Game Art & Design

1/31/26 What Remains Reflection

This story felt like like an Action/Adventure game to me, with all of the different paths that you could travel down to that would lead to different opportunities, and then later the hill with the barrels and what felt like fast paced decision making clearly made it resemble a game with heavy action. However, different sections in the story reminded me of different genres. At the very beginning, words like "gone", "groans", and "silence" all made it seem like this story was going to fall under the horror genre.  The following section also heavily contributed to this, but shortly after it seemed like the story switched into a different genre: "The trees grow close now. The forest feels alive. The trail bends… and vanishes behind you. There’s no going back. Ahead, a faint glow—like a lantern through the trees. Another trail continues forward, darker, but clear." When we got to the section of the barrels, that's when I thought the story changed from horror to action. 

2/2/26 Life Cycle Reflection

The character that I created, Erik Whittleton, will completely change the way I see myself playing What Remains. Unlike the unnamed protagonist we played as, by creating our own character, we have an interesting backstory, as well as goals, something that the original character didn't have. Also, specifically when it comes to my character, being a shopkeeper that stays inside all day, he's waiting for the journey to come to him. But when it does, he's going to have a party that he goes with, consisting of Henri, the French Dwarf, and other unforeseen party members, and for the story, from what I'm interpreting it as, is going to change from more of an adventure game to an RPG game, something that seems more suitable for what has already been laid out. I think that the entire story is going to completely change, which is interesting.

2/2/26 Copyright Reflection

It is very important for game developers to respect copyright and licensing rules when it comes to creating games for various reasons. One of the most prominent reasons is that people's owned work is something that they could feel very passionate about, and by illegally taking it away from them, it can hurt not only their pride, but them as a person as well. Also, in most cases work is able to be licensed for money, and so by taking this illegally, you are committing a federal crime, something that shouldn't be taken lightly. It's very important to know that if you want work like this for you game, you have to own a license or have made some sort of deal with the current owner or the original creator for it to be considered usable. Also, by illegally stealing things like models or ideas, legally trouble is likely to follow, which could end up in your game being taken down, making the situation bad for everyone.

2/6/26 Unreal Navigation Reflection:

I think that there are a vast amount of similarities between Autodesk 3ds Max and Unreal Engine. However, as Unreal Engine is typically an engine more associated with game design, from current experience it seems to lack the focus on design that 3ds Max did.  Some of the similarities include how you are able to manipulate the lighting, the addition of textures, and the texture editor. When it comes to differences, Unreal engine has pre-made designs built in (and even more in fab) for you to start from a better position, while 3ds Max only gives you basic primitives that YOU need to adjust. There are many more differences, but the most significant and down to ground ones seem to be the ones that I had listed. My experience with 3D modeling last year also prepared me for working in Unreal Engine. Prior to my work in 3D Modeling, I hadn't used any creative engines at all, and so my time with 3DS Max helped me with things that I need to know about textures (they share a very similar texture system), manipulating the camera, aswell as creating and changing lighting. It also taught me how to make my own 3D models that can be used in upcoming games, whether it be things like characters or props. However, despite all this, there is still so much more to learn. 3DS Max was kind of an entryway to Unreal Engine, just to get me warmed up. If I'm going to be completely honest, I haven't found anything that we've had to do challenging yet. The hardest part for me was finding out how to manipulate a texture to fit on a box, and how to make it stable, so that you could see it even while the box was moving. To do this, I had to look up a YouTube video, but it only took a little bit of explaining for it to click with me.  However, that was an outside project, something that I was doing with the free time given to me. I'm sure that there will be challenges that I'll have to face in coming assignments though.

2/12/26 Wedge  Reflection: 

• How does changing the shape or sharpness of the Wedge affect the result compared to just moving it?

By moving a wedge, all you are doing is moving the point at which a- in this instance- melon would be cut. However, by changing the sharpness, you are able to control how much of the melon it will be able to cut through, whether that be through a sixth of it or the entire thing. Changing the shape also contributes to this, because while moving the point at which the melon is cut, this can also control the sharpness. 

• What did you learn about controlling chaos when working with multiple watermelons and buckets?

