Tuesday 26th November, Monday 2nd December 2019.
Release 2 - Sprint 1. Scrum Master: Caoilinn Hughes
Overview
This week, we focused on adding various elements to our game. This included updating the layout of the level, designing various assets for our final game, and updating the in-game UI,
Product
The main products of this week were:
- Redesign Level Layout
- Create Additional Level Assets
- Record Foley Sounds
- Update Game UI
Process
Redesign Level Layout
Christian and I worked together to re-design the level layout. We felt that our game was too linear. We decided to expand our map, by adding enemies and rooms. We sent some general ideas to one another through Facebook messenger. We agreed to add an additional room to our game. This will allow the player to interact with more entities within the game.
Create Additional Level Assets
Additional assets were required to satisfy our redesign. I studied the layout of our map and began to outline the various elements that we would need. I re-used assets where possible to cut down on development time. My previous experience creating these models helped me to quickly complete this task. I knew what process to follow, and what to avoid. I exported my models as .FBX files, and uploaded them to Google Drive. From there, Nathan would be able to download and interact with each file. Nathan would need to re-apply textures to the updated models.
Record Foley Sounds
I recorded various sound effects using Foley methods. Nathan created an outline of the final sounds required for our game. I used this list as a reference point while recording. I recorded the sound of various items around my house. For example, I recorded fireplace utensils hitting off one-another, to simulate the sounds of swords clashing. I also recorded vocal noises (such as snarls and throat singing), to represent monster growls and cultist chants. I then reviewed my recordings and named each file appropriately, before uploading my finished files to Google Drive. From there, Nathan can download and interact with each file. Nathan would need to create layered sound effects from the recordings that I gave him.
Update Game UI
I updated the game log to provide additional information to the player. For example, the game will notify the user about an item that they have picked up. A message - 'Sword added to inventory' - will appear once the user picks up a sword. I also changed the font size, font family, and font colour, to make it easier to read for those with dyslexia. I also implemented a UI inventory system that displays inventory items on-screen. For example, a sword will appear in the in-game inventory once the player has picked it up. This provides visual feedback for the player. Additionally, items are removed from the inventory, once they have been used (for example, when a key is used to open a gate). Finally, I added player health & XP bars to the user interface. These bars represent the player's current health and experience points. The health and XP bars are scaled based on the player interaction in battle. For example, the player will gain XP as they deal damage but will lose health as they take damage.
Issues
There were no issues of note this week.