Use Cases

Use Cases are tools employed to express the players interaction with different aspects of the game. They can be individual cases focusing one specific aspect of interaction such as Player Input or they can be generalised focusing on multiple aspects. Overall they aid the designer by allowing them focus on what the player has to do and as such help in the development process.

Below are four individual use cases focusing on Player Input, Game Object Interaction, Display System and Audio Interaction. They are all based on the Multiplayer Mode of the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. They will display information on the player interactions with the game under the circumstances of a basic team death match.

Game Concept:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Modern Warfare involves the player taking control of a rookie solider in the standard first person shooter perspective. The player must then use accurate modern day weapons and explosives in a run and gun routine to stop terrorists in a variety of unique locations, to bring a nuclear emergency to a halt. The game will allow the player to use sophisticated air support, such as AH-1 Cobra Choppers and UAV‘s. Players will be able compete in online matches against one and other, earning rank depending upon their performance. The game will boast advanced realism in both graphics and Gameplay.

Use Cases:

Player Input

This use case represents the players input, it shows all the main actions a player can perform during an online match and what input activates them. It doesn’t only allow the developer to visualise a players role but can also be used as a controller map when implementing the control methods.

Game Object Interaction

This use case represents the game object interaction, it shows all the main interactions between the player and the Gameplay system. Sections of the Gameplay system include the environment, interactions being collisions and such, enemy players, interactions being them shooting at the player for example and the games conditions, interactions being the player killing an enemy and gaining points for their team.

Display System

This use case represents the display system, it shows all of the main items that will be displayed to the player during an online match. These items can range from dynamic 3D graphics such as character models, to static graphics such as buildings and objects and even to menu’s the player may have to navigate.

Audio Interaction

This use case represents the audio interaction, it shows all of the main audio elements that the player will either trigger or automatically listen to when playing. There are several different audio elements present in games, such as background music applied to in-game menu’s or special effects triggered by the player such as the sound gunfire when shooting, and even environment effects such as the sound of the wind and rain.