I learned that it is a good idea to spread things out, instead of have the melons essentially overlapping each other. When this happened, the melons would frequently get stuck. However, once I started to spread them out, it made it a lot easier to get them all through the hole.

• In what ways can experimenting with physics in UE5 help you think differently about solving problems in real life?

UE5 is a very realistic engine when it comes to how things look, but it's also very good at maintaining realistic physics. I am willing to be that there are many jobs that utilize unreal engine in some sort of way when it comes to calculating physics. But anyway, there is a vast number of different scenarios that you can recreate which represent the real world, which is what can change the way that you think. For example, it could just be stuff you are messing around with and realize that there are real world counterparts, which can make physics much easier to interpretate in the real world.

2/12/26 Wheel and Axle  Reflection: 

• Why do wheels reduce friction, and how does this change the movement of objects compared to sliding?

Wheels reduce friction because  something was needed for friction-less* interactions. When an object slides, it starts off fast, but as friction builds,  the object in questions begins to come to a stop. With wheels, there is less friction involved, allowing for more speed and the ability to better maintain that speed.

• How did adjusting the Lazy Susan’s size or rotation rate affect where the ball ended up? What does this teach you about precision in design?

To be frankly honest all I did to get the ball into the bucket was increase the size of the cheese a few times until it would essentially keep the ball in a pocket and then shoot it out. This did teach me that I needed to be precise however, because there was some experimental error.

• Why might adding sound effects improve a Rube Goldberg machine or a game level? Think about both the player’s experience and the designer’s goals.

Adding sound effects to a Rube Goldberg machine would keep the game from having no sound, which is extremely bland. Sound effects would add unexpected freshness to the machine, and positive sound ques in a game could help a player realize that they have discovered something or that they are on the right path. Negative sound ques are a possibility when it comes to being added, but there are beliefs that that is not always a good idea.

2/13/26 Screw Reflection:

• Why do you think the screw is considered a simple machine, and how does it change motion compared to the other machines you’ve used?

The screw is likely considered a simple machine due to its ease of use. The screw has two things about it that you can change: the length and the speed at which it spins. You can change the motion of the screw by going into the editor for it and adjusting the motion slider. It has presets for ranges of 0 - 360.

• When extending a Spline ramp, what trade-offs do you notice between making the path smooth versus precise?

It is very hard to make the path precise, but by extending it, it does retain a lot of smoothness, as shown in the domino trail below. I had problems when it came to the path overlapping with other objects and making dominoes fall instantly, which threw the trail off. To fix this, I had to redo the entire trail. I think that manipulating Spline ramps are helpful for some situations, but they shouldn't. It was very helpful when it helped to extend the blue ramp, but range of motion was extremely limited, meaning that I really needed to work with what I had.

• How could combining Splines, Screws, and Dominos allow for more creative chain reactions than using them separately?

By using both splines and dominos, you are able to easily make smooth pathways, which would take a very long time without the tool. Trying to make a domino chain without the use of splines means that you would have to precisely place each domino down one by one, something that I wouldn't want to subject anyone to. I don't think I'm going to be using screws much, however, because I don't really see an interesting use for them. At best, I'll be able to move a ball, something that the majority of the other simple machines could do anyway.

2/17/26 Analyzing Games Reflection:

• • • Replay Value

Replay Value, for a lot of people, me included, is one of the most important parts of a video game. Not all good games have replay value, but games that do tend to stand out above the rest. For example, in a linear, story based game like Resident Evil, it's likely that you are only going to complete a full playthrough of the game about once or twice, since there isn't anything new that would be unique except for the achievements. But in the roguelike genre, for example, there is so much more to do once you "finish" a game. You can go for runs with different characters, try out different builds, find secrets, go for the leaderboard, or challenge different modes. All of this content keeps the game feeling fresh which in turn adds up to more replay value.  However, I think the most replay value comes from the vibes that you can get from a game. Nostalgia is a very good example of this, and it can make playing games a whole lot more enjoyable. In fact, I can confidently say that I have beaten The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at least 4 times, because to me, everything about the game felt special.

