Inspiration for my Game Environment

I got a lot of inspiration from games like Divinity and Fable. I mostly took from the environment of Fable, I based my bandit walls off Fable as you can see in a couple of images. The image on the bottom right is what i wanted my bandit camp to look like, all the tents surrounding the fireplace.

 

 

Reference Images for my assets

These are the reference images that i used for my street lamp model. As you can see they are very simillar to my model except i made the pole much wider.

 Below are the references that i used to create my bandit gate model. originally i wanted it took look like the image in the top left but i ended up with something looking like a combination of the bottom two pictures.

 

 I mainly used these two images as my references for the watch tower. I decided to make the stairs go around the outside of the tower instead of the inside like in these images because my watch towers weren't anywhere near as large.

 This is the main image i used as a reference for my larger bandit camp. I used this exact look except the entrance is slightly different and there anren't any side windows. And of course i added an animal hide texture to it to give it a more primitive look. 

 This image below is what I kind of aimed for to make the normal sized bandit tents. But i changed the structure a little bit and added an animal hide texture like above.



 I used these images as a reference for my training dummy model. i used a material more simillar to the bottom two images but i tried to make it look like the top left image from fable.

I used these images as a reference for my hut i liked the material that was used in the right image but i wanted a more rounded look like the left one so i tried to combine the two images.

Feedback

My game environment is mostly complete my starting area and the bandit camp is pretty much complete but the castle at the end of the level is still empty. The roads connecting the areas in my level are lacking a few props or maybe I just made the road too wide as it looks a little empty and too plain. I wanted to make it possible to enter the starting house but I ran into problem, for some reason the walls of the house were invisible from the inside. I tried to fix the problem but I realised I would probably have to remake most of the house to fix it, which I should have done because it doesn’t look that great anyway, but I focused on creating other assets for my level instead.

I would have liked to make it possible to the bandit gate by pressing a button but I didn’t have enough time. I feel like the camp needs a bit more lighting such as some torches on a few of the walls or something. I didn’t want to add too many lights along the road to keep it dark as I don’t imagine the lighting on the roads would have been good in medieval times.

I now know that creating a game environment can take a very long time, though it is great to see how it turns out after everything is done which made it bearable. In future if I need to make a game environment I will definitely dedicate a lot more time to completing it. My level could definitely use more work, but I feel that my bandit camp turned out pretty well. I may have focused too much on that area and it still has some empty space but I’m not sure what to fill it with.

More Assets

 

I modelled this medieval street lamp which I think looks pretty cool. I wasn’t sure what sort of lighting they would have used outdoors in the late medieval times so I had to do some research on them. I found a lot of pictures and most of them had a black pole holding a lantern so I based mine off that and came out with this.

I actually made the glass material of the lantern slightly see through but when I added it into unity the glass wasn’t transparent at all. I’m not sure why this happens but I think I would need to make it transparent in unity itself. I tried to find a way to do this and I found a way to do it with code but I didn’t really want to get into that so I decided to leave it solid for now. I added a light source onto the lantern, the light given off looks great but the lantern itself stays the same colour and doesn’t really look like the light is originating from the lantern.

I decided to model a training dummy which I will add in the bandit camp and in the castle. The targets on the dummy don’t actually curve with the dummy as I wasn’t sure how to do this unless I threw it onto the material, but i feel this was a much simpler way to do it. You can’t really see this unless you get really close to the side of it.

I modelled some rocks which I will add mostly along the paths connecting the areas around my level. I made 8 variations but I cut out 2 of them as 6 was enough. I used 4 different rock textures to give some more variation to them.

Assets

I created a bandit watch tower which will be placed next to the entrances to the bandit camp. I added box colliders to make it possible to walk up the stairs without having to jump constantly. The walls at the top of the tower were too high to see over with my character so I decreased the size of them in unity.

I made the gate into the bandit camp, I tried to make it look a little crooked but it doesn’t look anywhere near as bad as I wanted it to look. I might add in code that makes it open and close as you get close to it. I might add some impaled heads coming off the gate or blood stains on it to give it more of a bandit feel.

I created a large bandit tent. The colour didn’t come out too well in the picture for some reason, the texture is actually a lot darker than what it turned out like. This will be where the bandit leader will sleep. If I made this into a proper game this is where you would have to assassinate the bandit leader whilst he slept.

I created a smaller bandit tent for the lower ranking or weaker bandits. I think I might have made it a little too small as there is really only enough space for one person to squash in or to store their belongings.

I created a barrel just as a prop. I’ll add it around the starting house and around the bandit camp.

I created a bridge to make it possible to get to the castle. I scaled it out in unity so it would go across the river but I had to scale down the height which makes it look a little weird but it’s still alright.

I made a very simple chair to place around the bandit camps and around fires.

I made a fence which I might use as an animal holding pen near the starting house and/or a small fighting arena in the bandit camp.

I made a fireplace which I will add a fire particle effect to it in unity. I will add a couple of these around the bandit camp.

I made the fire particle and it looks great but I might have to change the size of the fireplace and the particle with it because the wood and stones around it look a little big compared to the tents.

I created a grave which I will add stones around in unity to make it more grave like. This is meant to be the graves of his parents. I will probably place it behind the starting house.

I made the starting house, I tried to make it look old but it just doesn’t look quite right. When I placed it in unity the inside of the house is invisible even though I made a cut out from inside the house so that you could go inside.

I created a hut that I think I could add somewhere around the forest where some lonely hermit would live.

