Between last time I posted and now, I have done some final user testing on the game.

Below is my documentation video

Ex Libris Description

Within classic storytelling, archetypes exist that cross language barriers. An example of this is the three bowls of steaming porridge representing the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Ex Libris is a computer game that looks at how environments can aid narrative. The game advances research into environmental storytelling aims to expand the understanding of how we as designers can hint and suggest at stories within a level design setting.
This description will take a brief overview of various aspects of Ex Libris, including background, story, aesthetics and game-play.
The origins of Ex Libris have its roots in the Tim Burton film, The Nightmare before Christmas and the computer game, American McGee’s Alice. In both of these examples there is a strong gothic atmosphere that has its base in children’s stories and fairy tales, creating its own world amongst established literary classics. In addition to a solid narrative both of these works incorporate their own distinctive aesthetic style. It was in considering these concepts and ideas, that Ex Libris was conceived.
Within this notion of a strong narrative the plot of Ex Libris’ harks back to the traditional themes. The story follows the journey of an unnamed character that finds a manor house deep within a forest. While exploring the manor the unnamed character comes to the realisation that the establishment is a retirement home for fairy tale characters. The unnamed character or player takes it upon themselves to save the imprisoned fairy tale characters from the decaying environment of the retirement institution. This is all done whilst attempting to avoid supernatural traps in the manor house.
As stated previously, the aesthetics of the game were strongly influenced by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas and American McGee’s Alice. However other influences include The Elder Scrolls IV, Oblivion and Pan’s Labyrinth. All of these works have a strong emphasis on environment, atmosphere and history.
The visual aesthetics that Ex Libris portrays are that of gothic horror with a hint of Victorian styling. These elements are there to give Ex Libris a sense of history and mythology.
The intent of the visual components is to provide the feeling that the player is a small part of a larger mysterious world. The visuals having a solid foundation in children’s stories and fairy tales. It is important that this connection is re affirmed throughout the game to give clarity and consistency to the overriding concept, so avoiding fragmentation of ideas. One of the main ways Ex Libris achieves this is by giving the illusion that the visual athestics look like a drawing on a piece of old parchment. This was done to give the effect that the player was looking at an illustration from an old children’s fairy tale book. This was also achieved by the making the visuals detailed and relevant to the setting thereby keeping a strong level of continuity whilst maintaining a hand drawn antique look. In this context tone and atmospherics were used as key elements in Ex Libris, shaping the mood of the game to the past using sepia colouring. Lighting was also used as a key element in the game-play.
Another way the visual aesthetics imbues Ex Libris with history is by using worn furniture and dusty cobwebs. By having various pieces of clutter in the level we are provided with a semblance that the manor was once inhabited but is now abandoned.
Above all the visual aesthetics enhance the atmosphere of the game, while giving it a unique feel and identity of its own.
The game-play is a mix of knowledge and puzzles that test the players understanding of children’s stories and fairy tales. The way Ex Libris undertakes this is by a simple question and answer method. After finding a damaged story book, the player must repair it by correctly matching well known fairy tale objects to the stories. After repairing the three books the player can exit the manor and win the game. If the player gets the wrong answer the player will be tortured and sent back to the last save point. However the player is given clues to help them solve the puzzles of the books at hand. An entry level of some basic European folk, fairy tale knowledge is required to play this game. In essence the game-play combines adventure based puzzles with a dash of general knowledge and a smattering of survival horror.
In conclusion Ex Libris is a mature adventure horror game which tests the players knowledge of traditional European based fairy tales. It provides the player with a mysterious yet achievable quest in an unusual and visually intriguing setting.

Also I have added in two new features to the game.

• A quit button to get you back to the main menu while in game-play.
• A ladder to get you up to the higher book shelves .

Also On Monday I need to talk to my lecturer about credits.

In addition I have cut the three little pigs content the reason for this was to insure a consistent quality in this project. As I don’t think the present content is working in the game.

Below is more general list of things to

• Introduction
• prologue
• Controls Introduction
• Credits
• An opening animated book
• Updated bookcases.
• Tighten up controls.
• Suitcase object script: A script that allows a suitcase contains all three books.
  
• Texture swapping script: For prologue
• New voice acting.
• ladder for the library
• New portraits.
• New consequence
• Polished up existing consequences.

Below Are screenshots

The Three bears

Rumpelstiltskin

Also I have started my documentation today. below is a list of things I need to do before Thursday.

• 600- 800 word description of the game. started today.
• 1-2 minute video of my assignment.
• Authored DVD with my video.
• Data DVD with all my final working ,standalone games and documentation.
• 3 – 4 high rez Images.
• A read me file for the game.
• DVD packaging for the Authored DVD and the Data DVD.

More posts coming soon.

In this post I will Just give a brief update of what i Have done this week.

