PALMEIA
HUB DESIGN (3 WEEKS HALF TIME)
ABOUT
THE ASSIGNMENT WAS TO CREATE THREE SEPARATE INTERCONNECTED FLOATING ISLANDS. I DECIDED TO CREATE A HUB-AREA SINCE I FELT THAT FIT THE THEME AND WAS DOABLE WITHIN THE TIME FRAME.
PROJECT DETAILS
- CREATED IN THREE WEEKS HALF TIME
- ASSIGNMENT: CREATE 3 INTERCONNECTED FLOATING ISLANDS.
- PRODUCTION SEPARATED INTO THREE SPRINTS;
BLOCKOUT, WHITEBOX AND GOLD - USING UNREAL ENGINE 4.23
PRE-PRODUCTION AND PLANNING
PERSPECTIVE SKETCH OVER THE MAIN SETTLEMENT ISLAND
THE WORLD OF PALMEIA HAVE FALLEN.
THE NEAR-COLLISION BETWEEN PALMEIA AND IT'S MOON KARAAK IV CAUSED MASSIVE MAGNETIC DISTURBANSES. THE SHIFT CREATED POCKETS OF UNSTABLE GRAVITY - TEARING ENTIRE MOUNTAINS ASUNDER AND LEAVING HUGE CHUNKS OF LAND SUSPENDED MID-AIR.
THE UPHEAVAL ALSO STIRRED UP HAZARDOUS PARTICLES FROM THE BEDROCK WHICH POLLUTED THE AIR, LEAVING VAST SWATHES OF LAND COMPLETELY WITHOUT OXYGEN. THE FEW SURVIORS OF THE COLLAPSE WERE FORCED TO SETTLE TOGETHER AT WHAT WOULD BE KNOWN AS SANCTUARIES. BUT THE EVENT THREW PALMEIA OFF IT'S ORBIT AROUND THE TWIN MOTHERS, AND IT IS NOW SLOWLY DRIFTING INTO THE DARK.
I CREATED A BRIEF BACKSTORY TO EXPLAIN THE REASON BEHIND THE FLOATING ISLANDS WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY SKETCHES AND THE ROUGH BLOCKOUT PASS.
BLOCKOUT TO WHITEBOX
WHEN THE BLOCKOUT WAS FINISHED, I STARTED ITERATING ON THE ISLANDS TO IMRPOVE FLOW AND SIGHTLINES/VISTAS.
HOWEVER, DURING THIS PROCESS I DECIDED TO HASTILY APPLY SOME MATERIALS TO SOME MESHES WHICH RESULTED IN A HUGE DOWNGRADE IN READABILITY.
FIRST BLOCKOUT OF THE SETTLEMENT ISLAND
BLOCKOUT OF THE BARRACKS
WHITEBOX OF THE SETTLEMENT ISLAND
(HARD TO READ) WHITEBOX OF THE BARRACKS
THIS MESS WAS REDUCED IN THE LAST SPRINT WHERE WE WERE MEANT TO FOCUS ON ONE ISLAND AND TAKE THAT (VISUALLY) AS CLOSE TO "GOLD" AS POSSIBLE.
I AM GLAD THAT MADE THE MISTAKE THOUGH, AS IT TAUGHT ME TO IMPROVE MY PLANNING FOR FUTURE ASSIGNMENTS AND AVOID MESSY SCENES AND LEVELS.
GOING GOLD
THE HUB CONSISTED OF THREE LARGE ISLANDS, AND TWO SMALLER "STEPPING STONES": THE SETTLEMENT, THE BARRACKS, AND THE OLD OBSERVATORY. I DECIDED TO FOCUS ON THE SETTLEMENT, SINCE THAT WAS THE FIRST ISLAND I PUT ON PAPER.
THE OTHER ISLANDS NEEDED MORE ITERATION.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
AS THIS WAS AN EARLY ASSIGNMENT AT TGA I LEARNED QUITE A LOT. MOSTLY ABOUT PLANNING AND KEEPING BLOCKOUTS SIMPLE AND CLEAN, BUT DURING FEEDBACKING AND ITERATIONS I ALSO GOT A BETTER FEEL AND UNDERSTANDING FOR PLAYER FLOW AND SIGHTLINES IN A HUB ENVIRONMENT.