Updated new poster for Purgatory. I spend a few days integrating the various ideas given in class as feedback to improve the illustration that would give life to the concept of this first person interactive horror game.

 Minutes after she died, Sara is sent to Purgatory where she most escape and find her way into heaven. In Purgatory the suffering that poor souls have to experience in order to be completely purified, is a necessary test in order to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. 

The game takes place in a fully accessible and interactive labyrinth. In order to progress, the player must ensure its immediate well-being is intact while avoiding supernatural creatures that lurk in the dark. The goal is to collect prayers scattered across the labyrinth along with other items such as potions that would enhance the player’s powers allowing Sara to find the exit. However, be careful to encounter demons as this can send you straight to Hell.

Purgatory is a single-player exploration horror game that delivers an immerse experience, capturing the player’s minds with its astounding visual depth and encompassing music.

New improvements in Player Health Bar reacting to enemies and
enemies health bar affected by player.


NEW HUD:

Homework 12

HW 12

Time to completion: 2 weeks

Responsible:

Art/Aesthetics/ Story/ python: Morales Alan. Create the art poster for the game to express the horror appeal to the audience. Create a game Hud/score system with a health bar.

Mechanics/Interface, python: Lenczewski-Jowers, Justin. Create a navigation system for the demons in the game to follow the player. The perimeter could use near or collision. Create obstacles inside the maze, such as traps and pits. Adjust the controls to first person, adding running, view bobbing.

Play testing/Sound: Lauzier, Adam. Create and sound design the music along with any sound effects needed to enhance the feeling of anxiety and to exploit the player’s fears. Find a group of people for play testing the game.

Link to game Doc:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wTmDi7lTPxFnDA-2-6x4O1greY4Z03BDJ9-Nkz157E8/edit

What I’ve you done this week for my team is create a game Hud to display the characters Heath along with a score system that can visual reference a beating heart. I created this Hud from scratch using Photoshop to draw the elements and Blender to make the elements interactive.

HW 11 

1) Describe the user interface in your game The user interface would be created to display useful information to the player in game via a HUD2) What role will the interface play in your game?It will allow the user to know how much Health / lives possibly Time Weapons and magic potions are available.3) Intuitive interfaces give a feeling of control. How easy (or hard) is your interface to master?We are designing the interface to be as intuitive and simple to master as possible. It requires little interaction with the player. A circular bar displays health and this is visually indicated by a beating heart every time a recovery item is taken.4) Will your players have a strong influence over the outcome of the game? Please describe? If not, how can you change this?The game is design to allow the player to decide among a series of choices depending on what path is taken in the maze. Some areas would lead to avoid monsters, while others to run into them directly, which at that point defines which type of player you choose to be.5) Players like to feel powerful. Do the players of your game feel powerful? How could this be improved?In the game we will include power-ups that will temporarily grant advantageous skills, such as running faster or walking through walls.6) What does the player pick up and touch? The first item the player will be able to pick up when first starting the game is a lamp to see in the dark. Items such as magical potions will amplify the player’s powers and disappear entering an inventory for later use.7) Does the interface map to actions in the world? How?When the player’s life is in danger, its heart located next to the health indicator will beat faster.8) How does your interface let the player see, hear and touch the world of the game? Could this be improved in order to make the game world more real to the player's imagination?Simply by mirroring the game character to the player's own reactions. The sounds of creatures in the maze, along with a sensitivity to nearby enemies triggering a fasting beating heart will induce the player’s own heart rate to increase. Other elements such as dark or low illuminated areas will tonally set the mood for a immerse experience that will theoretically leave the player in fear increasing the players sensitivity at every step.9) The idea interface is invisible to the player. Does your interface cater to the players desires? What are these desires?We believe that making a successful interface is a very important part of the games success and it needs to be as unified to the game style as possible. It will be on screen all the times, but with a transparency or opacity layers so the player won’t get distracted by it.10) Can your interface be used without the players thinking? Is it natural?Yes, we are designing the interface to be as simple as possible. By allowing the players to have an inventory system to store and collect items, standing in front of these log at given times, will feel as if checking for provisions in a real life camping situation.
11) Assuming you can do what you want, how would you make your interface more natural?An opaque or transparent interface, one that is there when needed. This type of interface will possibly feel much more natural, however we don't have time to implement it in our game.12) What kind of feedback does your interface present to the player? What do the players want to know? How does the interface relate to the player's goal? Will it help achieve that goal?We are planning an interface that specify when the player's current status changes, plus their health and various objects. We consider these being the main things the players will want to see.13) Is the interface feedback continuous? Why or why not? Yes, because it continuously sends info on the characters status/health and scores counter.

14) Please describe the concept of interface modes? Does your game have multiple modes? Please explain (Lens #60).

An interface of any complexity is going to require modes.modes make the player feel powerful and in control and do not confuse oroverwhelm● The modes we need in my game are based on the complexity and level of player interaction in the game. Simplifying the game complexity will add to the fun and also would make the game easier to make
● The modes in game can be combined, by making some areas easier than others, therefore easier to skill players and promising to less skilled ones.● None of the modes overlap in my game, is one giant level● When the game changes modes, the player will know because thegame will communicate it by changing to a faster pace by sound will increasing tempo.

