Reflection Essay

This semester was SO MUCH MORE taxing than last semester. Learning Unity sent me to hell in a handbasket and made my want to cry ina corner begging for UDK again. Some things about Unity were great such as being able to easily change parameters of any object through the inspector. I also greatly enjoyed the premade trees and textures that were included in the starter package. I never used them in the end but I like that they were there.

My beef with this program was the scripting mainly. I had to learn three new programs this semester and that was enough to make my brains feel overwhelmed, but learning to script was not in the cards for me. I missed one class learning certain scripting techniques and I was lost for the rest of the class.

As far as my project is concerned though, I'm happy that it came out as reasonably decent as it did. I've always wanted to make a game where you were looking at a regular sized room from a smaller point of view. I tried to do a project involving things like that any time we were given something akin to free reign but I'd always change my mind and go with something I deemed more interesting. This semester, I resolved to stick with it and made a game for hamsters. I love how much I can relate it to how my hamsters were when they'd escaped, getting into everything and ending up where you'd never expect them.

I didn't expect it to end up looking as finished as it does. And, no, it's not perfect, but for my lack of skill in both this program and scripting, I'm proud of what it is.

Finished

I've mostly finished up my project. There are a few things with scripting missing that I need help fleshing out but I've mostly got everything done. It turns out scripting is just not my thing.

I've included some screenshots of the game from a wide shot and a first person view.

Meshes

This week I worked on my meshes so I could replace the placeholders in Unity. I had some issues with figuring out how to make simple items like a desk or bed more interesting, rounded, or organic. I've gotten some good ideas and I'll be trying some different things to see what looks best. I just don't want my room to look boring and unlived-in. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to have everything as far as meshes are concerned done by next week. I've also included some picture of the completed models.

the meshlist

And here is my meshlist because I forgot that too.

Another concept

I wasn't able to put up the last of my concepts.

The concepts

This week i drew up some concepts for what some palce in my game would look like but also what my hamster characters would look like. One of my pictures has a view of inside the hamser cage. Another has a hamster's eye view of the desk. I tried to include my hamsters in a couple of the drawings to show size relation and see exactly what you'd be tackling as your tiny self. For my color scheme, I went with cute and happy colors which tends to be consistent with a girl's room and also helps me to figure out how it should be decorated. Eh, I've still yet to put up my surveys... I gotta find them.

The Map and flowchart

I've got the map and flowchart done for the game. Some things may change here and there but this is essentially waht my idea is and the layout of it all. I haven't done the room yet mostly because I wanted to lay it out in unity before mapping it. I'm not sure what I would like where and what would be difficult to jump on.

This week I considered ideas for my level. In level design, I created a puzzle that was very kismet intensive. This time I'll be making a level that is very navigation intensive. The whole point of this is going to be that you have to find a hamster who stole your food. So you're not only going to have to navigate a maze but you'll also have to find a way to open the passage to the maze up.

I have a map of the maze that you'll be navigating in the hamster cage but I'm also considering going even bigger and creating a whole room for the hamster cage to be in. I want to take you outside of the hamster cage and have to run around the room after the theif hamster. I like the idea of running around a room from a different perspective. Seeing a hamster's view of everything would be interesting and whilst the whole point behind running around this room would to be to find the other hamster I think it would be a visually enjoyable part of the level.

The Pitch

The game I'm making is going to be named Nom Nom Nom, which is an appropriate title for the content of the game. It's meant to have a target audience of 17-27 but I think it could be an all-around fun game for all ages from young to old.

My inspiration for the game has been hamsters and their cute and cooky ways. I've always wanted to pursue the idea of a game where you see things from a different angle and see small objects as positively large. I was going to go same sort of alice in worderland type theme at first but I felt that it was not only too complicated but also too cliche. Going off of something that popular is almost guaranteed to disappoint.

Here's the story: You're one of two hamsters in a cage, living a good, fat, fluffy life when, all of a sudden, your food goes missing. And you notice your hamster co-hort also is nowhere to be found. Putting two and two together, you realize he's stolen all of your food and now it is your mission to get it back before he eats it all. Your cage is large and maze-like so it's not just as simple as running through a few tubes to find him, and all too soon you will find this problem has gone much larger than your cage.

I think the motivation here is strong. Hunger mixed with the anger of knowing you've been stolen from is more than enough to motivate anyone to find the hamster that took their food.

When you start the game you're going to probably feel small (because you're a hamster) and, immediately, your lack of food will become apparent. So you're mostly meant to feel angry and be filled with a sense of purpose to exact some sort of revenge. When you finish, you'll feel satisfied that justice was served and you have a full belly.

The art style of this level will be almost cartoony. Every thing will have simple lines and the hamster characters would have very large, shiny eyes. I suppose you could liken the style to Hamtaro. If I could have simple, two or three shade cell shading, that would be ideal.

While you're mood is supposed to be determined or angry enough to go find this hamster, the mood the setting gives you should be delightful and fun. Everything you see should make you interested and feel like you're part of this world. I'm excited to get started on it.

Mesh Spread

I've made the mesh list that I need to be working on and will hopefully be able to begin working on it today. I'e already begu to model the nymph because bipeds take so long to model and texture. My idea for it though is to only model one person and rig that so I can put her in different positions. This'll give me a chance to excercise my rigging skills considering that's what I want my forte to be. For some reason it's not uploading though....

I'e also completed my color palette for my concept work and the general palette for my level and I'll at least be able to include that. I included so many oranges because I want it to look like the sun is settig while you're playing. And.... my N button is having a hard time working....