The
first thing I needed to do before deciding what I want do for my
dissertation is to recognize where my interests lie within the
discipline of Games Design.
I've
always had a interest in the creation of environments and 3D assets
to be used within a game world, this is something I've practiced heavily in my spare time and have experimented with many different
modelling techniques and programs.
The
other option that slightly interests me is the management side of
Games Design. This was a subject I enjoyed last year and according to
my lecturers I did fairly well at as well. Even though this is
definitely as subject I have the ability to excel at, I believe this
subject would not provide me with the necessary skills I need to
achieve the position I want in the games industry.
Decisions,
Decisions
After
some thought on what my chosen subject will be I've narrowed it down
to creating a environmental piece inside of Unreal Engine 4 (UE4)
that will be built with modular assets I have made and textured.
I've
chosen UE4 as the game engine to showcase my environment as it is one
of the leading game engines, its also capable for producing high quality
renders that can be showcased in my portfolio.Its also one of the
new game engines that were released earlier this year so I would be
working with a up-to-date engine that many larger companies will be
using.
To
further define my dissertation proposal, I'll begin with researching
job vacancies for environment artists and 3D asset creation to find
out what skills and techniques are required for a entry level
position.
Summary
Q: What Am I doing?
A: I'll be creating a 3D environment using the skills and techniques I've learnt over the last 2 years and further refining them using the research I undertake during the dissertation module.
Q: What part of the dissertation is the main focus?
A: I'll be focusing on the modular design to the environment assets and creating them in a manner that is both efficient and practical in their usage.
Q: End Goal?
A:
- To have a modular asset kit that can quickly and easily be used in a level editor by level designers.
- To have a show piece for my portfolio
- To document my ability to research / develop existing skills
- Abiding by a set of requirements that I will set myself
- Poly count / Tri count
- Textures sizes / Texel density
- Ability to think technically about level building and asset creation
- Showcase my modelling skills and ability to texture
