Amazing. You guys should consider putting this on the UE4 marketplace, not only would people more than likely pay good money for it, but it'd be a good bunch of assets for people to learn from too, which is what it's all about.
This is sooo beautiful, it even stirs up emotions in me for some reason.
I thought the last iteration was really solid, yet you managed to push it so much further.
Really good job, guys!
Martin mentions he learned a ton. If you at any point feel like sharing some details on what it is you learned, I am sure that not only I, but also many others would really appreciate it
Again, big big thumbs up from me!
Thanks so much for the nice words guys, it really means a lot to us!
We are very happy to hear things like "I want to walk around this place" and that it stirs up emotions in you. Our ultimate goal with this was to make something believable and inviting that people would look forward to checking out ingame and have a full experience when doing so.
I'm looking forward a lot to start working on that VR version as I spoke before. I really want to add more motion (like having the banners flapping in the wind) and also do a sound pass. Doing sound work is something that I always wanted to do in an environment and never got around to it.
Anyways, I'm going to take some extra screenshots tonight to show all the other cool stuff that's not visible in the main screens, so stay tuned!
There are very few times as a game developer that I've seen something on this site that I found truly "breath taking". This environment is certainly one of those times. Can't wait for the vr and sound updates!
My only quibble might be the flags are obviously jiggling on a sine wave. I know this scene wasn't mean to be animated so probably wasn't worth spending TOO much time on wind effects.
Just wanted to ask about the time you put into this and how you worked it around your job? - whenever I see impressive work like this and I see the guys/gals have jobs which I presume are full-time I wonder how they managed to fit it in. I work as a 3D Artist but I am knackered when I get home!.. I have so many thoughts of environments to make but don't have the desire to sit in-front of my computer for a whole weekend and evenings doing it - I also have a 3 year old daughter which possibly makes my situation different to yours
Gooner: Yeah I hear you, it's tough to find time to work on personal projects no matter what... I can list a few things that helped me:
- Working with a buddy makes it much easier to get inspired and enables you to split work.
- Sometimes when I knew I was going to have a busy week I'd plan all my tasks ahead using google calendar on my phone. I tried to estimate how much free time I'd have on each night and assign time slots for whatever I had to do. Sometimes getting as little as 30 minutes of work done in a night makes a huge difference!
- The more experience and the more you know the faster you can work. I feel like I can get twice as much done on a good 2 hour session today than I could on a 8 hour long session 2 years ago. Never stop looking for new ways and tools to make stuff faster!
- Try to get "tunnel vision" when working on your stuff. Put on your headphones with music that helps you getting "into the zone", and treat your environment as a real place not just a collection of vertexes.
- This is very personal and I'm sure it might vary wildly from person to person but try to find your own biological rhythm and come up with a routine that maximizes time for every activity you need to do. Don't feel bad when you need to rest, resting is a necessity and not a waste of time. While working on this scene I sort of followed the following "schedule".
Regular Work week: mon - friday
Days of the week I'd work hard on the scene (2 hour sessions at night): Mon - Wed - Thu
Saturdays were flexible and I could use them either to work or go out with the wife.
Days of the week I'd NEVER work on the scene and would instead use my time to rest: Friday - Sunday Nights
Sticking to that really helped me maximize my productivity at home because I could get enough rest and enjoy life while working hard on the most "optimal" days. The best thing about following that routine is that it didn't affect my productivity at work at all either
Hey Gooner,
Our lives might not be so different than you may think. I have a 15 month old daughter that's a little hurricane. On average i would get home at 7'ish, have dinner with the family, play for a while with my daughter(Elin) and hang out with my wife.
On average, i would start work on the challenge around 9-10 PM and work til 11-12. The key is to stay focused and work smart.
Stay off facebook, Imgur etc. Also, when you finish an asset/texture, it's easy to start noodling on it to get it perfect. This is a mistake. Always have the complete scene in mind when you're working, not the individual asset. Once you have all your models and textures "done" and placed in your scene, you can start zeroing in on the areas that need love.
There's also ways to get around feeling exhausted and drained at the end of the day. Working out 2-3 times a week is great for your energy levels, be it weightlifting or cardio. I prefer to get my work-outs done in the morning before work.
Second, don't be afraid to take a day off from the project and just hang out with your family. It'll recharge you both physically and mentally, and taking your eyes away from your work for a day can really give you a new perspective on your art.
