Week 13

Week: 13

HND Project

Before I began our project, I decided to take this week to have a discussion with Matthew and discuss about what we’d like to appear and be incorporated into our game. After some discussion, I totted down some notes and I created a list of the things I’ll need to work on. Here are the following things we’d like;

Enemy AI:
• Create an Enemy AI
• Behaviour (Basic)
• Behaviour (Advanced)
• Add Health System
• Add Damage System
• Add Skin

Player: 
• Add Health
• Add Regenerate Health
• Add Stamina
• Add Regenerate Stamina
• Sprint System
• Add Damage System
• Add Skin

Map System:
• Mini-Map (Basic)
• Mini-Map (Advanced)

Other: 
• Spawn Enemy
• Jump Scares
• Pick Ups

Levels:
• Create a Few Levels
• Move Between Levels

Week 12

Week 12:

HND PROJECT

For Week 12, we finally managed to get around to present our HND Project as a PowerPoint Presentation in front of our teacher and HND class. Below is a link to our YouTube link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLvVSCr6d-w&feature=youtu.be

The YouTube video example by Kevin McLeod we used in our PowerPoint Presentation, unfortunately, did not work during the presentation itself despite working moments beforehand. In the video we wanted to compare there video and how we would want our own Unreal Game would look like. Below is a link to that YouTube link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnPXfys1L4s

Q&A

Week 11

Week 11:

HND PROJECT

Due to a "Snow Day", I was unable to come into college due to the college being closed. As such, I could not use their better facilities then what I had at home. Thus, I have decided today I shall  review a Survival-Horror/First-Person Shooter I believe that was similar to our HND Project.

Game Review: F.E.A.R

Summary: F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault and Recon), is an intense first person close-quarters combat experience with rich atmosphere and an engaging storyline. The story begins as an unidentified paramilitary force infiltrates a multi-billion dollar aerospace compound. The government responds by sending in Special Forces, but loses contact as an eerie signal interrupts radio communications. When the interference subsides moments later, the team has been literally torn apart. As part of a classified strike team created to deal with threats no one else can handle, your mission is simple: Eliminate the intruders at any cost. Determine the origin of the signal. And contain this crisis before it spirals out of control.

Review: In terms of gameplay, fantastic graphics, sound, and firefights all blend to make F.E.A.R. an excellent game, though in order to enjoy the graphics and the game to its fullest, you must have a high-end computer system. In closing, F.E.A.R. is definitely one of this year’s best games. Regardless, F.E.A.R is something of a love/hate experience for certain players of the Survival-Horror genre. While some of the horror elements to the storyline may seem a tad cliché, the story is mysterious enough to demand further investigation, but after a while you start wishing they would hurry things up and get to the good stuff. It’s only later when you’ll stumble onto the Catch-22 that the only truly "good stuff" in the game is that you can blow up a lot of the boring stuff.

Week 9 + 10

Week 9 + 10:

For week 9 +10, I continued and finished off the final touches for my PowerPoint Presentation with Matt Flanagan. We both made individual Presentations for our HND Project, but in the end we had decided to use my version of the PowerPoint Presentation. Here is a link to the final documentation; My HND Presentation

Week 8

Week 8:

This week I continued to work on my PowerPoint Presentation for my Game Project for my HND Course. Additionally, I have also revisited and played around with Unreal Engine. Due to being somewhat "rusty" with Unreal Engine, I decided to revisit some old tutorials in order to get back into the groove of things. The following tutorials I looked at were;

Geometry Editing: 

Primitive Geometry:

Landscape Editing:

Week 6 + 7

Week 6 + 7:

HND Project:

For week 6 and 7, I decided to look back at my past Project for Unreal Engine. I then decided to see if I could find anything of use that I could take from the Project that'd be useful for my HND Project. This could range from anything from Mechanics, Assets or even Environments.

For the most part, I decided I could scrap the Gun mechanic and add it to my character in my HND Project. Additionally, I believe I could also recycle the Mixamo models. An asset I downloaded from Unreal Engine and used for my earlier Project in Unreal Engine.

Week 5

Week 5:

HND Project:

On this 5th week, I decided to look for some inspiration for my HND Project. As a result, I looked at and found what others have done for their Unreal Engine projects.

(Landscape by Tobias Koepp)

(Building by Zack Parkinson)

In addition, I decided to look at Tutorials on YouTube regarding Unreal Engine for Beginners and Experts, and those between (Like me). A good start would be going to the official Unreal Engine channel on YouTube for tutorials and updates.

http://www.therookies.co/projects/next-gen-gaming/abandoned-scottish-manor-unreal-engine-4-environment/

Week 4

Week 4

HND PROJECT

Update:

On our 4th week of our HND Project, our lecturer for this unit has told us what was expected and covered within the upcoming PowerPoint Presentation, in addition to telling us what we needed to do as apart of the HND Course. In our PowerPoint Presentation, we are expected to include the following;

·         Initial Ideas, the chosen idea and rejected ideas

·         What is the project?

