Level Description
My level is set in an alternative history Edo period Japan in which humanity is plagued by demon-like yokai. The player character is tasked with obtaining an artifact weapon capable of turning the tide against the yokai threat. The level layout consists of two floors of a traditional Japanese castle. The castle is located atop a mountain, surrounded by dense forest and overlooking a valley. The castle interior is bathed in an orange hue and illuminated entirely by lanterns, giving a dark, foreboding atmosphere. Trees have grown up through the floor, blocking the descending stairwell. The emergence of trees has led to the appearance of friendly forest spirits called Kodama, which curiously observe the player character.
Significant Accomplishments
One of my greatest triumphs during this course is the quality of my structural assets. While I don’t have a massive variety of assets in my level, I think the assets that I do have are of significant quality, especially considering my lack of prior experience. In particular, I think my structural assets (i.e. my walls, floors, and doors) are nicely detailed and look appropriately worn and grungy. Other highlights include my low table and bookshelf assets, which show a variety of surface detail I am proud of.
Another significant accomplishment was the creation of a functioning NPC. Creating a low-poly character model and then successfully UV-mapping, rigging, animating, and exporting the model in such a tight timeframe is a notable accomplishment for me. In addition, I was able to learn how to implement the model and animations in Unity, a game engine I was previously unfamiliar with.
ReflectionÂ
Throughout this course I learned an immense amount about the game content pipeline and workflow. A massive area of growth for me was the creation of environmental assets. In such a short term, I was able to create and UV map assets in Maya, as well as create textures using a combination of Photoshop, Substance Sampler, and Substance Painter, all software I am unfamiliar with. I have never created my own environmental assets, so the fact I was able to create a complete asset atlas from nothing is a significant accomplishment. Another area of growth for me was 3D modeling. I have used ZBrush previously to create a high-quality model but learning to sculpt, UV map, rig, and animate was a great learning experience. Lastly, I gained some familiarity with Unity. Most of my experience with game engines is with Unreal Engine, so learning to construct and light a Unity level with basic interactability was insightful.
Below is a gallery of screenshots taken from the Windows build.
Project Links:
Windows Build:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J9b6P-7VAhDRVLGCgpgDQIdyKXg3Q7Gc/view?usp=sharing
MacOS Build:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tJm-raklIot5dvDqNyrU8_1DmwMO1zj8/view?usp=sharing
I love the aesthetic of this game, the wood panels are all really distinct even if they’re all made of the same material. I really like the way you lit the scenes with lanterns, and the little NPC is a great touch!
I like the amount of space and repetitive use of assets in your level. The textures are also cool. I think you did a very good job on the lighting in your scene with use of lanterns. The NPC is so small and adorable! I like the small gap where you can see the outside world through the windows and the use of fog to make the player wonder what is outside this building. Great Job!
The mountains in the distance are an incredible touch. They give the world so much more depth than it would have had otherwise and really grounds the level in the world.