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.