Introducing Project Emperion

Project Emperion is my first game project at University, which will be completed by the end of the first academic year in March 2014. Throughout the development cycle I want to be updating the blog on a regular basis with in depth details and analysis on the progress that me and my group are making.

What Does the Unit Involve?

This unit on the course will be the biggest this year as it requires all of the knowledge that you learn within all of the other units, and a huge amount self study to be able to make a respectable game tech demo. This unit is also heavily dependent on group working skills, project and time management skills, which are both essential when working in the games industry. We were all put into groups of around 5, each with a mix of designers, programmers and artists. Each group is tasked with designing, planning, pitching and making a technical game demo containing all of the core game play features that the full game would contain if it was funded and developed. We will be assessed in the form of two presentations. The first will be before Christmas, which will include a thoroughly thought out game idea, programs that will be used for development and planning/project management, unique mechanics the game will have, research into your decision behind your game idea, team management skills, planning, concept art, and problems encountered so far etc... The second presentation will be in March 2014, in front an audience of peers, lecturers and industry VIPs who will ask questions and give there opinion on the demo and presentation. As well as producing a tech demo and presentation, we must also individually produce a reflective journal. That's where this wonderful blog comes in, as I want to be able to post my progress over the course of development, including problems and milestones made. I have included below a list of ideas that our group has come up for so far for Project Emperion, including our first level design draft. 

What's Project Emperion?  

Project Emperion is a third person 3D action adventure game, with the technical demo level being set within a ruined Aztec temple themed courtyard, surrounded by a central American forest. Gameplay within the tech demo will demonstrate player vs environment arena based combat.

• Cartoony Art Style
• Some elements inspired by the Zelda games
• Basic looting with inventory system to be included
• To be built in the Unreal Development Kit (Unity does not allow their engine to be installed on University computers without paying the full commercial fee)
• Models to be built in 3Ds Max and textured with Adobe Photoshop
• Wave combat with boss battle at the end
• To include level interactions, such as leavers
• Basic sword combat implemented first, then during the Christmas presentation we will ask peers to vote on what else to include, such as ranged combat or magic
• Potential enemy monster types, Skeletal Aztec Warrior and Armored War Troll
• Include weapons, scenery and Armour which suits the current setting (Aztec)   

Here is the first draft of the tech demo level:

This is a very ambitious project, but all involved are dedicated to making it a success, so we have made a detailed plan with goals to be completed each week, up to Christmas, and then the final presentation in March 2014. By the Christmas presentation we want to have a basic level built, a player character fully modeled with basic walking animations, fully functional 3rd person camera, basic sword combat system and finally NPCs to attack.