BEAT-EM-UP | Vrav

Vrav

Stuff I want to do if I go with a shiny, next-gen-y setting (ie, a spaceship):

• Possible engines: UDK, BGE (would prefer)
• Get full dynamic shadows working (any engine suggestions?)
• Plenty of breakable junk for makeshift weapons, other interactive level bits
• Nice modular level design, allowing for expansion if need be
• Make some nice particle effects for atmospheric ambience
• Create a soundscape to compliment the level as well
• Actually complete the freaking challenge

Stuff I want to do if I go with a diffuse-only, painted style (ie, a colourful forest):

• Possible engines: Unity, BGE (also prefer)
• Gradient map style tinting of textures for visual variance
• Implement some sort of outline shader, as in Borderlands
• Extreme polygon and texture efficiency, utilizing whatever tricks
• Some sort of ambient animation to make the level feel alive, vertex shader
• Maintain a consistently distinct cartoony visual style throughout the entire project

:blank::blank::blank::blank::blank::blank:—————

Did a small drawing, not sure if this is at all what I want. Pretty unoriginal setting, just the first thing scribbled. The scale of everything is totally off and the room layout could be way cooler, but yeah, wanted to include an image while the thread remains placeholder.



If I do go with such a spaceship level, I'd like it to look pretty run down, like a junk heap, overrun with space bandits or something, rusted and in disrepair. Like EVE ships or something. Shoddy turrets mounted where telescopes used to be, etc.

Vrav

New challenge: actually try to conceive a visual style before deciding on setting/theme!
I have yet to really sift through inspiration/references, so here's just more generic scribbling.



For what it's worth I do kind of like the one three over, second row.

Vrav

I was walking around outside and realized the gloomy weather of the changing season brings back memories of childhood: riding home late in a dark, empty school bus, soggy leaves and wet shoes, staying out 'til dark in the nearby schoolgrounds, broken black umbrellas and the old chain swings singing an eerie, screeching chorus in the chill of evening's breeze... and all that other poetic crap which only exists in memory that I'd rather try to capture in the atmosphere of a level than continue to explain.

I'd like to have a gloomy, autumn street / parkinglot / schoolground level with some dynamic control over mood and lighting, allowing a weather cycle to fade in and out, possibly depending on the location of the player. Enemies in a level like this would be ICO-style shadow monsters or whatever other surreal crap that could spring up out of the environment itself. Would be cool to have parts where the sunlight / sunset could break through dynamically, depending on the player's surreal-beast-ass-kicking abilities.

Focus would be on the level, of course, but that degree of atmospheric control would be awesome. Not sure how else to describe the scene / theme without doing some concepts, beyond "the smell of rain" and "chilly, gloomy sunset as you are on your way home."

House I grew up in got bulldozed for the school to rebuild just as I was going into 8th grade, had to move and move and make new friends &c, so that whole area from my childhood remains a pretty rich source of slightly surreal, personal inspiration.

I also think I might incorporate a dose of this:

NathanA

Sounds tripy, should be cool.
Don't get stuck too much with the effects and enemies though since it is an environment challenge

I cant remember what that picture is from but I know I had that book as a kid

Kaneth

Full dynamic shadows are possible in UDK and CryEngine I think and probably more engines

Someone correct me if I'm wrong

Zipfinator

NathanA wrote: »

I cant remember what that picture is from but I know I had that book as a kid

Anyway sounds interesting! Looking forward to seeing some more progress on this.

Vrav

Very rough blockout, expect lecture on having made the level way too huge for the specs, but I'll figure it out. Whether I only wind up only finishing the cool parts or somehow manage to fit it all, guess we'll see.

Since it's divided up into ten general locations (think areas that end with the arrow pointing to "go"), I can do localized concepting / layouts, rather than trying to tackle the whole thing at once. That way if I want to just make one or two into a tight diorama, I can do that.

Vrav

Preliminary look at what the lighting in the garage (G) might look like. Very messy/bland image, but at least it sort of... plants the idea. Gloomy/shadowy with rain in the foreground and back, reflective waxed concrete on the right shining moonlight back up at the player. Convenient camera tilt so as to get nice shadows + reflection. Probably be disqualified for making more of a side-scrolling DMC-type level than a classic, linear beat-em-up... but it's a challenge, and that's what I want.



edit: my main thing for this challenge is to make some really basic levels geometry/texture wise and focus on getting the atmospherics / lighting how I want. Rather than doing a super detailed environment, I want to maximize expressiveness through lighting and effects.

Vrav

Sorry to keep posting crap but it's always cool when you nail the tiling on a pattern. 128px, should work well enough.



Intend to have more than an endless sea of chain link fencing soon...