FINAL EVALUATION*

Now that my project is complete, I am able to reflect upon it in it's entirety - looking back at all of my work and my final product.

I have successfully created a fully playable game, as I intended to, and I have utilized my research through it.

MY CONTEXT

The intention of my project was to bridge the gap between my current work and the work I will be doing studying Game Art at Falmouth University. I understood that creating a game from scratch would allow me to incorporate work such as illustration and animation whilst learning how to navigate game engines and coding.

I chose the theme Greek Mythology due to my interest in the subject, my prior knowledge on the subject and the wealth of stories available to explore.

Through my research, I built upon my knowledge and understanding of Greek Mythology. I used this to inform my game concept, individual levels, plot, interactions with Zeus, locations etc. This is evidenced this on my website, where I have presented my research, showing the analysis that I have used to develop my project.

I still feel confident in my decision to create a game from scratch, from this experience I can be more efficient using Unity in future, which as intended will give me a head start in University. If I could have approached the project differently, I would have used Unreal Engine, as I found that despite the majority of my sources claiming that they were very similar - Unreal is much better to navigate and create due to the simplified coding system.

MY RESEARCH

Within my project I have used different forms of research, using a variety of sources to inform me. For my initial academic research, I used the internet to learn more about different myths and the interpretations of them. From there I started my primary research, creating a series of sketches and illustrations which investigated the visual aspects of my project. As I narrowed down my concept for the game, my research became more specific; such as Zeus' shape shifting or

I also used a podcast that explored Greek Mythology to inform my research.

The majority of my research was related to Unity and coding in C# script. At the start of my project I researched and tested the game mechanics I wanted to include. Because of the nature of the project, I have researched up until the end. My research for coding has been continuous as I had to investigate errors, specific functions, methods etc. This research uses research provided by Unity as well as using notable coders in the community.

I am very happy with the quantity of research I have achieved, as well as the research pages I have created. I find a lot of freedom in using a digital 'sketchbook', as it allows me to engage with my research through presentation. Some of my favorite research pages are the Coding page, the Shape Shifting page and the Medusa page. I feel that I have elevated my presentation this year.

PROBLEM SOLVING

Problem solving was greatly explored in my coding. I have spent a lot of this project consulting various sources to resolve errors in my code. This could be something as simple as a missing semi-colon at the end of a statement, or vague errors that require significant investigation to understand the source of the error.

Many problems would stem further than my code, such as within the inspector.

One of my biggest obstacles was the corruption of my Medusa scene. Due to the corruption. Despite the scripts and assets being untouched, the level took many days to fix. I had to find solutions to problems which I no longer had the answer to. Many problems I had encountered previously had to be tackled entirely differently. Such as Medusa herself, who would not move correctly or the projectiles that functioned incorrectly. I managed to not only fix all problems within the new level, but then progress past where I had been before the corruption.

I also explored problem solving in my assets, such as the options menu, which I had to alter due to the mute function becoming obsolete and in turn making the options menu pointless. I decided to change the menu into 'controls' and I edited the old menu to do so.

I am pleased with the solutions I have found and how I have managed to create a successful game despite them. If I had extra time I would have revisited the Medusa level to find a solution to the sprays of projectiles which I was unable to resolve. However, in the context of my project, I recognize the importance of efficiency and focusing on the bigger picture.

PLANNING & PRODUCTION

My planning is evidenced in my sketches and illustrations that explore level concepts. These use simple shapes to describe the environment and game mechanics, and annotations to explain my intentions. They also explore concepts for the UI (User Interface).

Later in the project, I used the application MS Paint to help me visualize and plan my code and mechanics. An example of this is my Medusa level where I needed to plan where each object would be, which objects would interact and the directions objects would move in. I used different colours to describe the game objects and labeled the keys above.

In addition, I planned many mechanics early on by researching them and testing them in Microsoft Visual Studio. An example of this is the first iteration of the mirror mechanic, where I wanted the mirror to follow the mouse closely. I found out how to achieve this and tested it in a unity project, later on I would return to this code for my final project.

I feel that the my planning has allowed my game to be structured and professional,

helping me to complete my project within the time limit.

If I could have done any extra planning within my project, I would have investigated more mechanics early on, such as the Quick Time Event system.

PRACTICAL SKILLS

The skills I have utilized in my project are Digital Illustration, animation, coding and website design. In focusing my work on the digital medium, I have explored those practical skills further. For example, I spent half of my project coding my game, and illustrating throughout.

I feel happy that I decided to focus on these practical skills, as doing so has helped me to improve and learn more in each. This is especially important as the majority of this skills will be used in University and then future work. With more time, I would have loved to have created promotional material for my game, such as a trailer or posters.

PRESENTATION

My project is directed at primary school children to young adults, referencing the style of easy to access website games that many played at a younger age. My intention was to respond to the continuing interest in these styles of games, as the interest continues to this day - especially from websites such as YouTube where those games are often played. The visual elements of my game reference the simplicity of those games and explore the cartoon elements of them.

I am pleased with the appearance of my game as it reflects the mood I intended, I am happy with the style and experience I have created. In particular, I enjoy the consistency and cohesion of the visual elements of my game. Sticking to the same brush and sizes has helped in this, but the consistency is especially seen through the style. I focused on using my first assets as reference to keep every scene visually similar.

If I could have changed anything about my presentation, I would have increased the amount of elements on screen; such as adding vases and clutter to the Medusa level. While I enjoy the simplicity, I would have liked to have had more detail in the environment.

EVALUATION & REFLECTION

Throughout my project I have evaluated/reflected upon my work and choices. I have explored this on my website, where it is evidenced on my research pages. I explore my decisions on these pages.

For example: I found that after finishing the audio for my game, my mute function only worked for the first audio source in my main menu. I spent an hour trying out various codes and functions to allow every audio source to be muted. Reflecting allowed me to make the decision to remove the mute function entirely, which in actuality benefited me more because I realized that it was unlikely that most players would even use the feature.

In future, I definitely want to focus on reflecting before complicating my work too much. I find myself fixating on issues, and taking the time to evaluate the pros and cons of continuing to work on them would help me avoid wasting time.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, I am very happy with my final product, I have created the three levels I had planned - with similar mechanics to my initial concepts. I have used a variety of code and UI to create the game, exploring different systems and functions.

I have achieved my aim of investigating game creation and learning more about coding. I feel confident that I have progressed significantly in knowledge and skill since the beginning of the project.