Project Completed

So after a long haul the project is complete. Where to start with a discussion on my own work.

Well things that went well are always a nice start.

Things that went well

1.
 Considering my skills when I started unity work I feel I have massively improved. Basic skills like putting planes together and setting up rigid bodies were my initial skill set. I have learnt effective light useage, sound effects (and how to code them in when I want them to play), more advanced animation techniques and some small amounts of code that will be useful for future projects, especially the relationships between the code itself and the objects in game.
So overall I feel I harnessed my skills in Unity effectively, especially now I am part of a team who are creating a project from a brief set by an external source.

2.
Another area I feel went well is the Ai. Although I didnt quite get a monster into the game as such. I got a working enemy that chases the player (without falling over!)
The code I was taught early on but I think it worked quite effectively in the final product. I looked into the use of way points to send the enemy to patrol an area and when the player entered the area they got caught so everything went better than expected. The moment I said my game would have an AI I wasn't too sure myself but it worked really well to actually make the game interesting!

3.
One last thing I feel that went well is right near the end game. I have just discussed the AI, now I will discuss how well killing it off went. The most fun part of the game being where you pull the switch to lower the chandelier if you miss the monster sees you and you die, if you hit he dies and you win the game. I really enjoyed making this stage of the game and I really like the way the game finishes. The Death screen is even one of my favourite parts of the game!

Things that went badly then. Where do i begin on this checklist!

Things that went badly

1.
First off I feel that the code was abysmal. My timings on how long the code would take were thrown way out of proportion the moment I began.  I have never been good at coding and I dont really know what I expected to change. I worked my hardest on some of the problems and found quite a few things a bit easier than previously expected. However there were certain features, the doors and keys for example I just couldn't work out. Eventually I got a bit of tutoring and I got the code all working alright.

2.
Something that went badly was the organisation of the project files. I often find my organisation of the files to get on top of me however I kept the files relatively neat. It was only when I started to texture that the files started to become quite confusing. The naming was fine but unity seemed to create multiple materials for one texture. Then after a while they would just turn pink for no apparent reason. I believe its due to me changing over some files to another computer, the swap wasn't completely smooth however so this may be why.

3.
One last thing that didn't go so well... unfortunately I feel as if the player wasn't inclined to slow down all that much during play. I set the game to a few testers and they weren't always slowed down massively however they did get caught out by the monster a few times! It made for interesting watching as they explored. To see how the varying effects made them think about what was going on. In the future I would like to work more on the psychology of games, it is a very interesting study. Its a shame I didn't have the freedom to look more into it throughout  this project. I felt rather restricted by my own brief to be fair, with each room previously.


Overall I am happy with the outcome of the game! I surprised myself with the skills I had prior and the skills I have learnt from the project! Being able to manage my time and learn new skills is an invaluable experience I will take forward with me throughout life!

Death Screen and documentation update

Having implemented a way to die and set all the code for it, the underwhelming return to the main menu seemed horribly... well... underwhelming! So I have started work on a death screen. It is still a work in progress however.
I will be continuing work on it in the coming week. In the run up to hand in.

Gettit? Hand in...


Once I have completed this I think. THINK. I am nearly done.
I will be just ironing out areas and looking to improve some aspects.
Sounds is one I need to work on a bit.

I have also updated my documentation with the new tasks and the final deliverable. Hopefully this is sign of the run up to the end!