Homework 10

Updated of the score system without the debug properties view

  In this installment texture packaging and sound have been updated to run without any errors. In game particle system is generated to create fire. In addition I created a score system and distribute it to my team members to help develop the game HUD. By creating pleasant animations of Potions this would help guide the player to obtained and complete their journey giving them a visual reference on what to do next. 

Blender file:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1FCqjLwNfv-aERjbXBnSmpzYlE/edit

Video:

Images: 

#A

#B

#C

#D

How did I do it?: I created an empty illustrated in slide (#A) attaching a score system (#B) a property integer that allows the objects in front of the main character to interact adding by a power of one every time the character shoots an object of interest. In addition to the score increasing, objects are deleted from the world, and this is done by creating a sensor that detects the collisions of two objects. I animated the objects (Potions) (#C) and gave them a rotation in the -x axis as well as adding point light to give it the appearance of red glow.

My contributions: to the team this week have been to develop and research the Art work for the game promotional Poster as well as conducting studies that would lead me to place a health bar and score system interacting together and ready for when the monsters attach the main character. I packaged in game textures and sound, as well as updating them to test they would run without any errors. I placed a node.py file as part of a particle system in python to create fire. I created a score system and distribute it to all my team members.

In addition, as a team leader I allocated our resources by delegating the focus into developing AI (Artificial Intelligence) for the monsters in game, and communicate the daily updates and task to members individually as well as supplying a series of tutorials to help them guide the next series of steps to make our game design a success. 

Homework 9: 

Chapter 11: Balance

Considering all 12 types of balance. Some which apply, some which don’t. Examples in game are:

After carefully analyzing chapter 11 on Balance I realized that a good way to transpose the concepts learned in the book to my teams game, would be adjusting the elements of the game until they deliver the experience you want. Balancing a game is far from a

science; in fact, despite the simple mathematics that is often involved, it is generally

considered the most artful part of game design

1. Fairness: I am planning to keep the game symmetrical; by giving equal resources and powers to the player. The various Potions spread across the Maze that way If opponents have radically different skill levels this would be balance out by this tools that give momentary power to the player.

2. Challenge vs. Success: Increasing the difficulty gradually would be a way for me to solve this challenge. The effects of enhancements would be for a duration of just for a few seconds so it would also balance the level of challenge players would experience while keeping the game engaging.

3. Meaningful Choices:  I plan to force the game to situations in which the players ask themselves the questions:

Where should I go? Which power should I choose? How should I spend my resources? How should I dress my character?

By slowly revealing areas where objects reveal the next location along with the places where to find potions and various weapons, this and many more of this questions can be answer by the player while playing the game.

4. Skill vs. Chance: As disclosed in chapter 10, this two opposing forces can negate each other if not balance. My preference based solely on the fact that the game I am designing would be release in American, would be to maximize the effects of chance.

5. Head vs. Hands: Purgatory would involve more thinking while also involving a healthy doze of strategics and puzzle solving.

6. Competition vs. Cooperation: Since my game has no online playing capabilities cooperating is out of the question, however the competitive nature of the player do play a role base on the need to acquire points which translate in experience and currency to buy more items.

7. Short vs. Long:   Taking in consideration the given time for completion and also the fact that my knowledge of Blender is somehow limited, creating a rather short but engaging level that would perhaps host sub levels could balance the gameplay. One way to solve the problem would be to set a time limit and a point system which I already placed in the game.

8. Rewards: To solve this I plan to incorporate 3 simple reward systems based on the book of lenses:

• Praise- a special sound effect would be triggered once the player finds hidden treasures giving him special momentary powers to fight the monster in game.
•  Points:  Would give the player the illusion of success as they don’t really serve a real purpose.
• A Gateway: A mini game or bonus area would be placed in a hidden location of the games map to make the game structure rewards exploration.
• Powers: Since becoming more powerful is something that everyone desires in real life, this abilities would be offer in game by acquiring various magical items enhancing the player’s abilities momentarily.
• Completion: By completing all the objectives in a game this would give a special feeling of closure to the players, since people rarely get to resolve all problems in real life

9. Punishment: By adding this element, increase enjoyment can be triggered in players as stated in the book of lenses. Making the powers available only for limited time, not only balances the game but also triggers negative consequences if players don’t time their attack appropriately making the moment of using powers much more precious.

10. Freedom vs. Controlled Experience: Since the game isn’t meant to be a simulation of real life, but rather a more interesting version of real life, this would mean cutting out boring, complex, or unnecessary decisions and actions. By tracing a path to follow by enhance light and others visual FXs, glowing areas would show the way to go, solving this challenge.

11: Simple vs. Complex:

To strike the right balance between Simple vs. Complex, balanced surprises would be place during game play. By design a simple game that becomes a factory of never-ending stream of balanced surprises, and the only way to find out whether we have achieved this is to keep playing and changing our game over and over until the surprises start to come.

