Worked til 1am last night on my level. So tired this morning, but if I could pick and choose I would rather be home working on it now than AT work. I need to get the level of comfortability with UDK and Maya that I have with AutoCAD and I’ll be golden…
So I have created a little climbing/balancing/jumping challenge in my section of our game. It took some creative use of my limited stock of meshes, some BSP brushes, and a number of blocking volumes… but the player doesn’t just “walk” through the level now. I have also REALLY gotten the hang of converting static meshes into something they weren’t originally intended for, as the tupperware in my level looks nothing like the casserole dish it originally was.
Whilst working on the meshes for this level I realized something important to my design of the game: It doesn’t have to look TOO real.
I was stressing out over WHY there would be so many of the same meshes in a single refrigerator. In reality the player knows it’s a game, the meshes are just “stuff” and I shouldn’t worry so much. So now it doesn’t seem all THAT weird that there are three cartons of juice, two wine bottles, and a six-pack of soda in with my cake. They are just shapes for the level.
Now, if I ever revisit this game in the future to make it “real” I’d want to take a lot more time with the meshes, maybe model it after my own refrigerator… Although I suppose if I’m honest, there are a few bottles of wine and cartons of juice there too… and lots of tupperware…
Next on the list is figuring out what to do with that massive space in the corner before you round the cake to the button. I’m thinking about an AI bot to shoot at, maybe a little tupperware bunker? I can’t wait to get home and play. 😉