Game art and design reflection

• What do you hope to get out of taking a class focused on Game Art & Design?

-mainly to learn how to make games so I can share my ideas with the world 

• Why do you think having an industry-recognized workforce credential like the Unreal Engine certification can be valuable for your future?

-Because the Unreal Engine can be very versatile for many games and even other projects like VFX for movies

• Why is it important to have a Code of Conduct when working in game development or other creative industries?

-Because it expresses the expectations of the company and it is important to follow a list of rules to direct certain behavior

How copyright is handled in the workplace 

• Why is it important for game developers like you to respect copyright and licensing rules when creating games?

It is important to respect copyright because failing to do so can lead to unfavorable results for you and your company. It can lead to lawsuits and loss of game players. You should also respect people's copyright because of the heart they put in it.  And it would be tough for you if your assets were stolen. Many game companies have not been able to respect the copyright laws and have been  sued.  And learning through their mistakes can lead to successes in the future 

(Work in progress)

• What similarities and differences do you see between Autodesk 3ds Max and Unreal Engine?

I think the layout is mostly the same

• How well do you feel learning 3D modeling last year prepared you for working in the Unreal Engine?

• What did you find most challenging, and how did you work through it?

how to move the camera across the scene, but I watched the video about navigating the engine again and figured it out.

Inclined planes 

1. • Why might using multiple Inclined Planes be more effective than just one?

Placing multiple ramps can change the speed or direction of the ball. For example, it can transfer momentum to other ramps or to make the ball go faster or slower due to the slope of the ramp.  It can also slightly add to the look of the machine.

1. • How does turning snapping on or off affect the way you build and test your level?

Having snapping on or off can be useful in certain situations, but mainly it can depend on whether you are moving, scaling, or rotating an object. Snapping can be useful when moving an object, but having snapping off can make you have the precise location of your object as having snapping on can leave a small gap you might need to fill. Snapping when scaling an object is something that I don't find too useful but it can have certain moments and I find it necessary to use snapping for rotating to make sure you rotate things correctly. However, as I grow to learn more of this engine my thoughts may vary over time.

1. • What did you learn about problem-solving when your first setup didn’t work as expected?

Things I learned about problem solving are that  you have to be careful how big your slope is, because If your ball is going up, it may not have enough momentum to get it over the incline. I also tested new slopes to see how the ball would fare against them.

Wedges

2/11/25

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

Changing the shape of the wedge gives more room for the buckets to collect watermelon pieces.

(and I think it splits more evenly when it's sharpened  though I'm not completely sure).

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

To make sure you don't have too many fractures so that the watermelon slices all go into the bucket. This is because If you have too many fractures they will likely go into slightly different directions, and having too little fractures is bad because the pieces in the bucket may overflow. 

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

Using precise measurement and location to make sure everything can work right.

Wheel and axles 

2/22/25

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

Wheels reduce friction by rolling rather than sliding. This can be important for the machine as more friction means the ball travels less distance.

• 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?

The size can make it so that the ball has a grater distance to travel while still being on the wheel so the ball can go in a different place. And adjusting the rotation rate can make the ball travel with a greater force. but it does tell you how to be precise. 

• 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.

To truly immerse the player in your game. You want games to grab your player's attention and there is no better way to do that then to make your game feel real with audio, like sound effects or music.

Levers

• Why does the distance from the fulcrum change how much force a weight applies to the lever?

Yes (I think). I believe the amount of force would be lessened by the short beam but I'm not exactly sure

• How does scaling a weight affect the outcome compared to moving it closer or farther from the fulcrum?

moving can lead to some results but scaling the weight leads to more force applied to the lever.

• In what ways can customizing materials be useful for both design and gameplay in a project?

Customizing materials can be very useful for both design and gameplay purposes. For design, to provide atmosphere . you can change materials to look old, worn out, or even new by making it look glossy. For example you wouldnt have a old road wouldn't have the same material as a shiny new toy. as for gameplay you could use a reflective material to show something behind the player or can use it for visual storytelling purposes. 

Pulley reflection 

• Why is it important to leave a gap between the pulley basket and other objects when setting up a chain reaction?

because your object might fall too much forward and may not fall directly in the basket. And even though your object might turn on the pulley automatically, it will be more realistic to have it fully in the basket

• How does changing the rotation or position of the pulley affect the outcome of the machine?

it can affect the outcome of the machine by optimizing the layout.

• If you were to redesign today’s pulley setup for maximum reliability, what would you change and why?

make the items hanging on the pulley interchangeable with other items.

• 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?

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

making it smooth can lead to all the dominos going down 

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

Rube Goldberg Designing 

1. • Identify the members of your team (each team is one pair of classmates).

Walter Boothe and Wolfgang Kilgen (me)

1. • What is the theme of your machine?

ball of cheese finding its way to a mouse 

1. • Which role title did you take (Designer or Documenter)? Why?

