VR :: sci-fi art WIP [Unity]

indierocktopus

I'm working on a virtual reality game for samsung GearVR (Mobile phone) here's the process thread!  

:: First draft: going for an dome shaped shell for the environment with holographic elements

:: character pov test

:: blocking in first mech character

It has to be super low poly to run well on mobile

:: redesigned environment with lighting pass

making more out of solid geometry because alpha and transparent FX are too costly on mobile devices (concept rendered out of C4D)

:: Turned on wireframe render

:: Refined environment, cleaned up object placement and switched to cylinder shell instead of dome 

screencap from Unity

:: another angle

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Thanks for looking I'm going to be updating as I make more progress!  

Lucas Annunziata

Oh man, I was really digging the first two screenshots, especially the soft color gradation along the triangular ceiling patterns. I feel like the direction you're taking the environment now is a whole lot more generic and boring. I understand you've got to compromise for performance reasons, but I think you've lost a lot of the charm of the first few images.

indierocktopus

Lucas Annunziata said:

Oh man, I was really digging the first two screenshots, especially the soft color gradation along the triangular ceiling patterns. I feel like the direction you're taking the environment now is a whole lot more generic and boring. I understand you've got to compromise for performance reasons, but I think you've lost a lot of the charm of the first few images.

Thanks for the feedback!

Yeah . . . I'm sad the hardware can't keep up with the holographic designs yet! Maybe next year's phones

One of the reasons I changed up the dome environment was it didn't 'feel' very good in VR . . . basically the top of the dome was too far away to look good in 3d VR viewing. By lowering the ceiling and changing the shell to a cylinder, I could keep the environment clear for the gameplay and move the geometric details closer to the player... It's a bit of a trade off but trust me, it looks awesome in VR.

I may try bringing some of the cooler elements back in from the first draft though. 

For gameplay: I needed to keep the area around the player clear as well, and if I bring the ceiling of the dome lower, the walls start eroding valuable real-estate for gameplay.



Here's with the triangular texture added back in: I'm kind of digging it . . . so it may go back in  

indierocktopus

:: Quick 3d 'sketch' in unity of the second environment

indierocktopus

Okay: New iteration!

:: Adjusted materials and built in wall panels
I also did a rough block-in of the enemy drone

dzibarik

I like where it's going. What do you have in mind for gameplay?

indierocktopus

dzibarik said:

I like where it's going. What do you have in mind for gameplay?

The gameplay will be like Duckhunt meets Starship troopers in VR :
I'll post a video once the team is ready to show it off

indierocktopus

I redesigned the "mechanical shell" around the platform to be lower poly and to use up less floor space.
Now the panels lower straight down into the floor. This clears up more space for the gameplay than the previous version
here's some shots of the latest: