A Change Of Scene. . .

Hello dear blog viewers! I'm here today to talk about the new sprint. It is my aim to have a full grey box of the hotel with all the assets from the previous sprint incorporated. That means the 'fear' triggers, sounds and GUI elements.
As it stands, I've had a couple of changing ideas about the Arcadian (the name of my not-so-luxurious hotel).  In the summer, I busted out mostly the entire intro cut-scene for this game, fully textured and all. I was quite happy with the shape of the Arcadian, but when it came to this sprint I suddenly realised I had neglected to take into account how the base shape would affect the infrastructure of the levels. To better explain and clarify my thoughts, here is a rough floor plan of the hotel and how it might look as a level design.

I used the top view of the Arcadian 3D model to serve as a basis for the shape of the building. From it, you can see I planned the individual hotel rooms on the ground floor, complete with reception desk, dining areas etc. Whilst this plan seems acceptable, it would make very poorly for a horror game environment. There are only two corridors which are conjoined, and as a player it would feel short and definitely would not hold the atmosphere I am wanting to create. To fix these issues, I thought back to when I originally had the idea of this game, and in the dusty cupboards of my memory found some mental images I first had about how the Arcadian interior might look. I used these rough ideas to draft out an iterated version of the floor plan which I'm certain will look and feel a lot closer to a horror setting than the plans above.

This plan will definitely make for a more suitable place to hide demonic manifestations and curious entities. From 'Start' the player will be introduced to the note system, in a handy but brief 'instruction manual' on the reception desk. From there, they move forward into the real body of the hotel. The blue arrows indicate the players choice of direction. With many more corners, corridors and hotel rooms the map is bigger, almost maze like. With the narrow corridors and corners it will be easier to implement jump scares such as the one featured in my 'fear' test video posted in the last blog, and will generally act as better way to build and keep the momentum of tension. With regards to the hotel rooms, not all will be available. Even with prefabbed models I could churn out in their hundreds, it's impractical and I feel would be a bad design choice for this game. Suspense lies in the unknown, and surprises (horrible ones in this game especially) are easier to create when the player hasn't a clue of what to expect. Of course the grey box based on this design will be most likely untextured and very rough around the edges, but that's ok. It means that by the end of this sprint I will know whether or not my design methods are working. I'm feeling confident though, and really quite excited to play-test my grey box level and see just how unsettling it really is. I never thought I'd be excited to be scared, but that's what you do when you love something enough I guess. . . .

The Progress Progresses. . .

So I finally have completed all my tests, and have uploaded some brief youtube videos so you can see for yourselves! My next move is to enhance this to Unity webplayer on my blogger page, although for the time being, I know I have videos to fall back on. This would be extra helpful as my 'Sound' test didn't quite pan out. Sure enough I have it working, but my screen recording software wasn't picking up the background music and footsteps which is frustrating. In the mean time, feast your eyes on these. . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSywraePaB4&feature=plcp
This first test explores how the player will interact with the environment. The notes that the player picks up are very simple to use, they just have to click. The note then enlarges so the player can read it, and another click closes the note. The simplicity means that the player doesn't have to faff about with buttons and controls, and I've even added a particle system that runs before the note is read. This means that it will be more eye catching for the player and easier to see in the darkness, and after the note has been read the particle system stops, so the player knows that that note has been seen. It keeps the whole process very streamlined and I am pleased with how it came out. The cylinder on the right represents an enemy, and as you can see in the video, any close interaction with an enemy triggers a bloody effect, indicating player damage or health loss. A simple move like this means I don't have to waste space with health bar HUD's and keeps the whole game more immersive. It also means that it will be more frightening to get attacked, as the player will not know how much damage they can take.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RscdOrUH4DA&feature=plcp
This video explores the potential of simple 'Jump scares' and triggers in Unity. As you can see, when the player enters a trigger, which I can set up at any point in the map, I can make enemies run past the player, run towards the player, or generally have something terrifying happen. The scope and potential of these triggers is very broad, so in the actual level I will spare no expense in creating a very wide variety of horrible things happen.

If anyone has ideas, feedback or general comments, please feel free to share your opinion!

A Different Point Of View. . .

So there has been a slight delay in blog posting for a while, but the cogs have definitely been turning. Until our proposals are given back to us, I have been absorbing myself in practical material to keep my horror experience juices flowing. Popular YouTube Vlogger and games critic 'Yamimash' has been a character I've enjoyed since I was introduced to him back in the summer holidays. His facecam attached video playthroughs of games are always funny and entertaining to watch.
Even better though, he has an entire category devoted to playing horror games.
Big titles and many indie games, in their hundreds. This has been fantastic for me, as my poorly laptop can barley show proper colours anymore, let alone play high end games with a flawless framerate.
Watching Yamimash play grants me the luxury of experiencing horror games and their varying mechanics in top 720p quality, without the fuss of withering hard drive space or graphics card regulations. I have seen horror games made in Adobe Flash, Unity, Mods from Half Life 2 and of course, the renowned Amnesia and Penumbra series. I sit behind my screen, silently but viciously judging every game I watch 'the mash' play, and planning ever more thoroughly my own approach to my dissertation. It seems that this has payed off though, as a lot of 'jumpscares' that the mash experiences in these games are exactly what I had planned on adding into my own game. They still even make me jump, which is going to make playtesting a bitch.

