Environments for Games - Interactive Level

Here are the results for Project B - Interactive Level for my Environments for Games course at SCAD for my MFA.

Thesis:

You awake in a crypt with no apparent way out; your memory is fuzzy, and how you came to be in this crypt is a mystery.  Finding a way out seems like the best idea, who knows how long you can stay sane trapped in a crypt.  This is the first of several trials to save your soul from being trapped in the underworld forever; can you survive the crypts trials and be granted the blessing of the gods? 

Back Story:

In life you were a great warrior, worthy of the gods’ attention; but it has been centuries since you have walked the physical realm.  Disturbed and awaken from the dead to compete in an arena of champions throughout the ages.  A contest to end the bickering of the gods and to prove once and for all, not only who was the greatest warrior to ever exist, but when.  Before you are to be forfeited to the gods for their entertainment, you will have to overcome The Trials to prove that you are worthy of the arena and the battle for eternal glory.

Synthesis:

The player will be rewarded the sword and shield that they must find to finish the crypt’s trials.  The idea would be that this is part of a larger campaign or world in an adventure RPG.  So the sword would be special in some way, i.e. extra magical damage, required for a quest.  The buildup in difficulty and defeating the boss skull is another form of reward, and will offer closure on the trials and give logical conclusion to advancing in the game/level.  This will also help the player gain a better understanding of the character’s controls and actions.  These factors will offer the player a reward greater than the risks of the level making sure they do not feel cheated upon completing the objectives.

Antithesis:

A continuous buildup of challenge, interaction, and difficulty will drive objectives the player must overcome in the level.  To allow the player to get familiar with the controls the first conflict is a simple objective of finding an object in the scene and placing it in a location in the scene.  Although this may be the easiest objective as far as skill is required, it is probably the hardest when it comes to problem solving skill.  From there the player’s next set of tasks result in challenging the player's skill at moving the character on the screen and developing those skill sets.  Building from previous knowledge of using the character controller.  The next set of challenges includes dodging traps and enemies but also act as a tutorial on how to use the newly acquired shield.  The final set of objectives, the boss area, will include combat with basic AI.  The player will have to use their skills with movement, blocking, and timing their attacks to kill the enemy AI.  The final challenge is a boss skull with the ability to hit you at range increasing the level of difficulty once again for the final battle of the crypt.

This sets a nice slow but steady learning curve in the level.  It will help build the players skill but keep them challenged the entire time and increasing the entertainment value of the gameplay. 

Interactivity Breakdown:

You will start off in a crypt and you will have to find a way to unlock the door.  To do this you have to offer a prayer offering to the gods overseeing the crypt. You will have to find a piece of gold in the crypt, pick it up and place it in the offering plate.  This will unlock the door.  

Once you unlock the door you head upstairs and down a long hallway to a circular room with a larger statue in it.  When you enter the room the wall behind you will close.  You can then interact with the statue and it will turn to the east wall the wall will open.

Once through the wall, a series of swing blade traps and fire traps will activate, the player must make their way down to the end and retrieve a shield.  Once done the traps will stop, and the player will have a shield equipped that they will be able to block with.  You will return to interact with the statue again.

This time the statue will turn to the west wall, the wall will open and the last wall will close.  Once the player walks through the wall it will activate a series of flaming skulls being launched the hall.  The player can dodge or block (using the shield) to make their way down the hallway.  At the end the player will retrieve a sword and the skulls will stop spawning.  Once again the character will return to interact with the statue.

This time the statue will turn to the north wall, a wall will open and the other wall will close.  When the player goes through the wall, the wall will close behind them, and the wall in front of them will open reviewing another round room.  Once the player enters the room, three flaming skulls will spawn and attack the player.  The player can attack back with the sword or block with the shield, once the three skulls are defeated a new flaming skull will spawn.  Once all the skulls are defeated you win and will be allowed to exit the crypt.

Concept Work:

Environments for Games - Project A

Here are the final results for my crypt scene in Unity3D.  I had a lot of fun and really had to push myself to get this project completed in three weeks.  I hope you enjoy the results!

