GDD

Introduction/Thesis

                As a designer I excel is process and examining every possible angle to do a project as well as documenting my time and work. I love sketching my ideas and creating quick ideas that turn into large thoughts and projects. With this project I want to show those skills and allow them to help me create a wonderful masterpiece. I want to show that I can take a project from beginning to finish and show that good notes, documentation, and sketching can move a project along quickly and efficiently. With these skills I would like to get earn an entry position as an illustrator or a texture artist.

                My goal for this class is to create a wonderful environment from sketch to final render. For the beginning of the class I will focus on pre-production and research. After I have accomplished my research I will sketch and document ideas in the form of concept work for large images and for individual pieces of work. Once I have satisfied my research and concept stages I will move onto carefully deciding what needs to be created and will make a detailed list of all items. Then modeling and texturing will be commenced. The quarter after will be time for finishing models, texturing, bells and whistles, and importing everything into the Unreal Engine. All in all, the main goal for this class is to provide a beautiful render from start to finish.

                The reason for choosing this specific area of study is to strengthen my process skills. I feel that I can be amazing at this but I have not spent enough time or dedication into it. With this I can focus on strengthening my environment studies and produce quality work. I also want to enhance my skills for modeling and texturing. Maya is a program that is always heard in the industry but hardly ever used in the schools- so I want to better myself within this as well as Mudbox to enhance the models themselves. I enjoy texturing and want to continue my training and I feel this project will test my limits not only in texturing but also in concept, modeling, and process, as well as personal issues such as time management, work ethics, and work flow.

Target Audience Research

I have created a template for the survey to ask a certain age group what games they liked best. I used this survey to assess what my game place could offer them. I chose the ages of 20-30 game enthusiasts. I knew that I wanted to keep the player at the castle and that I still wanted to keep the area mysterious. The polls I created asked questions of the player to describe the area in their own words. I have seen this done in many psychological tests and it allows the poll taker to give their complete honest truth.

After reviewing the answers I have found that most players, if placed in a castle of my description feel almost curious and want to know more about the location. They are not scared and almost feel welcomed and safe.

Most of the colors requested are soft cool colors of nature and the feeling of the space is mysterious in combination with them. 

In a description of the audience themselves most of them are accustomed to very beautiful graphics and places. I have a limitation of time and skill but I will attempt to pursue the wow factor for the environment itself. I will focus on lighting and texturing to get my ideas and   

Game Concept

                The goal of the game is to solve and move. The player is not necessarily trapped in this environment but must use his or her skills to move about the area to obtain freedom from this area to move to the next. In the end they would achieve freedom into the open world away from the area.

                The player will achieve this goal by advancing through the area and using his wits and knowledge and maybe even an item or two to solve puzzles. These puzzles can be in the form of obstacles (a fallen beam, a rotting bridge, a wall that has been sealed), or actions that need to be completed (the raising of a draw bridge, a door that needs to be opened, a button pressed).

                The mood of the game is not fear or horror. The player is meant to observe the area and use his knowledge to guide him. The area itself is meant to promote curiosity and somewhat unease; but not fear. At times the player may feel that he is timed to doing certain actions but this is not the case. The main objection is to get out of the area. If there happen to be enemies then the player will not engage them head on but use his knowledge and skills. The key moments when a puzzle is activated will allure the player. He or she will want to explore the area and take in the ambiance as well as solve the equation. The end will reward the player not only with freedom but also wonder with the area beyond the initial game space.

                The idea that makes this game fun would be the surroundings. I want to stay with the ideas of most popular games today such as Uncharted but I don’t want to make the area busy with confusion and camouflage either. The idea is mystery is wonderful. Once the player is involved with the game space he will already be lead where he needs to be. The area will open to him and allow for exploration and experimentation.

                The initial genre would be explorative fantasy. Given the nature of things most games with explorative natures are fantasy to some extent. With this idea however I want to focus on mixing many ideas of space into one and run with many ideas. With the space there will also be some of a story. In this space the player is on a journey to some land we are unaware of. As he is enters the area he finds that he must cross the space to go to wherever he needs to be. There is only one character which is the player.

                This project will allow me to explore, as stated above, my hopes of completing a project from start to complete finish. I will be relying heavily on me experience with process work and getting everything where it needs to be. My main attention will be on the look and feel of the world and not on the playing of the game itself. Process will be the most important factor and I will thus spend the most time on.

