Rationale
I am developing a simple walking simulator in the fantasy genre where the player explores an unknown forest to relight lanterns to “Light The Unknown” while avoiding / scaring off enemies that will unlight them. I selected pathway 2 as this is what I am comfortable with and I want to refine my skills and knowledge with Unreal Engine. I will do this by learning how to to create an atmospheric scene with lighting, particles and how the player is interacted with. Im targeting my project for ages 13 and up with an interest in open world fantasy / exploration games.
Concept
My project concept is that the player has been tasked with going into a forest and lighting up lanterns that have mysteriously been blown out by something unknown. The player walks about the forest trying to find the blown out lanterns to relight them. They carry a flame on a torch that they have to relight every 1 minute or so from a campfire in the center of the map in order to relight the lanterns. The player has to keep an ear and an eye out for any “enemies” blowing out the lanterns. The player can scare off the enemies by placing scarecrows near the lanterns although these would only last for so long before being destroyed. The scenery of the game will be a dark gloomy atmosphere similar to simple indie games like Slenderman or Granny with a short view distance. I will add a gps concept like in Breath Of The Wild where a map beeps faster when closer to a lantern and slower when further away. I also want to add a way to see lanterns in the dark when not lit, maybe show an outline around the dark lantern. This project seems very in reach with my capabilities, plus this will help me expand my knowledge on how Unreal Engine works.
Evaluation
Throughout this project, I plan to experience what it is like to be a game developer and to also learn more about how Unreal Engine and other products I plan to use work. I will do this by going through different tutorials and creating several prototypes for the game I plan to make before I even start creating the product.