---------------------------------------

Task Plan

List of tasks

Models

• Rooms – Hallway, Bedroom, Living Room, (More in Updated)
• Hallway – Desk, Lamp, Torch, Radio, Windows, Wooden Planks, Key
• Living Room – Table, Cupboard, Bookshelf, Locket, TV, Sofa
• Bedroom – Teddy Bear, Ball, Car, Blocks, Bed, Music Box
• Room 3 -
• Room 4 – Enemy, ceiling light

Sound Effects

• Lightning
• Rain
• Radio
• TV
• Monster
• MusicBox

Code

• Player Scripts – Run, Walk, torch, keys screen lock
• Doors and keys
• GUI – current key
• Pick Up objects
• Opening draws
• Follow AI Script
• Ai walking between two points
• Death of the player
• Scene movements (Buttons etc)
• Animations
• Cross-hair

Unity Compiling

• Rooms in separate scenes
• All models as above
• Sound Effects/3D Sounds
• Lighting in scene
• Coding together all parts

Misc Updates to task list

Models

• Rooms - Closing room, (Updated) Enemy chase room, Enemy defeated room
• Living room - Lamp, Draw
• Bedroom – Stacked rings, Rug, chair
• Closing room (Room 3)– Pedestal
• Enemy Defeat Room (Room 5) – Switch, Chandelier

Unity Compiling

• Animations and sound on Death Screen

Sound Effects

• Monster Punch (death screen)
• Monster Laughter (death screen and misc)
• Tense music
• Win Music

Code

• Enemy death
• Footsteps and breathing code

First deliverable

Working Rooms – Hallway, bedroom and living room

Player can walk into a dimly lit room, pick up a torch by walking near it, this will help them find the first key to the living room

Player then clicks the door into the living room. They walk to the front table where they can pick up the next key – to be hidden in the next set of weekly tasks (next deliverable)

The player then returns to the hallway and moves onto the bedroom where they find the next key.

Again the hiding will be in the next deliverable.

Mouse fixed to the centre of the screen with cross hair to show where you are looking.

Completed

Mostly a success except the ball physics (UPDATE – Fixed 3.4.13)

Lock and key currently not working (UPDATE – Fixed 26.1.13)

Second Deliverable

First set of rooms at a working standard, same as above, keys hidden (the key reveals itself in the hallway only after the player picks up the torch). In a lock box and under toys (for living room and bedroom respectively), room 3 added and player moves into the centre of the room and triggers an animation as the room becomes smaller. Living room has multiple places to search for the key (opening objects when you stand near them)

The player is then back in the hallway and can move to the next final room. The player can enter, get the key (currently unhidden) and then moves to the exit as the game ends.

The start and end is the main menu with a GUI for a button.

Completed

Again a success story, the only issue is with room 3, the walls can move through the player if positioned correctly.

When clicking the key in living room not always perfect collision detection. (UPDATE – Fixed 11.4.13)

Third Deliverable – Final (Update – 5.4.13 - 3.5.13 )

Fully textured and modelled rooms, keys all hidden to their final standard. Hallway through to room 3 as before, keys finalised. Scene changes now cycle through various hallway scenes (multiple copies of the same scene that have slight changes each time).

Spoiler alert - Once room 3 is complete the player heads to the Enemy Chase room – There is a short delay while the player is held to listen to the sound effect of the monster creeping up, the player is then released as all the lights begin switching themselves off. The key appears and once clicked the Enemy is released from behind the wall which the player is stood looking at. Sound effect Monster scream.

The player is chased through the room and has a choice at the end of the corridor. One door leads to a dead end, the player will get caught here and dies, the other door leads to a button which the player uses to drop the chandelier and if timed right kills the enemy. A key is left and the player uses this to go to through the next door and lives.

(Update 16.5.13)
Completed

You Live or You Die

At the end of the monster chase room is a choice of two doors. I put this in to give the player a bit less of a linear non-decision making experience.
Its a pretty harsh decision as one leads to your death every time alas I spent the week implementing this choice and the room beyond.

I have actually nearly completed this section of the game I forgot to blog it until now.
There is a note in the room which tells the player to click the switch and it will release the Chandelier attached to the roof, thus killing the creature.
Il go back to that in a moment. Here is a screen shot of this room.