Below Is a list of things to do for the game.

• Introduction
• prologue
• Controls Introduction
• Credits
• An opening animated book
• Updated bookcases.
• Tighten up controls.
• Suitcase object script: A script that allows a suitcase contains all three books.
  
• Texture swapping script: For prologue
• New voice acting.
• New portraits.
• New consequence
• Polished up existing consequences.

More updates coming soon.

Here is a list of things I Still Have to fo for the final game.

• User testing  to refine game-play.
• No characters.
• More Consequences for the player for making a wrong move.
• Introduction and prologue and credits .
• An opening animated book
• Re-texture: Straw bookcase
• Re-texture: Sticks bookcase
• Re-texture: Brick bookcace

Also I have taken this opportunity to re-look at my gantt chart.

http://tomrevill.net/files/BetaGanttTomRevil.pdf

Brave New World

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Is an interesting read. I liked this book because of its juxtaposition between humanity and a totalitarian government.

Also I enjoyed Aldous Huxleys description of the world, compelling characters and imaginative story.   However  I found the end of the book quite depressing.

This book looks like it inspired the film Equilibrium as well as one of the first modern post-apocalyptic stories out there.  This book was definitely worth my time to read  as it provides allot of inspiration for future game projects. As well as all this It was great to have a chance to read some old school science fiction that gets you to think differently about how the world could have been.

The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee

The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee by Jared Diamond, talks allot about sustainability as well as  evolution. This book takes a good third of the book introducing you to various problems faced today and compares them to problems of the past. I think this book needs a Sequel because  the last few chapters are great, and it seems like Jared Diamond comes more of advocate of the environment.
What is interesting about this book is that it shows humans are slow learners, when it comes to the taking care of the planet. Also I was intrigued to learn about art and what context it had to evolution, especially in relation to the bowerbird.

This book is good introduction to evolution if you have not read Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. This book also makes me realise on how much we still have to do to save the planet.

• Finish up the art work
• Intuitive game-play: i.e. guiding the player down a set path with clues.
• User testing  to refine game-play.
• No characters.
• Consequences for the player for making a wrong move.
• Introduction and prologue and credits .

So with this in mind I will break down each point

Finish up the art work

Below is a list of thing I want to model up

• An opening animated book
• A ripped page from a book
• A satchel to take the books of the library
• a retirement home sign for the out side of the house.
• Re-texture: Straw bookcase
• Re-texture: Sticks bookcase
• Re-texture: Brick bookcace
• A blocked up cave.
• More dense forest.

Intuitive game-play: i.e. guiding the player down a set path with clues.

Below is  list of possible of way the I could use as clues.

• Matching Sounds to together e.g.  Two objects would emit the same sound.
• Tanking portraits that would relay hints.
• Different lighting on significant objects.

User testing to refine game-play.

Some time Before Beta Presentation I want to show my game to some other students who have no knowledge of this game  in order to get some feed back.

No characters.

The reason why I am not going to  have  any characters is to make the game more creepy.

Consequences for the player for making a wrong move.

Below is  list of possible of ways the player could be punished for making the wrong decision.

• Turned into frog
• Turned into a woof
• Turned in a book.
• Eaten by books.
• Poisoned by the spinning wheel
• Distorted gravity.

Introduction and prologue and credits .

This is so I can give my game more context. At the moment I want to make some text based opening.

Here is a list of objects that still need to be done.

• An opening animated book
• A satchel to take the books of the library
• a retirement home sign for the out side of the house.
• Re-texture: Straw bookcase
• Re-texture: Sticks bookcase
• Re-texture: Brick bookcace

At the moment  I have altered  the game-play slightly. The game-play  will consist of the  player repairing  broken books by touching books with fairy tale Characters, books, ect. Then the player must but them in to a satchel and take the satchel out of the library in order to finish the game.

With alpha presentation tomorrow (September 28th) I went over my Gantt chart. below is a link to this modified and up dated Gantt chart.

http://tomrevill.net/files/NewGanttUpdated_TomRevill.pdf

One of the three little pigs

Little Red riding Hood

In ythe game these characters will be asleep in the library. With the three little pigs I will make one model and then re-texture the character In order to save time. I still need to draw a concept for Rumpelstiltskin but for the time being I have enough to be getting on with.

I Hope to have these characters done by the end of this week.

So now I have a dynamic filter on the camera. In addition to that an object switching script that has a particle transition.

For those who are interested here is a link to a excellent Unity tutorial http://forum.unity3d.com/viewtopic.php?t=28433&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=particle

Below are a list of components that I have done in code.

Door script code/load level code – done.
Repair book script – done.
Filter script – to do.

My main problem at the moment is that I am trying to get two C# scripts to communicate with each other but I cant find out how to do it. in unity 3D I hope that tomorrow I can talk to my lecture and get some help on this.