Game Project

Finally, the project I was waiting for a long time. This time everyone was free to choose from two options: either produce an animation piece with Visual Communication for advertising or make a short game for Games Design. Without any doubt it was GAMES PROJECT. I was really fond of last year's Maya project and wanted to continue to explore the depths of three dimensional art. Collaborating with  TEE Game Design Programmers we are responsible for developing a 3D game that will be submitted to Microsoft's Imagine Cup 2013. This game must conform the rules and regulations associated with the competition.

The following week we have had a meeting with the programmers where we have been introduced to Imagine Cup competition  as well as networked and split into groups. The first couple moments of awkwardness passed and Ewelina took initiative to talk to the programmers. Uneasiness faded away and we were introduced to the team, shared our thoughts, common interests. Gladly we have created a Facebook group to stay in touch and arrange any further meetings. We wanted this project to be something personal to us, something... that we all have passion for, as well as a piece that could be submitted to the contest. It was  ambient, atmospheric game. Because this game should be suited for teenagers we have decided to exclude any violence and gore from it and leave the game mysterious and intense.

Image reference

We wanted to fill the atmosphere of our game with emptiness, sorrow and loneliness. We searched for the right environment reference, imagery which included abandoned cities, areas and buildings. Researched the history of Chernobyl, spectated documentary films which did not leave us indifferent. Affected by the history of it, it was decided to try and put that atmosphere into our game. The biggest interest caused the research of props such as: furniture pieces or details for character's inventory. 

Below are some imagery reference found on the internet.

Inspirational Games

 We were inspired by many atmospheric games such as Slender, Amnesia, Alan Wake, Silent Hill and many more.
I was quite skeptic at first, whether Amnesia is an intimidating game or not. It appears, that leaving the player defenseless in the face of danger is quite a successful move. The lighting and sound effects also play a huge role and if you remove them the player will loose any interest  to continue. Following from this, a few notes should be taken:
- limit the players capabilities ( if he's ''almighty'' sooner or later all interest will be lost)
- music (no matter how good your game is, having a good background music is a key to success)
- lighting (also a key thing to transferring the mood of your game)
- plot (is open for debates, since nowadays people are more linked to the visual aspect, rather than story behind it (not everyone, of course))

Created on Unity engine Slender is a big success, a rather simple game at one glance but at the same time it's offering something new to world. The rules of the game are quite simple: ''Collect 8 pages before he get's you''.

I think that Cry of Fear is rather successful horror game. I especially liked the beginning of it when the player is in a dark area, in order to find the way out and open doors he should take pictures. This game features combats with zombies and other disturbing creatures, which appear when you at least expect. 

Story

Programmers had a head start with the game story, involving a scientist, who came back to his hometown (Chernobyl) many years after it's destruction in order to find his family. Facing many obstacles and fighting for his life the main character finds out, that everything was I part of his imagination and he never left this place. We wanted to avoid having a direct connection with Chernobyl. Ewelina suggested an impressive story based on one of the facts. She made a strong, resolved story based on a fact that not all people know about.

The Eye of Moscow

Russia in 1970, Russian government started a top secret experiment about radio waves and it’s influence on human’s brain. For that purpose in North – East Russia there was built a town where the scientists lived with their families. Under the city was four centers, working in cooperation with each other and running the secret project. Only scientists had an access to this underground area. The experiment’s idea was to use radio waves to cure brain damages and mental illnesses. All engines and facilities in labs run on radioactive substances, which provided more power for the high energy requirements of the equipment. 

Everything worked fine till one day, when the scientists started a series of tests on a mentally ill man. During one of them the patient untied a safeguards from his wrists and tried to escape. He was stopped but wires, with the radio waves flowing through, unintentionally touched one of the scientists. The result of it had an inverse impact to the curing and his brain got badly damaged. He started suffering from schizophrenia, depression and states of fear. 

Since that, the government decided to close the experiment as soon as possible. The city was evacuated and no one was allowed to say a word about it’s existence. 

A one man, the scientist who had an accident on that day, was never supposed to get back to normal. After a few years spent in the mental institution he escaped and went back to the abandoned city, where he used to live in search of his family. It was only his damaged imagination which pushed him to do so and get to destroyed by time city.

And here the game starts……..

