Saturday, November 24, 2012

Terrain in UDK

Monday, November 19, 2012

Gamasutra - News - Thomas Was Alone's Bithell talks getting criticized in public

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Game Genre Review -- BIT.TRIP. RUNNER

Download and play the demo for a game of your choosing. Then answer the following questions:

A.) Did the game fit within the confines of a single genre, or show characteristics of multiple genres?

BIT.TRIP. RUNNER did show characteristics of multiple genres. As I read the description for the game it is described as:

“the fastest, most exhilarating music/rhythm-platformer . . .” so honestly I just heard platformer when I was reading the description.

While I was playing I began to experience the other genre of music/rhythm. How could this have two genres. Why am I sucked into this little game and it seems to be getting the best of me?

My character is running and jumping quickly across the moon kicking down crystals and jumping over moon slugs through Robotic Mines in a city to find friends and beat the boss together. It is a great game I will expect to play more after this course has completed.

B.) How did the game demonstrate the particular characteristics of the genre or genres it reflected?

The game began to show the characteristics of the multiple genres during the gameplay. I can say immediately that is was a platformer as my quick little character raced to the right quickly as I tried to keep up with the obstacles. As I began to hear patterns in the music and rhythms that I was creating by jumping over and on top of the game’s environment I understood that the game is using the rhythm and music to play with my responses. I saw that I was creating a pattern of music and that I needed to be very careful not to repeat the patterns or when the new obstacles came into the path of my character I may make mistakes by not using my sight but using my sounds from previous paths. So to win my levels I had to be careful to see the obstacles for my responses of jumping not try to continue the rhythms form the past jumps. Pretty cool! Both the music rhythm genre while playing a platformed.
Check out the gameplay of BitTrip Runner. Also can you hear the band,
Anamanaguchi in the music, Just saying.
bit trip runner, gameplay

Monday, November 12, 2012

Links from my teacher -

Info from my teacher Paul about my assignment.

512X512 is an acceptable size, but I have found that 1024X1024 will go into UDK without an issue. So, please try that format/size.

Oh, please make sure your textures are RGB. I know that sound like a given, but UDK will not accept textures that are not RGB and 8 bit.

FBX references for Max and Maya to UDK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1tmHo1nRrg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj6Jybyws0U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5eiNyac8XE&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ2LQ46ksy8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq7uxH7Sqyk&feature=relmfu

http://cg.tutsplus.com/tutorials/autodesk-maya/maya-to-udk-importing-static-meshes-using-actorx-fbx/

Paul

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Concept Art 2

OK so I am still working with Sketchbook pro on the ipad. I feel like I may have improved only slightly.
Here is my project. for today. I am going to continue using it for my work and develop some skills. I believe it could help me bridge into more concept work. I can get better.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Concept Art from the ipad

Attached is my first piece of art from the sketchbook app fromt he ipad. It is rough but Id like to create more soon as I am more confidant in what the tools are capable.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Ganasutra Post on Level Design, Advanced LD read

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131736/beginning_level_design_part_1.php?page=1

Friday, September 28, 2012

PAX 2010 Dead Space - Issac

Great talk from a game show ever! Issac!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Gamasutra - News - In Boston, strong community means resilience in the face of change

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Boston Indie Game Festival

On Saturday Sept 22 Massacusetts Governer Deval Patrick declared the day, Indie Game Development Day! The annoucement was at the Keynote of the event at 10am that Saturday.
The keynote speaker was Leigh Alexander writer for Gamasutra.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

My teacher's Bio

My teacher Richard Blumenstein bio:

"Let me introduce myself, I am Richard Blumenstein. I grew up in a small town in
mid-Wisconsin and by my senior year 80% of my classes were art. After high
school I began working at a factory until I realized I needed more in life. I
enrolled in college and began studying at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.
I realized that while I loved drawing and painting I did not see the career potential
at that time. So I transferred to Chicago and got my BFA in Computer Animation
and Multimedia. Oh and I also joined the National Guards in the middle of it.

After college I worked several jobs but the economy had taken a turn for the worse.
SOOOO I jumped to Green Bay to be with a girl, that I am no longer with and I just kind
of stayed here. It's a good size city with the things I deem important, Barnes and Noble
and Art Stores. I founded my business in 2000 where I began doing Graphic Design
and Web as well as Illustration and 3D work. In 2005 ITT had called me and asked
me to be an Instructor. I decided to give my hand at it and I worked there for a year
until they recommended that I get a Master's degree. I graduated with a MAE at
University of Phoenix about a year later. I got a full time job teaching Game
Design and continued with my business.

Currently I am working with others to create mobile games, a Tower Defense/Attack
Game right now Our website right now for that is http://www.digitalasylumgames.com/
I am also spending my time helping my girlfriend raise her two boys as well as finding
time to work on my second masters degree at Academy of Art for Game Design.
I also find that I am jumping back to my passion of Drawing and Digital Painting.
It's funny how life works out some times.

You can check out my artwork at http://www.richardblumenstein.com"

I wish I had kept all of my teachers information.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Level Design Document

GAD412

LEVEL DESIGN DOCUMENT

The Factions

The Trajnai – The Trajnai culture originates from the forest, building their dwellings within the oldest trees of the forest. The ancient trees have massive diameter sometime reaching up to 50ft. The Trajnai have mastered a technique for keeping the trees alive as they burrow their dwellings into the dense trunks. By building upwards in a spiral form, the tree can keep water flowing from its roots through its massive trunk and into the upper foliage. A combination of ladders and balconies made of wood make the outside of the trees as livable as the inside. Canopies overhang the balconies to protect it from falling debris from the tree tops above. Massive boulders litter the floor of the valley and the Trajnai have created an elaborate trail system that winds among the huge trees and giant boulders. They have also built a complex transit system made from a series of thick steel bridges. Extra wide bridges follow the main roads high above the dangers of the forest floor and have other bridges linking to them that span out to different dwellings. Any enemy coming into this place could be surprised from many different directions.