I made a signpost that will be placed at the crossroads. It will be unreadable as of yet but I may add some writing onto it in the future.

I created these wall spikes which will make up the walls for the bandit camp. I placed them right around the bandit camp and it looks pretty good.

Priority List

Priority List

High Priority	Medium Priority	Low Priority
Bandit Gate	Trees	Signpost (with directions)
Bandit Leader Tent	Bandit Gate	House decorations
Castle	Rocks	Impaled Heads
Bridge	Walls surrounding bandit camp	Grave
Starting house	Bandit Watch Tower	Fence
Bandit Tent	Fireplace	Training dummies

Ch 3 – Paper Design creating the level blueprint

Ch 3 – Paper Design creating the level blueprint

CHAPTER REVIEW

1. Building on the original concept you developed in Chapter 2, create a

blueprint for your level. Make sure you begin with a series of rough sketches

until your blueprint begins to take shape.

I started off with this basic design just to get an idea of how the level might look.

Then I changed it around and added locations of buildings and created objectives for the game. The starting location will still be at the house, which is the Thieves Hideout and the end will be at the castle.

2. Create at least three gameplay mechanics for your level. How do these

objectives relate to your original story idea?

3. Come up with five level objectives that correspond to your gameplay

mechanics. How will you identify these objectives in your level blueprint?

Objective 1 – Scout out that location

Objective 2 – Return with your report

Objective 3 – Infiltrate The Bandit Camp and assassinate their leader

Objective 4 – Cross the Bridge

Objective 5 – Ask around the castle for clues about your family’s murderer.

The objectives have been shown in the blueprint with a number at the location that you must go to in order to complete the objective.

Ch 2 – Conceptualization spawning your imagination

CHAPTER REVIEW

1. Using some of the techniques discussed in this chapter, begin developing a concept for

an original game idea. Discuss the central theme of your idea, and the methods you used

to bring your idea into existence.

My idea is to create an RPG set in medieval times, playing as a man trying to find the people responsible for the death of his family. As it will be set in medieval times there will be bandits in the forests, possibly bandit hideouts well pretty much an environment like Fable. I want the gameplay to be similar to Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, so being able to use ranged, magic or melee attacks or even a combination of three in battles. But I might take out the use of magic.

2. Create a backstory, environment, and three character descriptions associated with your

original game idea. How are these elements integrated and linked through a central

theme?

As a kid the main character witnessed the murder of his family but for some unknown reason he was spared. A group of thieves arrived later stole everything of value and found the kid and decided to take him along with them. Now he is grown up and has been trying to track down the murderers ever since.

The world will be filled with forests, large open fields, castles and bandit camps throughout the game.

Main character (name undecided) – After living with thieves for 10 years he’s picked up a lot of tricks and thinks it’s about time he started searching for the murderer of his family. He is willing to do anything to see find this killer and end his life.

Antagonist (name undecided) – evil guy, hates his life so he decided to end everyone else’s life. Doesn’t care about anything apart from bringing misery to others, he would kill his own mother just for the lols.

3. Document your concept with reference material and original sketches. How did you

capture your reference images? Create thumbnails and silhouettes. Compile these images

into an art “bible” to help guide your vision.

Ch 1 – History & Background the world of the level designer

Ch 1 – History & Background the world of the level designer

1. Imagine that you are a level designer working in the 1980s. Knowing the

limitations associated with this era, what type of game would you develop?

I would like to create a RPG like The Legend of Zelda or just a text based adventure game.

2. Play three games—one from the 1980s, one from the 1990s, and one

released after 2004. Compare and contrast how levels and environments are

designed in all three games.

Final Fantasy (1987) –The levels and environment in Final Fantasy were made to be very simple due to the technology at the time. The grass would be plain green, dirt would be plain brown, all the trees looked the same, the sea had a very basic pattern. The level design was just basically dungeons where you would try to find something or someone inside them.

Super Mario 64 (1996) – The levels and environment in Super Mario 64 was very bright and colourful. The levels were kind of designed to make you follow a path.

Diablo 3 (2012) – Diablo 3 level design is quite simple, you would enter a dungeon and explore it trying to get to lower levels until you reach your objective or a portal out of it. The environment has a dark evil feel to it which makes a lot sense as the world is being overrun by demons.

3. How does a game’s genre affect the way its levels and environments are

designed? Choose one level from three different games—each from a distinct

primary genre—and compare how these levels are designed with regard to

setting, goals, puzzles, and risk–reward system.

Gears of War (FPS) – The levels are set out to give the player cover almost everywhere throughout the game, which they can use to avoid taking damage from enemy fire. Players can choose to get out of cover and charge at the enemy or take cover closer to the enemy to make more accurate shots or use melee, but in doing so the player will be much more likely to get shot.

Tekken (Fighting game) – In Tekken the aim of the game is to knockout your opponent before they knock you out. As attacking leaves the player defenceless it is quite risky and must be timed well or the attack could be blocked, dodged or if the attack is too slow the player could get hit before landing a blow. The player will have to decide on whether to block the opponent’s attacks or dodge or even counter them.

Final Fantasy (RPG) – The dungeons in final fantasy usually give you more than one path to follow, only a few may lead to the goal but others will lead to treasure or a dead end. The player can risk running around battling enemies searching for treasure which could be very helpful but dangerous as the enemies will slowly be killing the player if they run out of resources. But the player usually has the option to run from the enemies taking only a fraction of the damage that they would take otherwise, but the enemies if defeated can also reward the player by giving money, items and experience which allows the player to level up.