sam-harrison
sam-harrison
Sam Harrison 3D Game Level Production Blog
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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Walkthrough
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G3gtzpBppQ8CurRHEfbxCRoq8FjJ-u6F/view?usp=sharing
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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Referencing
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Overwatch Wiki. (2019). Wall Climb. [online] Available at: https://overwatch.fandom.com/wiki/Wall_Climb [Accessed 15 Jan. 2019]. (Fandom 2015)
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Overwatch Wiki. (2019). Tracer. [online] Available at: https://overwatch.gamepedia.com/Tracer#Recall [Accessed 17 Jan. 2019]. (Gamepedia 2019)
Rockstar Games. (2019). Rockstar Games. [online] Available at: https://www.rockstargames.com/ [Accessed 15 Jan. 2019]. (Rockstar 2013) Pegi.info. (2018). Home | Pegi Public Site. [online] Available at: https://pegi.info/ [Accessed 26 Sep. 2018]. (Pegi 2018) Posts, F., like?, W., parent, S., season, E., You can say “bye” to summer, b., 18 reasons why parents are thankful for iD Tech, a. and camp, 4. (2019). Ultimate List of Different Types of Video Games | 49 Genres & Subcategories. [online] iD Tech. Available at: https://www.idtech.com/blog/different-types-of-video-game-genres [Accessed 20 Jan. 2019]. (Vice 2018)
Thinkwithportals.com. (2018). Official Portal 2 Website. [online] Available at: http://www.thinkwithportals.com/ [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019]. (Valve 2011) Sonicthehedgehog.com. (2019). Sonic The Hedgehog Website. [online] Available at: https://www.sonicthehedgehog.com/ [Accessed 17 Jan. 2019]. (Sega 2019)
Titanfall Wiki. (2019). Grapple. [online] Available at: http://titanfall.wikia.com/wiki/Grapple [Accessed 16 Jan. 2019]. (Respawn 2016)
wsampson, V. (2015). On Doors in Games. [online] Walker Sampson. Available at: https://wsampson.blog/2015/10/18/on-doors-in-games/ [Accessed 17 Jan. 2019]. (Sampson 2015)
Xbox.com. (2019). Xbox | Games and Entertainment on All Your Devices. [online] Available at: https://www.xbox.com/en-GB [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].(Microsoft 2018) Henry Fåhraeus|Level Designer. (2014). Mirror's Edge map. [online] Available at: http://www.henryf.se/mirrors-edge-map [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].  (Klappenbach 2018)
Moodboard 1 
Figure 1 Henry Fåhraeus|Level Designer. (2014). Mirror's Edge map. [online] Available at: http://www.henryf.se/mirrors-edge-map [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019]. 
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Wired.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://www.wired.com/images_blogs/photos/uncategorized/2008/11/10/heat2_bmp_jpgcopy.jpg [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Image.slidesharecdn.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://image.slidesharecdn.com/esillitaome-100823111522-phpapp01/95/level-design-challenges-solutions-mirrors-edge-8-728.jpg?cb=1282562684 [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Files.gamebanana.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://files.gamebanana.com/img/ss/maps/162356.jpg [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Media.moddb.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://media.moddb.com/images/mods/1/12/11629/mirrors_edge_trailer_map0068.jpg [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Moodboard 2 
Figure 2 
Media.moddb.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://media.moddb.com/images/articles/1/88/87938/auto/OnePortalonlytesting1.2.jpg [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Kagasumi.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://www.kagasumi.com/uploads/1/7/6/1/17616895/8550706_orig.jpg [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Media.moddb.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://media.moddb.com/images/mods/1/18/17372/2011-08-05_00011.jpg [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR-EC9zQ9DPBSks4rPkYvP5OVovvEi0w14QPT50ovJyl2jH19Pk [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Media.moddb.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://media.moddb.com/images/mods/1/20/19465/2012-03-11_00001.jpg [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Moodboard 3 
Figure 3 Owinfinity.com. (2019). [online] Available at: http://owinfinity.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/hanzo.png [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Stackup.org. (2019). [online] Available at: https://stackup.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Hanzo-PC-Controls.png [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Cdn.gamerant.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://cdn.gamerant.com/wp-content/uploads/titanfall-pilot-wall-running.jpg.optimal.jpg [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Zone1-vgu.netdna-ssl.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://zone1-vgu.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Titanfall-wallrun.jpg [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
I.ytimg.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wopRqOxgNfI/maxresdefault.jpg [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Nintendoworldreport.com. (2019). [online] Available at: http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/media/30774/4/1.jpg [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Overwatch.blizzplanet.com. (2019). [online] Available at: http://overwatch.blizzplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/tracer-recall.jpg [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Cdn3.vox-cdn.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6531035/Tracer_example.0.jpg [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Figure 4
I.ytimg.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6Xukl5vspPI/maxresdefault.jpg [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].