2/19/26 Analyzing Mechanics Reflection:

1. • Why is mood and atmosphere important in games?

Mood and atmosphere is important in games because it lets the game creators truly allow the player to experience the games emotions through however they establish the atmosphere. Mood is different from game mechanics because mood is how the feels instead of how the game feels. It can make moments feel stressful, happy, or sad. Games are more memorable when they have unique atmosphere and powerful mood through storytelling. I think that a powerful example of mood in a game is seen in Red Dead Redemption 2. The atmosphere is so fitting and built up so well, and the sound design and lighting are the cherrys on top. There are a lot of moments in the game reflected by the environment or lighting that represent low or high honor, something that can be earned or lost by Arthur in game. One of these moments can be seen when Arthur is riding back to camp, and "Unshaken" (D'Angelo) is playing. The environment starts to look golden, representing Arthur's honor in the moment. 

2/24/26 Analyzing Fairness Reflection:

Risk vs. Reward is important in game design because it gives meaning to player choice and keeps gameplay engaging. It is not just about making something difficult, but about making sure the potential reward feels worth the danger, effort, or sacrifice involved. When players are faced with decisions—such as taking a safer option for a small benefit or a risky move for a greater payoff—they become more invested in the outcome. A well-balanced system makes players feel responsible for their successes and failures; if they lose, they understand it was due to the risk they chose to take, and if they win, the reward feels earned and satisfying. When the balance is fair and the consequences are clear, the game feels exciting and challenging without seeming unfair, because players can see the direct connection between their decisions and the results.

2/27/26 Unit Introduction Reflection:

• How can you navigate and explore the first level using the mouse and keyboard, and what does this allow you to observe about the available assets?

• You are able to move the camera around your character with the mouse, and you can actually move your character around with the keyboard. The character has actions such as jumping, floating, walking, and running. You are able to view the available assets from any angle you want, and you are able to interact with them.

• What is the difference between a Static Mesh and a Blueprint in the Content Drawer? Provide an example of how each is used in the project.

• The blueprints are objects that have actions, such as the checkpoint, which gives you a checkpoint. Static meshes, such as the gate, are models with no unique actions other than moving, and that doesn't happen all of the time. 

• Describe at least three interactive elements demonstrated in the level when you playtested Level 1. How do these elements contribute to gameplay?

• Jumping, Walking, and Respawning are all elements demonstrated in the level when you start. Jumping allows you to get up to areas you couldn't previously get up to, walking allows you to move around and interact with the environment, and respawning is handy if you get stuck.

• How do you navigate to and open the correct map for building your game, and what is the name of the level you will be editing?

• You go into content drawer, and under the "Hour of Code" folder you will be able to find the maps folder, and in there you can finally find Level_HOC_World

• What problem does the player encounter when pressing play in the default level, and what will students need to add in the next lesson to solve it?

When walking forward you are greeted with a hole that you can not walk over. You can add platforms to get past the gap.

3/4/26 Power Ups Reflection:

Today I added jump boosts to my level, in the form of collectible crystals. I think that adding power ups to a game is very important because it can stop the game from being monotonous and bland, and it also gives the player a sense of power, maintaining player retention. If I had to add any other power ups to my game, I think that while a speed boost would be nice, it would be unnecessary. Due to the size of the islands, all it would do is make it more likely for the players to fall off and be forced to respawn, putting them into an unfair situation. While not a power up, I think that the addition of some sort of collectible currency would add a sense of enjoyment to the game. This would be made better with the addition of a way to use the currency, adding incentive, with a good idea for this being a store. Anyways, you can see my jump boosts in the video below. 

3/4/26 Pro Reviews Reflection:

I was surprised by how different the two reviews where. The more popular one, IGN, seemed to focus a lot more strictly on the gameplay aspect, making the review available to people who care more about the gameplay, but the review was also shorter, which makes it seemed like it was aimed at people with not much current interest in the game. The other review, coming from a less popular reviewer, focused much more on the game from a cinematic perspective. It was almost like he was reviewing a movie, going into depth about how amazing the voice acting was, how the cinematic effects may be old but still hold up well, and how the music and sound effects added to the theme. It's clear that this review was for people that had more interest in the game, or had already played it. Both reviewers rated the game just slightly away from a 10/10, and its important to analyze both of these reviews because it makes it so that I am able to create a professional review, taking the best aspects from each review and using them in mine, such as how IGN goes into depth about the gameplay and how the smaller creator goes into depth about the visuals, sounds, and overall feel of the game.

