Transcript A Title of the Ages!

The City Upon a Hill
Pauline Chan
Ning Song
Andrew Roberts
Jimmy Truesdell
LCC 6312 Group Project Presentation
About the Project
Shifting perceptions of the American Dream
• Premise: American exceptionalism
• This exceptionalism can be both positive and
negative
• The player explores a surrealistic cube with
Escher-like staircases
• Cube changes orientation to provide different
perspectives on four manifestations of
exceptionalism.
Premise
• Before it was a sovereign
nation, America was
declared a “city upon a
hill” by John Winthrop
• Established the
perception of America as
a beacon of
righteousness
• Example of American
idea of exceptionalism
Premise
• Manifestations of exceptionalism
–
Liberty for its own citizens
– Manifest Destiny
– Liberty for others
– The exploration of frontiers / our
knowledge of the world
Premise
• Manifestations of exceptionalism
– Liberty for its own citizens (slavery)
– Manifest Destiny (conquest of
indigenous people, destruction of
nature)
– Liberty for others (imperialism in
the name of democracy)
– The exploration of frontiers / our
knowledge of the world (warfare
technology)
Imagery
•
•
•
One face of the cube contains
entrance (inaccessible after start of
level)
Other face contains exit
(inaccessible), illuminated by a
pinprick of light
Other faces include a mix of positive
and negative imagery
–
Liberty for its own people
•
–
Manifest Destiny (geographic
conquest)
•
–
E.g.: Covered wagon
Liberty for others (ideological and
political conquest)
•
–
E.g.: Chrysler gargoyle
E.g.: Oscar statue, F15
Final Frontier
•
E.g: Saturn V Rocket
Look and Feel
• The cube will change
orientation: a wall will suddenly
become the floor
• Any of the four faces of the
cube will be possible floors,
containing stairways to the
next face.
– M.C. Escher
– Staircase serves as metaphor
for unending struggle
– Changing orientation serves
as metaphor for the multiplicity
of perceptions of each subject
– Exit serves as metaphor for
the “City on the Hill” – an ideal
to strive for, but unattainable
Look and Feel
• On changing
orientation, the cube
will offer the player a
different perspective
on the non-floor faces
• Non-floor faces will
progress from positive
to negative imagery
Implementation
• Player inside a giant static mesh cube that
rotates on triggers
• Must navigate through labyrinthine
environment in pursuit unattainable light
• This light is never reached, but navigation
through the cube gives player changing
perspectives on the different manifestations
of American exceptionalism
• Walls/sides display different scenes that
change as the player progresses through the
level (light triggers or controlling accessibility)
Project Planning
• Refine concept
• Develop diagrams and storyboards
• Collect appropriate textures and make
list of 3d objects to represent
• Model first draft of cube in Maya
• Use mesh to test behaviors in UT2K4
• Populate with objects and apply
textures
Project Roles
Producer: Andrew Roberts
Models: Ning Song
Textures: Pauline Chan
Levels: Jimmy Truesdell