Perfect Play Script

In the case that this world were to actually be played, a very simple walkthrough could be given with the space created.

The beginning would show the player coming to the castle from a front entrance and seeing the goddess statue. As he would approach a dark beast would come from behind him and attack the player. Trying to run the player would be instructed to run towards the castle for safety and after arriving he would close the large castle gate to keep the beast out. After the tense moment he would look carefully at his surroundings and notice the statue pointing at the door behind him, however once he looks the beast would be behind him again.

Then an arrow would fall from the sky and hit the beast, killing him. The player character would look to the statue and see a human girl pointing the bow at him asking why he was there. After stammering she would quickly leave and the player would try to follow her.

From this point on the player would try to escape the castle while trying to find the traces of this girl. There would be a few times when the player would find the girl but would be quickly dismissed.

Most of the game would delve into small puzzles from room to room. As the player goes from one place to another he would realize that some rooms are the same as before but he is at a higher level and is trying to reach the highest turret to escape.

In the end the player would eventually find his way from the castle but would soon learn that there never was a castle to begin with. He would account it as a dream or a mirage.

Character Bio

Name: Unknown

Nickname: Goddess

Meaning/History:

After walking what seems to be countless hours within this new area, the player is faced with a reoccurring feeling at very random times. After closely examining his surrounding he begins to notice an idol that frequently inhabits the area. The figure is painted on many, but not all, of the paintings in the halls and is sculpted in stones and marble in the gardens and stairwells. Her face watches almost every corner in every artistic way; but not in a stern or evil way. The figure seems to be guarding and guiding the player like a mother, watching and hoping the player can make it through this place.

                The player does not know who she is or what she may be but with this he only refers to her as the Goddess. It is she that points with a molded finger at a trap that cannot be seen. It is she that contains a secret encoded on her hemming and it is she that walks the path of righteousness when the player does not know the way.

                This figure, this idol, is painted in many greens and whites and folds and silks. She is alluring and beautiful and is always holding a veil of roses around her. Even creatures are seen perching atop her shoulder as if she is whispering to them a prayer.

                Her hair is wavy ringlets and her skin is smooth and pink. She is always ever graceful and her eyes are always turned to danger.   

Description of Art Style

                For my inspiration I will be using castles spanning all ages and areas of the world. With these I want to make a building block of them by placing them one atop the other almost like a castle of castles. The style will be realistic but still have hand painted textures and will not be photo-sourced.

                The mood will be that of beauty maybe even somewhat eerie. The season will be spring on a sunny day and the location will vary with that of the area. The garden will be an eerie location with mystery and the castle itself will be that of wonder. Lighting will be very dynamic and will be used as a point of reference for the player. Color will be used sparsely to direct the player and most of the area will have natural tones and dulled or wash out hues.

                The area will be created with the complexity and maturity of my targeted audience. The style, light, and color will be matched with that of most mature games that are played within my selected audience.

                This space will most definitely require research within MudBox as well as certain areas will require shader-networks within the engine. In order to obtain the highest quality of game presence I can make, much research will be done to complete this project. I feel that the texturing side of things will be the most work extensive next to concept and process. Modeling will be time consuming but with the right amount of patience I will accomplish my modeling tasks quickly and efficiently. Mudbox on the other hand will prove to be a challenge but I believe with the right amount of time in tutorials and a head start I can accomplish this as well.

                All in all I believe this style will uphold by focus in that most industry standard games are of this quality and style as well. If I can manage to come a little close in mimicking this style and hold true to the project, I know my portfolio will be one step closer to amazing.     

  

Mesh List

Item	Sketch/Concept	Placeholder	Modeled	Unwrapped	Textured	Imported
garden_floor
garden_walkway
column
broken_column
swirly_tree
railing
chess_board
pawn_piece
Knight_piece
rook_piece
bishop_piece
queen_piece
king_piece
benches
grass_pieces
door
fountain_statue
water_pieces
stairs
waterfall
vines
stairs_2

Texture List (extra stuff)

Name	Sketch	Finalized	On Model	Imported
broken_stone_floor
stone_floor
grass_healthy
grass_dead
water
waterfall
castle_wall