"Feedstock" CTF - UDK Environment Study

[Neolight]

Hey everyone,

I'm a junior animation student at NYU, and I hope to become an environment artist in the game development industry one day - an aspiration I think everyone here shares. (which is awesome)

This semester I've decided to run the gauntlet and commit myself to an independent study in UDK. This means I have four months to build a small UDK level from concept to completion around a simple first-person shooter game mechanic (Capture the flag, DeathMatch).

I have decided that the aesthetics of the level must adhere to a vibrant and stylized
art direction (Ratchet and Clank, World of Warcraft, etc) and have some narrative purpose. It also must provide organic and hard surface modeling challenges.

http://www.ryansgoblog.com/images/ratchet_and_clank_future_tools_of_destruction.jpg

I hope I can chronicle my progress here in hopes of getting some good feedback and sharing some of my own ideas in the form of just posting work. This site is definitely the the resource I've been searching for so far: so let's do it.

[Neolight]

Flavor Text

Mission Name: Feedstock

Time: 13:00

Climate: 78 degrees, Humid, Thunderstorms expected

Backstory: The fertile swamp planet Veritas is home to hundreds of collosal life forms. The preservation of it's intricate ecosystem has been
enforced by intergalactic law and left undistrubed for billions of years... Untill recently.

Two rival mega-corporations, Iron Helix Co. and Xade Industries have found a "large plant-animal-thing" that yields a highly valuable acidic ichor.
Espionage and corproate war ensues on-site amidst sensitive equipment and a giant ticked off vegetable.

Iron Helix Co.: Specializes in the manufacturing of DNA computers and modifiable household pets. The company has been accused of developing slave species for dangerous third-galaxy contractors.

Xade Industries: A household name on many civilized worlds. Xade industries makes everything from appliances, to warp drives, to weapons.

Plant Organism: A spire of organic mass rooted miles deep into the planet's surface. Hundreds of such organisms exist on planet Veritas, and are
homes to many lesser lifeforms that work to preserve these celestial plants... if you could call them that.

The objective:
As an enlisted mercenary for either corporation, you must do whatever you can to thwart your opponents operations while defending your own. Steal generator cells from the opponents Refinery control center and install them into your factory's core. Be warned: the power boost could cause
temporary hazards on the work site.

Concept Art

Current layout Iterations:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-3/679183/2010-262-22-26-5-1-Levellayoutiteration1.jpg

Environment Thumbnails:

Flora:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-3/679183/2010-262-4-40-11-1-FaunaThumbs2.jpg

Refinery Control Centers:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-3/679183/2010-246-19-2-47-1-buildingz2.jpg

[Endzeit]

Omg those sketches look awesome dude!
I like that style and i think this will fit together in the end ;)

[ZensDeath]

Great start to a project Neolight. I can't wait to see where this goes, 4 months is plenty of time to make a very polished map. I did have a few questions/suggestions:
How large is the map going to be? How many people would you like to be playing at the same time? Big enough for vehicles?

Also you had some questions on the top of your concept art: "Sealed in by Canyon wall, dense forest, is there water?" If I were you I would just stick with what you put on the backstory: "The fertile swamp planet Veritas is home to hundreds of collosal life forms." Put it in a swamp. Besides I think some of that flora that you created would look great in a low water environment.

As for walling off your beautiful world in a canyon or behind a bunch of trees would be a waste I think. Think of it: Standing atop an Iron Helix helopad, staring out across the lush swamps of Veritas with numerous plant-spires in the distance, reaching towards the heavens. Hell, I would probably get shot enjoying the view.

The last thing I was thinking was that I wouldn't try to mesh these two environments together, the natural and the industrial. I would try to make it more obvious that the land is getting 'raped' by these big industries. They don't care about the environment they are just there for the money and trying to get it the quickest and easiest way possible.

[Neolight]

Thanks a lot for the awesome feedback.

I dont think the map is going to be terribly big. Probably large enough for a 6 vs 6. Nothing that would require a vehicle unless it's some sort of small hovering flyer. Any bigger than that, and I'll start getting scared.

The clash between Tech and Nature is definitely a theme that's going to be driving a bunch of subtle story points - whether it's plant roots firmly crushing and twisting platform walkways or giant pieces of fruit cut down and dissected by once-curious workmen.

I hear you on the canyon, the top portion of the map I've decided is going to be walled in, but the bottom areas can be pretty much open. The important thing for me is maintaining a certain sense of extreme verticality- the likes of which I've seen in many halo maps. (lockout etc.) Fighting on the upper stalks of a giant plant that's trying to tear off the scaffolding that your running on seems like a pretty exciting direction to me.

More concept art from this week, though most of it's really been jamed into a dirty sketchbook. This stuff might seem a little vague at first, as i'm holding myself back from painting any beauty shots until the map is blocked into scale in UDK.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-3/679183/2010-269-14-10-40-1-hardsurface%20thumbs.jpg

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-3/679183/2010-266-2-41-12-1-Levelcomp-giantplant.jpg

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-3/679183/2010-263-23-23-27-1-Levelcomp-basecamp.jpg

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-3/679183/2010-265-0-57-41-1-Levelcomp-sidecamp.jpg

I've also got something of a 3D block in in maya i've been shifting around and I think it's really become a pretty nice prototype of what i'm trying to do. There have been alot of awesome compositional accidents that it's generated that's really solidified the concept of the level.

