WEEK 1 – ENVIRONMENT
25/09/2023
Over summer, my final project ideas were narrowed down to either a Market Place, a Battle Field, or a Hall. I quickly decided on the market as having the most potential, as I would get to work with imagined culture and characters, and could have the widest diversity in scenery.
WEEK 2
02/10/2023
Moving forward from my original pitch I joined with a team who happened to want a marketplace for their world, and since I had not decided on the themes for my work yet, I could blend my initial ideas with theirs. My group explained their own concepts and ideas, allowing us to compare and decide on how the collaboration could benefit all of us. The beginning stages of the team already having a conceptualised theme and culture to their work gave me a clear starting point, similar to having my own brief.
The game, titled ‘Akuji’ was set in a futuristic world, with a baseline of Tibetan culture, and my environment would be a small town in a desert, with an authentic and traditional feel.
Having started research into the types of environments I wanted to do, in themes as well as what the workflow would entail, we could easily connect the gaps between our ideas, through initial notes and moodboards. A clear visual of the project direction also meant that we could confirm that we were aiming for the same thing.
I will be creating a marketplace environment for the wider project game ‘Akuji’. This will be a lively townscape, in a realistic style.
SYNOPSIS
A relaxed town is a common scene in many games, and serves as a base of operations for many-a protagonist. With opportunities for meeting NPCs, trading or bartering, or learning more about the characters or world, the bustling environment is often a key point of interest. In Akuji’s world, puritan culture meets futuristic, but the town I will be focusing on is rooted in Tibetan culture. Through traditional colours, shapes and patterns throughout the environment, I can focus on establishing accurate references to real life, before exploring the blending of cultures within a travelling market, or more fantasy elements. Since the world is set in a fictional future, there will be more opportunity to play with landscape shapes, and fantastical elements that act as an extension of a concisely themed area. I aim to have a finished environment that can be walked by a character. My target audience for this project is teenagers and young-adults, from a variety of backgrounds.
WEEK 3
09/10/2023
RISK ASSESSMENT
Working by myself on a larger-scale environment means that I need to be very careful when managing my time, as I don’t have help if I fall behind. I also need to manage my own expectations and what I can expect to do, since I don’t want to overwork myself or burnout by aiming to do things in the project that aren’t feasible. Having a team to rely on for creative decisions and second opinions will definitely help, since I can alleviate some of the pressure from myself.
To plan my project I will primarily be using a spreadsheet asset list, which contains every asset that needs completing and every stage of its creation. This management list is the same as I have used in my previous environment projects, and has been very successful in the past. I will also be using a Gantt Chart to visualise an overview of my project and every step that will need completing before its completion.
INITIAL MOODBOARD
WEEK 4
16/10/2023
CULTURAL RESEARCH
Tibet developed a distinct culture due to its geographic and climatic conditions. While influenced by neighbouring cultures from China, India, and Nepal, the Himalayan region’s remoteness and inaccessibility have preserved distinct local influences, and stimulated the development of its distinct culture.
Tibetan Buddhism has exerted a strong influence on Tibetan culture since its introduction. Buddhist missionaries introduced arts and customs from India and China. Art, literature, and music all contain elements of the prevailing Buddhist beliefs, and Buddhism itself has adopted a unique form in Tibet, influenced by local beliefs.
Several works on astronomy, astrology and medicine were translated from Sanskrit and Classical Chinese. The general appliances of civilization have come from China, among many things and skill imported were the making of butter, cheese, barley-beer, pottery, watermills and the national beverage, butter tea.
Tibet’s specific geographic and climatic conditions have encouraged reliance on pastoralism, as well as the development of a different cuisine from surrounding regions, which fits the needs of the human body in these high altitudes.
Since my own project is based on a futuristic town set in a desert, I will need to carefully balance the original cultural traditions, while still creating a realistic environment.
AESTHETIC INSPIRATIONS
In a post-apocalyptic world where nature has reclaimed the ruins of a forgotten civilization, pockets of humanity live on in primitive hunter-gatherer tribes. The game covers a wide diversity in landscapes and culture. The town of Meridian is very similar to the aesthetic style and cultural implementation that I hope to explore
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a 2017 action-adventure game, where the player controls Link as he sets out to save Princess Zelda. The player can explore several towns and settlements, all rich with personality, and very unique. The Gerudo town, set in the desert, is particularly similar to the themes of my work.
In Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Basim, a cunning street thief with nightmarish visions, seeks answers and justice. The art style is very close to life, but still has an artistic quality that I enjoy, as well as the implementation of real-life culture within a game world.
Smuggler Joel is tasked with escorting teenager Ellie to safety. Although Joel is traumatized by his past, their brutal cross-country journey gives him “something to fight for.” The post-apocalyptic world of Last of Us shows many human moments frozen in time, and is a prime example of environmental storytelling. The realistic style is also a prime example of what I am aiming for.
