-Introduction- -Past Reflections- -GDD- -My Role in the Team- -My Contributions to the Final Product- -Prototype Gameplay- -Conclusion-
Introduction
This year has been a massive cycle of ups and down, complications throwing original plans out of the window, and drastic changes to projects of things compared to what was intended. However, I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. It's been a wild ride, and although I wasn't able to get as much with the prototype game done as I really would've liked, I am quite proud of what me and my teammates were able to get into the final product. We were certainly able to do more than anything I could have accomplished alone for a project like this.
There are several reflections I've made in the past of learning the ins and outs of primarily 3D game-making, and although this game was made in 2D, I will link those reflections down below. I will also include the GDD below to allow for a more in-depth explanation of the actual game as a whole, or at least the idea of the whole.
I was the lead art director and primary artist for the game. As such, I made most of if not all of the concept art, as well as the character art, menu art and some of the background art. I wholeheartedly enjoyed being able to do this, and I used this opportunity to bring the ideas that me and my teammates had to life as best I could. I was primarily the one to work through the story, setting and atmosphere of the game, and as such, I designed the characters and conceptualized the setting. I put substantial thought into the way that enemies would interact with the player in fresh, interesting ways, and how their designs would play into that. However, with the time constraints, very few of those ideas actually made it into the prototype. Regardless, the ideas that I was able to at least attempt to make reality are some of my proudest when it comes to concepts for video games.
My Contributions to the Final Product
As said earlier, I only contributed art, given the fact that my coding is not refined or proficient, and I also just don't have much luck with it. However, with what I was able to contribute, I did as much as I could within the timeframe and what we were capable of actually getting into the prototype. By far, one of my proudest pieces is the menu art, but more importantly, this project allowed me to really delve into how to make 2D sprite sheets efficiently. I have also gained a new appreciation for just how hard it is to make 2D art-based games with the fact that you have to make every individual frame of animations in mind. Overall, in spite of the fact that I wasn't able to contribute very much, what I was able to make is still some of my proudest work for this class, or even in terms of my digital artwork as a whole.
Prototype Gameplay
Conclusion
This class has definitely been a massive learning experience for me. Although I haven't fully grasped code yet, I am hopeful to get a better hold on the way that it works in the coming years. As for my resolve to become a game developer, as difficult as it seems, this has only strengthened my faith that this path is right for me. I'm hoping to continue working with my friends in this class, and maybe even with some other friends I know who happen to be interested in game design as well. It's been a rocky, complicated and stressful year, but this class was absolutely one of the biggest highlights. I am so glad that I was able to be a part of this pathway for my full 4 years in this school, and I'm hoping I can continue down it in college.