Week 6 - Day 3
This week we'll be addressing question 1. As the player, do you interact with a character or an avatar
and how does this affect your involvement in the narrative? for the game; Grim Fandango.
The definition of character and avatar is interchangeable; you are playing an avatar, a representation of self, but you are also playing as the character themselves from an omnipresent point of view, like a consciousness hovering over their shoulder helping them make decisions or choices within the game narrative. During gameplay, I gain maneuverability and control of the character which is now acting as an avatar until we reach the next cutscene in which case I relinquish control of said avatar who then takes over with their distinct personality until the end of the cutscene. The roles between character and avatar switches between myself, as the player, and to the game's narrative to paint a broader picture of the game itself.
And look at this quote I found in this week's reading: Player-operated characters are often referred to interchangeably as “characters” and
“avatars.” which handily enough, describes almost exactly what I mentioned in the first half of the previous paragraph.
Everybody within the game, with the exception of Manny Calavera, is a character but of the non-playable variety (as mentioned and described in the Westerado NPCs video on the Interactive Narrative Youtube Channel). I'm free to interact with them with my character/avatar to further develop the game narrative but I am free to ignore developing that narrative if I so choose. I don't think this would affect gameplay too much as I could've gone without speaking with Domino Hurley but then I wouldn't have been to able to see the somewhat passive-aggressive/antagonistic relationship between Manny and Domino.
The game itself is easy enough to understand but the gameplay itself is a little bit harder. I wasn't aware that I had to go outside of the building, go around the building, and go UP the building and into a room to activate the next cutscene and help progress the story until someone told me what to do. Grim Fandango is quite similar to The Wolf Among Us in terms of playing the game by clicking on things, examining it and picking them up to be used later on, but this game is a little less linear and a little bit harder to play through. Grim Fandango does allow you to adventure outside of the game narrative and explore new bits and pieces of the game itself but it's not very clear when you're trying to get from Point A to Point B.
Wednesday 30 March 2016
Friday 25 March 2016
Cinematic Production - Character Animation 02
Week 5 - Day 6 (What Easter Weekend????)
Okay, so, I forgot to include a model sheet of the spirit creature I'll be animating but here it is! My really rough thumbnails from the previous post also look wonky as all heck but meh, thumbnails are thumbnails; they ain't supposed to look all nice and spiffy. Huzzah~
I was also thinking of inverting the colors during the glitch? Something like this...
The glitch is only gonna last a split second but I thought it'll be cool to have it look something like this freaky-deaky little thing before we settle into the final look of a dark spirit world with its dark spirit creatures. I'll try and make a gif to better illustrate what I'm trying to explain...later...
--
Here be a super rough version of the glitch...which is missing a few key details, like that blue-ish fire, but I'm not sure if we're going for the first version, skipping the second where it turns into FIREEE, and then settling into the dark version where it's got nothing around the neck...X__X I'll fix it...later...
Phew!
--
Maybe I won't because it's clear enough as it is, and for a rough copy it's not bad? I mean, heck yeah it could be better but uggghhh, Easter Weekend...
Okay, so, I forgot to include a model sheet of the spirit creature I'll be animating but here it is! My really rough thumbnails from the previous post also look wonky as all heck but meh, thumbnails are thumbnails; they ain't supposed to look all nice and spiffy. Huzzah~
I was also thinking of inverting the colors during the glitch? Something like this...
The glitch is only gonna last a split second but I thought it'll be cool to have it look something like this freaky-deaky little thing before we settle into the final look of a dark spirit world with its dark spirit creatures. I'll try and make a gif to better illustrate what I'm trying to explain...later...
--
Here be a super rough version of the glitch...which is missing a few key details, like that blue-ish fire, but I'm not sure if we're going for the first version, skipping the second where it turns into FIREEE, and then settling into the dark version where it's got nothing around the neck...X__X I'll fix it...later...
Phew!
--
Maybe I won't because it's clear enough as it is, and for a rough copy it's not bad? I mean, heck yeah it could be better but uggghhh, Easter Weekend...
Thursday 24 March 2016
Cinematic Production - Character Animation 01
Week 5 - Day 5 (EASTEEERRRRR WEEEKENDDDDDD!!)
I've drawn up some (really) rough thumbnails for my animation. I'm not quite sure which one to pick and I'll probably churn out more as the weekend keeps rolling by~
I like the standing one...and the first jumping one...and also the one--basically all of it. I might mix and match all of them together. Have the spirit creature stand, then jump, then sit, then turn towards the "camera" after it's dark transformation.
PROGRESS! I WIKE IT!
I've drawn up some (really) rough thumbnails for my animation. I'm not quite sure which one to pick and I'll probably churn out more as the weekend keeps rolling by~
I like the standing one...and the first jumping one...and also the one--basically all of it. I might mix and match all of them together. Have the spirit creature stand, then jump, then sit, then turn towards the "camera" after it's dark transformation.
PROGRESS! I WIKE IT!
Wednesday 23 March 2016
Interactive Narrative - Gameplay (THE WOLF AMONG US)
Week 5 - Day 4 (24/3/2016) (Edited for final submission - 13/4/2016)
The question for this week's gameplay of The Wolf Among Us is...3. How does morality influence the choices you make in the game?
Morality is tricky as it's subjective to personal opinion and external influences. The way I play the game is to be as honest and empathetic as possible, although the choices I make are played through with the character's distinctive personality, as in: I probably wouldn't have been as rude or as forceful as Bigby when dealing with Woodsman but I shouldn't have expected Bigby, as the sheriff, to be as placate as me in that situation.