WEEK 5
23/10/2023
INITIAL SKETCHES
Based on my research and my blockout, I began to create an asset list based on each area or section of my environment, such as the market, mechanic’s shop etc. I used a spreadsheet which I can mark off as I complete the Low-Poly, High-Poly texturing and importing, which tells me what percentage of my project is complete.
From this list, I began to sculpt the simple, low-poly assets, which I could use to more accurately test the physical scale and scope of my project. This would also allow me to make sure that the number of assets I had planned was feasible.
While making my assets, I frequently asked for feedback from my team, to make sure it fit our shared vision.
I plan to use these beginning stage assets to test small areas of my scene, analysing each one and working out what gaps needed filling and what further props would need working on. I had already left space on my asset list for these additions, aiming to produce around 150 props total.
Making use of the same prop with different textures, as well as trim sheets for my buildings, would lower my workload significantly, and I hoped to gain feedback on further ways to streamline my project.
As of right now, I am unsure how much foliage or nature will be needed for my scene, so I plan to tackle this later in the project, separate from my other assets.
WEEK 6
30/10/2023
WEEK 7
06/11/2023
ARCHITECTURAL AND LANDSCAPE RESEARCH
WEEK 8
13/11/2023
ESPEN SOGEN PRESENTATION – Further research
Environmental storytelling is a way of portraying themes, narrative, or story, through the placement of objects or props. The concept originates in the theme park industry, but in games can give context to plot points, or suggest the long-term or recent history of an area. In games, this works in harmony with non-environmental storytelling, such as NPC dialogue.
This kind of visual guidance can be used to give boundaries to a space, or point players in the desired direction, without having to explicitly tell them. The placement of certain elements within the context of the game world, can also push them to make certain decisions. For this reason, it is important to know the link between the real-world and game world, and how the audience will connect the two.
Identity buy-in is a key to connecting with an environment, as the player assumes an identity that reflects the world. For example, an identity in a fantasy world may be a knight-type character. In this case the player should be able to infer that they are a knight or similar based on their surroundings, such as beginning the story in a castle battlement. Environment design works together with character design and player interactions to build this immersion.
The history of an area should be able to be inferred from the player’s surroundings. A basic example of this would be fruit scattered across a street, and a nearby fallen cart, would suggest that the cart has recently been tipped over. Long term history can also be made visible through more permanent structures, such as landscape or architecture.
Each element of the story comes together to actively engage the player with their environment, and be constantly problem-solving how the visual queues fit together. Coherence and theme within a singular environment is very important to have a flowing narrative that is easy for players to put together.
Element 1 – Summative Assessment
So far, I am pleased with the direction that my project has taken, especially in how myself and my team have worked together to come up with a shared vision for the outcome. I have found the development of ideas is significantly easier when I have a solid starting point, as well as people to offer opinions and their own input. This has definitely helped me feel confident in my project so far.
Having outside influence from environment artists on games such as Horizon: Zero Dawn, and The Last of Us has also given me a clear sight as to what I am aiming for, as both a style reference as well as quality. Having high expectations means I believe I can be more motivated to complete at a high standard. My research into the cultural aspects of my environment has also been invaluable, as it gives me a frame of reference and a way to root my imagery in the real world. Being able to link my real-life and game inspirations will also be important as I work out how I can translate life into a visually pleasing and cohesive environment that still feels real.
Referring to my current timeline, I believe that, as long as I continue at the pace I am currently progressing at, that my project will be completed to a successful level. Having been able to complete tests in both modelling and texturing, as well as assembling some parts of the scene, my work so far has not posed any problems.
Having some aspects of my project be optional means that should I encounter issues along the way, I have some parts that I can remove to simplify the process. One example of this is my plan to learn nodes in order to have adaptable cables that can run through the town, adding to the more futuristic side, however in the case that I am unable to complete this aspect, it should not be vital to the finished product. My main concern at this stage is other unforeseen setbacks that may disrupt the workflow, especially as I learn new techniques, such as trim sheets. To combat this I hope to stay ahead of schedule, and make sure that I take the time to learn these necessary processes properly, so that I don’t encounter problems later in the process, as a result of previous mistakes.
Taking the time to make simplified sketches and blockouts before I model any large/detailed assets should also ensure that I don’t have to remake things that don’t fit as I’d imagined. With proper pre-production running throughout my project, and continuation of tests, I should be able to easily keep on top of my work load.
WEEK 9
20/11/2023
LOW POLY MODELLING PTI
From my previous tests and planning I began to build up the low poly assets for my entire scene.
Starting with the market stalls and wares, I scaled everything to a model I had made previously.
I then focused on more of the specific areas of my scene, like the kitchen and shops.
WEEK 10
27/11/2023
LOW POLY MODELLING PTII
I made sure to regularly check in with my team and get their feedback, so that I was sure everything matched the aesthetic choices made in the concepts. Since I did not have any detailed concept art, I used a wide range of references at this stage, from my early research, as well as in further depth.
WEEK 11
04/12/2023
INITIAL SCENE TESTS