Figure 5
I.pinimg.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a8/ee/93/a8ee936d90a7d75586b927e170d60b17.jpg [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].
Figure 6 
Cdn02.nintendo-europe.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://cdn02.nintendo-europe.com/media/images/10_share_images/games_15/nintendo_ds_22/SI_NDS_NewSuperMarioBrosDS_image1600w.jpg [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].
Figure 7
Mspoweruser.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://mspoweruser.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Mirrors-Edge.png [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].
Figure 8
Steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net. (2019). [online] Available at: https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/202970/ss_c8dbd43d5eaaf11241d6a8afcec24bc51608b615.1920x1080.jpg?t=1492633735 [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].
Figure 9
Vignette.wikia.nocookie.net. (2019). [online] Available at: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/thegameroom/images/f/fc/Halo_Reach_Gameplay.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140705122053 [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].
Figure 10
Guidesmedia.ign.com. (2019). [online] Available at: http://guidesmedia.ign.com/guides/57511/images/590/acbrother_b02_522.jpg [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].
Figure 11
Mugwumpsandenglishmen.com. (2019). [online] Available at: http://mugwumpsandenglishmen.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Titanfall-2-wall-run-and-mech-e1503500352528.jpg [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].
Figure 12
Justcause3mods.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://justcause3mods.com/wp-content/uploads/cmdm/163640/1451827440_just_cause_3-wide-1600x1000.jpg [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].
Figure 13
Fortniteintel.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://fortniteintel.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Jumpad-Fortnite-Trick.png [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].
Figure 14
Orcz.com. (2019). [online] Available at: http://orcz.com/images/thumb/4/48/OverwatchRecall.jpg/400px-OverwatchRecall.jpg [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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Evaluation
Speed is now complete, the process started in January and the development of the levels and mechanics started in February. This project has been difficult, it is different to any other project that has been completed in the past as it does not rely on the art/3D side as much. This project has been about code, using the blueprints within unreal to create mechanics that can be used within games, this was a challenge as code has never been implemented into any of the past projects. When designing Speed the idea was to add in parkour abilities such as wall climbing, wall running, grappling and also a rewind ability, these mechanics allow for fast paced movement through the levels. Adding these mechanics was difficult, trial and error was essential within development. I researched into games that use these type of mechanics and also played through some to get an idea on how these mechanics worked in different games. 
The biggest challenge for this project was developing the mechanics, these mechanics had to be able to work together to create a seamless parkour system, the system had to be easy to use for the player so this meant setting up easy controls using the least amount of keys as possible. YouTube tutorials also helped set up the mechanics but the biggest challenge was getting all of the mechanics to work together without any problems within the code. Another problem was our main tutor for this project leaving, so some issues were unable to be sorted out within the code for speed as the other tutors do not specialize in coding in unreal. 
What went well in this project is the development of the levels, each level tests the players ability to use a new mechanic. I was also very happy with how the mechanics turned out, the development for the mechanics was a big challenge but once the development was complete the mechanics worked really well together. Other smaller mechanics were added such as a main menu and also a pause menu, the goal was to make the game as polished as possible.
If I could change anything about this project it would be adding textures. I wanted to focus more on the mechanics then anything so I decided very early in development that I would not be adding textures to the level. I did focus on the lighting as this is what helps guide the player through the final level. Some mechanics like sliding doors and a torch were not used however a moving platform was used, this was due to time constraints.
 This project has helped me improve my skills within coding and unreal, Unreal blueprints can be complicated but it is a good place for people who want to begin coding. Other software has also been used such as Photoshop and Maya this project has helped me improve my skills further in them using new tools in Maya such as duplicate special.
Overall this project has been successful, Mechanics and levels have been created to create a small demo of Speed. The process has been documented from start to finish. I found coding to be difficult, but the end project looks professional and well done. I expect to continue in the future with level design, however coding is not something I would like to take further. 
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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Packaging
The level is now complete and ready for testing, The game will be packaged and turned into an EXE file. To do this the package feature is used in unreal. First of all building the level is essential, loading all the textures and baking all the lights so that all the data can be kept in the file for the EXE. After that the settings for packaging are changed to shipping so that the data cannot be edited and then the packaging begins, once this is done unreal makes a EXE file which can be loaded at any time.
