Xiao
This project has been a really good learning experience for me. Specifically, I learned the process of designing and making a tool from scratch, versus making an experience. We reverse engineered by first making some narrative experience from tools that have already existed. Then we compared, narrowed down and eventually found the key features that we want to incorporate into our tool.
Technical challenge is a severe problem for this project. Due to unfamiliarity with Roblox studio, we spent a long time building the core of the game, the narrative node graph. Because of that, we didn’t have a lot of time to make all the features that we initially wanted, such as global status tracking and adding more NPCs. Overall, I think our prototype shows how a narrative design tool works with a 3D environment, and has great potential to be polished in the future and incorporated in the classroom.
Anlan
As an artist, I was excited to be a part of this Roblox narrative design tool project. I took on the task of creating the environment templates for two different topics and the single art assets in the assets drawer for our tool to use as an example.
However, working on a digital world presented its own set of challenges. Using the Roblox studio to create the visuals was not that easy, there are some limitations on the model file like the polygon amount and the texture issues which gave me lots of challenges. What’s more, matching Roblox’s style is also a unique experience for me, because we still need to use Roblox Avtor as our main character.
In the end, I was proud of the work we accomplished as a team. We created a captivating narrative that inspired and entertained high school student users, and I was excited to see what the future held for this project.
Lyn
As a 3D artist on the Roblox branching narrative tool prototype, I was responsible for creating character assets and designing scenes for the project. Overall, I believe the project was a success in terms of creating a functional prototype that demonstrated the potential of using Roblox for branching narrative storytelling.
One of the challenges I faced during the project was creating character assets that were both realistic and stylized, to match the aesthetic of the game engine. I spent a significant amount of time refining the modeling and texturing of the characters to ensure they looked believable within the game world. This involved carefully adjusting the proportions and features of the characters to fit the style of the Roblox world, while still maintaining a high level of realism.
Another challenge was designing scenes that were visually appealing and functional for the branching narrative gameplay. I worked closely with the game designers to create environments that would provide interesting choices for the player, while also maintaining a cohesive visual style. This involved carefully planning the layout of each scene and choosing appropriate assets and props to bring the world to life.
Overall, I am pleased with the final result of the Roblox branching narrative tool prototype, and I believe it has the potential to be a valuable addition to the Roblox platform. I look forward to continuing to work on the project and seeing how it develops in the future.
Rohit
This project semester has been an interesting one for me. When I started this project, I had very different expectations in terms of my role and the overall direction of the project. Our client also went through a process of learning what she really wants from the project. I believe as a team we did a good job of adapting and finding a common goal that works both for us and the client.
I enjoyed working on the asset drawer and learning about Roblox studio in the beginning. But when I sort of transitioned to saving and loading it became really difficult to do the simplest things because of the server-client setup that Roblox has. It was definitely a challenge as I was getting more involved in the technical side of things than the design side. After our second one-on-one meeting, it became better as I started doing some more design stuff again which was particularly interesting to me. In Conclusion, I’d say I definitely learned a lot of things working on this project and I really appreciate the team working together and helping each other.
Chenguang
As a programmer on the Roblox branching narrative tool project, I am proud of the outcome. The runtime node graph GUI allowed users to easily manipulate their branching narratives in real time, adding flexibility and creativity to the storytelling process. The tool’s extensibility allows users to add custom nodes and features, and it has potential in high school education.
One of the strengths of our project was its extensibility. We designed the tool with the intention of allowing users to add their own custom nodes and features, which opens up a wide range of potential uses.
One challenge was making prototypes rapidly in Roblox Studio. We actively sought help from other developers and were able to overcome this challenge by finding ways to streamline the process, such as using templates and reusing code.
Overall, I believe our project has great potential in both the gaming and education sectors.
Gillian
I think this year I learned a lot about balancing client wants with a team’s skills. My main role this semester revolved around client communication, so it was important for me to advocate for my team. Overall, I would say that I was successful at this and, as a result, both the team and the client were able to collaborate on deliverables that satisfied everyone.
Beyond client communication, I feel like this semester allowed me to practice designing playtests and developing design documents. I struggled the most with designing playtests and would say most of the playtests were successful at giving the team the information we were looking for, although there were still some rougher playtest experiences. But even the playtests that were not as well thought out helped the team better our onboarding and UX.
Generally, I would say the semester went well and I was able to develop my communication and planning skills.
Final Documentation
In addition to personal reflections, here’s our final documentation on our design process for Roblox.