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Role: Design Lead, Feature team lead, AI Designer

Genre: First-person Survival

Engine: Unreal Engine 5

Team size: 22

Duration: 13 weeks in development

Platform: PC & PS5 (Steam)

The Archipelago Promise is a single-player open-world survival game in which you explore different islands to find your lost brother. You collect supplies on the different islands to survive the Harsh Alaskan Environment and protect yourself from dangerous wildlife. 

 

By exploring the different islands, you can locate your lost brother using old scraps that were left behind as well as the notes he wrote in your Journal.

TheArchipelagoPromise-logo-Wide.png
GAME/TECHNICAL DESIGER

GAME/TECHNICAL DESIGN

AI (BEAR, RABBIT, WOLF)

  • ​Research into AI (wildlife) in first-person survival games.

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  • Feature design document describing behavior and scenarios for the bear, rabbit and wolf

 

  • Asset list establishment for the bear, rabbit, and wolf covering sound, animation, and asset packs.

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  • Automated testing for the bear, rabbit, and wolf to perform easy & fast testing of the AI.

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  • How-to document for the bear, rabbit, and wolf to make it easy for the level designers how to implement the AI (bear).

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  • Metric establishment for the bear, rabbit, and wolf.

    • Research metrics of bears, rabbits, and wolfs found in Alaska.

    • Created a system that creates a bear, rabbit or wolf with random metrics (size and color) clamped between values based on research to create variety in wildlife.

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  • A System that lets the designer select the radius the AI can move in

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  • The systems has been prototyped and implemented to give the player a sense of danger and challenge while providing the player with a useful reward.

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AI (BEAR)

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  • Prototyped & implemented AI (bear) using behavior trees.

    • Wandering functionality (wanders around in a set radius).

    • Chasing functionality (chases the player & rabbit when spotted).

    • Attack functionality (run attack, standing still attack, damaging the player).

    • Death functionality (bear dies after x amount of axe hits).

    • Skin functionality (the player can skin the bear to obtain resources).

    • Searching functionality (after the bear loses sight, it searches for the player).

    • Resting functionality (after x amount of time, the bear relaxes to create more behavior variety).

    • Distracted functionality (when a rock has been thrown close to the bear, it will be distracted)

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  • Sound implementation for all the different behaviors to make the bear feel more alive

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AI (wildlife) random metric generator
AI (wildlife) Wandering radius system
AI (bear) wandering + relaxing state
AI (bear) attack + death state
AI (bear) distracted by throwable rock
AI (bear) attacks rabbit

​AI (RABBIT)

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  • Prototyped & implemented AI (bear) using behavior trees.

    • Wandering functionality (wanders around in a set radius).

    • Flee functionality (runs away from the player or throwable rock when nearby).

    • Death functionality (rabbit dies after a throwable rock or axe has hit it).

    • Skin functionality (the player can skin the rabbit to obtain resources).

    • Resting functionality (after x amount of time, the rabbit relaxes to create more behavior variety).

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  • Sound implementation for all the different behaviors to make the rabbit feel more alive

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AI (rabbit) Wandering + relaxing state
AI (rabbit) flee from player and throwable rock
AI (rabbit) death state

​AI (WOLF)

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  • Prototyped & implemented AI (bear) using behavior trees.

    • Wandering functionality (wanders around in a set radius).

    • Chasing functionality (chases the player & rabbit when spotted).

    • Attack functionality (run attack, standing still attack, damaging the player).

    • Death functionality (wildlife dies after x amount of axe hits).

    • Skin functionality (the player can skin the wolf to obtain resources).

    • Searching functionality (after the wolf loses sight, it searches for the player).

    • Resting functionality (after x amount of time, the wolf relaxes to create more behavior variety).

    • Distracted functionality (when a rock has been thrown close to the bear, it will be distracted)

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  • Sound implementation for all the different behaviors to make the bear feel more alive

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AI (wolf) wandering + relaxing state
AI (wolf) Attack + death state
AI (wolf) attack after hit by throwable rock
AI (wolf) attacks rabbit

ROCK THROWING

  • Research into AI (wildlife) in first-person survival games.

  • Asset list establishment for the rock-throwing covering sound, animation, and asset packs.