Documenter

1. • How did you and your partner make sure you both understand the whole design?

My partner drew the steps of the machine and we both went through it together. (though we made a few changes as we went along)

1. • Write your short description (5–8 sentences).

a watermelon falls onto a wedge which cuts it in half and then the slices push a ball into a tube. The ball then travels through the tube with the help of a screw, and falls on one half of a lever, then the ball rolls down to a lazy Susan. Meanwhile, the lever sets of two sets of dominoes, one of which turns on the lazy Susan, and the other activates a pulley pushing books making a bridge for the ball. The ball then travels through a screw while setting off dominoes that push a pulley that pushes  a mouse to the same screw the ball is in. The screw then goes upwards leading in to a sink.

Finished Rube Goldberg

a watermelon falls onto a wedge which cuts it in half and then the slices push a ball into a tube. The ball then travels through the tube with the help of a screw, and falls on one half of a lever, then the ball rolls down to a lazy Susan. Meanwhile, the lever sets of two sets of dominoes, one of which turns on the lazy Susan, and the other activates a pulley pushing books making a bridge for the ball. The ball then travels through a screw while setting off dominoes that push a pulley that pushes  a mouse to the same screw the ball is in. The screw then goes upwards leading in to a sink.

documentation link

Designing it was overall pretty fun we did run into some small roadblocks and had to change a bit of design but I liked implementing different machines together. However if I had more time I might add a little bit more machines.

unit 3

Analyzing games reflection 

• Graphics and Visuals

Graphics and visuals mainly is about what your game looks like. It can affect atmosphere and mood, and can also determine how people might see the game. If the graphics and visuals are detailed enough they can also be able to comunicate decay or aging  

Mood and Atmosphere 

2/25/26

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

It makes your player more invested in your game. a game without Atmosphere and mood may seem bland or not good.

1. • How is it different from game mechanics?

mood and atmosphere are more about emotion while mechanics are about physical gameplay.

• • Write a paragraph that shows what you now understand about this term. Include examples of how the term is used in a game of your choosing.

mood and atmosphere are basically how your game uses tactics to make your audience feel a certain way. This can be done through visuals, music, color, and lighting, One game that I believe does an excellent job at creating mood and atmosphere is Hollow Knight. It does a great job at conveying this mainly through environmental storytelling and music. With each area you uncover you are given pieces of a story that can develop even more mood in your surroundings.

Fairness Reflection 

Unintended Imbalance

unintended imbalance is when something in the game is unfair and is not supposed to be. It can range from many games across different genres, often having something to do with enemies, level design or certain advantages.  Things like this usually appear in battle royal games like Fortnite, when a weapon is "overpowered", and becomes a "meta" and players use it to win.  It is important for developers to play test their games in order to find these imbalances. 

• 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?

• 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.

a static mesh is just a mesh with no properties , however meshes with blueprints can have specific properties. for example a mesh of a first aid kit with properties disappears  on contact, but one with no properties just sits there.

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

flying, pressing buttons, and running. These elements all contribute to  making the game more interesting with mechanics 

• 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?

go to the content drawer then content then hour of code then maps you'll find the level titled  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?

unit 4

• Why do we need collision objects? Why can't the computer just use the static meshes to handle collisions?

• because we can create 

• What was the hardest part to understand about collision detection?

choosing the perfect collision shape and size since if you don't pick the right shape and size it may not make sense for your object

Island reflection 

3/6/25

• What do you think is important to create player immersion when designing a part of a level using static islands?

to keep the player interested in the game by the detail of immersion

• What was most challenging with creating the animations for the moving islands?

I didn't really have that much problem with anything but I guess I did forget for a second how to copy and paste animation. 

• If you had more time to work on the animations, what would you do to improve and make them more interesting? 

I think I would make the animation  more smother, and maybe add rotation to one of them. 

• Make sure to include screenshots or videos of your work with adding/animating islands.

Power ups

3/5/26

• Can you think of any other powerups that you would like to add to your game?

probably something like a speed boost. Maybe a breakable wall ability

• Record a short video where you pick up all jump boosts added to your level

Coins

• Why do you think players can find it satisfying to collect things like coins?

mainly to fully complete a game by getting everything the game has to offer, Which can be fun for most players.

• How could we improve the level to make it even more satisfying to collect coins?

hiding them in secret places, as generally players like finding things in places they usually wouldn't go, It can also be a fun challenge for them.

• Why do we store the information about having the key in the Game Mode instead of in the door or the player?

most likely beacuse if we stored it in the door then the player may not be able to 

• What was the hardest part to understand when building the key and connecting it to the door?

probably the blueprints.

work in progress

work in progress 

• • What did you learn about how data is passed between blueprints and widgets?

through the event graph cummincating with the HUD in your game 

• • Why is it helpful to organize blueprint code using nodes like “Sequence” and reroute pins?

in order 

• • Record a short video where you complete your level from start to finish.

