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Honours Project, Dune Weapons

The weapons for the characters were designed based of weapons that would be used in extreme environments and the silhouettes were created first to help the design flow.  

The final design were created from using the silhouettes and then building on top of the silhouettes with texture and photos with layer masks with alot of painting to blend in with the weapons and give them the smuggler/scavengers look.  

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Honours Project, Dune Environment 1

The environment was done using multiple thumbnails then they were narrowed done to these two thumbnails I liked. The idea was to create an open area were the character looks like there going on a long journey in Arrakis.

The finished environment was done in the same process as the rest of the environments by creating a silhouette and then adding textures with brushes and photos.

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Honours Project, All work

These are the main concept sheets of the tasks some of the them don’t have thumbnails or different designs that because they were created in open flow with development work and I felt they did not need it.

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Honours Project, Environment 3

This environment was done with out any thumbnails or sketches it was done within 2 Hours. It came out really good as well so I decided to use it as my one of my main environments. 

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Honours Project, Early Environment Thumbnail Sketches

These are some early sketches I did to generate some ideas for environments. 

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XB3002: FUTURE GAME CONCEPT RESEARCH

The task for future game concept was to create 3 ideas of games based off the DD3000 to solve the issue I was exploring and create a game to could solve it or educate on that issues. The subject I explored was:

“A Comparative Analysis of Using Fossil Fuels Versus Alternate Renewable Energy Sources in Terms of Cost, Pollution and Efficiency.”

Using this title as a guide for what types of games I think might help educate rather than fix. The game ideas I had:

ENERGY TOUCH: Platform_Touch Screen Tablet

The player gets given a fixed amount of money from the start, and the goal is to have the most amount of money and the more money the player has the more points. The whole point of the game is to try out the different ways of creating energy in the cleanest, cost effective and fastest way possible to keep the game high paced. The game will raise awareness and getting the player emerged and thinking about the different ways to save energy in a fast efficient style, because of the fun factor it makes learning about different alternatives to fossil fuels more interesting because there the main purpose in the game.

ENERGY CHANGE: Platform_Board Game

A political based card game were four people play the game, but only one person play the role as the government, there job is to essentially place obstacles like petrol prices have been put up and the other issues and the other players find of solutions. All the issues that get placed on the players are all written down on cards and the player how plays as the government get to choose the issues they want to lay on the other players. The card will have data relating to prices rises and decreases relating to fuel and energy consumption in a city.

The three other players will have solution cards but they will have to choose and work together to find the right solution for the problem. At the end the sheet that has all the answers will let the player know if there chooses were the right ones. The game will show people the right chooses to make when it comes to overcoming issues relating to global warming and alternative fuel solutions.

ECO SIMULATION: Platform_Touch Screen Tablet

The main goal is to be eco-friendly as possible and making money go further and having as much money as possible at the end. The player is controlling a group of characters, they can experience between using non-renewable resources like fossil fuels as well as alternatives like solar panels and electric cars side by side. Through gameplay and progression, they can add solar panels and they can monitor the money and energy use. 

WHAT IDEA I CHOSE:

I decided to go with eco simulation because it seems more interesting because of the multiple was it could be designed and the styles that could be used. The main reasons for not choosing the other ones are the small scale of them I really wanted to create bigger game that could talk about renewable energy and the alternatives with more gameplay to it.

GAME RESEARCH:

The Sims 4:  life simulation video game (2014)

There was one game that I looked at the most because of the isometric simulation design and gameplay elements they shared. The game “sims” allows the player to controls the lives of a person and it allows the player to have multiple choices when it comes to day to day life. My game idea shared that same element and understand what would be the best approach on how to achieve it. (Hawking, 2000)

IP opportunity:

I think “eco simulation” will do very good from the feedback if its used in the right environment. The game will be free to play and it mostly an education tool so if it used in a educational environment like a school it will do well. With the popularity of tablets with kids hopefully it will successfully to helping educate them.

Bibliography:

Hawking, S. (2000). Professor Stephen Hawking's website. Retrieved 9 February, 2009, from http://www.hawking.org.uk/

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XB3002: FUTURE GAME CONCEPT, EARLY HOUSE DESIGNS

These are some early concept designs for the houses for the game. The main idea for the houses are each one is different, that will factor into the different requirements for each house to run effectively in the gameplay. The whole idea is to give each player a new experience when it come to playing the game repeatedly by adding the random picked houses into the gameplay it changes the gameplay element massively.    

