YEAR
GENRE
GAME ENGINE
2021
Twin-Stick Shooter
Unity
ROLE
Project Manager, Level Designer, Environment Artist
PITCH
and it's free!
ELLESMERE is a 3D isometric twin-stick shooter set in the Ellesmere Elementary School Science Fair during an attack by creatures from below the sea. Play as Izzy, a 12 year old super-scientist with her whirlwind invention - The Slipspace Personal Animation Warp Neuropod or S.P.A.W.N. Chamber for short. With the newfound strength of a twisted Sealien Arm and a strapped together Tesla Gun, Izzy must battle back against these fishy foes. Collect randomized power ups that alter her stats and playstyles over the course of each unique run. Izzy must blast and smash her way through the school, out onto the roof, and towards the Sealien mothership in an explosive slapstick adventure to save her fellow classmates.
DESIGN PROCESS
Ellesmere game takes place in Ellesmere primary school. As the nature of the real-life school environment, I planned to players feel the same school experience in the same way. While designing the school floors, first, I defined the inside volumes (room types) of the school.
Dimensions are determined to be suitable for modular parts. To define these metrics, we used architectural programs such as AutoCAD, ARCHICAD. These programs convert 2D drawings to 3D models which are outstandingly helpful while working on Grey Boxing.
Interactive Elements
In Ellesmere, there are various interactive elements across the game. Most of the in-class props are breakable by Izzy’s attacks. Players can destroy desks, chairs, and walls by using the sealien arm. Destroying these props will give more open space to players in order to kill sealien creatures.
Props as a pile of papers and pencils on the tables will scatter around with the player’s attack. Me and my teammates created these effects and props by using Maya.
There are 3 obstacles placed in the player's pathway. To overcome these obstacles, players have to find a different way. Players need to enter nearby classrooms to find some new way. If players see cracks on the wall this means this wall type is breakable. By using sealien arm, players can destroy these walls to continue the game.,
Players should take Atoms(powerups) from Teachers after clearing the room. Collecting these various Atoms boosts up Izzy's skills.
MORE BREAKABLE STUFF!! I WANT MORE!!
-VFS INSTRUCTORS (YES ALL OF THEM)
First Prototype of Breakable Wall
Final Version of Breakable Wall
Grey Boxing
Grey Boxing in Ellesmere was done in Unity with a modular kit created in Maya. Each modular piece is imported to Unity as a Prefab to reduce risks. Using Modular Kits gave me an opportunity to if something went wrong with the asset I can easily change in Maya.
Modular pieces help a lot while creating the total environment in Unity. The key factor in deciding the pivot point of the modular pieces in Maya according to their purposes.
To see the total size of the school environment we used Probuilder in Unity. Probuilder is easy to use in Unity. However, Probuilder does not provide a free space while designing. Things that I can do are limited with ProBuilder. After we finished Prototype I immediately switched to Maya.
Props
In Ellesmere, every room type has unique assets according to lesson type. We want players to directly understand what type of room they are currently in. That’s why on the Basement floor, each room and volume have their own characteristic props. This feature makes the environment way richer. A rich environment makes the player explore the game more.
Most of the props in rooms and classes are breakable. This feature fits to Izzy’s Tesla and her Sealien Arm highly well.
LEVELS
BASEMENT FLOOR PLAN
Basement Floor
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
LEVEL STRUCTURE AND NARRATIVE ASPECTS
After the intro cinematic ends players will find themselves in the first level of the game. The main focus of the Basement Floor is the tutorial part. Each classroom/volume teaches different mechanics to players. After finishing or skipping the dialogue part, players will learn movement mechanics in the Basketball area. While designing the Basketball area, I tried to place various breakable objects in order to encourage players to get familiarized with the shooting and punching mechanic. When the player gets close to the exit door, the first enemy will be spawned inside the zone.[NARRATIVE GAP#1] This is the first interaction with the sealiens. Players will get familiarized with their movement and attack mechanics.
The basketball Area takes an important place in Ellesmere. In just one zone players learns a couple of aspects. For example, players learn which asset is breakable which asset is not. The second example takes place in every room, Gating System. The main logic of this system is players not be able to go to the next area until they kill all enemies inside the room. Doors stay locked until the classrooms clear.
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After finishing the basketball area, the level introduces the first pathway obstacle to players. In order to get past to next area, players need to enter the second classroom which is the Dance room. [NARRATIVE GAP#2] As soon as players get inside the dance room, an earthquake happens. Thanks to SFX and acceptable camera shake, players will understand ''there is something wrong inside this school rather than the sealiens.
In this area, the level introduces the second type of enemy to players which is the ranged enemy. They are applying the same damage as melee enemies. However, they are sending a projectile to Izzy.
After clearing the room from sealiens, a player can be able to get past the main corridor by breaking the wall with sealien hand.
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While inside the main corridor, players will find the next door which takes players to Man-Women Changing room. For the first time players learns how to grab bandage in-game. Same as the Dance room, this area shows to players, there is one more type of melee enemy inside the game. It basically looks the same as Melee's enemy but it has way less health. Although, they are faster. With these little touches, we created enemy variety.
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Ground Floor
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Optional Pathway (WC)
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Introducing New Enemy Type (Heavy Enemy)
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3 Reward
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[NARRATIVE GAP#3] Player learns the reason for what caused the earthquake. MEGA SEA CUCUMBER.
ROOFTOP PLAN
Rooftop
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Final Fight. Izzy versus 25 enemies.
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Ending Cinematic
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[NARRATIVE GAP#4] Sea Cucumber works as a beehive. Izzy needs to kill every sealien in order to stop Sea Cucumber.
POST MORTEM
Ellesmere, was an incredible experience for me and my teammate. Before jumping into the game industry, working on this game felt like an industry simulation for me. I worked as a Project Manager, Level Designer, and Environment Artist in this game. I came to Vancouver Film School in order to use my Architectural knowledge in the Game Design program. With carrying this goal under my belt, I always pushed myself to learn new things while working on this project. When the time came I improved myself in Substance Painter. I learned Substance Designer in just 2 days. I learned how to rig a tentacle in order to make Sea Cucumber. After trying, failing, redoing several times, in result, I made more than 80 Props(with textures), +40 textures, and all of the UI arts in 4 months. While fighting against this heavy workload, I was also and Project Manager for this project. Creating the Communication Environment inside the team, discussing every design element, spreadsheets(lots of spreadsheets) are the extra things that I worked on. I truly felt every design decision in my veins and in my brain. Sometimes I felt like I'm giving myself too much into this project. However, after every milestone we reached I recovered my mental health and I pushed myself one again until the next milestone. The main reason why I did this, I believed in this project and in myself. I'm proud with myself for creating this Ellesmere Primary School from start to end.
I will never forget things that I learned in VFS, especially this project.
TEAM LOGO
