BA7 - Plan for BA8

For BA8 (next terms project), i plan on doing an interactive Design Document for iPad where, along with text and images you can view animated slideshows of concept work with music, able to turn pages and us other interactive functions to reflect the game; the Design Document will be as interactive as the game idea would be if it were made.  I have been researching how i would go about this as well as interesting interactive documents to inspire me.  My favorite one is called WWF Together by AKQA, website found here.  AKQA is a marketing company that creates innovative and new interactive ways for businesses to reach out to the public.

If you are reading this and have an iPad, then go on and download WWF Together, its free!  There are different ways for the audience to interact with and move about the document.  Examples are that you can cut down trees by swiping your finger across the screen, 'clean' the screen by wiping the screen with your finger and swipe to move from left to right/up and down.  It has a clear theme, colour pallet and look to it - it shows origami and unfolding paper throughout its presentation, has a clean and modern look that is also in-keeping with the main colours of the WWF Logo = black and white.

This is meant for educational purposes, to get a message across.  Because of its simplistic and innovative design, many levels of interactivity and with it being imaged heavy instead of text heavy, it achieves to gain and maintain interest and visual attraction as well as educate the audience.  This is my primary influence for my final piece in BA8.  This is all well and good but the next problem arises; how on earth do i attempt to create something like that?! Well after doing some looking around, i think creating this in InDesign would be best.  I am no good at coding, as i could produce this in other software's such as Game Salad. So this may be the simplest and easiest way for me to create an interactive document as there are templates to use and can include music, animations and different interactive elements. If i create any animations, i will create them in Flash and possibly edit them in After Effects. I found some interesting tutorials to use and learn from for InDesign:

A list of various tutorials

How to create an animated rollover

How to create motion path animation

Basic animations tutorial

How to add flash animation

Tip on how to add music

BA7 - Visuals, The Judge

The Judge is the main character i have worked on to develop.  I started with this drawing whilst experimenting with different styles:

Because of the Egyptian influence on the story, i wanted the Judge to look like Anubis the Egyptian God of the Underworld.  I then went ahead and did some studies of Anubis statues and paintings.

I much preferred the '3D' look of the statues instead of the flat/'2D' looking initial drawing i did.  So i went ahead and compared the two styles side by side, and in the end went with the the more '3D' looking style.

BA7 - Visual Experimentation Development

Although i haven't been able to do as much as id like to with concept work, i have done some bits here and there with some experimentation!  Look at my previous posts on the world and characters for more information.

I started experimenting with some more graphic style drawings, inspired by the 'Backwater Gospel' animation.  In the end, I thought it was too dark for the theme that i wanted.

This graphic style then lead to the first design of the Judge.

I then came up with this style, being inspired by some art by ____

I could still incorporate this style to the final concept work.

Here, i experimented with some different styles for locations, first location concepts done, inspired by this image:

I then lead the concept style to be more colourful and artistic by using water colour to create blended effects.  They still have some graphic aspects to it with the use of dark blocked colours, but its more soft and colourful in places:

But when designing Rose, I much preferred this style which was inspired by the Winnie the Pooh illustrations,

But then having the two different styles put together creates an interesting visual contrast to the two different beings.

BA7 - Visuals, Rose

 I have finally done some initial sketches of the characters! Here are some early drawings of Rose that i have done.

Some Studies:

BA7 - Theory

I haven't discussed my initial ideas for this project, much of my thought process or discussed my written reflective journal entries. So, now i shall! I'll talk more in-depth about my research for my game idea as well as include selected scans from my journal.  I also have a name for this game idea, i'm still not sure of it bur for now its called 'My Tale: Rose'.

When coming up with 'My Tale: Rose', i had been playing the 'Year Walk' and the 'Rule of Rose' which heavily influenced and inspired me.  The setting, ambiance created and visuals from the 'Year Walk' is what i want to capture in 'My Tale: Rose', as well as having an interesting UI system to navigate the location.  The ambiance, game mechanics and story in the 'Rule of Rose' is very deep and symbolic, the kind of games i love and i want to create a similar deep and creepy game.

I knew i wanted something deep and controversial like the 'Rule of Rose', set and based on something real like the 'Year Walk'.  My very first idea was to have someone that died to find out who they were and how they died; having the player take the journey with the main character to uncover the story.  So, i then went off and did some research on Egyptian Mythology, which has now formed the basis of 'My Tale: Rose' and world setting.

More information can be found here about Egyptian Mythology on the afterlife.

I wanted to use the Egyptians views on the afterlife as the structure of 'My Tale: Rose' where a soul has to pass a trail set by the Gods in order to move  on to the afterlife.  When reading about the soul having to have a physical identity by means of preserving the body an idea came to me - what if the main character died with their body being mutilated, so their soul didn't have an identity.  You went through the game as a shadow trying to figure out who you were/are, how you died and claim back your identity.  Here is a first initial sketch of this idea.  It was scrapped later on as i thought it would be too complicated.








