Monday, 12 March 2012

BA3: Digital Modeling


Here We Go Again!
Okay so I am now in the beginning stages of my new university project at NUCA. This is the first of our briefs for this term and we will be “[Learning the] processes and theories required to scratch-build models alongside cutting edge techniques in re-topology & non-destructive pipelines. As part of this unit you will create diagrammatical drawings to reinforce comprehension of technical processes/terminology, disseminating information to a captive audience via your blog. These examples in 'visual programming' will help organize workflow and presentation of complex concepts to audiences of varying awareness.”. In other words, we are going to be building a window /door, from scratch, being heavily influenced from a game style we like and have chosen.
I am really excited for this project! After our briefing today we were given a task to start off this project.  This task was to go and find a game we loved and research it’s architectural style.

The main element to consider with this task is that, if my assumption if correct, we must stick with this game for the project as it is what our final creation must appear to “slot into” gameplay wise. For example, if I chose the game Dark Souls then my work must reflect the aesthetic style of this game so that my finished product (door/window) could seamlessly fit into the game and not look out of place. 

We must then design and produce a series of orthographic drawings of a door/window that we feel would fit into the game we have chosen. 

Possible Games…
Okay so the first thing I did when I got home fresh from the briefing was to check out my game collection. We were told to consider the aesthetics of the game and that our work must reflect it. Many of us suggested Minecraft as, well, how easy would it be to create a doorway/window in that style eh!? This was a comment made after being shown an example from Sonic the Hedgehog (2D of course) and told that we could chose a game such as Sonic but our work would need to reflect it. Here comes an influx of 2D box drawings huh! 

Red Dead Redemption
The first game that I was drawn to was Red Dead Redemption. This is easily one of, if not THE best looking games I have ever seen running on my PS3. Architecturally it’s stunning, the western era makes the game with its big and small towns, abandoned shacks and an assortment of other architectural designs.    

Most of the game's story takes place in the year 1911, during the decline of the American Old West. The game follows John Marston, a former outlaw, while he sets out to hunt down his former gang members. Marston's wife and son are taken hostage by the government in ransom for his services as a bounty hunter. Having no other choice, he sets out to bring his three former gang members to justice. – Red Dead Redemption, Wikipedia. 















Red Dead Redemption covers two fictitious counties and a state: New Austin, West Elizabeth, and Nuevo Paraiso. New Austin and West Elizabeth are adjacent to each other and share a border with Mexico. Nuevo Paraiso is a Mexican state, separated from US territory by the San Luis river, which forms the border. The game takes place in 1911, featuring the decline of the Wild West and the cowboy and outlaw archetypes that shaped it. The landscape of the Wild West is beginning to fade and modern technologies are beginning to appear, like automobiles, machine guns, oil drilling projects, and the rumoured airplanes. – Red Dead Redemption, Wikipedia.




 
God of War III…
The next game I picked as a possible choice was God of War III. Another stunning game with incredibly beautiful and striking concept art/style.  I am struggling to find environment concept art right now for this game that focuses specifically around doors and windows, a lot of it is mainly character based but I find it still shows off the style of the game.







God of War III is an action-adventure video game released (as the fifth God of War game) by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010. Based on Greek mythology, the game focuses on protagonist Kratos, and forms part of a saga (the sixth chapter in the God of War series) with vengeance as a central theme. Kratos and his initial allies, the Titans, storm Mount Olympus in an attempt to kill Zeus and the Olympian Gods. God of War III, Wikipedia.








 
Dark Souls…
This was a tricky one to chose because I haven’t completed the game (YET!). All I know is that in the 5 or so hours I have put into this game, the style, aesthetics and feelings of this game are truly astonishing.  The environments add to the games ability to crush your emotions into a pulp and turn you into an emotional wreck. Now, I know this isn’t JUST from the architecture and that obviously a lot more goes into the game but, having looked through the Dark Souls art book that I got, I can only say good things about the style. 









All the images that I have put on display are owned by various artists, they are NOT mine. I have simply found them through various search engines over the internet. 

To Sum Up…
These 3 games I have chosen (Red Dead Redemption, God of War and Dark Souls) are all stunning. The architecture in each of the games is stunning and fits in so well with the game and story. I’m finding it tough to decide which one I want to use for my project. My plan is to try and start working on some rough concepts tomorrow,  maybe from 2 of the 3 games, and then finalise my ideas and pick the chosen game.
Here are the key elements from each game to consider when trying to design a door/window to in keep with the style and feel of the game. 

Red Dead Redemption:
- Western theme.
- Warm tonnes (other than the snowy mountainous areas which would have cooler tones).
- Mainly wooden materials, lots of planks and separate sections and areas.
- Saloon, sand, dust, heat.

God of War III:
- Greek mythology.
- Crumbling ruins and shiny, rich cultural architecture.
- Rich, deep colours.
-Intricate details. 
 
Dark Souls:
- Claustrophobic atmosphere.
- Intricate details.
-Not overloads of colour.
- Dark tones.

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