property: The value of life is 300, the pig mon-
sters will die when the value of life under 0. Main meth-
ods are pig monsters tusks’ attack. The attack success can
let the protagonist’s value of physical ability and health
decreases 40. The attack strategy of pig monsters is at-
tacking the protagonist appear within 30 meters distance
from pig monsters. The protagonist can get the elixir
when he defeat the pig monsters, and he also can gain 80
values of wealth, 80 va lues of exp er ienc e and th e tusk s of
pig monster whi c h w orth 60 coins .( Figure 3)
Analysis and Design of Main Roles in Educational Games about Forestry Basic Knowledge
Copyright © 2013 SciRes. IB
67
Figure 3. Attack strategy flow chart.
Tree Monster
Appearance characteristics: Depending on the strangle
rattan in nature, its main part is a huge tree. It can devour
the things close to it by swinging its petals. At the same
time, it can secrete poisonous mucus to poison the other
living beings.
Appearance Background: The tree monster queens it
over in the mountain. It destroys the zoology, even de-
vours the elixir which Ling Che needs. Ling Che must
kill the tree monster if he wants to get the elixir.
Attack Strategy: The tree attacks by crushing its head,
swinging its leaves and twine its root. Once the enemies
are twined by it, the tree monster will try its best to twine
them body tightly till they die. The most terrible thing is
the poison of the tree monster. Once the players touch it,
they will appear some symptom, such as headache, lack-
ing in strength, even lead to the value of health decrease
quickly.
The design for the roles of this project uses the 3ds
max products of American company which named as
Autodesk as the main entertainment for design. In the
proceeding of the design of roles, the project uses Photo-
shop CS5 of American company which named as Adobe
as the assisted develop tools(Figure 4).
5. Conclusion
This paper describes the design of the game character.
This game character design closely combining the pur-
pose and meaning of the game. Design the game of vir-
tual environment and the experience of the main charac-
ters. Auxiliary role type designed according to the char-
acteristics of the virtual environment and the elements
properties. Role in the design process takes into account
various factors. Whether it is clothing or behavior proph-
ecy, it has his unique personality; players can easily dis-
tinguish and discern his identity. In order to make the
a b
c d
Figure 4. The roles of the game: (a) Hero Ling Che; (b) Fish
elves; (c) Pig Monster; (d) Tree Monster.
role of the image of more fullness, this game for all kinds
of characters is endowed with more plots and background
of the story. Based on detailed analysis combined with
the status of the corresponding technology enable the
game to become a good educational game of forestry
basics.
6. Acknowledgment
This paper is Sup p orted by two project s:
(1)National Undergraduate Innovation Plans in 2012
201210225064: Design of Interactive Educational
Software about Forestry Base Knowledge;
(2) The "Twelfth Five-Year" Planning Issues about
Higher Education Scientific Research from Institute of
Higher Education in Heilongjiang Province:HGJXH
C110420: The Empirical Study on the WebQuest &
CDIO Teaching Mode in the Teaching Practice.
REFERENCES
[1] Jim Thompson, Barbados than • Burbank Green, Nick •
Fidel worth (A), Zhang Kaigong,the game design basis
curriculum [M]. Shanghai: Shanghai People's Fine Arts
Publishing House.2008.
[2] Yun Runwei, Dong Jie Network game planning tutorial
[M]. Beijing: mechanical industry publishing house. 2009.
[3] Qi Jianghua The spirit of the game - discuss game char-
acter design [J]. Science and technology information.
2009, 46-48.
[4] Jonathan S.Harbour, Chen Zheng, Fu Xin Introduction to
game programming [M]. Beijing: mechanical industry
publishing house. 2009.