final year major project survival horror game - Absolute Zero : October 2012

Wednesday 31 October 2012

Some more iterations on the title design.

Monday 29 October 2012

New blockout.

Blockout version 2 (W.I.P) is a redefined version of the original blockout and map layout, the environment concepts can be developed further with this new blockout in mind. this post covers about 30% of the level. download for better resolution. the green smudge on the minimap below each screen grab is a visual aid of which room the blockout screen shot is apart of.

Friday 26 October 2012

Concept development

Development of the games concepted content as a group has been lacking in past weeks here shows a group input to all designs done in game, all stages of design are passed around and feed back on resulting in a couple of chosen designs, these will later be cast into final form ready for 3D modelling

Thursday 25 October 2012

New map redesign.

Facility architecture design ideas.

These are some concept ideas for possible architecture for the facility interior environment. here showing a door, wall and roof set that would all follow the same style throughout the facility.

this piece below is another skecth for a different style of architecture, similar in ways but more facility like as opposed the other which looked abit more like a space ship environment.

below is a collection of research material i looked at for reference to help gather some ideas and understanding of facility architecture.

http://pnmedia.gamespy.com/screenshots/pdm/13774156.jpg

http://images.wikia.com/deadspace/images/9/99/MD-ChemicalResearchLabHunterDormant.png

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090807145159/fallout/images//4/41/Weapons_Lab.jpg

http://wfiles.brothersoft.com/c/command-center_116195-1600x1200.jpg

http://www.godisageek.com/wp-content/gallery/dead-space-ios/Dead%20Space%20iPhone%202.jpg

http://christophe.menu.free.fr/img/doom02.jpg

http://th03.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2012/151/d/2/udk_sci_fi_environment_by_sickbert-d51r175.jpg

http://www.james-chow.com/images/blog/2010/08/11/1a21a270f48e_13CFE/lab.jpg

Sunday 21 October 2012

Weapon progress

Weapon in weapon factory

Player holding the test weapon

Thursday 18 October 2012

Adam's log: from the development fellow team mates made on the character I created a form that encased a rough nature but a good man who would get the job done but still was fearful of what was to come.

Enemy development idea's

Adam's log: the games enemies have been in discussion since the beginning and the team still hasn't got a final idea of what we want, a continual design process will ensure we find a certain form that portrays all we want in a terrifying ice dwelling being.

concepts to come: inner facility enemies and more on the ice cavern beings

Flashlight mechanics

Using a flashlight will be a vital mechanic in the game as some areas of the facility are going to be dark with no working light sources. for the mechanic i used kismet and set up a 3rd person camera and positioned it just to the side of the player like dead space and resident evil. with that im place i set up an attachment actor for a spotlight to the camera which than allowed the flashlight to move with the view. and finally i set a toggle action for the spotlight, so the player can turn it on and off at will.

i changed the spotlights settings so the cone angle is thinner and has some fall off also i added a smaller light aaround the player which is very dim and will turn on with the flashlight, this is to create the effect of light bounce, even though the light is pointing forward there will still be dim light to the sides of nearby walls and objects from the bouncing light rays. though later in development there may be a way of doing this effect without the point light attached to the player.

The only stage thats next from this is to create a custom weapon class, which will be our own modelled flashlight which we can them attach the spotlight to in the bone socket of the player so the flashlight will move with the reticule of the player not just with the camera view like it does here (left and right, not up and down)

Rough white box blockout

from the mock up sketch of the level map we produced i began to work on a rough blockout of a chosen section as building the whole level later down the line would be too much work. the blockout only goes up to the prison cell entrance for now, but i will extend it to the prison complex at a later date, for now we have a good blockout of the cave with the first part of the facility to play with our mechanics in.

Start of level in ice cavern looking into the cavern and viewing first sight of the facility building with the window.

Corner of ice cavern leading into the entrance of the facility.

First corridor and 2 rooms of the facility, the far room is the room which the window was part of at the cavern beginning.

Stairs leading up to a bigger room.

the big open double curved stairwell leading up to near the prison and holding cell complex.

lobby room before the security room (to the right) and the security control and lab (ahead)

View of blockout level.

Prison block is the onl thing missing out so far, once that is added in to the blockout build then that is a rough layout build of the section we will have for our game. many iterations will change over the course of furthering this level, such as scale, architecture, room shape and design etc.

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Blood messages example. the messages can be already written and scateered about the level, but also events where the player watches as the blood messages seemingly are written before their eyes with nothing or no one there writing them. some messages will be just random phrases by the ghosts and some will be directed towards the player as a sort of communication from them.

Sunday 14 October 2012

Level beginnings (caverns)

Adam's log: the group had discussed in detail the layouts and pattern of our level, we had decided on a beginning with a chilling feel to it, the first image you will clearly see a cavern breached by the unfortunate protagonist in terrible events leaving him and his team in a lite up ice cavern, this is where the hero will be presented his first weapon and other items to help him from left over items from his now taken comrades, the paths forward is hinted by blood trails which will advance to a certain point (following his taken comrades) in the second image you can already see a transition of colour, this was by design, the caverns get darker as the outsides light becomes to far to see, here in the following cavern you see signs of some sort of facility, not to mention the screaming of your comrades and the silhouettes of horrifying events making the player realize what he's getting into here.

The final image and the end of this cavern of the level starting area will still be on the trail of blood but even more of the facility becomes clear to you but amongst this there is a strange scuttling noise and even a glimpse of a being crawling in the darkness, intriguing and pulling forward the inquisitive minds of players only to horrify them later, as you can see we have tried to play with lighting within these areas creating interesting environments and a mysterious theme.

This area along with the rest of the level will be the tutorial of our game and will teach the player all he will need to know through events that will take place.