Cooking the Game

I heard that this would be a bit of a pain, but with the help of some videos, it went rather smoothly.

There were the straightforward tutorials, about cooking your game into an exe but they never really mentioned what to change in the scripts, so I thought I'd post this here for future reference. I am using the September 2011 version of UDK, which is no longer available for download, but these are some extra precautions you can take to make sure that Unreal Frontend takes all your packages and game type.

Keys...

So after two wonderful and relaxing days after my Viva (which went pretty well I think), I've been thinking up some ideas to better enhance my level, namely the assets and symbols in the level that can help the players solve the puzzle.

My main and probably only puzzle is 'find a key, unlock the door'. Which I admit is very basic and boring. The only thing I have going for it is to make the keys and doors look 'pretty'. I thought of other things like themes behind rooms- which would contain the next key to the next room.

I've put together a sort-of moodboard to help me decide on these little themes:

There cartoon ones, short, long, bulky, symbolic, gothic, eccentric, bold and even simple types. I personally really dig the gothic kind, but I think I want to try bring them out, so combining them with a cartoon look should do the trick. Think Kingdom Hearts only not as cartoony!

Maya to MotionBuilder: Importing C3D and mapping Actor

Been asked for help by Neasa, so I thought I'd blog it here, it would be nice for others too, mind you this is super vague and I'm not an expert so I'm just showing how I went about it.

Video Tutorials on Maya to Motion Part 1, Part 2 from adachan1 on youtube.

Firstly, you need to have your animation data from ViconIQ, in .c3d format- or fbx if you've already messed about with it.  You need Maya 2012 if you want to import/export it easily like I did.  Also this tutorial uses the skeleton generated by the MotionBuilder characterisation plugin in maya. So if you have a custom skeleton, I can't help you too much with that.

Open up your MotionBuilder, and for your sake, set the keyboard configuration to 'Maya' so you won't have to relearn all the controls again for MotionBuilder. This means things like the move, scale and rotate tools are all asigned to the same 'W, E, R' keys. 

Settings > Keyboard Configuration > Maya

Importing your Animation Data

In the Asset Browser tab under the 'Resources' area, you can selet useful files here like the Actor dummy. I added a file directory containing all my animation data, so it was easy for me to access. Right click > Add favourite path. You won't regret it.

 

So with your folder added, you can quickly select your files through this browser. Click and drag the file over, select the 'Import' option.

Modelling Other things

First Chair

 

To be modeled next: 

New Monster Reference

Camera Improvement, Scaleforming & Post Processing

3RD PERSON ACTION CAMERA
In the end- with great results- I decided to opt for the second thread I had found about setting up orbital cameras in UDK. It is very good and provides exactly what I needed without taking away any code I may have the opportunity to use in future (aka extending from classes UTpawn and UTPlayerControllers). At the same time the jagged rotations of the character are solved by a user who replied on the same thread:

• UDK action game- 3rd person camera (which extends from the UT classes)
• Reply to thread above: Smooth directional rotations when navigating character

 FIRST STEPS IN SCALEFORM

Other Scaleform links:

• Autodesk/UDK Scaleform Documentation

• 'Getting Started with Scaleform & UDK' thread<<<< THIS HAS EVERYTHING.

Scaleform & UDK: A Simple Menu by VoxHouseStudios 

From the link provided I learned how to make a very basic menu with a play button. So far when I play the UDK executable, it will only load my game when I type in the console 'open HorrorMaze01', it has also been set to load 'dm-deck' (which is the default DeathMatch map) in kismet. I'm trying to figure out how it can be set to load my map by default, but this will be for another evening. For later reference, I also found from VoxHouseStudio that there is a pretty useful video about post-proecessing anti-aliasing for the udk game.

UDK Anti-alias (Post Process chain How-to Guide)

Researching Decor

Over 80 pages worth of 19th Century European Furniture (Payne C). There's more than enough for me to inspire ideas for decorating the maze. Much of the furniture is high detailed and flamboyant, if I must use any of the designs it will have to look ordinary enough to reuse.

Using the existing photographs of Victorian European rooms, I quickly coloured them to work out my colour palette.

