First, I explored the word ‘forgotten’, to get ideas for what I could research. The definition gave me a few ideas that I added to my word association diagram and mind map, as it got me thinking of all the different meanings of ‘forgotten’. The mind map and word association diagram enabled me to see different connotations of ‘forgotten’, allowing my later research to be much more varied than it otherwise would have been.
Forget definition:
1. fail to remember
2. inadvertently neglect to do, bring, or mention something
3. deliberately cease to think of
4. neglect to behave in an appropriate way
Forgotten word association
Forgotten mind map
Forgotten initial research
here, I collected images of shipwrecks, because they are lost and forgotten in the ocean. Therefore, I could make a game that revolves around shipwrecks, or takes place within a shipwreck. These images would help me create realistic-looking environments. For instance, I have noticed that they have a lot of algae, fungus and plants growing on and around them. They are also often very rusty. These observations will allow me to accurately represent shipwrecks, thus adding more detail.
I have included this board because a common location for forgotten structures is at the bottom of oceans. This board includes a variety of designs for underwater structures. For instance, it could be within a cave, or perfectly preserved by magic or a force field. The structure could be a lost city like Atlantis, an ancient temple, or just a small shrine. I like the look of a structure built into a cave, as it gives a more interesting environment than just the structure itself.
These images of modern abandoned buildings will help me if I decide to use a modern urban setting, as I will be able to use them as reference images for room designs or objects. This moodboard will also help if I use an abandoned industrial setting, or I include abandoned vehicles. There are many interesting modelling and texturing challenges posed by a modern abandonment theme. These include metal dents, rust, damaged tiles, rotting wood, peeling wallpaper and dust. However, because of all these small details that must be taken into account, I feel this setting would better suit an artist or 3D modeller. Therefore, I doubt I will use a modern abandonment setting.
Forgotten ruins is an obvious choice of setting for this project, but it does present a lot of opportunities for interesting gameplay mechanics. For instance, traps, crumbling architecture, or puzzles. Also, ruins allow very detailed materials, with textures such as moss, mould, dust, dirt and cracks. Therefore,these images could help greatly with the modelling and texturing of the structure.
“Forgotten” could refer to a forgotten realm or world, leading into fantasy environments. This is very broad, with settings ranging from cities on floating islands to fiery hellscapes. These environments can be incredibly complex, which would ensure that I don’t get lazy with the environment. I like using a fantasy setting, because it allows you to create almost any type of surroundings.
Connor Jarvis Level 3 Year 2 FMP 