3/4/26 Coins Reflection:

I think players find it satisfying to collecting coins because they find it rewarding, which can result in a dopamine rush. This makes them more likely to continue to play the game as they might find the collection of coins enjoyable, mainly the pursuit of progress or the sense of growth. The sounds associated with the coins are also likely to drive some sort of interaction between the player and the game, which I can say from experience. Blueprints in Arc Raiders are a form of reward that make it addicting to play. However, typically in games you can use these coins for rewards, which makes it feel even more enjoyable and adds a goal to the game. I think that we could improve the level by adding something like that. It would be cool if you could spend the coins on power ups or in-game cosmetics, as it would make playthroughs more unique, and it could add a FOMO factor, again driving the player to pick the game up more. You can see the coins in the image below.

3/5/26 Pickup Reflection:

3/6/26 End Goal Reflection:

In todays lesson, we jumped back into our project and started with the End Goal assignment. We had to go around and learn about what some of the code which composes the door and the end goal do, as well as how to properly arrange them.  Data is passed through blueprints and widgets by converting it into Integer, Text, or String. They all have different outputs and effects, and you can determine which one you need to use from the task at hand. Another important thing to do when creating or manipulating code is to have it organized. Clean and organized code makes it much easier to understand where it is and what it does; cluttered code can make it very difficult to understand what is happening. Sequence is a good way to cut down on the amount of code you are using, because it allows you to trigger strings one after another, instead of having to create a line of code to do the same thing. Below you can see the video of my finished project.
 

3/9/26 Overview Reflection:

My hero's story connects to the lore of the new world. My character, Erik Whittleton, is a shopkeeper who used to live in the valley. It wasn't until he was ran out by rivalling merchants that he left, but the valley called back to him, so he's back at his shop. I think my character fits into the world beautifully. He's a shopkeeper, which is going to be easy to implement as creating a village with buildings in the valley is an upcoming task. I think my character fits into the world beautifully. He's a shopkeeper, which is going to be easy to implement as creating a village with buildings in the valley is an upcoming task. My character will influence the world in his own way, and I think I particularly want to implement this as something in the game, as sort of a story option. However, for that, I would have to base the structure of the game off of my character. It would make it more likely for him to be in a populated village, which would make sense as he is a shopkeeper. I think that I would also make the world more magic based, as he is a magic shopkeeper, which means that he is spreading his products throughout the valley to everyone.

KEYWORDS: Mystical, Colorful, Inspiring

3/9/26 Level Setup Reflection:

Experimenting with lighting helped me understand just how important having a fleshed out atmosphere is. Unreal engine allows for a very high level of realism, specifically through lumen. My current skybox looks almost identical to the real world. Lumen is a game-changer compared to baked lighting, because while baked lighting was good for optimization, the process was very annoying and it took absolutely forever to compile. Lumen allows for lighting to be updated in real time as you play or edit the game, all while being arguably as optimized as baked lighting, due to the how it adapts to the conditions given. If you didn't have the correct Game Mode, it could ruin your game, because Game modes define rules and behaviors for gameplay (spawning, UI, timers, inventory).

3/10/26 Sculpting Tools Reflection:

Sculpt was easily the most useful sculpting tool when it came to creating my world. I allowed me to make all of the hills surrounding the Valley, as well as connect them in randomized patterns. Its  hard to make a realistic landscape with the knowledge we have, but the tools given to us will eventually allow it. For me it was hard to use sculpt because at the level I am at, I am only able to create hills that could be seen in a kindergarten level drawing. I think that smooth may be the culprit for this, because while it allows for a more realistic interaction between parts, it makes them look very simplistic. If I were to use a reference image it would almost certainly help me. With no idea in my mind, it's going to be hard to make something as realistic as it could truly be; if I was given an image, I would have a reference point for that realism, making it much easier for me to interpet.

