Table of Contents

Module Two Prompt Questions:

Choose a scenario, verify that the repository you are working in matches the chosen scenario, and select the four additional elements you will include:
Brainstorm on content based on the preferred scenario in the design document:
Create a schedule or timeline for developing your game based on due dates outlined within the course:
Determine the development goals for the Alpha and Beta Stage submissions:
Choose preferred communication method(s):
Choose a method for assigning and reporting on specific task items.
Verify that the starter files in your repository match the project your team has chosen to develop. If the files do not match, contact your instructor.

This file contains Unicode characters that might be confused with other characters. If you think that this is intentional, you can safely ignore this warning. Use the Escape button to reveal them.

Module Two Prompt Questions:

Choose a scenario, verify that the repository you are working in matches the chosen scenario, and select the four additional elements you will include.
Brainstorm on content based on the preferred scenario in the design document.
Create a schedule or timeline for developing your game based on due dates outlined within the course.
Determine the development goals for the Alpha and Beta Stage submissions.
Choose preferred communication method(s).
Choose the frequency of communication (team meeting).
Choose a method for assigning and reporting on specific task items.
Verify that the starter files in your repository match the project your team has chosen to develop. If the files do not match, contact your instructor.

*Please note: This is a summary of the discussion that was had at our Module Two Team Project Plan meeting. This meeting was held using a Discord voice channel. Group participants were Kylie Nencetty, Daniel Noel, Joe Rafferty, Brigitte Rollain, and Jenji Sayre. Any information that is followed by parentheses and a group member’s name indicates that this person contributed to the idea during the discussion.

Choose a scenario, verify that the repository you are working in matches the chosen scenario, and select the four additional elements you will include:

Four additional elements: Everyone in the team had a similar list of the four additional elements they thought would be beneficial for the game. Everyone’s list included pick-ups, virus-tracking capability, and virus reproduction. However, after discussing and choosing our theme it was decided, as a group, that the four additional elements to include in our game are as follows:

Jump pads
- Will be designed as pustules (Joe Rafferty).
Pick-ups
- Armor (Joe Rafferty), health (Group decision), virus samples (Joe Rafferty).
  - Virus samples can be taken from the trail left behind by the virus AI.
Virus reproduction
- Limit of 20 (Group decision based on scenario guidelines).
Capillaries
- Fleshy tunnels that the player will need to crawl through. (Group decision).

Brainstorm on content based on the preferred scenario in the design document:

Theme: The idea that the group ultimately chose for the theme of this game was inspired by a combination of a playspace in the game Wizard101 (Jenji Sayre) and a playspace in Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Kylie Nencetty). The game will take place inside a giant creature (Brigitte Rollain, Jenji Sayre), possibly a squid (Jenji Sayre, Daniel Noel). It was suggested that the landscape be built vertically to create a more interesting and diverse game (Daniel Noel). This means that the game could follow a vertical path which would require the player to climb up through it to advance. (Daniel Noel).

Viruses: There will be 3 different-looking viruses, each type will have a different coloration from the others.

Floating amoeba (Joe Rafferty, Jenji Sayre).
Diamond-shaped creature that moves quickly (Brigitte Rollain, Daniel Noel).
Slow-moving blobby slime-like creature (Kylie Nencetty).

Rooms:

The rooms in the environment will look like the inside of the creature’s body, such as a heart chamber, stomach, etc. (Kylie Nencetty).
The texture for the rooms can be created using sample textures in unreal and changing them to a reddish color and painting purples, whites, pinks, etc. over it (Kylie Nencetty, Jenji Sayre).
There can be a room with platforms that are easy to cross, but after picking up the armor at the end of the room the platforms will begin to move and make backtracking more difficult (Daniel Noel).
- These platforms may be created with the use of splines (Brigitte Rollain).
There will be pools of acid throughout the environment that cause damage over time to the player if entered (Brigitte Rollain).

Pick-ups:

Can be most easily created to look like icons (Jenji Sayre).

