Peer Feedback

My peer feedback went really well and all the glitches/ errors I new of were picked up. Although I few things were pointed out which I didn't know of like, floating plants, torch with a floating flame, background had some overlap, also some of the meshes weren't in the right position which meant you could see behind them.

On a good note people seemed to really like my level. They thought it was very mysterious and had a nice atmosphere. They were very pleased with the visuals and thought the sounds were done well also. People also likes how my level was split into sections giving the player more to explore.

I'm really happy we did this peer feedback session because if we didn't  I wouldn't know about the problems people picked up. Also I thought it was really interesting to see what other people had created, as we had only really heard plans of what other people wanted to make.

Sounds

List of ambient sounds to be used in the level :

Jungle,

Birds,
leaves moving,
rustling of foliage on the ground,
echoing noises of other birds from a distance,
waterfalls,
water,
splashes,


Cave,

 stone and rock,
falling of small rocks,
echoing footsteps,
bats,
dripping water,

Far Cry 3 Game Engine

Here is the map I made using the far cry 3 map editor, which comes free with the game.

I thought I would use another engine because I thought it would show some experimentation using other game engines; also I felt the things in the engine were more beneficial, like the plants and vegetation, whereas UDK is more unreal tournament based.

I started building the level with the same ideas I wanted to pull off in the UDK engine. So waterfalls, jungle, rainforest plants and really nice lighting, mayan ruins.

Below are some screenshots of the map, along with some videos.

Here is some gameplay of my Far Cry 3 map. This is a stealthy version using just a bow. There are other weapons in the video below.

Here is a more aggressive version, using a lot more weapons.

Here is just a fly through of the whole map.

Tutorials

Creating a jump

go into the content browser, click on actor classes, then click on navagation - teleporter - uttjump pad drag it onto your plain. Once created, right click anywhere on the ground, then choose add actor, then click on add path node, this will be where the character lands after jumping.

creating a portal

















same process just choose uttteleporter.

right click on the teleporter and choose properties, change the url to tele 1and the tag to tele 2 and the opposite for the other teleporter.






Painting textures and sculpting the ground.

Here I am setting up the height map area of which I can use to raise the ground.

Here I am creating a new landscape so I'm able to paint and raise the ground.

ticking use selected object in content browser in the landscape properties.

Here I am creating a new folder for my texture to be stored in.

Here I am setting up the different nodes and texture co-ordinates.

Preproduction Blueprint

STEP 1: IDEA

Idea: Ancient temple in a dense rainforest, similar to a mayan temple. Or waterfalls falling into a small lake or pool of water with elvish temples around it, also in a forest.

Stand Alone Game Environment / Level Design

waterfalls falling into a small lake or pool of water with elvish temples around it, also in a forest.

Software: Unreal Engine/ UDK

Description:

STEP 2: SETTINGS, THEME AND LOCATION

Environment Setting: 

For the stand alone, sort of just after midday maybe late afternoon so it casts long shadows across the forest and water which will impact the player nicely. Weather will be sunny. Sounds of falling water, birds singing, and tree branches moving.

For the temple, I was thinking again, maybe late afternoon so it casts long shadows. Or having it raining, so he can hear all the waterdrops hitting the ground and puddles. Tree branches moving and the sound of tropical birds.

Key Location/s: 
South America, Asia, Korea, Indonesia

Theme: 
Elvish, Mayan.

STEP 3: PROJECT PURPOSE

I Want to Create: 

A waterfall enviroment in a fantasy forest with big trees and some kind of elvish looking structures. (Renaissance looking buildings)

I Want to Learn or Improve: 

How to raise ground and make cliffs for good looking waterfalls, and big trees.

I Want the Player to Experience the Following: Nice visual effects, long shadows to interest the player. Also areas to possibly explore, like a cave under some of the waterfalls, or being able to swim.

