Week 1 – Week 4 | 04/02/25 – 25/02/25
Emily Soh Ching-Ling | 0359478
Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Major Project I | Section 01 | PRJ64904
Task 1 — Proposal Development
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INSTRUCTIONS
2.0 TASK 1 — PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT
Instructions:
- As a group, present an innovative concept that introduces social, cultural and/or economic value to the target audience within your field of specialisation.
- Research current technologies and design trends that influence your field of specialisation.
- Your project must address the gap you have discovered with realised ideas and solutions.
- Brainstorm and develop a project proposal.
- Submission (PPT):
- Project overview: Project title, problem statement, proposed idea, unique selling point (USP).
- Project specifications: Output format (i.e. type of media), duration (for animations), genre, visual style.
- Team roles and responsibilities.
- Project delivery timeline.
2.1 IDEATION
Group Members:
- Emily Soh Ching-Ling 0359478 (me, Digital Animation).
- Lim En Yu 0354452 (Digital Animation).
- Low Li Vern 0362678 (Digital Animation).
- Ng Kar Yee 0367743 (Immersive Design).
Figure 2.1-1: Ideation, Week 1 (08/02/25)
Since we have a mix of specialisations in our group, we decided to go down the 3D modelling route. The general theme we had in mind while ideating was to spread awareness.
- Idea #1 — Mental Health: A game about battling depression/anxiety.
- Idea #2 — Synesthesia: A game/animation from the POV of someone with synesthesia.
- Idea #3 — Chinese Zodiac: A game about the story of the 12 Chinese Zodiacs.
Mr Kamal and Mr Kannan seemed to think the Chinese Zodiac idea was interesting, so that was the one we continued developing. We were warned that VR may be too technical for our current skill level and to come up with a fallback plan.
2.2 GAMEPLAY & STORYLINE
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| Figure 2.2-1: Sketches — Islands Layout, Week 2 (11/02/25) Format #1: Spiral | Format #2: Hoop |
The general idea was to have multiple minigames based on the various zodiac signs. The map would comprise of multiple islands (starting island + 3–4 gameplay islands + ending island, Format #1) for the player to explore. Overall gameplay progression would look something like this:
- The player watches an introductory animation. The Jade Emperor (the deity who conducted the Great Race to determine the placement of the zodiac signs/animals) sends the player back into the past to observe the Great Race.
- The player spawns on the starting island. They familiarise themselves with the controls, then enter the first gameplay island through a portal.
- The player encounters zodiac signs in need of help, presented in the form of minigames. By completing these minigames, the player will be rewarded with a coin from each zodiac sign. The player ascends up the map as they progress through the game.
- Eventually, the player will have collected all 12 coins. They step onto the ending island and hand over the coins. Outro animation plays.
We first did research on the Chinese Zodiac, primarily on the personality traits, symbolism, and dynamics between the zodiac signs as that will be the basis for the minigames. I was assigned the Tiger, the Rabbit, and the Dragon.
Some of the zodiac signs have intertwined stories. As such, some of them will share a minigame. There will be a total of nine minigames. However, since my signs don't have solo stories, they will have their own separate minigames. Personally, I think nine minigames is too much for us to tackle, but my group mates insisted, so we'll see how it goes.
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| Figure 2.2-2: Dragon Minigame Reference — It Takes Two, Week 3 (17/02/25) |
1. Dragon — Stage #6:
- Birth Year: 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024.
- Personality: Righteous, honourable, idealistic, and ambitious.
- Strengths: Generous, confident, charismatic, and self-respecting.
- Weaknesses: Temperamental, impulsive, cold, and self-centred.
After completing Stage #5 (Stages #1–5 and #9 are done by my group mates), the player meets the Dragon soaring through the sky. The Dragon explains that it wants to help a nearby village suffering from a drought by pushing rain clouds towards it. However, controlling the clouds while flying is a difficult task, so the Dragon asks for the player's assistance.
The player rides on the Dragon’s back and must control its direction, guiding it toward the clouds. The player is tasked to push the rain clouds to the correct location over the village. Once the clouds are properly positioned, it starts raining, bringing relief to the villagers. Grateful for the player’s help, the Dragon rewards them with a coin before continuing in the Great Race.
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| Figure 2.2-3: Rabbit Minigame Reference — Leapfrog, Week 3 (17/02/25) |
2. Rabbit — Stage #7:
- Birth Year: 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023.
- Personality: Easy-going, considerate, devoted, and sensible.
- Strengths: Team player, polite, cautious, and responsible.
- Weaknesses: Hesitant, timid, conservative, and sentimental.
The player continues along the map. They find the Rabbit standing nervously at the edge of a river, too timid and scared to cross. Even though there are stepping stones, the Rabbit hesitates, afraid of falling into the water.
The player’s task is to encourage the Rabbit and guide it step by step across the stones. By giving reassurance and carefully leading the Rabbit forward, the player helps it overcome its fear and reach the other side. Grateful, the Rabbit rewards the player with a coin before continuing the race.
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| Figure 2.2-4: Tiger Minigame Reference — It Takes Two & Resident Evil IV Remake, Week 3 (17/02/25) |
3. Tiger — #Stage 8:
- Birth Year: 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034.
- Personality: Cautious, energetic, brave, and persistent.
- Strengths: Determined/strong-willed, confident, trustworthy, and honest.
- Weaknesses: Stubborn, aggressive, argumentative, and egotistical.
The player continues exploring and finds the Tiger trapped in a cage, struggling to break free. The Tiger had chosen the wrong path despite there being a safer route because it was overconfident and believed it would be right. However, this mistake led him straight into a trap.
