video level playthrough

This is a video that will accompany my level design document from my sketch up model. the video shows the progress of the essential are's in my level.

Ashley wood robots

I researched into a variety of Ashley Wood robots. All these robots are really unique toys that are simple models but use texture work to suggest detail. The major robot that stuck out to me is called "the little Martin". I decided gathered research on this model an created a mood board to help me develop blueprints and even my model which I will be making.

House model

Thislow poly model uses simple hand painted textures to give it a more graphic look. I used seperate shapes/ objects to actually create the model rather than working up from one primitive. This was a new way of working for me but I think it has worked really well and has let me build the house piece by piece. I also experimented with various lighting and camera's to display my model. I used simple sky lights on each of the windows and spot lights at certain angles to add little highlights to certain area's.

Completed texture map

Final house render

Skip

I have modelled skip similar to one that I created in the first year however this time I have textured and unwrapped it. This was so that I refreshed my 3D skills after the summer break.

 This is the picture of the skip I worked off

This is the texture unwrap for my model

This is my final rendered model

Level design notes and idea's

Arkham city

I have chosen to do this game as the mechanics I know already and the universe is something I understand well, this allows me to draw away from locations in the actually game and design my own adventure.

Mechanics used in the game

·         Movement broke up in sprinting and walking

·         The sprinting mechanic when used at an edge imitates a jump and glide

·         Combat using one button and counters on another

·         Harder enemies require a different way of defeating them

·         Boss fights work using the same mechanics

·         While in the air hold the sprint button to glide

·         While gliding have the ability to drive to get more thrust upwards and continue your glide

·         Different gadgets to solve different puzzles

·         Riddler challenge collectables

Gadgets

·         Grapple hook

·         Freeze grenades

·         Disruptor

·         Batarangs (normal, remote control, sonic, reverse)

·         Remote electrical charge

·         Smoke pellets

·         Mine detonator

·         Line launcher

Locations seen

·         The iceberg lounge (all)

·         Gotham museum (all)

·         Steel mill (all)

·         Amusement mile (exterior)

·         Ace chemicals (exterior)

·         Monarch theatre (all)

·         Crime alley

·         Courthouse (all)

·         Wonder city

·         Wonder tower

·         Subway

·         Church

·         Police head quarters

Gotham locations not seen within the game

·         Gotham central hospital

·         Gotham library

·         Black gate (mentioned outside of arkham city)

·         Gotham city hall (mentioned outside of arkham city)

·         Slaughter swamp

·         Jokers carnival (the killing joke appearance only)

Hospital level

·         Hush has taken hostages at the hospital to sabotage Bruce Wayne

·         Guards around the hospital

·         Listening in to find where hush is hiding

·         Save hostages

Carnival level

·         Joker has kidnapped Gordon

·         Go through rides

·         Attractions

·         Goons trying to trick batman

·         Forced to take part in jokers games

·         Freak show

First idea’s to stay away from as much as possible with carnival level

·         Rides

·         Joker

·         Freak show

·         Clowns

·         Music

·         Tents

Story idea’s

I have decided to make this level a homage to the killing joke graphic novel, keeping certain events that happen within my environment yet still making it so that it is something different. Their should be some key events in the story. Like Barbra Gordon’s shooting and commissioner being kidnapped. The end of this level should also end with the same ending therefore reminding batman of this time after the ending of the original game.

The level should start outside the carnival where batman has the carnival ticket sent to him by the joker. Gordon has been kidnapped by the joker and is somewhere being tortured mentally and physically within the carnival in an attempt to break him showing that even best of men can fall to insanity. This events are based upon the killing joke and I think helps people who aren’t necessarily fans of the batman comics understand that there is this darker underlying element to batman.

To flesh out the game the player will first be drawn to the freak show using suggestive lighting where they will find a series of batman villains behind the glass that he can talk to get a better understanding of where the joker is hiding Gordon. As the player progresses through the locations batman will find my clues such as the pictures of Barbra that joker shows the commissioner until he discovers the jokers final act within the big top tent.

