After testing out software and games, in order to compare the workability of each. I have come to the conclusion that with the technology currently available to me in this Covid -19 lockdown situation that I should use Unreal engine 4 to make my Museum Safari, as I am aiming to create an alternative gallery environment for objects. This will enable me to see if I can place museum objects into an “easter egg hunting” situation to solve riddles that will lead to a museum or gallery location.
I chose Occupy the White Walls to compare with this as it is a prebuilt game that shows me how to build a gallery and populate it with art works. However this environment is more heavily based on representing museums and galleries in an architectural structure, whereas I hope to create a different environment, to create an alternative adventure scenario for my Museum Safari.
Easter egg hunting definition: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=easter%20egg
example video:
museum safari
At the start of the game you enter a scene when you choose the file and choose a pre build setting.
Zooming out allowed me to go to landscape mode, forge mountains to surround the environment.
Adding texture to the mountains for which a chose a grassy moss environment texture.
I borrowed free assets from the unreal engines market. I uploaded this straight to the environment I built.This image shows me applying texture through plants.
Also I added animals to the environment to give it a more interesting animal vibe. These were also from the free market.
I chose objects from the Smithsonian's 3D models that I was able to hide within the jungles environment.for more object to download and to be used in games or for exhibition propose :https://3d.si.edu/ also there are others that you can use as well like Sketchfab.
Finally after building , this is what the map looks like.
This is me testing out the full environment that I have built within the Unreal engine 4, and how well it works.
A more in depth tutorial of this exists here, as a learning tool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbj1qgPOl3E&t=1476s
there is another software you can use it to build a game which is unity :https://unity.com/
the reason i didn't chose unity to develop my game is because there accessibility is less if you not a monthly payer. if you have money the unity will give all the access to its engine it need. but if u go free version you will not get the full access.
occupy white walls
When you go into the game you are introduced to all the panels and settings. By following various tutorials on Youtube you can get the idea of how it works . Example of a Youtube tutorial is here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2dIPGOMplI
This first screen shows me spawning into the environment that it gives.
The second screenshot shows the inventory such as the architecture and walls, this involves using in game currency.
Third screen shot shows how I am building the walls around the virtual space and footprint provided by the game.
Fourth screen shot shows me entering the inventory of the artworks, choosing which artworks to place in my gallery and exhibit and placing them onto the walls.
Finally, this shows how I built everything and a video of me showing the fully made gallery and exhibition within this game.
This shows how the gallery can be opened to the public to visit and how they can leave cash for me to upgrade and improve my exhibition and architecture due to their donations.
The in-game players can be seen in these screenshots, visiting and leaving cash for in game improvement.
Here is a video showing the in game visitors coming in and the game play of it.