ACADEMIC PROJECT - GRIMFIRE

PROJECT DETAILS

Duration: 6 Months (3 Months per Assignment)

Engine: Unreal Engine 4

Team Size: 1

Tools Used: Blockout Tools (UE4 Marketplace), 3DS Max, Photoshop, Substance Painter, ZBrush

The project was split into two chunks where my duties were:

Level + Game Design
- Creating the player controller and basic enemies
- Planning the Level (Research, 2D Map)
- Blocking out and scripting events
- Applying basic textures to communicate the environment
Art Pass + Narrative Implementation + Iterations
- Create and texture models in 3DS Max, Substance and ZBrush
- Plan and implement an alternative route to support a narrative-driven decision within the level
- Change some areas of the level based on feedback
- Create a NPC in the level to give the player a moral choice in the level.

INTRODUCTION

Grimfire is a Narrative / Level Design project in which the player must retrieve an 'Artifact' and return safely without being caught. There must also be a branching narrative decision that affects the gameplay based on the decision the player makes. All assets either self-made or altered versions of UE4's starter assets.

INTRO

A gameplay video of the Blockout stage was submitted as part of the assignment.

A second gameplay video showing the 'final pass' of the game where additional changes to the level were made, narrative considerations were added and artistic assets were introduced.

PLAN AND BLOCKOUT

MAP PLANNING

Before creating the level in UE, I took the brief and tried to tick all the boxes I was given. After making some iterations I settled on a final draft, which was subject to change if the gameplay didn't flow well.

First Draft First draft for the map. The scope of the project wasn't fully realised and during this process I was jotting down some key events the game might benefit from having.	Final Draft	Map Overview Produced once the project was finished.

BLOCKOUT PHASE

The first pass on the level was to create the different areas with low-cost models or BSP brushes in Unreal Engine.

Tutorial Area The player starts with scene composed in the rule of thirds: The left side has a clear block to their path. The middle has a large godray to suggest an objective and a glowing orb that looks as if it can be interacted with, and the right side shows an object that looks as if it can be crouched under.	First Enemy Encounter To introduce the players to the evasion of the game, there is a simple enemy which is easy to avoid. A small peep hole to watch the enemy through safely allows the player to plan their route around it.	Enemy Evasions I set up this obstacle with two paths in mind - I found that players were more likely to stick closely to the wall as cover from each side made them feel safer, so that route would be iterated to make either route seem more inviting. I am also using the braziers as breadcrumbs for the player - green ones to show a checkpoint.
Completion of Evasion To break up the pacing, the player ventures downward to immediately go upward to give a sense of anticipation, as they are about to be exposed to more enemies and some narrative context.	Narrative Exposure I use this 'scrying orb' as a way of showing the player where their objective is. Immediately after the image disappears it is in sight below the ray of light.	New Obstacles With the goal now in view, the quest becomes more intense with platformer style obstacles.
Rock Fall Event The player falls down a pile of rocks after passing the spinning totem heads, as a way of showing there is no way back up.	Lava Jumps A sea of lava is presented to the player with platformer style jumps. With their goal in close proximity, a dangerous task is presented to them.	Shrine in View Upon passing the lava, the player climbs the stairs with the shrine in view.
Collecting the Artifact The player's view is framed when they pick up the artifact to see the barrier that is destroyed when you take it. This is to guide the player without having to tell them specifically what has happened.	Final Challenge The player approaches the final challenge, going downwards to give a sense of unease.	Final Challenge Continued The player faces obstacles of all types without any checkpoints to combine the gameplay and test the player: Platforming, running and evading enemies, and dodging arrows.
Completing the Challenge The player completes the challenge in an elevated position to make them feel like a conqueror.	The End The path takes the player back to the start of the level, where they can safely escape with the treasure.

ART PASS AND ITERATIONS

NARRATIVE BRANCHING PATH

Halfway through the project, I was given a new assignment to create a narrative prototype featuring a branching path. With this project already existing, I felt it was best to build upon this while working on its art pass.

Cutscenes I added cutscene events in game to give some context and show the goal to the player.	Orbs The Orbs act as an interactive object that show cutscenes for different areas.	Orb Cutscene Example Showing an interactable NPC behind the Artifact, suggesting to players to interact before taking the shrine.
Shrine Redesign To ensure the player would talk to the NPC, I designed the shrine so they would walk round and be in direct view of the NPC.	The NPC Bound to the rock, the player can converse with them to get some narrative context and make a choice.	Conversation The player finds out the original quest is part of an evil plan, and tells them to escape via a safer path. Taking the safer path is the morally 'right' choice so the player is rewarded with an easier way out.
Effects on progression Taking the artifact or removing the totem head would remove the option of picking the other path once one has been picked. A warning message appears when nearby.

BEFORE / AFTERS

The art pass consisted of (mostly) self-made assets in Substance Painter, ZBrush, and 3DS Max, taking some textures from online sources and built-in materials from substance.

