The looks of the level

I have created a concept and some blockouts to better convey the feeling of the level.

Progress has happened

After working for a while as to the actual storyline and backstory of the project, all in text format, I finally have some actual images to show.

Here I began work on the actual blockout of he level, out of which the level map will be made.

And here we have some concept art of the main character.

 

Just what is the focus of the project and what does Necropolis have to do with it?

The focus of this project (the Master's one) will be to create a level with the visual style of the game.

The actual game itself is a 3-rd person action-oriented shooter with platforming elements.

It will not focus on gameplay, characters, or story. That comes after I have the foundation for it, which will come from the pre-production materials I am working on and the actual level for the Master's project.

Art Style wise this game will be almost parodic, heavily exaggerated.

Necropolis is a level within this game project. The structure of the game world is much like older platforming titles such as Jak 2, Ratchet and Clank, Sonic Adventure series, with a central world and smaller segments where the gameplay takes place. Each level will differ thematically from others, such as in the titles I have mentioned.

The Gunsmith enemies in this project inhabit dark, industrial factories with glowing molten metal and assembly lines, the Valley of Dead Soldiers is a massive rift in a buried part of the city where the dead refuse to rest, and the German Soldiers are in a forested area around a massive Wehrmacht bunker, for example.

This Necropolis level is an empty hospital inside of the Valley of Dead Snipers, where most of the unresting dead caught in the time of the cataclysm are trapped and angry at their fate. The Necropolis itself, a hospital once dedicated to bringing life, now houses the dead inside of this Valley.

The Valley of Dead Snipers is a rift, a pit inside of a city with structures towering around it, much like the city of Dubai seen in Spec Ops: The Line.

Source: http://www.gameguru.in/action/2012/09/spec-ops-the-linedemo-coming-to-xbl-psn-may-15/

Design of the city is based on real-world examples and architecture styles from the Soviet Union as well as some modern examples. Getting the style right will be a challenge. Much like the steam-punk style of Dishonored, the style of this game will be heavily influenced by the setting.



Source: http://www.evilsourcegaming.com/review/dishonored/

A good example of the architecture style and what I am aiming for can be seen in the game You Are Empty.

References of real-world examples of the traditional Soviet Stalinist architecture style and the Soviet Union in the 80's can be found here.

http://englishrussia.com/2012/11/27/moscow-from-the-forbidden-roof/#more-114608

http://englishrussia.com/2012/11/26/soviet-city-of-the-80s/#more-114494

Source: http://www.devisraad.com/YaE/

Source: http://www.gamingnexus.com/Default.aspx?Section=Article&I=1600

Source: http://gamerpro.ru/screenshots/you_are_empty/2/20

Source: http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/You_Are_Empty_%28VG%29

A Little Background

So finally, here is the polished and updated version of the project's story.

The game universe itself is an alternate dimension after a cataclysmic event that caused several parts of the real world to pass into it. Within this dimension, the laws of physics, life and death, are completely different.

Central to the setting is the New Commonwealth of Socialist Governments, which is a heavily exaggerated, futuristic depiction of a Soviet Union that never collapsed. Other nations exist within this dimension, but due to the harsh nature of the environment and threats the world presents to this nation-city, the inhabitants are unaware of others that are trapped within this world. A conflict between a 70's era Cold War United States and this Neo-Soviet state is the central struggle later on in the game.

The main character of this project is a KGB officer caught outside during the cataclysm, who made his way to the epicentre in defiance of whatever force was causing it. As a result, he died, but his soul got trapped within his uniform. Once his corpse was unearthed by the New Commonwealth of Socialist Governments, the process of his revival began.

Once revived, immortal as long as his uniform is intact, the officer becomes instrumental in helping the New Soviet state establish order and protect itself from threats the new world contains. The main reason behind his upheaval and praise despite his selfish and nonchalant approach to his work once he awakens with all of these new powers and abilities is hidden from him. The Makarov sidearm, with which his fate is tied, now holds eight rounds of an unearthly nature. These bullets are fragments of his soul, the only weapon powerful enough to defeat others like him in this world, a weapon capable of re-writing all history. Unfortunately, once the last round is fired, the soul ceases its existence, plunging his soul into nothingness beyond death.