Bigby is a rather aloof character at first glance but I feel that my choices, as the player, helps mellow him out so that he warms, ever so slowly, to the people he seems familiar with. He was pretty chill with Colin, whom we'd found sleeping on his couch, by the end of their conversation.
"Often, the result is that only extreme moralities - flawless good or evil - are substantially rewarded. Playing any sort of middle-ground is a poor decision, from a gameplay perspective." (Gamasutra - Ethical Dilemmas and Dominant Moral Strategies In Games.) I agree with this because I've noticed that as I played my sense of morality occasionally made me miss opportunities. I feel that if I'd been more quick with my answers or questions, or even in taking on more of Bigby's personality into my decision-making, I would've been able to find out more about certain non-playable characters within the game.
Because I'm playing how I would personally make these choices, I feel more involved with the game especially when it comes to the growing companionship between Bigby and Snow. Because of this I feel like I have a bigger stake at wanting to solve the case as well as keep relations between these two characters as amiable as possible, if not more romantically inclined. While I don't go out of my way to make Bigby sound assured about who the suspects could conceivably be and, in turn, assure Snow, I do my best to make Bigby as encouraging as possible towards Snow, although it helps that she seems just as taken by Bigby as he is of her. "Nonplayer characters can react according to a player's reputation." (Gamasutra - Moral High Scores.) In this case, even though you're playing as the "big, bad wolf" of Fabletown which, in and of itself spells bad news, it doesn't always need to be reflected or be true. The relationship between Bigby and Snow proves this.
The question for this week's gameplay of The Wolf Among Us is...3. How does morality influence the choices you make in the game?
Morality is tricky as it's subjective to personal opinion and external influences. The way I play the game is to be as honest and empathetic as possible, although the choices I make are played through with the character's distinctive personality, as in: I probably wouldn't have been as rude or as forceful as Bigby when dealing with Woodsman but I shouldn't have expected Bigby, as the sheriff, to be as placate as me in that situation.
Bigby is a rather aloof character at first glance but I feel that my choices, as the player, helps mellow him out so that he warms, ever so slowly, to the people he seems familiar with. He was pretty chill with Colin, whom we'd found sleeping on his couch, by the end of their conversation.
"Often, the result is that only extreme moralities - flawless good or evil - are substantially rewarded. Playing any sort of middle-ground is a poor decision, from a gameplay perspective." (Gamasutra - Ethical Dilemmas and Dominant Moral Strategies In Games.) I agree with this because I've noticed that as I played my sense of morality occasionally made me miss opportunities. I feel that if I'd been more quick with my answers or questions, or even in taking on more of Bigby's personality into my decision-making, I would've been able to find out more about certain non-playable characters within the game.
Because I'm playing how I would personally make these choices, I feel more involved with the game especially when it comes to the growing companionship between Bigby and Snow. Because of this I feel like I have a bigger stake at wanting to solve the case as well as keep relations between these two characters as amiable as possible, if not more romantically inclined. While I don't go out of my way to make Bigby sound assured about who the suspects could conceivably be and, in turn, assure Snow, I do my best to make Bigby as encouraging as possible towards Snow, although it helps that she seems just as taken by Bigby as he is of her. "Nonplayer characters can react according to a player's reputation." (Gamasutra - Moral High Scores.) In this case, even though you're playing as the "big, bad wolf" of Fabletown which, in and of itself spells bad news, it doesn't always need to be reflected or be true. The relationship between Bigby and Snow proves this.
Monday 21 March 2016
Cinematic Production - Concept Development 05
Week 5 - Day 2
I actually made a clay maquette with Tea last week on Friday but I completely forgot to blog about it that day and I forgot to blog about it in the weekend and I forgot to blog about it yesterday because filming...But! Here it is:
This is the little spirit creature!!! Isn't it cute and fluffy? I actually had a lot of difficulty with the fluff around the neck but Keat helpfully jumped in and gave me a hand with it and it looks SO MUCH BETTER! I mean, it's not exactly like the model sheet but it's looking gooooood~ So yes, much happy!
We did a lot of filming on Monday. I think we managed to get about...80 or so shots done with a lot of repeats interspersed here and there. We changed cameras midway and had to reshoot everything but the quality in the camera we borrowed from the school is actually better (sorry, Hamish) and we figured we might as well stick to the one camera rather than have shots from two different cameras of two slightly different qualities. Meh. I have no clue how cameras work except for the one that's included on my phone. Anyway, with filming mostly out of the way, I'm planning on using this week to get ahead of the schedule which means...rough animations. I'll probably do some movement sketches and see which one works best. Until we've got a background all figured out, I'm not gonna bother with different angles because it might not mesh all that well and end up being a bit too jarring because, whoa...
Anyway, that's all folks! See y'all next time.
I actually made a clay maquette with Tea last week on Friday but I completely forgot to blog about it that day and I forgot to blog about it in the weekend and I forgot to blog about it yesterday because filming...But! Here it is:
This is the little spirit creature!!! Isn't it cute and fluffy? I actually had a lot of difficulty with the fluff around the neck but Keat helpfully jumped in and gave me a hand with it and it looks SO MUCH BETTER! I mean, it's not exactly like the model sheet but it's looking gooooood~ So yes, much happy!
We did a lot of filming on Monday. I think we managed to get about...80 or so shots done with a lot of repeats interspersed here and there. We changed cameras midway and had to reshoot everything but the quality in the camera we borrowed from the school is actually better (sorry, Hamish) and we figured we might as well stick to the one camera rather than have shots from two different cameras of two slightly different qualities. Meh. I have no clue how cameras work except for the one that's included on my phone. Anyway, with filming mostly out of the way, I'm planning on using this week to get ahead of the schedule which means...rough animations. I'll probably do some movement sketches and see which one works best. Until we've got a background all figured out, I'm not gonna bother with different angles because it might not mesh all that well and end up being a bit too jarring because, whoa...
