Sprint 6 (Class 18 -> Class 20)

A Barrel's Quest is a 3D platformer where you play as BRY, a robot that aspires to be a barrel, and live out a carefree life. To do so, they must make their way.

In it's current state, a tutorial has been created where the player can roll, talk to NPCs, jump, and learn basic mechanics that can be used in future levels.

1. Design

Starting from scratch with an idea for Studio 1 was a choice I made, but I think it resulted in being incredibly flexible with the project identity and what it could become. Maybe committing to a linear design at first would've been the best decision, but I think it pulled out well in the end.

2. Scope

Oh it definitely was too ambitious at the start! But once I pivoted from an open level to a more structured tutorial, everything fell into place and scope almost became a non-issue. When a potential feature was revealing itself to be way too much of a headache, I was quick to look for the nearest "off-ramp" that still provided what I wanted without trying to wrestle with things I didn't entirely know how to do.

3. Planning

I think overall I did well with my planning! Things halted a bit in the second half of the quarter as my other classes picked up in what they wanted from my work time, but I took it in stride and was still able to produce something of quality here. Maybe I needed to do a better job projecting how long tasks would take me, but I'd rather overestimate than under for this kind of thing.

4. Execution / Testing 

Difficulties mainly came from timing and motivation. I can tell I'm still a bit burned out from Overgrown through the first half of the year, but doing things that I didn't do in that project, such as blueprinting helped out. It was also very nice to have a pressure that wasn't created by other team members but rather self-made once again, as it lowered the perceived expectations to just be myself and the professor. There were some elements of the project that completely slipped under my radar, the beautiful corner being the one that I struggled on the most. 

5. Support

Support came from both inward and outward. Inward as I knew when to step back from the project and focus on other things, whether it be work for other classes or things completely outside of SCAD. Sometimes, I could buckle down and get things done, but others I had to admit when everything became a lot. Most importantly, I gave myself grace when I could. 

6. Communication 

Outward, my classmates and friends all were excited about the project and had great input which kept spirits high. Whether it was sharing the first models of Barry to friends, or letting others playtest the game and give feedback, it was reassuring that while we were all working on different projects, we were still a community and were still down to assist and help each other out.

7. Learnings 

I think this project was a success! This project showed that I can create a solo game and idea that can be made bigger while creating systems with modularity in mind. As a narrative designer, I was especially proud of not only making a dialogue system, but being able to expand upon it and create something truly unique. Overall I'm proud of what I've made, and who knows? Maybe one day A Barrel's Quest will become something even bigger.