Author: Lars Engel

InnoGames Techblog Post

Lars Engel

As I switched focusses of used programming technologies quite often during my job at InnoGames, I gathered quite a lot of insights what are the most effective ways of getting into a new technology.

To share my experiences and explain my methods of learning programming languages I wrote a post on the InnoGames Techblog. The InnoGames Techblog is a blog maintained by the developers of InnoGames and can be used to share knowledge inside and outside of the company. Each month one new post is written by an employee of the company.

You can read the post here: How to become a better software developer by learning the programming languages you use

New Project – Pen and Paper Podcast

Lars Engel

My latest project is this time something completely different. I am part of a team that is working on a so called “Pen and Paper Podcast”.

The basic idea is to post process the audio recording of a round of pen and paper by stripping off boring parts and adding sound effects and ambient sounds and music.

We are a team of ten people consisting of graphic designers, web designers, story tellers, speakers and a narrator. Everybody is working with a lot of commitment and heart on the project to make it as good as possible.

Check out our website to get more information about Brooks Vermächtnis!

InnoGames Game Jam #11

Lars Engel

The near future… the year 3000. The world is invaded by smombies. Since everyone is looking at their smartphones all the time, the driving tests have been adjusted: Learner driver have to write messages on their phone while they drive! Will you pass the test and qualify as a citizen on earth in the 31th century? Find it out!

You will need your PC and your Smartphone to play this game. No app is needed you can play the game in your smartphone browser.

Information

Game title: “Smombie Driver“

Space of time: 28/11/2016 – 30/11/2016

Coding Language: Unity 3D (Game) + Meteor (App)

Team: 9 people

Background: Developed in 48 hours at the InnoGames Game Jam #11.

Theme: Serious Games

Game (Computer): Windows | OSX | Linux

App (Open URL on Smartphone):  http://smombie-driver.herokuapp.com/

Dice and Drink

Lars Engel

You’re at a party with your friends and looking for the perfect game to get drunk? DICE&DRINK is the solution! This game combines the most important features a drinking game needs: It’s fun, it’s risky and you can show your buddies who’s the boss. Play it at a house party, while queueing up for a concert or on a big family celebration. Yes, even your parents will love it. Maybe.

DICE&DRINK is a drinking game where the players need to roll a higher or lower value depending on the direction of the round. But be careful: If you don’t succeed you’ll have to drink!

Information

Game title: “Dice and Drink“

Space of time: 01/2017 – 03/2017

Technology used: Unity 3D

Team: 2 people

Get it on Google Play

Dice and Drink released

Lars Engel

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My good friend Lukas and I released our very first app for Android on the 25th of March to the Google Play Store!

It is a drinking game we developed. After developing the game as a dice game with real dices, we decided to make a digital version out of the game.

We developed the game with Unity 3D in a time frame of about three months. While Lukas did the animations I did the programming part in the project.

Check the game out in the Google Play Store!

Global Game Jam 2017

Lars Engel

title screen

In the game “The popular Wave” the player takes over the role of the president of a country. One of the responsibilities of the president is to travel through the country and hold speeches in front of the people. Unfortunately not everyone seems to be enjoying the words of the president as much as he wishes. How would the press react if the people at a speech of our beloved president are not fully enthusiastic about his words? Better motivate the people to keep waving by giving them a persuasive gaze.

The game was designed for the eye tracking system Tobii Eyex which made it possible to play the game only by looking at the screen. However the game can also be played with a standard mouse.

Information

Game title: “The popular Wave“

Space of time: 20/01/2017 – 22/01/2017

Technology used: Unity 3D + Tobii Eyex (eye tracking system)

Team: 7 people

Background: Developed in 48 hours for the Global Game Jam 2017.

Theme: Wave

Downloads: Windows | Linux | OSX | Android

Link: Global Game Jam Site

 

Winner of the Community Vote at IGJAM #10

Lars Engel

intro

From the 28th to the 30th of November I attended the 10th InnoGames Game Jam at the office in Hamburg. With a team of six (three artists and three developers) I developed a Point and Click Adventure with a story about the theme “Time Cheating“. We had a lot of fun creating the game.

On Sunday the games of all participants (more than 150) were presented. Afterwards, in a time frame of 48 hours, all participants could vote for their favorite game. We are really happy that we could get the most votes to become the “winner” of the IGJAM 10.

InnoGames Game Jam #10

Lars Engel

intro

Tales of Toast and Time is a Point and Click Adventure Game, which follows the journey of a young man on his quest to prepare breakfast for his loved one. Unfortunately his cooking skills are questionable, resulting in the creation of a distortion in time and space. Through the wrap-hole he can travel to what would have been his appartment in the past and what will be there in the future. Why not take that chance to find the perfect breakfast ingredients? See for yourself what this this mans cooking skills can create when defying the laws of time!

Information

Game title: “Tales of Toast and Time“

Space of time: 28/11/2016 – 30/11/2016

Coding Language: Unity 3D + Adventure Creator

Team: 6 people

Background: Developed in 48 hours at the InnoGames Game Jam #10.

Theme: Time cheating

Conception and Development of an Artificial Intelligence for an Online Multiplayer Game

Lars Engel

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is an important topic for video games. It can be used to simulate human-like behavior for non-player characters (NPCs). NPCs can be used to create opponents in a game or to enhance the universe of a game. Introducing NPCs in a competitive strategy game can help to improve the long time play value of the game. NPCs could, for example, be used to implement in-game events, where players have to ally to defeat an NPC. Additionally, a computer program acting like a human player could be used to perform real-life server load tests to check if changes in, for example, database queries have an effect on the performance of the game, before they go into production mode.

This thesis discusses the conception and development of the first artificial intelligence for the game Grepolis. In this project, different strategies for artificial intelligence in video games, with a focus on decision making, are evaluated how good they to the game. Important questions concerning the implementation of artificial intelligence in video games are asked and answered for this project. A concept for an artificial intelligent NPC for the game Grepolis is built and implemented. Finally an evaluation is done to prove that the implemented solution corresponds to the requirements of the project.

After completing the project, InnoGames has a functional artificial intelligence for the game Grepolis that simulates human-like behavior. The developed solution uses the well known decision making techniques decision trees, state machines and goal oriented behavior to create a new way of decision making.

Information

Space of time: 02/2016 – 09/2016

Coding Language: PHP

Team: alone

Background: Master thesis during my work as a working student at InnoGames

Report: Click here