Level Designs

We took time with level designing, since they had to be quite challenging for the player, so that he wouldn't get easily bored. Our levels ended up looking like labyrinth. Each room was worth looking in, whether player would discover inventory items or significant things, such as keys, batteries and picture cards. Everything had to be thought through, so there wouldn't be more than it should. 

Ground Floor 

Fist Floor 

Center 1

Center 2

Center 3

Center 4

Backyard Level

We have divided levels and props between the two of us. It's good that we had time and managed to make everything before the set deadlines. I was slightly struggling with level designing as I had no experience in level making. But everything requires practice, so in the end levels were made.

Backyard 

Fist Floor

Game Details

Some of the details, that I was making for the game. I was so excited with the fist door model that I couldn't wait to continue modelling and texturing.

Flashlight

Water machine

Gas mask

 Train tracks 

Cages

 Train

Ending

-The game has a graphic novel ending, where the howl story will be explained to player.

Character

We tried to avoid having a character in a game, since none had any experience in character modelling. So we though that having some kind of a girl - shaped object in our game will do the trick. I wanted to try badly, so I was put in charge of character making. After some negotiations with the team we had two options: either produce some kind of plane in a shape of a girl or make an actual basic model.  Second option involved having a spot light cookie made in unity. For instance, whenever the light hits a wall the shape will appear, but the thing is that it won't move and will be still all the time, plus there should be a light source for that. So it was decided, that I will try both.

At that time we have made it to Imagine Cup's national finals that were taking place in London.

I have started modelling process in Zbrush, made a base mesh from zspheres using an image reference. Later formed the mesh into a figure, imported it into Maya in order to reduce the amount of polygons and make it look like a girl. Having wasted time trying to save the model I have realized, that it will not work and concentrated on the props.

After some time I have decided to try and model the character again by the book. Modelling polygon by polygon. Started from the face, took me a couple of tries to get it right. But in the end, it looked awful.  It was quite upsetting...

 I was glad, that we still had some time. Even though we could have used the shape I have created in Zbrush, but the thing was, that it looked like an alien and hardly resembled a female. Probably the fear of facing my team with that object pushed me to try again. The principle was the same: polygon by polygon modelling.

After a week of modelling I have made a figure that looked more like an adult rather than a young girl. Time was flying quite fast and I only had Easter Holidays to make whole character and focus on other project at the same time. With the pace I have been working I say I didn't have much time.

I was still eager to try and make this thing right, and I couldn't afford disappointing my team members. I had another and final go. Started everything from the start. For the body and dress I used basic shapes like cylinder. Face and fingers was with polygon tool.  

After face was finished, I have cleaned some of its parts.

Making the dress and hands.

Making fingers.

After the whole body was put together I have added ears and made her head slightly smaller and eventually made some hair.

The girl would be floating over the surface like a ghost, so her feet had to be hoovering over the ground. I have made slight changes in her feet as well as put her arms closer to the body so that they wouldn't be wide spread.

The final thing looked like:

 

I have managed to finish the character in time, but Imagine Cup was close and there was no time to rig and animate her. We were making final preparations for presentation and demo trailer.

Game Trailer 

A short 30 second trailer I have made for the Microsoft's Imagine Cup competition. The trailer had to transfer the mood of our game and intrigue judges. 

Imagine Cup Finals

After team passed the judging there was the time for national finals. Imagine Cup took place in London. We still could not believe that our first game would be lucky enough represent Birmingham. 
First half of the day was dedicated to play testing, meeting judges and other participants as well as answering any question that they might have. We were provided with a big screen also. Second part involved a 20 minute presentation with game trailer, demo and questions from judges in the end. I think it went rather good, since judges were impressed by the game plot and said that we should release a book. Remaining part was announcing the winners and after party. 
Unfortunately we did not win, but it was nice to know, that were quite a competition to others. Having gone that far with our first ever game is such an amazing feeling.

I would never expect our collaboration project to be this successful. I remember a first few meetings we had. We were a group of totally different personalities put together, all filled with doubt and lack of trust in each other, but everything had changed eventually. Everyone could rely on one another. We definitely made more than a game.

During this project I have learned a lot. From modelling tough objects to applying a UV map on to them and I would never have thought that I will be able to pull out character modelling.