A few posts ago, I mentioned the 3 different tests I would implement in Unity, to get the horror player experience started, and I have done just that. Working away on them bit at a time, moulding the finest gameplay I can engineer out of my own design. As these tests are obviously gameplay oriented, I am looking into some decent screen recording software to record what I have achieved in these tests. I might even be able to get Unity Webplayer working on Blogger, so you, my darling audience, can play it for yourselves, but that is time permitting really. Videos are the easy choice, and I will do my best to put out a video of the 'Fear' test before the end of the week, embedded in another blog.

Until then, here is a link to Yamimashs youtube account, it's really worth a watch if you have the time and take an interest in gaming, horror or both!

http://www.youtube.com/user/yamimash

The Proposal. . .

Dissertation: Project Proposal

Project Phobia; How To Create An Immersive Player Experience In A Horror Game

Brief Outline of Work

Throughout this dissertation I hope to achieve certain things. The project itself involves exploring ‘how to create an immersive experience in a horror game’. The game will be made in Unity and will involve the player exploring an abandoned hotel for their ‘love interest’. The player will pick up notes that have been dropped by said love interest, guiding the player through the building to certain rooms and areas. Each of these rooms and areas will trigger horror events which the player must deal with without being hurt. The core element I am exploring in this dissertation project is how to create an immersive but unsettling experience for the player. Using a combination of sounds, environments and mechanics I am looking to make an efficient but effective survival horror game. Mike Birkhead recently released an article on Gamasutra stating “. . .there is a general lack of quality scary games.” With his reading outlining the general flaws of modern horror games it will be possible to make a game of a high standard.

Rationale

Since starting the course at UCS I have managed to build my skills in games design through learning coding, 3D modelling, how to successfully design games etc. This dissertation project allows me to harness all of these abilities and correctly balance them to create a good game. Throughout the course I have wanted to test my abilities as a designer, and feel that I there is plenty I can prove in this project. Horror games have always been a genre I enjoy and with a recent influx of indie horror games on the market, there have been some very interesting ideas from a design point of view. Design is an area I am mostly interested in, but have not really explored as deeply as I would like. With this project, I can learn more thoroughly about the stages of iteration and playtesting with digital games, which I feel are areas that have been somewhat neglected and ultimately let me down in the past. In industry, good design in games is hugely important, and can often be overlooked by flashy aesthetics or in-depth storylines. To have a better understanding of making the core gameplay of games fun will benefit me in chasing future careers with companies such as Bethesda Softworks or Rockstar Games, whose websites advertise position vacancies in design oriented jobs. With a greater experience of design in this horror game, I can successfully learn some valuable lessons about designing core gameplay elements, which shape the overall ‘feel’ of games, regardless of how nice the graphics, stories or even sounds might be. It will also make for a valuable portfolio piece, ensuring potential employers that I have the skills to prioritise important elements in making a successful game. This project is to help me learn what it takes to make a good, fun and hopefully scary game.

Annotated Bibliography

Trefry, G., 2010.Casual Game Design. Morgan Kauffman publications.
This book is a fantastic source of detailed information on players experiences, building them and deciding the best routes to go down regarding puzzle, risk and other relevant mechanics. Potential mechanics in the game like battery life for the torch etc, can be justified and analyzed better as an idea by Trefrys readings. We have used this book for a variety of readings on styles of gameplay so this will surely be a good source of knowledge and reference.

Strauss, B., 2011. Online at (http://www.industrygamers.com/news/be-yourself-or-not-bioshock/)

This interview with Ken Levine, Creative lead for triple A game ‘Bioshock’ will be a valuable reference. In the interview, Levine talks about immersion in games, which is the core element of my dissertation. Not only will the interview help me explore professional opinion but will also serve as a basis of which I can (in combination with my other sources) ‘fine tune’ player experience in my game to create the scariest possible result.

Birkhead, M., 2011. Online at (http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/37075/Opinion_How_To_Make_A_Scary_Game.php#.UJbLp2dtm7y)

This article on popular website Gamasutra will be a useful source as it covers areas of gameplay in survival horror games. The in-depth descriptions of immersive gameplay and building up realistic and effective environments, coupled with player choice and option will allow me to create a more thorough experience for the player. Birkhead describes different styles of horror and horror gameplay, so that I can provoke the correct reactions for the correct situations. All in all, this reading will help me efficiently build up an immersive gameplay experience.

