Peaks and Valleys

Innovative Brief

Survival Thriller

haunted in a hospital and VR compatible

Matt Wolford - Programmer

Austin Messer - Art & Animation

University of Advancing Technology

November 2016 - Present

Abstract

The goal of this project is to create a unique integrated Graphic User Interface that will help make a fun and engaging, virtual reality experience for players interested in the horror/thriller genre. Some of the objectives are deciding on an art style, unwrapping and texturing all the models, completing the storyline and objectives for the game, creating full functionality of all resources and abilities, and the design and layout of a full-scale environment. The project is currently in development, with a prototype available within an estimated 9-10 months.

Keywords

game, design, programming, virtual, reality, survival, thriller, hospital, setting, characters.

Background Information and Prior Art

The artist style will be unique as it is with nearly every artist. We want to instill fear and make the player feel unnatural just being there. This is one of the ways the game will take a toll on the main character as they try to understand what’s going on around them. This is inspired by the way Silent Hill changes its entire environment around you. The difference is that this is how the player is perceiving the environment. The player’s character has an undocumented mental issue that’s causing hallucinations. This won’t be discovered until the end of the game.

Project Description and Innovation Claim

Peaks and Valleys is intended to be a story-driven, thriller game in Virtual Reality. The story has not been thought out too far because that is not the primary focus for the Senior Innovation Project. However, the gist is that the main character is stuck in a hospital room for a number of nights that the character has to survive. The character is in the hospital because of an existing heart condition, as well as some minor burns. This is why she/he is attached to the heart rate monitor that will serve as the player’s entire user interface. The player does not know at the start of the game but the character is a frequent smoker and accidentally left a lit cigarette out and burnt down her/ his apartment building. Nearly everyone made it out besides the main character’s child, who the character now has to face in the hospital and the amount of drugs he/she is on is not helpful, making it hard to tell the difference between what is real and what is not. The character has to survive a week in the hospital while stuck inside a hospital room for the most part. The character has to overcome his/her grief by apologize to the child for what the character has done and forgiving herself/himself over the loss of his/her child. That is the only way the character’s child will stop haunting him/her and they can both be at peace. The player will uncover little clues as the game progresses to fully understand what the character has done, who the character is and who the child is.

The innovative part to Peaks and Valleys is the unique integrated Graphic User Interface in Virtual Reality that the player will have to manually look at to interact with. The integrated GUI monitor will serve as any and all user interface that the player will need to see or use for health, resources and collectables.

Usage Scenario

This machine will serve as the only tool and user interface. The player must always lug around this monitor so that he can access the user interface, without it the player dies. In fact the player must keep up high maintenance of the machine or he dies. If the player’s heart rate gets too fast or too slow, it’s game over. The player’s heart rate rises when “scared”, takes adrenaline or runs. The player’s heart rate drops when too many pills are taken or his fluid levels get too low. This means that the player has to interact with the monitor to keep a balanced heart rate.
The options to slow heart rate down are to take Rythmol pills or to rest (stop moving). This is bad because the ghost child is after the player. The options to speed up heart rate are to take adrenaline shots/pills or run (the player can only run so long until fatigued or exhausted). Taking too many pills and/or shots in rapid succession will kill the player from an overdose. The player also will only have a set amount of pills, shots and IV fluid bags each night so they will have to use them sparingly. The player can only last so long without changing out his IV fluid bag. The player will escape from his/her room on the last night to travel the halls. During this instance the player will have to search for the medicine to keep moving and to stay alive. With all of the said, while interacting with the heart rate monitor the player becomes more vulnerable because it makes more sounds and alerts the child, so it is key to only use it when absolutely necessary. To help with this, the player will also have to rely on the sound of the heart rate monitor as it will change as the player’s heart rate gets too fast or too low. The player should be able to hear when they have an irregular heart rate, so they know just when to look at it. There will obviously need to be balancing.

Evaluation Criteria

The innovation for this game does not really touch the art side of things as much as it does for the programming however, it is something new to be in a game, at least anything that got somewhat popular. This project should be evaluated on three levels: innovation functionality and fun. I will be in charge of fun and the programmer will be more in charge of innovation and functionality, but still helping with fun of course.