UI/HUD:

The coloration of the information on the HUD should be something that contrasts with the environment for better visibility, but still fits with the theme, such as yellow or green (Jenji Sayre).
Two counters should be displayed. One shows how many viruses have been destroyed by the player, and one shows how many viruses are currently on the map (Group decision).
Health bar (Group decision).
Icons will be visible to show which type of virus sample the player has obtained (Kylie Nencetty).
- The icons can change to having a gold border around them after their corresponding vaccine has been created to signify that the player can now destroy the specified virus type (Jenji Sayre).
Each vaccine will serve as its own unique type of ‘ammo’ that can be shot at a virus. (Group decision). Therefore, there will need to be an indication of which vaccine, or ammo, is currently selected by the player and loaded into the syringe (Daniel Noel).
- Note that the player will need to shoot the virus to destroy it with the equipped vaccine (Group decision).
Will need a start menu with instructions for playing the game (Group decision).
Objective list that updates with the player’s actions (Joe Rafferty, Daniel Noel).
- For example, an objective that says ‘Virus Samples Collected (0/3)’ will update as the player collects the necessary samples to create vaccines (Brigitte Rollain).
A variation of a game over screen will display depending on end-of-game conditions, such as the player losing all health or completing all objectives (Kylie Nencetty).

Summary of gameplay:

The player will need to collect a sample from each type of virus to create the corresponding vaccine to destroy each type of virus (Joe Rafferty).
The player will go back to the starting location with each sample where there will be something they can interact with to create vaccines. (Daniel Noel).
Vaccines can be created one by one; the player does not have to have all the virus samples before creating a vaccine. (Group decision).
The vaccines will serve as different ammo types for a syringe weapon. This weapon will be used to destroy viruses (Group decision).
- Each ammo type will only be effective against its corresponding virus type.
The playspace will start with three viruses, one of each type, and those viruses will begin to reproduce until a maximum of twenty viruses have spawned (Group decision).
The player can lose health from acid pools (Brigitte Rollain) or when getting too close to a virus (Group decision). A health pick-up will be available to replenish lost health (Group decision).
Once the player has destroyed 20 viruses, or lost all health, the end-of-game conditions will be triggered (Group decision).

Create a schedule or timeline for developing your game based on due dates outlined within the course:

Week 2:

Team meeting
Choose scenario for game.
Brainstorm feature ideas for the game.
Finalize game design.
Create a task list for Week 2 and 3.
Start working on code using placeholders for assets.
Start working on assets (visual).
Start working on level creation.

Week 3:

Have 2 team meetings on progress and feelings about teamwork.
Update task list.
Work toward 33% asset creation (visual & audio).
Work toward 66% requirement implementation.
Work toward 50% level creation.
Start implementing assets.
Make a list of all bugs remaining.

Week 4:

Have 2 team meetings on progress and feelings about teamwork.
Work toward 66% asset creation (video & audio).
Achieve 100% requirement completion.
Achieve 100% level creation.
Playtest to find bugs.
Work on resolving previous and new bugs.
Continue making the list of bugs from playtesting.
Final Alpha is due this week.

Week 5:

Have 2 team meetings on progress and feelings about teamwork.
Achieve 100% asset creation (audio & visual)
Continue playtesting and finding bugs.
Work toward 100% bug resolution.
Final Beta is due this week.

Week 6:

Have 2 team meetings on progress and feelings about teamwork.
Achieve 100% bug resolution.
Final Release is due this week.

Week 7:

Final Submission - Postmortem report due this week.

Week 8:

Discuss posting team project in discussion.

(Schedule was created by Joe Rafferty and discussed with the group as the best choice).

Determine the development goals for the Alpha and Beta Stage submissions:

Week 4 the Final Alpha is Due:

Have a playable demo.
Code should be completed by this submission.
Assets should be 50% completed with placeholders for the rest.

Alpha:

Jump pad
Pick-ups
Virus Reproducing
Capillaries
Programming with HUD
Level Design
Health/Damage

Week 5 the Final Beta is Due:

Code and Assets should be 100% completed by this submission.

Beta:

Finished HUD assets
Finished materials
Finished icons for pickups
Finished virus models with materials

(The development goals were discussed and decided as a group).

Choose preferred communication method(s):

The preferred method of communication was unanimously decided to be our group Discord server that we have created. This will allow for frequent and easy-to-follow communication. We have created channels for each module, role, and resources to establish an organized discussion space. Verbal meetings will be held via the Discord voice channel. We will also be responding to each other in the class Discord server to ensure proper attendance and participation requirements are met. (Group decision).

Choose a method for assigning and reporting on specific task items.

A great tool to utilize for this would be the issue tracker in Bitbucket. We can also keep each other up to date via a designated discord channel. However, it will be helpful to assign people tasks through the issue tracker and then they can mark them resolved as they complete them and leave a commit message. It will help keep track of all the goals we need to complete (Group decision).

Verify that the starter files in your repository match the project your team has chosen to develop. If the files do not match, contact your instructor.

Files in the repository match the FPS project scenario for UE 5.3.2.