Pt2: Pre Production

Pre-Production

Project Development Timeline and Milestones

The pre-production phase took me a bit longer than I was expecting. I hadn't allowed enough time to research all the required images for the mood boards, do the sketches, figure out what assets to include etc. This impacted me starting my block outs of the game and allowing enough time for the production phase. The timeline I created initially and have been updating has helped me realise this by seeing the number of weeks remaining and the tasks that require completion. I will continue to keep this updated throughout.

Mood Board - Landscapes, Apocalyptic Villages, Deserted Cities, Environment Styles

I aim to use a colour palette that reflects an abandoned city, so dark and gritty but with an art feel of Fortnite. I will use this as a reference during the development of my game. I will develop my environment with a stylized look but still wanted to understand all types of zombie games to take elements that would be exciting for my game.

Mood Board - Zombies

Zombies come in all shapes, sizes and styles. Dead Island for example has many different types of zombies.

Map Concept

I sketched out a rough map of how the game will flow. This will likely change somewhat as I continue with my ideas and planning but it includes the key parts and assets.

I used my asset list to think about where to place certain objects to make sure the level is challenging but fun to play. It starts off fairly simple to get the player used to the challenges in the game and as it goes along will become a bit harder as they get used to it.

It will be important to ensure the level is not too difficult or easy so need to get the balance right.

If I am able to, I'd like to introduce sewers into my map with more detail and would make it really interesting for the player going through the level.

Asset List

When researching what assets I wanted to include in my game I took a lot of inspiration from games such as The Last of Us and Uncharted, which had lots of abandoned environments.

Abandoned cars
Signs
Lamposts
Trees / Grass
Buildings
Lake
Rocks
Trash cans
Bus stop
Fences
Petrol station pump
Mailbox
Road sign blockades

Here are examples of what I am looking to include.

Abandoned Cars

I will be modelling my own cars and trucks and although will be positioned in random areas, they will be important to show that there was once human life here and these cars were just left as people were desperate to leave the city to survive.

Here are some examples from my research.

Signs

I intend to add multiple signs throughout the game. Here are some examples from my research.

Lamposts

These will be positioned near pavement areas to help create a more realistic picture.

Buildings

Buildings are a massive part of my game. It was once a city full of people and everyday life. There will be different types of buildings with many showing plant life that's taken them over along with the rest of the city.

Trees / Grass

This is another huge part of the visual look and feel of the game. The city is abandoned so I need to ensure it includes lots of grass, some new, some old and lots of trees and bushes covering buildings and other assets scattered around.

Lakes

Adding water/lakes also adds a sense that there was once real life here. There is often this type of feel to other games I play.

Trash cans / Bus stop / Fences /Petrol station pump / Mail box / Road sign blockades

There are other many assets I will include to finish off all the props I need to make the environment feel as real as possible. The small details in my opinion are what often make a really good game and without knowing it kind of makes it feel more like real life. Although my game is not stylised to look exactly like real life, and is more like fortnite, I still want to add as many props as possible for these reasons.

Rocks

Just static objects placed around the game in various locations, but as mentioned adding that feel of making it real and helps created that abandoned city feel I'm looking to create.

Concept Art

I created some initial concept art around how the map will look and what assets it will contain which will help me explain it.

The player will be able to explore the abandoned city initially but will soon be having to fend off zombies as he heads around the streets and grass areas. The player will need to find the key so can get back into the safe zone where he started.

Main Menu and UI (User Interface)

I want to create a simple main menu where the player can choose three things - Start, Choose Map (if I have time to create more than one), Options, and Exit. I have been looking at the best way to create the main menu and came across two YouTube tutorials that look fairly straightforward so will look to use this as a reference during my level design.

There are a couple of games I really love the way they have thought about there main menu UI and that is The Last of Us Part II and Detroit: become Human.

The title screen in the Last Of Us Part II reflects Ellie's journey and how she has grown throughout. At first, she is locked down on an old boat showing the tragedy she faces. After around a 10-hour campaign, the screen changes to a brighter image of the boat reaching its destination. This represents both Abby and Lev's journey and Ellie's mental recovery and progress. This idea was really interesting, and as you go through the journey there are some suttle changes to the menu along the way highlighting kind of where you are right now.

For the game Detroit: Become Human (another one of my all-time favourite games), every time you revisit the game, you are greeted by Chloe, an AI cyborg. Her keen observational skills allow her to detect any unusual details. She may comment on the duration of our gameplay, suggesting breaks when necessary. Additionally, she may remark on the length of time since our last session or even discuss the choices we have made throughout the game.

I'll be looking at these for inspiration as I start to develop the Menu UI for my game.

Audio & Sound Effects

I have decided to continue with the initial set of sounds I had listed out in my concept development however had improved it by adding further sound effects to the gameplay itself.

Main menu music
Music throughout game
Zombie grunting, snarling
Slashing, killing zombies

I will download the sounds online and then code the sounds so they play at the right time during the game.

Targeted Platforms

Having this game on multiple consoles would open up the game for many people which in turn will help develop global awareness and maximize the success and revenue of the game.

My priority launch is for PC first. It could then be adapted for consoles such as PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch later.

Research Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org [Online]. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Island_2 [Accessed 4 April 2023]

https://www.pushsquare.com [Online.] Available at: https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2021/03/feature_what _25_years_of_resident_evil_means_to_game_developers [Acccessed 4 April 2023]

https://en.wikipedia.org [Online.] Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dying_Light [Accessed 5 April 2023]

https://www.askaboutgames.com [Online.] Available at https://www.askaboutgames.com/pegi-age-ratings#:~:text=Essentially%2C%20the%20PEGI%20rating%20on,deemed%20suitable%20for%20adults%20only. [Accessed 5 April 2023]