Hexahedron

Hexahedron is a multi-semester and multi-student project created by students from Academy of Art University (AAU). Each team changed every semester as new students joined and old students graduated. Perforce was imperative in maintaining and coordinating changes among the teams. It was showcased at the 2024 Game Developers Conference by AAU. Recently, it was submitted to AAU's 2024 Spring Show.

It is a first-person fantasy action game inspired by Dark Souls 3. From start to finish, it has gone through several iterations as core mechanics were developed, improved, and strengthened. The story was tweaked, fleshed out, and told through level design and notes. The Master level went through several iterations to accommodate player mechanics and limitations, improve upon the original designs, add shape and style to be consistent throughout, and correct collision issues as placeholder art was replaced by finalized art assets. Perforce was used consistently in the development to maintain consistency throughout redo's, setbacks, and many changes.

I joined the project during the 2023 Fall Semester. I primarily worked on improving the level design of existing spaces, creating temporary art assets for UI, and scripting functionality for assets within the spaces I worked in. The first space I redesigned was the Campfire room. It is the last space the player finds themselves in after defeating the mini-boss. It is meant to be a reprieve for the player, a safe space for the player to take stock before moving on in the level. In the current iteration of Hexahedron, the Campfire room is the last developed space, though there are plans to develop further. I worked with the lead designer to conceptualize a new design, the goal of the space, and implement the new design first in a block out level and then the master level.

Original Space:

Planning and References:

First Pass: I focused on getting the primary shapes and architecture into the space turning it from two spaces to one large space.

Second Pass with Props and Lighting: With the layout approved, the next pass focused on adjusting the lighting and adding props from existing art assets.

Third Pass: The third pass focused on fine-tuning the lighting and adding the scripting functionality and visual and audio effects when the player lights the fire. During this time I also had the idea to use the alcoves to present story tidbits and concept art. I was asked to go ahead with the idea. I scripted the functionality for it and created a basic UI to showcase the concept art.

Alcove Script:

Alcove Widget Script:

Other spaces I worked in were the Courtyard, the Dungeon, the Trap Room, and the

Flamethrower Room. In these spaces, I staged the rooms with existing art assets and added small architectural features to keep the spaces consistent. In the Courtyard I staged props alongside the lead designer, checked collisions on new assets, and ensured old iterations of breakable objects were replaced by the current iterations. In the Dungeon, I was responsible for the initial staging of props and checking enemy flow. In the Trap Room, I redesigned the flow of the floor traps, staged props, redesigned the bridge, and checked the collisions of art assets. In the Flamethrower Room, I expanded the space, staged props, and made a tutorial on how to use the player's shield to avoid fire damage with placeholder UI images. In the current iteration of Hexahedron, this space is blocked off.

Courtyard:

Dungeon:

Trap Room:

Flamethrower Room: