Paradox Of Time
*Game Introduction
Overview
The storyline delves into the life of a child consumed by gaming, forsaking real world encounters. Unexpectedly, their consciousness plunges into the game's depths, inhabiting the persona of an intrepid archer-adventurer. To break free from this digital entrapment, the child must vanquish a formidable boss.
Players take charge of this daring protagonist, traversing the immersive game world and confronting challenges culminating in an epic showdown against the boss.
Dual destinies await, shaped by the player's time allocation and choices throughout levels—ultimately dictating whether the child remains ensnared within this captivating game realm or reunites with reality.
The player is actually the child who falls into the game world, and I want to use this
to introduce the concept of time
Although it may seem like two different endings, there is actually only one ending,
because in our design, the duration of different players passing through levels is
almost the same.
The reason why we developed this game
Exploring the Time Relationship in Games:
Diverse players approach games uniquely—some savor slow exploration, while others rush through main quests. Is it possible for various player types to finish simultaneously?
I've introduced the concept of 'game time' to accommodate this. Many players overlook time changes in games, mirroring their disregard for real-life time. Consequently, I aim to develop a game that enlightens players about time's significance.
Balancing player freedom while conveying the game's time concept poses a challenge.
To address this conflict, I aim to develop the game and seek player feedback for insights into this dilemma. Maintaining a cohesive time experience across levels without imposing gameplay restrictions significantly impacts the game's storytelling.
Can players of differing styles and skill levels complete levels concurrently?
The reason why we chose boss battle :
1 : I love 3D action games, and I think we had the ability to develop them at the time.
2: I think games that are action-friendly or challenging are more able to distinguish
between player types, which is one of the core of this game
3: Boss battles require players to spend time learning the combat logic of the game, and I hope that players can spend a certain amount of time in the game to verify the core of
the game
Technology Art
This project utilizes the Physically Based Rendering (PBR) workflow for rendering. I am highly skilled in this rendering process.
Furthermore, the PBR workflow simplifies asset handling, resulting in a more streamlined process and a reduction in workload.
Material（Select）
Universal Character material for both Character and Boss
I start by creating textures in Substance Painter and then import them into the Unreal Engine.
In handling textures, I follow three steps.
Firstly, for the BaseColor, I multiply it by a color for color adjustment, then by a floating-point number to control color intensity. Finally, I use a Power node to deepen or lighten the overall color.
For the Normal map, I choose to enhance the normal strength through texture adjustment.
Lastly, to reduce Draw Calls, I combine AO, Roughness, and Metallic maps into one texture's RGB channels. For the AO map, I use a Lerp node to adjust the color depth by intensifying or reducing the color.
Universal Material for both foliage and Trunk
I categorize the material of plants into two main aspects: the texture layer and the vertex movement layer.
The texture layer is designed to represent the material appearance of plants using textures
the vertex movement layer is intended to impart a slight movement to leaves or trunks, creating a visual effect resembling the sway caused by the wind.
In the texture layer, the most crucial element is the expression of BaseColor. I divide the color into two layers: the first layer is Albedo, primarily representing the texture itself.
The second layer is SurfaceMap, where I blend AO, Roughness, and Subsurface maps in the RGB channels. Notably, I use the Subsurface map for subsurface effects, enhancing the realism of plant branches and leaves.
The second layer is the vertex movement layer, divided into leaf movement and trunk movement.
For leaf movement, I employ the UE material node "Simple Grass Wind" to create motion.
As for the trunk, I first determine the model's anchor point, use Absolute World Position to ascertain the location, and utilize Rotate About Axis to introduce a subtle swaying motion to the trunk.
Rendering
Due to our dynamic weather system, we are unable to bake the scene, resulting in all lighting being dynamic. Although this incurs a performance cost, the final effect is satisfactory.Due to our dynamic weather system, we are unable to bake the scene, resulting in all lighting being dynamic. Although this incurs a performance cost, the final effect is satisfactory.
