Environment Description

[MrClemBETA]

Description

Determine the different locations required for the narrative. Research a way to accurately describe the environments to our environment creators.

Requirements

• Environment Description Template
• List of environments for the narrative
• Major and important features
• Sketches of the environments

[SalimRizk]

Today I mostly looked over the story and tried to find what the environment would look like. Then, I researched different environments we could use for the story.

[Pachvco]

I read the story of the Twine file, to get an understanding of the what the environment should look like. I am thinking about taking some inspiration from the Legend of Zelda temples perhaps from Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, or Skyward Sword. Perhaps when Andrew arrives to the Ancient Ruins, there is an Oasis to the right with some Palm trees and Ironwood Trees surrounding the Oasis. To make the Desert feel not as empty, place some Joshua Trees and Ironwood Trees around the Ancient Ruins.

[Pachvco]

The desert has heatwaves to show the immense heat that plunges the environment. Right outside the ruins, a set of Hieroglyphs (on the left side of the ruin's entrance) gives out a mystical blue aura, it is the player's choice to decide whether or not they want to interact with the glyphs. When Andrew first walks inside the Ancient Ruins, the inside looks damp; there is a howling wind that plays throughout the ruins to serve as a bit of ambience. Andrew is walking down the hallway, some beams of sunlight enter through holes in the ceiling, giving out light through the ruins. Throughout the hallway, there are hieroglyphs on each wall, some of them read out "Beware of the dangers in these ruins". Easily read by torches planted in a consistent row on the walls.

[SalimRizk]

After deciding on the oasis environment and certain types of trees that would fit. I feel like a temple would be a good entrance for Andrew. We can also research on more detailed or specific templets for the game. We can find the templets using something life youtube or google.

[MrClemBETA]

@SalimRizk @Pachvco excellent work here. Is there a formal document template that we can use that consistently describe a setting that our environment developers can use?

[Pachvco]

I found an Environment Description Template that we could use to more easily describe environments that could be used in the game, but I don't know if this would work. I might have to do some more research on this website.
Link: (https://milanote.com/templates/game-design/game-world-building).

Edit: It works

[SalimRizk]

Today I tried to research some more potential environments that would work with the game. I found a few pictures online of what could work.

[Pachvco]

I wrote down some treasures/goodies that Andrew could find such as gold, silver, a meteorite dagger, and of course, the artifact that Andrew came for.

Might research some more items that Andrew can find such as food/health items, more weapons and resources.

[Pachvco]

I have made some templates for what Andrew's house might look like (only in cutscene) and an underground environment for when/if Andrew gets thrown into the Ruin's prison.

Currently brainstorming some other locations that appear inside the cave such as a treasure room with a Sarcophagus (perhaps the player can inspect the coffin and maybe learn some more lore?). Some rooms that are filled with traps that can include dodging spears/arrows, learning a pattern that Andrew has to follow, or platforming over a bottomless pit.

[Pachvco]

Salim and I have come up with 2 more environments, courtesy of Tyler, such as the Prison room, the treasure room that contains the artifact, some gold and silver coins, and perhaps some weapons that Andrew can choose to carry, and finally the trap room that starts off with a humongous that contains a bottomless pit with some ledges that stick out of the walls that Andrew must jump across. After Andrew traverses that room, the room ahead turns into a small hallway that contains traps such as flying arrows, multiple guillotines swinging at different rhythms, and some spikes that Andrew must jump over to continue. At the end of the booby-trapped hallway is the puzzle room that we are currently brainstorming on what should be in it.

[SalimRizk]

With the help of Freddy, we came up with a few more environments for the game. We used Tyler to give us specific ideas for how the game is supposed to look like. We specified with different categories like Geography, climate, resources, architecture, and Transport and infrastructure. My personal favorite was the treasure room and how there is a slight breeze even when its underground. It also has hidden traps so not just anyone can get in.

[Pachvco]

Puzzle Room template is still a work in progress. canvas_environmental-description-template-231031_1723.pdf

[Pachvco]

We have made some changes to the Puzzle Room, and we have added a template for what the hallways should look like. We will keep adding some more templates later on. canvas_environmental-description-template-231102_1717.pdf

[SalimRizk]

Today I continued on making more environment like the desert hallways. After asking Tyler, he said that we do not need many environments and what we have is enough. Also, I tweaked the other environments and helped switch positioning of all the descriptions.

[Pachvco]

We have come up with 3 door concepts for now and are planning to add more in the future, perhaps different designs for each door?

