GreyBox

I used the level map from my propsal to build the level in CAD software Google SketchUp

I have created the first greybox of the level. i used google sketchup to create the outer walls of the level and then imported the file into 3ds maxs to make aesthetic changes to the level i.e adding a balcony to the library. 

  

Over the next few days i will import the level into unity and begin adding assets for the full grey box to be complete.

Design Clarity and Changes

Upon receiving  feedback on my initial dissertation proposal I have decided to make the following changes:

• The will now be 1st person. Although i still feel that a 3rd person camera would create a better aesthetic atmosphere, the player will become more immersed in gameplay from a 1st person viewpoint. In my feedback there were worries that i was undertaking too much with this project. By having the game 1st person  it cuts out 3d modelling the main character and animating the character. i will also save time on having to code a 3rd person camera in unity as a 1st person character controller is built in. 
• As i am creating quite a large environment that will be made of up of a variety of asset, it was also pointed out that this will be a large undertaking in the time frame i have. to solve this i have decided that i will make some of the assets myself, but i will largely source 3rd party assets from websites like http://thefree3dmodels.com/stuff/furniture/leather_chair/12-1-0-3560. this will cut the work load down considerably. this allows me alot more time to iterate gameplay and implement new features if necessary.    
• My project timeline is a bit vague on what tasks i will be undertaking during each sprint. i have decided to completely revise this.I need to refine my project timeline into 1/2 week sprints so i can break down the workload into tasks so i stay on track. I dont want to fall behind in development because my timeline is unspecified. i could easily fall into the trap of thinking 'i have time...'  just because I haven't set myself consistent milestones to keep myself disciplined and on track.         

Production timeline

Project milestones

The way I will manage this project will be to use a combination of agile and waterfall development processes. I will use the waterfall milestones for setting out what will be required to be delivered at certain development stages. I will use agile and scrum methodology to help me manage what I am doing in between these milestones.

Milestone 1 – design

By the 1^st December I intent to have the design finalized as well as a fully iterated grey box of the level ready for review. This will consist of one sprint.

Milestone 2 – Technical development

By the 25^th January I am intending to code the grey box fully and have the mvp version of this game ready for review. This will consist of two sprints. 

Milestone 3 - art asset development and integration

 By the 11^th March I intent to have refined my already grey boxed art assets and to implemented new ones with the code. This will consist of two sprints. 

Milestone 4 – testing and refinement

I will use this time to fully test and polish my game. This includes the creation of menus and sounds. This will be done by the 19^th April. This will consist of one sprint.

26^th April – 17^th May contingency time

I will keep this time as contingency in case any issues arise during the production process. I will also use it as extra testing time to ensure my game is market appropriate. 

Rationale

Rationale

I intend to make for my dissertation a working piece of game play that will not only show my strong design skills but also demonstrate that I am competent across the development pipeline. As a designer I will need to work with multiple disciplines in the industry, therefore it is important for me to have understanding of all areas of a development team. I am therefore challenging myself to create all assets needed for this development.

I found a job advert online for a lead designer:

http://www.gamesrecruit.co.uk/JobDetail.aspx?id=13955

  Two points really stood out to me in the skills required:

- Excellent level of knowledge of the game development process from conception to street

- Highly creative and enthusiastic. Able to pass this on to the team and inspire them’ 

It shows that the designer world is not only looking for someone with interesting design ideas but also with all rounded skills in the development pipeline. Since I am taking on all roles in this development I feel that the outcome will prove that I have these skills. 

As an aspiring games designer it is important for me to have a strong design portfolio therefore I have decided to focus my dissertation on the development of a stand out portfolio piece. I spoke to a friend in industry (Ben Flynn) and asked him what kind of things his company would be looking for in a young designer’s portfolio.

‘For a design portfolio I think some working game play in unreal/unity will be key. I know in a few interviews bringing playable code is a big plus. That way they can get hands on. If unreal is the chosen engine then being familiar with Kismet, some level building tools and a bit of matinee should be enough. Being able to show your thought process and working would be a great thing to do.’

I realised that although I have level designs, concept work and character designs to go into my portfolio I didn't have a fully completed game that showcased my full potential. This is why I have decided to create a working piece of gameplay.  

I have decided to develop Grimm Dreams in unity despite Ben Flynns advice of using unreal. This is because I'm already very familiar with unreal technology and am in the process of developing another game using this software.  I am not a skilled coder, and UDK can become quite complex during the coding process. I have experience is coding in unity so it will be less of a risk factor as I’m coding in familiar scripting language. 

