EXP 2: Week 1: Preliminary Research & Conceptualisation

Preliminary Concept

With regards a preliminary overall concept for Exp2 with reference to the experimental brief, I have decided to explore a study regarding the interactions of an individual within society who is mentally unwell. Such will exist through the portrayal of their journey within a specific environment which will convey senses of chaos and disorder, allowing the responder to engage in the manner in which a mentally unwell individual perceives and more importantly makes sense of an environment which to the responder is normal.

Ones intentions of presenting this concept within Crysis will utilise the Town Hall Station Prefab as it will be scaled and divided into a single cube and then a series of small cubes, defined by a cubed number such as 27. However the station prefab will be altered, as numerous walkways, ramps and stairs will be included to increase the social fluidity of the structure within its new form. These adjustments will consider such fluidity with reference to the notion of rotating structure, meaning the individual’s journey will be possible dependant of the orientation of each individual cube. The overall preliminary concept will emerge as the town hall structure will be scrambled, similar to Rubik’s cube, creating the required sense of chaos and disorder as discussed above. As the player begins to move throughout the structure, there movement will directly influence the interconnection between the various cubes, rotating entire planes in a manner which will eventually return the structural prefab back to its original form. This will occur through movements which will follow a series of algorithms, to portray the way in which mentally unwell in some cases form systematic approaches to social interactions within an environment.

Research

Achieving Preliminary Concept with Regards to Flow graphs -

With the identification of a general preliminary concept, I found it necessary to research the manner in which I was able to achieve this through the use of numerous flow graphs within Crysis. Firstly I have identified that through the division of the Town Hall Structure into numerous individual cubes, I will need to be able to ‘group’ various individual pieces into a single unit in order for it to rotate as one. However furthermore, they will need to also be able to ‘ungroup’ in order to allow particular individual cubes to ‘regroup’ with others in an alternate plane. This notion is essential in allowing the structure to transform with reference to the algorithms.

Another aspect of the preliminary concept which will need to be addressed within the flow graph regards allowing various ‘grouped’ individual cubes to rotate depending on the location of the player. Hence, as the player moves forward along an axis, that grouped plane will rotate along that same axis. However such a flow graph will need to consider that a quarter rotations must occur and conclude once the player has moved the entire length of the plane. However to address this section in terms of creating a structural fluidity upon numerous levels and angles, it is intended that the entire structure rotates to keep the individual rotating plane at a appropriately level.

Flow Graph General Information:

- Flow graphs provide a simple scripting representation within Crysis Sandbox 2, to allow the individual to achieve interactions through the use of ‘nodes’, hence processors.

- Nodes exist within two sections; Specific, which completes an operation upon an entity, and General, which simply completes tasks such as logic exercises and calculations. Hence a ‘Component Node’ performs a specific task with no relation to specific entity, while a ‘Entity Node’ directly represents entities within the world.

- Through flow graph links a ‘lattice’ of nodes is able to be produced to perform seemingly simple or complex tasks, as information (values or signals) are conveyed, represented through various colours.

Source: Accessed September 11, 2010 -

http://wiki.crymod.com/index.php/Flowgraph_Guide

http://wiki.crymod.com/index.php/Sandbox_FlowGraphEditor

- The ‘Logic:Any node’ is able to be used to clean up your flow graph when it begins to get complex while also allowing you operate sections which are still under constructions that relay upon precise values such as those from Booleans.

Source: Accessed September 11, 2010 -

http://wiki.crymod.com/index.php/Flowgraph_Tips_and_Tricks

- When working with Nodes it is important to understand ‘Ports’ and the significance of the relating information, between Booleans (true or false), Integer (whole number, positive or negative), Float (point value), Vec3 (consisting of three float values, representing vectors) and String (text consisting of characters).

Source: Accessed September 11, 2010 -

http://wiki.crymod.com/index.php/Sandbox_FlowgraphNodeComposition