The Rakites – The Rakites have made their habitat within the valley cliffs of the surrounding forest. Their culture began in some of the massive cave openings that occur naturally in the cliff sides. As their culture continued to evolve, the Rakites learned ways to burrow deeper into the rock and create a series of interconnected cave tunnels, which work in a similar fashion to ant tunnels. There are separate chambers for residence, commercial and industry. Auxiliary tunnels are used to station guards, who would make piercing this tunnel complex a costly undertaking. Large air shafts have been burrowed out of the ceiling for air circulation, and additional tunnels take the Rakites to the mesa top above the valley. A large water source exists in a well-guarded underground well.

The Conflict

Climate change and drought have begun to take a toll on the inhabitants of the valley. The trees of the forest have begun to dry out, and with that the Trajnai lose their main water source. The Rakites’ well is likewise running dry. For many years they lived peacefully together as neighbors. But now, as resources begin to dwindle, the two groups have begun to raid each other’s homelands in search of precious resources, such as food and water.

The Environment

The environment is The Great Canyon Valley, connecting the Trajnai Forest with the Rakites’ Rock Temple. This is a steep-walled valley, much longer than it is wide—creating the shape of a large scar on the land. The part of the valley around the Trajnai homeland is filled with an ancient forest of enormous trees, similar to Redwoods, except even larger. Mixed among the giant tree trunks are huge boulders that were left in the valley when the glaciers departed after the last Ice Age. Little light filters down though the high tree canopy, so there is some vegetation, but nothing too dense.

Toward the Rakites’ Rock Temple, the trees fall away, replaced by more desert-looking vegetation, although the huge boulders remain as imposing as ever. The Rakites have built an infrastructure within the cliff sides, but it has become rusted in the harsh desert conditions. Pipes run in different directions along and across the canyon cliffs far above the basin. Old metal bridges rise up above the cliffs and boulders to reach the old generators that keep the last of the water pumping through the Rakites’ rocky labyrinth. A constant blowing of dust has created a yellow haze that seems to choke anybody who breathes it in. Smokestacks billow out dark soot horizontally from the cliff sides, adding to the post-apocalyptic feel. The Rakites’ end of the valley has the feel of an industrial wasteland.

The main path through the valley is well worn, but tangles of tree roots, rock slides and other dangers await those who leave the path, which is variously decorated with Trajnai totems and Rakite runes. Halfway between the respective territories of Trajnai and Rakites, in an area controlled by neither, lies a deep pool of clear water – the Pool of Silence. This pool reputedly connects to the Springs of Life, beyond the valley, although no one who has gone down, seeking that connection, has ever come back.

Level Objectives

You can play as a Trajnai, or as a Rakite. There will be different objectives, depending on which faction you choose. There is also one objective that is the same for both factions – taking control of the central Pool of Silence.

For all objectives: There is much ammo and weaponry scattered throughout the valley due to the ongoing battle between the warring factions. The fighting has been going on for weeks and many soldiers have fallen, leaving behind weapons for others to collect. Also, medics have sporadically dropped health packs and adrenaline in the chaos of battle. These will aid those who continue on the resistance and assault.

Final Level for Level Design

LEVEL DESIGN Objective

Objective 5 – (Trajnai faction) Take the Village on the Mesa

(Deathmatch Map in UT2004)

Over the years, the Rakites have constructed a small village on the mesa top, above where some of their vertical shafts emerge. This village is inhabited largely by wizards and nobility, who have developed a taste for the outside air, although they maintain close communication with the tunnel folks. This they do by means of the shafts, in which they have installed fast, efficient elevators. Controlling this village means controlling access to the tunnels below, so it is a tempting target for the Trajnai, who can easily gain the mesa top through their giant trees. The Rakites know how tempting this village is, however, so it is heavily guarded.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

UDK Game Hover: Ride Out

Game Review of a UDK game

& how it could be improved

HOVER: Ride out

http://www.moddb.com/groups/udk-developers-group/downloads/hover-ride-out

The level I played I honestly enjoyed. It was simple so improving it from the beginning would be to add some more interactivity maybe to go into more than one of the buildings.

The game objects were graphically clear to me what their purpose except the crown in the church.

I found that getting the game objects such as ammo and weapons was a learning curve. The craft itself was clumsy to maneuver, the main vehicle is a hover craft. It was basically playing red vs blue. When aiming and maneuvering directly over the game object it still didn’t get collected into my inventory. I did manage to collect one item and Il ike how I was shown what the item was, (text popped up to say I achieved the collected piece) and what it was.

It seemed as it there were camera issues when I aimed and shot at bots but it goes with the hovercraft clumsiness too.

I liked the game and my son Rob also played, he liked it. I continued to play. It made me feel as though I could create a simple game without all of the anxiety that I have been having. I enjoyed the simple environment. All the sound was well coordinated in to the game from the collision, shots to the music loops which didn’t annoy me as they looped. It has a logical look and feel also.

GREAT assignment! Loved it.