Visual Improvements
At this stage, it was imperative for me to swiftly incorporate assets so that my testers could fully immerse themselves in the world I had created. Additionally, the footage they provided would be instrumental in presenting my findings during the end-of-term presentation. I integrated the assets I had previously wishlisted, ensuring to credit the owners in the game's credits, and focused on quickly getting the player into and moving around the house. Work included aspects like blockout refinement, UI updates for improved usability, the addition of a ticking clock on the grandfather clock for a more diegetic experience, and enhancements to the day and night cycle, transitioning between two post-processing profiles for a realistic nighttime and daytime effect. Finally, I introduced the monster (see figure 1), effectively replacing the red capsule that was utilised in the proof of concept.
Figure 1: Seven Nights in Horshaw House [V1.1] The Faceless Monster [Video Game]
Visual improvements were made to the spirit realm based on the film Insidious (2010), giving it a more spectral feel (see figures 2 & 3). The AI was updated to patrol within the house, and a jumpscare feature was introduced so that when the monster grabbed the player, they experienced a fright before entering the spirit realm, enhancing the emotional immersion of the game.
Figure 2: Seven Nights in Horshaw House [V0.3] Spirit Realm [Video Game]
Figure 3: Self 2023. Seven Nights in Horshaw House [V1.1] Spirit Realm [Video Game]
I introduced lose and win conditions to give the beta a conclusive ending. The final touch involved incorporating essential gamification elements, such as in-game prompts to help players understand the controls. During continuous testing at this stage, I realised that the game's design was causing an abrupt end after the player found all eight skulls, a concern I intended to address with my supervisor before entering Sprint 7.
King of the Hill Mode
To fulfil my research question, it became crucial for players to remain in the game as long as possible. Thus, I introduced a King of the Hill-inspired mode, influenced by Halo: Combat Evolved (2001), where players needed to stay inside the house for a period of time before the seven in-game days elapsed (see figure 4). The slider incremented only if the player remained in the hill, adding a strategic element to the gameplay as players decided when and how to search for skulls while fulfilling the hill's requirement before the time expired.
Figure 4: Self 2023. Seven Nights in Horshaw House [V1.1] King of the Hill Mode [Unity Editor]
Game Design
Given the design philosophy of Seven Nights, where players are encouraged to discover mechanics organically without explicit guidance, I took great care to avoid any unintentional misdirection. However, tester feedback highlighted a challenge in locating notes, which sometimes blended in with other non-interactable books. Moreover, a few testers noted the potential use of flickering lights to signal points of interest, but in reality, they were intended to establish a sinister ambiance. Swift adjustments were made to address the former concern, ensuring that players can still explore and uncover elements independently without encountering misdirection. It becomes clear that players, particularly those who invested 40 minutes or more into the game, began to independently uncover its mechanics, creating a sense of longevity and engagement.
Following that, I refined the static pausing and introduced static inventory and HUD as two additional respite mechanics to be integrated. Subsequently, I worked on refining doors, establishing spawn points for both the enemy AI and the player when transitioning to the spirit realm. I also updated player controls by replacing the left mouse button, initially used for interacting with the environment, with the 'E' key, which was designated for picking up objects. This adjustment aimed to streamline the interaction process based on user feedback.
Sound Design
Before advancing to the Gold stage, I had a few testers play the game at this juncture, and their feedback highlighted a desire for sound incorporation to enhance immersion. Consequently, I focused on sound settings, including an ambient track and dynamic footsteps that considered surface materials and the terrain height map. This involved a raycast from the player's feet, associating a number with a material, and selecting a random footstep sound from a pool of six sounds per material, with an additional consideration of adjusting the pitch within the range of 0.5 and 1.5 to avoid repetition (see figure 5). This mechanic significantly contributed to bringing the game world to life and immersing players fully.
Figure 5: Self 2023. Dynamic Footstep Sounds [Visual Studio]
After completing the sound design and addressing numerous bugs, I created a brief video showcasing the day and night cycle to gather feedback from my peers. This marked the prelude to entering the Gold stage, where I would enlist numerous testers to play the game before submitting the final project.
TL;DR
Visual Improvements: Swift integration of assets for immersive testing and presentation. Refinement included blockout enhancements, UI updates, diegetic grandfather clock, day-night cycle enhancements, and introduction of a detailed monster. Spirit realm visuals improved for a spectral feel, AI patrolled within the house, and a jumpscare feature was added. Lose and win conditions, gamification elements, and controls prompts were incorporated for a conclusive beta.
King of the Hill Mode: To prolong player engagement, a mode inspired by King of the Hill was introduced. Players had to stay inside the house for a set time before the seven in-game days elapsed. This added a strategic element to gameplay.
Game Design: Careful consideration to avoid unintentional misdirection. Adjustments made based on tester feedback, refining static pausing and introducing static inventory and HUD as respite mechanics. Doors, spawn points, and player controls were refined for a streamlined interaction process.
Sound Design: Sound settings were focused on, incorporating ambient tracks and dynamic footsteps based on terrain materials. A raycast system for footstep sounds significantly contributed to immersion. Feedback gathered through a video showcasing the day-night cycle marked the transition to the Gold stage.
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