Having just survived the pandemic, I realized that home-office is not my thing. Sitting alone at home, needing to specifically contact and ask someone for feedback was exhausting and did not fit in my workflow. On the other hand, just standing up or asking someone to look over my shoulder was efficient and fun.
I had to find clever workarounds for otherwise lengthy tasks. For example, I did little to no concept art or fake screenshots. As a solution for that I needed to efficiently convey and develop my artstyle in other ways.
I am happy with the results I have achieved in my bachelor‘s thesis. I have an atmospheric and unique vertical slice with an interesting setting that I have never seen in a game context before. The level has guidance. I have a big asset system that can tell different stories. Every screenshot is recognizable as “what‘s left of Falkland Fort“.
I designed a character and have used the existing systems for it, for example the standart female animations in UE5. I wanted to tell a female narrative. I am also happy that I could show the dynamics of the sisters.
I always strived for feedback and implemented it in my game. I have proven to myself, that I can make timelines and stick to them to avoid crunch. I now have a deeper understanding of the Unreal – Blender – Substance Painter – Pipeline. I can work with Unreal Engine 5 and know the differences to Unreal Engine 4. I can work alone for a long time and achieve high-quality results. But I have also learned how valuable external feedback is for my growth.
I am of the firm belief that my single decision cannot be as good as a decision two people would make.