Ryan Da Silva - FWXB3992 - Honours Project

Doom level 3 music @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOYU5SgGbPI

Dash sound @ https://freesound.org/people/InspectorJ/sounds/394452/

Bell ringing sound @ https://freesound.org/people/chimerical/sounds/106544/

Walk Sound @ https://freesound.org/people/Daniela-Santos/sounds/424600/

Ammo Pick up, Heavy rain/lighting, Shotgun sounds, crossbow sounds and even the church singing in the start menu were all from free provided Futureworks sounds in the shared files.

The Hateful Eight Soundtrack - Ester / The Lautsprechers (my Rendition)  @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK8gUo0GLQk

Blizzard by klankbeeld @ https://freesound.org/people/klankbeeld/sounds/413518/

Wood noise footsteps @ https://freesound.org/people/IPaddeh/sounds/422858/ https://freesound.org/people/dheming/sounds/177778/

 Judging by the 3 ideas we have done, we decided to go with prototype two, named Action Priest II (that good we made the sequel for you). So just from the title, you can already tell it’s a parody game. The reason for choosing this one is it has something for all of us, a nice way to design the level layout for James, environments for me and prop modelling for Konnor. Plus this idea can be developed more than the other two which were more basic/ fewer ideas to them.

For Action Priest II, my role will be thinking about what the environment and developing on James’ Level design. Multiple games have been looked into but games like Vermintides layout and dooms aesthetic are a big inspiration to how the modules can be made, and how I could add a layer of demon on top of this Victorian environment. Since I am the environment designer and Konnor is props, we can easily know how to split ourselves in an organised way accordingly. As for gameplay, we will need to make sure that is done quicker than the environment and make sure it’s fun, since that can give even more ideas we may have not thought of. Influences from similar horde type games will play a big role in this and although this is James’ focus we can still give or feedback since he is the only one working on it.

Our group is on the smaller side with only me Konnor and James. Me and Konnor also prioritize in 3D modelling so this has been a challenging group more so for James since he is the focus on blueprinting etc. Like Konnor I began focused on creating models, but also on some art and help with putting the level together. While still getting some art done I want to focus more on the environment and level design to split the team of 3 up in a more natural balanced way.

For the first prototype which was our first experience in this group, we did a game based underwater in a submerged lab, and the idea it’s the player will explore the rooms and collect parts to then fix the submarine and escape before the base is flooded. For this prototype, we did one room which was the lab and I helped create models while also updating some of Konnors so that they could be animated (doors on the lab desks).

As for prototype 2 we went with a less serious toned game, to put it lightly. The idea was originally based on a zombie survival like Call of Duty Zombies, but quickly changed with the themes we used to a First-person survival, heavily based on games like Killing Floor, Left 4 Dead and Vermintide, with this being themed around demons and literally Jesus, more specifically a priest sent down to ‘finish what Jesus started’. This is a parody game that will need to be clear from the start, so we thought of possible uses like weapons and time period. The initial prototype was set in the Victorian period, with classic weapons such as the ‘cross’ bow, with an 80’s themed priest.

This is a layout sketch of the game Vermintide, more specifically the map called ‘Horn of Magnus’. Since this game has a very similar setting and looks to what action priest could be, I decided to do this 2D layout which will not only help me but give a much more in-depth idea of how this map was structured and how Action Priest could take advice from this. I didn't do the full level as just playing through it takes awhile, and I only sketched what was necessary to get the levels layout idea.

I labelled hotkeys to show even more design rather than just the layout, things like where interiors are, treasure is and even where multi-layered platforms are (showing how you can walk above or underneath, potentially giving you new routes).

From initial appearance, you can tell this level throughout has been made unevenly, with the Victorian era in mind, how everything was handmade and simply nothing was the exact same. Also throughout the map rather than just blockage everything with buildings, they leave a lot open, or potential paths, but block them off with fences or carriages, so you cant go that way but it makes the world feel less linear.

Speaking of linearity, the layout has been very well made, more noticeably in the second and third areas. Looking at them in 2D, there is a clear main path, with a start and end, but the middle has a few other ways to reach the end, giving a more open feel to the level, and although a lot tend to do this, this map does it very well with the addition to different levels to these paths, and how this enhances how many choices you have in the area.

Material for logs initially started like this; base goes into base colour, normal into normal, and occlusion Roughness Metalic going into each as shown above.

With feedback and experimenting/looking online, i figured out a simple way to expand how intense the normal maps were, by simply changing the red and green values to how much I wanted to expand it by and leave blue as 1 (1 is default value, so making 3 the value times it by 3).

As shown here when I then try to stretch the log (for module uses) the log appeared more shiny with a weird roughness. Upon noticing the logs were shinier than needed to be without being stretched.

Which leads to my current material. In this, i simply tinkered with the roughness and metallic values by adding a multiply and setting the roughness 8 times higher. The results below show a less shiny and the most realistic of the bunch, even when stretched (I will still have larger logs so this won’t be stretched too extremely).

Thinking about a new design to filter in the realism and what a cabin would of most likely been back then. The most obvious one is a lack of bathroom and room in general really that current has. Although existing cabins seemed to be a more open plan with the hateful eight showing how certain props were used to separate areas (chains or rugs hung over columns).

Grid formation to square off the cabin.

Aligned columns with room to either choose or use all in the centre. Plans of a more open cabin like in the hateful eight, as sectioned rooms would have been less necessary.

Sectioned off the cabin like in my previous design, with 4 zones and the outside zone.

Added where the door and fireplace goes, with a 3D version made, both gif and still image included.

Looked into many types of guns but the model 1887 stook out the most, from their iconic akimbo gameplay in call of duty, to their time period relevence (1887). This suited artstyle and gameplay similarities so i started by making essentially the model 1887.

After sketching its basic outline and getting the major features i began in maya. Firstly creating the barrel and beveling the edges to get that barrel look ( i can add the barrel holes later). 

Then using all 4 camera angles in maya, i duplicated the barrel and expanded so that it curved perfectly around both barrels, then following the side outline down using this new irregular cylander shape.

Had to redo model from a crash which was better anyway, as I did the body to a more professional standard and less messy wireframe.

Using Boolean to create neat gap in the gun.

Added the handle and trigger.