{"id":1014,"date":"2025-12-07T09:30:25","date_gmt":"2025-12-06T23:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nonlinearexperience.com\/?p=1014"},"modified":"2025-12-07T13:11:47","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T03:11:47","slug":"log-1-1-12-25-7-12-25","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nonlinearexperience.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/07\/log-1-1-12-25-7-12-25\/","title":{"rendered":"Log 1 &#8211; 1.12.25-7.12.25"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\">Mon 1 Dec &#8211; Sun 7th Dec<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reading and analysis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>this is a good one &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamedeveloper.com\/design\/better-game-design-through-cutscenes\">https:\/\/www.gamedeveloper.com\/design\/better-game-design-through-cutscenes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spacedraft.com\/help-center\/cutscenes-that-make-the-cut\">https:\/\/spacedraft.com\/help-center\/cutscenes-that-make-the-cut<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.numberanalytics.com\/blog\/ultimate-guide-to-cutscenes-in-game-design\">https:\/\/www.numberanalytics.com\/blog\/ultimate-guide-to-cutscenes-in-game-design<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>take aways<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Focus of the week: intro cutscene &#8211; from the reading, playing and planning&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">Mon<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">Tues<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Project work 1<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">Wed<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Game play &#8211; continue with current game and notes etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Play for an hour &#8211; make notes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The Legend of Zelda &#8211; Link&#8217;s Awakening &#8211; Opening cinematic\/title<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, they are called &#8216;cut scenes&#8217; I think&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Establishing shot\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>a silhouette of a boat on a stormy ocean &#8211; the sounds of rain &#8211; dramatic music<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>rain comes in sideways<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>lightning flashes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Close up on character 1\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Link holding on to a mast<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>lightning flashes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establishing shot\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>boat continues to centre of screen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>this time &#8211; lightning strikes the mast<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>a white flash &#8211; white out and hold&#8230;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establishing shot\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>a beach &#8211; with a forest and mountain in the background<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>character 2 walking on the beach &#8211; they stop<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>they continue, hesitantly, coming across character 1, appearing to be lying unconscious on the beach<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>character 2 approaches character 1, and hesitantly nudges them<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>based upon he coming title, we can assume that character 1 is Link<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>they freeze&#8230;camera pans up&#8230;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Title loop\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>camera pans up the mountain &#8211; it has what appears to be a giant egg sitting on top of it, dwarfing the whole area<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>camera settles on the title &#8211; we hear the classic game series theme music<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>we stay there &#8211; with glinting appearing across the words<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>this loops until the player presses a button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of this introduction, a few questions are implied as it proceeds, which I would argue is the key purpose of the intro cinematic, leading to the title&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Where are we?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Who is the person who has found us?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What has happened?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What&#8217;s the egg?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why do we care?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These are the things that are established:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mood established<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Style established &#8211; use of texture and tone as well as solid colour to build up the composition<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Not certain of gameplay<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Narrative elements are established<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A few of these questions are answered directly in the opening minute or so of game play:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We are on a strange, unfamiliar island<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We find out the characters name (and who they are NOT)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>But, as these questions are answered, more come out of them&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Takeaways for Subliminor<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Establish a set of questions that the player asks after watching it, to help drive interest<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is not intended to answer questions, but to raise them&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establish an invitation for the player to play, in order to start answering to questions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Its a call to action&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establish who the player will be<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establish the mood<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establish the style and look<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establish the world<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hint at gameplay, but this is not vital&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep it short and to the point<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Only add as much detail as becessary &#8211; texture and tone can go very far&#8230;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">Thu<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Project work 2 &#8211; Pre production &#8211; <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do up the Concept for teaser cut scene&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thumbnail and storyboard cut scene<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What are the key questions I am hoping players will ask\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>where is this place?