In order to structure the the game, i wanted to also ground that on something real and have it in chapters/be episodic like in the 'Rule of Rose'; having the game episodic breaks up the flow game for the player, detaching the players experience from reality.  I was heavily inspired in the 'Rule of Rose' by the use of the stories, their illustrations, the meaning of the content of the stories and the objective for the player to find all the missing story book pages in order to progress through the game.  In 'My Tale: Rose', there will also be story books with stories where you have to collect the missing pages in order to progress.  The books structure and game structure is based around the 5 stages of loss and grief.  More information can be found here.

I then went and structured out the game (on the right).  Each stage of loss and grief is a story which is set in a location.  Ideas of the story titles and set locations are on the right.













And here is an example of one of the stories that is still being worked on:

I then went to look into different murder cases to possibly find something to add to the story.  At this point, i did decide that the main character would be a young girl called Rose, who had a best friend who was a toy Rabbit that would follow and help her in the game.  Looking up these different murder cases was pretty morbid, but i think it added some depth to the game idea.

I then went on to came up and finalize the game structure (left) as well as a possible ending and a sort of 'symbolism-inception' (right):

To add character to Rose, i thought about what made mine and others childhood.  Things like certain sweets, certain toys, family traditions etc. and then coming up with a list for what makes Rose's childhood:

I then decided on the platform 'My Tale: Rose' would be on (iPad iOS) and some possible mechanics to be used on the iPad.  On the left, i compare and contrast pros and cons of having the game on PC and iOS.  On the right, I think of possible mechanics to use on the iPad.

BA7 - CS

For all my work i mainly used a reflective journal/note book to write down and explore ideas - this most definitely being the case for Contextual Studies.  So i have scanned the pages i have used for exploring ideas for my work.  As well as researching and completing my Research Report, i frequently sent my work to my tutors and got feedback to work from.  Hopefully you can read whats on the scans, but i will explain whats happening with ideas, thought process and decisions made.

The first post i have done!  I was not sure what topic to write about and at the early stages.  I started off thinking about writing about either 'The Brain on Games' or about 'Human and Non-Human Companions in Games'.  I decided to choose 'Human and Non-Human Companions in Games.', so i went and bullet pointed the main aspects of the subject i wanted to explore.  I chose that topic because it was easier to try and achieve than the other one and it also relates closer to my Studio Work.

Continuing my research for 'Human and Non-Human Companions in Games', i was curious as to the psychology of companionship in both human and non-human relationships.  So i started by gathering some information by reading a book called Psychology: The Science of the Mind and Behavior by Richard Gross.  I went ahead and made notes!

I completed 250 word plan of what i waned to do for the 'Human and Non-Human Companions in Games' topic, but then soon scrapped it.  I wasn't completely settled on that topic to write about; i felt like it wouldn't work out.  So, i changed my topic!  After researching ideas for my Studio Work, i came up with the topic 'Symbolism in Games'.  Here i went ahead and explored the idea, noting down games that use symbolism in its game design and story.

Here, i am roughly structuring and planning out the topic to see if it would work and if i was settled on it.

I then went to the University Library to do some research.  I went ahead and noted down some books that could be useful.  Only 2 were which are circled.  I went ahead and read as much as i could of the two books and with the use of sticky notes, marked on the book possible quotes i could use.

Here i finally structure a more finalized frame work of the Research Report before writing a 250 word plan.  I then went on to write a number of drafts and worked on the feedback i got given, as well as finding more research for my Research Report.

BA7 - some game play points and functions!

Here are a list of points about the look of the game, potential game play functions and main game features:

• focusing on immersion, nothing to distract the player from the immersion i.e. no maps or buttons on screen
• the player is encouraged to interact as much with the environment as possible, such as playing with leaves, splashing water, open/close doors, turn on lights, tap on glass and even pet Dodger
• shadows will represent/replace people that should be there i.e. in shops
• it is creep and lonely - use of having a shadow figure following you, making you see things (like in Dear Esther)
• light and colour play a big part in setting the mood by having an individual colour scheme for each location and having the use of flushes (A Single Man)
• having Dodger as a guide and overseer - asking Rose questions which determines the ending
• Each story chapter relates to Rose and the stage of loss and grief she is currently at
• The stories are completed by finding all the missing pages in the locations- by finding them all you continue to the next location
• When someones speaking there are no words, just sounds (like in The Legend Of Zelda) subtitles are included
• there is no obviously set location or language = more things for the player to interperate and is more relateable
• want a solitude and alone experience
• can talk to Dodger to find out what you last did and access inventory