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Development during the month of February focused on level design and integrating new content for gameplay.
House Design
Creating a realistic environment.
Last month I mentioned that one of my priorities is a complete rework of the house level. This task is important because this is where the player will likely spend most of their time, and I want Morbid to have a completely original atmosphere, while still utilizing the Unreal Marketplace to streamline development.
I have created an entirely new house inside and out, the interior will have some similarities to the original asset. I recognize that the original asset has some well-designed features that I wanted to carry over to the new level.
I would like to mention that I have put a lot of thought into making sure the house has a realistic design that takes advantage of all of the space available. Any dead space is being utilized. The unmodified house asset has a seemingly used fireplace in the living room, with a bedroom right above it that would make it impossible for the smoke to vent. These are the kind of simple design flaws that I am being mindful of.
Below are some before and after screenshots taken during development.
Screenshots from earlier builds.
(Unmodified house) A screenshot from the front door looking at the living room.
(Unmodified house) An unlit screenshot of the front of the house.
Development Screenshots: These may not be full-quality renders and are subject to change.
(New house) Outside front perspective.
(New house) Garage looking towards basement and hallway.
Currently, there are multiple issues with the doors that are part of the house assets. As you'll see below the hinges do not pair to the door frame, when positioning the door correctly on the frame the door does not have a good fit, and the door's pivot point is incorrect (I can resolve that within a blueprint.)
I have contacted the author with examples of a solution.
Level Transitions
Level transitions without loading screens create a seamless experience for the player, keeping them immersed in the game. I've set up these level transitions to occur either with a cinematic camera effect or load dynamically in the background during gameplay.
I've taken quite a bit of time writing all of this, and I'd like to get back to work so I can have the next playable build available as soon as possible. The countless hours of work will be worth it.