Thomas Lawrence
Issue: Zero is a 3D roguelike game that focuses on showcasing custom stylized shaders within a procedurally generated environment. The art direction chosen for the shaders were inspired by 2D art techniques used in comics and graphic novels. These shaders can be toggled on/off by the user to create different styles.
The gameplay involves the player traversing through floors that consist of grid-based rooms populated with enemies. Completing each room allows the player to proceed to the next room, with the final room granting the player access to a newly generated floor.
Players can also create their own custom rooms using a built-in layout creator, which includes AI functionality for designing rooms created by an AI model.
The objectives for this project included creating a game that showcases the use of 2D illustration techniques in a 3D space, demonstrating the usage of shaders and how they can be creatively utilised in games. These techniques would be showcased in a procedurally generated environment using an AI-driven system for creating these layouts.
The final outcome was a completed Unity project that showcased a variety of shaders that were inspired by 2D illustration techniques commonly used in comic books and graphic novels. These shaders were demonstrated in a procedurally generated environment using rooms designed by an AI model.
This project included the playable game and a built-in layout creator for uses to create and play in their own room designs within the game.
The research performed in my thesis focused on the exploration of creating custom
stylized shaders within the Unity Engine based on 2D art techniques seen in comics and graphics novels. These shaders were created using Unity’s Shader Graph system and was showcased in a procedurally generated environment using grid-based layouts created by an AI. The application also allows users to design their own layouts using a built-in layout creator, with AI functionality being an option for creating concept layouts.