Parsec Productions, 2012. Online at (http://slendergame.com/game.php)

This game has been a huge inspiration to me in the creation of my own dissertation project. The game shows the efficiency of invoking fear using little in the way of mechanics, story or even art. The gameplay keeps the player frightened, using sounds and a simple means of being followed as a particularly terrifying medium. Even playing this game, I can draw upon the experience to build up a scary situation for my own game.

Ahearn, L., 2009. 3D Game Textures. Focal Press

This book is a very impressive collection on meaningful texturing techniques and tutorials which will help me shape the hotel environments aesthetics. As this is a horror game, I can learn and gain an advantage of furthering how to make the player feel uneasy and unsettled when it comes to interacting with the setting. Using a variety of maps such a bump and specular, I can create realistic and scary levels for my game.

Castillo, T and Novak, J., 2008. Game Level Design. Delmar Cencage Learning.

This book will serve as a great help in putting my levels together. Of course the core question of this project is ‘how to make an immersive gameplay experience in a horror game’ and this book will help me find the best ways to build up my levels so that even the structure of their movement will unease them. Using correctly ‘moulded’ settings I can frighten the player via the actions they must perform in these spaces, which further enhances my understand of how to create a more authentic gameplay experience.

Yin, W., 2010. Impeccable Scene Design. Cypi Press.

This book will compliment the last, in terms of setting up effective environments. This book speaks about lighting and atmosphere etc, more about the ‘feel’ of the location which is obviously hugely important in setting the mood for my game. The players experience will be quite affected by the areas they are exploring, and if this book can help me ‘stage’ the levels properly, then the gameplay experience will be majorly enhanced for the player.

Project Timeline and Milestone Deliverables

For this project I have already blogged about starting ‘tests’ which will validate a lot of basic gameplay elements. I expect these will take 2-3 weeks to implement, experiment with and finally publish. It will take maybe 3-4 weeks to model and texture all the required assets for the project. I am unsure of how realistic these deliverables are, but will blog frequently to let my tutors and project specialists know how far along the work is coming.

Milestone deliverables include:

            - Completing Unity ‘tests’

            - Implementing said ‘tests’ into the game

            - Completing the models for the 1^st/tutorial level

            - Completing the tutorial level

Challenge Accepted. . .

So after a recent meeting with Rob, my fears have been settled and I am now feeling pumped about the dissertation project. The original idea, the scary hotel game (which I think I will name 'Phobia') is acceptable, provided that I get the games priorities in order.
It has been a few days and I have sorted out the important elements of this game, and ran with it accordingly. The game can be broken down into its singular departments such as 3D modelling, sound, scripts, core mechanics etc. For this horror game to be successful, the players experience is the most important aspect. The way the player 'feels' the game as they're playing it will ultimately decide how scary this game can be, so I have further broken down the elements of the core gameplay and will experiment with them to properly understand what can be done to make the game as unsettling as possible.

The game will be played in first person, for a more intimate sense of exploring the hotel. The noise of the players footsteps will be audible to accentuate the old creaking wood and age of the building, also to induce a more authentic feeling of being alone. Heavy breathing is also an option, but will definitely be played during and after the scary events happen. To keep the game immersive and clear, very little in the way of a HUD will be visible. A small health bar at best. Giving the torch a battery life, and a batter life meter is also a possibility to add some resource management into the game. With respect to the last point, GUI's will be minimalistic, so, for example, if a door can be opened, a message might say "Press 'X' key to open", but faintly, when the door is hovered over. A quiet horror ambient track can also be played gently in the background to set the mood for the levels.
In terms of testing these various elements, I have planned a few tests that can be achieved in unity with placeholders, to determine the effectiveness of these player 'experiences'.

1. The 'Scare' Test 
This test is simple, but will help me judge the best way to convey the scary moments in the game. Based on the first person players camera frustum, when the player turns around and literally 'see's' something scary happening, this will trigger animation and an alarming sound to make the player jump and feel frightened. This can also trigger the heavy breathing mentioned earlier.

2. The Sound Test
This is simply to test the sound of the players footsteps, breathing and ambient music. The breathing might only occur every now and then, but the test will verify how effective this in combination with ambient music.

3. The 'Vision' Test
This test will involve how the player interacts with GUI's, if blurry vision or blood splatters on the screen when the player is hit is an effective choice. This test can also be used to see how well the 'minimalist' HUD elements should be arranged, to keep things understandable to the player, but clean and undisturbed of  the gameplay.

These tests will lay the foundation of what will hopefully be a successful horror game. Aesthetics and polished graphics and sounds can come at a later date. After the dissertation proposal is handed in, I can get to work on nailing down these core elements to set up the scariest gameplay possible. It is exciting!

