Character: Fabric Characters

For my Character project I thought I would use the fabric element for my character forms, this in addition to vehicles could be what the entire game is made from. Still going from my previous character post I would like to experiment with making fabric the look and feel of the game with the mystery in how you traverse these levels in a 2D platforming form. The above image is from a Lenor campaign teaching consumers how fresh their product makes clothes.



Another example of these environments would be LittleBigPlanet, the characters are all made from a fabric/material form and the surrounding areas are usually made from abstract objects that formulate a real-world reference so in this image the characters will inhabit the stage and do something theatrical.

Pipeline 1: Refined Blocking

Character: Researching #1

 

 

Jetpack Joyride: App based game available on IOS and Android devices, the aim of the game is pretty much to travel as far as possible, collect coins and level up on the select screen once you eventually die. The helicopter of today, the game is high score driven with the focus not on story at all here, just that you go never ending from left to right. The story is non-existent really, you burst from a laboratory on a jetpack and are pitted against obstacles placed there why? No one knows.



 

 

 

 

Limbo: Again another game that was originally released as an app available on IOS and Android devices. You are warped into Limbo a world of darkness and despair, as you look to reunite with a girl you saw at the beginning at the top of a hill picking a flower. The game has you move freely in both directions and is made as a forgiving experience with multiple checkpoints given to the player. The puzzles are quite inventive and have you manipulating physics and the world around you.

 

 

 

Future Shooter: I decided to choose this particularly because of the colours and different armor customizations visible from this character select screen. Perhaps I too could incorporate the use of mechanized suits for the characters to move within, or perhaps make the mechs from durable fabrics and have the game play out like a Febreze commercial. Everything made from fabrics.

 

 

  

Character: Ideas from Justin's Tutorial

Yesterday I had my tutorial with Justin in regards to what my three given cards could formulate in terms of environment, characters and mechanisms to work the game. I have decided to create the game as a side scrolling action-adventure plat-former. This can be handheld or even taken to console. Played online.

Fabric

We discussed that the fabric could be the character of the game, the fabric could help represent the different factions that will be pitted against each other. Perhaps there can be alternate clothing for different races that almost define the characters. I need to make it obvious that the three cards I've been given have been chosen for the three areas, they need to speak aloud to themselves.

Result: The fabric will represent the characters that will be included in the game, the attires can indicate the level of player that is playing the game. A silent progression system so it could be;

Green - Yellow - Orange - Red - Purple - Blue

As the colours slide from left to right so could the level of detail into the characters fabrics. Green being ragged and falling apart and Blue being the most desired and aesthetically pleasing. This in turn would help entice players to level up from the clothing and onto higher levels. Perhaps the fabric are pickups for completing tasks? 

 

Vehicles

 

 

The vehicles could be the mechanism that drives the game, gets the characters from A-B. Perhaps a variety if possible and this could also compliment the environment if synced correctly. What if the vehicles were dependent on certain terrains? This would open up multiple levels that could be accessed by the player; Sea, Land, Sky, Space, Underwater? It could be a progressive feature also because if we were to look at Sonic the Hedgehog or Super Mario, they usually start in a green colourful world and the evil is represented in much darker colours and found to be darker toward the end levels. Perhaps Space could be that darkness to conquer in the final battle.


Result: The vehicles will be the mechanism that will pit the player against the environment. The vehicles will reflect the terrain perfectly, with power-ups being accessed by a leveling tree to upgrade your vehicles. You can customize the look of the vehicle, adding extra weaponry or outfitting it with armor that would be gained from completing tasks. 


Mystery

Mystery could formulate the environment. When you are playing a faced paced arcade plat-former you can never know what is coming next, so perhaps the game design should be a side scrolling plat-former. Also creating a surrealism in these levels could emphasis the fact this game looks to push the expectations of players aside. Perhaps an indicator in the environment to show that a new enemy is nearby? Or maybe no indication what the player must do, this would lead to the player solving the puzzle to 'Open the door with the golden key'.

Result: The mystery will make the game a sides scrolling action adventure game, you wont know what is ahead of you until you move to that position and reveal the camera there. This would help unveil enemies that would upset the character in there quest and perhaps detain them. The mystery could highly influence the story also, perhaps something is amiss in this world and coins must be obtained to power something to defend an area from attack?

Next is to reflect from these thoughts, tweak them and of course receive feedback before producing a story that will drive all these aspects together.

Narrative Structure: Five Act Structure, Inception

Exposition & Inciting Incident: The introduction to Cobb and his allies. The predicament that hacking a clients dreams gets them in when they are recruited by Saito.

Rising Action: Grabbing Robert Fischer within his dream and escaping his subconscious, Saito being fatally wounded in the dream with the potential of being lost to Limbo.

Climax: The three kick stage that wakes the team up on all three levels of the dream, the intensity is predominant because if someone misses the kick they can be lost to the dream.

Falling Action: Cobb confronting Mal in the dream to take back Robert Fischer from his own projection, taking it upon himself to go to Limbo and retrieve Saito.

Denouement: Cobb successful in reaching Saito from the confines of Limbo and returning to the real world. Returning home to America and seeing his children once more.

