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SUMMARY
Role
Coder/Cutscene Artist
Intention (SMART Goal) for the Session
By May 10, as part of TEAM 4 as Coder, I will have evidence of creating multiple waves of differently-behaving enemies by following Roguelikes, Persistency, and Progression for Session 5.
PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY
Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)
Primary Source
I chose the gameplay trailer for Blazing Beaks as my inspiration, as it almost tells a story in the way that the game is structured (see how the first couple of scenes in the trailer flow smoothly and effectively demonstrate the last thing that was earned), while at the same time demonstrating the variety of weapons that can be utilized to beat the (seemingly never-ending) amount of enemies.
Secondary Source
https://www.androidpolice.com/vampire-survivors-developer-interview/
This is an interview with Luca Galante, creator of the hit indie video game Vampire Survivors. He mentions a variety of things he thinks helped his game succeed, from how the Vampire Survivors treasure chest is very satisfying to earn and collect to how he adjusted elements of the game to better suit his audience (e.g. creating his own music rather than using stock music so that streamers wouldn’t get copyright claimed while play). I found this quite an interesting article as it shows how you can have no budget and/or team and still create one of the games of the year.
Training Source(s)
- 0:25: A roguelike is defined by random level generation and permadeath.
- 1:16: Roguelikes with permanent upgrades are colloquially known as “roguelites”.
- 1:52: Roguelikes are smart because they exclusively reward the player’s skill.
- 2:16: Nothing stops you from clearing the game except your own knowledge in a roguelike.
- 2:36: On the other hand, a player with low skill may never complete a roguelike.
- 3:24: In a roguelite, every run is given meaning and purpose.
- 3:54: A disadvantage of this is that the game’s difficulty actually gets easier as you progress.
- 4:15: Roguelites do become less about player skill and more about the player’s level.
- 5:26: Some games like Enter The Gungeon will give you fun things to unlock each run, even if they don’t carry over from each successive attempt.
- 6:53: Hades carries over progress by giving you more information about each character each time you respawn, letting the player get a definitive sense of progression in the game.
Project Timeline
Pre-production Milestones
- 3/26: Pre-production blog post complete
- 3/25: Trello board is filled out
- 3/24: GDD is completed
Production Milestones
- April 17th: Multiple waves of enemies are in the game
- May 3rd: Horton has upgrade paths for his weapon
- May 3rd: The game has a cohesive art style
Post-production Milestones
- May 17th: Complete Post-production blog post
- May 15th: Fill out reflection form
- May 20th: Present game
Proposed Budget
Roughly $2,500
Evidence of Team Planning and Decisions
Place screenshots of the following…
PRODUCTION – ACTION
The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)
https://chsgamedesign.itch.io/chs-period-2-team-4
Here’s a link to the game we created for this session, with I serving as co-programmer and cutscene artist.
Skills Commentary
If you want to see evidence of my work, head to the credits of our game then click on “Game Fan Mik’s” evidence.
POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION
21st Century Skills
Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)
Critical Thinking: In the making of the game’s opening cutscene, I was forced to figure out how to effectively communicate a game’s story in just 6 frames, making me place myself in the mind of a player who doesn’t know anything about the lore.
Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)
When I was first learning how to utilize Pixilart for the game’s cutscenes, I was frequently consulting other, more experienced members on my team who’d previously used Pixilart so that I could get a better grasp of the software.
Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)
When I was trying to learn something like how to utilize layers within the Construct software, I had to quite often check various tutorials within both the YouTube and Pixilart ecosystems to gain an understanding of the various, in-depth features on offer.
Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)
In the process of creating the game’s cutscene, I was quite frequently humbled through the process of learning how to use an all-new art form to me, that being pixel art. It helped me learn that even though you can be skilled in some areas (i.e. physical art), it doesn’t necessarily transfer over to categories you thought would be similar.
Reactions to the Final Version
Advisor Feedback: “You guys have a really solid base product here. If you expand things like the menus and gave the game a bit more polish, you could have something really nice here.” -Hunter
Peer Feedback: N/A
Self-Evaluation of Final Version
Overall, I’d say I’m pretty satisfied with the final product. All of my overall goals for the project were met, and I’m exceedingly pleased with the opening cutscene that I made. Although there was a bit of dead space at the end of the project where work could’ve been getting done by other team members, the game overall is pretty close to my original vision, something I’m pleased as punch about.
Grammar and Spelling
The grammar and spelling were checked by Grammarly.
Editor
Gavin M.
