Month: June 2023

INTRO

In the post-production stage of game development, there are important factors to consider. These include improving gameplay mechanics, enhancing performance and graphics, fixing any bugs or problems, adding sound and music, refining visual elements, improving user interfaces, conducting quality testing, and ensuring compatibility on various platforms. Gathering feedback from playtesters is crucial to make necessary adjustments and enhance the overall gaming experience.

Final work distribution

Scene	Layout & Coding	Sound
– Main menu	Jason	Alan zhang
– Normal & Weird Room	Margarita &Jason	–
– skyscraper	Margarita	alanzhang
– day & night Clown scene	Jason & Margarita	alan zhang
– hallway scene	Margarita	–
– Credit scene	Jason	alanzhang

I

Adding Sound And Music

I would like to express my gratitude to Allen Zhang, the dedicated member of the Sound Art team who consistently attended our collaboration class. His continuous efforts to improve his work and provide timely updates on the sound elements greatly facilitated my project. In a horror game, sound plays a crucial role, and Allen’s contributions were instrumental in enhancing the overall experience.

GamePlay

Feedback From Playtest _Student

Getting feedback from playtesters is crucial for enhancing the experience of my VR horror game. By listening to their suggestions, I make necessary adjustments to make the game scarier and more immersive. Playtesters provide valuable insights on creating a chilling atmosphere and strategically timing the sounds to build suspense and fear. they are all got scared Their feedback helps me fine-tune the game, ensuring that players feel the desired level of horror and suspense at the perfect moments.

Feedback From Playtest _Tutor

Once again, I would like to express my gratitude, Herman, for your invaluable help. The tutorial and recordings you shared on Moodle were clear and immensely helpful. We are fortunate to have you as our teacher, guiding us through this project.

The feedback you provided after playtesting our game was extremely important. It allowed me to identify areas that needed improvement and make necessary adjustments. Your insights and guidance have played a significant role in shaping the overall quality and experience of the game. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our learning.

Final Gameplay Video

Since I have not yet established my YouTube channel, the gameplay video that will be available differs from the video below. The one below is the recording we made specifically for the presentation.

Critical Appraisal

Art and Visuals:

Main menu

A well-designed main menu in a game is essential. The main menu is where players begin their game and find important information and guidance. One key aspect is teaching players how to use the game’s controls through induction. This helps them become familiar with the rules and navigate the game easily.

The main menu is also a great place to include cautionary messages, especially for VR games. These messages remind players about potential risks like motion sickness and the importance of taking breaks. By including these warnings, developers show that they care about player safety.

A well-designed main menu not only creates a smooth and user-friendly experience but also prioritizes player comfort and safety. It sets the tone for the game, providing essential information and precautions, and ultimately improves the overall gaming experience.

Here is the main menu I made for the game.

Clown Scene_Day time

In the “Clown Scenes Day Time” scene of the game, I drew inspiration from Thorpe Park in London to create a chill and cosy vibe. I utilized the terrain to sculpt the shape of the hillside and incorporated an amusement park package from Taobao, customizing it with vibrant colours. Additionally, I added characters from Maximo to enhance the atmosphere of the scene.

Clown Scene_night time

In the clown scene, I created a chilling and eerie atmosphere by incorporating white and green-coloured lights. These lights added an unsettling vibe to the surroundings. For the background music, I carefully selected a track that enhanced the suspense and tension throughout the scene.

I incorporated three jump scares to intensify the horror experience. The first jump scare occurred when the player triggered a certain event, causing the clown to disappear with a sinister laugh. Then, unexpectedly, the clown appeared and crawled on the road, adding a startling moment. Another jump scare happened when the player reached a specific area, causing the carousel to start spinning with the clown suddenly appearing on it, only to disappear moments later.

To progress further, players had to walk a certain distance to a deserted room and choose one of the doors, leading to the next level. As the player moved past the carousel, the street lights on the side of the road would turn off and then turn on again, creating a sense of unease. During this moment, a clown would flash briefly, adding a quick scare. Finally, the swing in the scene would sway and emit eerie noises on its own, enhancing the unsettling atmosphere.

Overall, the clown scene aimed to deliver a terrifying and memorable experience, incorporating well-timed jump scares, atmospheric lighting, and haunting background music.

Player feedback after final presentation

Abhay, our playtester for the presentation, provided valuable feedback for our game (Thank you, Abhay!). Despite being aware of some of the jumpscares in advance, he still found the overall experience successful and engaging. However, there are also some problems we need to improve. Firstly, there was a humorous moment when he couldn’t reach the ladder in one scene. Additionally, in the 3 doors stage, there was an issue with the activation of lights or the visibility of an image. I’m unsure if Abhay was looking in the wrong spot or if there was a bug, but I will investigate and fix it before submitting the project.

The Sound

The collaboration with the Sound Art group students did not meet the expected level of cooperation. Unfortunately, they did not provide all the required sounds for our project, except for Alan Zhang who contributed to the clown scene and main menu scene.

Fortunately, after the final presentation, I received valuable feedback from both the teacher and fellow students who playtested our game. This feedback provided valuable insights on how to enhance these scenes, particularly considering the horror experience we aimed to deliver.

Taking the feedback into account, I made adjustments to the clown’s animation timing and changed the triggering location for the clown’s exit. I made these changes to make the game more immersive and realistic for players.

I’m grateful to Alan Zhang for providing the sounds, which saved me the time and effort of searching for them online.

Sources

Group

In this blog, we explore the exciting collaboration between We and Margarita, VR students, as we collaborate with Sound Art students to create a captivating VR game. We aim to develop an immersive experience that lasts 10-15 minutes, entirely in VR. The Sound Art students will play a crucial role by providing immersive sounds that enhance the gameplay, showcasing the incredible impact sound can have in a VR game.

There are seven people in our group:

• Jason Cui (BA Virtual Reality)
• Margarita (BA Virtual Reality)
• Hanrui Zhang (BA Sound Arts)
• Si ting Wang (BA Sound Arts)
• Ties Linssen(BA Sound Arts)
• Harvey Young (BA Sound Arts)
• Bohang Zhang (BA Sound Arts)

Conceptualization And Idea Generation

Game Design And Documentation

Game mechanics in a VR game are the rules and interactions that define how players can move, interact with the virtual environment, and achieve goals. the purpose is to make the game more immersive and entertaining most importantly easy to play.

• The walking mechanic was implemented automatically in all scenes except for the Main Menu. In the Main Menu, the walking mechanic was deactivated as it was deemed unnecessary. – All Scene

• The Raycast mechanic is a gameplay feature used in the game. It allows players to interact with specific elements by looking at them. In the game, this mechanic is utilized in the last stage of the clown scene (night), where players can activate objects (clowns) by simply directing their gaze at them. – Clown scene

• The active object mechanic is specifically designed to activate objects upon collision. One such example is the activation of clowns in the clown scene (night) and the Credits scene. – Clown Scene

• The grab object mechanic is associated with the parent mechanic for interactable elements in the game, It enables players to pick up and hold objects that have the interactable script implemented. -IN THE CLOWN SCENE, CREDIT SCENE.

• The pop menu mechanic is present in all scenes except for the Main Menu. It is triggered by pressing the Y button on the left-hand controller. This mechanic has the ability to significantly alter the game’s progression by allowing the player to access other levels or return to the main menu.

Team Formation and Resource Planning

here is what we did to identify and acquire necessary resources, tools, and assets.