Serving this new government is his duty, one he approaches with a lack of professionalism.

The new threats stem from otherworldly beings and twisted fragments of history. Gun-worshipping craftsmen intent on revenge through their mechanical creations, upset spirits of deceased soldiers who are unable to rest, lost undead German soldiers of the Wehrmacht refusing to accept defeat in a conflict long over, experimental Soviet machines unprogrammed and hostile towards any intruders in their underground bunker, and an old rival nation intent on revenge for a Cold War that they assume went hot.

Here are some old concepts of the main character, Major Gennadiy Vasilievich Kochevnikov. I plan to update the art style and re-do the uniform design.

Initial Brief

Below is an extended version of the project specification for this module. Several changes have been made since.

Due to me being ill, this brief is late. I apologize profusely for the inconvenience. Sadly, in our time, illnesses like pneumonia still have the audacity to not have a comprehensive scheduling system. You would think that in the age of advanced computing and nanotechnology, humanity would be beyond such inconveniences. This is all beside the point, however.

Pre-Production Concept: Necropolis Level

After a lot of deliberation, I have finally settled on an idea.

The aim of this project for this module will be to outline the design, aims, and creation process of an environment that will go into a game project. This will be a single level that I will design from scratch in an environment artist's perspective. Major points that will be covered will include the overall design aims, atmosphere, creation process, origin, architectural elements of the level itself, as well as the overall creation process within the engine. The research that will be involved will have to do with Soviet building techniques in the Kruschev era, how they have been adapted to simplify the creation of the level, the layout of a hospital, and how other games achieve an unsettling atmosphere (Cryostasis, STALKER, Silent Hill 2, Dead Space, Deadlight)

This project in this module will include the following:

• Introduction and Shortened Backstory - Concept of the Project (What the Level in the Game will be)
• Soviet Architecture - History and How it Ties In (research hospital layout, give background on Soviet style building technique and how it's adapted to fit another world)
• Level Outline - Concepts, Art, Level Map
• Modularity and Level Construction- How the Level Will be Created in the Engine (talk about techniques learned in past project and how they are relevant)
• Challenges - Stairs, Collision, Making it Real (look at how other games did it and what is impossible for one person to do)
• Things I Need to Learn in the Engine - fog/mist/smoke, flickering flames, decals, ambient noises, transparent glass
• Conclusion
• Bibliography

This project for this module with not go into detail of the background story of the game project in which this level is set. This project deals with only the level itself, as will the final Master's project this current one is attempting to support. A few character, narrative, and item-related concept might be included for perspective and to support the visualization of this level, but they will not be the main focus, as this is an environment-centered project, both for this module and the Master's project. The challenge will be to keep this on a scale achievable for one artist, as the amount of work that goes into creating one complete level is usually distributed amoung several individuals due to the amount of assets and props required to be strewn about the level for believability.

Welcome

Hello there and welcome to my blog.

The materials contained in this blog are related to the pre-production of my Master's project, the materials of which are for the Project Pre-Production module at Teesside University.

I will start out by saying that every project needs an idea. Getting an idea has been on of the most difficult parts of this module, and something I have struggled at very much.

Below are the initial entries of the project diary from when I started this module.

15/10/12

Possible ideas – since I am doing environment studies, need to settle on what exactly I am going to do.

Most likely, project will be a level/environment. Question is, which one?

So far, environment ideas are as follows: exaggerated futuristic Soviet city (Kochevnikov universe), level set on Shinraal [Marshall HQ, Necropolis/Hospital, Dracosin’s apartment building](Dracosin universe, working level, part of storyline?), quiet, sunny district of Moscow which has been evacuated due to impending nuclear holocaust(Metro 2033 universe), underground prison (Deadwind universe, based on dream, haunted?), Uncle Bad Touch’s basement, ideal house?

What engine will be made in: UDK.