First Encounter Changes There is no longer a patrolling enemy as it wasn't used anywhere else in the level. The area is more compact with clear direction and offers two pathways to sneak around the enemy. The safe area to view it is also larger.	Second encounter changes The pathway on the right is more open like I had intended, so the player gets the same claustrophobic feeling on both sides as they are close to lava. Also opens the map up so the player can see the goal and further obstacles.	Enemy Changes The spinning totems now shoot fireballs and some environment has been altered to create anticipation for the rocks ahead.
Narrative Orb The orb was moved down the stairs to organise the pacing better - viewing this orb now is seen as a reward for bypassing the enemies.	Shrine Changes Nothing too noteworthy here other than the shrine redesign which was shown above to ensure players talk to the NPC.	Easy Pathway A new path introduced with the narrative assignment to give players a powerup for taking the morally 'right' choice.
Hard Path Only artistic changes were made since the blockout.

Tools Used:

Unreal Engine 4

Photoshop

3DS Max

ZBrush

Substance Painter

Description:

This was an assignment submitted for Games Design and Narrative Design modules at University.

To make sure my project was successful, I researched and applied simple game and level design techniques to ensure the player felt the level was well-paced, had a variety of obstacles, and challenged the player with increasing difficulty. The level features stealth-like evasion, platformer elements, and simple objectives to work towards.

Using the same level for two assignments, I tied in narrative elements in the blockout and final pass to further enhance the player's engagement with the level - things such as short cinematic cutscenes, dialogue with an NPCs, and breadcrumbing.

The assignments were split between two semesters; the first was mainly level and game design-focused which was oriented around paper design and a blockout. The second was a 'final pass' finish of the level, where texturing, sounds, UI, and any final iterations were made. A branching choice was added during this phase with a simple backstory for some narrative context.

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ACADEMIC PROJECT - GRIMFIRE

A gameplay video of the Blockout stage was submitted as part of the assignment.

A second gameplay video showing the 'final pass' of the game where additional changes to the level were made, narrative considerations were added and artistic assets were introduced.

PLAN AND BLOCKOUT

MAP PLANNING

First Draft

First draft for the map. The scope of the project wasn't fully realised and during this process I was jotting down some key events the game might benefit from having.

Final Draft

Map Overview

Produced once the project was finished.

BLOCKOUT PHASE

Tutorial Area

First Enemy Encounter

To introduce the players to the evasion of the game, there is a simple enemy which is easy to avoid. A small peep hole to watch the enemy through safely allows the player to plan their route around it.

Enemy Evasions

Completion of Evasion

To break up the pacing, the player ventures downward to immediately go upward to give a sense of anticipation, as they are about to be exposed to more enemies and some narrative context.

Narrative Exposure

I use this 'scrying orb' as a way of showing the player where their objective is. Immediately after the image disappears it is in sight below the ray of light.

New Obstacles

With the goal now in view, the quest becomes more intense with platformer style obstacles.

Rock Fall Event

The player falls down a pile of rocks after passing the spinning totem heads, as a way of showing there is no way back up.

Lava Jumps

A sea of lava is presented to the player with platformer style jumps. With their goal in close proximity, a dangerous task is presented to them.

Shrine in View

Upon passing the lava, the player climbs the stairs with the shrine in view.

Collecting the Artifact

The player's view is framed when they pick up the artifact to see the barrier that is destroyed when you take it. This is to guide the player without having to tell them specifically what has happened.

Final Challenge

The player approaches the final challenge, going downwards to give a sense of unease.

Final Challenge Continued

The player faces obstacles of all types without any checkpoints to combine the gameplay and test the player: Platforming, running and evading enemies, and dodging arrows.

Completing the Challenge

The player completes the challenge in an elevated position to make them feel like a conqueror.

The End

The path takes the player back to the start of the level, where they can safely escape with the treasure.

ART PASS AND ITERATIONS

NARRATIVE BRANCHING PATH

Cutscenes

I added cutscene events in game to give some context and show the goal to the player.

Orbs

The Orbs act as an interactive object that show cutscenes for different areas.

Orb Cutscene Example

Showing an interactable NPC behind the Artifact, suggesting to players to interact before taking the shrine.

Shrine Redesign

To ensure the player would talk to the NPC, I designed the shrine so they would walk round and be in direct view of the NPC.

The NPC

Bound to the rock, the player can converse with them to get some narrative context and make a choice.

Conversation

The player finds out the original quest is part of an evil plan, and tells them to escape via a safer path. Taking the safer path is the morally 'right' choice so the player is rewarded with an easier way out.

Effects on progression

Taking the artifact or removing the totem head would remove the option of picking the other path once one has been picked. A warning message appears when nearby.

BEFORE / AFTERS

First Encounter Changes

There is no longer a patrolling enemy as it wasn't used anywhere else in the level. The area is more compact with clear direction and offers two pathways to sneak around the enemy. The safe area to view it is also larger.

Second encounter changes

The pathway on the right is more open like I had intended, so the player gets the same claustrophobic feeling on both sides as they are close to lava. Also opens the map up so the player can see the goal and further obstacles.

Enemy Changes

The spinning totems now shoot fireballs and some environment has been altered to create anticipation for the rocks ahead.

Narrative Orb

The orb was moved down the stairs to organise the pacing better - viewing this orb now is seen as a reward for bypassing the enemies.

Shrine Changes

Nothing too noteworthy here other than the shrine redesign which was shown above to ensure players talk to the NPC.

Easy Pathway

A new path introduced with the narrative assignment to give players a powerup for taking the morally 'right' choice.

Hard Path

Only artistic changes were made since the blockout.