Proposal

Candidate NameLuke Wadey 600448
PathwayGames Development (Programming)
Project TitleChaosmyth
Section 1: Review

Over my last two years at college I have learnt a great deal when it comes to programming. When I started the course I had almost no knowledge of any programming languages or how to use any engines. Then within my first few weeks I begun to learn Unity, C# and 3D Modeling. I was initially drawn to programming as it was what I intended on learning when joining the course, however I did start to really enjoy 3D modeling. but when we came to our first real project that we could specialise (Unit 567) I chose programming and this was where I began to really excel at this specialism. I started to feel comfortable and confident with C# as I created my nautical game, exploring mechanics and processes that I hadn’t used before which only grew my interest. An example of this would be the enemy AI mechanic that I created within my nautical game that involved having the enemy get triggered by a collision radius that would then activate a script which would allow the enemy to locate and move towards the player, at the time this was a huge step for me as it was a mechanic I had never accomplished before and I managed to get it to be fully functional by myself.  This brings me to now where I have skills using both C# and blueprints to make games in Unity and unreal and I have included some examples of my work below.

Nautical Project – The Depths

Unreal Project – The Range 

It’s very important to me that I am able to study games development as I have always had a passion for games so to be able to study them and then one day make a career out of creating them would be a huge privilege. 

When I started this course I wanted to become a programmer ,I didn’t have much knowledge of the specialism but I thought it would be the avenue of games development that I would excel at. I did however during my first year show some skills in the other areas however it was still programming that I was best at. The stuff I have learnt up until now has influenced my choice to become a programmer greatly as it has allowed me to understand the scope of what is possible as a programmer, the idea that the possibilities are almost endless in terms of what you can achieve as a programmer has only bolstered my intrigue and want to learn the specialism. 

For this project I hope to achieve a merit/distinction grade as this would help me a lot for getting into my desired universities as well keep me working at a high standard of work. In the long term I want to progress through university as a programmer and come out of the course to hopefully be employed as a junior programmer specialising in AI or gameplay programming.        

Section 2: Project Concept

My idea for this project is a dungeon crawler type game where the player takes control of a knight from a great kingdom, exploring and conquering a dungeon that is overrun with demons. The game will be played from a top down perspective much like games such as Diablo and League of Legends. The character you control will have a basic attack set that will be well complimented by some special attacks/ abilities, which the player will be able to use when they have acquired enough ‘chaos’, you will be able to collect chaos by killing the enemies within the level so consuming this resource to eliminate the enemies wisely will be key to the players success. As I have mentioned above, the game will be set within a dungeon wrought with demons so I will give the dungeon a somewhat derelict feel that should feel foreboding for the player be exploring. 

The enemy AI within the game will have varying difficulty as you progress through the level, as you start the level the enemies will be few in number and quite weak in terms of their threat level to the player but as you move through the dungeon and get closer to the end you will encounter enemies in greater numbers and with units that are more difficult for you to contend with. There will also be traps prevalent throughout the level that the player will have to contend with as they traverse the dungeon. Lastly there will be a loot system within the game that will have a chance of dropping health, chaos and gold off of enemies that you kill, the amount of loot you get will have a positive correlation to how difficult the enemy that you killed was. 

The game links to the theme as you are playing as a knight that within medieval times where pillars of justice and order for the people so as this character you will be the embodiment of order fighting against demons which are a polar opposite to good and order and acting as my deliverance of chaos within the game. The theme of order and chaos is about the balance of two natural powers in the world constantly fighting for control and I feel that my game will be able to personify this.

I will need to create a mechanic for top down player movement that uses W, A, S, D to navigate the world, the character will also need to have a basic attack set that allows the player to attack the enemies in the level, lastly the player character will need two abilities that have varying effects and can be cast when they have accrued enough chaos. Another mechanic I will need to create is the enemy AI that will need to have an aggro radius so that only when the player is in range the enemy will activate and begin to chase and do damage to the player. The enemies will also need a random drop chance that causes them to drop varying amounts of chaos, health and gold that the player will be able to collect. 

