Screenshots of Work

My main work for the remainder of the game was making and incorporating the models, coding them to make them kill you, and workshopping the levels. The first few pictures feature enemies that I helped code, while some fine tuned levels are towards the bottom.

Sprint 15 Task List

Sprint 15

TEAM NAME:	Team BARR	GAME TITLE:	Polar Parkour	PRODUCER:	Alex Doucette
Task List Date 11/5/2013				Date: 11/5/2013	Due Date:11/21
Task List	Team Member	Estimated Time	In Progress?	Playtest (yes/no)	Done? (yes/no)
Complete All Ten Levels	Bryan	10 hours	Completed		Yes. (Due 11/05)
Find 5 people to playtest	Alex	1 hour	Completed		Due 11/07
Complete the code for enemies (cause enemies to chase player when player hits ground)	Bryan and Alex	2 hours maximum	Completed		Due 11/12
Research character models for enemies	Rahee and Ron	1-2 hours	Completed		Due 11/07
Put finishing touches on levels	All members	2-3 hours	Completed		Due 11/12
Incorporate enemies into the game, including models and code	All members	10+ hours	Completed		Due 11/19
Reach Alpha stage of game	All members	30+ hours	In progress		Due 11/21
Levels List	Completed		Model List	Completed		Coding	Completed
Arctic	Yes		Polar Bear (Simon)	Cancelled		Getting the enemies to move around	Yes.
Forest	Yes		Orca (Willy)	Yes		Dying when hitting certain ground/enemies.	Yes.
City	Yes		Grizzly Bear (Rosco)	Yes		Going from one level to another at the end of first level	Yes
Destroyed City	Yes		Gator (Alastor)	Yes		Enemies swarming you when you hit the ground.	Yes.
Swamp	Yes		Snake (Ralph)	Yes
Desert	Yes		Police Car	Yes
Mountain	Yes		Shark (Clyde)	No
Beach	Yes		Goat (Chuck)	Yes
Island	Yes
Volcano	Yes

Playtesters Responses

Tester One

Name: Jacob

1. Enjoyment Rating: 4

2. Difficulty Rating: 3-4

3. Missing Anything Rating?: 4 (Not missing too much)

• Stairs were hard to navigate
• Enemy in Volcano
• Enemies too slow
• Camera controls

4. Confusing to Clear: 5 (Clear)

5. Stairs. Definitely the stairs.

Tester Two

Name: Mike

1. Enjoyment Rating: 4.5

2. Difficulty Rating: 4 (Fairly difficult)

3. Missing Anything Rating: 5 (Mostly Complete)

4. Clear to Confusing: 4 (Fairly Clear)

• Railings were a bit confusing, but easier later.

5. Changing the camera sensitivity.


Tester Three:

Name: Mike

1. Enjoyment Rating: 5 (Great)

2. Difficulty Rating: 4.5 (Pretty hard)

3. Missing Anything?: 4.5 (Need more visible boundaries)

4. Clear or Confusing: 5 (Clear)

5. Make sure boundaries work properly.


Tester Four:

Name: Isiah

1. Enjoyment Rating: 4 (Pretty Good)

2. Difficulty Rating: 3.5 (Above Average)

3. Missing Anything?: 5 (Complete)

4. Clear or Confusing?: 5 (Clear)

5. Checkpoints (But make game harder to compensate).

Tester Five:

Name: Vinny

1. Enjoyment Rating: 4.5 (Very Good)

2. Difficulty Rating: 4 (Fairly Difficult)

3. Missing Anything?: 4

• Tutorial, explanations on railings and stuff

4. Clear or Confusing?: 4

• Railings were a big confusion, along with stairs.

5. What could be added to improve the game?

• Some easier platforms
• Better stairs.

Whack-A-Mole (Whack-A-Diglett)

For our game we turned Moles into Digletts (The Mole Pokemon) and decided to give them mustaches and monocles. Behold, the ever classy Whack-A-Diglett.

Sprint 15 Playtest Questions (Final Version)

Tester Name:

1)        Please rate your experience playing our game:

1          2          3          4          5

           Poor                                       Great

2)        Please rate if you felt that the difficulty was too much:

1          2          3          4          5

          Easy                                     Difficult

3)        Did the game feel like it was missing anything?

            1          3          3          4          5

If so, what?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

4)       Were any parts of the game that proved too confusing or difficult to understand?

            1          2          3          4          5

            Confusing                                         Clear

5)        What is one thing that could improve the game as a whole?

