[UE4] WW1 Environment - Finished

Auldbenkenobi

Update: 03/03/2020

It's finally finished! Thanks a bunch to all who provided feed back to me. Really happy with how this ended up! There's a progress gif on the ArtStation page if you're interested!



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Hey Polycount,

I've been working on this environment for a few months; in spare time between work and weekends; after playing a LOT of Battlefield 1, and I feel I'm reaching a stage where some feedback wouldn't go amiss. I'm happy with the progress I'm making but I'm still not 100% on my composition and whether it's working or not, among other things. I'm planning on using some vertex blending to break up a few of the repeating textures along with decals but I really want to nail the foundation stuff before moving onto hero assets and detailing.

Thanks

Auldbenkenobi

Update: 



Moving onto detail assets now and aiming to wrap it all up in the next week or so. Feedback, as always, is much appreciated

Lucas Annunziata

Your current lighting is really flattening out the whole scene. Try to get some cool lighting in there for some contrast? The overall composition is all over the place. Youve got these hotspots of lighting but the perspecting is drawing the eye down the trench.

Auldbenkenobi

Thanks for the feedback Lucas! I wonder if my Post Process is maybe flattening it out too much? I'll try messing with some values and get some cooler areas in there.

As for composition, do you have any suggestions? I've been so focused on the technical side of things, I really haven't paid a lot of attention to it and just kind of made it up as I went along. Lesson learnt to put more time into planning at the beginning

Dreyzie

I agree with Lucas. I think your post processing is too strong and is making the whole scene look flat. Maybe try bringing up the saturation a bit? I know a war torn trench would be very brown and desaturated, but I think bringing back the colors in the corrugated metal would help make it pop and look more interesting. I also think the fog is a little too strong. I liked in the original screenshot how you could see the trench curve upward and lead out above ground. But with the heavy fog you can't see that. As for composition, the foreground feels a little cluttered in my opinion. You can use the wooden paths as leading lines down the trench to an objective. Maybe a flag that a player would have to capture if this was a map in Battlefield. You want that flag to be the very first thing they notice when they turn the corner into this trench. You could have some lights pointing toward and highlighting the flag. I'm not sure if they had those big spotlights back in World War 1, but if they did those would be a great way to signal the player toward the flag.

With that aside, I'm really liking the scene overall. The assets look high quality and well made. I'm especially liking the sandbags and barbed wire. They look really sweet. The observation balloon in the background is a nice touch as well!

Auldbenkenobi

Thanks Dreyzie! Awesome ideas, I'll be sure to implement them and post an update soon! 

I"ve been considering making something like an "objective" to draw the eye, so I think I'm going to mess with some of the props and construct something more coherent.

Thanks again!

Auldbenkenobi

So, following feedback, I decided to essentially go back to the drawing board and rework the composition entirely. As per Chris' suggestion, I tried to envision the scene as an ingame location so have to tried to indicate a clear goal, with obvious paths toward it. I'm still constructing the space and finding nice angles but I'd love some feedback on where I'm at now. I'm sorely tempted to remove the entire Fortress aspect all together and make it just a generic trench scene but I'm still not sold on the idea and would like to see I far I can take it as it is currently.



I've also played with the lighting and post processing to bring out the shapes more and add more depth.I kind of feel I was successful in it 

OscarEsteban5

I think the composition and lighting are looking better than before.

Personally, one thing that takes me a little bit out of the environment is the fortress shape (maybe you have changes in mind for it). Talking about a war environment, I think a little bit of destruction and irregular shapes could give the scene a little bit more perspective on what is happening.

However, you are doing a great job and I am interested in the final look of the environment   

Auldbenkenobi

Thanks Oscar, that's definitely a good idea, and something I'll try. Breaking up the shape of the fortress may help a lot

Dreyzie

I'm really liking that new trench view. The high walls and barbed wire at the top create a sense of claustrophobia. Which is a good thing in this context. I think that could be your hero shot for the scene. The post processing is much better now as well. It feels closer to the look of Battlefield 1. Keep up the good work. I'm enjoying the progress.

Auldbenkenobi

Thanks guys I'm going to keep experimenting, and I agree with you, I really like the down the trench shot, so i'm going to try and incorporate more of that into it somehow.

Auldbenkenobi

Just some more progress this evening. Feeling much happier with it over all at this point. Think it's time for me to start making the final detail props and wrapping this up.

xx1ahydra1xx

I would recommend watching the 1917 movie if you have not done so. There are lot of interesting objects and scenes that may inspire you further.

Auldbenkenobi

I've seen it! And I loved it! I've been hunting screenshots to put on my reference sheet

Auldbenkenobi

Update! NEARLY finished. Just some tiny, tiny, clean up and polish to do and it's done. I'm kind of proud of how far this has come:

Auldbenkenobi

Can anyone shed some light on my why my lightbake is suddenly doing this? It was working fine before:

Auldbenkenobi

It's finally finished! Thanks a bunch to all who provided feed back to me. Really happy with how this ended up! There's a progress gif on the ArtStation page if you're interested!