Beta

 

Image of my Unity Workspace

For this week's project work I finished the majority of my game. I finalised the different levels of the game and implemented some final touches and streamlined the gameplay. Some of the things I added include a Death Plane which resets the player and I also added some more moving parts to make the gameplay more dynamic. I adjusted parts of the game to suit the more speedrunner/fast-paced linear gameplay that I landed upon during development. I fixed some minor issues throughout the levels such as areas where the player was clipping, etc. I am still having a lot of difficulty with some of the coding issues I am encountering but I have found some work-arounds to some of the problems. During this session I also applied textures throughout the levels to give them a cleaner more finished look and to provide more consistency throughout the levels for both aesthetic purposes and also for gameplay purposes for the player's sake. It had already become evidently clear that the targets I had set for myself earlier in the module were far further out of my skillset than I had ever imagined but I am not completely disappointed with the outcome of the work that I was able to put into the project despite the setbacks and I was still able to output what some, I included, would consider a game. 

Project Prototype 1: The Beginning

 

Images of my Unity 3D workspace

Today I spent a few hours beginning my actual game for the this module. I will admit right off the bat that this is already proving to be a very difficult process and will continue to be with each step forward. I began the process by sourcing all the assets I needed for the project for free from the Unity Assets Store. I was lucky enough to find the assets that I require for the project quite quickly and compactly which allowed me to begin the process. It was not a completely negative process however because it was honestly quite fun to build and layout all the assets in Unity to create my first prototype level but that was about where the fun ran out. This process took quite a bit of time and involved a lot of adjusting but at least it was creative. The next step I took was to implement the moving platform which is highlighted in the second image which was a matter of adding an animation to the object manually which was a new process for me but was luckily wasn't too difficult. Once all the basic assets were laid out I began the coding for the prototype which proved to be extremely confusing and difficult but also a little rewarding at times.

Image of my C# script for my player so far

I began the coding by writing an extremely basic bare bones code to get the Car to move forward so I could test the actual stage elements themselves and adjust things like speed and placements. I then began the process of trying to further flesh out the controls. The process of writing the code for the prototype involved an immense amount of trial and error and rewriting of code as I tried to amalgamate and mix and match the basic knowledge I could remember from the Unity Tutorials while also attempting to find online sources that could possibly aid in the process. By the end of my session I had controls that somewhat resembled what I wanted but was very much not ideal and still requires an  immense amount of reworking but it serves as a working proof of concept for now. This session gave me a more realistic estimate and direction for my project moving forward.

Game Design Document

Picture of Monster Truck from pxfuel

This week we had to create a Game Design Document which is a live document which is pivotal in giving the next stage of the project direction. Unlike what seems to be the majority of my peers, I decided to use Google Slides to create my GDD because I just personally like how easy it is to rearrange my information in it.  To create my document I followed a template provided here titled "Calling All Cars Game Design Document". It was relatively easy to follow and I omitted and added sections as needed. I tried to make the document as comprehensive as possible for now but I will be updating it throughout the process of my game.

My GDD Here 

Game Idea Research

Image of 3D sandbox environment

First of all, during my research I have had the epiphany that we aren't so much making a fully fledged indie game as we are creating demos or Game Jam-esque builds. With this in mind I have decided to choose the Car game idea I presented in the last project blog post.

If I were to stick with the original concept from the original post I'd have to learn more about Unity especially about things like collisions, acceleration, momentum, etc. While these do seem like exciting challenges I also have to keep in mind my own ability in regards to the time constraint of the module. The original idea also insinuates the involvement of AI players/bots which could prove to be far more difficult than I originally considered. If by some way I am able to learn all of these things and am able to incorporate them all into my game it would have to be on a very basic level thus I would have to focus also on the level design of the game to bolster the basic mechanics. This would be to create a more fun and dynamic experience for players despite the rudimentary mechanics of the game itself. This currently seems like a scope that's a little out of my wheelhouse.

Screenshot from Turbo Dismount Steam page

My evolution of this idea to make it more viable as a project for this module was to remove the active components of the world and lean more toward a sort of sandbox style game, thus kind of melding Idea 2 and Idea 4 from my last blog post into one game. Initially I had the idea to mould it into something more reminiscent of a game like Turbo Dismount or for a more nostalgic memory from my own heart Burnout 3: Takedown Crash Mode. I had the idea of developing it into a more Angry Birds style game with simple mechanics and a simple goal but with a lot of replay value. This idea also retains a lot of the game mechanics from the original idea just on a simpler, singleplayer scale. This sort of idea would also possibly let me incorporate things like power ups/effect pads which I researched here. The simpler mechanics of this game might also let me experiment with more level design or even other cosmetic elements such as Mesh Deformation.

Screenshot from Youtube video by Drae

My alternate idea for a demo sized game would be to fully amalgamate Idea 2 and Idea 4 and create a sandbox driving game similar to BeamNG.Drive or like the Sandbox mode in Besieged. This would allow me to explore a very wide range of game mechanics, even if they aren't exactly cohesive due to the open world nature of the game. I would also have the choice to experiment with the level design with different areas of the world exploring different game mechanics. This would motivate players to explore the game and would encourage replayability by having a range of options to interact with.

In terms of game mechanics I would have free reign to implement a plethora of things into the game such as having different areas explore different mechanics like fun power ups or even something like intricate manoeuvring. I would want to have a wide enough variety of options for different types of players to find something that they might like.

I could also implement a simple goal system by having a Main Challenge for each are which would reward the players for completing it. I would want these to be a mandatory yet enticing choice for player which would give the open world a sense of direction an challenge for players who aren't fond of 'aimless' sandboxes. This doesn't seem to hard to implement and would provide me with a direction for my level/world design also.

To encourage replayabilty and to add another sense of challenge to the game I could add Timer sections or have the choice for players to complete the challenges with a timer. This would add a pseudo challenge to the gameplay as players would only really be challenging themselves if they so choose but I feel like it would be effective in enticing exploration and replay. I would want this to be an optional feature in the world as I would still like for the game to be fun for a more casual player who wanted to focus on exploration without the looming challenge.

Game Brainstorm

 Game 1

Screenshot from Explore Fushimi Inari official Steam page

For my first game idea, I was thinking of making more of an 'interactive experience' rather than a conventional Game. I have played a lot of different games in my life and I've watched an even wider variety but despite all the gameplay and stories I've encountered the ones that always seem to have the most staying power and the most impact in my mind have always been the more Interactive Story/Experience type games. Games with minimal or simplistic gameplay but with a major emphasis on either the story or the game world/environment.

The game could be in the 'Walking Simulator' genre or a simple task completion/treasure hunt game. It would probably either have to be a very linear based gameplay or set in a small open world. I want to create an experience that sticks in players minds either through overt story beats or preferably through discrete gameplay mechanics. 

I'd have to greatly consider the actual gameplay mechanics themselves as they need to be simple and intuitive enough that they don't take someone out of the experience but also not too monotonous as to leave people bored by the gameplay; this would possibly be mitigated by the story or environment around them though. The whole goal of this game is impact, either emotionally or as a game itself. I'd really need a compelling story or message for the game to achieve that main goal while also building the actual game itself. It will be challenging to both write a compelling story or create an impactful message and also figure out the technicalities of the games design and mechanics to incorporate it all.

It would be something along the lines of games like Firewatch or Explore Fushimi Inari for example of a more 'walking simulator' game or like A Short Hike for a more exploratory game. In a similar vein but less of a relaxing and immersive experience and more of an active journey and experience is The Stanley Parable which is relatively similar gameplay wise but has a completely different energy about it. This may serve as a helpful resource for this project.

