Link to final game trailer showing gameplay, environment and cinematic scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY4cXJEdGaA
Synopsis:
Above is a link to my final piece for this module. This module has challenged me to learn new software in a short space of time which has been extremely beneficial to me. Software such as Unity and Motion Builder are used today in the gaming industry and I have now learnt the basics of both software's and created a level one game. For my game I drew on inspirations of popular 3rd person games released today. Games such as 'Tomb Raider' and 'Far Cry' are very interesting and immersive games with large interactive environments which the character can explore. My game in turn took on a similar adventure island setting as these did. Due to the time restrictions of this module, I had to create a quick but full environment in the space of a few weeks.Some aspects such as the trees and the 'shanty town' buildings were free downloadable objects on the Unity Asset store. The terrain however was sculpted by me and all objects and textures were then applied by myself. I also experimented with creating my own textures in Adobe Photoshop CS6. If I had longer I would have liked to have modeled my own buildings, I intend to do this at a later date as I will continue working on this game after this deadline. As a result of never building my own interactive environment before, this while process has been a huge learning curve and I have benefited greatly from this module.
As the main feature of a game is to have a playable character, I looked to Motion capture data in order to correctly animate my Model. Motion Builder is another new Software platform in which I have learnt this semester. It has helped me become familiar with motion capture footage and I have learnt how to redirect that movement onto my own character. Problems arose in this process as certain data, when connected to my character, would rotate some joint 180-360 degrees which in turn ruined part of the animation. This often happened when the first frame of the motion capture data was not standing in a T-Pose position. I created a number of run and walk cycles in Motion builder using motion capture but only used two in my project as they looked the most realistic and had the least software related problems.
Unity Animation:
Unity has it's own motion capture animator mecanim system which similar to motion Builder redirects movement data onto your own character. In order to make my game playable I used this system which has very basic movements such as walk,run,jump and crouch cycles. These animations can be replaced by your own animations in the blend tree animator system. I added both my run and walk cycles into the system but came across many problems. One problem was that the cycles would not move forward across the x and z axis. Also the looped cycles did not then transfer to other cycles and would stay on that one particular cycle. For example the walk cycle would not then go on to a run cycle or an idle pose. Another problem faced was that the animation would run but would cover double the distance in one short cycle, making the character accelerate far too quickly around the environment. As a result of this I used Unity's Mecanim Animation data on my own character in the scene and used my motion capture data in my cinematic trailer.
During gameplay some issues still need addressing such as the when my character crouches, part of her jacket is not influenced and so does not move down with the rest of the body. I intend to correct these issues this summer.
In order to make my game trailer I created and modeled a small scene in Maya in which my character would reside. I modeled crates,barrels, wooden poles and a small gun for this scene and then assigned appropriate materials. This scene was created to add drama and mystery to the game trailer, to entice people and make them want to know more about this project. For this scene I set up and experimented with directional lights and spotlights in order to create a moody and dark atmosphere. Five cameras were then added with animation to render out the footage in a typical game trailer style.
After my game was completed as best I could with the time given, I was then able to render and video it. I downloaded a software called 'Fraps' which enables you to video live gameplay with good quality and also tell you what the frame rate of the game is as you play it. I imported these videos into Adobe After Effects CS6 and made my game play trailer along with fade in and out effects to add interesting dynamics to the video.I have chosen the song 'Heartbreak Hotel' by 'Viva Elvis' to accompany my game trailer as it is a very powerful song with a strong beat which keeps the viewer interested as they watch the showreel. Also the beginning of the song offers a very eerie and dark feel to the piece which enables my character to have a dramatic entrance.
There are many things I still need to improve on such as being able to edit motion capture data in Motion Builder so that when animation is re directed onto a character, the joints do not change rotation. I also need to build up my modelling skills in Maya so I can create my own buildings and objects. I will continue to learn Unity's animator mecanim system and fix my own animation data so that my character can move around the environment correctly on the x and z axis.
My main goals for this module were to learn software needed in the industry, create an interactive environment and learn how to use motion capture data in my animations. To complete these goals I have used Motion Builder 2014, Maya 2014, Unity 5.0, Adobe Photoshop CS6, Adobe After effects CS6 and Fraps. My game is now playable with working animation and an interactive environment, as a result of this I am very happy that I have managed to learn all these new software's and create a playable game in five months. The software I have been using is also used heavily in the industry and is asked for on many job and internship applications, therefore this has now enhanced my CV and will help me to secure good job opportunities. However I will continue to improve on aspects of the game to further increase my knowledge and experience.
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