I will also be creating mechanics for traps that will be throughout the level design that will need to trigger when you are in range and have effects such as falling terrain or swinging traps. Lastly I will need to create the pick-ups for my game that will all be children of a parent asset that will have the base mechanics of a pick-up so then I can code the specifics of each item drop by themselves without repeating myself. 

The software I am going to use on this project will be Unreal Engine 4 as I think it gives me the best tool set to create my game idea. I have also begun to feel really comfortable within the UE4 software as it is what I have been using most of this year. Another piece of software I may use will be Maya and this is because I might need to make changes to some models I download for my game. Lastly I will be using photoshop to create any images I will be using within my game such as UI Icons.

This game has quite a grand scope in terms of level design and mechanics that I want to achieve, so I will have to manage my time perfectly to create a finished product that I am happy with. If I need to reduce the scope of the project during the the development because I cannot finish the project in time I could have less enemy variations which would save me a great deal of time or I could reduce the size of the level to something a bit shorter but make sure to make the shorter level just as engaging. Overall I feel I should be okay to finish this project to a standard I can be proud of as mechanically speaking I feel quite comfortable with this project as I have had experience with many of the mechanics in other projects so I will just need to build on knowledge I have already gained, however there are some parts of the project I have little knowledge on such as the animation process in UE4.     

Character Research

Here I have some research for the character the player will be controlling. As I have mentioned before the character the player will be controlling is a knight and I want them to have a look that they belong to some kind of order to protect the people. I really like the design of the Templar knights as they have a uniform about them that shows they are serving another purpose. Another aspect of the design I like is the squared away helmet as I think this better conveys the power of the knight rather than having a more fantasy look for the armour aesthetic. Overall I really like these designs and they show what sort of character I want to build for the player to control. I will be able to reference back to these images when I am looking for assets to try and find something that will fit the look I am going for.

Enemy Design 

Here I have some design research for the enemies in my game. The enemies in my game are demons and there will be some varying types based on difficulty that will appear as you traverse deeper into the dungeon. The research here is quite broad as a result of needing different designs. I really like the range these images show as they look like they vary in how chaotic and demonic they are and that’s the feel I want the enemies in the game to have. Again I will be able to use this research and build upon it which will help me when I am searching for assets to use within my game.

Example Gameplay

Here I have some gameplay examples of what to expect from the style of my game. This is how I want the camera to look as it has a downward focus on the player as you traverse around the dungeon. I really like the aesthetic design of these examples as they are a good representation of what I want to be able to create. The broken medieval looking architecture is a style I want to recreate within my own game giving you an idea of what to expect from the end product.    

Section 3: Evaluation

Throughout this project I will be using peer review forms to help me reflect on the work I have achieved during the project and check against what level I am working at so that I will be able to correctly evaluate and make any needed changes to my project.

 Ongoing during the project I will use peer reviews again as well as the interim submissions to gain feedback on my project to evaluate my work to help me keep on track by reviewing the input from my peers and tutors to see where my work needs improvement. 

 I will also be able to reflect on this feedback  during the evaluation process of my project as well and view how well it positively affected the outcome of my body of work by looking back at the development process of my project and seeing where I was able to take onboard the criticism and then produce an action plan that I followed, then I would be able to see If the changes I made positively affected my grade and project work during the following interims.

I will be able to record the decision making of my project through a development log that I will keep updated on a weekly basis showing all of the choices I make during the project. Then any changes I make throughout the creation of my project will be documented so that I could then reflect on the changes I made compared to my original proposal.

DevLog Setup

Proposed Research Sources and Bibliography (Harvard Format)

Research Sources

  1. Internet
  2. Books
  3. Photography
  4. Youtube Tutorials
  5. Blogs
  6. Magazines
  7. Pinterest
  8. Free3D
  9. TurboSquid

Bibliography

TEOH YI CHIE

Book Preview: Dark Souls: Design Works (English edition)

In-text: (Teoh Yi Chie, 2014)

Your Bibliography: Teoh Yi Chie (2014). Book Preview: Dark Souls: Design Works (English edition). [online] Parka Blogs. Available at: https://www.parkablogs.com/content/book-preview-dark-souls-design-works-english-edition [Accessed 12 Feb. 2020]

ALMEIDA, T.