Never go to bed after midnight if you can help it. A good night's sleep is key. Granted, the last 2 weeks of the throne challenge i averaged about 5 hours of sleep a night and that was bad, but it's not the norm.
Lastly, explain to your family how much the project you're working on means to you and get their support. My wife was quite involved in what i was doing and she provided a ton of feedback on the scene which was both fun and helpful.
Hope these rambling help shed some light on where I'm coming from.
Minos, I find the tunnel vision thing hard to do, I always think of other less taxing things to do with my time off, be it watching a film, playing football etc - creating art in your own time is enjoyable but still requires so much mental energy, I also used to do a lot of oil painting but it requires the same concentration as 3D art
Martin, really impressed you did this with a 15 month year old!.. the support your wife gave you is great, I don't think I'd get that - though my girlfriend has a point in that I am tired even after getting 8 hours!...
I imagine the bottom line is that you have passion for what you are doing, am I right in thinking it didn't feel like a chore?.. that might be the difference if I'm truthful to myself
am I right in thinking it didn't feel like a chore?
I can't speak for Minos, but this is definitely the case for me. I enjoy doing 3D art. It's what I do. So it never feels like a chore unless I'm ... I dunno, optimizing triangle counts 16 hours a day trying to ship a game or something.
I can't speak for Minos, but this is definitely the case for me. I enjoy doing 3D art. It's what I do. So it never feels like a chore unless I'm ... I dunno, optimizing triangle counts 16 hours a day trying to ship a game or something.
I used to paint a lot, mainly oils and I remember enjoying it and being better than most at it, especially during my studies. I think going out into the big wide world changed things, I needed money and got a regular salary doing something mundane. Years later I then tried to go back to painting but I'd lost my passion for it and the money wasn't regular. I still wanted to do something creative so I compromised and took my art to the computer - I don't think I've ever rediscovered that enjoyment for creation, I think society and all it's demands got the better of me. I still have a job more interesting than most but I do hope one day to enjoy creating something again - maybe when I'm retired and have no pressure to earn a crust ..or maybe the next Polycount challenge
You only get tunnel vision when you are fully immersed in your work and that's something you have to find in yourself, other people won't be able to teach you
If I can recommend a single book that helped me tons professionally and on a personal level it is Mastery by Robert Greene. In that book, he breaks down what masters in various different fields and ages did right, all the challenges they had to go through and how they overcame challenges life threw at them.
Replies
I thought the last iteration was really solid, yet you managed to push it so much further.
Really good job, guys!
Martin mentions he learned a ton. If you at any point feel like sharing some details on what it is you learned, I am sure that not only I, but also many others would really appreciate it
Again, big big thumbs up from me!
Its one of the best looking enviroments i have ever seen
congrats
We are very happy to hear things like "I want to walk around this place" and that it stirs up emotions in you. Our ultimate goal with this was to make something believable and inviting that people would look forward to checking out ingame and have a full experience when doing so.
I'm looking forward a lot to start working on that VR version as I spoke before. I really want to add more motion (like having the banners flapping in the wind) and also do a sound pass. Doing sound work is something that I always wanted to do in an environment and never got around to it.
Anyways, I'm going to take some extra screenshots tonight to show all the other cool stuff that's not visible in the main screens, so stay tuned!
Great job guys!
Here's a flythrough of the level:
[ame]
This looks so much better in motion, you can't really realize the scale with screenshots only!
My only quibble might be the flags are obviously jiggling on a sine wave. I know this scene wasn't mean to be animated so probably wasn't worth spending TOO much time on wind effects.
Nice work!
I tried to implement that cloth stuff but it was driving me insane... so I just went with a simple vertex animation haha
Thanks for uploading this video.
We wrote an article about the making of this environment, some gems in there, check it out
http://80.lv/articles/blizzard-designers-on-good-level-design/
Just wanted to ask about the time you put into this and how you worked it around your job? - whenever I see impressive work like this and I see the guys/gals have jobs which I presume are full-time I wonder how they managed to fit it in. I work as a 3D Artist but I am knackered when I get home!.. I have so many thoughts of environments to make but don't have the desire to sit in-front of my computer for a whole weekend and evenings doing it - I also have a 3 year old daughter which possibly makes my situation different to yours
Gooner: Yeah I hear you, it's tough to find time to work on personal projects no matter what... I can list a few things that helped me:
- Working with a buddy makes it much easier to get inspired and enables you to split work.
