2D Game Character Design & Implementation
Digital Media Productions
Background
To demonstrate the skills of:
• Character development
• Walk cycle animation
• Jump pose
• Spite sheet implementation in Unity game engine
• Environment design
You will design a 2D game character for a fictional game and implement it into a game engine. This is not a drawing assignment and you aren’t graded for “artistic drawing” ability. You will however, demonstrate your ability to use creativity, research, and follow a process that will help you develop a fictitious game character. You can work solo or in a team of up to 3 students.
• Stick people drawings are not permitted, but the character does not have to be humanoid shape.
• Character will be 300-600 pixels in height
• Should have at least 2-3 major body components (head-body), plus appendages to aid in transport and manipulating objects such as tools or food.
• Character should have at least 3 colors.
• Character can be the player or a non-player character.
Procedure –
Develop a game character and implement graphics in Unity game engine
Create a word/pdf document that includes:
Purpose: Define “What is the emotional experience we want our audience to have?” in a hypothetical game. You may use this example or create an original one such as -“Explore a strange new world full of intrigue and wonder as you develop skills, experience, acquire valuables while always being cautious of surprise attacks from the indigenous wild life.”
High Concept Key Words: List of keywords generated during brainstorming that describe a hypothetical game character, use these categories at the minimum –
• Emotion
• Color
• Shape
• Texture
• Line
• Speed
• Size
• Opposing concept
Visual Metaphors (optional): Describe at least one visual metaphor that can be used for game character development
Mindmap: Write a High Concept (2-3 sentences) describing your game character and include keyword attributes that support your High Concept (center). You may not end up using all of your keywords, only the ones that support your High Concept. You do not have to include the same attributes shown here, these are for example. For instance, you may prefer to have “tools” instead of “architecture”
Moodboard: Create a moodboard by collecting images that support your keywords and High Concept. Use Photoshop or another graphic editor to place all of your images in a single document. Include a small version of that moodboard here. An example is:
Character Shapes: Screenshot of basic character shape idea combined with shape(s) from Moodboard. For example:
Color Palette: Develop a color palette for your character from https://coolors.co/ or https://color.adobe.com/create/color-wheel
Show a screenshot of your primary color palette from either of these sources:
Preliminary Sketch: Include a B&W sketch image. This can be messy. Original can be done on paper or use Adobe Animate with pencil or paintbrush (stroke) tool. Embed image/screenshot into this Word/Pdf document.
Final Character Concept Art: Display a final-full color illustration of your character. You can use any pose. It can have outlines or no outlines, it is your choice. However, use a color scheme that is indicated above and supports your High Concept. Character should face to their left as ¾ look or profile.
Character Name/Bio: Provide the character’s name and short biography or description of the fictional character. 3-4 sentences.
• Create a Walk cycle for your character walking to the right. 30 FPS. You can use forward, or inverse kinematics or parenting. Make sure to use the primary poses. Save animation to a symbol. (must be original, no Hippo or downloaded assets)
• Create a png sprite sheet for the walk symbol
• Create a jump pose (single pose) for your character. Save to a symbol.
• Create a png sprite sheet for jump symbol
• Create a symbol for character idle pose (single pose is sufficient). Create a png sprite sheet of character in idle pose.
• Import sprite sheets into attached Unity Game project
• Implement Unity animation settings to use new sprite sheets
• Extra Credit – Replace Unity environment (background) with your own design that supports the character style
Deliverables –
1. Word/PFD Document in the order of: (Purpose, High Concept key words, Visual Metaphor, Mind Map, Moodboard, Character Shapes, Color Palette, Final Character Concept Art, Preliminary Sketch, Final Character Concept Art, Character Name/Bio)
2. Sprite sheet of character walk cycle in png format (30fps).
3. Video screen recording (mp4 or mov) showing game play in Unity Editor with your walk and jump animation. 5-10 seconds
Example:
Rubric –
• Effective walk cycle for character (based on Unity implementation) 15pts
• Effective jump pose for character (based on Unity implementation) 10pts
• Creativity 15pts
• Quality – attention to detail 10pts
• Sprite sheet of walk cycle 10pts
• Video recording of game play (mp4 or mov) 10pts
• Word document (includes items listed above) 30pts
• Extra Credit – Redesign environment (appropriate color palette) 10pts
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