The location of the player (near centre of the screen) is the position you start in if you chose the right door. There is no escaping this section. the monster finds you and you die. However if the player finds themselves choosing the left door they appear on the right at the top.
The monster will come in the same way as he does if you went to the right but he wont see you up top.
This is where the player times the switch perfectly. (The white box is the switch in this screen).
If he manages it he will be gifted a key and then he can exit the level out the door just off screen.
Congratulations Screen Ho!

M-M-M-Monster!!!

Due to time constraints and my lack of abilities in 3D modelling and animation I will not been able to add a monster with a model that would frighten even the bravest of children. Instead I have opted for the standard capsule.
I had initially tried putting in a model of sorts, but I was having troubles keeping it standing up straight with the code I was using, the thing would run at you feet first rather than arms first so rather than editing code I decided to just keep the simple capsule model. This is a bit of an annoyance as I had initially intended the build up of a big scary monster however I have had to make an executive decision as to not put my tasking behind schedule!

I will consider the incorporation of the capsule shapes as the actual characters, photo frames etc to show these are the basic people of this world. Not sure how well that will go down but with the story taking a basic shape with the notes, the idea wont be too far out.

Release the Kracken

I have been thinking about the monsters release mechanism. I am pretty sure of the code I will use for the AI, its just considering how to make him appear. As stated previously I will be using a sudden method with a sudden sound to make him appear however the actual release of him is somewhat unknown as to how i could do it. I am considering a script that when the key is picked up it activates the AI script.

otherObject.GetComponent(NameOfScript).enabled = false;

Or a much more complex method of having a wall completely destroy itself the moment the key is picked up and the monster running from behind it. The monster will be held by a collision box that when the wall is destroyed it too is destroyed and so the monster is released. This means that while the player is moving around the area so too will the monster be. When it is released in this method, it will already be close to the player and jumping on their face!

UPDATE 25.04.13
Below is a picture detailing what I said above a few weeks back

The monster is stood on the right behind the green cube outline, when the player picks up the key which is situated at the Directional light the wall will disappear along with this collision, the player has that green space' worth of time before the monster will be eating player for breakfast.
Hope this update helped make this all make a little more sense!

Scene changes

Im sure I have said before Im not perfect at code. So to show how the scene changes currently are going to work i have put together all the scenes which I will be needing into one folder. I can now use these when testing so my scene changes always go to the correct place.
Basically you start in hallway then go to living room then hallway 2 then bedroom and so on.
Its a bit of a mess to be honest but to have a passage of the game memorise what has happened already and what is going to happen next this felt like a nice simple (if messy) way to organise this. Its pretty effective and so far I havnt noticed any lags!

(room 1 is the enemy chase room and room 2 is the enemy death room)
Speaking of which I have edited my plans slightly. The way the game ends at the moment, just run away from the monster feels too clunky

I have decided I will create a 'kill the monster' room. Something with a button and a trap for the monster.
This will be in the next 6 week set up.

Menu and MonsterHunterRoom

This week was about getting the final room ready for the AI implementation in the next few weeks. The room is a basic, pick up the key and the monster appears.

 

I have decided to add a run key for the player, otherwise it will feel like you are just casually walking away when this thing is chasing you.
I think I will be playing with the room to get timings right as at the moment the key is behind you (which isn't obvious to start)  and then you click it and the monster will be there. Very anti climactic even without testing it!
I have researched a few ways in which enemies are first revealed in some horror games, below is Pewdiepie's video of the Witches house, similar to my game in that you are exploring an unknown area finding clue to the next area.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiEnQbDJSHc#t=08m05s
(I have cut to the specific bit, only like 10 seconds is relevant for this example)

I will be going into a bit more detail of the monster itself in the future. I have a feeling Il have a few problems coding it all together but for now the room is ready!