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>what can we do?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>who are we?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How about this:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>start with a storm<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>clouds part onto the view of the place<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>character walks on to screen from bottom onto the headland<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>they stop<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>sea mist rolls in<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>cut to the iconic rock<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>title is revealed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>end on title loop<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>loop of wind gusts in background<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>mocked up a three panel sequnce &#8211; took pics &#8211; now to run it past a few a few people and find out what questions they get from it&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>results to come!\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>RESPONSE 1<\/strong> &#8211; suspense &#8211; awe &#8211; trepidation &#8211; changeability &#8211; what is it? &#8211; mystery<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>RESPONSE 2<\/strong> &#8211; ready to go &#8211; whet appetite for the story world &#8211; have a taste &#8211; good that it showed not told&#8230;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Yes! This is what I was hoping for! My enthusiastic narration may have helped<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">Fri<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Project work 3 &#8211; set up the subliminor site ready for the animation etc. <strong>DONE<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>URL: subliminor.com &#8211; domain set up and all good &#8211; should be propagating now&#8230; <strong>DONE<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>set up discord channel etc. &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/discord.gg\/qX5A7Jeh\">https:\/\/discord.gg\/qX5A7Jeh<\/a> <strong>DONE<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>set up a vimeo channel for putting up test videos\/prototypes etc. &#8211; gotta pay &#8211; don&#8217;t seem to be able to make a new channel on youtube&#8230; annoying!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>so, maybe I will host it on google drive?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">Sat<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Finish off tasks or, if done &#8211; start another task&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>do the zotero connection thing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>fix why my phone can&#8217;t sync to blog any more&#8230; no odea why, but now its fine&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>icon\/logo &#8211; design to work at small scale&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>developing a visual style\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>what are the immovable constraints<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>what do we need to draw from<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>i like the way in b and w graphics they slowly meld from the black describing the texture to white describing it<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>purposes &#8211; in game &#8211; cutscenes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/twinwingames.com\/guide-to-2d-game-art\/<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>look at analysis of things i like as well as devligs by those that inspire &#8211; pedro medeiros<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>how do they handle detail and readability in backgrounds, scenes, etc. characters, props &#8211; size, detail, animation, scenes etc. textures, tone etc. scale<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/posts\/gamedev-city-97987324<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>patreon<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">Sun<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A quick catch up session<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">My style taste journey<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I think its a good place to start<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One of the earliest games i remember falling in love with was Dark Castle (1986)(<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dark_Castle\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dark_Castle<\/a>) on my cousin&#8217;s very old mac&#8230; we had a vic20 and an apple 2c, but the graphics on that were just totally up my alley &#8211; no idea why&#8230; maybe because WE couldn&#8217;t have them because we didn&#8217;t have a mac&#8230; Having looked at the 16 colour versions of it &#8211; I think it looses a lot<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In early high school, i remember being drawn to an Albrecht Durer book &#8211; in particular, the etchings &#8211; again, it was the crisp black and white, the spare and refined use of line &#8211; EVERY line worked hard and had a purpose &#8211; it fascinated me that you could see before your very eyes, a visceral, tactile illustration &#8211; yet it was still totally bamboozling how it was achieved&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Our family also had an MC escher book, which I loved to look through<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lore of flight was a book that had copius amounts of black and white exploded and cutaway diagrams <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Encyclopedia set &#8211; the one that had all the illustrations in it &#8211; little micro worlds on a particular topic &#8211; for example, all the different types of animals in a particular area etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Love of cinema &#8211; The Lighthouse &#8211; loved the square format &#8211; the B&amp;W<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Also, a big fan of silent era black and white films &#8211; Nosferatu, Faust, Cabinet of Dr. Caligari etc. &#8211; <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Games<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>GB<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Windsor McKay &#8211; Black Hole &#8211; Crumb &#8211; Chris Ware &#8211; Joe Sacco &#8211; Basil Wolverton<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hiroshige (and other japanese woodblockers&#8230;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can you see a theme?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The O&#8217;Reilly book covers are always a favourite<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Its no surprise that I want to do pen and ink drawing!