·        Initial sketches / small scale demo

·         Who is doing this Project?

·         Who is target audience?

·         Why are you doing this project?

·         What is time scale of project?

Where I am currently on my HND Project:

At the moment, I believe that I am currently on target for our HND Project. The reason behind this, is because I feel both myself and my partner Matthew Flanagan have already came up with the initial ideas and we have already discussed with one another what we specifically want to do for our HND Project. In addition, I have already began on my version of the PowerPoint Presentation and I should be ready the week following, or so to present it. 

Week 3

Week 3:

HND PROJECT

Following the blog I created from the previous week, I and Matthew Flanagan had begun to think up some ideas for HND Project for our HND course. As a result, we decided we would create a 3D Game of some kind using Unreal Engine. Below are some of the results we have brainstormed and came up with.

Initial Ideas

Puzzle:

One of our early ideas for a game would be a Puzzle-based game, along the lines of Tetris, Bejewelled or if we were feeling more adventurous the Portal series. Whilst there is plenty of scope to expand on this colourful idea but felt that it would not be very appealing towards our Target Audience in general. Additionally, we do not feel that it’d translate well too Unreal Engine. 

Retro:

One of our other ideas was to create a Retro-based game inspired by classic games, such as Pac-Man, Space Invaders or Frogger. Here, we had the idea of redesigning and reimagining the basic concepts, whilst still retaining the original’s nostalgia and familiarity. We decided against this because we felt that it wouldn’t make it challenging enough for an engaging videogame for others.

Platformer:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5GSR1wxkIBsb2xnb25GekNaR0E/view?usp=sharing

Another idea we had, was to create a Platformer-style game similar to the likes of Super Mario Bros, Megaman or Limbo. In addition, I had personally worked on creating a 2D-based Platform Game before. In short, the Platform game was based around a treasure hunter seeking out jewels and avoiding obstacles. This appealed to us but not enough to create a new game from scratch.

Final Idea:

For our HND Project, we decided and agreed on creating a First-Person Shooter / Third-Person Shooter with the Unreal Engine. Initially, though, we shall create a 3D Game from scratch but scrap some blueprints I had used my 3D Game I had created before and expand upon that coding to create a far superior game.

Initially, the plot would resolve around a Soldier from a Special OP Units splitting off from their Squadmates and encountering a supernatural-based Cult. Afterwards, the player will have to navigate through labyrinth-like environments and fight off against supernatural forces that are hunting down our protagonist. 

Additionally, planning on adding collectables you have to collect to earn points and key-like items you must collect to gain access to new areas, and secret locations within the environment. Aside from surviving, the player will encounter stronger enemies the further they proceed and must choose battles carefully.

The Plot:

Based on my previous 3D Game known as “Paranoiac”, the plot revolves around a Soldier from a Special OP Units whom finds themselves separated from their teammates during some top-secret mission. During that time, the player stumbles upon a sinister conspiracy behind the mission and that a supernatural-based cult is up to o good. Upon being discovered, the player bring a stop the cult’s wrong-dealings whilst simultaneously trying to survive against their nightmarish schemes. 

Videogame Demo:

Below is an initial 3D Game Demo I had created previously that'll help inspire us for our 3D Game for the HND Project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3tG0f0-ozM

Week 1 & 2

Week 1:

HND Project

For our first two weeks we were given a Project Assignment to work on for the entirety of our College year, while we also worked on our other Unit Assignments. For this, we had the choice of working on a 3D Game, a CMS Web-based System or a Network Solution. Additionally, we were giving the choice of working with other students within our class. 

                                                                    Project for HND

What is the Project?

For my Project for HND I will be teaming up with Matthew Flanagan to create a Demo for a Videogame on the Unreal Engine. Together we shall split the workload by focusing on our strengths and weaknesses, respectively. We shall be using aspects of my previous Unreal Engine project (Coding and Assets, Etc.) to help us with our Project. 

Who is doing this Project?

The team of students working on the HND Project will consist of and collaborated between Sean Chapman and Matthew Flanagan.

Who is the Target Audience?

The Videogame created in this Project will likely be aimed at teenagers and young adults. As such, the age group will be 16 or 18+.

Why are you doing this Project?

The reason we are doing this Project is because both I and Matt have always had a keen interested in Videogames and Programming. Additionally, I previously used Unreal Engine in BTEC Level 3 and created a small game for a different Project. As such, I believe that by working with somebody else I could improve upon my teamwork and create something much better Game than I had done before. 

What is the Time Scale of the Project?

We have been given 30 weeks to work on this Project as a Team. The Project itself starts from October and finishes in March. We will have 3-4 hours per lesson in order to work on the HND Project, in addition to any free time we wish to invest into this.