The Crypt Asset Models

Unity3D Screenshots

Environments for Games - Project A Week 2

Here is an update on my progress for my environment / level.  I have changed direction slightly, I am no longer building the scene for my old skeleton character.  Instead I will be using it, or forcing it into, the current game concept I am working on.  So I will be going for a more realistic feel with the textures and lighting.  Worked hard to produce most of the assets I need for the environment.  I have them modeled and unwraped but still need to create the materials and textures for the objects.  I also have an update to the Unity build.  It has been a busy week but I am more than happy with the results I am getting.  I hope you enjoy!

Unity3D Build Status:

Environments for Games - Project A Week 1

I have started another quarter at SCAD and I am taking the Environments for Games course.   I plan on really rocking out on the projects for this class this quarter, and I though it would be nice to keep a track of my progress.  The first project was to create a room... I will be working on a crypt in Unit3D.  Here are the results for week one: a perspective concept drawing and the scene laid out in Unity.  There is also a small right up explaining the why's of the design.

For Project A, a room, I will be creating a crypt.  I do want the scene to be slightly stylized, think 10-15% cartoonish feel, that way it will match an old skeleton character I created years back.  I have had thoughts of turning him into a game character and this project gives me an opportunity to set up his dwelling.

I will need to convey to the player that they are underground in the environment.  I plan on getting this info across in several ways.  The first and most obvious is the staircase with a door placed at the top of the ascending stairs.  To push the illusion further the door will be horizontal, not vertical, to help connect the door with a basement/cellar door.  This will also eliminate the possibility in the layers mind of the door leading to a second story and not the ground floor.  The second tactic to push the player underground will be to place air vents (acting as windows) near the top of the walls giving the illusion that the walls are sunken down.  And lastly the lack of real windows in the architecture helps solidify the fact that you are in an underground crypt.

I also want you to feel like you are in the basement of a much larger complex.  One way I plan on achieving this through the use of “window” objects.  There are several extrusions into the walls of the crypt; long rectangular cutouts for the dead and smaller cylindrical concave cutouts for idols and prayer offerings.  This will give the walls of the structure the illusion of thickness and the ability to support the massive building above it.  The ceiling was designed using multiple interconnecting arches, helping to support the illusion that this foundation can support the structure above.  It also helps drive the eye upwards into the concave vaults, giving the illusion of extra space in the cramped quarters of the crypt and ultimately leading the player’s eye to their current goal; to find the way upward to the rest of the level/game.

At the polar end of the players start, his “bed”, there is a large concave section of the room.  This is designed to help pull the player across the room and start the exploration process.  In doing so the player will find the hallways leading to the stairs and ultimately to the exit of the crypt.

Biped 101: Basic Keyframing in Character Studio

Biped 101 - Basic Animation Workflow

Here is a video of a demonstration I did during a lecture.  It follows a workflow I have developed over time to avoid common issues when animating in character studio.  Below is the written breakdown of the process I use to animate the biped, taken from the very first post on 34Bit.  I hope you enjoy.

Ralph Apgar's 4 1/2 Step Process for Key Framing in Character Studio

*Using this process involves using the Key Info rollout in Character Studio to record the keys. Do not use Auto Key or Set Key.
Step 1 -> 3: Setting the Tracks
The Tracks are located in the Character Studio Rollouts


Step 1: Select Track "Body Horizontal", Position the character along the X and Y axis. Record the key from the Key Info rollout.  You need to realize that once you select any track you now have the Bip selected. The Tracks are how you move the biped in world space.


Step 2: Select Track "Body Vertical", Position the character along the Z axis. Record the key from the Key Info rollout.


Step 3: Select Track "Body Rotation", Rotate the character along the X,Y, and Z axis. Record the key from the Key Info rollout.

Step 4: Position your character into its proper pose. Once you have the desired look select the whole biped minus the Bip. To do this double click on the pelvis. If you have objects linked to the biped that don't belong, sword, shield, and object that isn't part of the original config, you will need to unselect those objects. If so make a selection set for easy selecting in the future. Next, Record the keys from the Key Info rollout.


Step 4 1/2: Choose your Planted, Free, and Sliding Keys. In the Key Info rollout you have some other key framing options that just normal key frames. The Planted Keys, used to plant feet and hand in world space. Sliding keys, used similar to Planted Keys but allow for slight movement. Free Keys are used to replicate a normal key. This step is about deciding what keys are your planted keys and what keys need t be free keys. For example, if your character is walking the foot that supports your characters weight will be the planted key frame, while on the other hand the foot that is in motion is a Free Key.