Note from Jeff: I forgot to add Aubrey's Art Asset Overview #23, but instead of double posting, I thought I would just embed the #23 video here. Read on for #24 after this YouTube video:
Be sure to watch it in HD!
Instead of working on more test levels for Overgrowth (which you can preorder here), I decided to work on trying to make a "real" level. While it may not appear in the final game, it uses a lot of the ideas I have been working out lately about structering a level to make playing through it more interesting. The other major difference is trying to include a level of visual fidelity that makes the level interesting to look at.
Be sure to watch it in HD!
I think making a visually interesting level requires a few things. For starters, the level has to be nice to look at, with interesting vistas that change as you navigate it -- but looking cool will only get you so far. The next important thing is to engage the player's attention through gameplay-relevent visuals. A scene is much more interesting if you know that you will be able to interact with it in an interesting way. Finally, it's good to include as much visual storytelling as possible by giving the space a sense of history, and showing evidence of past events. I have only scratched the surface on that aspect, but expect to see more of it in next week's video!
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so awsome...
I hope the water will actually be able to look like that when it's implemented and not just be a flat plane with a scrolling normal map on it.
Because the concept you sculpted up for it just looks too damn good for that.
that map looks awesome. GJ
Shame on you Jeff
//mock anger
Nice to see some more art asset videos
Ignoring the fact the water isn't moving, I really like the look you have created.
For platforming inspiration, I suggest you look at the Tomb Raider and the Uncharted Games.
Killzone 3's water had a great feel to it even though the waves were precalculated.
I think those are the kind of dramatic chops they need here.
Actually, Uncharted 3 probably has even more amazing water than killzone 3 already does. It can make your character look wet (even partially, like up to his waist), it has really cool particle effects for water spouts, and even nails the physical and graphical aspects of the ocean. A particular section in a stormy shipyard with moving waves comes to mind, I could totally see that water in this level. Although it would probably take an unhealthy amount of time to replicate. All's im hoping is that it doesnt come off as a rigid pattern across a expansive sea, that always kills it for me when games do that.
Its pretty important though, water is probably one of the most technically difficult things to accomplish in games - graphically, computationally, and programing wise. That and fire, maybe.
The background music is so relaxing....:)
I can't get over how absolutely amazing this game looks, and it's not even finished!
HitRabbit: Silent Assassin lol
Posted this as a reply on youtube but couldn't fit everthin in 500symbols :/
"ingame" i think the characters being mute is a good thing, the pictorial style of speech also gives the game more variety in the art department. Not that the game looks bad, but after a while the enviroments generated in the same style/engine can get a bit repetitive, the speech art gives it that zing and extra personality when needed.
Maybe in loading screens you can tell us something about the history of a colony you are just about to enter for example, since this is harder to tell using just pictures. Also both your voices are really soothing (i've seen so much art assets and development vids, it's almost impossible to NOT imagine your voices.)
Obligatory stealth section?
Please please consider how much that usually sucks in almost all games, no matter how appropriate it might seem right now. The choice for stealth is always good, but it should always be a choice, unless the rest of the game constantly involves stealth as well.
Not saying you guys were going to do that or anything, but I had warning bells go off, and wanted to share (;
Edit: Mute characters are fine, but then they probably will need some extra effort on characterization, eg facial animation/ recognizably different personalities/ facial features + modelling.
Still so beautiful to see.
In vid #23 hopefully your going to make an animation for carring you "friend" better (prehaps over the shoulder), I dont think he/she would appreciate being dragged by their eyelids. May be an option to do both, dragging is faster to "pickup" a body but with someone on your shoulder maybe you could move a small amount faster?
Aubrei you have such a great eye for colors. Everything in level seem to blend together so well, it is very obvious that you arent just technical educated modeler but also you have very good artsy eye.
that level with the rectangular rocks kinda looked pretty awesome, I thought first they just were supposed to look all the same, lol
I imagine your already thinking of a different approah such as this because it kind of seems really obvious. But when creating a platform challenge map maybe you should think of a structure that will have slowly colapsed and eroded a little bit, because placing ovjects that look rather out of place seems like a bad design and possibly too dull but I that then you don't get part of a level where abuses are easier to find and possibly "cheat".
But it's nice to some more of the art assets of the game and like you said this game is really coming to life through your choices and I just want to say that the progression your doing is great, keep it up!
I agree that water looks way to good to not be used. Audrey please dont listen to people who say that water is not good, i think that it is 10 times better than any flat plane water. Maybe if you could make it with scrolling displacement shader or vertex shader that would be even more awesome.