- Sometimes when I knew I was going to have a busy week I'd plan all my tasks ahead using google calendar on my phone. I tried to estimate how much free time I'd have on each night and assign time slots for whatever I had to do. Sometimes getting as little as 30 minutes of work done in a night makes a huge difference!
- The more experience and the more you know the faster you can work. I feel like I can get twice as much done on a good 2 hour session today than I could on a 8 hour long session 2 years ago. Never stop looking for new ways and tools to make stuff faster!
- Try to get "tunnel vision" when working on your stuff. Put on your headphones with music that helps you getting "into the zone", and treat your environment as a real place not just a collection of vertexes.
- This is very personal and I'm sure it might vary wildly from person to person but try to find your own biological rhythm and come up with a routine that maximizes time for every activity you need to do. Don't feel bad when you need to rest, resting is a necessity and not a waste of time. While working on this scene I sort of followed the following "schedule".
Regular Work week: mon - friday
Days of the week I'd work hard on the scene (2 hour sessions at night): Mon - Wed - Thu
Saturdays were flexible and I could use them either to work or go out with the wife.
Days of the week I'd NEVER work on the scene and would instead use my time to rest: Friday - Sunday Nights
Sticking to that really helped me maximize my productivity at home because I could get enough rest and enjoy life while working hard on the most "optimal" days. The best thing about following that routine is that it didn't affect my productivity at work at all either
Hope that helps!
Our lives might not be so different than you may think. I have a 15 month old daughter that's a little hurricane. On average i would get home at 7'ish, have dinner with the family, play for a while with my daughter(Elin) and hang out with my wife.
On average, i would start work on the challenge around 9-10 PM and work til 11-12. The key is to stay focused and work smart.
Stay off facebook, Imgur etc. Also, when you finish an asset/texture, it's easy to start noodling on it to get it perfect. This is a mistake. Always have the complete scene in mind when you're working, not the individual asset. Once you have all your models and textures "done" and placed in your scene, you can start zeroing in on the areas that need love.
There's also ways to get around feeling exhausted and drained at the end of the day. Working out 2-3 times a week is great for your energy levels, be it weightlifting or cardio. I prefer to get my work-outs done in the morning before work.
Second, don't be afraid to take a day off from the project and just hang out with your family. It'll recharge you both physically and mentally, and taking your eyes away from your work for a day can really give you a new perspective on your art.
Never go to bed after midnight if you can help it. A good night's sleep is key. Granted, the last 2 weeks of the throne challenge i averaged about 5 hours of sleep a night and that was bad, but it's not the norm.
Lastly, explain to your family how much the project you're working on means to you and get their support. My wife was quite involved in what i was doing and she provided a ton of feedback on the scene which was both fun and helpful.
Hope these rambling help shed some light on where I'm coming from.
-Martin
Minos, I find the tunnel vision thing hard to do, I always think of other less taxing things to do with my time off, be it watching a film, playing football etc - creating art in your own time is enjoyable but still requires so much mental energy, I also used to do a lot of oil painting but it requires the same concentration as 3D art
Martin, really impressed you did this with a 15 month year old!.. the support your wife gave you is great, I don't think I'd get that - though my girlfriend has a point in that I am tired even after getting 8 hours!...
I imagine the bottom line is that you have passion for what you are doing, am I right in thinking it didn't feel like a chore?.. that might be the difference if I'm truthful to myself
Well done again, it was well worth your efforts!
I used to paint a lot, mainly oils and I remember enjoying it and being better than most at it, especially during my studies. I think going out into the big wide world changed things, I needed money and got a regular salary doing something mundane. Years later I then tried to go back to painting but I'd lost my passion for it and the money wasn't regular. I still wanted to do something creative so I compromised and took my art to the computer - I don't think I've ever rediscovered that enjoyment for creation, I think society and all it's demands got the better of me. I still have a job more interesting than most but I do hope one day to enjoy creating something again - maybe when I'm retired and have no pressure to earn a crust ..or maybe the next Polycount challenge
If I can recommend a single book that helped me tons professionally and on a personal level it is Mastery by Robert Greene. In that book, he breaks down what masters in various different fields and ages did right, all the challenges they had to go through and how they overcame challenges life threw at them.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Mastery-Robert-Greene/dp/014312417X"]Mastery: Robert Greene: 9780143124177: Amazon.com: Books[/ame]
By the way I recommend getting the audiobook instead, the book itself is more than 800 pages long...
I'm getting that audiobook as I write this
I was wondering if you could post a breakdown or just a wireframe of how you tackled the floor details?