Anyway, that's all folks! See y'all next time.
Wednesday 16 March 2016
Cinematic Production - Concept Development 04
Week 4 - Day ??? (I made a mistake and accidentally overwote the 4th concept development with the 5th one, WHICH SUCKS because my thought processes for that particular day IS GONE! I am super tired...)
So, all I can really remember is that I went through some color concepts which are...here...
And then all I remember from the meeting was that my spirit creatures look too much like pokemon and then Tea's adaptation of Adrian's spirit creature looked much better so I changed mine to fit which you can see...here...
Man, this week has been so tiring and it's only Tuesday. Today is not a good day. I lost Cinematic Production - Concept Development 04 because I was stupid and absentminded and overwrote it as Cinematic Production - Concept Development 05 which is not cool. EVERYTHING IS GONE AND NO AMOUNT OF CTRL+Z IS ENOUGH TO RECOVER ANY OF IT!!
I despair. I'd like to go home and play Guildwars now, but I must write my game blog...
So, all I can really remember is that I went through some color concepts which are...here...
And then all I remember from the meeting was that my spirit creatures look too much like pokemon and then Tea's adaptation of Adrian's spirit creature looked much better so I changed mine to fit which you can see...here...
Man, this week has been so tiring and it's only Tuesday. Today is not a good day. I lost Cinematic Production - Concept Development 04 because I was stupid and absentminded and overwrote it as Cinematic Production - Concept Development 05 which is not cool. EVERYTHING IS GONE AND NO AMOUNT OF CTRL+Z IS ENOUGH TO RECOVER ANY OF IT!!
I despair. I'd like to go home and play Guildwars now, but I must write my game blog...
Tuesday 15 March 2016
Interactive Narrative - Gameplay (THE BANNER SAGA)
Week 4 - Day 3
The question I'm choosing to address with this week's gameplay of The Banner Saga is: 4. Do the choices you make in the game contribute to the sense of meaningful interactive moments?
I feel that my choices make a more meaningful interactive with the game because I'm playing in accordance to my own personality so I know that the choices I make, at the time, feel right according to who I am as a person. I could've asked Alette (because she's a girl) to go find safety in the great hall rather than have her stay with me for the next fight, but as a girl myself I would want to prove my worth and to show that I am capable of not only fending for myself but also for others. In a sense, I'm living my life through hers, hoping to garner loyalty by being noble and humble with myself. Of course, had I know that Alette was my (Rook's) daughter, I might've decided differently. (This calls for another session.)
I do appreciate that I can change the difficulty of the fight simulations without it affecting the overall story. I started off at Normal but had to change to Easy when I realized how poor my strategy making skills really are...
There are many moments during the travelling sequences where I can turn new people away or let them stay and increase my numbers as a caravan. I feel that these decisions will affect my gameplay later on in regards to how well I'd perform in future scenarios and how many fighters I'd have on my side, numbers that could mean the difference between winning or losing against the Dredge.
The narrative switches every other chapter between one party to the next, both on separate sides of the map. I try to make as many good decisions as I can, although I can see that sometimes my input doesn't matter too much; whether I have one extra person on my side against the Dredge, or not. If I lose someone to the opposition, I feel the loss quite strongly and I also feel guilty for not being a better strategist to ensure their life. The narrative changed for me in the beginning of chapter 3 because I was unable to keep Vognir from dying. Hakon has taken over as commander of the troop and it seems like there may be a riot on my hands because the varl there preferred to follow Vognir rather than Hakon...
In any case, I like that the game takes my decisions into consideration, although I'm not sure to what extent this affects my gameplay. It's a lot better than Facade as it doesn't take things out of context because in The Banner Saga I usually have a multiple choice of what to do. Some may not be exactly what I would've chosen for my characters within The Banner Saga but I understand that there's still the game-makers narrative we need to consider. The game wouldn't exist or succeed without the game-makers telling their story through specific story nodes within the playthrough.
--
The Banner Saga - 8/10. I really enjoy the art style, and despite the story being occasionally confusing with its shifting narrative, I find it very engaging. I may return for a different playthrough for the sake of seeing whether or not decisions I make will create a bigger impact on the narrative.
The question I'm choosing to address with this week's gameplay of The Banner Saga is: 4. Do the choices you make in the game contribute to the sense of meaningful interactive moments?
I feel that my choices make a more meaningful interactive with the game because I'm playing in accordance to my own personality so I know that the choices I make, at the time, feel right according to who I am as a person. I could've asked Alette (because she's a girl) to go find safety in the great hall rather than have her stay with me for the next fight, but as a girl myself I would want to prove my worth and to show that I am capable of not only fending for myself but also for others. In a sense, I'm living my life through hers, hoping to garner loyalty by being noble and humble with myself. Of course, had I know that Alette was my (Rook's) daughter, I might've decided differently. (This calls for another session.)
I do appreciate that I can change the difficulty of the fight simulations without it affecting the overall story. I started off at Normal but had to change to Easy when I realized how poor my strategy making skills really are...
There are many moments during the travelling sequences where I can turn new people away or let them stay and increase my numbers as a caravan. I feel that these decisions will affect my gameplay later on in regards to how well I'd perform in future scenarios and how many fighters I'd have on my side, numbers that could mean the difference between winning or losing against the Dredge.
The narrative switches every other chapter between one party to the next, both on separate sides of the map. I try to make as many good decisions as I can, although I can see that sometimes my input doesn't matter too much; whether I have one extra person on my side against the Dredge, or not. If I lose someone to the opposition, I feel the loss quite strongly and I also feel guilty for not being a better strategist to ensure their life. The narrative changed for me in the beginning of chapter 3 because I was unable to keep Vognir from dying. Hakon has taken over as commander of the troop and it seems like there may be a riot on my hands because the varl there preferred to follow Vognir rather than Hakon...
In any case, I like that the game takes my decisions into consideration, although I'm not sure to what extent this affects my gameplay. It's a lot better than Facade as it doesn't take things out of context because in The Banner Saga I usually have a multiple choice of what to do. Some may not be exactly what I would've chosen for my characters within The Banner Saga but I understand that there's still the game-makers narrative we need to consider. The game wouldn't exist or succeed without the game-makers telling their story through specific story nodes within the playthrough.
--
The Banner Saga - 8/10. I really enjoy the art style, and despite the story being occasionally confusing with its shifting narrative, I find it very engaging. I may return for a different playthrough for the sake of seeing whether or not decisions I make will create a bigger impact on the narrative.
Sunday 13 March 2016
Cinematic Production - Concept Development 03
Week 4 - Day 1 (Back to the daily grind...)
I've drawn up some model sheets for my spirit creature concepts but as I was drawing them I noticed that I like certain parts more than others, like the horns, or the tail or the body shape. I drew the model sheets for two of my favorites and a different one than what I stated in the previous post because you know people change their minds all the time.
Anyway, here they are!
I am not a huge fan of the first model sheet because not only are the horns ridiculous, the body shape is a bit too...generic to me? I mean, it doesn't SCREAM cute, but I'm glad I gave it a try anyway because it was either this or the one that looked like the snake and the snake was a bit too malicious to me in terms of symbolism.
I really like the tail and the horns of the second spirit creature and the body shape is a bit too similar to the first one but slimmer? Meh...In any case, the model sheet is a lot easier to draw but just not quite what I'm looking for.
But if you look at the third model sheet, OH SO CUTEEE, THE PUDGY BODY, THE FLUFFY NECK, THAT FACE. XD Such derp~ I like it a lot. I'm just worried how difficult it'll be to animate and how consistent it'll be. I mean, SO MUCH FLUFF!! But with great cuteness, comes great animation troubles...
I'm going to mix and match a bit of everything I like about the spirit creatures I've got so far and hope I'll get a fix on something I like by the end of Tuesday because I really want to get the rest of the concepts done by the end of the week.
ONWARDS!!
--
UPDATE!! ON THE SAME DAY!! SDKJHFJSDHFKSDF
--
OKAY! So, same body shape but with different tufts of fur, different tails and horn shapes and size. I am really like the look of the third one! Such a clown! I'm not a big fan of the horns or the tuft of fur in the 2nd one, though, nor in the 4th one. It doesn't look good, so I'm still stuck between the original drawing and the 3rd exploration concept. I'm going to try to make a model sheet out of that one first and see how it goes from there. Maybe I can replace the weird collar for the fur instead, but smaller? I have no idea; it's all still very up in the air at this point.
(Do you like their little faces? Because I do...)
Awhh, so cuteee~ But I think I might go back to the original design anyway. XD
I've drawn up some model sheets for my spirit creature concepts but as I was drawing them I noticed that I like certain parts more than others, like the horns, or the tail or the body shape. I drew the model sheets for two of my favorites and a different one than what I stated in the previous post because you know people change their minds all the time.
Anyway, here they are!
I am not a huge fan of the first model sheet because not only are the horns ridiculous, the body shape is a bit too...generic to me? I mean, it doesn't SCREAM cute, but I'm glad I gave it a try anyway because it was either this or the one that looked like the snake and the snake was a bit too malicious to me in terms of symbolism.
I really like the tail and the horns of the second spirit creature and the body shape is a bit too similar to the first one but slimmer? Meh...In any case, the model sheet is a lot easier to draw but just not quite what I'm looking for.
But if you look at the third model sheet, OH SO CUTEEE, THE PUDGY BODY, THE FLUFFY NECK, THAT FACE. XD Such derp~ I like it a lot. I'm just worried how difficult it'll be to animate and how consistent it'll be. I mean, SO MUCH FLUFF!! But with great cuteness, comes great animation troubles...
I'm going to mix and match a bit of everything I like about the spirit creatures I've got so far and hope I'll get a fix on something I like by the end of Tuesday because I really want to get the rest of the concepts done by the end of the week.
ONWARDS!!
--
UPDATE!! ON THE SAME DAY!! SDKJHFJSDHFKSDF
--
OKAY! So, same body shape but with different tufts of fur, different tails and horn shapes and size. I am really like the look of the third one! Such a clown! I'm not a big fan of the horns or the tuft of fur in the 2nd one, though, nor in the 4th one. It doesn't look good, so I'm still stuck between the original drawing and the 3rd exploration concept. I'm going to try to make a model sheet out of that one first and see how it goes from there. Maybe I can replace the weird collar for the fur instead, but smaller? I have no idea; it's all still very up in the air at this point.
(Do you like their little faces? Because I do...)
Awhh, so cuteee~ But I think I might go back to the original design anyway. XD
Saturday 12 March 2016
Cinematic Production - Concept Development 02
Week 3 - Day 7 (Weekend? No such thing here...)
