PDP Week 9

This week I started doing my final implementation of a new gameplay mechanic (the camera system in a maze-like area), ready to start the tail-end of my game's level design. I'm a week late on my planned PDP, as I focused on added various changes following peer feedback last week. Originally I wrote how this week was going to be me initialising the final steps of production in my first planning blog post. However I feel that was actually too much of an over-estimate on my behalf in the past, as in actually my finishing up the level's final layout with a couple more weeks left for other adjustments, which is a much more realistic goal than the smaller time constraints I had given myself.

I began by researching the type of area this level should be, and as talked about by (Pete Ellis, 2016), I feel I should subvert the player's expectations in the maze area, and assets that aren't seen anywhere else (such as other dead player characters and ghosts). Subverting expectations is essentially mixing up a game's formula and adding a twist to it (so they could be a cute and cuddly game which turns quite grim and evil, for example). I've followed a similar practise in my level already, by adding twists to pre-established gameplay mechanics. However I want to take it one step further this week by adding a more grim and tense area compared to the more open and platform-based environments i've already established in my game.

I also added a maze into the level as the final feature left to implement, where the player must find their way to the end. As always it lets the player figure out how to even enter themselves without a tutorial, since the door is visibly wide open like it's inviting them inside. However when the player draws near the door the security camera positioned on top (an asset from the UE4 Marketplace), which automatically moves from side-to-side, will most likely catch them and slam the door shut until they're out of sight. This is another great example of me physically forcing the player to learn how a new mechanic works before they can proceed, as they must stealthily avoid the camera's sight and sneak in through the entrance, which is only really possible once they've analysed the situation and have a grasp of how it works.

Like all the other entrances the player will know they're supposed to enter due to the ? coin placed nearby, the level's path gradually navigating them towards the entrance, while also have the door clearly be visible, open and obviously enter-able when you get close enough. Once they do they'll pass through an incredibly long corridor (complete with an odd sensation with a few 'dead' player avatar characters), and from there it's up to them to find the way to the end! (With the final realisation for the player being that suicide is the only way out from the torment of the maze they've been through.)

The player sees the suspicious doors near the back of the map

The player gets closer and must sneak past the security camera

Or else the door slams shut when spotted

Once inside they must navigate to the end, avoiding the ghosts and cameras along the way!

I also got player death finally working after many weeks of frustration! Using the video tutorial below, I created a custom variable for death inside the main player's blueprint system, which disables the player's control inputs, plays an explosion particle and sound effect, turns the player's model invisible and after 2 seconds reloads the loaded level. This blueprint was then attached to a huge invisible shape floating below the stage which kills the player when they touch it. What this really means is there are no more needless invisible walls to restrict the gameplay, and I removed a lot of unnecessary ones because of this! Instead if a player falls off the stage by their own accord they'll naturally restart the level after death and have to play again from the beginning, which makes it really test their skills at the game than just be a 'pretty showcase'. I even added an 'enemy' in the form of a floating ghost, with a main purpose to inhabit the maze area, which also kills the player in the same way upon collision. It adds a new layer of strategy to my game as it's something extra for the player to avoid, and they're really effective when put into my dark corridor to build the atmosphere. I will still be keeping some invisible walls as a design choice though, such as for restricting a player from going out-of-bounds in areas they're not supposed to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzFd-PfM5kc&index=3&list=PLZlv_N0_O1gbY4FN8pZuEPVC9PzQThNn1


References:

Pete Ellis, 2016. Subverting Player Expectation by Using Level Design [WWW Document]. URL http://80.lv/articles/subverting-player-expectation-by/ (accessed 3.20.16).