This game will be from the third-person point of view and the intention for it is to be a part of an open world exploration with quests that lead you to certain areas where you have a confrontation to complete your different missions. This level is one of those pocket areas, being the end of one quest where it is the final confrontation of a mysterious figure that lives in an area surrounded by cliffs. Those cliffs will serve as the boundary for this area, while still leaving room to explore.
Of the areas to explore to find different resources and treasure, they include a small pond with two small islands, a faded path that leads to a clearing, overgrown grassy areas, and pondside beaches. In the clearing there may be a hidden chest guarded by a being that can either be fought or persuaded to allow the player to loot the chest. The main resource in this level is the mushroom that can be used to make antidotes to the mysterious being’s poison. That being lives in the bungalow which is on the opposite side of the starting point of the area. The being themselves will appear as an elderly lady, who upon further inspection, will turn out to be a hag wearing a glamour.
Terrain features
My terrain features a pond, boundary mountains, and varying heights throughout the scene to bring the feel of a natural environment to the level. The difficulty in this category is with the pond and making it something that has an underwater aspect, though the aim for it is to not be swimmable. With that in mind, it also clips through the boat asset, making it look like it has a leak.
Architectural asset(s)
The Bungalow is the main architectural asset, with the boat and bridge being the minor ones. The minor assets turned out well and there are no issues there, the Bungalow is still unfurnished, and you can’t reach the second floor due to not being able to climb the ladder and no hole in the second floor’s floor to climb through as I wanted it to be a hatch – which I didn’t make.
Organic assets
The mushroom is the only organic asset I made that wasn’t from the marketplace, and I wanted to focus more on making it a staple item within the level. I added a subtle glow to it to make it more visible in the night and to give it that air of importance among the rest of the foliage.
Foliage
While the foliage is from the marketplace, I used their makeup to learn the different processes used within the materials to apply to some of my own assets and will continue to use those to help with things like adding wind. For now, they provided the exact look I was going for with the root strong, chunky trees.
Textures
All the textures, minus the ones that came with marketplace assets, were made by me and a material maker program where I can combine different materials to craft certain looks that I wanted. That way they could all match with the same type of style to give the level a cohesive look while also looking more realistic.
Lights
The lighting was to be dimmer, but not enough so that the player couldn’t see. I almost wanted to emulate the kind of lightning that they did for the night battles in The Lord of the Rings movies, where it was a source-less light but made sense. Mine makes it appear to be moonlight, but then inside the structure there is only firelight and lanterns to bring about a spookier vibe. There are also fireflies that help retain the bit of whimsy that I wanted originally while helping to tone down the spooky.
World beyond
Other than just the post process and sky sphere for the night sky, the rest of the world beyond is blocked by the mountains. You can see out from where you enter the level, but ideally, that would be a path leading to the rest of the game versus it just being cut off with loading screen.
Additional items specific to this level
I did add an ambient sound to my level that helps play into the dichotomy of eerie and whimsical with night noises (crickets and peepers) mixed with a toad sound that is pitched lower and slowed so it almost sounds like a knocking. I would love to add more eventually to go with certain things like footsteps and the door opening.