So, taking Adrian's spirit creature concept into consideration for all others, I've drawn some with those specifications in mind. Here is Adrian's spirit creature!!
Ain't it majestic?? We're not going to include the wings in the actual animation because...OH MAH GAH, THAT'LL BE SO HARD TO DO!! And we're also going to elongate the spirit creature for a more dragon look since it'll be a central figure in the whole animation. My designs are leaning more towards...small (and cute) but I've tried to add as much of a similar look as possible, especially with the horns, the mane and the colors. I'll have a play around with other color concepts eventually but here it is for the moment!
The jellyfish made a comeback. Hoo-hah!!
Next up on my agenda will be come color concepts, and model sheets on a couple of them as well. I'm interested in trying to make a clay maquette out of maybe two or three of them? I like the first one on the top row, and the first and third one on the bottom row. SUCH CUTE. I DUNNO WHY...
Anyway...
So, taking Adrian's spirit creature concept into consideration for all others, I've drawn some with those specifications in mind. Here is Adrian's spirit creature!!
Ain't it majestic?? We're not going to include the wings in the actual animation because...OH MAH GAH, THAT'LL BE SO HARD TO DO!! And we're also going to elongate the spirit creature for a more dragon look since it'll be a central figure in the whole animation. My designs are leaning more towards...small (and cute) but I've tried to add as much of a similar look as possible, especially with the horns, the mane and the colors. I'll have a play around with other color concepts eventually but here it is for the moment!
The jellyfish made a comeback. Hoo-hah!!
Next up on my agenda will be come color concepts, and model sheets on a couple of them as well. I'm interested in trying to make a clay maquette out of maybe two or three of them? I like the first one on the top row, and the first and third one on the bottom row. SUCH CUTE. I DUNNO WHY...
Anyway...
Wednesday 9 March 2016
Cinematic Production - Storyboard 01
Week 3 - Day 4
As per our schedule, I'm working on storyboard and design with Tea. We've each drawn a different version of the script, taking different artistic liberties with the scenes. I managed a very rough storyboard a couple of days ago and used that as a starting base to draw a proper storyboard. Here is version 01:
As you can see, I got lazy about the details from the second panel onwards, resorting back to rough basic shapes for the human figure. My second version is looking a lot better but PAGES AHOY!!! BRACE YOURSELVES!
Much better, SO MUCH BETTER. I left most of the background blank as they weren't quite the main focus. Although, one can also say that I got lazy about it. We're going to be having a group meeting either today or tomorrow to discuss further into our storyboards and to catch everybody up on what we've all been doing to help the project progress along as smoothly as possible. Everything is looking pretty spiffy so far and I hope we'll be able to continue on using this momentum to our advantage!
If everything on the storyboard is a-go, then I'll do my best to move onto more concept designs for the spirits and try my hand at a better background concept now that we've got a clearer view of what to expect based on the scripts.
Until the next update!
Adios amigos~
As per our schedule, I'm working on storyboard and design with Tea. We've each drawn a different version of the script, taking different artistic liberties with the scenes. I managed a very rough storyboard a couple of days ago and used that as a starting base to draw a proper storyboard. Here is version 01:
Much better, SO MUCH BETTER. I left most of the background blank as they weren't quite the main focus. Although, one can also say that I got lazy about it. We're going to be having a group meeting either today or tomorrow to discuss further into our storyboards and to catch everybody up on what we've all been doing to help the project progress along as smoothly as possible. Everything is looking pretty spiffy so far and I hope we'll be able to continue on using this momentum to our advantage!
If everything on the storyboard is a-go, then I'll do my best to move onto more concept designs for the spirits and try my hand at a better background concept now that we've got a clearer view of what to expect based on the scripts.
Until the next update!
Adios amigos~
Interactive Narrative - Gameplay (PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME)
Week 3 - Day 4
The question I'm choosing to address concerning this week's gameplay will be: 2. Do the story nodes in your chosen game(s) work well to support gameplay and gameplay objectives? Why or why not? I will be playing Prince of Persia: The sands of time. (The movie is pretty nice because Jake Gyllenhaal.)
The game itself has a linear narrative: there is only one way forward. I'm given cutscenes every so often that adds dynamics to my surroundings and it helps remind me, as the player, that I am currently inside a war zone. I feel that these cutscenes do lend itself to gameplay and give me a richer experience despite having limited choices. There is a sense of focus within the limitations and I am reminded every so often within the game that there is an objective I must achieve in order to find a close in the chapter.
Before certain fight sequences there is a cutscene where I scope out the area to count how many enemies I have to defeat before I can progress. This is nice because it reminds me that I'm alone in going forward and that I must be smart about my strategy; I can't simply rush them and attack them one at a time - I have to stun each of them separately before I can incapacitate them permanently, or lest I become seriously injured.
I did accidentally die once during the tutorial of running along the walls and the narrator ends up saying; "No, no, no, that's not the way it happened." It makes me feel like I'm listening to his story but also interrupting him with my narrative and he has to cut in to set it straight. When I saved the story and tried to exit the program the narrator would cut in again to say; "I'll start the story from here next time." making me feel like he's taking a pause until I'm ready to listen to him again. It's different and I find it refreshing to play.
I also find it cool how the game asks me if I'm sure that I want to quit the game; the voice so earnest and sad that I'm choosing to leave the story as it is rather than continue it. While this doesn't add anything to the gameplay itself, it does give me a sense of involvement; that I am part of the story and the story is a part of me. The game is interesting in the sense that I'm playing it as the protagonist but I'm also listening to his story from an outsider's point of view; reliving the moment as it happened in the past.