Batman enters the tent and then has a boss fight fighting joker’s goons and the joker himself, at the end of the fight the joker takes out his gun and fires at batman and instead of a bullet a small flag with the words click click click comes out the end. During a discussion with joker batman should say another line from the killing joke “Do you understand? I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want either one of us killing the other”. The end of the level should then be the same joke that the joker says to batman at the end of the killing joke and they both laugh. This lets the player see the side of the joker and batman relationship that isn’t usually shown, showing they both care for one another almost as friends making the ending of the actually arkham city game even more impactful than it already is.

Riddler challenges within my level

The riddler challenges are a key mechanic within the Arkham game series that keeps players playing even after they have completed the level. Seeing as my level is based off the killing joke graphic, the riddler challenges should match this theme some of my first thoughts on these where the red hood, the previous owner and the pictures of Barbra Gordon all from the graphic novel.

Level overview

1.      Starts outside the carnival at the ticket office

2.      Drawn to the freak show

3.      Walking down the freak show there is scarecrow, two face and poison ivy

4.      When the player gets to the exit there is a power cut

5.      The player turns on the power using a switch upstairs and the villains escape

6.      The player is then sent after the 3 major villains in a certain area of the level, these areas can be completed in any order.

7.      Two face is in the hall mirrors and can be defeated by looking at the floor to find were he is.

8.      Poison ivy is in the centre of a hedge maze were the player must fight ivy’s goons while moving around the maze.

9.      Scarecrow is hiding within the fun house. The player will be infected with fear gas when he walks in so the area will feature what will look like real skeletons and monsters until they find and defeat scarecrow in the turning tunnel.

10.  Once all 3 villains are defeated the player will discover that the joker took Gordon to the big top for a grand finale.

11.  As the player leaves the last villain area the joker announces the feast of fools, a parade roaming around the entire carnival that player can choose to avoid by going over head or by fighting through it.

12.  The player enters the big top tent and the joker dressed as a ring master introduces batman and sends his guards to him (the same ones from the killing joke), during the fight the player can see Gordon within a cage.

13.  When the player defeats the goons and the joker the scene ends in a similar way to the killing joke with the joker pulling a gun that fires a flag and says the same joke.

Optional area’s

·         The jokers ghost train

·         Prize ticket room

·         Dodgem track

·         Roller coaster

·         Big wheel

I also made a quick sketch of my layout taken from development sketches I did in my sketchbook

Project research

For this project I have researched into various area's that will help me to design, model and texture my characters. I have looked at both real life sources and games.

The real life sources will help me design my characters to look like British army soldiers.

I also looked at games for various things such class types and style.

Revised Project plan and timeline

Introduction

After learning 3D skills in my first year of the course, I wish to develop the skills learned so that I can work more productive and have a 3D portfolio. I like designing characters and 3D modelling so this brief is something I will enjoy. I wish to work on my texture techniques as this area is my weakest at the moment in 3D.

The brief will showcase my new skills I have learnt by creating 4 classes that are based on the British army.

Actions

For this project I will be researching into the British army sliders of modern day and silhouette and visual identity of character design.

I have to design 4 characters that are game ready based around different roles within the British armed forces. The character roles are as follows:

·         A Sniper style character

·         A Infantry solider style character

·         A Heavy (Anti-tank) style character

·         A Support role/coms officer style character

For each of these models I will have to create character turnarounds before I build them.

After researching and designing the character I will build them in 3DS Max.

After I have built my characters I will look into texturing tutorials to help texture the final models.

Then I will texture my models so that they are ready for printing.

Aims

At the end of this project I wish to have achieved a character portfolio with game ready models that I will be able showcase and have develop new and existing modelling and texturing skills.

New skills and knowledge

I wish to have acquired new skills in texturing and modelling as well as to have developed my existing skills within 3D.

Outcomes

The final submission should include:

·         Portfolio of the 4 models

·         Digital submission of models

·         Digital submission of turnarounds

·         Digital submission of brief

The digital submissions should all be burnt onto a single disc with a cover for hand in.

