Matt Forshaw MA Games Blog

 Project X Submission Update Part One: Mechanics Breakdown During the course of this project, I have aimed to create a playable experience, which would allow me, as a developer, to experiment with mechanics, both new and pre-existing, for the purposes of creating relatable, attachable characters. Character attachment in games is a subject which has been been the subject of many reviews, so to improve my understanding of mechanics designed to nourish character attachments, I decided early on that I would create a character-centric experience which would allow players to create and develop their characters over the course of their playthrough. The intended effect of this experience was to try and create a relationship between the player and their characters. To do this effectively, I had to choose a selection of mechanics which would allow me to explore a variety of approaches to this topic. In the following post, I will break down the mechanics I chose to focus on, exploring how they we

Project Update 15/05/2020 Part 4: Portfolio Work This is the 4th and final part of my Project Update, where I will show off some of the latest work I have done to improve my portfolio. To see Part 3, where I breakdown the next stages of my project, click here: https://maforshaw.blogspot.com/2020/05/project-update-part-3-ns.html Alternatively, to see the latest preview of the project, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z9UBQurkW0&feature=youtu.be As well as working on my project, I have also begun adding to my portfolio. I recently completed a lecture on Udemy to help me improve my 3D Modelling and I am glad to say it has helped me with my confidence in modelling. I feel like this is an important step, as my project is very centred around Unreal Development. As a designer, I would like to show my ability to work on a variety on roles.  Here are the latest assets I have created: Fig 1. A combat knife, modelled in Maya and textured  using Substance De

Project Update 15/05/2020 Part 3: Next Steps This is Part 3 of my project update series. To see Part 2, where I breakdown the mechanics of my project and offer a look at footage of the latest playtest, click here: https://maforshaw.blogspot.com/2020/05/project-update-15052020-part-2.html Additionally, to see the video directly, click here  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z9UBQurkW0&feature=youtu.be This part of the update will look at the next stages of my development process, such as what mechanics I still need to add and how I plan on innovating further.  To begin with, I will look at my progress towards the finished so far, looking at how the progress I have will enable me to progress and develop new mechanics. So far in my project, I have implemented the systems needed to generate dialogue for each location and variation of character availability. To complete this stage, I need the raw dialogue, which I am in the process of creating with the help of my 3 b

Project Update 15/05/2020 Part 2: Mechanics Breakdown This will be the second part to my update series, about the progression I have made in recent weeks in the development of my project. Part 1, going through my influences and artist connections can be found here:  https://maforshaw.blogspot.com/2020/05/project-update-part-1-rr.html .  In this second part, I intend to give a good outline of the progression of my project, as well as the development process ahead of me. In order to do this, the video below will give you the first look at the latest working progression of my project. Following this, I will breakdown the changes I have made and developments I have in progress.  https://youtu.be/6z9UBQurkW0 To begin with, I will first talk about the process involved in beginning the game. After recent developing and after speaking to artists such as Richard Lico, I have decided that moving forward, my characters will be designed to fit 3 archetypes.: - The Strong Man: A

Project Update 15/05/2020 Part 1: Recap and Research This will be a long overdue 4 part update to the progress on my project. During this update series, I will begin to breakdown my research additions, such as my conversations with artists such as Richard Lico and Peter Dimitrov, they're feedback and how it has affected my design practises and the choices I have made. Additionally, I will go through a breakdown of my project, offering the first full look at all the mechanics I intend to implement, as well as the first look at a preview video from which the overall idea of my experience can be seen. Throughout this video, you will be introduced to all of the mechanics I have implemented so far and what is in the pipeline. In order to offer my research perspective, I will break down how the mechanics I have chosen to include have come from outside influences, as well as the benefit I hope to get from each mechanic.  To begin, I will first recap the main objectives