--
Prince of Persia: The sands of time - 6.5/10. I would definitely play the story to the finish but I most likely wouldn't replay it once it's over.
The question I'm choosing to address concerning this week's gameplay will be: 2. Do the story nodes in your chosen game(s) work well to support gameplay and gameplay objectives? Why or why not? I will be playing Prince of Persia: The sands of time. (The movie is pretty nice because Jake Gyllenhaal.)
The game itself has a linear narrative: there is only one way forward. I'm given cutscenes every so often that adds dynamics to my surroundings and it helps remind me, as the player, that I am currently inside a war zone. I feel that these cutscenes do lend itself to gameplay and give me a richer experience despite having limited choices. There is a sense of focus within the limitations and I am reminded every so often within the game that there is an objective I must achieve in order to find a close in the chapter.
Before certain fight sequences there is a cutscene where I scope out the area to count how many enemies I have to defeat before I can progress. This is nice because it reminds me that I'm alone in going forward and that I must be smart about my strategy; I can't simply rush them and attack them one at a time - I have to stun each of them separately before I can incapacitate them permanently, or lest I become seriously injured.
I did accidentally die once during the tutorial of running along the walls and the narrator ends up saying; "No, no, no, that's not the way it happened." It makes me feel like I'm listening to his story but also interrupting him with my narrative and he has to cut in to set it straight. When I saved the story and tried to exit the program the narrator would cut in again to say; "I'll start the story from here next time." making me feel like he's taking a pause until I'm ready to listen to him again. It's different and I find it refreshing to play.
I also find it cool how the game asks me if I'm sure that I want to quit the game; the voice so earnest and sad that I'm choosing to leave the story as it is rather than continue it. While this doesn't add anything to the gameplay itself, it does give me a sense of involvement; that I am part of the story and the story is a part of me. The game is interesting in the sense that I'm playing it as the protagonist but I'm also listening to his story from an outsider's point of view; reliving the moment as it happened in the past.
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Prince of Persia: The sands of time - 6.5/10. I would definitely play the story to the finish but I most likely wouldn't replay it once it's over.
Thursday 3 March 2016
Cinematic Production - Scripts 06
Week 2 - Day 5
Final Group Script
Final Group Script
CLOSE UP OF MEDITATION TRACK ON PHONE, LOW BATTERY ON ORANGE IN THE TOP CORNER
PERSON PUTTING IN HEADPHONES
SOOTHING MUSIC STARTS
MEDITATION VOICE OVER STARTS
VOICE OVER: Hello, welcome to this guided meditation. Find a comfortable position, sitting or lying down.
INDIVIDUAL SITTING, UNABLE TO GET COMFORTABLE, SLIGHTLY TWITCHY
VOICE OVER: Allow yourself to enter a space of deep relaxation.
MID CLOSEUP BIRDS EYE SHOT: WATCH CHEST TAKE DEEP BREATHS AND FACIALS RELAX AS THE BREATHING SLOWS AND THE BODY STARTS TO CALM. SHOULDERS DROP
VOICE OVER: With your mind, slowly scan your body. As you move from your toes up to your head, Feel your physical body being erased and released into the universe, revealing your spiritual self.
FULL BODY SHOT: BLUE ENERGY/GLOWING LIGHT SLOWLY MOVES FROM THE FEET UP THROUGH THE WHOLE BODY, REACHING THE CROWN OF THE HEAD. ONCE IT REACHES THE TOP, THE LIGHT ENVELOPS THE WHOLE ROOM THEN SLOWLY FADES OUT, ALLOWING THE SPIRIT WORLD TO SLOWLY APPEAR. GOLD PARTICLES ARE LEFT SIMMERING IN THE BODY, AND THE ROOM SLOWLY STARTS TO TRANSFORM IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD.
VOICE OVER: Embrace the warm sensations running through your body, and drop all preconceived ideas of what you’re hoping to expect.
THE GOLD PARTICLES START TO ELEVATE UPWARDS, TAKING A HUMAN LIKE FORM, THE SPIRIT WORLD IS BECOMING EXTREMELY CLEAR, AND THE SOUL STARTS OBSERVING ITS SURROUNDINGS; A PEACEFUL/MAJESTIC FOREST WITH A LAKE IN THE MIDDLE, WITH STEPPING STONES LEADING TO AN ISLAND IN THE CENTER. THE SKY THROUGH THE TREES HAS AN AMAZING VIEW OF THE COSMOS, DANCING WITH COLOUR AND LIGHT.
VOICE OVER: with no earthly tethers, allow your soul to move freely on its own accord
SUDDENLY THE MEDITATION CUTS OFF, THE PHONE HAS DIED THE RINGING SOUND OF TINNITUS STARTS TO BUILD
THE SPIRITS GLITCH OUT AND TURN INTO DARK SPIRITS,THE STEPPING STONES START TO FALL AWAY AND THE PEACEFUL SETTING BECOMES DARK AND OMINOUS
PERSON PUTTING IN HEADPHONES
SOOTHING MUSIC STARTS
MEDITATION VOICE OVER STARTS
VOICE OVER: Hello, welcome to this guided meditation. Find a comfortable position, sitting or lying down.
INDIVIDUAL SITTING, UNABLE TO GET COMFORTABLE, SLIGHTLY TWITCHY
VOICE OVER: Allow yourself to enter a space of deep relaxation.
MID CLOSEUP BIRDS EYE SHOT: WATCH CHEST TAKE DEEP BREATHS AND FACIALS RELAX AS THE BREATHING SLOWS AND THE BODY STARTS TO CALM. SHOULDERS DROP
VOICE OVER: With your mind, slowly scan your body. As you move from your toes up to your head, Feel your physical body being erased and released into the universe, revealing your spiritual self.
