Map Design Progress Update 3
I have done a lot of work on the hotel since my last blog post. For a start, I have created a rough front entrance for when Player/s escape the hotel in the game. This eventually will be reworked but that is a job for when the project is more finalised as it may not be seen by the Player depending on how the escape is programmed. This was done quickly just as a basis for if it is.
This is the front entrance door from the other side. I have textured the front door archway with an old brick texture and placed ceiling lamps to light the hallway as I felt it didn't work as well when it was dark as it didn't quite capture that 'Shining' atmosphere of being frozen in time.
Throughout the Reception and Parlour I have set up ceiling lights.
The Reception is still a work in progress as it still needs a proper key rack.
Additionally, I need to find a light that feels appropriate for this space.
I have, however, found a great desk bell to complete the Reception desk.
With the new lighting, the Parlour has a lot more atmosphere now.
It also gives a sense of age to the rooms and halls throughout the hotel.
The lighting also allows me to create a sense of intrigue for the Manager's Office.
This is perfect as at some point, I want to make little pages that are attached to the corkboard with sketches of the ghosts and cryptic details as to how to evade them. I want to imply that the Manager knew more than they let on when they let the Player/s stay locked in the hotel for their paranormal investigation, only a ghost has stolen the handle to the Office door where the Manager was intending to leave them hints as to how the ghosts behave.
In theory, these notes could look a little like the concept sketches I did when developing the ghosts, only modelled as 3D assets.
Hidden in the Manager's Office is also a little secret, which could be an interactable item that a Player can equip, giving them false hope in that it won't work on a ghost. Or maybe it could be a way of scaring off the Soldier ghost which shoots at you down corridors. Maybe by shooting back, the ghost grants you a reprieve for some time.
Another thing I have worked on is the torch that Players will start with. Below is how the hallway to the Reception room looks before using the torch.
And this is it after. I have modified the torch to give a bluish tint to emulate an LED torch and have added a delay so that the torch moves before the Player's head, suggesting the Player is lighting up where they are about to look, making it feel more realistic and immersive.
I have also set about making the corridors seem more realistic yet working with the liminality of the space to make it feel more unsettling, although this will likely be enhanced by SFX.
An easily overlooked detail, I have made a bluish-green light emanate from these windows sown the hallway to suggest moonlight is pouring in. I may look it how I can make a visible moon at a later date.
Furthermore, I have added the wooden panelling to the bottom of the wall, making it more in keeping with the rest of the hotel's aesthetic.
I have put wall lights all around the Foyer, though I am still looking for a good chandelier that isn't made of over a hundred separate assets (The last one I looked at had over two hundred and fifty pieces).
I have tried my best to place the lights in a way that makes their shadows seem realistic in the placement as the light is actually coming from a point light below them rather than the lamp itself.
I still need to find out how to make keys an interactable item, but this is something I shall work on alongside making the doors unlockable/openable.
When this has a chandelier in the centre of the ceiling, it will look a lot more complete and be much more like the California Lounge from 'The Shining' from whence its inspiration came.
I have placed this wooden trim around much of the hotel, but in this case I had to readjust the signs as they were previously too low.
Showing this area is more of a private space, I have used much more drab and austere lighting and have suggested that the bulbs aren't working well as the corridor is very dark despite the lights,
Through the ominously lit kitchen is a hallway that leads to the Dining Room.
This corridor is lit by a yellowish glow from these antique ceiling lamps, but the white walls seem to reflect the light creating this unsettling tunnel like appearance, with the doorways on the wall suggesting something might jump out.
Fortunately most of these doors are just inaccessible bathrooms designed to give the hallway more justification for its unusual length, but I still like how it creates this atmosphere.
There is also this space, which was originally going to be a pantry, but I changed it to be a Janitor's Closet where Players will be able to find there first tool and a toolbox, allowing for the collection of said tools that will be used for part of the gameplay loop of fixing/disassembling things to solve problems and geta round obstacles.
The toolbox is on a table on the right, whereas the first tool, a screwdriver needed to attach the door handle to the Manager's Office door is on a broken chair to the left.
Again, I feel like the Dining Room is another room that desperately needs a centrepiece chandelier to complete the space.
This is the hallway back to the Reception from the Dining Room. Some doorways down this corridor are inaccessible, but two will be accessible later in development.
This is one of them, which will lead into the Smoking Room.
This is how Players will first see the wheelchair in the hotel Parlour. I'm thinking there should be a note nearby to explain why it's there. It will just be there, looking unassuming.
But after completing an objective the ghost will appear in the wheelchair and, chuckling, will begin chasing the Player/s.
I have imported the model and animation from Mixamo and got it working; the images below show how the animation changes the ghost's posture.
Now I just need to attach the ghost to the wheelchair.
Set a light fog cloud to follow the ghost.
And most importantly, program the ghost to chase the Player and patrol a set path when it doesn't have a Player in line of sight.