Sprint 15 Playtest Questions (Revised)

1.  What was your favorite part of the game?

2.  What did you hate or dislike about the game?

3. Did the game feel like it's missing anything? If so, what?

4. What is one thing you think could be improved or added into this game?

5. Were any parts of the game confusing or difficult to understand or figure out? Which parts?

Sprint 15 Revised Task List

TEAM NAME:	Team BARR	GAME TITLE:	Polar Parkour	PRODUCER:	Alex Doucette
Task List Date 11/5/2013				Date: 11/5/2013	Due Date:11/21
Task List	Team Member	Estimated Time	In Progress?	Playtest (yes/no)	Done? (yes/no)
Complete All Ten Levels	Bryan	10 hours	Complete	Yes.	Yes. (Due 11/05)
Find 5 people to playtest	Alex	1 hour maximum	In progress		Due 11/07
Complete the code for enemies (cause enemies to chase player when player hits ground)	Bryan and Alex	2 hours maximum	In progress		Due 11/12
Research character models for enemies	Rahee and Ron	1-2 hours	In progress		Due 11/07
Complete model for Simon	Ron and Alex	2 hours maximum	In progress		Due 11/12
Put finishing touches on levels	All members	2-3 hours	Not started		Due 11/12
Incorporate enemies into the game, including models and code	All members	10+ hours	Not started		Due 11/19
Reach Alpha stage of game	All members	30+ hours	In progress		Due 11/21
Levels List	Completed		Model List	Completed		Coding	Completed
Arctic	Yes		Polar Bear (Simon)	Cancelled		Getting the enemies to move around	No.
Forest	Yes		Snowman (Frosty)	No		Dying when hitting certain ground/enemies.	No.
City	Yes		Grizzly Bear (Rosco)	No		Going from one level to another at the end of first level	Yes
Destroyed City	Yes		Gator (Alastor)	No		Enemies swarming you when you hit the ground.	No.
Swamp	Yes		Snake (Ralph)	No
Desert	Yes		Police Men	No
Mountain	Yes		Shark (Clyde)	No
Beach	Yes		Goat (Chuck)	No
Island	Yes
Volcano	Yes

Sprint 15 Pictures

This is the final level, featuring a volcano and lava as a climactic ending to Simon's adventures throughout the world's biomes.

Sprint 15 Task List

TEAM NAME:	Team BARR	GAME TITLE:	Polar Parkour	PRODUCER:	Alex Doucette
Task List Date 11/5/2013				Date: 11/5/2013	Due Date: 11/21
Task List	Team Member	Estimated Time	In Progress?	Playtest (yes/no)	Done? (yes/no)
Complete All Ten Levels	Bryan	10 hours	Complete	Yes.	Yes. (Due 11/05)
Find 5 people to playtest	Alex	1 hour maximum	In progress		Due 11/07
Complete the code for enemies (cause enemies to chase player when player hits ground)	Bryan and Alex	2 hours maximum	In progress		Due 11/12
Research character models for enemies	Rahee	1-2 hours	In progress		Due 11/07
Complete model for Simon	Ron and Alex	2 hours maximum	In progress		Due 11/07
Put finishing touches on levels	All members	2-3 hours	Not started		Due 11/12
Incorporate enemies into the game, including models	All members	10+ hours	Not started		Due 11/19
Reach Alpha stage of game	All members	30+ hours	In progress		Due 11/21

Levels Completed (As of 11/05)

• Polar Level
• Forest Level
• City Level
• Broken City Level
• Desert Level
• Mountain Level
• Sea Level
• Island Level
• Volcano Level

Models Completed (As of 11/05)

• None.

Sprint 13

Task	Date Completed	Group Member Assigned
Finish Two more levels, bumping the total to 9.	10/31 (Completed)	Bryan, Alex
Finish, test, and finalize all of the levels 10	11/05	Bryan, Alex
Finalize all level sketches (10) and give them to me.	10/31 (Completed)	Rahee
Start researching models in Maya, and Ron gives all character sketches done thus far to Alex	10/31 (Unknown)	Ron, Alex

Sprint #13

Describe the purpose of Architecture in your game and also describe how you have organized your game space!

The architecture in this game is extremely important. Since this game is a platforming game, architecture and the world around the player is extremely vital, as it helps the player get from place to place!

The game is filled with architecture that suits each level (buildings for a city, trees for a forest, icy platforms for a snow world). These different blocks and platforms create different experiences for the player, and make it so the player has to adopt different methods and techniques to get from place to place.