A better focus. . .

So after thinking about what would work best for my dissertation I have another idea that could be worth considering. Basically, I was worried that my previous idea, the horror game, wasn't specific enough and wouldn't justify a particular skill set I need to show off. As the game would involve all areas of game design, it would be a poor example of showing off one particular ability. However I was aware a few other people on the course had the same fear, and I heard through the grapevine that a good format for displaying an aptitude with 3D modelling would be re-creating scenes, or environments, from films or books etc. I found this idea rather appealing and after some consideration I think I found a good environment to emulate in a 3D level.

Since I was a little boy, I have been in love with a film called "The Nightmare Before Christmas". A film by Tim Burton, and produced by using stop motion, the film and it's environments are incredibly stylistic and unique. Any fan of Tim Burton will appreciate his almost child-friendly macabre still, an eery and gothic, yet inviting, style. The film is set in 'Halloween Town', where all manner of monsters and creatures live to celebrate Halloween. The entire town should be a frightening place with it's dark stonework, dim lights and odd organic elements but is still very engaging with the audience. To re-create the center of Halloween Town could be striking and an interesting build. Use of lights, shadows, 3D modelling and particle effects could accurately convey the atmosphere of the area. Several building circle the iconic fountain in the middle of the scene, so the workload is realistic, and there is always more that be achieved if I find myself ahead of time. In my mind I see it as a potential and realistically achievable project but will speak to tutors to get a second opinion. Here is a screen shot of the proposed area to re-create for those not familiar with Burtons work.

The other thing that makes the project unique is the fact that this environment has already been re-created and published, in the game Kingdom Hearts. However I felt that in the game, the existing 3D modelled level was not as true to the original film. Since having been bought by Disney, and the game being a Disney product, the style was less gothic than the original Burton style suggests. If I were to create this town, I would make sure to make it true to the original and darker than how Kingdom Hearts portrays the town.

 

Again, this is just an idea, but one that I feel could be successful if I end up creating it. In the mean time I will continue to think about how this could be accepted as a dissertation, and what I could add to it to accurately convey my skills as a games designer.

The Original Idea. . .

So here we are, re-calling the fun and lessons of the last two years to produce the most bad ass thing we have ever made. The dissertation is something I fear, but also something I want to grab by the horns and tame. And come the end of the year when I have a prize winning bull to take to employers, hopefully it will knock them all down and respectively prove that I can come up with some pretty awesome products.

Since the end of second year I have been deep in thought about the endless possibilities of the dissertation and finally decided upon a game. A horror game, to be exact, where I could show off my skills as a 3D modeller and designer, whilst displaying an understanding of coding, which is not my forte. In fact, the minimal use of code combined with design aspects (in my mind) could prove that a great game could still be made, if designed well.

The general idea of the game was that the player would exploring an abandoned hotel, solving puzzles and experiencing (and avoiding) really horribly scary things. . .
The players oldest friend and love interest is an investigative journalist who has gotten leads that something 'funny' has been happening at the hotel. After some time of not hearing from, or being able to contact her, the player decides to go check out the hotel for himself. This basic plot line would be explained in a voice over during an introductory cut-scene which is pictured here.

After entering the hotel, the player would find notes left by the love interest explaining her journey through the hotel, also acting as a guide for the player. If a note explained that she was heading to room 101, the player would know that is where they too, should go.

I managed to achieve this effect fairly early on in development, using GUI textures to neatly represent an old, grubby note that might be left lying around.

I also investigated articles on horror games from today; what is enjoyed, expected, and things that should be avoided when writing effective horror elements in games. To my delight, I seemed to share some of the right ideas with Mike Birkhead on Gamasutra, who said:
"Being alone we are exposed and weak. We have no protection, so our potential for loss is greater. To turn this from unsettling to suspenseful, though, we must demand action from the player. Being forced to cross this deserted amusement park is going to be a nail-biting experience."
This pretty accurately correlates with my game, as the player must carry on, through the scary experiences to progress in the game.

However having started back at uni, I am not sure whether this game is the best way to go with my dissertation. The scope of the project is do-able, as I have created a lot of the assets, and a lot of assets can be re-used, and I understand how to put the project together. However I feel this game may not be specific enough for employers. Of course I am having ideas every day, but I'm also trying to be strict and only let the best ideas through. In some time, and hopefully a few words with Tutors will put me on the right track. Until then, I will keep recording ideas, and may even post some more on this game. . .which I will make someday, if not for dissertation. Any comments, feedback or ideas would be great though :)

Bibliography:

Mike Birkhead: Opinion: How To Make A Scary Game, (September 8th, 2011) Available:

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/37075/Opinion_How_To_Make_A_Scary_Game.php#.UIS7iGc8G7x  

Last accessed 22nd October 2012