Pre-Semester 2 Summary
Week 15
This week started the day after the exam for the Games Theory module was finished.
The start of this week was mainly sorting out the initial creation of the level, based on the Visio diagrams. I created the initial geometry, while Nick and Matt provided some feedback on how the level was being created. Once done, I gave the map to Nick, who had been making custom materials; he then put all the textures on every surface of the level, so as to look like an actual office setting. In addition to this, I started to create some basic geometry for the office, such as the tables support pillars and the partition spaces within the second floor, filling parts of this with some basic decals on the walls.
Week 16
During this week I created the skirting boards, the interior windows and the doors seen through-out the level. I also helped refine parts of the Car Park, which Nick had initially worked on and built, by making it look somewhat more realistic, via some brush decor. In addition to this, I helped Nick by splitting the optimization 50/50, who did the vast majority of nodraws, leak checking and adjusting the fades on props. I changed most of the brushes func_detail, as to reduce the number of vis_leaf in certain areas. An example of this is as follows:
A simple square room with nothing inside it, would have a single vis_leaf. Another room with one or more brushes placed inside it would break the vis_leaf into many areas, thus increasing compile times as the compiler has to calculate which vis_leafs can see each other. Also, I split the level up by adding area portals to the stairs, so as to help improve performance as not all of the floors needed to be drawn at all times.
Week 17
During this week I managed the NPC scripting in the level, which wasn’t too difficult as most of it was simply making an enemy spawn and then attacking the player. One obstacle with this was sometimes the NPCs turned invisible once they had completed their scripted sequence, such as getting up from the ground. Solving this was as simple as using an alternate method to get the NPC to the player’s position. I also created the NPCs walking by certain doors in the level, adding to the fear aesthetics that Nick created during the previous week. I also helped optimize the map further by containing the skybox to areas outside the windows that the player could see (i.e. the street).
Week 18, Semester 2 Week 1
From the information Nick gathered from several play-tests he conducted with non-gamers, we came up with a new list of changes to be made in the level, in which I spent most of this week helping Matt make minor changes to the map when we met up for team meetings. These included such things as brush clipping, prop placements, adjustments to the NPC spawns and scripted parts of the map. In addition to this, I created the basics for the GUI the team will be using when testing participants, such as having the options for the first or second artefact, and Nick created the background image used on screen. Originally, we we going with the idea of having two buttons on the New Game option, that Nick also created, to allow the player to select the level, but when several problems appeared with this method, we changed to using the "Office 1" and "Office 2" ways of selecting the level now seen in the GUI.
This week started the day after the exam for the Games Theory module was finished.
The start of this week was mainly sorting out the initial creation of the level, based on the Visio diagrams. I created the initial geometry, while Nick and Matt provided some feedback on how the level was being created. Once done, I gave the map to Nick, who had been making custom materials; he then put all the textures on every surface of the level, so as to look like an actual office setting. In addition to this, I started to create some basic geometry for the office, such as the tables support pillars and the partition spaces within the second floor, filling parts of this with some basic decals on the walls.
Week 16
During this week I created the skirting boards, the interior windows and the doors seen through-out the level. I also helped refine parts of the Car Park, which Nick had initially worked on and built, by making it look somewhat more realistic, via some brush decor. In addition to this, I helped Nick by splitting the optimization 50/50, who did the vast majority of nodraws, leak checking and adjusting the fades on props. I changed most of the brushes func_detail, as to reduce the number of vis_leaf in certain areas. An example of this is as follows:
A simple square room with nothing inside it, would have a single vis_leaf. Another room with one or more brushes placed inside it would break the vis_leaf into many areas, thus increasing compile times as the compiler has to calculate which vis_leafs can see each other. Also, I split the level up by adding area portals to the stairs, so as to help improve performance as not all of the floors needed to be drawn at all times.
Week 17
During this week I managed the NPC scripting in the level, which wasn’t too difficult as most of it was simply making an enemy spawn and then attacking the player. One obstacle with this was sometimes the NPCs turned invisible once they had completed their scripted sequence, such as getting up from the ground. Solving this was as simple as using an alternate method to get the NPC to the player’s position. I also created the NPCs walking by certain doors in the level, adding to the fear aesthetics that Nick created during the previous week. I also helped optimize the map further by containing the skybox to areas outside the windows that the player could see (i.e. the street).
Week 18, Semester 2 Week 1
From the information Nick gathered from several play-tests he conducted with non-gamers, we came up with a new list of changes to be made in the level, in which I spent most of this week helping Matt make minor changes to the map when we met up for team meetings. These included such things as brush clipping, prop placements, adjustments to the NPC spawns and scripted parts of the map. In addition to this, I created the basics for the GUI the team will be using when testing participants, such as having the options for the first or second artefact, and Nick created the background image used on screen. Originally, we we going with the idea of having two buttons on the New Game option, that Nick also created, to allow the player to select the level, but when several problems appeared with this method, we changed to using the "Office 1" and "Office 2" ways of selecting the level now seen in the GUI.
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