The following questions will identify the successful completion of the project:

Is the innovation innovative enough?
Does the player get a thrilling experience?
Is the resource system balanced?
Is the game fun?
Do the resources do what they are supposed to the player’s heart rate?
Does the player “get scared” by enemies?
Is the art (environment and characters) finished, looking good and fitting for this type of game?
Is the story elaborate enough?

Project Logic Model

Goal:

To create a unique integrated Graphic User Interface that will help make my Virtual Reality game thrilling, fun and engaging for players interested in the horror/thriller genre of videogames.

Objectives:

1. Innovate on the idea of integrated GUI.

a. Create models/art that are relevant to the GUI. (pills, monitor, syringe, etc)

b. Program the functionality of the GUI and its resources.

2. Make the game fun and engaging.

a. Create a fitting art-style.

b. Model the environment and characters.

c. Storyboard a step-by-step layout of the game.

d. Put the game in VR.

Prototype Implementation

Here is our Game Design Doc.

Peaks and Valleys is an ongoing project, headed by Austin Messer, an on-campus student. I, Matt Wolford, am currently the only other member on our team and will be dealing with the programming. I say currently, because we are looking to bring on at least one more body to help us get this project running more efficiently. We will are planning on having a completed product by the time Austin is ready for his second SIP course.

Evaluation

The innovation will be complete and enough when all of the models work with all of their functions in tandem with the monitor UI and when everything is designed and put into VR. If players feel nervous about looking behind them, or they are just slightly worried about their own well-being then the game will be thrilling enough. The resource system will have to have numbers played with to be balanced to the point where the developers feel they are fair. The story, the art, the functionality, the thrill, and the game being in VR will all work hand in hand to make the game fun. The programmer will make it so that the enemies and resources work the way they are supposed to. By the end of the semester, we are hoping to have a close to complete storyboard that’s subject to change as time goes on. We are planning on having a rough frame of the hospital and focus on programming the factors that will affect the sanity of the main character as he traverses the hospital, and how that will alter how the game is played.

Project Completion Assessment

As we move forward, our goals and objectives will be our top priority. Utilizing a Scrum Development plan with 3 week Sprints, we plan to hash out key items, such as character models for Austin, and building a level within Unity for myself, early, as that will produce the best outcomes each cycle. We will continue this approach throughout the year with hopes of Austin having a completed project for his final SIP and that we have a completed product that we could introduce to the Oculus marketplace.

Appendices

Appendix A: SIP Pitch – AM_Pre Sip Pitch.docx

Appendix B: Project Proposal – AM_Project Proposal.docx

Appendix C: Innovation Brief – Messer_Innovation Brief Final.doc x

Appendix D: Project Logic Model – Messer_Project Logic Model.docx

Appendix E: Primary Materials and Methods – Messer_SIP Primary Materials and Methods.docx

Appendix F: Heart Rate Monitor Model – Heart Rate Monitor Model.jpg

Appendix G: Rythmol Pill Model – Pill Bottle and Pill.jpg

Appendix H: Syringe Model – Syringe.jpg

Appendix I: IV Bag Reference – IV Bag.jpg

Appendix J: Adrenaline Shot Reference – Adrenaline Shot.jpg

Appendix K: Fallout 4 Pip-Boy Reference – Fallout Pip-Boy.jpg

Appendix L: Pill Bottle Reference – Pill Bottle.jpg

Appendix M: Heart Rate Monitor Interface Reference – Heart Rate Monitor Interface.jpg

Appendix N: Five Nights at Freddy’s Camera References – FNAF Camera.jpg, FNAF 2 Camera.jpg, FNAF 3 Camera.jpg

Appendix O: Peaks and Valley’s UI Reference – Peaks and Valleys’ UI.jpg, Peaks and Valleys’ UI.psd

Appendix P: Peaks and Valleys SIP Pitch Powerpoint – Pre SIP Pitch Peaks and Valleys.pptx

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