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Author Topic: Haunted Maze Demo  (Read 13495 times)

HyeMyNameIs

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Haunted Maze Demo
« on: September 28, 2012, 09:05:49 PM »
I have been working on this project for about a month now using playMaker. I wanted it be as polished as possible but I think if I read some critiques or comments that might help me along to complete this project.

I am not intending to sell this game, this game will be uploaded to my website for others to play for free.

I utilize Unity Free Version.


What the game is about and how I came up with the idea:

I wanted to create a game that you would walk through and go into sectioned areas and each area was completely different from the one before. In one section you could be in a dark wooded forest and the next section you could be swimming in an underwater cavern. Completely Dynamic! When I was a kid, I loved and hated going through haunted mazes and I am assuming that many others felt the same way. The only issue that I can foresee with a game concept such as this is that there is not that much replay.

My mind works best as an outline, like an outline you construct for a college paper. If you give me a big empty plane and tell me, "Go and make a game.".... "Sorry, that has Nope written all over that," said the HyeMyNameIs. So creating a game that has sections within it, gives me less anxiety, so I can focus on one section at a time. Hope that doesn't seem too weird, just how I am. I like to complete projects, not do them halfway.

The game has four sections, the last section has not been completed yet, I have some ideas but if there is anyone with an idea of what the section should possess, please reply with your ideas. The last section is long and narrow, I have something in mind for it but I would like to see if anyone has an idea what should become of the last section.

Attempt at Replay Value

To help with the Replay Value of the game, the 4th Section has multiple endings that are determined by how the player reacts in accordance to if they get afraid easily or not, if they are brave or not. The braver the player is, they will most likely take a certain path and a more heightened suspense scene will occur. Likewise, if someone is moderately frightened easily or quite easily frightened their suspense/scare scene will be adjusted. The paths are not obvious, they are an attempt by me to judge the subconscious of the player and how a player that is brave would react and like wise to an easily frightened player and moderately frightened.

If the game goes well with the community and other various players, I would like to continue and make other whole levels with sectioned areas.

Acknowledgments

All of the sounds came from freesound, list of the following users in alpha-order:
(They do not endorse me or my use of the work)
bilwiss, bristolstories, cosmicd, gabemiller74, husky70, klankbeeld, leady, morgantj, nayruslove, noisecollector, patchen, syna-max, thebardofblasphemy, thegoliath, yewbic

The textures are standard textures and free asset store textures.
The skull is from the asset store.

Everything else is made by me.

Screenshots:






Try it out: Game will of course sound best with headphones.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/108956043/WebPlayer/WebPlayer.html

Working On:

- Completing 2nd Section
- Light Cookies
- Adding a Variety of Models
- Game Title
- Develop 4th Section
« Last Edit: December 24, 2012, 02:08:55 PM by HyeMyNameIs »
"Remember Ctrl-Z is your Best Friend!"

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"On the 7th Day God Clicked Render"

"If Graphics were important, then MineCraft would be the Worst Game in History."

brendang

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Re: Haunted Maze Demo
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2012, 12:45:19 PM »
Darn I was just looking to try this.... update coming?

HyeMyNameIs

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Re: Haunted Maze Demo
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2012, 01:03:25 PM »
Sorry, don't know what happened.

Link should work now.
"Remember Ctrl-Z is your Best Friend!"

"Complaints are Opportunities"

"On the 7th Day God Clicked Render"

"If Graphics were important, then MineCraft would be the Worst Game in History."

HyeMyNameIs

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Re: Haunted Maze Demo
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2012, 03:07:18 PM »
Updated Game

I still need to work on the 2nd Section some more. The 1st and 3rd Sections are good to go, IMO (tell me if you think not). The 4th Section is almost complete, walk through it and tell me what you think of it so far.

List of Updates:

- Added Lights
- Added Sounds
- Added Flicker Script to Flashlight
- Added Models
- Added Materials
- Modified Lights in 3rd Section
- Completed 3/4 of 4th Section (tell me what you think)

Need to Do:

- Complete 4th Section
- Add Models to 2nd Section
- Add Light Cookies
- Create Title for the Game
- Debating on adding footstep sound effects for playable character
« Last Edit: October 01, 2012, 12:17:36 AM by HyeMyNameIs »
"Remember Ctrl-Z is your Best Friend!"

"Complaints are Opportunities"

"On the 7th Day God Clicked Render"

"If Graphics were important, then MineCraft would be the Worst Game in History."

HyeMyNameIs

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Re: Haunted Maze Demo
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2012, 12:24:15 AM »
Updated Game

List of Updates:

- Added Materials to 4th Section
- Moved Triggers in 4th Section to make the section run smoother
- Moved Lighting in 3rd Section

Need to Do:

- Create Game Title
- Finish 4th Section
- Modify 2nd Section
- Debating on Adding Footstep sounds to playable character
« Last Edit: October 01, 2012, 04:04:35 PM by HyeMyNameIs »
"Remember Ctrl-Z is your Best Friend!"

"Complaints are Opportunities"

"On the 7th Day God Clicked Render"

"If Graphics were important, then MineCraft would be the Worst Game in History."

clandestine

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Re: Haunted Maze Demo
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2012, 01:37:35 AM »
i like it man, very cool!
One thing: the ultra fast head bob its kind of funny, it prevented the red scull to cause me a heart attack and relieves the overall tension, if its intentional, cool! if its not... cool anyway :D

keep it up!

HyeMyNameIs

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Re: Haunted Maze Demo
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2012, 01:43:51 AM »
Yes, I even tried to lower the head bob even more, I guess I have to tweak it a bit more. 

I am glad you liked it.
"Remember Ctrl-Z is your Best Friend!"

"Complaints are Opportunities"

"On the 7th Day God Clicked Render"

"If Graphics were important, then MineCraft would be the Worst Game in History."

brendang

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Re: Haunted Maze Demo
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2012, 01:12:01 PM »
Yes, I even tried to lower the head bob even more, I guess I have to tweak it a bit more. 

I am glad you liked it.


Enjoying the maze, but the bobbing thing... was not a plus. A bit nauseating. Any chance you offer a way to turn it off? Or turn it down a lot, effect and frequency.  But I am enjoying your maze quite a bit. Look forward to more iterations.  Is it all random events or is there a connection as you go further?

B.

HyeMyNameIs

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Re: Haunted Maze Demo
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2012, 01:57:22 PM »
I am currently working on the head bob or debating getting rid of it totally.

The events are not so much random, there is a bit of a connection, it really depends what I do in the 4th Section, which I am going to develop right now, it will be quite unique (that's going to be a lot of work). 
"Remember Ctrl-Z is your Best Friend!"

"Complaints are Opportunities"

"On the 7th Day God Clicked Render"

"If Graphics were important, then MineCraft would be the Worst Game in History."

HyeMyNameIs

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Re: Haunted Maze Demo
« Reply #9 on: October 01, 2012, 04:05:34 PM »
List of Updates:

- Added Light Sources to 3rd Section
- Added more stones and rubble to 3rd Section
- Removed a few small point lights in the 3rd Section
- Modified Trigger Animation in 3rd Section, to improve flow
- Worked on playable character's Head Bob
- Modified Trigger in 4th Section

Need to Do:

- Complete 4th Section
- Modify 2nd Section
- Create Game Title
- Remove Cursor while in play
- Debating on added footstep sound while walking for playable character
- Add Light Cookies
« Last Edit: October 01, 2012, 11:45:08 PM by HyeMyNameIs »
"Remember Ctrl-Z is your Best Friend!"

"Complaints are Opportunities"

"On the 7th Day God Clicked Render"

"If Graphics were important, then MineCraft would be the Worst Game in History."