Found Free to use (Commercial too) Horror Music

While looking through YouTube videos for horror sounds/sfx, I stumbled across a website that would take me to the mother-of-all commercially free music I could use. Kevin MacLeod will of course be credited if his music ever is used in the end product.
Most of the sound effects will be created by myself, but unfortunately I am not a musician, so creating a music score is a lot more difficult. One other alternative besides looking for free to use music, would be to ask a Music Tech. friend of mine for help, or commission.

Royally Free Music- Horror

Here is my Pitch gameplay video. I hope the lecturers like it.

Sound Effects Recording No.1

Today I went to my first recording in the Sound Room at the university. These are some of my unedited sound samples. I recorded a lot of potentially useful sounds, including moving objects, picking up books, page sfx, footsteps, scrap noise. I decided to first record these less important sounds to get a grip on the recording equipment today.
Next week I will be recording the Cecilia's voice, the monster's noises and hopefully get a squeaky door hinge in.

  Footsteps_Sneak01 by Jin Suen

  Footsteps_FastWalk by Jin Suen 

  Doorknock by Jin Suen

  OpenBook01 by Jin Suen

Victorian Decor Concept

Victorian Decor

As I have been on a trip to look at plants at the Welsh Botanical Gardens- it reminded me that I needed to consider the decor inside each room of the maze. I decided that each room would resemble a rich but abandoned and worn Victorian home. Most will have a generic look, others that contain puzzles will have it's own theme.


I looked into flora in the Victorian era. Flowers given to people always had meaning- hence you had to pick your bouquet carefully to convey the right message (otherwise to not offend the receiver).

Source: Victorian Bazaar-The Language of Flowers

Graphic Mania- Free for commercial/personal use Textures

AI tutorial

http://wiki.beyondunreal.com/Legacy:Basic_AI_Scripting_Tutorial

Gathering textures

I went to the Welsh Botanical Gardens with Joel Taylor & Geraint James. I managed to collect some useful textures that I may use. Mostly floor boards, walls, and potted plants.

Decor textures

Potted plants, rock for debris.

Sound Effects creation

After receiving feedback on my project, it is apparent that my game is heavily based on Audio. I will start looking into Sound mechanics, and what will need considering:

• Running- creates loud footstep sounds.
• Walking- moderately quiet, but can still create a lot of noise if standing on broken glass/ creaking floor boards
• Sneaking- very quiet if not hardly audible, character will be able to move past the monster if sneaking, however if sneaking on broken glass/ creaking floor boards, it is as loud as walking.
• Items (thrown)- most items in the maze will create loud noises when being thrown at the wall/floor.
• Items (dropped)- if it is not glass, it should not create as loud a noise.
• Door slam- some doors will creak, and if closed too quickly will create a lot of noise, the character has a choice to open/close a door quickly or slowly. When being chased closing/opening doors quickly would not matter as much.
• Traps- The worst sound that can resonate in the maze, when triggered, the character will be notified by the sound of something creaking/breaking above them (if this was a chandelier) to get out of the way. When the trap activates it will create the loudest noise in the game, that will cause the Monster to look in said area. Before the trap is activated however, the player will be given a chance if he/she listens carefully to small clues such as: floor boards creaking heavily/ door shaking slightly as you pull it slowly ('slow open' action can be cancelled if button is let go) etc.
• Monster- will create a constant sharp metal 'plnk', 'plnk', 'plnk' (metal against clay tiles) in the radius that surrounds the monster. That same radius also stands for the detection. So if the player hears the sounds of the monster's movement, he/she had best run/hide.
• Ambient sounds- this may be left out depending on what I will find most effective in my game, total silence has proved very effective with building tension.

Creating Sound with Foley Technique

Through some quick research I found some items that I can use to record sound with. I can get all these items from the outdoors or simply pop into a pound shop or hardware store to find the items I need, I can also use home items. This will be recorded in the sound room.

Floorboard creak -various wood panels and metal sheets, rust also helps.
Rusty Door hinge- hinge soaked in water for a day/ old chair /
Swooshing blade- thin stick / arrow
Foot steps- shoes on wooden panel or hard concrete
Metallic noise- metal Ruler (or anything else long and metal) on metal / wood/ ceramic (tin on tin?)
Bone crunching- Frozen Romain Lettuce/ Celery Stick
Debris falling (for traps) - rocks on wood/rocks
Chandelier shake (trap)- a mobile or spoon on glass jars.
Chandelier crash (trap)- metal + glass crashing into floor (although this I may just find a source online, since it is dangerous and a lot of work).
Walking on glass- Tray of glass, heavily gloved hand.