I'll post those screens at some point today, and hopefully a painted layout of the map as well as some refined concepts for the buildings.

I think by next weekend I should try to have a blocked in UDK level to paint over.

[Nexusdog]

This is amazing work, your sketches alone are outstanding. My only concern is the issue with the vertical enclosure. Perhaps as your project evolves it will become more obvious and I really hope so, but it's not translating well for me at the moment.

Either way, I'm looking forward to this project in the future, it's looking good, very good.

[zim*]

I can't wait to see more for this project, it's looking fantastic. Your sketches alone are incredibly inspiring.

[Neolight]

New York comic con was in town this weekend, so I took some time away from Feedstock to refurbish my portfolio. Unfortunately it was a gigantic waste of time since there were hardly any art directors around this year. But I did manage to meet two awesome conceptart dudes.

In the way of updates, here is an illustrated Xade and Iron Helix spawn base, a map layout sketch to be finished along with the project and my rough grayblock in UDK.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-3/679183/2010-281-2-50-24-1-gtdrj.jpg

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-3/679183/2010-270-0-0-11-1-levellayoutRENDER3.jpg

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-3/679183/2010-285-13-15-51-1-refdsgafg.jpg

[Neolight]

Hey dudes, It's been a while!

I had to take a hiatus from this project and do some work on another game for a different class.

It's kind of an arcadey space flight challenge in the Unity engine, and I was the only artist on the team.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/portfolio/screen12.jpg

I figured it was worth it to get out of the way.

Now it's high time for a UDK Update

The professor that's grading the project has allowed me to cut the assignment in half, and simply create the two spawn areas in UDK. Problem is, it's due in a week and I'm going to have to KILL myself to make it happen in between exams and stuff.

I'm gonna do it though.

The personal due date for this map is probably some time in January.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/efaefewfe.png

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/udk/Untitled-1.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/udk/helixtexturing1.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/udk/ironhelixblcokinpaintover.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/udk/process3.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/udk/xadeblockinpaintover.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/udk/process1.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/udk/process2.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/xadewire.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/awefwe.jpg

[keithgarry]

You win, I give up.

[Qmaster]

!!!

[rambooze]

Yeah I give up too :)

[Oilcake]

Lol! This looks very, very nice! Can't wait to see the finished product! :D

[Qmaster]

What's up with all the giving up?

[Neolight]

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/udk/aewfew.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/whatever.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/ewfawefew.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/udk/whatever.jpg

[Oilcake]

Very, very nice! 8-)

[Neolight]

time to get some flora in here

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/grassz.jpg

[rambooze]

Great job. But I think the flora is too similar or it's just a draft?

[Nexusdog]

Hmm.... fluorescent pink weeds. Not working for me in their current form. I can see what I think are cactus type growths as well. What was it you did, as the definition and detail are lot less than previous work. They look like sprites, is that what you've created?

Bit of a let down, sorry mate.

[WarrenM]

I'm going to disagree on the color and say that brightly colored flowers might really work well in this stylized environment! I guess it depends on what they end up being...

[Warden]

I think the plant style and color choice could work, just not in it's current form. It does look like they are 2D sprites rather than full 3D models which makes them stand out in your otherwise beautiful environment. I would create a model if I where you.

Plants that have tentacle-like qualities usually are made up of two colors, made up of a darker middle and a lighter edge. This is because the "guts" of the plant and situated in the middle making it thicker, the edges let more light through making them look lighter. You have a higher learning of the engine than I do, but most will require you to fake that effect.

http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/176/cache/sea-anemone05-tube-tentacles_17646_600x450.jpg

I would personally love to see a plant resembling this except with a pink middle and a lighter yellow around the edges to offset the pink. You can sort of see that some of the tentacles are green, this would help make the plant blend with the grass better. Also, faking a shadow at the bottom of your plant models help them blend into your terrain when they clash as much as pink and green do.

[Neolight]

Good crits. I missed them over the past couple of days so now i'm gonna go back and retweak the flora.
The last post was a test to see if I could use the particle system in unreal as a replacement for the foliage volumes which no longer exist in the most recent version.

Anyway, here are the recents. I am looking at finishing these exteriors off for good by monday.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/udk/xade4324.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/udk/moar.jpg

[Oilcake]

Looks fantastic! :lol:

[Neolight]

Level designers, I think i've hit my first milestone. It's been a long and crazy battle thusfar, thanks for everyone's support!

PROGRESS VIDEO #1
[youtube:edxuykie]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgIyi9-YgeA[/youtube:edxuykie]

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/024/5/b/ichor_refieneries_udk_by_neolight-d37zjp0.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3225495/udk/New%20folder/Wires.png

[Nexusdog]

Very very cool doesn't cover it.

Incidentally, what music is it you use in the vid, it's kinda catchy.

[Oilcake]

Excellent work, man! So good... :lol:

[Qmaster]

This is the best UDK work I have seen on this site ever!

[keithgarry]

This is the best UDK work I have seen on this site ever!

I agree.