3/12/26 Landscape Sculpting Reflection:

The easiest part of the reference image to make was the outline for the lake. All you had to do was hold Shift while clicking and dragging, and based off of the strength you set on the sculpting tool, it would remove that much from the base. From there, all you had to do was use the flatten tool to make the rest of the ground level with the bottom of the lake. The harder part of the tutorial was making the base and the ramps for section 2. You had to create ground with the sculpt tool, and then flatten it to make a level platform for ramps to be based off of. Then, you had to use the ramp tool and create one ramp on either side of the platform. If I could improve one part of my terrain, it would be the hills. I would like to make the hills more realistic because once we add textures like grass and dirt, it would compliment that realism.

3/17/26 Paint Landscape Reflection:

Painting with layers added realism to my world, turning it from a untextured map to a green, flourishing world. The water also really contributes to the realism. When adding grass, I decided to mainly focus on putting it on the ground, and distributing it to the more flat areas. As altitude increased, I increased the amount of gravel found, as it wouldn't make sense for the mountains to be made entirely of grass. Without water, my scene look passable. However, after adding water, it looks like a completely different project. By adding water, it completely changed the environment, and made it feel more alive, as the water creates ripples that other objects in the scene don't have; the grass doesn't blow in the wind, and the skybox is pretty standard. Overall, my landscape is starting to come together. The increase in quality from how it looked when I first created it is shocking.

3/18/26 Paint Landscape Reflection:

The paths throughout my world definitely help guide my player through the world, giving them a sense of motivation, or a goal. The mountains also help keep the player from going out of bounds or away from the task at hand. To make all of my checkpoints unique, I decided to make them each based off of a food. The first one is meat, the second one is apples, and the third one is cauliflower. I'm going to add more to them when I have the time, but for now I need to catch up. I think that checkpoints add to the experience, because when players die to hazards, they have to walk all the way back to an area. Checkpoints help mitigate this, and it well keep player interaction and retention consistent and it is less likely to make people mad.

3/18/26 Tree and Plants Reflection:

The most important setting for foliage is likely the density slider, as it allows for the ability to have anywhere in between a blade of grass to something in the thousands. If I were to only have single blades of grass spaced out in between each other, my world would not look realistic at all. By increasing the density, it looks much more accurate to real life, and it transforms the landscape into a vibrant, grassy plain. Adding trees also contributes to the realism, although I will have to work on placement and spacing. You can use forests and fields to do things like hide objectives (particularly in forests), and fields can be used as the areas in between places like forest, allowing for more transparency when it comes to the objective.

3/23/26 Build a Castle Reflection:

When building a castle, I decided that it would be a good idea to keep all of the tiles uniform, so I made sure that the ones with an extra panel on them facing inside the castle, while the flat ones faced the outside. I also decided to add windows in a uniform somewhat diagonal pattern, making sure that there weren't any windows right next to each other. When it comes to making my castle organized, I put each of the walls into their own folder, and then I put all of those under the castle folder (right wall, left wall, back wall, front wall). I also did the same for the roofs, and the interior was put into its own seperate "interior folder", still under the castle. When players enter the castle, I want them to feel a sense of reward for everything that they have worked for, hence a platform with a gem in the middle of the castle.

3/23/26 Lights & Flickering Reflection:

Previously, before the lighting, my castle relied completely on light taken from outside, which led for realistic lighting; however, this was too dependent on the conditions on the environment, so I added lighting to the inside. I added rectangle lighting to the windows to give it a little more of a glow, which worked well to create some ambiance. I also added brazier torches to act as physical forms of lighting (light correlating with an actual object) which truly lit the scene up. Finally, I added a spotlight to showcase the goal of the game. However, I had to raise the minimum brightness because there was too much of a disconnect in between real world eye adjustment and adjustment in the game. I think that light is able to be used as a decoration, because similar to what I said earlier, it is very important in establishing ambiance. It can also be used as a gameplay tool though, guiding the player to whatever is intended for them to get to.

