Discussing the placement of functions on the controller.

Alan and I met up at the Royal Festival Hall to continue work on the game (still yet to be named - possibly 'I gave up chocolate twice for this').

We started by updating the old assets used in the game with new ones I had drawn since our last meeting. Alan then added a two minuet timer and score counter for the number of pods cut off the tree within the time.

We used placeholder images are used to give form to the underlying functions coded into the game (game mechanics). For the player, we used an image of a pixelated child worker. This placeholder allowed us to check that the Left, Right and cut functions worked correctly. They did.

I decided that it would be a good idea to use a 'Playstation' style controller to control the game instead of the keyboard. This is because the interface has been designed to be hand held and ergonomic. This means that the player can more easily forget about what they are doing with their hands and become more engaged in the game play and what happens on the screen. I explained where I want each function on the controller. Our aim is to get a working model of this small game working with all of the animations and functions mapped out onto the controller.

To create the illusion of a player moving one must create a 'sprite sheet'. A 'sprite sheet' is the series of images used in the animation of assets (elements) in a game. These images are played in quick succession creating the illusion of an animated character. The quality of the animation depends on the precise placement of images on the sprite sheet (i.e regular spacing between sprites and each one same size as the next).

To create my own sprite for the game I repeated the process of pixelating images I had learned last week, but with stills from a video of Alan walking left to right whilst holding a foam machete I had made. This would become the left to right movement of the player in the game instead of the placeholder image. I learned by speaking with 'Linda Spaggiari' a Visual effects artist for films, that I could use a green screen to make it easier to separate the figure from the background.

My plan is to film an actor of the correct ethnicity, age and gender (Black, between 10 and 15 and Male) acting out the animations for the player in my game against a green or blue screen. I have asked Linda for help when I have got the footage. She has kindly agreed. I look forward to working with her.

Screen Shot 2017-02-06 at 9.33.43 pm.png

Pixelated Alan walking right in the game