In terms of menu I have decided to use a scene that has already been made, remove the current 1st person controller and add in a camera and some floating text that tells you how to play the game.
I have also created a simple GUI for it, this is currently a single button 'Start' (Not shown in pic below)

Room 3

Initially my floor plan had all the rooms the same sort of size with the house being mostly symmetrical.
Having played around with this idea it became obvious that having the same looking rooms throughout became tedious, especially as the actual content of each of these rooms is pretty similar. Instead I decided to use the third room a little differently. The key would be set in an obvious position and the player would be able to easily walk up to it. However the room would change. I made it so that the room shrank in size once the key was picked up.This was purely a technical experiment to see how the player would respond to a sudden change in what they thought was likely to happen, they have been introduced to a simple house and at this point shouldn't be expecting drastic changes in the environment itself.

The preconceived knowledge is then destroyed thus putting them on the edge for the next change in what's going to happen. I wanted to break down the barrier of what already would have felt like normality to the player. Make them wonder what's actually going on.

I will be working on this room more in the future as I am still not happy with its outcome. But for now I will move on to reach an end game state and add in a monster of sorts!

Pacing

Looking into the pacing of games, I found an article on casual games which made to be 'pick up and play', the article discusses the uses of simplicity against complexity. The simpler the game (much like bejewelled) the faster pace the game will reach as the player doesn't need to learn a massive expanse of moves. If the player has a lot of possibilities the game will slow down.

This theory from casual games works well in games much like chess or bejewelled as they have a set pattern of moves etc however in my game as the levels develop I cant just give the player more moves to slow down their pace so I need to look into different methods.

The article does outline a helpful point that my game could use quite effectively.

'the learning happens as the game moves forward, and this type of game should not require the player to invest a considerable amount of time learning its patterns. It is supposed to be fast and organic' Rather than using this to make the player move quickly through the game I will use this to drop the player straight into the game without much time for instructions.

 'The reason why the gameplay slowed down is that players would now have a broader space of possibility' - The player will therefore be in the game with possibly limitless moves. The game starts off in a dark room, the player wont know the room they are in so they will need to explore to get used to the area they are in. This gives the player a broader space of possibilities. They will start off unsure of where to go. But after a short while they will pick up some pace.

Space of Possibility and Pacing in Casual Game Design 
Marcos Venturelli, 2009,Kranio Studio
http://wwwusers.rdc.puc-rio.br/sbgames/09/_proceedings/dat/_pdfs/artedesign/60345.pdf

Task List - Organisation

I have compiled everything into one word document to help organise what I need to get done.
I have included all the models I intend to make however this is subject to change as I input more ideas to help the game flow. I will add updates for the completed tasks under the deliverables (as these are just bug fixes).

Task Plan

List of tasks

Models

• Rooms – Hallway, Bedroom, Living Room, (More in Updated)
• Hallway – Desk, Lamp, Torch, Radio, Windows, Wooden Planks, Key
• Living Room – Table, Cupboard, Bookshelf, Locket, TV, Sofa
• Bedroom – Teddy Bear, Ball, Car, Blocks, Bed, Music Box
• Room 3 -Pedestal
• Room 4 – Enemy, ceiling light

Sound Effects

• Lightning
• Rain
• Radio
• TV
• Monster
• MusicBox

Code

• Player Scripts – Run, Walk, torch, keys screen lock
• Doors and keys
• GUI – current key
• Pick Up objects
• Opening draws
• Follow AI Script
• Ai walking between two points
• Death of the player
• Scene movements (Buttons etc)
• Animations
• Cross-hair

Unity Compiling

• Rooms in separate scenes
• All models as above
• Sound Effects/3D Sounds
• Lighting in scene
• Coding together all parts

Misc Updates to task list

Models

• Rooms - Closing room, (Updated) Enemy chase room,

First deliverable

Working Rooms – Hallway, bedroom and living room

Player can walk into a dimly lit room, pick up a torch by walking near it, this will help them find the first key to the living room

Player then clicks the door into the living room. They walk to the front table where they can pick up the next key – to be hidden in the next set of weekly tasks (next deliverable)

The player then returns to the hallway and moves onto the bedroom where they find the next key.

Again the hiding will be in the next deliverable.

