Personal Projects:

Honey Hills: Beekeeping Game Design Document

A few weeks ago, I was challenged by a game studio to design and craft a game around the keyword of bees. What followed was a three week long project that saw me tackle one of my greatest fears, learn about a truly under-appreciated profession, and taught me much about beekeeping. The goals for the design test were:

• Create a game that teaches players the basics of Beekeeping

• Provide users examples of real life Beekeeping scenarios

• Give players the opportunity to easily delve deeper into certain aspects of Beekeeping

• Theory-craft various systems that would be required to make the project a viable teaching tool

• Offer a simplified farming simulator that pulls players in with a combination of overarching plot and simple, short narratives

To learn more about the project and see the design document, either click on the title above or the picture to the right. 

Unreal 4: Zombie Overrun Laboratory Whitebox

The result of a self-generated prompt to challenge my level design skills, this whitebox of an overrun zombie lab allowed me to create a unique level. After some plans, I decided to focus on:

• Create a large level that encouraged exploration, yet was also easy to navigate

• Provide players multiple routes between levels and play with vertical aspect of the level

• Build a goal into the level that players can either work towards or eventually unlock

• Practice Whiteboxing Skills

To check out the level, either click on the title above or the picture to the right. 

Unreal 4: Scripting Exploration - Turret Game

Beginning as a simple exploration into creating a random spawning system, I decided to take the system and turn it into a simple game. Players stand in the center of a room and must defend themselves from a series of randomly spawning enemies that will slowly move towards them. The addition of rotating forcefields which can reflect a player’s shots, can create some nail-biting situations as the player spins around trying to stay alive. Overall it is a simple yet fun experience that allowed me to practice my scripting and reuse some assets and designs I had made for previous explorations.

To check out the level, either click on the title above or the picture to the left.

Crysis 2, CryEngine 3, "Crossroads"

Through my work with CryEngine 3, I developed the level "Crossroads," a wave-based, horde-mode level.  After the player saves a group of marines from a C.E.L.L. ambush, the player must help them secure an intersection and fight off several enemy waves.  I used this project to:

• practice scripting special or cinematic events

• understanding A.I. pathing

• practice designing combat encounters

To check out the level, either click on the title above or the picture to the right. 

Unreal Tournament: Crater and Reactor

Having always been interested in multiplayer design, I decided to build two maps in Unreal Tournament.  The first is Crater, a two-story map set in the center of an active volcano.  The second is the smaller map Reactor, named for the large reactor asset in the level.  Each level explored various aspects of deathmatch design such as:

• Distinct spaces to allow for quick and easy decision making

• The placing of pickups and weapons to foster player interaction

• Multiple routes for attacking and escaping

• Opportunity to practice various texturing and design techniques

To learn more about the project either click the title above or the image to the left.

Dungeons and Dragons Ravnica: Buddy Cop Project

• Platform: Tabletop

• Collaborative Game Session

• Development Time: 2 weeks

• Purpose: Worldbuilding Practice

A few weeks ago, my usual Dungeons and Dragons team was cut in half by the dreaded killer of most tabletop, roleplaying games, the intrusion of everyday life.  With only two eager players, I began to think about situations, short quests, and contained adventures that could be accomplished by just two players.  After some brainstorming, I settled on creating a session centered around two Ravnican police officers with a kooky, B-grade buddy cop structure as they patrol the roads and streets of Ravnica. To learn more about the project, see battle maps, and read a break down of various encounters, click the image to the left.

Dungeons and Dragons: The Realms of Anorak

• Engine: Roll 20

• Collaborative Game Session

• Development: 4 months and Counting

• Purpose: Development of worldbuilding skills, Combat Encounter Design, Fun

Over the past several years I have often worked to cultivate groups of gamers into various Dungeons and Dragons or other Roleplaying parties.  I then take the time to craft various unique worlds for each campaign and have fun exploring new, fun worlds with friends.  These campaigns have been some of the most rewarding experiences for me as I listen to the players and what they wish to accomplish with their character, craft unique worlds, governments, and societies, and write questlines that may take months to complete.  Over the past four years through many campaigns and one shots, I have developed several techniques and ideas on how to create these worlds, develop questlines, and provide enthralling combat encounters.  

Ludonarrative Study: Taxonomy on Dissonance 

• Engine: None

• Solo Project

• Research Time: 4 Months

• Purpose: Narrative and Gameplay alignment

During my time at Champlain College, I was, and still am, an advocate for story in games.  By taking the time to craft a strong or compelling story for our games, we gain so many benefits, yet even still we sometimes struggle or outright refuse to bring gameplay and narrative together.  During the course of my research, I discovered four major forms of dissonance in games and identified some potential reasons and solutions for each.  To learn more about the thesis and download the paper for yourself, either click the title above or the picture to the right.