[Forum Project #1] Steam Run Design Document

[skydereign]

So hopefully with the new year over, people will start coming back to this project. I'm now at school, and ended up leaving my weapon concept art at home. So I don't really have the means to do full concept/promo art like I originally hoped. That being said I'll still be posting pictures of some sketches, perhaps someone can touch them up. We should start narrowing on an art style, though we do seem to be leaning towards more realistic and rougher style graphics.

Jagmaster, did you ever finish texturing that factory you did?

[Jagmaster]

Ah, yes. Time to get back into the swing of things.

Jagmaster, did you ever finish texturing that factory you did?

Ah, not yet, I'll speed that up. Been watching too much Samurai Jack during winter break!

But yeah, I'll texture a chunk of it, post process it a bit, and then throw it here.

[Jagmaster]

Alrighty, I textured the doorway so far; at first I rendered with blender's internal render engine, then with cycles.
The images are rendered at a pretty low resolution (50%), but I thought the proportions fit pretty well with sky's character sketch for the most part (140x140).

Here's the first result in blender internal:

The shaders are a little too simple methinks...
I then went into gimp and put an "Edge detect" effect on it to give it sort of an outline.
My normal maps weren't strong enough perhaps.



Then I set up the materials in cycles.

Nice and gritty, a tad dark perhaps.



And finally, I took the cycles render and adjusted the contrast a bit, made it a touch brighter.




Sorry, this is sort of a lot of images. I can move this to a separate topic if that'll make it easier.

[Hblade]

looks good! O-o

[happyjustbecause]

Yeah that looks awesome, I love the color scheme and the gritty style that isn't too much but just enough to give it a rough look.

[skydereign]

And finally, I took the cycles render and adjusted the contrast a bit, made it a touch brighter.




Sorry, this is sort of a lot of images. I can move this to a separate topic if that'll make it easier.

This looks quite nice. The question now though is what is the character style going to look like? The building you've done looks very 3d, and at least compared to the concept player image, stands out a lot. This is probably due to the more realistic, and more evident lighting of it, but also more fundamentally because one was a 3d model, while the other wasn't. So for consistency of style, we would need to have the other game assets (player included) be rendered out in a similar fashion, or probably easier for our current skill sets apply some filters to tone down the environment graphics. That way we can more easily make a matching drawn art style.

[Jagmaster]

Thanks a ton bros! 'Preciate the feedback!

The question now though is what is the character style going to look like? The building you've done looks very 3d, and at least compared to the concept player image, stands out a lot. This is probably due to the more realistic, and more evident lighting of it, but also more fundamentally because one was a 3d model, while the other wasn't. So for consistency of style, we would need to have the other game assets (player included) be rendered out in a similar fashion, or probably easier for our current skill sets apply some filters to tone down the environment graphics. That way we can more easily make a matching drawn art style.

Hm.. yeah the two styles clash a bit, don't they? I originally put the concept image there for scale, hadn't even given the style of it much thought. I do think the 3D stuff will give the game more visual depth, perhaps rendering the character out in 3D isn't a bad idea? Probably a bit too ambitious, as it will take a buttload more work with modelling/texturing. However, I actually find animating in blender a lot easier than the 2D animation programs I've tried (don't have enough $$$ for flash, so I can't count that). Don't wanna sound like I'm touting blender, but that's the way it is for me

Anywho, regarding some kind of filter, we could posterize the renders (which basically reduces the amount of colors) making it look more sprite-ish but also making the graphics considerably uglier if not done right.

I did some quick tests with heavier outlines and posterization, though gimp doesn't have the best quality image effects. I don't see these particular filters as being what we go for, but are they somewhat going in the direction you had in mind?

Cartoon filter__________________|_________________Cartoon filter + hue adjustment.


A third option would be to paint color over the clay render with gimp or whatever, to give things sort of a painterly look? Or even outline the images manually?

[skydereign]

Hm.. yeah the two styles clash a bit, don't they? I originally put the concept image there for scale, hadn't even given the style of it much thought. I do think the 3D stuff will give the game more visual depth, perhaps rendering the character out in 3D isn't a bad idea? Probably a bit too ambitious, as it will take a buttload more work with modelling/texturing. However, I actually find animating in blender a lot easier than the 2D animation programs I've tried (don't have enough $$$ for flash, so I can't count that). Don't wanna sound like I'm touting blender, but that's the way it is for me

The problem with the group projectness of this, is that we all have different skill sets. As far as I'm aware, you are the only one currently signed up, that is a comfortable background in 3d graphics. So, unless you want to take on almost all graphics, we should probably figure a good way of making the 3d more drawn. Though, I agree, the 3d is very nice, and if we can still keep the amount of depth it has, that would be great.

Anywho, regarding some kind of filter, we could posterize the renders (which basically reduces the amount of colors) making it look more sprite-ish but also making the graphics considerably uglier if not done right.

I did some quick tests with heavier outlines and posterization, though gimp doesn't have the best quality image effects. I don't see these particular filters as being what we go for, but are they somewhat going in the direction you had in mind?

Cartoon filter__________________|_________________Cartoon filter + hue adjustment.

Yeah... I was trying a few filters in gimp, but didn't find anything that worked really well. Perhaps painting the surface would work. Also I didn't try any layering effects, which I think could probably compromise the two styles.

[sonicforvergame]

I was intrested in JagMaster cuz i knew that he is good at art
So i decided to read any of his topic and got to this one that was really fascinating
i started to read the information and introduction and i saw my name on the possible member i was quite happy but i still didn't get too exited because i was on the POSSIBLE memebers and
i don't expect having a really big part in the game but i also don't want to show that i am sad or anithing because that would be Faking
Right know i have no project and i will wait for some postreply and see your answers everyone

[skydereign]

I don't add members unless they say they want to join. It isn't that we thought you might not be good enough, but rather you never actually said you wanted to join. I'll assume this means you will work on the project. But you'll need to tell us what you think you'll be working on.

[sonicforvergame]

uhmm scripting isn't really my type
i would like to see the map but not nesecerally worked at it
and i think that the biggest part will be background editing and effects maybe or just anythings that is about the art of the game

and one last thing
you said you don't add member only if they wanted
i didn't even know about this topic it is a chance that i searched for it in JagMasters' post or i would'n even know about it
anyway i will wait

[skydereign]

uhmm scripting isn't really my type
i would like to see the map but not nesecerally worked at it
and i think that the biggest part will be background editing and effects maybe or just anythings that is about the art of the game

I'll just put you down for art right now.

and one last thing
you said you don't add member only if they wanted
i didn't even know about this topic it is a chance that i searched for it in JagMasters' post or i would'n even know about it
anyway i will wait

You seem to like waiting for things... Anyway, you interacted with the "Have i returned?" topic, which is where we decided to formalize this project. I guess you weren't following it too closely, but you mentioned you'd like to work on a project on that topic, which is why I put you down for a possible member on this one.

[sonicforvergame]

oh yeah i left the I have returned because i was waiting a little bit for answers and things and thanks i'm going to read this topic to see where you currently are but if you can tell me what to do right know i think that it will be better

[skydereign]

but if you can tell me what to do right know i think that it will be better

You should familiarize yourself with the project. Find out where we are, and see what you can do to help. We aren't quite at the point that we start really working on the actual game assets.

[sonicforvergame]

i already started to work on the clay machine thing because it is one of the major things right know