Design Changes

(New level design with numbered references to other sketches)

Our design changed considerably from the original concept during production.  The main cause of the changes was the art style.  Because of the artistic (almost cartoon) style we decided to change the game type to an exploratory rather than one focused on combat.

The other significant change was the camera.  Originally we wanted a third person perspective, however, after the whitebox testing we decided against it.  This is due to the grass assets being 3D rather than sprites.  With a third person camera, more of these assets would have needed to be placed to cope with the higher camera angles, with a possible drop in performance, meaning lower spec computers wouldn't be able to run it at all.

(Opening area of the playable map, #1) 

(Concept showing path, #2)

(Path concept, #3) 

(Path opens up, #4) 

(Open area with overhead roots, #5) 

(Root tunnel, #6) 

(Final part of the level section, #7)

Though the original concepts didn't show specific areas of the level in detail, these ones were made to show most of the playable level, particularly the path that the player will take.  They were created to speed up the placement of assets in engine.  Following this section will be some simple puzzles and some possible platforming sections.

Concepts

Mystical Wings will be the name of our entry for the 'Off the Map' competition.  We would like to be able to make a third person game so we can include a character of our own.

We have decided to incorporate a sense of scale into our design.  Stonehenge will be a vast landscape in comparison to the character who is a mere 6" tall.  

The chosen concept emerged from conversations with other students on the programme, inspired by fairy tales and some of the folklore behind Stonehenge, the main character,  a faerie named Liliana, is tasked to discover the details behind a deep rooted corruption that has befallen Stonehenge.  We have written a full design document so that all team members know what the goal of the project is.

The design was built upon further through group discussion, refining and finalising the use of scale and perspective, turning it into the game we are currently working towards.

The most important part of the design is the map.  It will be used to create parts of the level, as well as other visual aspects of the game like any HUD elements that we make.  The concept art has given a further inspiration, particularly for the visual aesthetic.  They can be viewed on our project page.