MAIN GAME
Welcome back for part II of “Inside the Lab”. In the first part we saw how our characters were created. From a simple idea to final art. In this part II we will show you how the art for the main game is created. From the early design, to drawings, to final art. We will finaly show you how we will implement our UI to main game and how it will work in the gameplay. So lets start!
THE REQUIREMENTS
First we start by understanding what we need for our game. This is a simple list to give us an idea of what we need and also to give us a picture of the amount of work that needs to be done. This is only a first step and things will change dramatically as we move forward with the creation of the art. When we have a rough requirement list we start the design stage.
THE DESIGN
Here we start by doing our initial designs. They must resemble something of a game, to have some logic for the gameplay and also give something to the artist to start with.
When we finish with the rough sketches and we are sure they contain all the basic elements we need, we pass them to the artist to give us some ideas and suggestions.
Having different designs is good because it gives you the freedom to see things from different angles and perspectives. What works, what doesn’t work, what looks good, what is better for the gameplay. Everything must be taken into account before we decide which path to follow. After the decision is made and the art is chosen the artist polishes the image to have the same high quality as everything else.
In this image the player will have the option to create a virus or a vaccine, depending on which path he decided to take, he can check the storage where the created viruses are stored and also upgrade his facilities. This will grant him extra bonuses and abilities for later in the game. Storing viruses will help the player in some random events that will be in the game and will happen suddenly and without any warning. So it will always be good to be prepared!
Some other times the design is more clear and the artist gives us something that is good with the first try as shown below.
Here the process if much faster as the design is exactly as it is intended so we proceed with the creation of the final art.
From here the player will be able to access the sales department where he can hire a salesman that will bring more clients, check the statistics of the game and also check the active and past contracts the player has made with various clients.
THE USER INTERFACE
When we are creating the art for the game we have to pay attention to a lot of things. But one of the most important ones is the UI. The UI is what gives various information about the game to the player. Usually when creating a 3D game things are a little different because the image behind the UI is always moving. In our situation we have static images so when creating the UI we must be careful so that the UI is not interfering with the rest of the art. The player must be able to see the UI very clearly because in a different situation it looses its purpose.
Below we give you an example of temporary UI on the left with the final UI on the right.
Biolab UI consists of 2 elements. The Good/Evil bar on the top left which will show the player which side he decided to follow and what level he is. When you will accept a client and complete a contract you get points and money. The points help you to change level and this will grand you the ability to create even more powerful vaccines or deadly viruses. On the top right you see the date and the money you have. The date will change every few seconds and the money will go down because of everyday expenses your lab has. This will force you to be very careful and plan ahead because if your money runs out the game is over!
CLOSING
This concludes part II of our making of. Today we talked about the design and art of the main game and also showed you how the UI worked. Join us next week in part III where we will show you how we created the main menu and the art for the intro of the game. Until then you can check our website at www.demigod-studios.com. We also wait you in our forums at forum.demigod-studios.com to get to know us and discuss about BioLAB.
How much real science are you planning to put into a game like this? Is it strictly entertainment? When I saw the hands on the table with that equipment I instantly thought Surgeon Simulator. From the text though, it sounds like an MMO crafting system on steroids lol.
Hello go0der,
The game will have very little real science. We are trying to give it a very light feeling with the comic style we follow. Some parts of the game will have some resemblance of real antibodies etc but most of the game is just for entertainment and that's why we have taken a lot of creative liberties in the design of the game.