Since the last blog there were a lot of things done, a playtest was conducted, discussions on the current state of the game had been made resulting in a new direction for the project and a short study in sound design was done to better achieve one of my aims. There was also a playtest that was conducted to assess the game.
Updates
- Sprite animation added to replace shotgun model, this addition is part of the effort to back-up the chosen theme. Composed of three barrels, it should add some immersion. The previous solution to this was a 3D model, David pointed out that the gun would poke through walls so. Instead a spirte was used.
- Exploding redbarrels were implemented as a consequence of the above.
Other additions
As part of the new additions, the PSX shader was being experimented with. The above shows the different colour palettes used to affect the shader. Upon showing Tom and discussing we decided this should be used less frequently.
Playtest
These updates and the the ones before (See previous log: https://collaborative.myblog.arts.ac.uk/2021/05/26/experimental-development-pt-5-other-methods-to-effect-the-weird-and-eerie/). Then a playtest had been conducted to test these new additions.
Luke Head was given a link to download the game, he then reported on his reflections:
David king also commented the following:
Issues found
- Shooting redbarrels is inconsistent, issue either with the raycasting or the red barrel.
- Player still not sure what their objective is.
- Issue with textures with the teleporter. This may tie in with the above issue. The teleporter is not easy to find.
- Texture issue with stairs and upon internal testing, planes for walls do not line up resulting in gaps between planes.
Possible solutions for the above
- Redbarrel collider could be enlarged or the number of raycasts done could be increased.
- The clarity of the objective needs to be considered further. Signposting could be used as stated before, however the placement of signposts requires the PCG to be redone as the end room will change positions. A simple but unimmersive solution would be to list it as an objective that the player must continually achieve.
- The teleporter texture issue can be resolved by only using it’s own texture. Doing so keeps it consistent so the player knows what to look for, there are many (visual) changes to the game so having the end and beginning to each maze be consistent would help keep the player on track.
- Due to the nature of the PSX shader, a large amount of the assets are constructed with planes. As such items like the stairs and platforms and walls have gaps in between. One solution is to adjust these planes, another is to replace them entirely with a different model. However, this would be low priority as we are approaching the deadline.
Discussion and reflections with Tom
The current build of the game now includes the text generation system as well. Because of this there were discussion with Tom Martin and reflecting on how the two PCG systems interact. The initial approach was that the level generator would be able to communicate with the text generator and supply it with information to affect their generation of content. For example, if the text mentioned the use of ladders then the level generator would add multiple ladders to that level or if the level had many corners, the text generator would make a comment about corners. Instead I had brought up the idea that the two systems should be in conflict with each other.
This direction would imply different things for the narrative, instead of adopting epistolary horror as Tom had originally intended, it would be more about the degradation of a game. With this new direction the following changes were made as well as others to address bugs and issues found in playtests.
Team discussion points
- Stairs outside Killbox room
- Add more visual changes between play throughs.
- System to drop in a high amount of objects like stairs, redbarrels or lights.
- Commentary Collectible pick ups, this could be used to encourage the player to explore more of the level.
- Lower the resolution of images textures as they further advance in playthroughs.
- Implement other sounds to effect tension and unease.
As part of my second aim the use of sounds need to be considered.
The Haunting Sounds of Silent Hill 2
I have explored methods in manipulating space and visual elements, as part of the my second aim I wanted to explore the use of sounds too. I want to be focusing on how Silent Hill 2 uses sound to great effect. Specifically in how it is composed and how it is used to infer danger and mystery. More importantly, the current implementation of sound is quite similar in nature to the sound in Silent Hill 2, the main similarity is that the sounds used are droning sounds that sustain deep humming.
I will identify the different ways sound is used in the following video and consider what can be learnt.
Here the sound track starts with a non-diegetic looping hum here: [https://youtu.be/6UDLkMD40pA?t=443]. Three additional diegetic sounds are used in this section, these being the player’s footsteps, the wind and a creature’s growl: [https://youtu.be/6UDLkMD40pA?t=550]. This sound implies the presence of a wild animal, however it is not seen. In fact there is no visual cue that suggests there is anything there. At this point the player character is walking down a path, where their immediate surroundings are covered with a thick fog. As such the player cannot see anything beyond a few metres from the character.
The player progresses a little further and sound track changes: [https://youtu.be/6UDLkMD40pA?t=623]. The player then enters a new area where the sound track dies down: [https://youtu.be/6UDLkMD40pA?t=655]. This fade out is not immediate however, but it highlights the diegetic sound of the player character’s footsteps.
What can be used
- Off-screen sound sources – In the above example a soundtrack is established first as well as two additional diegetic sound effects (wind and footsteps). The soundtrack establishes a mood, the diegetic sounds highlight the player character and the environment. Note the crunch of the footsteps, it indicates the floor is covered in leaves and dirt, the wind tells the player the weather is windy. This is then disrupted by the creatures growl. Making the player aware there is a threat somewhere. In conjunction with the thick fog that obscures the player’s vision, the player cannot feel safe. Instead they are made aware of another presence and do not feel safe anymore. This can be used to indicate the entity as discussed in the last log, keeping the player constantly tense.
- Intensifying soundtrack – The change here: [https://youtu.be/6UDLkMD40pA?t=623], highlights the end of the area, the player’s anticipation is heightened. It is a method in defining a start and ending an area, resulting in ending an established mood and preparing the player for a change. For the project this could be expressed with the droning sound developing as the player either gets closer to the end of the level or the further the player proceeds through every level the more erratic the sounds get.
Below I have implemented the following sounds.
Lower your volume settings!
The next step is to playtest these new changes and connect the main menu, there maybe other additional changes. However the deadline is approaching, no major changes should be made after this point.
References
- Konami, Creature Labs, Team Silent, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, (2001). Silent Hill 2. [Video game]. Playstation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows. Konami.
- SHN Survivor Horror Network, (2019). Silent Hill 2 Enhanced Edition | 4K 60fps | Longplay Walkthrough Gameplay No Commentary. [Online video]. Avaialble at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UDLkMD40pA. Accessed: [03/06/2021].