[Pachvco]

Made some changes on how the hallway works.

[SalimRizk]

Today I researched more about how the hallways should be designed and looked up more pictures. Freddy and I also discussed if there should a cutscene between when the character enters and the loading screen. I think that we should add a variation of doors and hallways so the game does not seem boring. For example, there could be sliding doors ,hidden doors, and regular doors. These can give some personality and make the game more fun.

[Pachvco]

Added some more details for the 3 doors, currently planning to add more designs, such as more hieroglyphs.

[SalimRizk]

Today there was not much to do. So, I did some more research on different domains and found a few more pictures that I added to the templet. I did some more reading of the templet and made sure everything was fine. I also added some more details as some did not seem to be specific.

[Pachvco]

I Asked Tyler if I could make a little Easter Egg nod to Revenge of the Mummy and with his approval, I formed up a little idea to access the secret room, which requires you to hold left when activating the scene of Andrew walking into the pitch-dark Hallway. Might give the room some little goodies to ensure the room is not entirely out of place.

[Pachvco]

Made some changes to some of the environments and have pushed a commit to the branch.

[Pachvco]

Added some more minor details to environments and found some different ways to open up doors.

[Pachvco]

Added some Battle Backgrounds for some of the areas when Andrew gets into a fight. Will continue to add some more later on.

[Pachvco]

https://www.sharpcoderblog.com/blog/unity-3d-minimap-tutorial Found a nice tutorial on how to make a mini-map for the game, I am sure that if we tweak the design of the mini-map, it will fit nicely into the game.

[Pachvco]

Another good tutorial for a mini-map. https://youtu.be/28JTTXqMvOU?si=eqUy99wXVDj8_2xO

[Pachvco]

24 Minute tutorial on making a mini-map that shows one floor at a time if your game includes multiple floors. https://youtu.be/3HIQu2GsOJs?si=oOHoJ2IONmEPc1c5

[Pachvco]

Currently trying to find a way to include not only a mini map but also a map that the player can pull up that shows the entire current area that they are in.

[Pachvco]

Another tutorial for a mini map, I can't find a tutorial for a main menu map sadly. https://youtu.be/1WmbcI5o7Zg?si=3ZqjJcOidSz11NbD

[Pachvco]

Forgot to write this yesterday but I've been working on finding items that the player could find in the dungeon and surrounding environments, also including a shop keeper.

[Pachvco]

I have included some gems that the player could sell to the shopkeeper to acquire gold coins.

[Pachvco]

Added some items that the player is unable to pickup, here's a sneak peak of the entire list. Edit: Nevermind, filesize is too big.

[Pachvco]

Still looking for tutorials to make a map for the pause menu/inventory menu, I am beginning to believe that this type of map option does not exist.

[Pachvco]

I found an answer, but it was from using the Bing A.I. chat feature and I am sure the code it gives out will conflict with the code that has been made. However, even if it did work and nothing conflicted, I believe using A.I. to make code for the game (or any game in general) is not a good idea. I will continue to look and see if I can find any article/blog/tutorial on how to make this map.

[Pachvco]

I couldn't find an answer to the menu map, but a cool way the mini map could work is through a Unity effect called "Fog of War". What Fog of War does is that all the areas that the player has not explored yet, will appear darkened out in the mini map. Once the player has reached the areas that are darkened out in the mini map, it will begin to clear up and will then stay permanently lit to signify that the player has been in the area before.

Tutorial I found on how this works and it explains it better than I did: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnER3bD7LbA

[Pachvco]

I found a free Fog of War effect without having to pay money for it.

AOS Fog of War: https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/vfx/shaders/fullscreen-camera-effects/aos-fog-of-war-249249#description

[Pachvco]

Added some more weapons, mostly pristine and rusty weapons. Pristine weapons do more damage than their rusty counterparts.

[Pachvco]

I have added the health potions to the template, their healing may vary depending on certain factors. I might add potions that restore a party member's Mana to make sure a player cannot use the same move indefinitely. Whenever a potion is used, the party member that is attacking uses the potion on either themself or on a party member of the player's choice. After the potion is used, that party member's turn is finished.

[Pachvco]

After consulting with Tyler, the mana potions will be discarded. Special moves can be used without any cost.

[Pachvco]

Have finished creating the models for the Ruby and Amethyst and have sent them to the game_models branch in ArtAssets.

[Pachvco]

Currently working on the Potion Models.