Models!

Here are screenshots of the two models I built from my previous concepts. I’ll post a blog soon with screenshots of my processes, watch this space!

Concepts

 

I have no idea if it’s worth putting the dozens of rubbish concepts it took to get to this stage up on here, please let me know if it’s worth it. For now, here are the best of a bad bunch! I have chosen my faves though, I am going to have a go at modelling the top right hand side folly (I like the vegetation and simple design).

My fave here is the bottom left hand side arch. It has the right amount of detail not to look boring but still fits in with the level style. It looks pretty good tiled, too.

White box 2.0

Here’s the most recent white box. It still needs tweaking, but before I do I want to get some assets in there and rearrange the level from there. The assets you see are just temp ones to give it a look, next up I plan to concept two of the main assets I’ll be using, the arches and main folly. Once those are modelled and placed I can tweak the rest around it and start modelling some plants! I also need to get some textures down soon. I’ve made a few already, they just need placing.

Plan 2.0

Ok, so following on from looking at those GOW images I feel like I want to add some more secrecy to my level, there needs to be a tad more places to explore. After trying to concept the broken down area that I originally planned to have the player end in, it really doesn’t fit in with the rest of the garden. When I tried to concept it with the other areas in mind, every drawing just ended in frustration. So that’s scrapped.

In the main area, I want the primary colour to be blue, which will be helped by the fog. This area has hardly changed from the first plan, I’ve added arches either side of the main part (thanks GOW) this adds interest to the left hand side of the level, as previously there was no reason for the player to explore those areas. The archways will be covered, which creates a little nook next to the pond I can perhaps slip an easter egg in. The roof over this arched area I want to have grated skylights in to add lighting interest and create more atmosphere. If I leave them covered fully my main light source (the Sun) will create very deep, unmanageable shadows in half my level.

The central area I have lengthened to fit a bigger folly in. The main area will be divided in to two parts. The dotted line in the image refers to a locked gate/fence (see blue area on pic for visual refs) which will mean the player can’t freely explore the garden without finding a way through. This means I can add a medium sized room on the right, which will add to the ‘secrete garden’ feel of my level. To contrast the blue main area I want this room to feel green.. if that’s possible? I plan to use easily cloned planting (to cut down on manufacture time) such as ferns and assets previously used in my level. I love the idea of this room to hold some small statues, like the green man (ever since I started this project I was determined to slip the cheeky dude in somewhere) and some mossy characters like this:

        

These should be easy to model and can be used in other areas between planting. The use of ferns in this area will give a good contrast (that word again) to the main area which will be primarily ivy, lotus, rose, grapevine and hedgerows. I want the smaller area to feel almost muggy..

Re-think

I had a few pictures shown to me recently that has made me want to re-tweak my level. These are from GOW:

These are pretty amazing levels. I particularly love the use of modular assets and vegetation. Although I really love the lighting in these, the atmosphere isn’t the one I’m going for, I want my tones to be a lot cooler than this, I want the place to feel a little more hostile at first. I do however, love the architecture.. particularly the arches and the different central folly’s. time to re-look at my level design.

Atmosphere..

I’ve been spending some time thinking about how I want the player to feel whilst perusing my level. Curiosity and suspense were the first things that came to mind. When I use the word suspense I don’t mean like the sort of terrifying stomach clenching you get in horror games. I want the player to feel like they don’t know what they are going to see next, I want the level to feel like it is walking the line between reality and magic, a little like the feel you get when watching the secret garden.

When I was a child I always thought that film was about magic, but I re-watched it a few weeks ago and I was mistaken. I always feel a little scared when she enters the garden at first.. Who knows what could be hiding through that hedge. After a while though, once she’s explored, I felt almost fond of the place, like it’s a safe curiosity.

In order to successfully recreate this feeling, I think I plan to make the time of day at some time in the morning. I can imagine the vegetation being dewy and there being a patch of fog settled on the garden. Here are some internet gems that kind of visualise the feel I’m going for:

 

 

 

Ooh, mysterious!

White Box

                                        

                                              

Here are some screen shots of the white box I’ve been working on. Pretty pleased with how it’s going so far!

Catch Up

Update time!

After fiddling around with my white boxes I found myself loosing interest in the process. I kept recreating the same white box over and over again which just seemed like a waste of time. In an attempt to force myself to be more creative and adventurous I decided to get physically drawing some floor plans. I started off ultra rough in a sketchbook (I prefer drawing with a pencil at first). These drawings I’m yet to scan in and I’m not even sure I’ll bother.. they really are just brain farts. I then used the design I liked the most and expanded on it using Photoshop (see results above). My final plan needs some explaining, so I made a pretty picture to help you visualise it:

I feel like this set up incorporates the elements I love from Hestercombe but makes it my own. When doing my initial white box I felt myself just reverting back to recreating the original garden, which although beautiful just wouldn't work that well in game. The point of interest in the actual garden is the beautiful meadows you can see from the top of the garden, these I would be unable to recreate within the time limit. Because of this, the whole gardens set up was to urge the visitor to climb higher (via steps and different levels of garden) so that they eventually reach their destination and are rewarded with the beautiful view! In my level I feel the need to create motivation in another way as I have no view to provide.

To do this I have provided barriers and enticing view points to cajole the player to move further into the level and follow the path I’ve set out for them. Creating blockages and puzzles creates an interesting level. I decided to start the player at the bottom of a slanting hill surrounded by rocks and vegetation, you will be able to see a door at the top of this pathway, which will be the entrance to the garden. This adds mystery as soon as the player is spawned and I this the fact you can’t see the whole level from the outset sparks interest.

This system is set throughout the level, the player is perhaps able to see their destination through a framed window, but has to explore ways to reach it.

At the end the player is led in to an area of the garden that has been completely abandoned (as opposed to the ‘over grown but still tended to’ feel I intend for the rest of the garden) this will be slightly grander than the rest, I like the idea of having mossy pillars and overgrown arches surrounding the area that could perhaps (in game) be part of the main story line.

Next up is my white boxing!