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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Final Level
Now that the lighting is complete, a final basic level has been added just to give credit to the music creator and also thanking the player for playing the game.
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Also as extra credit, the player will enter a portal (above) which is a free unreal asset. The portal has a collision box underneath which when the player walks into, the main menu will open and also open a link to the music creators instagram. Now the only thing left to do is package the project to create an EXE and then create a video walk through of the level. 
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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Game Level Lighting #2
Main Menu and Pause
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This week extra mechanics have been implemented and more work has been completed on the lighting. First of all a main menu has been created, this menu was designed in photoshop, adding the logo and credit to the designer and music composer. The menu was then taken into unreal and a widget blueprint was created which allows for the design of a user interface (UI). The blueprint lets the designer add buttons and text to the interface, After adding in buttons, text was added for the 3 buttons. 1. “Start” which starts the game from the start. 2. “Quit” Exits the game to desktop. 3. “Skip tutorials” This button skips the first 4 levels for demonstration purposes and for people who have played before. The main menu also has the music that was created by Benjamin Wall
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A pause menu was also added to the final level, this is because the level is much bigger and takes longer to navigate. The menu has a quit function which takes the player to the main menu or a resume which carry's on with the game.   
Sound
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Sound has been added to the mechanics for the grapple, jump pads and recall. This was a simple node added into the blueprint so when the button was pressed the sound would play for the player
The rooftop level also has the music created by Benjamin Wall playing in the background.
Lighting
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The lighting for the level has now been complete, the level is lit with the use of glow sticks which also lead the player through different paths, each one being more difficult, it also increases the length of the level, so if the player wants to be quick, the player would follow the blue path. Sometimes the paths overlap and become one but the player is free to swap paths if they wish. The level still looks dark but it is a night scene so this is acceptable, the glow sticks light up enough.   
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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Game Level, Lighting
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This week the lighting for the environment has been worked on and attempted to fix some of the problems. One of the main problems was the frame rate dropping, after further investigation the frames only drop sometimes after a restart of unreal the frames stayed locked at 120 which is good. 
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The grapple is still an issue. 
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The scene is a night scene with a night time cityscape and different coloured glowsticks to lead the way. Lighting the scene uses the skysphere and the different paramaters inside it such as the colour and intensity. The glow sticks use a different type of light, using a cylinder an emmisive map is used to generate a static light which means it cannot be moved. the glow sticks will come in different colours for different paths letting the player choose what is best for them, (Green)-easy medium (Blue) or hard (Yellow).     
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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Game level, level design #1
This week, progress has been made with the level design aspect of the level. Now that the modelling is complete, the level has begun to look more populated with assets.
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Throughout the level the assets have been placed to make them assessable to the player, some can be climbed on and interacted with, the player knows this as a red line appears above what can be climbed on. Some can be swung on, the player is told in the tutorials that if a crane is near by then it can be used as a grapple point.
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Each level is given its own player controller, so the wall run level can only use wall run as recall is not unlocked yet, the final level is given all the ability’s to play with in the rooftop playground.
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This week progress has started on the text that floats in the level to give the player instructions. Some of the text is just static and does not move however some of the important parts follow where the player looks so that it is clear to the player that their attention is needed. To do this a similar method was used to the grapple point system, the text has to know where the player is at all times then using an orient node it orients itself around the players view in real time.
Music
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Music has been added, A collaboration was started in January with a music student called Benjamin Wall who has created a relaxed soundtrack for the game, this has now been implemented into the rooftop level playing on a loop.
Problems:
Small glitch with the grapple that occurs sometimes, the grapple slingshots the player if the player tries to attach from to far away. A small bug that is not very regular
Low frames per second (FPS) in the rooftop level, the cause of this problem is the amount of blueprints that are being used in that one level. Currently a fix is unknown for this but it will be worked on.
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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Game Level Modelling #2
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This week, models have been created to add extra detail the level, assets such as fire escapes, air conditioning units, water towers and fences, these assets are all modular, so they can be used throughout the level in different places.
The red lines on the assets tell the player if the object can be climbed on and interacted with.
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Next the building models have been added up to the end of the level, it is now about filling the buildings with the assets that have been created to add the detail. This level is about choosing a path so the different paths have to be set up such as a climbing path and a wall running path. The beginning paths have been set up but only up to the middle of the level.
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All the tutorial levels have now been set up for each mechanic. Players must progress through these levels before reaching the final rooftop level.
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Problems
The timer has broken for the rooftop level, so this will have to be fixed.
A small technical glitch with the grapple hook, sending the player flying across the map, it does not happen every time but it can be an issue.
