This project has developed a lot as I have progressed with it, in terms of added narrative, style and execution. The choice of making this into a game tutorial simulation was arguably what brought this project to life, but first I would like to discuss the style of this project and how it was making this.
Surprisingly, the hardest part of this project was making everything look stylised. While stylistic modelling and texturing look simpler, the process of creating it was harder for me to successfully do than making photorealistic models and textures. This wasn’t expected, however, I feel it was this way because, during my master’s degree, I have been learning how to create realistic VFX, almost photorealistic, so changing my mindset while creating this project was hard to adjust to. I had to go back on some textures or models and simplify them, and make it look more ‘cartoon-like’. It also required a lot of hand-drawn textures, something which I had not explored yet.
This offered a huge learning journey for me, which is something I wanted to achieve with my FMP anyway. I wanted to try out something I hadn’t explored before so I could learn during the process, but also have variation for my portfolio after my degree ends.
Overall, the development of this project has also been a stand-out for me. Originally, it was meant to be just a showcase room, but turning it into a game tutorial offered an insight into my game design skills, and also gave this project a lot more depth, adding a story and narrative gave my project a reason and substance rather than just showcasing my models and texturing. I took this layer even further and managed to write a story that can be presented nect to my project in the exhibition, giving even more character to this project.
Animation was also a huge part of this project and something that I also developed. This added another layer that I can show in my portfolio for the future.
If I could improve on this project in any way, I would develop fire and particle simulation a bit more, I showcased this in my personal project, however, it would have been a great addition to this project also. Some obstacles preventing me from doing this however were time, and not wanting my project to look too modern or less stylised. I managed to add volumetric lighting however in place for this, which transformed my project completely, and would have been missing something without.
I am extremely happy with this project, and most of all it was so enjoyable to create. I have always been a huge fan of fantasy, and it was like watching my imagination be brought to life as I developed this project. I would love to develop this game and story in the future, so it has also brought exciting opportunites for me.