Game 2

Image from the Wreckfest official Steam page

The second game idea I had was for a Car Sumo style game. This idea was inspired by just the basic Unity Tutorial tasks we've done so far. It will be a far more physics and reality based game than the previous idea. In essence it's exactly as it sounds, I'm thinking a battle arena style game where you have a dozen or so cars on a platform and the gameplay is exactly as you'd expect. I feel like this idea has a lot of room to be as simplistic or complex as my growing skillset will allow. It seems like it can be easily adjusted depending on my own capabilities as a designer and also the constraints of the module. I also feel that the simplistic premise works as a good hook to catch the attention of potential players. The simplistic nature will b attractive to both amateur players and also experienced players that just want some short quick fun. Unlike the first idea which is almost only possible as a Singleplayer game, this game has possibilities to be Singleplayer, Local Multiplayer or even Online Multiplayer theoretically. Each of these however carries increasing difficulties. I intend it to be a simple party game which would require me to either 1) Code AI opponents for single player gameplay or 2) Learn how to incorporate Multiplayer into the game. Due to the simplistic nature of the game I'd have to find ways to make it more dynamic as a game. I had the idea or placing the challenge in the stages instead of the gameplay, so having simple consistent gameplay with the challenge arising from both other payers and the stages themselves. Depending on how vastly my skillset grows it would also be interesting to be able to incorporate things like Power-Ups or Weapons into the game.

I'm thinking of pick up and play style games, the game would be an amalgamation of sorts of games like Wreckfest, Burnout, BeamNG.drive and something like Mineraft Sumotori. As a bonus feature this game could involve some collision destruction like in THIS video.

Game 3

Screenshot from Beyond Perception Itch.io page

For my third game I was thinking of possibly doing some sort of puzzle platformer but not like a Portal or Unravel or Spelunky but more so like the indie classic Fez or Captain Toad's Treasure Tracker and most importantly, the game that is the main inspiration for this idea, an indie puzzle platformer from 2013 that was made in seven days, a game called Beyond Perception which has stood as one of my favourite games of all time. Funnily enough I am not actually a big fan of puzzle games in general and  I have never actually finished the game in it's entirety but just the premise, gameplay and mechanics alone have astounded me for years. The entire game is based on Perspective, Parallax and Parallax error with the game presenting it's 3D environments as 2D images initially. I don't think I have the ingenuity to think of something of that calibre or the skillset to implement mechanics like those but I do want to make an unorthodox puzzle game that leaves some sort of impression on players; one with a similar kind of hook to it. Instead of a movement based puzzle platformer I personally seem to favour more, slow paced exploratory style puzzle games. I am really intrigued by the though of experimenting with Perspective, Scale, and Light much like Beyond Perception does and I feel like that would be more so a matter of level design rather than an intense gameplay design challenge. I feel like simplistic gameplay is a common theme in the more exploratory puzzle games and that the real challenge for designers mainly comes in the form of level design and mechanics rather than the actual player controlled inputs themselves which is an interesting path to take when designing a game. It's a more abstract idea than Idea 2 but I'm interested in maybe exploring it. With lighting possibly playing a large role in this project THIS video may be of use later.

Game 4

Screenshot from official Besiege Steam page

The final idea I had for my Unity Games is one that would be more self-indulgent than any of the other ones stated above. I would love to try to undertake the very vague and open ended task of creating an Open World, Sandbox or and Open World Sandbox type game. I have to admit, Sandbox/Open World games are one of my absolute favourite genres of videogames and creating my own would just feel like the natural progression of that admiration really. Although I am enthusiastic about these types of games I recognize the many challenge of making a game of this style. It would not be within my ability to create something as cohesive as Minecraft and I don't posses the resources to create something like Garry's Mod but I possibly I could create a simple sandbox style game with one main premise that could entertain infinitely or at least for a single play session. I'd have to really tone down my expectations of the scale of the sandbox and the players abilities in it while also providing an adequately entertaining space and experience for players. Conceptually I envision something like the default sandbox areas in games like the previously mentioned BeamNG.drive or a game like Besiege. My aim would be to provide the player with a simple playground style area with a certain amount of fixed 'hazards' and interactable assets. This would place the game design emphasis almost solely on the mechanics of the game, world/environment and also the player control. Games like these carry the risk of exposing your flaws and weaknesses as a designer but also inversely grants the chance to purposefully explore unfamiliar design while being granted the proverbial 'pass' of it merely being a sandbox and not a fully fledged game. It would require a good balance of focused design and work and open freedom and creativity. This video on Unity Physics may prove essential not only in this game but most of the others too.