Sources:
Foley Artist via Wiki
Sound Effect via Wiki
http://www.epicsound.com/sfx/index.php
The Sound Effects Bible by Ric Viers
'The Foley Grail' by Vanessa Theme Ament

Research into Mechanics

Detection: Sound of Running and Ray Tracing for Line of Sight
Thankfully, I have really helpful classmates. Here Ed shown me a video that could be particularly helpful in figuring out my mechanic. It is a game called Overgrowth and it is in it's Alpha stage- Overgrowth Alpha 123

It explains how they have developed enemy line of sight using ray tracing, and using growing spheres to imitate sound echo.

Tutorial of Adding Sounds to UDK and the Different Types of Sound
I've thankfully found some great video tutorials of how to add sound to a level. This has taught me how to attach a sound file to a moving object.

And more...

3D Buzz UDK Sounds Tutorial Part 4 Ambient Sound Actors 

3D Buzz UDK Sounds Tutorial Part 5 Ambient Sound Actors

3D Buzz UDK Sounds Tutorial Part 6 Ambient Zones

Door open/close Sequence

Atmosphere for Horror

What to Acknowledge when Designing a Horror game
A very useful website that gives tutorials and tips on game design workflows- I was lucky enough to find a large article on designing Horror games and what to avoid/acknowledge when designing- Horror/Survival Level Design.

Sound for Atmosphere
I've come across some videos that show how discomforting music can create high tension, especially when you cannot see the monster. This is the music played when a Regenerator is about in Resident Evil 4.

And here is the art of discord from Silent Hill

Ignoring the images of Demented children, I really like this music to influence the regular theme of the game. When nothing is happening, there should at least be a constant eerie sound.

Wondering how I will make my own music, I'm thinking of downloading a music making program to at least try to mimic a horror theme. Fruity Loops is one I've heard of, but you must pay for this.


Camera Angles
I looked into Camera angles to try and give myself better insight of what I could achieve when I manipulate the angles correctly. Since I am now using 3rd person for the sake of the puzzles and traps, I would need to look into techniques that would help bring more scare factor into game with a potentially free roaming Camera.

• Different kinds of Camera Angles

• Alfred Hitchcock, famous film director for his effective camera work in psychological thriller & suspense masterpieces between 1920-80's often made human like motions with the camera movement, and introduced the up high angle shots. These high angle shots that induce suspense and makes the character that much smaller (and more vulnerable), would seem to work very well in the setting of a maze, especially a maze with a monster roaming about.

Brainstorming & Mood Boards

Brainstorming

I have trouble organising my ideas, so I made a Brainstorm chart to help me with my thoughts.

Mood Boards

I've collected images ready to help me visualise the game. I know at least that I want to make the monster as scary as possible. And the main character should look like a fairly ordinary girl, who isn't particularly pretty/ugly/special in any kind of way. Her looks have not been decided yet, but I have collected a few faces I would use as reference in the future. These images came from a modelling site and will purely be used as reference.

If you see a face you like, let me know in the comments?

Theme of Environment

I have actually come across many useful blogs and websites that can help me figure out the theme to the game. There is an abandoned hospital/Asylum and a kind of grimy Gothic Victorian look I would love to combine. To keep it colourful yet still hold that feeling of abandonment and rust that old buildings have.

I want to combine dingy, dark, abandonment and at the same time still keep colour.

Here is a mood board showing the closest resembling level plans. They are all too simple and small, my idea was to have a fairly big and complicated building like structure. Some images are taken from gozzys dungeon maps, others are game screenshots and taken from library resources.

I couldn't find mazes that were exactly what I had in mind, but this is a combination of what I'm after

The type of monster I am after, is one that terrifies psychologically. I looked at games like Amnesia, The Void, Silent Hill (series), Resident Evil and obscure art I happened to come across on deviantART.

The pale white skin combined with deep red blood has always been appealing to me in monsters.

Monster movement

For the monster, I was very inspired by a movie called Jacob's ladder- this was also a movie that inspired the creation of Silent Hill the game. What I love most about the monsters are their twitchy movements. This man illustrates the kind of movements I would like to include in my monster animations.