By adding a flickering effect to my lights, it made them feel much more realistic. Light created by flames wouldn't just be static; it would be flickering and constantly changed, accounting for wind or falloff. It's very important to add variation between the different brazier torches because without it, all of the torches would look the exact same. With them all repeating the same action at the exact same time, a sense of uncanniness was established. But it also makes the torches much more realistic, as all torches in the real world are completely different. If I wanted to push my atmosphere further, I could use dynamic shadows in corners or around the map near grass and trees to add extra depth to the scene.

3/26/26 Castle Village Reflection:

When making my village, I added many different factors to make it feel lived in. I added some houses to represent how people used to live in the village, while spreading them out in a realistic way. I also added small features like farms, notice boards, and market stands to represent the variance and uniqueness of the area. Lights were added to help illuminate the area, while not being fully realistic (as the area is abandoned.) Finally, the gate separating the village from the rest of the valley and the watchtowers establish how wary the people living inside of the village were. Adding coins and gems is important, because it gives the player an objective, and a rewarding one at that. Due to the reward factor, it's much more likely that the player is going to explore more thoroughly and check areas that other players wouldn't be likely to. Below you can see my beautiful village: 

4/8/26 Creative Expanse Reflection

What makes a player want to stop and look closely at a game environment?

I think that it's more likely that a player will stop and look closely at a game environment if you have a stunning, detailed world. There are a lot of people that play video games to appreciate the small details and realism that you can find in games, and they will spend a lot of time analyzing and admiring additions to your game if they are different and spread out well enough. I think I did this pretty well with one of my checkpoints, with the barbershop featuring a small knife, a butchers knife, and a guillotine, all comedically bringing the piece together. I think another good example of this can be found in games like Resident Evil. The Resident Evil games have smaller areas, but this allows for them to be much more full and detailed. Much bigger game maps are more likely to have areas that will really capture the readers attention.

How can you balance decoration with gameplay flow, so the player doesn’t get lost?

I think that a way you can balance decoration with gameplay flow is to make it so that things aren't too realistic. I think that there is a balance in between having "yellow paint" in your game, because while it doesn't exactly scream proficient decoration, it does compliment the flow of the game. I think that the best directors are able to make games extremely realistic while keeping the gameplay good, like metal gear solid. You are able to traverse a large area of the map early, with nothing stopping you. To progress, you have to find keys and sneak around, and these keys should activate your prior knowledge on doors that you've seen, leading you to a new area. Keys leading to new areas that you need to explore are a good way to keep the game grounded and structured while allowing for a good flow of gameplay.

4/9/26 Challenges Intro Reflection

The design of my world greatly supports the kind of challenges that you can see in the video. I landscaped the whole world off of a reference image of the one that we are taking lessons from. For example, the water in my world should make it so that I can place platforms down realistically, the hill should make it so that boulders can roll down with ease, and the village landscape is not perfect, but it should perform relatively good for the archers. I am also able to change the landscape with the landscape mode anytime I feel an adjustment is needed. As of right now, however, I don't think that any changes need to be made. I think that the challenges shown will make the mood of my level 2 world well, fitting with the overall fantasy and old timey theme.  For example, archers would make more sense instead of gunmen because it's clear that the world is very dated. 

4/9/26 Sweeper Arm Reflection

Adding ragdoll physics made it seem like the game was much more fleshed out; in earlier stages, the character would instantly respawn after touching water. There was another stage in where the character would have ragdoll physics, but the camera would move with them, making the entire thing look weird. After a few touch ups (making the camera still on death), The addition of these physics makes it so that the concept of death feels realistic. I think to make the Sweeper Arm difficult, I would speed it up or make multiple in the same area. I think that it would be much more interesting to go for a harder approach in my game, and the Sweeper Arms are an amazing way to do that. Adding them to the already challenging platforming proves that my game is bound to be hard. It will allow the players to expect the difficulty that is to come with the upcoming archers and rolling boulders. 