STEP 5: PHOTO/VIDEO REFERENCE AND RESEARCH

Photo Reference:

• Architecture reference
• Environment reference
• Light reference
• Prop reference
• Inspiration reference
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This is the exact kind of building I was thinking of to placed around my waterfalls, maybe one in the very centre. Kind of as a place of worship.
  
  
  
  
  
  I really liked the architectural design of the tower in this image.
  
  
  
   I was thinking of something like this, but with much bigger waterfalls. So I placed a human reference in the image.
  
  
  Here is a painting Ive done in photoshop to try and show what kind of idea I was thinking of.

Here I've put together to manipulations to try and show the thing I'm trying to achieve.

STEP 6: STORY

Story:

I wasnt going to have a story or a main purpose for my level. I designed it as a portfolio piece, so my level is only for looks. But if it were to have a story i think it would be on the lines of; the player has been sent on a quest to retrieve an artefact  from a temple somewhere in the jungle.

How?
How did the player arrive in the environment? What were the events that brought them here?

 he was sent on a quest by a stranger to find and bring back a stolen artefact that he had stolen from him by some bandits.

Why?

Why is the character here? What purpose or what goal are they to achieve?

 to retrieve a stolen artefact.

What?

What happened to the environment prior to the player arriving here?

the temple and surrounding area were abandoned and now bandits have occupied it. All the previous buildings and structures have over grown plants growing on them.

Show, Don't Tell

How will you show what happened to the environment? How will you tell the story of the environment to the player?

There will be vegetation growing all over the structures to make the place seem old and abandoned.

STEP 7: SET PIECES

(Objectives à Obstacles à Set Pieces/Scripted Events)

 

Level Design / Stand Alone Game Environment:

What do you want to showcase? What do you want the player, viewer and/or designer to experience?

I want the player to experience really nice visuals and jungle ambient sounds. As if you are actually in a jungle.

Set Pieces:

Define a set of set pieces (scripted events) that will add interactivity, atmosphere and believability to the environment.

the door to the temple might be broken so you have to go and find something to pry it open.

STEP 8: FOCAL POINT

Focal Point/s:

 The temple.

the statue thats in the jungle.

STEP 9: VISUAL DEVELOPMENT

Style Reference:

Similar to the crysis series and far cry. Also the uncharted series. 

Color Palette: 
Greens, blues and warm colors for the lighting. 

Environment Colors:

Greens and blues, tropical plants colours/bright.

Lighting:
Warm colours, orange, yellow and reds.

STEP 10: TOP DOWN LAYOUT

Level Design / Stand Alone Game Environment:

STEP 11: LISTS

Everything List:

Production List:

Props/Assets List:

Plants, flowers, rocks, waterfalls, trees, moss, cliffs, torches, monuments, ancient buildings.

Texture List: 

Dirt, rock, moss, grass,

Texture/Material Quality List:

Audio List:Ambient sounds of rain forests and deep jungles. Tropical bird sounds. Sounds of waterfalls and water and wind blowing through tree's.

References

Here is the inspirational piece I chose to use. I like this image because I think the lighting adds a really nice effect, also casting the really long shadows makes some interesting light patches in the image. also I like how the light is shining onto the temple with long pillars.



These images above is just gathering reference material from old ancient buildings set in rainforests like the Maya civilizations. Its to get an understanding of the architecture.



I really liked these two above images because of the way the tree is growing over the buildings and door ways, its like its trying to wrap itself around it like an octopus trying to consume something.






Here are some more images of trees and architecture, trying to find some images that have wear and tear on the buildings making them look old and ancient.

I really liked the way this tree is growing over this doorway. I think it has a sense of mystery about it, its like the doorway leads to somewhere dark and creepy.






All the images below are reference materials for the kind of foliage that might be in my environment. I wanted to try and find the types of pants that grow in rainforests and how they interact with the environment. I've also got some images showing different kinds of lighting and how it reacts with the the trees and foliage.




















Here i was trying to find some kind of statues or things to worship like gods. I really liked the way the moss was growing over the statue.