Character: Inital Ideas

Mystery

• Suspense
• Tension
• Shadows
• Dark
• Problem solving
• Conundrum
• Riddle
• Secrecy
• Cryptogram
• Oracle
• Brainteaser

Vehicles

• Mechanism
• Automobile
• Invention
• Transportation
• Steampunk
• Transformer
• Piston
• Generator
• Turbine

Fabric

• Fiber
• Texture
• Cloth
• Material
• Cotton
• Outfit
• Attire
• Uniform
• Clean

Pipeline 1: Cartoon Character - Blocking

Character - Inital Briefing

We were briefed on what our character project is based on yesterday. The aim is to produce an elaborate 'Art of' document detailing the ins and outs of our very own boardgame! We were given three unique cards that we could use to detail the;

 

- Environment

- Character

- Mechanic

 



I was given; Vehicles, Fabric and Mystery. Thoughts are plenty and I will post a mindmap and research document soon

Archetypes - Transformers 4 Age of Extinction

Archetypes - Transformers 4 Age of Extinction

The Hero - Cade Yeager, The robotics expert that finds the wreck of Optimus Prime in an old abandoned movie theatre. He patches Prime up and together they set off to find the Autobots and uncover the conspiracy laid by the humans and Lockdown.

The Mentor - Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots resurrected once more leads the Autobots against insurmountable odds. He guides Cade for most of the film but looses his way, arguably at that part of the film Cade then becomes the mentor guiding Prime back on the path. 

The Herald - Lockdown, A bounty hunter sent across the stars to collect Optimus Prime and bring him to the feet of 'The Creators'. He creates a deal with the humans to track down the last remaining Autobots and harvest them for Transformium.

The Shadow - Megatron (Soul in Galvatron), Hidden within Galvatron the essence of Megatron is alive, looking for revenge but he doesn't have the knowledge of who he once was, only what he is now.

The Threshold Guardian - Harold Attinger, Director of a top secret organization that work covertly with inventors to produce weapons of mass destruction. He has placed a bounty on the Autobots and Yeagers, any loose ends.

The Trickster - Galvatron, Agent for the humans. Made from harvesting transformers and manipulating transformium. Deployed to take out the Autobots but he begins to show his own intelligence.

The Shapeshifter - Stinger, inspired by Bumblebee he is a Pagani Zonda capable of reaching top speeds above Bumblebee and once transformed he looks identical to Bumblebee.

Allies - The Autobots and Yeagers

A Heroes Journey - The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey

A Heroes Journey is one that pushes an individual out of their comfort zone and into the world, a path that would make them confront their greatest fears, conquer them and be willing to sacrifice what they believe in to answer the call to adventure.

 

 

In 'The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey' Bilbo is the main star of the adventure, a lone small creature living in a hill who is flung into the world beyond to help complete strangers take back their homeland. There is an underlying structure that Peter Jackson has followed to captivate audiences, it is quite similar to the Joseph Campbell monomyth structure and in this quick synopsis I will connect the film closely to this theory.

 

1. Call to adventure - Gandalf presenting himself to Bilbo as a friend and asking for his aid in an   adventure.

 

2. Refusal of call - Bilbo refuses the responsibility of being the burglar for the dwarves.

 

3. Supernatural aid - Bilbo wearing the ring to escape danger / Gandalf at any stage of the film.

 

4. Crossing the first threshold - Entering the mountainside with Thorins Company.

 

5. Belly of the whale - Being thrown before the Goblin king and his horde.

 

6. Road of Trials - Riddles with Gollum / Deception of the trolls.

 

7. Meeting the Goddess - Small council with Gandalf, Galadriel and Saruman.

 

8. Temptation - The sight of the ring for the first time / Bilbo drawing a sword on Gollum.

 

9. Atonement with the father - Encouragement to hope from Gandalf.

 

10. Apostasis - The return of Gandalf before the Goblin horde.

 

11. The Ultimate Boon - The fight against Azog and his minions.

 

12. Refusal of Return - Thorins company thinks Bilbo has gone home and given up the quest.

 

13. Magic Flight - Flight of the eagles.

 

14. Rescue from without - The fleeing from the woods ablaze from Gandalfs magic.

 

15. Crossing the return threshold - The prolonged landing of the eagles.

 

16. Master of two worlds - Bilbo wearing the ring and becoming a wraith.

 

17. Thorins company and co overlooking the Lonely Mountain and Erebor.

 

'Under the sea' - Researching styles

On my group blog we have been discussing possible styles for our animation and with this post I want to cement my opinion on the matter. So please if you haven't yet seen our blog please check out www.blueturtlestudios.blogspot.co.uk

I really like the idea of creating 2D flat characters and dropping them into a 3D environment. Of course I understand that we need to first create fixed idea as we are split for choice at this moment in time, but I believe visually that they could use the style to compliment the animation in a selection of ways. I will be posting some storyboards and camera plans soon of our chosen idea to illustrate our intentions more clearly.

So the 2D characters, I would like to present them with flair possibly with animation sounds to symbolize actions and emotions. Initially I had thought of using pixel sounds, they are widely known and something as recognizable as the Pacman death tune or the Mario level up.

 

   Wreck it Ralph arcade machine

 

From the film Wreck it Ralph the perspective of the games machine is that the characters are presented in a 64bit pixelated form. It is when we are transported into this world that we discover that the characters are actually 3D and the only difference is their sizes and builds. All presented in the same sort of style. There are some items that do not translate into 3D and instead become cliché iconic items that are recognizable to the wide gaming community. I think that if we were to implicate this into an animation it would give it energy and form, playing with the use of perspective to open up the world in relation to story.