Parallax test

Before I started painting any backdrops or assets, I set up a unity project to test out how the parallaxing effect for the backdrops will work. I was following this tutorial

https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/modules/beginner/2d/2d-overview.

I painted a quick greyscale example to use, and made sure I each part on a separate layer so that I could import it into Unity as multiple images.

I got it working as it turned out to be very simple, I just used the script provided in the example and made sure all the layers were set up correctly.

Update (03/03/16)

I made a new set of backdrops and tested the parallax again to  make sure I can place the props and have them move with the background. It turns out I can just nest the objects together and it works fine, so I should be able to easily apply this to the game. I might need to go back and add shadows around the base of the trees, but I’ll see how it looks in the actual game first.

Dragon dash concept art - YAZZ

CHARACTER DESIGN

For our year 2 group project we were given the task to make a game. We all decided it would be a 2D platform game where you play as a adult dragon trying to retrieve his/her stolen eggs. At first when we had the idea it was the other way around where the baby dragon has lost his parent and must search for him/her, but then we realized that realistically a baby dragon would not do this. Above was the first design of the baby dragon.

Once we all agreed that the dragon would be a adult and not a baby, I had to re-design the dragon giving him/her adult features. Here is a rough version of the adult dragon. This would most likely be its final design.

After designing the adult dragons structure it was time to add more unique colors and pin down a colorations me and my group was happy with and then develop it further.

GUI ART

For our game Dragon Dash, i was requested to create a dragon head marker to pin point where  the character is during game play and some other GUI art pieces such as dragon eggs and a symbol icon for collecting coins.

Level Design

The above sketches are initial ideas for the layout and were also a way for me to practice drawing this kind of design. I haven't done a huge amount of level design before so I was trying to figure the process out. To help with that I read this post, which is a guide to designing platformer levels.

I then drew out a more detailed level map and was able to get feedback on things like the length and placement of hazards.

And this is pretty much the final design, obviously things will change slightly once it's in engine but this is about what we're going for. I'm very happy with it considering this entire process has been me learning how to design 2D levels, It could be more complex but it's a good first attempt.

I also did these sketches to get a feel for how the background/level will look, the bottom left is the closest to what we're going with style-wise

Player Movement and Control

This script, with the help of various YouTube videos, I was able to create a smooth looking movement for the player. I wanted something that looks a little more smoother than the regular player control script in unity. I spent a big chunk of the making of the game focused on the players physics. This gave me a lot more control over the player, able to control the min and max jump height (button pressured jumping), complete control over the character when in mid air, I felt this helped the game play run smoother, as having a movement type in which you jump and have to face the penalty's of where you land.

This is what the final player inspector looks like with all the scripts and animators that control it.

Props Design

I made some initial designs for some traps and collectibles that will appear in the game, while these are just rough sketches I tried to make sure they are consistent with Luther's concept art.

Moodboards

I put these moodboards together with input from the team, there's one each for character and environment and they will help guide the visual style of the game throughout development.

Heather