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Takeaways<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I seem to particularly respond to styles that are very spare, every line has a purpose &#8211; you mind is drawn in to the style<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">More detailed sketches for intro cutscene<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>break down the intro into the parts<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The approach &#8211; shape &#8211; light &#8211; detail (this bit depends on the purpose and context &#8211; e.g. if its in the background &#8211; consider limiting this, possibly to 0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>storm clouds &#8211; side on view &#8211; start with a series of circles &#8211; on mass, they have a flow because they are in a group- light from above\/behind top left &#8211; \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>pedro says: Start by thinking in groups of spheres with a flat base<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>calm clouds &#8211; side on view &#8211; limit detail as it is in the background<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>rain &#8211; side on view<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>wind whisps &#8211; side on view<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>sea mist flurries &#8211; side on view<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>waves on beach &#8211; 3\/4 view &#8211; these are distant, only need to be a few curved lines&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>rock with logo &#8211; side on view<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>calm scene of the bay &#8211; headland in distance &#8211; side on view &#8211; refer to initial sketch &#8211; <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>calm scene of the bay &#8211; the main rock bits&#8230;3\/4 view<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>top half of character from behind &#8211; 3\/4 view<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>sparkly\/glinty sand &#8211; side on view<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Aiming for the style that has as few outlines as possible &#8211; e.g. transitioning from one shade to another doesn&#8217;t have an outline (I mean, why do that???)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get reference&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/saint11.art\/blog\/pixel-art-tutorials\/#Clouds\">https:\/\/saint11.art\/blog\/pixel-art-tutorials\/#Clouds<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Interestingly, the b.g clouds here are just the thing I think: <a href=\"https:\/\/saint11.art\/blog\/pixel-art-tutorials\/#Ruins\">https:\/\/saint11.art\/blog\/pixel-art-tutorials\/#Ruins<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the one for the character: <a href=\"https:\/\/saint11.art\/blog\/pixel-art-tutorials\/#TopDownWalkCycle\">https:\/\/saint11.art\/blog\/pixel-art-tutorials\/#TopDownWalkCycle<\/a> and this one: <a href=\"https:\/\/saint11.art\/blog\/pixel-art-tutorials\/#TopDownRun\">https:\/\/saint11.art\/blog\/pixel-art-tutorials\/#TopDownRun<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2 tone<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where I stall&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">The doing&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hour 1 &#8211; document and update log of things done (this page)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hour 2 &#8211; add tasks to the next one&#8230; (include a link to it from here&#8230;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>HOUR 3 and 4 &#8211; Tutorial\/learning thing &#8211; do that tute in the GBStudio world building book<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lesson for the week &#8211; stop going down irrelevant rabbit holes &#8211; keep focused on the purpose of the week&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">QUESTIONS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>keep adding them, and keep rolling them over&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>develop initial style guide as a starting point &#8211; develop a starter style guide &#8211; link to pinterest<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>mockup website &#8211; it will be charcoal black &#8211; with a square in the middle &#8211; that is the &#8216;game screen&#8217; &#8211; it will be 2x scale ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>set up pipeline &#8211; 1. work on local machine &#8211; using VScode 2. commit to gitlab &#8211; 3. posted on site<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>mockup intro cutscene in aesprite<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>add intro cutscene to <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>do the tutorial<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>tidy up the game design doc<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>create icon for discord etc. &#8211; a shape that reads properly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>examples of multiple ways of accessing game world data &#8211; not necessarily the SAME game rendered for different devices and platforms &#8211; but ways of accessing the game world using different APPS on the SAME device\/platform&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>looking at ways of interacting with the gameworld &#8211; via handheld devices &#8211; what are some solutions from different games?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>how could i incorporate paper mechanics and cutouts?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>build in 30 mins of drawing activity every day please! and then, on to watercolour etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>add in a place to capture questions\/tasks that need to be investigated\/done and can be added to the list every week&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mon 1 Dec &#8211; Sun 7th Dec Focus of the week: intro cutscene &#8211; from the reading, playing and planning&#8230; Mon Tues Wed The Legend of Zelda &#8211; Link&#8217;s Awakening &#8211; Opening cinematic\/title Well, they are called &#8216;cut scenes&#8217; I think&#8230; As part of this introduction, a few questions are implied as it proceeds, which [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dev-log"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nonlinearexperience.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1014","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nonlinearexperience.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nonlinearexperience.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nonlinearexperience.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nonlinearexperience.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1014"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"https:\/\/nonlinearexperience.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1014\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1067,"href":"https:\/\/nonlinearexperience.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1014\/revisions\/1067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nonlinearexperience.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nonlinearexperience.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nonlinearexperience.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}