Module 4 Portfolio

3/25/26

• 2–3 screenshots of your level in Unreal Engine

• A short gameplay video

• What was your original idea? Did it change as you worked?

If i'm being perfectly honest I didn't have an original idea did just kind of made it as i went along game plan

• Which parts were most fun or most difficult to create?

I really liked hiding the gems. However I did not like trying to make collisions as I found it hard to find the right shape and size for the object 

• What tools or techniques were most useful?

• What are you most proud of?

my secret gem places. I really liked hiding them and I think they will be engaging to find

• What would you improve with more time?

adding way more gems and coins 

level setup 

1. • How did experimenting with lighting help you understand the importance of atmosphere in a game world?

it shows me how just slightly different light can change the mood of your game and that it can make people feel a certain emotion/overall felling. For example, a dark directional lighting can make it seem gloomy or scary, while warm colored lighting can give off a sense of ease

1. • Why is real-time global illumination (Lumen) such a game-changer compared to baked lighting?

because with normal baked lighting the light needs to adjust to any small movements of objects

1. • What kind of problems could happen if your level didn’t have the correct Game Mode?

your game wont have the same blueprints as the game mode.

Landscape Sculpting Reflection

Which parts of the reference image were easiest to recreate in your landscape?

I'm not going to lie, I did not really follow the original image because I thought I could customize it but just keep the basic layout of 4 sections and not use the spiral motion it was originally in.

Which areas were the most challenging, and how did you approach them?

For me it was the ramp section as I had trouble making it feel like a step hill and making sure there was enough of it for the upcoming challenge 

If you could improve one part of your terrain, what would you change and why?

Probably making the hills and mountains a bit sharper.

• Which sculpting tool did you find the most useful for shaping your world today, and why?

mainly the smooth tool as it helped my world look less sharp and overall more better 

• What challenges did you face when trying to make your landscape look realistic?

the landscape looking to sharp or sometimes just not making it look rough enough

• How could you use reference images to improve the realism of your world?

it can help if you use images of the real world to accurately make good looking mountains.

Paint Landscape Reflection

• How did painting with layers change the look of your world?

It made it more realistic and more immersive for the player.

• What choices did you make when adding grass and gravel, and why?

I chose to put the grass and gravel in realistic spots to make an authentic landscape 

• How did adding water affect the atmosphere of your landscape? 

It made it more Serene.

Paths & Checkpoints Reflection

3/17/25

• How did you use natural barriers and paths to guide the player through your world?

I made sharp hills which the player couldn't pass through, and a stone trail to help guide the player

• What choices did you make to make your checkpoints unique?

To put them at certain "rest spots " serving food or shelter for player immersion

• How do checkpoints change the way players experience your level?

It gives them a sense of ease as if they die they can simply reset themselves. However putting a checkpoint far from a challenge might get players angry though it will encourage precise decision making and  effort.

Trees & Plants Reflection

• Which foliage settings made the biggest difference in realism for your world?

Being able to change the size of foliage, as if you were to compare it to normal sized foliage ,it would look like it was still growing.

• How did adding vegetation change the atmosphere of your level?

It made the level feel more real and textured. It also created an environment where you would expect life to exist 

• How can you use forests and fields not just as decoration, but to shape gameplay and exploration?

You could hide secrets behind trees or use environment to create a certain feeling, like having a nice calm forest full of trees and flowers, could indicate a sense of ease for the player, while having an open field of dead trees can give a feeling dread.

Build a Castle Reflection

• What choices did you make to design your castle’s exterior?

to be honest I just followed the tutorial and did my best to fit the original depiction. Mainly because I accidentally  changed a lot of the origanal layout.

• How did you organize your assets to keep the build manageable?

I organized the assets in my game by putting them in folders.  This helps me organize by selecting one folder at a time.

• What atmosphere do you want players to feel when they reach the castle interior?

a feeling of dread but also excitement as they reach the end of the level. 

• Part 1:

  • How did adding lighting change the feeling of your castle?

it added more dread and suspense, as having no lights just makes things dark and adds no atmosphere.  

• • What choices did you make to balance mood and visibility?

I wanted to make it somewhat creepy, so I lowered the light of the fire making it slightly more dim yet still being realistic and still making the pathway visible 

• • How can light be used as both decoration and a gameplay tool?

light can be used to shine a path to follow or be used as flashing emergency lights like police siren lights

• Part 2:

  • How did flickering light change the feeling of your castle compared to static light?

it made it more realistic or add a sense of fear in some situations.

