1: Getting Started with Unity & Gaming

March 14-20th, 2021

Screenshot of my Unity game environment - Work in progress

 

Over the next couple weeks, I will use Unity to create an interactive work for my Digital Interventions course. I will document my progress in a few blogposts on this site. I'm looking forward to this project because I've never used a gaming engine before!

I have included the key objectives for this project below:

Scope of Project

Explore the use of the Unity game engine for artistic purposes relating to one of the following themes: 

• personal history
• social commentary
• art history

Whichever I choose, I will need to incorporate some form of research (e.g. old photos/documents, news articles, results from database searches, etc).

Create a space that is navigable. Consider to what extent I will adhere to or subvert the conventions of gaming and film. 

Before I finalize my concept, I think it's important to explore Unity so I can determine the technical possibilities of the engine. Once I know what I can and can't do, it'll be easier to create a concept that fits within the scope of this project.

Research: Learning from Tutorials

To prepare for our first class on Unity, I watched this video by the channel Imphenzia. I wanted to come into the class with a basic understanding of the engine so that I could better absorb new concepts. The tutorial is 2 hours long but I think it was worth it because he covered a lot of the basics. It was a very good intro video.

The second video I watched is by the channel Jelle Vermandere. I haven't had too much experience with Blender but I am open to learning how to use it for the characters in this project.

.

Then, I watched two videos by Brackeys, which show how to make a 2D game and move characters in Unity. I am still deciding whether I want to make a 2D or 3D game. I decided to download some games on my phone to see which types interested me most.

Research: Learning from Games

Although I find video games entertaining, I don't have much experience with gaming. I got an Xbox as a kid but I never used it for some reason. I was really into drawing and painting and would spend most of my free time doing that instead. 

This project motivated me to explore games again and so I downloaded a bunch and tested them out.

I chose to test mobile games because they're readily available and easy to install. I also chose to explore mobile games because they tend to be simpler than computer or console games. It makes sense for me to explore simpler games since I only have a couple of weeks to complete my project.

a) Playdead's INSIDE

 

I chose to download this award-winning game because of its positive reviews. My first impression of Inside was that it had a beautiful, dark game design with advanced character animation.

There are no instructions or backstory. The user has to figure everything out for themselves. However, the game is very intuitive and you can easily start playing. 

I like how the game is simple to play but it has a more complex story that you learn as you keep playing. You start with no context and then you get clues that you can piece together on your own.

b) Lost Tracks

I downloaded Lost Tracks because it was about a man navigating this haunting isolated world. This concept is compatible with this assignment, which is about navigating a new world.

The art style was attractive and delicate. The game opened with a artistically animated backstory featuring two characters. However I was disappointed once I started playing it. It was hard to navigate and not intuitive.  I had a hard time controlling the walking path of my character. 

The game is a bit older so maybe it's not compatible with my iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Update: I just checked and it was designed for iPad - that explains it!

c) Crossy Road

Crossy Road is a simple yet rewarding and addictive game. The user has to make the character cross busy roads without getting hit by cars and cross rivers without drowning.

There is a detailed fan page with tons of info about the characters and game modes. This game has been popular for many years and I remember it went viral when it first came out in 2014. I was a kid back then so it was nostalgic to redownload it. I remember one of the appeals of the game was the wide selection of characters, many of which were relevant memes. Some of the meme characters were Doge, Daddy (Psy from Gangnam Style), and emo goose.

Large companies such as Disney and Nintendo have collaborated with Crossy Road to create new versions of the game with characters such as Mickey Mouse, Buzz Light Year, Mike Wazowski, Mario Brothers, and more.

d) Circa 1948

I was looking forward to playing Circa 1948 because it was one of the few art games on the App Store. I was interested in the storyline because it was based on Canadian history. However I wasn't able to enjoy the game because it had many glitches that caused the screen to black out and my phone to overheat. There are two areas that you should be able to explore: The Hotel Vancouver and Hogan's Valley. Hogans Valley is corrupted. When I click on it, the game gets stuck on a loop where the screen turns black and the music keeps repeating. 

The only way out is to shut down the game. Many  reviewers felt the same way, hence the lower rating.

e) Samorost 1

 

Samorost1 is one of the other few free art games on the App Store. I was drawn to it by it's artistic collage-style design. 

While it is aesthetically pleasing, it did was not an intuitive or easy to navigate game. I was stuck on the first scene for 5 minutes because I thought it was the loading screen.

I'm keeping in mind that this is old version of the game. Newer (paid) versions are available on the App Store and users seem to really like them. The most recent version also made to the App Store Editor's top 10 indie games list.

f) Wayfinder

 

Out of all the games I tried, I'd say this is one of my favourites. It has many of the elements I was looking for: intuitive gameplay, simple yet artistic design, few levels. 

Wayfinder is a poetry game that underscores our role in both affecting, but ultimately remedying, the effects of climate change through action and a greater appreciation of the environment.

By combining poetry with video games, the creators of Wayfinder cause users to become invested in discovering the meaning of the poem.

The game has four levels-- one for each season-- and they can all be finished in one sitting (30 mins). I think this length is appropriate because the game  seeks to deliver one poetic message about nature. This game doesn't need to have dozens of levels with increasing difficulty because it's not about making the user develop an addiction to the game.

Wayfinder is the game I've tried that most resembles an art piece.

g) Mitoza

 

The creators of Mitoza describe it as a toy rather than a game. It is a surreal experience that is defined by the user's choices. Each unexpected event is the result of the user's decisions.

Mitoza begins with a seed on a black stage. The user is prompted to either water the seed or make a bird eat it. In each following stage, the user has to choose between two options that will cause the scene to evolve.

I really enjoyed Mitoza because every choice I made resulted in a n unexpected yet somewhat beautiful surreal event. I like how the simplicity of the user's interaction (choosing between two options) causes a complex sequence of events.

Along with Wayfinder and Inside, I would consider this one of the most interesting artistic games I explored.

Making my First Unity Environment

 

I followed along to a Brackeys video and learned how to make a terrain. It has so many options and looks great really quick so I was happy. You can easily add textures such as rock, dirt, moss, and snow. As I worked on the terrain, I decided to make a 3D, not 2D, game. 

Once I had my terrain, I watched a video tutorial by Sketch which teaches you how to make a realistic forest game environment in Unity. I watched the video once-through and the second time, I followed along and created my own version. I had to download an older version of Unity (2019.1.3) to follow the video because the current interface was very different. Using the same version made it a lot easier to follow the tutorial.

The reference video is on the left and my file is on the right side of the screen. Rather than creating a life-like forest, I chose to create a eerie, psychedelic version from an alternate universe.

I placed my environment within 4 walls to set the boundaries of the scene. Now, the user won't be able to walk out of the forest landscape.

Questions for the Upcoming Week:

- How can I make a NPC with randomized walking trajectories?

- How can I add audio to specific locations in my environment?

- What sort of elements can I incorporate in my environment to create a narrative?

- How can I present my work in a gallery? Will I project it on a wall, use an oculus headset, or display it on a monitor?

- How can I make the FPS user taller? Right now it looks like it's too short and close to the ground.

- How can I create a forcefield effect on the boundary walls of the scene environment? I want the walls to look holographic and have a translucent appearance.