HyeMyNameIs

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Re: Haunted Maze Demo
« Reply #10 on: October 01, 2012, 11:45:52 PM »
List of Updates:

- Modified Triggers in 3rd Section
- Modified Triggers in 4th Section
- Modified Lights for Performance Optimization

Need to Do:

- Complete 4th Section
- Modify 2nd Section
- Create Game Title
- Remove Cursor while in play
- Debating on added footstep sound while walking for playable character
- Add Light Cookies
« Last Edit: October 03, 2012, 01:45:12 AM by HyeMyNameIs »
"Remember Ctrl-Z is your Best Friend!"

"Complaints are Opportunities"

"On the 7th Day God Clicked Render"

"If Graphics were important, then MineCraft would be the Worst Game in History."

HyeMyNameIs

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In hopes to create Replay Value
« Reply #11 on: October 02, 2012, 08:38:01 PM »
Have been working on the 4th Section all day today.

It is becoming a nightmare, but I will manage.... thanks to sugar.

The 4th Section has the suspense factor, but to make the game have some sort of a Reply Value I am developing multiple endings.

The endings have been chosen by how the player chooses to continue.

If they are courageous, they will more likely than not, go a certain direction and since they are typically braver than others, the scare/horror/suspense will be at its highest.

If they are moderately courageous, they will more likely than not, go a certain direction and since they are not as brave, the elements do not have to be as high to give them a freight (since typically, more suspense = more coding/modeling/animating/and so on). But that is not always the case.

If they are easily frightened.... Well then I could just put a cute kitten, jumping in their face and that would be a good enough scare.

The paths will not be obvious, I am trying to do my best to figure out the subconscious of a player and what they might do. In order to help figure this out, I tested this idea out with a quick build, using some volunteers (friends and family) as my guinea pigs, ha-ha.

After testing the game out with others, I have noticed that different players of similar criteria (how brave they are, judging by the player's reactions to the game's previous section scares) and when it came time to the 4th Section, I took close attention to which action they consistently performed.

When I noticed that brave players tend to do a certain action as suppose to moderate and highly scared players, then I would adjust the game (mainly by adjusting triggers and other variables) that would produce a scare that would, hopefully, frighten the player that corresponds to their bravery level.

This is all in hope to raise the replay value of the game and/or to make it more interesting.
"Remember Ctrl-Z is your Best Friend!"

"Complaints are Opportunities"

"On the 7th Day God Clicked Render"

"If Graphics were important, then MineCraft would be the Worst Game in History."

HyeMyNameIs

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Various Updates
« Reply #12 on: October 03, 2012, 01:46:29 AM »
List of Updates:

- Added Lights
- Added Models
- Worked on 4th Section
- Modified Triggers
- Debugged Triggers

Need to Do:

- Continue developing 4th Section
- Add Light Cookies
- Modify 2nd Section
- Create Game Title
- Remove Cursor while in play
- Debating on added footstep sound while walking for playable character
- Add Light Cookies
« Last Edit: October 03, 2012, 01:16:16 PM by HyeMyNameIs »
"Remember Ctrl-Z is your Best Friend!"

"Complaints are Opportunities"

"On the 7th Day God Clicked Render"

"If Graphics were important, then MineCraft would be the Worst Game in History."

Andrew.Lukasik

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Re: Haunted Maze Demo
« Reply #13 on: October 03, 2012, 08:27:11 AM »
Hi,
 As developers we must consider loading screen as a part of user experience. And because of that loading time is too high even for us, developers  (most of Players expects loading not to be longer than 5s). Try to downgrade texture sizes and revise sound compression (it should be enough).

A.

HyeMyNameIs

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Optimizing Loading Time
« Reply #14 on: October 03, 2012, 01:17:06 PM »
Spent quite some time modifying textures, compressing sounds and various other optimizing factors.

Game loads about 80% faster now.

Frame Rate is significantly higher as well.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2012, 01:35:21 AM by HyeMyNameIs »
"Remember Ctrl-Z is your Best Friend!"

"Complaints are Opportunities"

"On the 7th Day God Clicked Render"

"If Graphics were important, then MineCraft would be the Worst Game in History."