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.