4/14/2026 Narrow Path Reflection

Adding pendulums to the sweeper arm challenge made it so that the sweeper arms weren't the only obstacle that the player would have to worry about. Pendulums make it so that you need more precise timing, on top of the already precise platforming, which multiplies the level of difficulty in my challenge. Since the area isn't that long, I realized that I could add a bit of challenge, as there is a checkpoint directly behind it. I decided to take a route that could cause frustration, but would offer a much greater sense of reward for beating it. In total, there are 2 sweeper arms and two pendulums. By polishing the environment, I was able to change the way that players thought of the challenge. Previously, it was a big body of water that you couldn't get past without dying. Now, you are able to, but it comes with a challenge.

4/16/2026 Boulders Reflection

By increasing the size of my boulders, its much more likely that the player will feel intimidated by them. By making them faster, it will present more of a challenge. To balance the safe zones and danger in my Boulder Hill design, I made it so that while the safe spots are pretty closer together, the boulders are really fast. I think that this is the best way to approach this when it comes to giving a challenging experience to the player. I did make slight tweaks by making the boulders slightly slower to truly keep the design balanced. By adding destruction effects, it made it seem like the boulders were much more reel than a static object. I decided to keep my particle effects rather basic, making them look like an explosion of dust to compliment the gravelly appearance. The visual effects, in this instance, lets the players know that the boulder collapsed, instead of just disappearing. Below you can see an image of the earlier stage of my boulder hill.

4/16/2026 Timed Gate Reflection

Adding a timed element to one of my obstacles really mixes things up. While the Sweeper Arm and Boulder Hill are also about timing, they are not similar to this, as they require split second timing, while this obstacle requires you to maintain good timing the entire way through. To make this fair, I would make the open duration somewhat lenient, with a random range in between two set numbers. Currently, I don't know what I will set it to, but I'll know once I make the abandoned village. I think that adding timing-based obstacles into an already inflicted time crunch situation might make it really stressful. If I were to add timing obstacles I would almost certainly make them on the easier side, so that you don't have to try and balance the overall challenge with the smaller ones. 

For example, I could add the Sweeper Arms, but I would definitely have to slow them down. Below you can see a correlating image of the open door and the pulled lever.

4/20/26 Abandoned Village Reflection

For my village, I decided to use spikes because it served as a way to stop players from getting to places that they weren't supposed to be, and they were also an obstacle that would kill on touch. This made it so that the path was somewhat restricted and allowed me to make the design tighter. I also used floating platforms to somewhat add to the magic of the valley, as platforms like this would not float in real life. It also adds some interesting platforming to the level. I decided that it would be a good idea to let the gate close about 2 seconds after the average player would be able to complete the obstacle. This way, people that do it fast can get it over with, but casual players won't feel extremely upset. Escaping before the gate shuts is adds stress onto the player due to the time crunch. The feeling that the door could close at any moment puts the player on edge the entire time.

4/23/26 Enemy Tower Reflection

I think that the ranged attacks might be the easiest part of my level, but also the most complex mechanically. I think they offer a unique spin from the rest of the challenges found in my level, whether that be the boulders, the timed gate, or the sweeper arm course. In terms of testing the ranged attacks, I definitely had to try it out the longest to make it feel right. There was also constant tweaking needed with this one. I needed to adjust the towers fire rate multiple times, but I feel like the sensing distance only needed to be set one time for it to be realistic. Adding a visible enemy to the tower makes it more immersive because it makes it feel like the item is actually being thrown by someone. However, I will say it does feel a little weird because the village is supposed to be abandoned. 

4/23/26 Predict Movement Reflection

Changing ProjectileSpeed makes it so that the projectile Moves faster. If it were too high, it would severely limit the players dodge options to the point of unfairness. The values that I tweaked first were the Z offset and the Aim Offset. I changed the Z offset so it wouldn't look like the enemy was trying to through the bottle at the players feet, but rather at him in general. Next, I changed the Aim Offset to make it seem like he wasn't really scripted and that there was a bit of randomness to the enemy. If I had gravity on, I have no idea. I feel like it would be a lot more difficult, because to properly have a system like that, you would almost definitely need character tracking, which, at our level, we wouldn't be able to do well. It would probably also take a while.