Maya
Water Tower
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Fire Escape
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Fence
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The asset Modeling is now Complete
Trello is what was used to keep up with what assets had to be created.
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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Game Level Modelling
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Over the last week, lots of time and effort has gone into progressing the level layout. Simple buildings have been created and duplicated around the level to create a more populated scene. When starting the main level the player is given the choice of 3 routes, the right route involves climbing, the route straight on is more grappling and the left route is about wall running, some routes are faster but some require more skill.  
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These are the wall running walls that have been created, The walls had to clearly be different to the normal walls so the player knew that they could be interacted with so using substance painter, a texture was created for the blue lights on top of the boards, the blue light texture is an emissive map, which gives the illusion that there is a light source in the scene when there is not. 
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Cranes have also been created which act as grapple points for the player, cranes are the only grapple points used so that it is clear that when a player sees a crane it is clear that this is a grapple point that the player can swing on. 
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The tube that is visible in the previous image can be used as an alternative path and then the tube exits to a grapple point which allows the player to swing over to the lifts that are on the other side. The lifts move up and down with the matinee system in unreal, adding a simple key to make the elevators go up and down. 
Maya Models
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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A mix of tasks
Stopwatch
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Over the last week, time has been spent doing a range of different tasks for the game level, starting with A timer mechanic on the rooftop level, when the player starts the level now a stopwatch appears adding a racing mode for players to try and get the best time from racing through the level, this mechanic is still basic, over time a leader board will be added, remembering the best time.
Modelling 
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Asset and building modelling has started, adding in to the level 3 different building designs and also adding in a crane and also creating the mesh for the jumpad. 
Night time
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Using the unreal sky sphere the time of day has been changed to create a night scene, (the lighting is not complete)
Tutorial rooms
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The tutorial rooms have also started to be created, the wall climb and also the wall run rooms have started production, however the layout for the rooms are complete but the assets in them are not complete. 
Fixed 
Fixed the double jump, after one double jump the code would not let the player double jump again, to fix this the code had a missing node that had to be added. 
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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Recall Mechanic
The recall mechanic, this mechanic is a bonus mechanic for the player as it gives the illusion of a second chance. within 5 seconds if the player wants to rewind back 5 seconds to time a jump better, or stop the player mid fall it is possible by pressing the E key. This ability has a 6 second cool down, so the player cannot use the ability over and over.  
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Setting up this blueprint was not as difficult as the grapple, it required an event tick, but when using a blueprint, it is only possible to use one event tick pair blue print, so a node called a sequencer was used to create a sort of extension lead to create multiple inputs for the event tick. New variables had to be created so that the blueprint knows where the player is positioned and also a timer so that the position updates as the player progresses on. A variable called an index had to be created which is a marker for each position that is saved, in the full exported level these markers will not be visible but while development is in progress the index appears as an orange cube which is a debug feature, similar to the line trace.    
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The next part of the recall process was to make the blueprint work and not just produce orange cubes. The first process was creating the system that allowed for the player to travel back. To do this Delta time was used to allow constant updates in the code. The code had to remember where the player had been in the last 5 seconds then it deletes the oldest position and adds a new one, if this system was not set up then the player would just travel back to the start of the level.    
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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Grapple Mechanic
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This mechanic was the most difficult to implement. For this mechanic a tutorial was followed as this mechanic used lots of physics and equations, however, the problem was that this project was first person and all of the tutorials that were sourced were all in third person, the code was the same however some changes would have to be made. 
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To start with Grapple points had to be created, using a stock icon, a basic grapple point was created a widget, then looking into the event code, the code was added so that the grapple points would always face the character, to do this a trace node was used to search for the grapple points, the grapple points were then told to face and follow the character with a rotation node. 
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Next, the actual rope had to be created, using the wire tool in unreal, a wire was created and added to the character capsule which can stretch on command. The button that has been used for the rope swinging is left click on the mouse for ease and comfort. Code has been added so that when the left button is held the rope attaches to the nearest grapple point. when the left button is released the rope breaks the player swings off with velocity or the player will fall straight down. Similar to the wall run the rotation had to be edited so that when the player is on the rope the player can build velocity on the rope to swing to the next point, code had to be added to cancel out the gravity on the rope so when the player was attached to the grapple point they did not fall straight down.    
Lots of variables had to be created for this mechanic, such as “Hooked” and “Cable Length” these variables are important as it tells the code what is going on so some of these variables are used as conditions which are attached to branches, Branches are a true or false system so for example “If hooked is true- Swing” “if false don’t swing”.
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After lots of adjustments the swing was finally complete. 
