Project Plan
For my honours project I am going to focus on expanding my
skillset in Game Design and Level Design. I have decided to create a playable
game set to music. The project will be made using the Unreal Editor package
(UDK) which will be my primary focus across the module. The game will be rhythm
based requiring the player to react to the music in order to progress/score
well, this adds the illusion that the game is being powered by the music
itself. The game will have a simple aesthetic relying on geometric shapes with
colour and light instead of textures – however if I do find myself ahead of
schedule developing the aesthetic will be something I can focus on. Because I
am focussing on design I will be outsourcing the music of the game, preventing
me from indulging in the music production and neglecting the design. This
project will tremendously help further my skills. As I have never undertaken
anything this advanced in UDK before I will begin prototyping the level earlier
than I usually would, so that I can face any obstacles as early as possible.
Breaking the song down to a quantifiable level, beat by beat on paper will be
essential to matching the game to the rhythm of the song.
Aims for the Project
·
Learn
how to use UDK well to further my future career in the games industry
·
Develop
my skills working with music games, something I wish to pursue
·
Create
1 working, polished level in UDK
·
Create
a game that fits and flows to the music
·
Appropriately
source the music that provides the backbone of the game
·
Create
a level I can showcase at the end of year exhibition and ultimately for my portfolio
Intended Actions
·
Research:
o
Look
into different music games and how they incorporate sound
§ Look at mechanics
§ Visuals
§ Presence of traditional elements like
narrative
§ The styles of music and how that affects
the style of game
o
Find
appropriate tutorials for UDK and any techniques I am not familiar with that I
will be using.
·
Key
Decisions:
o
Decide
how the game will be played
o
Decide
upon audio style of the game
o
Decide
upon the visual style of the game
·
Blog
creation:
o
Keep
a blog documenting progress, research, references, thoughts and analysis
·
Music:
o
Deconstruct
the song into loops and sounds so that it can be implemented easily in-game
o
Create
a timeline of the song (1 pixel = 1 beat) to go alongside the paper plan of the
level, in order to accurately plan where to put the beats to hit.
·
Prototypes:
o
Create
simple prototypes on paper simplifying the song down to primitives (1 beat = 1
block of graph paper)
o
Create
UDK prototypes and tech demos
o
Develop
a UDK prototype and build up to the final product
·
Final
Product:
o
Create
a finished, polished level
Deliverables
The files will be presented digitally on disc and the game
will also be produced to be shown at the end of year exhibition.
·
A
polished playable game with at least 1 working level
·
The
game presented appropriately for exhibition
Date
|
Task
|
09/10/2012
|
Assignment 1 Hand-in – Project
Plan
|
16/10/2012
|
Begin simple prototypes in UDK and on paper
|
23/10/2012
|
Start deconstructing chosen song for implementation within UDK
|
30/10/2012
|
Continue deconstructing song and prototyping
|
06/11/2012
|
Finish song deconstruction – make 2D plan of the song to aide level
design
|
13/11/2012
|
Make simple 20-30 second gameplay slice implementing the song
elements
|
20/11/2012
|
Design the level plan in Photoshop matching to the 2D music plan
|
27/11/2012
|
Finalise level plan begin implementation to UDK
|
04/12/2012
|
Experiment with UDK texture/light effects
|
11/12/2012
|
Continue implementation of level to UDK
|
18/12/2012
|
Finish UDK level design and complete anything for Christmas holidays
|
08/01/2013
|
Integrate 2D music plan into the 3D level design in UDK
|
15/01/2013
|
Integrate 2D music plan into the 3D level design in UDK
|
22/01/2013
|
Integrate 2D music plan into the 3D level design in UDK
|
29/01/2013
|
Finish integrating 2D music plan into the 3D level design in UDK
|
05/02/2013
|
Replace character placeholder with simple character
|
12/02/2013
|
Once audio/gameplay is polished begin working on aesthetics using the
light and texture tricks I identified along the way
|
19/02/2013
|
Continue working on aesthetics and lighting
|
26/02/2013
|
Continue working on aesthetics and lighting
|
05/03/2013
|
Implement any matinee’s, camera movements etc
|
12/03/2013
|
Finish aesthetics of the level
|
19/03/2013
|
Add special after-effects or post processing to improve the quality
look of the game.
|
26/03/2013
|
Finish the level – package if possible
|
02/04/2013
|
Start work on banners (or other way of presenting the level for exhibition)
|
09/04/2013
|
Finish the presentation of the level
|
16/04/2013
|
Assignment 2,3,4 Hand-in –
Blog, Portfolio, Digital File for banner
|