4/28/26 Potion and Tower Improvement Reflection

TimeBetweenThrows had the biggest impact on fairness in the game because it made it so that the player might actually stand a chance when the tower begins to shoot at a slower pace instead of using rapid fire. SightRadius is also an important one because it can make it so that they can't see you from miles away. By using OnComponentHit, it would make it so that you could visibly see the interaction between the bottle and the ground or a wall; the explosion added realism and visualized how dangerous the thrown potion could be. The explosion now allows you to see where it lands and better adjust your positioning off of how it's being thrown. Also, it is very easy to tell if you have been hit now because a particle effect will burst out on the character. Below you can see an image of a bottle being thrown at the character from a person in a watch tower.

4/30/26 Guarded Marketplace Reflection

I made it so that my characters were spread out enough so that sight cones wouldn't overlap, keeping the experience fun for the player. To guide players through the intended route, I used both natural and constructed objects. Trees and Grass made it obvious that the outer path wasn't right to try and trek through, and I also added houses and spikes to warp the space you could actually traverse through. There are also several objects that provide protection from the thrown bottles, such as the broken cart or the market board. After playtesting, I would have to say that I need to adjust the code of my enemies. Their throwing isn't all that accurate and it makes it really easy to avoid, breaking almost any sense of challenge. Once I fix that, I might add more areas that the player can hide behind. Below you can see an image of part of the marketplace. 

5/4/26 Adjusting Feedback Reflection

5/4/26 Decorate World Reflection

5/4/26 Module 7 Reflection 1

 I think sound has the biggest impact on how players feel. Music and sound effects can quickly change the mood of the game. For example, quiet sounds can make a place feel calm or lonely, while loud or fast music can make it feel exciting or scary. To make The Valley more immersive, I plan to use all three systems together. I will use UI to help guide the player, cutscenes to tell parts of the story, and sound to create emotion. Combining these will make the game feel more real and engaging. The most important connection I learned is that widgets show the menu, controllers handle player input, and levels control where the game takes place. The Player Controller connects everything so when a player clicks a button, the game responds correctly. Adding a background image or style makes the first screen more interesting. It gives players a first impression of the game’s mood. For example, a peaceful background can make the game feel relaxing, while a darker one can make it feel more serious or mysterious. The most important part of the pause system is making sure it works quickly and smoothly. When players press pause, the game should stop right away and resume easily. This makes the game feel reliable and easy to control. A pause menu that fits the game’s style helps players stay immersed. If it matches the game’s look and feels natural, it won’t break the experience. Storing and switching between widgets in the Player Controller makes the UI more organized and easier to manage. It allows the game to switch menus quickly without having to rebuild everything each time. I want players to feel a smooth flow as they move between levels. It should feel like one continuous journey instead of separate parts, so they stay focused and engaged in The Valley. My biggest takeaway is that widgets are very versatile and can be used in a lot of different scenarios, and in my case, we used them to make the pause menu and level select. Below you can see images of my pause screen and menu select. 

5/19/26 Module 7 Reflection 2

Connecting sounds to Blueprint events make the game feel even more reactive and alive because it helps the player feel immersed. Everything in real life has a sound or sound altering properties, so objects without sounds in the game world can make you feel a stronger than average disconnect. For example, if you were watching a cartoon video where someone got hit with a hammer, first with no sound and then with sound, you would be much more likely to say that the hammer that made the sound had a greater impact. Random timing and sound variation make ambiance feel more natural because there isn't really another explanation; that's just how everything works. If the same sounds were repeated at the exact same interval and same time, it would start to get old fast, as well as literally drive people insane. Typically games change background music whenever something serious happens, like a change in time or a boss fight or challenge area. Recently I was playing Subnautica 2, and this extremely eerie music started playing. I got extremely nervous, and the music began to get more dramatic, adding to the tension. It wasn't until I turned around and saw a giant squid chasing me.

In these lessons, I learned the importance of adding sounds to blueprints as well as adding music to the level, as well as how to manipulate and do both.

5/21/26 My Red Thread

• What connects the different parts of your creative work - what is your red thread?

• Which design or storytelling choices represent you the most clearly?

• Why do you think those choices feel authentic to who you are?

• How could your red thread evolve as you continue learning and creating?

The color palate used in my resume