12: Detail vs. Imagination:

By providing some level of detail, but leave it to the player to fill in the rest in their minds this challenging  lens would be solve. We will make sure to “Only detail what we can do well”. For example I will be creating a detail animated intro cut scene with fancy Mocab motion files to present the main female character, after that a more simple first person view will be all the players would see, forcing them to play with their imagination to visualize being in the body of the character.

This concludes the 12 principles of balanced design.

Homework 8

In this homework, I am using objects that my team and I have already accumulated and place them in the game. I created multiple animations that will be useful in our game by infusing life to it. I animated the Maze door in: location, scale and rotation activated with the left mouse key as shown in video from homework 5

In addition the animations I have constructed include the Potions rotating in a continuous motion, as well as Spears and other weapons to defeat monsters in the game.

We plan to use the animated objects as a visual reference that one can interact with them and collect them in order to beat the game.

Contributions to team four this week

This week I place the Monsters that will hunt Sara in the Game, and also made sure the files would have the appropriate projected UV textures, as I have been having some issues in previous blend files. I discover that by saving in object file extension this can be corrected, but I am still working on re-saving each model individually. I also made a simple animated motion of the monsters approaching Sara in the hallway were she has to pass in order to advance, presenting our first obstacle in the game. In addition to this I also send emails to my teammates with useful tutorials on how to improve First person perspective video game using the character physics option for correcting jump and possible running actions as well as using Rigify option in blender to rig and animate characters.

Game download Link:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1FCqjLwNfv-aERjbXBnSmpzYlE/edit

Homework 7

Is the space in your game discrete or continuous?

·         Discrete

How many dimensions does your space have?

·         Tree dimensions

What are the boundaries of your space?

·         The walls in the Maze in relationship with to the outside world

How many verbs do your players (characters) have? What are they?

Jump, Run, Kill and open doors

How many objects can each verb act on? What are these objects?

Potions can be use in multiple ways:

·         Purple allow you walk through walls for a few seconds

·         Red increase your strength for a few seconds

·         Blue Makes you jump higher

Sword & Spears:

·         Kill monsters

·         Open lock doors

·         Break walls

How many ways can players achieve their goals

·         Goals in the game can be achieved in multiple ways, players have to look for unusual interactions and interesting combinations of Potions and other items strategizing to find and exit. The Maze is very intricate and has only one exit but multiple ways to get to it.

How many subjects do the players control? What are these subjects?

The many subjects in the game can interact with one another, to form new solutions. For example by coordinating different combinations of potions or sacrificing health in certain cases the player could pass thought a monster in a narrow corridor.

How do side effects change constraints?

·         Every time you obtain a potion or weapon, you not only change the monsters behavior, but you simultaneously change which reaction the monster will now have given that you activate the weapon or potion. My plan is to program a basic AI into the antagonist in the game to make the game more interesting.

What are the operative actions in your game?

•           Move character free in all directions

•           Jump obstacles

•           Move in and out of doors

What are the resultant actions in your game?

•           Protect a Sara from being captured by monsters

•           Sacrifice health to pass through a monster

•           Move a Sara into the safe room to avoid monsters

•           Use Spear, sword or potion to kill Monsters

What actions would you like your players to do that they cannot presently do? (based on your current knowledge of Blender)

I would like to be able to program elegant artificial intelligence to the monsters in the game, so they can react to the player actions.

What is the ultimate goal of your game?

To find an exit to the Maze

Are there short and long term goals? What are they?

The short term goals are to collect a series of items to increase the player score and health. The long term goals are to find the exit to the Maze, while managing to fight your way out without getting harm or kill by the monsters in the level.

How do you plan to make the game goals known and understood by the player?

Sings in the form mini tutorials would appear anytime a new action needs to be performed for the first time. This would be triggered by near sensors.

What are the foundational rules of your game?

Exploration and item collection

How are these rules enforced?

·         If the player finds the right items hidden in the level, this event would triggered momentary immunity to monsters allowing them to pass, If not this will equal dead. This makes an achieved goal rewarding. Physical constraints of the game world would simplify and enforce the rules, while also allowing gamers to avoid memorizing complex actions.

Does your game develop real skills? What are they?

·         The real skills of this game are problem solving and spatial awareness. By having to doge the monsters and try finding the exit, a repeating cycle of an increasing challenge factor is presented followed by a reward, often increasing the player’s powers an giving easier periods of less challenging events. This design is based on the book of lenses curve flow chart that feels much more interesting to a player.

Does your game develop virtual skills? What are they?

·         The character’s skill level would increase when finding a series of assorted magical objects in the game. Spears, swords and various magical potions would gradually increase the players ability to fight monster in the game by which in this context, refers to a virtual skill that the player would pretend to have.

My contributions to the team:

What I have done for the team four this week include, allocating a series of libraries base on advance MOCAP file animations from the University of Oregon in order to make the lead character walk and be presented in an intro cut scene in HD which I believe would increase and elevate the level of realism in the game.

In addition to that I research and created a series of realistic UV textures and made normal maps and displacement maps to be use in the game which would allow the game engine to render GLS in a more realistic way. Combining Blender UV mapping with a program called Crazy bump I generated more realistic textures giving our game a visual edge in graphics.