Project timeline

Week Number	What I’m working on
5	Further develop research and start blueprints
6	Working on blue prints and turnarounds
7	Working on blue prints and turnarounds
8	Modelling of first character
9	Modelling of first character
10	Modelling of first character
11	Modelling of first character
12	Modelling of second character
13	Modelling of second character
-	Christmas break (finishing and touching up models)
14	Modelling of second character
15	Modelling of second character
16	Modelling of third character
17	Modelling of third character
18	Modelling of third character
19	Modelling of third character
20	Modelling of fourth character
21	Modelling of fourth character
22	Modelling of fourth character
23	Modelling of fourth character
24	Finishing touches to models and textures
-	Easter Break (printing ready for hand in)
25	Project hand in and start evaluation of the project
26	Hand in of the evaluation

Throughout the project I will also be keeping my blog up to date with what I have been doing each week.

Project Timeline

Week Number	What I’m working on
5	Further develop research and start blueprints
6	Working on blue prints and turnarounds
7	Modelling of first character
8	Modelling of first character
9	Modelling of first character
10	Modelling of first character
11	Modelling of second character
12	Modelling of second character
13	Modelling of second character
-	Christmas break
14	Modelling of second character
15	Modelling of third character
16	Modelling of third character
17	Modelling of third character
18	Modelling of third character
19	Modelling of fourth character
20	Modelling of fourth character
21	Modelling of fourth character
22	Modelling of fourth character
23	Finishing touches to models and textures
24	Screens and renders of models
-	Easter Break
25	Project hand in and start evaluation of the project
26	Hand in of the evaluation

Throughout the project I will also be keeping my blog up to date with what I have been doing each week.

Project plan

This module will push my skills in 3d characters further after learning the basics during my first year. The main aim is to have 4 completely rendered and ready models that will be game ready, I have chosen this brief because I want to discover and understand how to be a character artist. I also consider myself to be weaker at texture work so I want to push that aspect so that I can improve.

I have to design 4 characters that are game ready based around different roles within the British armed forces. The character roles are as follows:

·         A Sniper style character

·         A Infantry solider style character

·         A Heavy (Anti-tank) style character

·         A Support role/coms officer style character

These 4 roles must be fully researched into the design and look of their clothing and their build of body, when I have gathered enough research I can then begin to create turnaround based upon the role to use in 3DS Max as template for my model. The characters must look individual from one another, this means different costumes and maybe even accessories.

The characters will all be stylised similar to the models seen in the walking dead game. I am going to research into war games such as battlefield and team fortress 2 to understand how to make each of my class types look different from one another, with having these characters designed in a stylised way they should all consider a low poly count and keep the details in the stylised texturing.

I have decided to do my models based around the British army and too have a stylised art style because it is very rarely seen within games, this will mean that I will be able to show something different within a 3d portfolio.

The final submission should include:

·         Portfolio of the 4 models

·         Digital submission of models

·         Digital submission of turnarounds

·         Digital submission of brief

The digital submissions should all be burnt onto a single disc with a cover for hand in.

prototyping week 2

This week we developed our levels all together using graph paper and baring in mind the other mechanics that we came up with over the past week includeing movement, jumping and swinging. We all designed 1 level each and then combined them to create our prototype. For next week I will have my prototyping document complete that will outline the design work.

"Graph paper designs for my level"

prototyping week 1

This week we were put into teams had the task to develop and prototype a idea for a video game. we started with one idea that was a rts for 4 players on a octagon shape map but the idea seemed to be going nowhere so we came up with a second one that is a plat former. This idea was better than previous and we got a good idea running were you play as a beard trying to get back to his owners face. This week I created a quick sketch of the first level of the game.

"first draft of my level"

Blobitecture

Blobitecture is form of architecture, the study of buildings and their inner workings, which use strange smooth structures that are usually built up using blob like shapes, hence the name blobitecture. This style of architecture derives from blobism which was the original term used for this form of architecture and was mainly seen around the 90’s.

These kinds of buildings are in most cases considered works of art as they mostly unique buildings, however there are a lot of architects that would disagree as they are created CAD (computer aided design) software to create the strange the shapes. I think this is good way of designing buildings using this form of architecture as it allows for a lot variety within the structure of the buildings themselves.

The buildings are mainly built using smooth glass surfaces to mainly create domes, even though they don’t always use domes. This makes the buildings stand out in an average city which sometimes makes look a little out of place.

This if used in games could be very useful as it could allow to build a very interesting environment and even levels, using just this architecture style is what would make the environment unique as nearly every city in real life uses a vast number of architecture styles.

"city hall in London uses Blobitecture"