Beetle Concepts!

Here are some designs of beetles. These of course would be relatively small in the level, compared to other assets, but I definitely want them to be bigger than normal beetles on Earth. Wondering if I should create any water based creatures, but they would only exist in small ponds in the level. Its something to consider anyway.

Some revising and rethinking...

After the presentation last Friday, it is now decided that I will go with the alien jungle idea. So far, I have been really enthusiastic for both ideas, but obviously I could only do one. So during the presentation, I stated that I could go either way with them. There’s good and bad points for each project. But one of the fundamental things with the alien jungle was that I believe I would have more fun doing that project. Both are environment based project, which is what I would prefer to specialise in, but also creature design, which I would be able to get my teeth into more with the alien jungle project than with Warwick. So with some encouragement from Mike, “alien jungle lives, Warwick dies” I will now be doing some concepts for the jungle.

I’ve found that it’s a relief that I can concentrate on the one idea now, it’s easier to think about it now that I have made my mind up between them. Honestly though, I still like both ideas, so perhaps it’s something I could come back to sometime in the future.

Of course, research for this project will be slightly more difficult, but I know how to approach it. I will be getting some books from the library on plants and animals in the amazon, as well as seeing if there are books on sci-fi creatures. I do remember reading one book a while ago which was all about how animals on Earth would look thousands of years in the future from now, and it had lots of very interesting creatures, all based on the animals that continued to survive long after humans left. I’m pretty sure that there was a TV documentary on this, and the book followed it. I will try to track it down.

Also, I will be getting photos of bugs and plants close up, and I’m considering a trip to the Eden Project, as that would provide me with plenty of references for jungle type plants.

Also need to start outlining specific things to model, setting out a time management plan for the overall project, a brief of course and tri and texture budgets.

So the plan of action is looking as follows:

Research! Need to get photos of plants and animals, look at jungle environments, particularly the Amazon. Visit the Eden Project if possible, or a local tropical garden.
Concepts! Need to draw and paint concepts that will show how the plants and animals look and the concepts should give a good basis for the modelling and texturing process.
Modelling and texturing! Need to make all the plants that will populate the level, create an asset list of everything that will need to be built and write out the brief.
UDK! Create the level! Design a layout, arrange all assets, build up materials and shaders, add post process effects, sounds and kismet sequences.
Also, rig and animate any creatures that need to be moving in the level.

Concept Drawing

A drawing for the Warwick Castle idea. Self crit: The clouds are too dark, there would need to be more rubble so account for the damage created. Maybe have some damaged trees? I'm not sure on the hill and moat idea, that was just an addition for the landscape, perhaps the hill could be bigger? Rubble from the walls could be cascading down the hill into the moat, perhaps making a way across. I like the rough shape of the rocks and the way the castle is torn apart. Overall, I think this is a good starting point.

Rocky rocks!

 

Looking at different rock formations. Fault lines can cause odd protrusions, but also different types of rack, with the harder sorts not being weathered as much and therefore left sticking up. I will need to look at the type of rock that would fit in the area of the castle and make sure it looks correct for the type.

Alien Jungle Mood Boards

 I've been looking at different creatures from the Amazon. Most are very colourful, so this is something to pay attention to for the creatures in my jungle.

 The plants are also strange, some of these are not from the Amazon, but are just strange looking in general. My the alien jungle, I would have to make the plants even stranger. I'm thinking blue moss as well...

Here are some other strange creatures, also inspiration for creatures that would exist in my scene. Also two screenshots from the film The Dark Crystal, as there were some really interesting environments and animals in that film.

Photos of Warwick Castle

First Ideas

So I have two ideas for my final major project.

I will describe the first:
I would like this to be based loosely on Warwick Castle, I have had this idea for a while so it is more developed than the second one. The story goes that there is an abandoned castle, in ruins due to an event long ago. Once, this castle was full of like and the small kingdom was thriving. Until one day, while they were building more lower levels for extra storage, a man discovers a chest, and inside it contained a silver goblet. It was cleaned and presented to the king, little did they know that the goblet was cursed. When the king drank from the goblet one night at a celebratory banquet, suddenly tremors shook the castle, parts of the structure collapsed completely, the earthquake caused giant tooths of jagged rock to shoot from the ground from fissures, ripping the center of the castle apart. Many died, and the few survivors fled the kingdom never to return, believing the land to be permanently cursed.
And so, 200 years later, you are here to discover the truth, to explore the castle ruins and perhaps even find the legendary silver goblet.

This would be an adventure or action/adventure style of game, for PC. Focus will be on getting the environment to look natural and interesting. I want to show the detail of the damage to the original castle structure and how it was effected my the rock protrusions. I would have a few different areas to allow the player to explore in and around the castle, possibly including an underground part.

My second idea is less developed but explores a different direction for the project.
An environment on another planet. Based on the Amazon rainforest and other tropical jungle types of environments. There would be many strange and interesting plants and animals. It is a research trip, based in the future, and environmentalists are here to study and record they findings on this new planet. There would be a few research tents and facilities scattered within the jungle.

I would focus on creating small details, I could spend a lot of time making the environment look believable, having lots of small creatures and bugs, and unique plant life. 

I will be putting together some mood boards and some concepts for both of these ideas to present them.