Behance

In-text: (Almeida, 2016)

Your Bibliography: Almeida, T. (2016). Behance. [online] Behance.net. Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/42938077/Fire-elementals [Accessed 12 Feb. 2020].

BRISTOT, L.

ArtStation – Troll

In-text: (Bristot, 2018)

Your Bibliography: Bristot, L. (2018). ArtStation – Troll. [online] Artstation. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/X5QJn [Accessed 12 Feb. 2020].

ZUHLSDORF, J.

ASK FATHER: Can I wear a scapular on my bullet proof vest? | Fr. Z’s Blog

In-text: (Zuhlsdorf, 2019)

Your Bibliography: Zuhlsdorf, J. (2019). ASK FATHER: Can I wear a scapular on my bullet proof vest? | Fr. Z’s Blog. [online] Wdtprs.com. Available at: https://wdtprs.com/2019/08/ask-father-can-i-wear-a-scapular-on-my-bullet-proof-vest/ [Accessed 12 Feb. 2020].

ZACK

Pin on For Honor/Samurai

In-text: (Zack, n.d.)

Your Bibliography: Zack (n.d.). Pin on For Honor/Samurai. [online] Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/675821487817784256/ [Accessed 12 Feb. 2020].

WILLIAMS, M.

IN HOC SIGNO VINCES on Instagram: “In hoc signo vinces – Crusader knight, Medieval knight, Knight art

In-text: (Williams, 2020)

Your Bibliography: Williams, M. (2020). IN HOC SIGNO VINCES on Instagram: “In hoc signo vinces – Crusader knight, Medieval knight, Knight art. [online] Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/764978686689194922/ [Accessed 12 Feb. 2020].

WADEY, L.

The Range finished play test

In-text: (Wadey, 2020)

Your Bibliography: Wadey, L. (2020). The Range finished play test. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Nm3-cMLkA&feature=youtu.be [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].

WADEY, L.

Unity Nautical Game “The Depths” Unit567

In-text: (Wadey, 2020)

Your Bibliography: Wadey, L. (2020). Unity Nautical Game “The Depths” Unit567. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E1a_dsSz-8 [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].

ENGADGET

「Top down action RPG」おしゃれまとめの人気アイデア｜Pinterest｜Luke Wadey【2020】 | 風景

In-text: (Engadget, n.d.)

Your Bibliography: Engadget (n.d.). 「Top down action RPG」おしゃれまとめの人気アイデア｜Pinterest｜Luke Wadey【2020】 | 風景. [online] Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/821344050778790963/ [Accessed 4 Mar. 2020].

SCHREIER, J.

Diablo Meets Final Fantasy VII In This Ambitious Action-RPG | World of warcraft gold, Final fantasy vii, Game level design

In-text: (Schreier, 2012)

Your Bibliography: Schreier, J. (2012). Diablo Meets Final Fantasy VII In This Ambitious Action-RPG | World of warcraft gold, Final fantasy vii, Game level design. [online] Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/319896379762981252/ [Accessed 4 Mar. 2020].

LUNTANG, M.

Divinity Original Sin PC Games Free | Original sin, Divinity original sin, The originals

In-text: (Luntang, n.d.)

Your Bibliography: Luntang, M. (n.d.). Divinity Original Sin PC Games Free | Original sin, Divinity original sin, The originals. [online] Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/410179478541635194/ [Accessed 4 Mar. 2020].


