Post Project Thoughts

The goal of my level is to introduce the player to the basic mechanics of the game without directly telling them what to do.  With the simple concept of “pick up the axe and cut down the tree,” I felt that the player could infer what it is I want them to accomplish.  Something else I focused on here was a sense of wonderment.  When the player turns the corner to see the stone scattered about, there is also the house which is the player’s final goal in this tutorial level.  I have presented it in such a way that the lighting sort of conceals it when the player first walks the corner, but as they get closer, it becomes more clear what it is and what they need to do.

A big feeling I want the player to feel is relaxed.  To do this, I added sound effects that give off this feeling: natural sounds with birds chirping and the wind blowing.  Along with that, adding the sound effects of the wood and stones breaking added a satisfying element to it.  I also made the resource requirements for each bridge simple and easy to achieve while keeping the feeling of accomplishment and do-goodery.  

Overall, I am pretty happy with what I’ve done and the process I used to get here.  I felt that I was able to come up with ideas, write them down, and successfully execute them.  If there were times I struggled with something, I came up with a solution and applied it well.  I learned a lot from doing this and I will continue to learn in this same way with everything else I do.

My early sketch and blockout: