Freshman Year Reflection

One of the assignments I was most proud from freshman year was the "Inventive Interior of a Known Character" assignment. We were required to have extensive research, thumbnails and various visions for how this piece could pan out, and I feel that I am better off for having gone through this process. I maybe spent 20 hours total on this assignment, and it made me realize that good art takes more than just a single idea idea and an immediate execution.



Another learning assignment was the Grunt sculpture. It's one thing to design a character on paper, but to execute it in a 3D form requires an extensive understanding of your character and what you want it to be. Learning how to sculpt in 3D gave me a better understanding of the things I create and what basic forms make them up.

Under the Mediterranean Planning

We are currently prepping for the game levels we will soon begin to create in 3D and Game Design. Here is what I have so far.

Concept: “War breaks on the world above, this time taking to the seas. When the humans folly and a stray torpedo disrupts Poseidon’s long dormant shrine beneath the surface, the ancient God is awoken and angered, unleashing his wrath through his waters. He calls upon you, a faithful past disciple, to aid him in raising his altar to the surface so he can remind the pesky humans to show some respect for the God of the Sea.”

1. Brainstorming

What if my level had…

• Puzzles
• Naturally introduced game objects that players can remember and come back too
• Different verticalities that house different temples and puzzle keys
• Fishies and bubbles
• Bright colors to indicate player pathways
• Poseidon embellishments
• Natural shapes (corals, reefs) on hard architecture
• Open temples (think parthenon) with views to outside. Technically an outdoor area
• One giant closed temple with many levels

What if the doors had

• Key requirements
• Puzzles physically on the door
• A sequence they must be opened in

What if the Keys

• Were glowy and obvious
• Were hidden but subtly different from the terrain they are buried in
• Were simple spheres that had to go into a hole
• Had different colors for different matching holes
• Were simple shackle/tethers that needed to be broken
• Were hinted at with riddles
• Were hinted at with images -> main door has a visual story on it to display the order
• Hint on the main door

Gating Mechanisms

• This door to the main temple won’t open until you open other doors/mechanisms first
• The main door opened slowly as the player progresses
• Were levers that opened the temple doors

First to the heavens above we pray

Then to the seas we stay

We offer life

In return of strife

And hope his spear may slay

Reference:

Blake Morris’s Under the Mediterrean Script

Bmorris Level_Intro

Background: During the Battle of the Mediterranean in WWII, a stray navy torpedo accidently strikes the long dormant shrine of Poseidon, god of the seas. You are a disciple of Poseidon, called forth to help remove the angry god’s underwater shackles so his alter may rise surface where he can exact his wrath unto the pesky mortals.

Scene: Outdoor underwater greek temple. Corals mark the edge the map. Reefs and fish can be seen in the distance. Faint booms can be heard near the surface. The temples themselves are in partial ruin, but their elegance is undeniable, even amongst the wreckage falling from the war above.

Time: Midday

Conditions: Underwater. Everything is clear, save for a blue sheen across the landscape.

Characters:

Poseidon: older, angry god. Has a big booming voice.

Disciple: Player character, male, mid-20’s. Meek but faithful to Poseidon.

Bmorris Level_A

Section A1: Intro to situation and characters

Upon level load, players see a black screen. A loud BOOM crashes in. A thundering voice says, “Why you insolent mortals!”

Fade into underwater sands and reefs. The player stand in the middle of a ring of corals. A large decorative door can be scene shortly down the path ahead. Faint BOOMS can be heard in the distance

Poseidon

{Pos_bmorris_1_UnleashMe}

You! Disciple! Unleash me from my shackles! The time has come for me to return to the surface. Hurry along with the unbinding ritual. The harbor of my patience is shallow today.

Disciple

{Dis_bmorris_1_YesSir}

Yes, sir! Right away Poseidon, sir!

The player walks forward, approaching the large and decorative door. A large plaque above it reads “First to the heavens above we pray / Then to the seas we stay / We offer life / In return of strife / And hope his weapon may slay”

To the left, a staircase goes up. To the right, a staircase goes down.

The player character talks to himself, pointing out the hint.

Disciple

{Dis_bmorris_2_Riddles}

Boy, the ancient disciples sure did love their riddles.

If the player character attempts to engage the door, nothing will happen.

Should they go right first, they will come across a large, circular greek altar in the middle of the ocean sand, gated by corals and rocks. A large of Poseidon statue sits in the center of the altar. It appears to be missing a piece. For now though, there seems to be nothing that could be missing piece.

If the player lingers too long, the disciple will comment.

Disciple

{Dis_bmorris_3_Hmm}

Hmm… Maybe I should check that riddle again.

If the player goes to the left of the main gate, they will go up the ruined staircase to find a rectangular greek temple filled with columns. At the end of the temple lies a pile of assorted stone offerings: Fruit, gold, leaves, a fish, and a lamb. On the right side of the temple is a simple altar with a spot for an offering. On the other side of the temple lies an image depicting the animal sacrifice of a lamb. Players will have to pick the correct offering (the lamb statue) and place it on the altar.

Outcome 1: player picks the incorrect item to place on the altar,

Poseidon

{Pos_bmorris_2_Fool}

No, You fool!

Game resets

Outcome 2: player picks the correct item to place on the altar

Disciple

{Dis_bmorris_4_Disembowel}

Of course! Any good Greek boy knows how to disembowel a lamb before the gods.

Poseidon

{Pos_bmorris_3_TookLongEnough}

Took you long enough! Go, finish the ritual!

Player returns to the room with the main gate. A symbol on one of the doors is lit, but the gate still does not open.

If the player goes down the stairs on the right they will enter the space with the circular altar and corals again, but this time there are various weapons strewn about the sand floor. The sculpture in the center of the altar depicts Poseidon holding something up, but the object is missing. The player will have to choose the correct weapon (a trident) to put into Poseidon’s hand.

Outcome 1: player places anything but a trident into Poseidon’s hand,

Poseidon

{Pos_bmorris_2_Fool}

No, You fool!

Game resets

Outcome 2: player places a trident into Poseidon’s hand,

Poseidon

{Pos_bmorris_4_FineWeapon}

A fine weapon! Good for impaling my enemies!

The player goes back to the room with the main gate. Both doors have a lit symbol now. If they approach the door, it will open to reveal a very large final chamber filled with columns, statues of the gods, and no walls.  A grand and glorious statue of Poseidon rests at the end of the temple.

Poseidon

{Pos_bmorris_5_Finally}

Finally! For the last portion of the ritual, I will test your faith. What am I the god of again? You best remember, for your sake… Stand before the statue when you are ready.

Each column has an image at its base. There are eight columns with images. The player must pick each image that has something visually connected to the sea. There are pictures of abstract ocean waves, hippocampi, fish, clouds, thunder, a skull, a lamb, and a fire. When an image is selected it becomes extends slightly out of the column.

Outcome 1: player selects a combination of images that is not the waves, hippocampi and fish and stands before the statue,

Poseidon

{Pos_bmorris_2_Fool}

No, You fool!

Outcome 2: player selects the waves, hippocampi and fish and stands before the statue,

Disciple

{Dis_bmorris_5_GodoftheSeas}

Of course, you are the god of the seas, sir!

The temple RUMBLES.

Poseidon

{Pos_bmorris_6_Tremble}

Yes! Tremble mortals, your reckoning has come!

Loud BOOMS and CRASHES can be heard as the screen fades to black. Poseidon has risen and has taken to the world above.

END

Portal Level Analysis

I recently analyzed the level design of Test Chamber 14 from the game Portal.

I attached a map I made of the level and video of me playing it.

The level is structured around the game’s main mechanic, of course, portals (just two though). The gating mechanisms are shown right away. The moment the player enters the main room, we see the exit and the lift (gate) blocking it. To the right we see a button that opens another door (gate) down the hall, but the door only stays open so long as something is on the button. Given the experience of past levels, the player knows they need a cube (circle 1) to hold the button down.  They travel left to find a physics puzzle, a cube, and also a useless laser receiver. After the physics puzzle to get the cube, the player goes back put the cube on the button (circle 2) to the door. The path through the door leads to a laser ball (square 1). A ha! Having seen the laser receiver previously the player knows they need to get the ball over to the other side of the map without falling in acid or touching the deadly laser ball.  After some portal placement puzzles and platforming, the ball goes into the receptacle (square 2) and the victory lift lowers to let the player move on to the next level.

The player is given very little direction to help them solve the puzzle except for their experiences from previous puzzles that tell them what objects do, like the fact that boxes go on buttons. The closest things to hints are the blue lines that link the button/receptacle to their gates, saying interacting with this thing will open this door.

In terms of story, there isn’t much integrated with the gameplay. It’s mostly just a puzzle. The only story could be that GLaDOS is slowly increasing the danger with acid and laser balls in hopes that she may kill you.

However, I do think this is a good level. It builds on mechanics previously established and is making them more difficult. I never felt lost playing through it, since all the elements were introduced in a natural way.