| Project Type: | University Group Project |
| Primary Role: | Generalist Designer |
| Software used: | Unity, Maya, Miro, Substance Painter, Photoshop |
| Language Used: | C# |
Heart of the Forest is a vertical-slice-demo project I was part of as a generalist game designer during my 2nd year at Bournemouth University. The project consisted of 5 team members:
- Producer
- Lead programmer
- Generalist Programmer
- Lead Designer
- Generalist Designer <--- me
Heart of the Forest is a 3D action wave defence game.
The main game mechanic features a day and night cycle where a time-gated peace period is enabled during the day, allowing the player to purchase upgrades. During the night cycle, a wave of enemies spawns from within the forest surrounding the village, which the player is tasked to defend.
There is a 1-minute time frame between each wave, allowing you to purchase upgrades for both your village and yourself before the fight.
Each building has health points and upon reaching 0 it will be destroyed. The buildings can be repaired after the wave has been cleared. However the centre core of the village is the heart and soul and when destroyed by the enemies, the game will end.
I worked alongside my lead designer to create a Game Design Document (GDD), outlining the game's core concepts. My role as a game designer involved shaping gameplay mechanics, player progression, and level design.
Our creative freedom was restricted due to time limitations and uncooperative programmers. We wanted unique attacks and strategic gameplay, but the programming team was not as receptive to that idea as we were. This resulted in basic combat mechanics and underdeveloped AI, impacting the overall game experience.
Despite these challenges, we focused on working within the given constraints to deliver a "Vertical Slice Demo" – a representative sample of the game. While the combat and AI didn't meet our ideal vision due to the limitations, the demo showcased our efforts within feasible bounds.
I made use of Miro, to produce initial drafts and concept art outlining the environment, levels, and overall design of the playable game area.
Once these concepts gained approval from the lead designer and producer, I transitioned into crafting 3D Models utilizing Maya and Substance Painter.
My task involved crafting three distinct building types, each with its own set of three upgrade tiers. It was essential for these buildings to stand apart both within their own tier and from each other. Given the project's specifications, I opted for a simplified, low-poly aesthetic for the models.On top of general modelling and designing, I took charge of creating particle effects for the player, enemies, and buildings. These were extremely simple in design due to the art style the game was following.
