1. Rationale: Intent
I would like to create a cartoon & realistic style interactive online multiplayer 3D finishing game. This will contain unique interactivity, amount of social content. Through this folio work, I wish I can have a deeper understanding of Zbrush, Unreal Engine 4, be more familiar and confident with game design workflow by applying the knowledge I have learned within these few years comprehensively.
The inspiration for me to go deep into this concept is we all suffered a very difficult time during the pandemic and we lack social opportunity in our entire daily life in the past two years. I used to have a lot of frustration and I missed hanging out with friends for any kind of activity. I have always wanted to have a small digital place where people can bring connections to each other with interesting interactivity.
2. Context: Field
3D Character and objects design, Environment and Level Design (include sound and effects), UE4 Programming, Game interactivity, Game Development, 3D Animation
Outstanding practitioners: / examples
Visual: It takes two - Hazelight studio
Interactivity: VR Chat, Animal Crossing: New Horizon, Terraria
3. Method:
For the feedback part, each week I will be doing peer review and collecting feedback as much as I can. To make sure the overall design language is easy to follow, high quality with no random mistakes. This process will take place in every process no matter pr-production or game developing steps.
In the game development process I will make sure strictly follow the task list and timeline to make sure the final outcome match with the exception as much as possible, the work in process will need to be posted every week to make sure I grab enough feedback and all my design resources are well-managed and follow the style guide.
Because it is relatively difficult to code fishing features so I will leave this part in the very end of game development, to make sure I would not spend my whole semester making one complicated feature.
4.Production: Tools& Timeline
How will you make the work?
Week 01 - Build a basic level greyboxing, visual representation, project style guide, moodboard, timeline and other documentation,
Week 02 - Build basic online gameplay structure and testing. Create shader and character sketches
Week 03 - Build a visual environment with Megascans, modelling items and program basic interactive functions
Week 04 - Continuing Modelling, texturing objects and character avatar
Week 05 - This week will focus on troubleshooting, refine with feedback I got from last few weeks
Week 06 - Expectation for this week should have a basic playable version game can connecting 2 - 4 PC with few visual elements
5.Outcome:
Due to the high difficulty of coding fishing feature and building an online gameplay structure at the same time, the outcome at the end of this semester will be a playable 3D environment with few interactions and visual elements. There will be a playable online mode that can interact with other players simultaneously. If I have enough time, I will program fishing features and bring Visual Reality feature to this game.