Throughout the development of User_Unknown, research played a major role in helping me expand my technical skillset and overcome challenges that arose during production. Since many aspects of the project involved workflows and systems I had not previously worked with, I relied heavily on tutorials, online communities, documentation, and industry feedback to improve both my technical understanding and implementation quality.
As my previous experience was primarily focused on 2D projects and sprite-based movement systems, I researched multiple tutorials regarding 3D character movement and controller systems in Unity. These resources helped me understand how to implement movement within a 3D environment, including camera-relative controls, animation integration, and player interaction systems. This research became especially important later in development when I refined the movement controls and camera perspective based on playtesting feedback.
To implement the in-game feedback form system, I researched HTML integration and browser linking within Unity. The following tutorial was particularly helpful in introducing me to the basics of HTML functionality and external linking systems, which allowed me to create an accessible in-game feedback form connected directly to Google Forms:
During character production, I encountered technical difficulties while attempting to rig the modular player model inside Maya. While researching alternative workflows, I discovered Adobe Mixamo through the following tutorial, which introduced me to a much more efficient rigging and animation pipeline. This research significantly streamlined the animation process and allowed me to integrate animations into Unity far more effectively within the project timeframe:
Although I already had a foundational understanding of Marvelous Designer, I needed additional research to produce more complex clothing pieces for the player character, particularly the skirt design. This tutorial helped me better understand advanced cloth simulation tools and workflows within the software, allowing me to create more realistic clothing for the character model:
Narrative implementation was another major area of research throughout development. Since YarnSpinner was entirely new to me at the beginning of the project, I used tutorials and documentation extensively to learn the scripting language and dialogue systems. The following video was particularly useful in introducing me to the fundamentals of YarnSpinner implementation within Unity:
Researching YarnSpinner also led me to join the official YarnSpinner Discord community, which became an invaluable source of support throughout development. Through this community, I was able to ask questions regarding more advanced systems, troubleshoot implementation issues, and learn more complex scripting functionality directly from experienced users and developers.
In addition to tutorials, I regularly utilised online communities such as Reddit for troubleshooting and workflow advice. The Substance Painter, Autodesk Maya, and Unity communities were especially helpful whenever I encountered technical issues that I could not resolve independently. Reading discussions and solutions from other developers taught me a great deal about optimisation, debugging, texturing workflows, and engine implementation, while also improving my ability to problem-solve independently.
Not all of my research came from online sources. A large amount of valuable insight also came through direct conversations and verbal feedback from other developers and industry professionals. During the Guildford Games Festival, we spoke with both a sound designer, Greg Lester, and a narrative designer at one of the exhibition stalls. Their advice was particularly helpful regarding how to approach audio design effectively and how to navigate the sensitive themes explored within User_Unknown in a respectful and impactful way. These conversations helped shape several of our later creative decisions surrounding atmosphere, tone, and narrative presentation.
Finally, ongoing feedback and advice from classmates, mutual friends, and peers also contributed significantly to the project’s development. Whether through playtesting, coding guidance, or general discussion, these informal sources of research helped provide fresh perspectives and practical solutions throughout production.
Overall, research became a continuous and essential part of the development process. This research and references to the original Game Production Document are prevalent in my DevLog and the communication with my teammate. I continued to research within my Devlogs. It also helped improve the overall quality, presentation, and professionalism of User_Unknown.