The game is mostly linear, with a bit of divided space. While it is possible to explore in this game, it is not recommended, as there is no reward and the enemies will start to chase you. The game, for the most part, is about hopping from platform to platform to get to the end of the level- it is heavily linear.

Describe how your team's Level Designer addresses most of the following elements.

A level designer arranges the architure, props, and challenges in a game in ways that are fun and interesting  – that is, making sure there is the right level of challenge, the right amount of reward, the right amount of meaningful choice - all contributing to a fun game!

The way our game is designed heavily focuses on the architecture and the layout of the world. The elements that surround Simon and the player are what truly define the game. The layouts of each level make it so the player as to think of creative ways to complete each level. There are not only different platforms, but different paths in each level. You could choose to take a high path in the air, or a lower, but more difficult path in the ground. There are many possibilities.

The game has certain values of risk and reward. A lower pathway through the level may be easier to complete, but longer and takes more time. A higher path may have difficult jumps with high punishments, but complete a level in very few jumps at all. In edition, from certain areas and paths can be harder to reach a safe platform from the enemies.

Enemies will start to attack you if you fall from a level. They will swarm you and try to get you. This makes it so you can't simply skip the platforms and rush straight for the end of the level. Making too many mistakes will make it easy for the enemies of the level to swarm you. Therefore, remaining on the platforms is your top priority.

All of these elements, working together, make this a fun game with a bit of challenge. Though simple, it makes for a fun interactive experience.

Sprint 12 Pictures

The first two images feature first the city level and then the mountain level which Bryan, Rahee, and I worked to improve and make more variable over the week. We added different elements and obstacles to each level to try and differentiate them from the others.

The second level is the forest level which Bryan and I worked on using concept sketches made by Rahee. It features trees and grassy textures, rather than the sand and stone of the rocky mountains and desert levels.

Sprint 12

Lens # 48:  The Lens of Accessibility

• How will players know how to begin solving my puzzle, or playing my game? Do I need to explain it, or is it self-evident?
• Does my puzzle or game act like something they have seen before? If it does, how can I draw attention to that similarity? If it doesn not, how can I make them understand how it does behave?
• Does my puzzle or game draw people in, and make them want to touch it and manipulate it? If not, how can I change it so that i does?

The player will receive obvious cues on what to do- our game is straightforward, with a trail of platforms leading you to where you want to go. If the player follows the pathways, as well as learning where they have to go and how they get there, they should be able to pick up.

The game is a platformer, so players who have experienced platformers before should understand the game very easily. The similarities include platforms, straightforward levels with a goal at the end, various enemies and obstacles, and other elements often found in platforming games.

The game draws people in because it is first person. While the player controls the movements of Simon, they are viewing the world through his eyes, and indirectly, their own. Third person games are very good, but a first person game can really help the player get immersed in the experience.

Lens # 49:  The Lens of Visible Progress

• What does it mean to make progress in my game or puzzle?
• Is there enough progress in my game? Is there a way I can add more interim steps of progressive success?
• What progresss is visible, and what progress is hidden? Can I find a way to reveal what is hidden?

To advance and make progress in the game is shown by how far you advance in a level- the further you get through the level, the more you have advanced. The player can see their progress as they accomplish it, and use their past experiences to figure out what they have to do.

There is enough progress in this game- signs of progress aren't very common in platformers, aside from how far the player has gotten to completing a level. The signs are progress are shown to the player as they play through the game.

There really isn't much progress that is made to be visible, as the progress is defined by how far the player gets and how far they continue to go. The only real progress bar is the percentage of the game completed, which can easily be expressed in a simple image of sorts.

Lens # 51:  The Lens of  the Pyramid

• Is there a way all the pieces of my puzzle can feed into a singular challenge at the end?
• Big pyramids are often made of little pyramids – can I have a hierarchy of ever more challenging puzzle elements, gradually leading to a final challenge?
• Is the challenge at the top of my pyramid interesting, compelling, and clear? Does it make people want to work in order to get to it?

Certain levels may feature minor tests, such as unlocking a door, or pushing something so you can jump on top of it. However, this is not a puzzle game, so there will not be too many levels designed this way.

The puzzle elements (or levels in general) do gradually get more challenging, as is the way of a platforming game. The levels and challenges within them will gradually get harder and harder (the first world will have simple jumps and pathes- the next will feature more difficult maneuvers, and they will continue to rise in difficulty). The end of the game will feature the hardest challenges yet, making it the top of the pyramid of levels.

The final challenge is planned to be an amalgamation of everything learned in the game up to that point, featuring things such as risky jumps, powerful enemies, and risky maneuvers