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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Wall Running Mechanic
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As this game introduces a new mechanic after each level, the blueprint for the character had to be duplicated for each new mechanic. 
The wall running mechanic took a lot of time and research it eventually worked the way it was meant too. This mechanic also involved adding a double jump so it essentially doubled the work.  
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To start, a new collision capsule had to be created that just registered if the character was next to a wall and if they could run on it. A collision cube was also added either side of the character, these will determine if the character needs to rotate left or right depending on what wall they are running on. 
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Next the blueprint was started, the capsule that was created earlier on had to be used as a reference so that “When the capsule detected overlap” something would happen. The blueprint started with the same code as the wall climb, detecting if the wall could be ran on with a similar node to line trace however it did not require to use the lines. The walls that would be interacted with had to have a tag on them so that the character blueprint knows to begin the wall run. The code has to detect the direction that the player is facing so that the wall run is done correctly, so the code had to get the player location vector which tells the blueprint exactly where the player is. Next the code had to detect if the player was on the wall, to do this a variable was created which says yes or no so the code had to say if the player is on the wall begin the wall run. To make the wall run a timeline was used so that the animation looped until the player lost the collision with the wall.     
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  After the wall run collision was set up, similar to the wall climb a few extra variables were added to edit the wall run speed, and the force that is added when the player jumps of the wall. The gravity was the most difficult part to add as when the player is on the wall the gravity for the character has to be set to 0 but when the player comes away from the wall, the gravity has to revert back to 1 otherwise the character will float. 
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   Next the rotation for the wall run had to be set up, as the wall run does not use any character animations, it is easier to add a camera rotation which gives the illusion that the character is running on the wall. The camera had to be set up on one side then most of the work could be duplicated across, the main node that was used in this code was a lerp, a lerp allows for smooth rotations, combined with the timeline node allowed for a smooth set up for the left and right angle. After the player comes away from the wall the angle has to be reset or the player will be stuck at a right or left angle. To do this it was made a condition that once the player had finished wall running the camera had to revert back.   
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 this is the final outcome of the code that I used to create this mechanic. 
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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Beginning the Wall Climb
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To create this project, blueprints will be used in unreal as they are easy to use for first time coders. The wall climb is the first mechanic that will be created, before focusing on the environments, the mechanics have to work, then my environment can be based around the mechanics.  
To create the wall climb, different nodes in unreal had to be used, the first being an event tick, an event tick is constantly active, it continues to play over and over again. with this in mind the next node that had to be created was the line trace node which sends out a red line to scan each object the player is close too, from there the blueprint had to know if the object scanned could be used in the wall climb, to do this a special tag called “climable” was created which allowed the blueprint to know that “if the mesh has the tag climable” then the character can perform the wall climb 
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other nodes were added such a boleans and delays and branches to set up the amount of time it takes to climb up a wall and also the amount of force you climb up the wall with.  
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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3D Game Level Research #6 Level Plan and Concepts
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Level Plans for my levels that I will create, showing from level 1 with basics mechanic to level 5 showing all mechanics. 
Rooftop Concepts
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Training Room Concepts 
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These concepts have been produced for a basic idea on what the levels that will be created will look like.
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sam-harrison · 6 years ago
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3D Game Level Research #5 Moodboards
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                                                        (Figure 1)
This moodboard (Fig 1) shows the main reference for the level that will be created, the level will be created in grayscale using black, white and grey textures, with the exception of effects to lead the players way. The game is movement based and the player will have the option to find alternative ways through a level, for example it may be clear the direction the player must travel however if the area is explored further, more options may become available for quicker progression. The game is also about speed, the goal is to not stop the player from moving, the faster the player the better.
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                                                              (Figure 2)
Figure 2 shows levels from the Portal games, showing basic training rooms that get harder as players progress. This project will use similar style rooms using a checker board texture to start the game which will introduce each of the 5 mechanics one level at a time. Doors will separate each training room, once all the mechanics have been introduced then the rooftop playground will be available to play. The training rooms will all be very simple, making it possible to duplicate most assets to reuse for the next room. The mechanics that will be used will be combined together to create challenges for the player to progress through the environment.
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                                                        (Figure 3)
Figure 3 shows examples of mechanics from different games that will be implemented into this project. A wide range of mechanics from different games will be added. These mechanics will not be copied straight from these games but they will be very similar with how they work. The goal is to have all of these mechanics work seamlessly together, to create a fun experience for the player, for example: The player has just used the grapple mechanic to swing from a building straight on to a huge billboard, once the player hit the billboard they automatically start wall running along it.  
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