The Mansion Prototype

This post refers to the TGVP-Mansion release

A New Chapter

Last time, you were in a strange room with a spinning container, and now you're back to what seems to be the main villa.

It's familiar yet altered. There's no horizon, and the sky radiates a warmer hue. A note on the table catches your eye—it's from Emo, yet again. He's traveled with you, and he's fixated on that wine once more.

He insists it's your sole shot at escaping this shifting madness. You're on what appears to be a floating island, with no clear way out. The only option is to trust Emo once again... that wine must hold some meaning.

Back to the end

The release of the TGVP-Mansion demo marks the end of another development cycle.  The Monday 6th deadline was a hard requirement, and what you see is the result of my efforts up until that date. I didn’t stretch deadlines to fix more bugs or add some polish. And boy there would be the need for some polish.

But, these are learning experiments and there is no value in refining them beyond a certain extent. The actual value is in whatever I manage to produce and learn within the deadline.

I think it went well. 

The sandbox is richer in content than before, complete with a proper ending. This time around, I spent time more efficiently. Focusing on the core first allowed for more organic expansion of the level. The two main objectives with this demo were:

1. Designing a level that gradually unlock itself.
2. Introduce a segment where you perform tasks while being pursued by an entity.

I believe I've hit these targets. I believe I will never be completely satisfied but I feel this is a step in the right direction.

Atmosphere

This time around I spent some time -for the first time- on the art direction: the color palette, textures, and lighting have been chosen with some criteria rather than just being slapped them on the blockout. While I don't think I am quite there yet I think that old-style feels is starting to come out.

Visuals are starting to look better. Sill need polish but the whole thing is starting to give some PSX-esque vibes...

While I was at it, I dedicated some time to sound design too. Exiting the mansion allows ambient music to give way to the sounds of nature, enhancing the immersion. Inside, the crackling fireplace and the ticking clock begin to shape a tangible atmosphere. I know I did not animate that old clock, but, if you play the demo, just stop by it for a moment. That ticking, in that room, feels so good... :)

My reference material next to the end result of the demo.

Mechanics

This iteration saw enhancements in core game mechanics, particularly AI. Crafting the Enderman section led to innovative ways to manage scripted events and to diversify the basic enemy behavior patterns.

The Enderman has distinct traits: invincibility, for starters, and a retreat to one of the preset patrol points when shot, always picking a spot away from the player. 

Also,  I developed a more varied patrolling system for it -that now can be applied to all enemies- and that allows them to more organically cover bigger areas.

Patrol behavior (speedup) : given enough time the Enderman ends up patrolling all the sides of the corridor.

The systems I developed to create the Enderman starting from a regular Zombie are modular and will serve as a valuable reference to add future gameplay variety.

Game Design

This map was a playground for testing new approaches to the game. I tried a few other things:

• I played with a more survival gameplay style, rationing bullets that make every shot count. This approach also allowed me to reward exploration more meaningfully by adding some ammo behind secret doors.
• I finally created a map that loops back on itself. I have no idea why but the fact that the end of the level is right where you begin gives me some deep satisfaction.

Character Animations

This demo showcases the successful integration of Mixamo animations into the Unreal 4 skeleton. I've established a workflow to export animations from Mixamo and apply them to any character. The results are evident in the Enderman's hit reaction, its disoriented state that signals the end of its retreat, and Emo's final sprint. The scared Emo animation instead is not from Mixamo. That is actually authored by me using a AutoRig Pro, which constitutes a working example for more customisations to character animations when needed.

This guy is sketchy...

Some of these animations are purely cosmetic, but others have a big impact in gameplay too by effectively communicate enemy behavior state changes. 

For a long time the Enderman -upon being shot- would simply start its retreat. The whole behavior change happened so quickly that sometimes it wasn’t even clear that shooting was affecting the enemy. 

Adding some simple animation to the start and end of its retreat makes it immediately clear. And helps the player save some of those precious bullets.

Animations signalling the start and end of the Enderman's retreat phase

What I Would Improve

While these builds are more like practice runs and won't be polished further, I still find it useful to list out things I could or even should have done better. Here's a list:

• The requirement to shoot the Enderman for progression lacks clarity. He drops a key that is needed to escape the 2F but this is not clear at all. I expect most players to eventually try to shoot at it (Emo actually suggests it) but that's not enough.
• Following directly from the above: the absence of a fallback if the player runs out of bullets is a big one. Basically, if you run out of bullet you can't shoot mr Enderman and you are stuck. This could be fixed easily by having him drop the key on a melee hit with the baseball bat.
• Emo gives away 2 keys in the same dialogue. It’s a clear stretch for a lack of a better design.
• Overuse of keys and one-way door mechanics contribute even more to highlight some issues with the level design.
• More enemies should have been added to the final escape sequence from the villa.

Next Steps

The journey continues, aiming for a balance between innovation and a sense of classic comfort. If you've played this latest build, let me know your thoughts. What worked for you, what didn't, or what unexpectedly delighted you?

I'll soon set a new deadline with fresh goals for the upcoming demo.

Catch you in the next update!