FULL BODY SHOT: BLUE ENERGY/GLOWING LIGHT SLOWLY MOVES FROM THE FEET UP THROUGH THE WHOLE BODY, REACHING THE CROWN OF THE HEAD. ONCE IT REACHES THE TOP, THE LIGHT ENVELOPS THE WHOLE ROOM THEN SLOWLY FADES OUT, ALLOWING THE SPIRIT WORLD TO SLOWLY APPEAR. GOLD PARTICLES ARE LEFT SIMMERING IN THE BODY, AND THE ROOM SLOWLY STARTS TO TRANSFORM IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD.
VOICE OVER: Embrace the warm sensations running through your body, and drop all preconceived ideas of what you’re hoping to expect.
THE GOLD PARTICLES START TO ELEVATE UPWARDS, TAKING A HUMAN LIKE FORM, THE SPIRIT WORLD IS BECOMING EXTREMELY CLEAR, AND THE SOUL STARTS OBSERVING ITS SURROUNDINGS; A PEACEFUL/MAJESTIC FOREST WITH A LAKE IN THE MIDDLE, WITH STEPPING STONES LEADING TO AN ISLAND IN THE CENTER. THE SKY THROUGH THE TREES HAS AN AMAZING VIEW OF THE COSMOS, DANCING WITH COLOUR AND LIGHT.
VOICE OVER: with no earthly tethers, allow your soul to move freely on its own accord
SUDDENLY THE MEDITATION CUTS OFF, THE PHONE HAS DIED THE RINGING SOUND OF TINNITUS STARTS TO BUILD
THE SPIRITS GLITCH OUT AND TURN INTO DARK SPIRITS,THE STEPPING STONES START TO FALL AWAY AND THE PEACEFUL SETTING BECOMES DARK AND OMINOUS
A CLOSEUP OF THE PHYSICAL BODY, SWEAT ON THE FOREHEAD.
SUDDENLY JOLTING AWAKE AND RIPPING OUT THE HEADPHONES, PANTING, THEN CREDITS
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This script will also be submitted with the schedule before the submission day next week, Monday.
Wednesday 2 March 2016
Cinematic Production - Production Schedules 02
Week 2 - Day 4
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Soooo, I forgot to re-add Matte Painting into the schedule...But it's there now!! Have at it!
Also, after consultations with Dane and Keat, we have given the director role to Tea while Oscar remains as co-director so he can have more time to focus on other aspects of his story idea. We've mostly been going about the project with lots of discussion over creative aspects as well as a general consensus over concepts as a whole rather than a singular person having more say than the other. This is the modified schedule which will be submitted along with the final script before submission day next week, Monday.
Here is an updated version of our schedule. We are definitely gonna try to do as much of the key framing and rough animations within the first term and then leave the clean-ups and fix-ups for the second term so it'll be less stress on the team as a whole. We'll still switch things around if need be but this probably going to be it.
AT LEAST, until we get Dane and Keat to have a look at it.
Wooooooot!!
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Soooo, I forgot to re-add Matte Painting into the schedule...But it's there now!! Have at it!
Also, after consultations with Dane and Keat, we have given the director role to Tea while Oscar remains as co-director so he can have more time to focus on other aspects of his story idea. We've mostly been going about the project with lots of discussion over creative aspects as well as a general consensus over concepts as a whole rather than a singular person having more say than the other. This is the modified schedule which will be submitted along with the final script before submission day next week, Monday.
Cinematic Production - Concept Development 01
Week 2 - Day 4
I've got some concept designs for the animals that may or may not be used in the animation as background filler. They're mostly of birds but I started off with a soft basic shape with curves and round bodies to show a calm side and then added sharp edges and jagged lines to show a change in personality. Their eyes will allow go from white and narrow to slits filled with either black or red to show their transition as well. I'm limiting my animal concepts to just three because I want to try a more "out of this world" creature creation next. Here is a picture of how far I got on that front.
You can see from my crude drawing how their eyes will shift colors. I'm aiming for a more sudden change rather than a smooth, ease-in-ease-out transition so we're definitely going to be using the whole anticipation, ACTION and then settle. Maybe not even the anticipation, JUST GO FOR IT. Hur-hur...
Anyway, moving on to creature creations.
The idea behind these designs were to invoke a sense of fear once they've shifted and...well, they personally creep me out if I stare at them for too long, especially that one with the gaping maw of a mouth. I started off with the idea of curves; something soft and assuming, and took it from there, thinking mostly of basic shapes and what they might mean. Their overall shape won't change too much but the change in their patterns going from rounded to sharp ought to give off that feeling of "something isn't right here". That, coupled with their eyes opening to reveal a darkness within, should only increase that thought. Their change in awareness should also provoke the character to realize their loss of control over their inner thoughts and inner demons.
I used a jellyfish as a starting idea but the thought of animating that many legs and tentacles was a bit of a down-point, so I just took the top and added the body of a worm or snake and worked from there. I mostly stuck with another three concepts but I might add some more later on once we've pinned down our script idea. Hopefully, we'll be able to get it all sorted out by Friday so we can have the weekend free to think further on possible concept designs. As long as we right on schedule, then we're all good. I WILL MAKE IT SO.
As much as I like birds, I'm not too sure how we'll be coping with trying to animate a simple cycle for them, especially with their claws, feathers, beaks. I think only the owl is actually possible because of the simple roundness of its body shape. The wings and ear tufts are an extra that can be removed if need be. The toucan might also work but dang those tail feathers!
