The Winter's Tale - Alpha and beta builds
The past few weeks have been full on for us when it comes to developing The Winter's Tale. Through a lot of trial and error, I have been building level elements and coding in new game mechanics to improve the game. Here is video footage I have recorded for each build version I have shared with my group members for feedback, as well as to provide evidence of our development progression.
Pre-alpha Version 0.03
This version introduced the opening narrative section Although it features incomplete sketches by Li-Ting, and the story writing was yet to be added, the system I implemented allowed for easy text and image insertion. I also included a power-up which increases the player's speed for a short time, and replaced the temporary player shape with Janet's WIP character model of Antigonus.
Alpha Version 0.1
Going into the Alpha stage, there was not much change over the previous version. The only key difference is that Antigonus' model is now coloured.
Alpha Version 0.2
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In this version, I began constructing the main level with the terrain editor. I then populated the beach with some obstacles such as rocks, logs, and coloured trees, all of which were modelled by Zach. The terrain editor was also used to sculpt out the level design and navigation. Additionally, the first sound effects were implemented through public domain/royalty-free sources with beach ambience and footstep noises when moving. I had also created the final score screen when the player wins. This release also introduces the first bear model created by Zach.
Beta Version 0.3
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Moving on into the beta phase of development, this marked a significant leap in functionality. More sound effects were added for jumping, pick-ups, button presses, and when the bear catches the player. Along with the beach part coloured with yellow, Antigonus' model has been fully rigged animated by Janet, and I have implemented the animations on the character into the game. Another feature I implemented was the proper ending, where the bridge collapses after crossing it, leaving the bear out of reach, or falling down with it.
Beta Version 0.4
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In order to improve the games atmosphere, grey distance fog was added to give the feeling of a cold winter. Among other things, some obstacles were added to the second section, and the player's slide mechanic was implemented to slide under tree obstacles. For the gameplay music, we have used the classical piece"Winter, movement 1: Allegro non molto" as part of Antonio Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" ("Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, 'L'inverno' (Winter)").
Beta Version 0.5
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This phase of development was where the game was close to completion. The green colour on the terrain was replaced with white snow to establish the winter setting better. The environment was also populated with tree models to build up the forest. The main menu's background got replaced with a new image, and features the classical composition "Winter, movement 3: Allegro" from Antonio Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons".
Beta Version 0.6
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This is where the finishing touches are being added to the game, to put it into a complete state ready for release on Monday. Along with a help screen added to the menu, each scene (or level) has a fade in/out transition to make it seem seamless. The narrative system has been modified with a new skip button, narrative text, music, and different versions (beginning, good ending, and bad ending).
New sound effects were added to the game, along with the level being populated with pickups, a new ambient sound, invisible walls, and particle effects for the falling snow and the bear (which now has animated body parts). However, the biggest upgrade would be in the visuals. I added new visual upgrades to the game using Unity's Post Processing Stack, implementing elements like motion blur, light bloom, colour grading, eye adaptation, ambient occlusion, antialiasing, and more. The result gives our simple 3D graphics a modern look to our game.
This video footage will be used in the game trailer that Zach has created, which I'll embed in this blog on Monday.
It's really surprising how in a few weeks, we were able to turn basic shapes and mechanics into a fully-fleshed-out chasing game. At this stage, our game is in a virtually-complete state. Before our deadline on Monday, we need to fill in the rest of the yet-to-be-completed storyboards, fill in the rest of the narrative text, and fix a few bugs. By then, we should be ready to submit our work.
