The Road to Milestone 2

Our 2nd milestone is on April 5th. Since our last milestone, Sharmarke and Angelo have joined our two main programmers in trying to get functionality for the game. For now, the group is mainly focused on researching ways to code what we want the game to do. We've been scouring the internet for useful video tutorials, and tips on discussion forums, as well as consulting more experienced programmers in our major. We met up once over spring break and worked together for almost eight hours.

So far Hiro was able to instantiate different buildings (represented by different color/size box in programmer art). He was also able to get an upgrade menu set up for existing buildings.

Programmer art representing
instantiated large hatchery 

Upgrade Menu

Programmer art representing
instantiated medium dock

Programmer art representing
instantiated small dock

Angelo was able to create a script that keeps track of how long the player has been playing, and translates that into in-game time (1 real world min. = 2 in-game years). The in-game years will eventually be displayed on the yellow box UI element. The game timer counts down from 1800 secs. (30 mins.) and once the timer hits zero, the game ends and takes you to the high score screen. 

Game timer script
counts down real time,
counts up in-game time

Sharmarke's high score screen.
High score will be based on
how high the player's money,
oyster population and water quality 

Diego was able to add a zoom in/zoom out function for the camera using the mouse scroller, and add constraints so that the player can't pan and scroll forever. 

Our next steps are to have scripts that keep track of the player's money, the oyster population, and water quality. We're also trying to script the effects of building facilities as listed here. In addition, we're trying to script the advisers to pop up at certain points throughout the game to give players important information, and assign the proper art assets to be instantiated by the build scripts.

As for art, Victoria and Abel are working on texturing their models. Angelo is planning on further smoothing the terrain based on this height map of a small part of the Chesapeake Bay, and creating sides to resemble terrain from Final Fantasy Tactics.
 He is also planning on creating a few seamless hand-painted textures to paint the terrain in 3ds Max.

Modified Height Map

Milestone 1 Accomplishments: Coding

Our coders were hard at work trying to research the type of code needed for basic game functionality. Unfortunately, not everything on our list were completed on time. We worked in separate test scenes in Unity for now, to make sure our codes don't interfere with each other's.

Diego was able to get basic camera movement. By moving the mouse over the orange arrows, the camera moves in the corresponding direction.

Hiro was in charge of getting the build script functional, but he wasn't able to get everything ready. In his test scene, he was able to get a build area (which will be scattered throughout the map) signified by the (programmer art) white box. Once the player clicks on the white box, a menu pops up that has all the options for the buildings. He wasn't able to get it so that the corresponding building is instantiated on top of the build area if the build button was clicked.

Milestone 1 Accomplishments: Art

Our first milestone was back in March 15th. We weren't able to complete everything we wanted to get done, but since then, we've been hard at work trying to catch up.

For this milestone our artists created non-textured models for our buildings, a boat, and terrain.

Our level designer created our main menu screen, and made sure all the buttons worked.

Angelo worked on colored digital sketches of the game's advisers, who will guide the player through the tutorial and inform them of the real world dilemma surrounding sustainable oyster harvesting.

Aquaculturist

DNR Officer

Scientist

Waterman

For the final version of the advisers art style, Angelo plans on loosely basing it on Cliff Chiang and Edward Knott's art style as seen in Paper Girls.

Late Update

We apologize for not updating in a punctual manner. We've been very busy trying to get our progress report ready and presentable.

Since the last time we spoke with our client, Mike, we've been working on a paper prototype and simplifying the model Mike sent us based on our time constraints.

Per Mike's suggestion, we're having the game on a timer so that after 30 minutes the game ends. During those 30 minutes the game will keep track of the player's score based on the player's budget, the oyster population, and the water quality which will be simplified to a percentage. In order for the player to affect those, the player will have to build different types of facilities such as small/medium/large hatcheries or docks.

We've been playing around with the variables we'll be using to ensure that the game is balanced, fun, and educational. These variables include: starting budget, the costs of the buildings, and those buildings effects on the oyster population, the player's profits, and the overall water quality.

Here's a chart of each facility and their effects:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lmNGbSpbEgugYpwkU4NRJf1A_226Dy0ttj1jnC32ku8/edit?usp=sharing

Once we have a working prototype, it'll be easier to adjust these effects, if necessary.

-Angelo