• • Why do you think it’s important to add variation between different light sources?

to make the environment less stale and  

• • If you wanted to push the atmosphere further, where else could you use dynamic shadows?

village reflection

• What details did you add to make your village feel lived-in?

I gave it a theater, a market place and rest stops. Apart from that I really do that much to be honest.

• How did coins and gems affect the way players might explore your level?

Players will probably explore more of the map and village wanting to get all of the gems and coins.

• • • How can creativity and variety make your world unique?

variety keeps it from getting boring and creativity offers a unique perspective  

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

usually if it has a lot of detail, colors, or stylized visuals, players would like to stop and take in the environment 

• • • How can props and buildings help tell a story without words?

props like paintings can be used to tell stories or certain props like ones in houses can say something about the person who lives in it.

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

you can add certain props to block paths for the player, or use props like torches/lights to light up another path for       the player

Challenges Intro Reflection

• How well does your current world design support the kinds of challenges shown in the video?

pretty well I feel like some parts of the map might need to be slightly stretched out but 

• What changes or adjustments might you need to make to your landscape, layout, or design to prepare for these challenges?

again I feel like some parts might need to be slightly stretched out to fit the length of the challenges.

• How should the challenges you add in this unit match the mood of your Level 2 world? Write a short reflection (2–3 sentences).

Sweeper Arm Reflection

• How did adding ragdoll physics change the feeling of failure in your game?

it linger on 

• What adjustments would you make to the Sweeper Arm to balance difficulty?

making it more fasteror less slower, or making the radius more or less long

• How does this first obstacle set the tone for the rest of the challenges?

it gives the player a taste of how hard the challenges to come are.

Narrow Path Reflection

• itHow did adding pendulums change the feel of the Sweeper Arm challenge?

it added more variation into the challenge making it more interesting and adding more contrast. 

• What adjustments did you make to balance challenge and frustration?

making some more sweeper arms but changing their rotation rate. I also made sure to make easy to jump gaps for the player to cross.

• How does polishing the environment change how players experience the challenge?

  it makes it easier for the player to focus on the challenges. It also can sometimes add to the scenery.

Boulders Reflection

1. • How does the size and speed of the boulder affect how dangerous it feels?

the size and speed make it more dangerous because of many things, including the fact that it would be more realistic, and people's slight fear of megalophbia (fear of big objects).

1. • How did you balance safe zones and danger in your Boulder Hill design?

i made them close together but just far enough to make for a good challenge, most games I've played that have similar sequences do a really good job at the pacing and space between safe zones and I made sure that I did what they did to make my sequence better.

1. • What changes did you make to your Boulder Hill to improve fairness after playtesting?

I made it slightly more steep so the boulders wouldn't get stuck much and go faster after I realized the players could beat the challenges too easily .

1. • How does the Boulder Hill hazard feel different from the Sweeper Arm challenge?

for one it is on a bigger scale making it feel more dangerous.  And there is a big gap between safe spots that the player has to carefully time with the boulders. 

1. • How did adding destruction effects change the feel of the Boulder Hill challenge?

it made it more realistic and added more weight behind the boulders. 

1. • What choices did you make in your particle system, and why?

I made the dust a slight tint of brown to be more realistic and extra particles  were added to match the size of the boulders. I also kept gravity to the dust because I thought it looked more realistic

1. • How can visual effects help communicate gameplay information to the player?

• How does the timed element make this challenge feel different from Sweeper Arm and Boulder Hill?

• What adjustments would you make to the open duration to balance difficulty?

I would make it so that it fits how long it would realistically take the player to complete the path but still making it somewhat of a challenge to complete in time. 

• How can timing-based obstacles increase tension without feeling unfair?

Abandoned Village Reflection

• How did you decide which props and obstacles to use in your village course?

I used props that would be found in a neighborhood, and for the lava puddles, I used objects that wouldn't burn immediately in lava like things that would sink slower or made of stone. 

• What changes did you make to balance the gate duration with the path length?

I didn't really change the path that much to fit the time limit but rather I extended the time to match the path length 

• How does the “escape before the gate shuts” mechanic create a different kind of tension than previous challenges?

because with the other ones you could take your time to strategize about what you should do next, but in this one you only have so little time to navigate the obstacles of the path before time runs out.

Enemy Tower Reflection

• How did ranged attacks change how you tested your level compared to previous challenges?

• What adjustments might you make to the tower’s sensing distance or fire rate?

i might shorten the distance so it cant try to hit you across the map, and change the fire rate to be reasonable to the player.

• Why does adding a visible enemy in the tower make the mechanic more immersive?

so you can see exactly where the potion bottles are coming from inside the tower

• Where did overlapping sight cones create the right kind of tension and where did it become unfair?

• Which props or blockers most effectively guided players along your intended route, and why?

• After playtesting, what single adjustment (angle, radius, tower position, or cover placement) most improved fairness without killing challenge?