Dissertation Proposal

Grimm Dreams

My game will be a 3rd person exploration adventure game in which the player must navigate their way through a maze of different rooms, whist trying to stay ahead of the enemy who is constantly behind them. There will be puzzle elements in each room that the player must overcome to progress through the game.   

Research
To better explain what my game is going to be like I have decided to review the game that inspired its design, Amnesia the Dark Decent. I will look into the mechanics that made it so successful. 
Amnesia is a 1st person exploration survival horror. You play as Daniel who awakens in the darkened halls of a castle with no memories of who he is. The player has to explore the vast environment to find clues as to why they are there. It’s not as easy as that though; the environment is a dark and creepy place with a creature roaming around that cannot be defeated, only avoided.  The more time the player spends in pitch blackness the more insane they become thus making them more vulnerable. They have to collect tinder boxes and oil for their lamp as they progress to help keep their sanity bar down. Physic based puzzles block the path forcing the player to explore the level for a solution, the catch to this though is that they are more likely to encounter the monster as they explore.
I really enjoyed playing this game, the atmosphere it created really pulled you into the game and the gameplay experience. I found myself immersed in the game very quickly, the creepy atmosphere alongside the games mechanics kept the tension high as I was playing, affecting the way I played the game. In Grimm Dreams I hope to create a similar tension filled atmosphere so that the player becomes engrossed quickly in the game. I want Grimm Dreams to have an abstract but haunting aesthetic feel rather than Amnesia’s dark dingy and disturbing feel.   

Story

The games story is loosely inspired by the well known fairy tale little red riding hood.
Play as red, who finds herself in a mysterious manor house. She has no idea why she is there but it soon becomes clear she is not alone. A demonic wolf soon appears and it seems he is after one thing: her life. She must navigate her way through the maze of rooms solving riddles to escape the house and ultimately the wolf.  

Objectives

Main objectives – avoid the wolf, escapes the manor house.

1)      The player starts here. They encounter the wolf and escape via the unlocked door

2)      The player encounters their first chess based puzzle that they must solve it to unlock the next door

3)      The player discovers a riddle, the solution is in room 6 (point 4).

4)      The player finds a switch which they pull to unlock door 5.

5)       The player encounters a riddle ‘The Key to freedom always lies in the heart’. The answer is located in the chest of a torn open teddy bear.

6)      The player encounters their second chess based puzzle, once completed the door behind them swings open as the wolf bursts through and they must run to the next door.

7)         Once in library the player must find and collect 3 fairy tale books; three little pigs, the wolf and the seven young kids and finally little red riding hood. They will be provided clues to where the books are located within the library.

8)      The player must place the books into the allotted square engraved into the door. Once this is done they escape the building. 

Mechanics

The core mechanics that are used throughout the game are:

·         It will be possible for the player to run

·         It will be possible for the player to interact with objects within the environment

·         It will be possible for the player to open/close unlocked doors

·         It will be possible for the player to hide.

·         If the player is caught by the wolf they will die instantly

In the first section of the game that I will refer to as ‘Hallway’, the player will experience the constant pressure to move forward. This is because in this section of the game they will be confronted more by the enemy (The Wolf). The atmosphere created will make the player feel pressured to move forward to avoid The Wolf as I will use sounds to give the illusion that the wolf is right behind them. I want the player to become fully immersed in the game almost instantly, and adding this pressure on them will achieve that as they will have to be alert. Hallway will have a haunting but abstract feel as the player progresses through this environment. I indent for this atmosphere to continue throughout the entirety of the game.

In the second section of the game or ‘Library’ the pressure will ease off the player as the illusion of The Wolf being right behind them will stop. The aim of this change of pace is not only to keep the player interested, but also to increase tension and excitement thus improving player experience.  The environment changes from interior to exterior back to interior, this is so that the game doesn’t become too repetitive and boring to the player. The change in environment also suits the pace change within the game as it allows ‘cheap shocks’ to be achieved more effectively as the tension is higher.       

Intial Idea for dissertation

I intend to make for my dissertation a working piece of game play that will not only show my strong design skills but also that i am competent across the development pipeline.

My game will be a 3rd person avoider game in which the player must navigate their way through a maze of different rooms, whist trying to stay ahead of the enemy who is constantly behind them. There will be puzzle elements in each room that the player must over come to progress through the game.