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I've also got some basic (SO BASIC) concept sketches on some environment designs for the spirit world. There's one of floating islands which reminds me a lot of Laputa, and the jump quests from Guild Wars 2 in the Caledon Forests. The second one is a cave system overrun with tree roots along the walls, ceilings and the ground. The cave entrance should be bathed in light to signify an exit to who knows where, maybe enlightenment. The third is about SPACE. Enough said. The fourth idea is mostly of flat lands, very misty and so foggy you can hardly see what's in front of you. I like this idea much better because we could show just the shadow of the creatures in the distance, their silhouettes faded or sharper depending on the distance of the character within the scene. When everything starts to gain awareness of the intrusion within the spirit world THEN you'll see all of their eyes aimed towards the character, penetrating through the fog to invoke a sense of SHOCK. However, if the landscape of the spirit world reflects the mind, then maybe this won't be as good of an environment to use, but who's to say that the spirit world is all bright colors of a perfect sky and luscious grass? It COULD just be as plain and just as mysterious. I shall bring this up later in our next group meeting!
Ideas 2, 3 and 4 are my favorites but 3 and 4 are definitely my top picks. Although, if I had to choose just a single one to talk about then I'm gonna go with number 4!
I should probably do a better drawing of that because now that I look at it again, they just look like random scribbles. Wow, such awesome...
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Okay, so here is a quick video of the rough background mixed in with some monsters and animation of their eyes...
We can use the fog and put them on separate layers within the 3D space when we're in the video editing stage so they all move at different speeds depending on how close or how far the character will be. Because fog is all encompassing and they all move differently depending on what's interacting within it. I'm not sure if we'll actually go that far but this is just a basic idea of where I'm going with my designs.
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Tuesday 1 March 2016
Interactive Narrative - Gameplay (FACADE)
Week 2 - Day 3 (2/3/2016) (Edited for final submission - 13/4/2016)
In this week's gameplay, I'm choosing to address question 3. Does your chosen game(s) make user input feel meaningful in terms of story direction and progression? Why or why not? The game in question will be "Facade" which I played alongside Tea for a few runs and had a discussion over the game as it played out.
Facade is a text parser game where you navigate a discussion between two argumentative spouses by attempting to defuse the situation by inputting text to steer the conversation along to safer pastures. Unfortunately, despite multiple attempts, all of my experiences with the game ended negatively. Since the very beginning of the game and as it progressed, it became more and more apparent that I was rapidly losing control of the situation - Grace accuses me of picking sides and all Trip seemed to want to do was talk about Grace's problems rather than address their relationship as a whole. "We are part of the text ourselves – it needs our input to happen." (Page 7/38 of the week 2 PowerPoint.) However, this is not always the case: if a reply from my end was too slow, the story would progress with or without my input and sometimes a keyword would be taken completely out of context and I would lose my footing within the conversation.
"Video games are first-person storytelling: you are the actor living out the story. Instead of simply being told what’s going on, or watching it happen, you’re experiencing it firsthand" (Page 8/38 of the week 2 PowerPoint.) We are, unfortunately, the awkward third wheel in this unhappy marriage. In many cases, the story seems as if it wouldn't matter what my input would be; either I would get kicked out for being (accidentally) inappropriate, or Trip would leave. I felt that my input was ignored for most of the times except at the very beginning before the situation delved into a kind of domestic disturbance with me in the middle. Little things like what kind of drink I wanted, or how I found the decor; those were acceptable responses for the game. However, as soon as either Grace or Trip begin an argument over the state of their marriage, my input became very limited and were usually not taken into consideration. In the end, I did not find the game very enjoyable. That being said, Facade does very well in making you feel at fault with the dissolution of the marriage and/or angry at the devolving situation.
In this week's gameplay, I'm choosing to address question 3. Does your chosen game(s) make user input feel meaningful in terms of story direction and progression? Why or why not? The game in question will be "Facade" which I played alongside Tea for a few runs and had a discussion over the game as it played out.
Facade is a text parser game where you navigate a discussion between two argumentative spouses by attempting to defuse the situation by inputting text to steer the conversation along to safer pastures. Unfortunately, despite multiple attempts, all of my experiences with the game ended negatively. Since the very beginning of the game and as it progressed, it became more and more apparent that I was rapidly losing control of the situation - Grace accuses me of picking sides and all Trip seemed to want to do was talk about Grace's problems rather than address their relationship as a whole. "We are part of the text ourselves – it needs our input to happen." (Page 7/38 of the week 2 PowerPoint.) However, this is not always the case: if a reply from my end was too slow, the story would progress with or without my input and sometimes a keyword would be taken completely out of context and I would lose my footing within the conversation.
"Video games are first-person storytelling: you are the actor living out the story. Instead of simply being told what’s going on, or watching it happen, you’re experiencing it firsthand" (Page 8/38 of the week 2 PowerPoint.) We are, unfortunately, the awkward third wheel in this unhappy marriage. In many cases, the story seems as if it wouldn't matter what my input would be; either I would get kicked out for being (accidentally) inappropriate, or Trip would leave. I felt that my input was ignored for most of the times except at the very beginning before the situation delved into a kind of domestic disturbance with me in the middle. Little things like what kind of drink I wanted, or how I found the decor; those were acceptable responses for the game. However, as soon as either Grace or Trip begin an argument over the state of their marriage, my input became very limited and were usually not taken into consideration. In the end, I did not find the game very enjoyable. That being said, Facade does very well in making you feel at fault with the dissolution of the marriage and/or angry at the devolving situation.
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