  • Prototyped & implemented rock-throwing functionality to provide the player with a challenge to obtain resources (kill a rabbit) and to give the player the possibility to distract bears and wolfs

Thorwable rock
Rabbit killed by throwable rock
Bear distracted by throwable rock
Wolf distracted by throwable rock

VFX

  • Research into readability and signposting in first-person survival games.

  • Prototyped & implemented notebook VFX to enhance the readability of the notebook location

Notebook - Particle effect daytime
Notebook - Particle effect nighttime

RESOURCE SYSTEM

  • Research into resource systems in first-person survival games.

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  • Creation of Resources & crafting proposals.

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  • Creation of resource & crafting Level progression chart.

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  • Prototyped & implemented a resource system with the use of data tables.

    • Designers can create resources.

    • Resources can be placed & changed.

    • The variable that makes the resources respawn.

    • The variable that makes resources only spawn within a specified weather.

    • Indication of which resources have been picked up.

      • Other designers use them for inventory, crafting & Notebook functionality.

    • Interaction with the resources.

    • Display of the diegetic UI showing when hovered.

    • Designers can change interaction distance.

Resource creation system

AXE (WEAPON)

  • Creation Flowchart of the functionality of the Axe (weapon).

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  • Prototyped & implemented Axe (weapon).

    • Attack functionality.

    • Chopping tree functionality (when a tree gets chopped, it will add wood to the inventory).

    • Implemented an axe mesh.

    • Combined animation with Axe functionalities.

Axe attack functionality
Axe tree chopping functionality

INTERACTION SYSTEM

  • Prototyped & implemented Interaction system.

    • Interaction distance can be changed within the character of the 3C’s designers.

    • UI:

      • A screen overlay that gives a clear indication to the player where they are aiming.

      • A system that indicates when an object is interactable by changing the dot blue (Resources, Boat wheel, Boat sails, crafting station.

      • A system that displays the diegetic UI when hovering over interactable.

    • Boat:

      • Interaction with the steering wheel.

      • Interaction with the left Sail.

      • Interaction with the right Sail.

    • Crafting Station:

      • Interaction with the crafting station.

Interaction UI
Interaction system boat
Interaction system crafting station

MOVEMENT INFLUENCING FLOORS

  • Prototyped & implemented different floors that influence players’ movement.

    • “Component” that influences Character Movement.

    • Slippery floor (simulating rain weather).

    • Slowing floor (simulating cold weather).

    • Easily adjustable variables for influencing players’ movement.

Slippery floor
Slowing down floor
PROJECTS ROLES & CONTRIBUTIONS

PROJECT ROLES & CONTRIBUTIONS

GAME/TECHNICAL DESIGN

  • Brainstormed game idea.

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  • Research into AI (wildlife) in first-person survival games.

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  • Feature design document AI (wildlife) describing behavior and scenarios.

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  • Asset list establishment for AI (wildlife) covering sound, animation, and asset pack.

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  • Prototyped & implemented AI (wildlife).

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  • Prototyped & implemented rock-throwing functionality

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  • sound implementation

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  • Prototyped and implemented a VFX.

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  • Automated testing for AI (wildlife).

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  • Metric establishment AI (wildlife).

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  • How-to document on the AI (wildlife).

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  • Research into resource systems in first-person survival games.

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  • Creation of Resources & crafting proposals.

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  • Creation of resource & crafting Level progression chart.

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  • Prototyped & implemented resource system.

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  • Creation Flowchart of Axe (weapon).

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  • Prototyped & implemented Axe (weapon).

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  • Prototyped & implemented Interaction system.

 

  • Prototyped & implemented different floors that influence players' movement.

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  • QA Testing.

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  • Playtest/Iterations.

LEAD DESIGNER

  • Made sure that designers, programmers & artists appropriately communicated. 

  • The quality of the work made met the project standards.

  • Monitored the team to complete their deadlines.

  • Team alignment.

  • Supported team members in problem-solving

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

  • Brainstormed solutions for encountered development challenges.

  • Performed research into encountered development challenges.

  • Made quick & Dirty prototypes.

  • Informed decision-making.

  • Merged with pre-production.

  • playtest

LEARNINGS

  • Designing & implementing AI with the use of Behavior trees.

  • How to create a resource system with the help of data tables.

  • How to create automated testing for a feature within UE5.

  • Creating an interaction system within UE5.

  • Plan out resource & crafting level progression.

  • How to perform & the effectiveness of a research & development team.

  • Leading a team of designers.

Learnings
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