Hey guys, it's that time again and I've decided to make another environment. I don't have anything to show yet but I'm making this thread anyway, just so I don't lose my motivation in the meantime :poly142:
I will be making a hi-tech office facility inspired by Deus Ex HR. I'm planning to make something similar to the Tai Yong Medical level, so expect bright colours, clean surfaces, wooden panels and airy corridors with something huge in the background.
If all goes well, I'm hoping to come up with some interesting designs rather than rely on hexagons and other sci-fi clich
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Ok, i'll imagine it...
Nope, all I got is European Ducks and Foliage.
Ehm... Maybe it's a good thing though, putting pressure on yourself.
Will start dumping references and detail my ideas today, when I get back.
Overall, I have decided to take cues from the Roman architecture because of its utilitarian, simplistic nature. The imperialistic and propagandistic nature of the empire also seems to be embedded into the style and that somewhat fits with the idea of dystopian future.
Currently, I'm hoping to use some of the key features of the style (barrel vaults, semi-circular arches, pillars), as well as use some of Roman construction methods (opus reticulatum, opus spicatum, litneled construction, etc.) and give them a sci-fi twist. Perhaps adding some mosaic-like patterns, either painted on or made from shiny metal panelling could work, though I do not want to overcomplicate things.
And yeah, I need a lot of pressure right now :poly142:
go damian, look forward to it!
I finished doing the first blockout pass and finally decided on the overall layout.
The overall theme and the backstory for this environment is "Yadda, yadda, Roman empire had never fallen, they are still kicking around and have fancy high tech offices". I'm thinking of turning it into a military, or government facility as that would let me go crazy with silly Neo-Roman propaganda ("Legions need YOU", "What have you done for your emperor", "Crush the Sassanid scum" etc.).
Now speaking of the environment, my plan is to break it up like this:
Bottom:
This part of the scene will look almost like a typical classic Roman environment (arches, pillars, etc). but I will add some small sci-fi details here and there. It will be made up mostly of marble. Overall, I'm aiming for something similar to Zhao's Penthouse from DE.
I made that area to be some sort of a briefing hall and will be taking some inspiration from Curia Julia (the building used by the roman senate). The seats will be made either of marble, or dark, polished wood. The area in the middle of the room will feature a futuristic representation of the world map, so these mean Romans can discuss their plans of world domination without forgetting what it looks like.
Mid-section:
This area will look very futuristic, to give some contrast to the conservative briefing hall. I'm thinking of using wood, aluminium, glass and silicone as the key materials. The shapes will be smooth and perhaps slightly cliched, but the detail work will be done to reference Roman construction methods. I'm thinking of decorating the walls with patterns that resemble Opus Reticulatum.
The diamond-like pattern would be made out of black silicone, while the bricks would be replaced with triangular panels (Deus Ex loves them triangles) layered over the silicone and covered in gold or red paint. The transition between the silicone and panels would be very rough.
I will also add smaller elements, like doors, water fountains, fences and so on. But for now, I'm hoping to nail the overall style before I move onto the details.
Roof:
I'm still thinking of what to do with the roof. For now, I have decided to keep it shaped roughly like roofs of Roman houses.
I will need to cover the open area, either with flat windows or a barrel vault, similar to this one:
Background:
This is what I feel will bring this environment to life. Since I have these massive windows, I was thinking of adding a panorama of rome and spicing it up with some futuristic skyscrapers. Alternatively, I could add some sort of a futristic building that resambles either the Pantheon or the Colosseum. And make it tall. Really tall.
Colour scheme:
I loved the aesthetics of Deus Ex, so black and gold will need to stay. I'm also planning to use a lot of red and yellowish white, a bit like on this fresco:
That's it for now. I have a few more ideas, but describing them would be just boring. I will move onto getting the basic textures done and perhaps make some rough sketches to get some ideas for the details.
Damned scary, but very interesting.
...
^^
in all seriousness, nice start on the blockout, can't wait to see more!