Okay, so its been a while since we’ve been able to update due to our other educational commitments, but we are back.
Two posts, this first showing some new concept art relating to the end of the tutorial level.
The second a video in which Paul discusses implementation of functionality using the Kismet System.
First though some art.
So, following the bond being made with the sentient exo-suit, you the player in the role of Ululu leave the cave area with the “kirby machines” and head up and out of the military cave complex,
…out onto what appears to be a docking platform.
Beyond which is a large mechanical elevator, which in the up position gives a view over the whole of the free roaming/open world beyond.
Hitting the elevator button will then take you down into the valley below and Level 1…
Concept Storyboards… the entrance to the main cave area of the introductory Tutorial Level…
From outside the cave entrance… to stepping down into the vast space filled with experiments and machinery of two strange cultures… one military, one vast and ancient…
Finally as you walk you trigger various power cells, springing machinery into life… the light of day…
Okay… so testing with Ululu and her animations continues.
I’m going to let Paul discuss some of the issues surrounding the importing of custom characters into the engine; probably as an addendum to this post at a later date (see bottom of post).
But for the time being here are some of videos of Ululu being animated before import into the UDK engine…
…and finally, running around in the engine.
Next time… we should be seeing her with her toy laser…
One outcome of all this, as mentioned in the header at the top of this blog, is a book; tentatively called – The Tale of Rabbit Heart.
Rabbit Heart is an Educational Project, of that there is no doubt.
It is how it began… in a sketchbook (Gareth’s), with some very simple Game Concepts to show 1st year degree students and BTEC yr 2 students looking to create Game oriented Portfolios.
…
Since then it has grown in scope, to encompass how to present your course work and project ides on your blog, a repository of the individual elements of game design, and as a quick reference tool for us in the classroom.
These (below) are just a couple of simple image showing how the book might work visually.
click to enlarge
The idea is to have a great looking “coffee table” style Concept Art book that utilises its slightly irregular widescreen format to incorporate side panels with additional information.
These panels would be divided into two types, easily identified through colour.
For example below you can see a burgundy panel on the left and green/grey panel on the right…
click to enlarge
These colour-coded panels would contain notes on “Games Design Projects for Games Tutors” and “How Can I Improve My Games Design Portfolio as a Games Student”.
Allowing tutors new to the area to develop course work and projects for their students, and allowing students to try additional portfolio and project enhancing exercises.
The book will ideally be supported with a disk containing the playable parts of the Game as well as videos and links to the blog etc.
We’ll upload more Design Sheets as we develop the project further, and we will be creating an InDesign project that contains page templates ready to start pulling the book together.
Platform 2012, Hull’s Gaming and Game Education Expo is going to be here once again and pretty soon… more gaming fun, more crazy cos’play, and two days this time…
Best we get ourselves in gear so we have some fun stuff to show…
Okay… So this first “tutorial” style level sees Ululu awaking in our game-world.
You as the player can free roam this level, picking up skills, experience, learning how to manipulate, use and collect objects/assets…
This will also be the level where you first encounter the Robot Warrior/exo-suit that will eventually defines you (as the lead character) and explain the name of the game of Rabbit Heart (you control it while being at the heart of it).
I’d begun by sketching the inner chamber in my sketchbook a couple of nights ago…
You can see from the sketch that I’m already thinking about how Ululu triggers the Robot Rabbit to come to life… also note the Flying Helmet/Tank Commanders Hat that she wears in some of the earlier concept art in her hand…
…
Below are some development videos and early development modelling and art as we work out this level…
We open with a rough map.
Below you can watch a moving version of the game map (shown above) as it was when I first blocked it out in Google Sketch-Up… there is little detail and the objects are randomly placed for the most part, without any real thought… That sort of placement will come from further, more detailed production design and artwork…
Paul had already begun “blocking out” the Entrance Cave area in the modelling software… this area will have various pockets of abandoned equipment lying around it (see below)…
…though with more cables, pipes, wires and tubes and pieces of kit strewn across the floor area etc…
The following development diary videos where made just a day later… As I started to build a 3D sketch in Google Sketch-Up of the inner chamber in which Ululu first meets the Robot Rabbit/exo-suit.
…and more discussion of the interior and the escarpment and entrance… for which we are tentatively looking at the awesome artwork of 19th Century Artist David Roberts RA (1796 – 1864) as initial inspiration… http://www.artcyclopedia.org/art/david-roberts-entrance.jpg
Here we discuss the interior environment and some of the lighting effects we will be eventually looking at in a little more depth… trying to use the “internal logic” of the game to dictate some of the design decisions.
Finally you can take a little look around the “Jack Kirby machines” I designed for the inner chamber in this animated Sketch-Up model…
…and see the scale of the whole shebang with Ululu and the Robot Rabbit“terracotta army” in place.
*Paul Starkey – 9.50, Thursday 15th Sept, 2012 – quoted during a discussion on the game-play and possible puzzle elements of the opening level of Rabbit Heart.
Rabbit Heart 
