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Major Project Proposal

Blog 3: Idea Development

In this blog post I will present a few moodboard ideas for what I am creating, some of what I am creating is the main ship (paddle steamer) as well as the inside of the paddle steamer such as the corridors, doors, engine, wheelhouse and much more.

I will also create some smaller models, such as a revolver for the detective, as well as some smaller scale environmental models that will be included in mood boards below.

From these two mood boards I will create multiple assets for the final game.

These being tables and chairs that will be used around the ship to have other assets on top of.

A wheelhouse with included wheel, and appropriate controls.

Benches to sit on.

Corridors with era appropriate wall/ ceiling designs and decorations.

Engine room with engine and correct tools/ items around the room.

References

Wikipedia, (N.D) Paddle Steamer, Available online: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddle_steamer [Accessed online 21/11/22]

Alamy, (N.D) Wheel house restored, Available Online: https://www.alamy.com/the-wheel-house-of-restored-paddle-steamer-maid-of-the-loch-moored-at-its-pier-at-loch-lomond-shores-balloch-west-dunbartonshire-scotland-uk-image376280351.html [Accessed Online 19/11/22]

Wales Online, (2013), Worlds last passenger carrying steamer, Available online: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/worlds-last-passenger-carrying-paddle-steamer-4043218 [Accessed Online 20/11/22]

Paddlesteamer.info, (N.D) Aboard the waverley, Available Online: http://www.paddlesteamers.info/All%20Aboard/All%20Aboard%20Waverley/All%20Aboard%20Waverley%20Promenade%20Deck.htm [Accessed Online 21/11/22]

Pinterest, (N.D) Steamboat interiors, Available online: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/144889312989091359/ [Accessed Online 20/11/22]

Fine art america, (N.D), New Orleans Paddle Steamer, Available Online: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/new-orleans-paddle-steamer-david-pyatt.html Accessed Online 20/11/22]

Categories
Major Project Proposal

Blog 2: Research For Major Project

Group Inspiration

The group has been heavily inspired by many games that share different features that we pulled into our own game. Below is a list of these games with the different features below them, and a small explanation to where they’re used within our game.

The Return of the Obra Dinn

The curse of the Obra Dinn helped us come up with the idea of deduction, use of the journal for taking notes and ideas. This also helped us with the idea of setting out game on a boat.

A Hand with Many Fingers

A Hand with Many Fingers further assisted us with deduction as well as the evidence board that we created where you can add evidence to and check over everything currently known.

L.A. Noire

L.A. Noire helped us with the inspiration for the Aquisition of clues system in our game. It also assisted in creating the dialouge system so that we can interact with all the NPCs aswell as interogate them too.

Batman Arkham

Batman Arkham helped the team with the UI elements of the game, it also helped us with the idea that exploration assists in finding clues and that the more you explore, the more clues to solve the murder you’ll find.

Mafia 2

Mafia 2 helped us decide on the aesthetic style of the game including approximate time period (early 20th century), and also the type of characters that are in the game.

How to make a good detective game – Game Maker’s Toolkit (YouTube Video)

This YouTube video helped the team create the right game mechanics for the game, Aswell as helping us decide what to include in our game such as evidence, clues, suspects etc.

Sin City (Film)

The Sin City film helped the team decide on the red highlights for blood, and also helped us decide on the final visual style of the game.

Personal Inspiration

Personally, for my individual work on the game, I was inspired by a couple of games these are listed below.

Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption helped me create a rough idea for the paddle steamer, this is because in the game there is a mission where you explore a paddle steamer, this helped me visualize what I needed to create, Aswell as it helping me to decide the style of paddle steamer itself.

Mafia 1

Similar to that of Mafia 2, Mafia 1 helps pinpoint to a further degree of the design that I want with my specific models, such as paddle steamers and general aesthetic of the time period.

Categories
Major Project Proposal

Blog 1: Major project Proposal

My Role.

In my team major project, I am the environmental 3d modeller. My job is to create the environmental models for our game that we are making as a group.

In addition to this i am creating multiple concept art pieces, this is to help the group grasp which direction we are going in regarding my models.

Overview of the story.

The main overview of our group project is that it is an early 20th century murder mystery game set on a boat. To solve the murder onboard, the player must traverse around the ship, looking for clues and interviewing witnesses and guests on board.

After finding different bits of evidence the player can interrogate any person that they see fit to be the suspect.

Genre

The genre of the game will be a noir detective thriller, this is because the game is majority played in black and white with slight colour depending on the circumstances at play.

Setting of the game

The setting of the game is on a paddle steamer named the SS Arctic that is travelling in the misty swamps of New Orleans.

Story

While the SS Arctic is travelling down the Mississippi river the main character, Detective CC Tisnley, finds himself amongst a reunion of sorts between a group of old friends when the host of the reunion is found dead under mysterious circumstances.

Detective Tinsley is then tasked by the ship’s captain to discover the root of this and to catch the murderer.

Characters

  • CC Tinsley 
  • Captain Luce (American)
  • William Eubanks (American)
  • Fernand Lacroix (French)
  • David Kirkwood (British)
  • Irene McAllister (British)
  • Lillian Brown (American)
  • Mr Watanabe (Japanese)
  • Franz Haber (Prussian)

Gameplay Mechanics

⦁ Movement

The game will feature a first-person perspective for when the player is walking around the ship looking for clues and evidence. The player can also crouch to possibly get into hard to access areas.

⦁ Interrogation/conversation

The player can choose several different dialogue options when talking or interrogating NPCs, this can depend on what evidence has been found and can change the outcome of the conversation or interrogation based on that.

⦁ Evidence gathering

The player can inspect different pieces of evidence by picking the pieces up and moving them around to check all sides of it. They can also pin the pieces of evidence to the evidence board so that they can keep a track of everything they find without the possibility of losing it.

⦁ Evidence board/deduction

The player can view the evidence board at any time during their playthrough and can make conclusions based on what evidence they have at any time, some evidence may incriminate people, other evidence can prove their innocence.

⦁ Journal/notes

The player will be able to make notes on a built-in journal which they can look back on at any time to see if anything written down can apply to different bits of evidence they may be looking at,

⦁ Puzzles for extra info (Not a priority)

The player may be able to crack open different safes throughout the game, this can give them extra evidence which they can add to the evidence wall, and it might help expand their knowledge on who may be the murderer, the player could also re-arrange paintings for extra evidence/clues too.

Visual style

The style of the game will be different to that of normal games, in the group project the main focus will be to make the game black and white, this fits in with the noir detective style I mentioned earlier.

However, in comparison to the harsh colour scheme of black and white, we plan on adding certain things that appear in colour, for example items of importance or blood, blood being a very noticeable red that stands out against anything.

Audio Considerations:

In the game there will be many different sounds, below are a list of some that will be included.

⦁ Ocean sounds/rain

⦁ Crowd muttering 

⦁ Boat sounds, engine, creaking etc.

⦁ Footsteps

⦁ Murdered victim weapon

⦁ Character voices/mumbling 

⦁ Jazz or appropriate music