First Pass level design in place.

After 6 weeks of waiting interesting level designs we (Skully and I) finally decided to just sit down and decipher one which we could make in the remaining time as best we could. 

I had previously created a critical framework for our designer which in theory would facilitate more relevant and dynamic level design for Role. 

Framework (apply these questions to every mechanism design once it's been made.)

-Does it consider time as a skill? Y/N

-Is this design simple enough for the player to conceive? Y/N

-Consider how the design will simulated through 2D physics. 

-Does the mechanism fit the context? Y/N

-Consider the amount of work required to create it. Clever, simple designs are the core charm of this short project. 

Also, the games we highlighted as our main inspirations back in week one were written down for her as she hadn't checked them out despite our teams' regular referencing to them. Pretty unsettling. 

We refer to Limbo every day. Play Dead, 2010.

As I think I mentioned before that the level designs we were receiving totally jarred with the ethos of the game and obviously hadn't been considered for any length of time as she would change them and scribble different designs on a whim while pitching them. 

I really hope noting these points doesn't seem unprofessional but it's generally just a play-by-play of events. 

So we still needed a final design and the ones she was bringing us all neglected to consider the fact that the mechanisms are on their own layers and so, for example, some mechanisms could not impact others. She was looking at the game like a 2D picture instead of considering the level like a 3D space. 

So I quickly threw together a simple mock-up of part of our level to demonstrate how to picture it when designing (See Below).

This seems to have helped her a lot.

We now have an ending to the first pass level design and I will be creating the assets as fast as I can until the submission.

One interesting thing about the beginning of our level is the "fan" which begins to blow the player once the screen is tapped.

The context for this is a boat's propeller. Basically the start of the level will be at the water's edge and the boat will be dangling from a crane with the propeller's exposed.

Animated sprite sheets are in our beta version plan. However, I'll still make the sprite sheets so that they're ready for implementation when we're in beta development.

In anticipation of the sprite sheet I decided to create some 3D reference footage for the propeller because I don't fancy the idea of animating the side-view of a boat propeller from imagination.

So I'll begin rotoscoping that footage after I've made all the Alpha art for this level.

I've also spent some time designing the boat that will be attached to the propeller.

I took some inspiration from Ian's McCue's work and from the Junk boats of Ancient China for the shape and for the colours I referred back to my older boat design. Although I don't think they gel as well as in the older design, and in general I feel the designs are very weak; so I'll need to refine that.

I also threw the Player (moon) in to demonstrate the scale of the designs.

Also, any opinions on the current stance of the logo would be appreciated.

There were quite a few designs I drafted which I liked. But some didn't fit the context - like this one: