WEEKLY DIARY*

Below is my weekly diary for my Final Major Project, which notes what I did each week.

Week 1

I researched the different game engines this week,

looking at how each one would work for different genres.

I considered making a pixel game but decided against it.

Looking at Greek Mythology

Decided to include Zeus, researching depictions of him and

sketching him as practise

Week 2

Watched the lecture on Post-Modernism

Planning game structure and style + aim + plot

"Is it chores related to different gods, or does the play have to

be in different myths

what is the goal of the player?

parent dying, loved one dying? more lighthearted?

trying to get legendary weapon?

"chunky style like DST, very stylized

cartoony"

More sketching, planning levels and UI appearance

Fell down the stairs and injured my back,

work interrupted for recovery

Week 3

Researching Greek Gods and Myths I might do

Getting inspiration from friends and family,

Milo helped me with myths to base levels on.

Decided to go darker than original concept

Week 4

Creating my website

Explored the concept of River Styx level by researching

what the Boatman's boat could look like

Practicing code, making script for object following mouse

Week 5

Continued sketches of the levels, annotating the game mechanics

and U

Looking at designs for game over screens, appearance of

Medusa, researching statue's of Zeus, Main Menu and score system

Making code for object moving using WASD keys.

Week 6

I used the shadow technique to draw three interpretations of

Medusa, each with different hair styles and clothing.

I decided on the first with a short bob of snakes.

I used the design to inspire a more cartoonish Medusa,

and animated her swaying. I drew the simple temple background as

well as the mirror for the player to hold.

I created the elements for the River Styx level, backgrounds,

the boat and the mortals.

I created the game over screens for the Medusa level and the

River Styx level.

More research pages.

Easter Holidays

Animated the sundial, used time lapses for research on their shadows

Focusing on Thanatos level, sketching composition.

Used various artwork, statues and depictions of Thanatos on vases

to create cartoon sprite.

Animating Thantos, creating the background, game over screen and UI

for his scene.

Created the main menu and options menu, used wax tablets to inspire

options menu.

Created most of Zeus' cutscene, aside from text.

Created sprites for Zeus and his different emotions, includes

Swan sprites for transformation.

Week 7.

Creating the River Styx level, using RigidBody2D and BoxColliders

to stop the boat clipping through objects. Animating the water,

making the camera follow the player and making sure that the

camera doesn't see outside the level background.

Had to stay home for Wed and Thurs due to back pain.

Explored dragging and dropping 2D objects.

Week 8

Creating more and more research pages - shape shifting, Hera etc

Looking at documenting inspirations for the game.

Creating the main menu and then translating it to UI.

Making and learning about buttons/toggles and making the buttons do

things such as exiting the game, loading the options menu or

exiting. Created dialogue for Zeus and drew the text in Procreate.

Week 9

Making working options menu, putting together cutscene,

making script for dialogue and rigging it to space bar.

Attaching script to Zeus sprites and solving errors with looping.

Testing audio button by adding mp3 file as filler, changing the

function of the toggle to mute rather than pause as it restarted the

music.

Created new sprite for Zeus (smug) and smoke for transformation sprite.

Exploring Quick Time Event system.

Animated eyes opening and stopped loop.

Week 10

Added laser animation.

Created UI to take player back to main menu from game over screen

Added hint button to Medusa level.

Artist statement and Show proposal drafted.

Stopped hexagon object from remaining in scene after collision.

created pause menu accessible by esc button with ui

added more frames to laser animation

spent time trying to make level pause when option menu appeared.

Conflict with esc key being used instead of button, issue with

esc key not having space to add script - but button would cause

player to lose game as they would have to move mouse to hit button

allowing enemy to win.

Removed options menu in game, due to inefficiency and lack of necessity.

more projectiles shooting, still need to fill gap with no attacking.

Full attack finished.

Game Over and next level now active depending on player success

Medusa level corrupted, must rebuild level from start.

Managed to rebuild up to attacking.

Attack issues - cannot get Medusa to fire correct amount of

projectiles.

Week 11

Updating Artist Statement and show proposal

Making changes to code for attack, creating 2nd half

Settled on 2nd half of attack as is.

Researching how to disable and enable scripts

Using previous UI to create start buttons for levels and

start button from cutscene.

Medusa level finished.

Reworking quick time event system to work with vision

of game - fast pace

Finished Thanatos level

Changing system for moving soul from left to right,

drag drop system not working, collide system implemented

instead.

Finished River Styx level

Week 12

Making credits page for Main Menu.

Making research pages for all finished levels.

Putting final cutscene together, using background

without any mess to imply time change.

Writing dialogue for final cutscene.

Finding errors such as missing objects and fixing them.

Finding and adding music to scenes.

Editing system for music muting, then removing system

for efficiency.

Changing options menu to controls.

Building game, testing final game.

Making changes to fix problems with it, such as game over

not taking player back to main menu.

Third attempt successful game finished.

Finishing paperwork and website.