The player’s task is to press the correct sequence of buttons to release the trap and free the Tiger. Once successfully freed, the Tiger realizes his overconfidence caused his downfall and acknowledges the importance of being more careful. Grateful for the player’s help, the Tiger rewards them with a coin before rejoining the race.
2.3 ART DIRECTION
Figure 2.3-1: Miro, Week 1 (08/02/25)
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| Figure 2.3-2: Mood Board — Characters, Week 2 (11/02/25) |
We had six modelling styles we considered for the characters. The animals would have markings such as in the Paper-Cutting Style to hint at their mythical origin.
- Chinese Antiquity Style — Looks like paper puppets. Probably more suitable for 2D animation.
- Origami Style — Looks similar to Low-Poly Style but has even fewer polygons to work with. I'm not sure if origami can be animated in the first place.
- Old Myths Style — Detailed stone carvings of Chinese mythological creatures. Can be stylised or life-like. Animation may be difficult due to the engravings.
- Minimalistic Style — Easy to model. Animation can be expressive and more exaggerated due to the simple modelling.
- Cute Style — Rounded shapes, exaggerated, cartoony proportions.
- Low-Poly Style — Easy to model, however, looks too simple.
We were told to consider how the style would impact the characters' animation. Origami animals aren't practical to animate due to the low poly count (especially around the joints), leading to limited character movement. The characters should also not look overly cute, as that would make the project seem childish and simple. Low-poly is not recommended because the execution (i.e. colours, composition, lighting, etc.) would have to be very, very good to ensure that the final outcome doesn't look cheap.
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| Figure 2.3-3: High-Poly, Simple Shapes, Week 2 (11/02/25) |
We were advised to model the characters in high-poly but using simple shapes, such as the images above. This way, our characters will be easy to model but remain stylistically interesting. We were also told to aim to achieve something similar to the tiger on the right during the execution in Major Project II.😬 I'm already dreading the UV unwrapping.
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| Figure 2.3-4: Mood Board — Environment, Week 2 (11/02/25) |
With the characters' art direction settled, we found environment references in the same style as the characters, AKA high-poly + simple shapes. We were advised to have distinct themes for each island so they don't seem copy-pasted.
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| Figure 2.3-5: Island Themes Ideas, Week 3 (18/02/25) |
Some island ideas we drafted. One is desert-themed, the other is farmland-themed. We tried to relate the environment to the animals. For example, one of the first animals the player sees is the Pig and the Dog. These two are animals found on farms and thus would have minigames/stories related to being on a farm (details about their respective minigames can be seen in my group mates' blog).
2.4 FINAL SUBMISSION
Figure 2.3-1: Task 1 — Presentation — PPT (Final Submission), Week 4 (25/02/25)
*PDF version is too large to embed. Refer to Google Drive.
3.0 FEEDBACK
3.1 WEEK 1
Specific Feedback (Mr Kamal):
- AR/VR (Unreal Engine) might be too technical. Might have to find something less technical.
- Maybe can convert Blender files into Unreal Engine?
General Feedback:
- If you're not good at technical stuff, you must at least be good at storytelling and execution.
3.2 WEEK 2
Specific Feedback (Mr Kamal):
- Good.
- @ Storyline: Have the Jade Emperor congratulate the player at the end. The flow of the story is understandable.
- @ Animation: The animation should be appealing to the audience (kids) as it is supposed to be educational. If the workload is too much, you can reduce the introduction animation. Focus more on the game.
- @ Mood Board (Characters): Origami animals are hard to animate. Limited movements. The white animals from the mood board will be easier to animate, also stylistically interesting. Model something with similar simplicity. High-poly with simple shapes. Don't do overly cute. Too simple.
- @ Mood Board (Environment): The style of the world should match the characters (e.g. low-poly characters in a low-poly world). If you do low-poly, the colour and composition must be nice. Not sure if Unreal Engine supports low-poly. Make low-poly sample models and try exporting to UE. You can contact your senior Jamie for the technical stuff.
- @ Proposal: References can. Story and stages need to develop more. Characters can.
3.3 WEEK 3
Specific Feedback (Mr Kamal):
- @ Floating islands: Make sure each floating island is distinct from the others and not all the same. Decide on a theme for each island. You could also have the player teleport to different maps instead of islands.
- Don't sacrifice your creativity for limitations.
- @ Timeline: Your timeline is detailed and can be used for Task 2, but for Task 1, keep it brief (such as milestones). Put the simplified version in the PPT.
- @ Group member roles: Everyone can have a common role, but should also be split into specific roles.
- @ Gameplay stages: Make the stages simple enough for you to execute. Relate the environment to the animals. You might not be able to complete so many stages. Reduce the activities (e.g. introduction, 3-4 stages). Create visuals for the gameplay. The ideas are good, but you should consider the execution.
3.4 WEEK 4
Specific Feedback ( Mr Kamal & Mr Kannan):
- [INSERT TRANSCRIBED FEEDBACK HERE]
4.0 REFLECTION
I have a feeling that communication will be a challenge with this group. During group discussions, I am being steamrolled and ignored. Every time I try to say something, I am actively being spoken over, especially in Week 1 when we were brainstorming ideas. Only when I loudly speak over them do they stop to listen, and many times they continue on as though I haven't said a word. It's frustrating and tiring.
Furthermore, some of my group members seem to be overly attached to their ideas and are dead set on doing things their way. Early in Week 1 and 2, I told my group members that nine minigames in VR was too large of a workload for us to execute well in such a short timeframe, as we have no experience in game design and VR at all. My concerns about being too overambitious and overestimating our abilities were ultimately brushed off. Only after our instructors' feedback in Week 3 and 4 did the rose-coloured lenses come off and they started seeing their expectations as unrealistic.
I can only hope that further tasks will go smoother than this. It's tiring having to fight to be seen as an equal group member.
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