Mouse fixed to the centre of the screen with cross hair to show where you are looking.

Completed

Mostly a success except the ball physics

Lock and key currently not working

Second Deliverable

First set of rooms at a working standard, same as above, keys hidden (the key reveals itself in the hallway only after the player picks up the torch). In a lock box and under toys (for living room and bedroom respectively), room 3 added and player moves into the centre of the room and triggers an animation as the room becomes smaller. Living room has multiple places to search for the key (opening objects when you stand near them)

The player is then back in the hallway and can move to the next final room. The player can enter, get the key (currently unhidden) and then moves to the exit as the game ends.

The start and end is the main menu with a GUI for a button.

Third Deliverable – Final (to be confirmed)

This section is still to be confirmed as I have ideas in the working for the actual enemy sequence at the end game. There will be an update about this.

Atmosphere

In my pitch for the development for my game I discussed using various techniques to try and engage the player. I have recently been focussing more on these techniques.

 I have been wandering around various forums looking for some thoughts on what makes a game have a good atmosphere, a stepping stone to an immersive experience.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.181717-Atmosphere-in-games
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/136568/atmosphere-in-games
http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion-30/what-game-was-the-best-atmosphere-531260/

A lot of the answers on these posts recommend a strong story line (or discuss games which have strong stories) and musical scores always help with immersing the player.
'Nothing about the world in that game felt lived in, everything felt like it was made up on the day'  - Hank-Scorpio, 2011

For my game, including a storyline and the introduction of ambient music seems like it could help the game increase the potential for imersion.
I already discussed the use of a radio and its sound effects, I can also include tense music at certain points to make the player subconsciously tense up in preparation for what might come next.

In terms of story, the game is very linear at the moment. I am unsure of ways in which I can release the player and give them the freedom, keeping rooms open could be one way but as of yet there is no way for this to actually make an impact to the games overall outcome.

I will be implementing more of a story behind the frantic key collecting, starting with a note from the previous owner of the house. This gives an insight into why the player is roaming the house in the first place.



It reads:
'New House owner
Sorry I couldnt be here to welcome you, I had to leave... quickly.
Hopefully you will find your way round no problem.
Dont go into the..................my only warning.
Watch your step.
Previous Owner'

Inside one of the cabinets (room 1) will be another note. Simply reading:
'You have no right to be here.
Get out'

In the bedroom (room 2) will be another note:
'He comes when the night is darkest.
There is no escape.
There is no running
Only the end.'

Or wording to this effect. I will be adding in more hints that something is with the player aswell. Such as sound effects of footsteps or breathing behind the player.
There will be visual queues also that show something is there.

A change to the original house set up, in the final room will be a long corridor where an AI will quickly come from behind the player and chase them til they reach the exit of the house at the end of the corridor. This planned ending gives me room to explore possibilities with how I can build up to this final rooms events.

Sounds

I have now successfully installed the radio sound for the hallway along side a rain and thunder effect. This was meant for next week but I got carried away with sound effects!
There is a light that flickers on and off which during this time releases a thunder sound effect. This is mostly at random to seem more realistic.
Having the radio sound effect I created the model itself for the main room. I couldnt decide which style to go with from the two from the 60's era.

I ended up basing my model on the top left example. It seemed simple and lent itself more to the radio style frequency changer as shown bottom left.

The radio sound effect I made by cutting multiple songs together and adding static and a radio changing stations sound effect. All my sounds are off freesound.org but I am changing them in Audacity to suit my purposes.
Olden style radio changing sound effect which I edited for use.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4C_JIoRWAw

I have also added in a hiding mechanism for the next room. This consists of a locket box at the moment which the player must open to find the key hidden within. I will add more draws etc so the player has to find the key from a choice of multiple hiding places.
While I was working in the lounge I also added the TV static sound effect. I feel it needs a bit more work but Its getting there. I am happy with the progress made so far.