Project Action Plan and Timetable
WeekDate WeekBeginningActivity / What you are intending to do – including independent studyResources / What you will need to do it – including access to workshops
103/02/20Research the theme and document the definition, create moodboards and a mind map to help generate ideas, Generate final idea  Pinterest, Google slides, Books, Photography, WordPress
210/02/20Produce a detailed proposal, gather research to help with the creation and design of my project including primary and secondary research. Record research findings in a bibliography.Pinterest, Youtube, Books, Photography, WordPress 
HALF-TERM17/02/20
324/02/20INTERIM DEADLINE 1 – CONTEXT & RESEARCHTask 1 & 2 – 28/02/20 – 4pm
Continue with my work on researching my chosen projecting idea whilst keeping a bibliography, Look of assets I wish to use within my desired game style, Begin work on Ideas generation, creating test mechanics for my game idea. Record all my work in a detailed DevLog		Pinterest, Youtube, Books, Photography, UE4, Free3D, TurboSquid, WordPress
402/03/20Focus on more ideas generation and create the Top down movement system for my player character also add the basic attack system for the player. Create the AI system for my enemies to be able to chase and damage the player UE4, Youtube, WordPress
509/03/20Continue with ideas generation and create a drop chance mechanic for the health, chaos and gold pickups. Begin work on the special ability mechanics for the player character. Record all my work in a detailed DevLog   UE4, Youtube, WordPress
616/03/20INTERIM DEADLINE 2 –PROBLEM SOLVINGTask 3 – 20/03/20 – 4pmCreate level design test pieces based on my research in previous weeks, create 3 designs and have my peers as well as tutors give me feedback on the design and layout of the maps. Record all my work in a detailed DevLog UE4, Youtube, WordPress
723/03/20After receiving my feedback on my level design ideas begin the creation of my final level design whilst continually having it tested by my peers for feedback. Record all my work in a detailed DevLog  UE4, Youtube, WordPress
830/03/20Finalise the level design and begin to propagate the enemies throughout the level Test a play through for enemy positioning. Record all my work in a detailed DevLog  UE4, Youtube, WordPress
EASTER BREAK06/04/20Create variations on my enemy blueprint to have more difficult enemies with unique drop chances compared to the more common enemies. Record all my work in a detailed DevLog UE4, Youtube, WordPress
EASTER BREAK13/04/20Acquire some vfx for the players special abilities to help visualise to the player that they have cast one of the spells, Implement the vfx into the game, Have people play test the game so if there are any bugs I can work on fixing them. Record all my work in a detailed DevLog   UE4, Youtube, WordPress
920/04/20setup a highscore value system, that records the players best time and saves the value to be displayed on screen. update my DevLogUE4, Youtube, WordPress
1027/04/20INTERIM DEADLINE 3 – PRACTICAL SKILLS & PRESENTATIONTask 4 & 5 – 04/05/20 – 4pmPRODUCT COMPLETED Have my game peer assessed for any improvements, work on getting my game to a polished standard ready for the interim.   UE4, WordPress
1104/05/20Plan out how I want to exhibit my game, with boards including screenshots of the game and menus etc.Decide how many boards I want to include UE4, Photoshop, WordPress, White paint, Rollers, brushes, paint tray.PC, Exhibition ready work, Nameplate, printer.Printing Card.Sticky fixers.Metal ruler.Scalpel blades and handle.Cutting mat.Spirit level.Steps.Exhibition plan.
1211/05/20Write up my final evaluation and reflect on the feedback I have received throughout the project and any sacrifices I had to make to finish the project on time  
Continue to prepare my work for exhibition 		UE4, Photoshop, WordPress,White paint, Rollers, brushes, paint tray.PC, Exhibition ready work, Nameplate, printer.Printing Card.Sticky fixers.Metal ruler.Scalpel blades and handle.Cutting mat.Spirit level.Steps.Exhibition plan.
1318/05/20FINAL DEADLINE  – EVALUATION – Task 6 – 22/05/20 – 4pmComplete my final evaluation of the project and have my game ready for exhibition Add my work to my portfolio. UE4, Photoshop, WordPress,White paint, Rollers, brushes, paint tray.PC, Exhibition ready work, Nameplate, printer.Printing Card.Sticky fixers.Metal ruler.Scalpel blades and handle.Cutting mat.Spirit level.Steps.Exhibition plan.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vXzCX7YIpXAUd4BrqDqTJzuwtN0i4eCaXxTqBZ1l7Sk/edit?usp=sharing

Peer Feedback

  • Add animation in your game (walking, running, attacking, healing)

Reflection

This is my proposal for the Order & Chaos project, I think I have well detailed what I want to include within my projected in a detailed manor. after the peer feedback I have realised some details I neglected to include within the initial proposal. I do plan on having animations for the players attack and movement within my game as well as for the enemies and this is because the player needs some visual feedback to understand what is going on. I haven’t really used the animation tools within UE4 before so I think it will be an interesting challenge for me.

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