Group games design project
Embedded Files
Intro
Game Design.pptxFor this project we were put into teams of 4 to create a game, either: modern mobile game, aimed at ages 30-50. Or PS1 game aimed at boys aged 5-10, (both are universal appeal). The game we chose from the brief was the mobile game. We got to decide our roles within the team, our team leader made most of the ideas then they were decided within the team. We decided to present our work on a Miro board and come up with a production plan. The game could be made with any game engine we liked, but it needed to have a clear message and stick to the brief.
The roles I played apart in was; 2D concept artist + research + Miro-presentation + 3D Modelling + 3D animating + Production schedule.
Brainstorming ideas / Pre-production / Alpha stage
Chosen game theme: 3rd person Mobile Volleyball game
(this idea might change later)
Me and my team all came up with ideas for games that would fit into the brief. We eventually chose to do a volley ball game.
After creating a mood board, from ideas presented in the team, to help bring inspiration, I started to work on designing the player's and opponent's kit.
I used multiple reference images to come up with 3 different designs and 2 different colour combinations. After presenting the designs to my team, we decided to use design B from top column and design A from bottom column.
Production Schedule
I've created a to-do list that will help me and show; what's been completed, what is being worked on and what we need to start doing.
This to-do list will be updated through out this project.
Production / Beta stage
Chosen game name: Bald Ballers
Once all the planning was finished we started to make the foundations of the game, this included; programming, modelling, level/map, assets and characters.
I made a simple volley ball court as we wanted to keep the poly count as low as possible. However I did chose to make a poor design for the net as I didn't know how to make it an image plane whilst still being transparent. I originally wanted to import an image plane from elsewhere but with limited experience with Maya, I chose to go with a more simple method.
We then imported it into Unreal Engine 4 but then we later moved over to Unity as we've worked with both before but Unity's layout is more simpler.
I then imported a volley ball from TurboSquid into Maya as it was a basic design and we were allowed to use pre-made assets from elsewhere. I then lowered the polys dramatically whilst still maintaining the original shape.
I also coloured the crevices/groves on the ball to black as to make it stand out more.
Once the court and main assets were done I worked on making the character models. I started by using one of Maya's pre-made models, that being Body. I then Extruded the clothing from the body for the shape of it. I also added the shoes to the body so it isn't bare foot.
After that I UV mapped the clothing and instead of separating the back from the front, I overlapped the UVs as I was only going to add a simple colour texture to them as it was unnecessary to add to much detail. I managed to recreate the designs for the characters by using the Multi-cut Tool to get the right curvature on the designs.
When sending this over to another member of the team, I couldn't sent the file as it was too big so I had to send the characters separately and drop their poly count down further.
After that I also imported another asset from TurboSquid into Maya however these shoes were 3D scanned so the poly count was well over 4,000,000 polys so I definatle needed to drop it down as our game was for mobile and wouldn't have matched the other assets in terms of detail.
After making the court where the player will be on, I noticed there was no background so the player could see off the map, so instead I decided to model an arena where the court could be placed. I modelled the arena within the same scale as the court followed by UV mapping as well as giving the arena random colours for the different types of materials so when I came to adding textures on Substance Painter, I would have multiple Texture Sets. I then proceeded to add textures by simply dragging and dropping the materials.
One of the more important things I needed to work on was the characters' movement animations. I started this by importing my characters I made into Mixamo and which it rigged them for me. I then chose for both an over head throw animation (for when they hit the ball) and a victory celebration animation (for when one of them wins) to be downloaded. Also I imported the rigged characters back into Maya so I could make a Title screen/Box art/Thumbnail. I posed the characters myself Infront of a greenscreen followed by an image taken of them and sent onto Photoshop so I could crop out the greenscreen. I also added a title with the name we chose: Bald Ballers.
Miro-Board
Final product
Evaluation
I feel like my team didn't understand the significance of games platforms and technologies on the development of game design within our game as we were meant to make a mobile game but the programmers of the team didn't know how to make the touchscreen HUD (Joystick or arrows and the "HIT" button), so my team chose to do keyboard instead as to make it playable.
I feel like my team didn't understand the significance of age, gender and culture on game design within our game as our target audience were meant to be aimed at ages 30-50 but instead my team branched off the idea and merged the idea with the other option: PS1 game aimed at boys aged 5-10.
I feel like we were able to critically analyse a range of games from a game play perspective such as a multitude of 3rd person mobile volleyball games like Volleyball Extreme Edition, 2013. As well as Match Three stile of games like Candy Crush, but I was out voted on that idea.
By the end of this project, I think we should've stuck to the brief more to achieve a high merit or a distinction. Honestly, I was out voted with some of the ideas and just had to create what the team wanted. My personal target is to improve my character sculpting skills as I believe I should've made some hair on the characters but the team manage to make it work. I also believe I should improve my arena on Substance Painter as the textures are basic and could've look more realistic.
I believe we successfully made most of what we wanted in the time we had, although because of time restraints, we weren't able to add everything.
Tutor Feedback - "The characters/volleyball players could've had animations like running or hitting the ball but I know that another member of your team put it together and you have shown evidence of Rigging and animating. The same applies with the textures on the scene but you have shown evidence of that as well. Still really well done." "Your game design projects showcase a high level of practical skill and understanding. The application of coding and design principles in your work is strong, leading to impressive outcomes. Your recognition of the significance of games platforms and technologies on game development highlights your awareness of industry trends and advancements. Furthermore, your understanding of how age, gender, and culture influence game design is evident in your thoughtful approach. The critical analysis of games from a gameplay perspective demonstrates your ability to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of different gaming experiences."
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