Models

Iv been adding  few models as I work on other aspects so that the environment isnt as bland as it currently is. I thought it best to hide the keys better than they currently are and so in the bedroom I have added some extra toys that the player needs to move before finding the key to the next room.
I first looked into toys from around the 60's, to get a feel for how they should actually look rather than going straight in and creating things that wouldn't fit with the scene.

Each toy has the ability to be picked up and moved by the player. With the key hidden underneath the toy car.
They came out well enough I feel. Texturing will come later on when I texture the majority of the house.

New Direction

Now that I have completed the first stage of the dissertation I am now to focus on making the current environment more tense. I can do this through the use of sound and visual aids.
My focus is on creating the triggered events to run throughout the house which will hopefully complete the brief of slowing the player down during their exploration of the house.

I have started by creating a trigger even of a shadow that will run before the player can see what is happening. This is simple at the moment and using a place holder graphic but I will be looking to add in a sound effect with it to help the player realise, something is there...

I will be finding sounds online as I dont have the time to create the sounds myself, a bit of editing may be in order to make them fit the purpose.
Changing graphics in the main hallway will also help me to create the desired effect as this will give the player a visual clue that something is in the house with them, although it will be a subtle change each time, the layout of these changes will be made so that the player generally wont miss them.

Time Plan Shift

I decided to create a 6 week plan for the first section of my dissertation and now the time has come to make another 6 week plan. I gave myself a few weeks between to finish any tasks I was struggling with and to make the presentation for the 1st feb.

I had time during the past few open task weeks to implement some simple changes to the game, such as a crosshair and a cursor lock so that players can use the mouse to click, pick up and move objects. I will add these tasks to the last 6 week plan for less confusion.

The task I found most troubling is mainly the lock and key system. This has been a problem for a while as I am not particularly efficient with code so I asked a fellow student for a little help here. Together we got the doors working to a pretty decent standard. The player doesn't retain information between scenes unfortunately This will become an issue when I link more rooms together.
Another issue I found which Il be looking to rectify is the fact that my playtesters were able to just run into rooms find the key and then move on, there was no true reason to not just charge. Especially when the keys were just laying around. I will be looking to implement a better system to hide keys, such as putting them in draws or even behind a set of objects (in a toy box for example) to utilise the ability to pick up objects.

These were the only issues during this time so all other tasks were completed in time.

For the next 6 weeks I will be working on making these first two rooms that I have created working to a decent standard in terms of slowing the player down with the use of atmospheric techniques.
I will consider the use of some sound effects, footsteps and breathing, rain, lightning Etc
I will write a list up for the sound effects in the task plan.


Task plan

4th - 8th Feb
Models
Simple toys x3
Toy Crate
Sound effects - Rain

11th - 15th Feb
Models
(With drawers) Desk, Cabinet, Table, Shelf unit
Code/Animate drawers to open

18th - 22nd Feb
Tv animation
Sound effects
Tv Static

25th Feb - 1st Mar
Textures for models - Bedroom and lounge
Sound effects
Footsteps, breathing

 4th - 8th Mar
Update any missing textures
Hide the key in both rooms - Under toys - In drawers

11th - 15th Mar
Sound effects
Radio, torch on off
Polishing any extra tasks

Working

I have spent the last week getting a working lock and key system and considering how the player is going to be finding the next key.
I have finally got the start of a working code to go from one scene to the next when the player has a key in hand. I need to refine the code a little so that the player remembers when he has a key as he chnges scenes but for now its working.
I also considered how keys can be found. Much like in the tv show the crystal maze Im considering multiple ways to hide the key and give the player something to think about as they walk through each room.


Ross, Out.

Lock and door

I have recently been playing with code for a lock and door system. Needless to say all my efforts have not been successful as of yet. I will be extending this task as ongoing until I can figure it out. Doing this task in one week was optimistic for me anyway.

Otherwise all other tasks are up to date and ready for the next six week plan which I will be writing up shortly.