The second house is testing the art style and focusing on the ground because its the piece that will be repeated because the main focus is the houses that the player will be interacting will in the gameplay.

The art style might change because of the constants on time on it might not fit the feel on the game but that will be tested throughout the project. but up to now it give the game a unique look. 

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XB3002: FUTURE GAME CONCEPT PROPOSAL

In XB3002 Assignment 1 GAME FUTURES DEFINITION I will produce and develop a creative and forward-thinking game concept into a full game design, in the form of a ‘proof-of concept’ artifact. The Idea of the game is to show the alternatives that are out there for everyday consumers from solar panels and electric cars. The game will show the costs, efficiency in the way that life simulation games show the playable character’s day to day life.

The main focus is showing how the alternatives can be beneficial and also showing the downside (Efficacy) to help show the issues that come along with using alternatives. The aim is to be Eco-friendly as possible and sticking to a fixed amount of money.

The game will target 8+ and older because of the platform which will be on iPads and android tablets so it’s more accessible and it will appeal more to younger people it helps educate a younger audience in school environments. The reason for creating a life simulation type game is to give the player a realistic aspect when using Eco-friendly alternatives and incorporates it into day to day lives through video game play. The game will educate the player about the pro and cons to using alternatives like electric cars, solar panels and other alternatives.

Gameplay

The main goal is to be Eco-friendly as possible and making money go further and having as much money as possible at the end. The player is controlling a group of characters, they can experience between using non-renewable resources like fossil fuels as well as alternatives like solar panels and electric cars side by side. Through game play and progression, they can add solar panels and they can monitor the money and energy use.

Life Simulation Game: The game will be in this format because the whole idea is to create more awareness about fossil fuels and the effects that there having on the environment and the issues it’s causing nature and showing people the other alternatives to using fossil fuels in terms of Money, Energy Consumption and efficiency The gameplay will give the player a more realistic aspect of using eco-friendly alternative in an interactive platform. A way of giving the player experience as well as them learning from the alternatives that is available. The use of resources in the game are measured with the money, energy and efficiency and they all work together with all the other appliances being used in the game.

Isometric Gameplay: The gameplay will view in an isometric angle for the reason of its more controllable and used a lot on life simulation games.

Simple and clean UI Bars that measure money, Energy and Efficiency: The whole gameplay throughout the game will be about keeping an eye on the money, Energy and Efficiency and having the clean and easy to read User Interface will help the player have a more enjoyable experience.

Randomly Generated houses: The house in the game will be randomly generated to give it more of a replay aspect and it gives the player a completely new gameplay experience when played again. Each of the houses will be different sizes so money, Energy and Efficacy will be tested to the limit in a new gameplay experience. The player can choose from a small list of how much they want to use but that will determine the size of the house and add more challenges in the game.

IPad and android tablet: The platform for the game will be played through a touch screen tablet because of the accessibly for 6+ and because of the isometric gameplay it adds more life simulation value to the game.

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Honours Project, Environment 2

The second environment were also designed around the planet arrakis but this time I wanted to go for a in the open type feel for the character. Like the first environment I explore different thumbnail designs with thinking about the lighting first.

The first thumbnail stands out the most and you get a feeling like its just another sand hill that presents another challenge on the harsh environment for the character. 

The colours on this environment came out alot better then expecting be the design and colour process was more refined at this point. The texture really help the image show the harsh difficulty of the sand hill. The process and how I created this environment is in another post showing the step by step process and the colour process as well.

Step by Step Process Link,

http://nwhitefutureworks.tumblr.com/post/143226820974/environment-process-step-by-step

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Honours Project, Environment 1

This is first environment I did based off the ideas from Dune from the planet arrakis. so alot of designed were based of the harshness of the environment. The ideas in the thumbnails was to create a valley type environment which looks cut off from the main land only an area that are used by the smugglers with plenty of vantage point.

using thumbnails that had lots of value rather then detail opened up new and interesting ways of designing the environment based of the lightning. Its help get a better perceptive of the environment through the thumbnails.

The finished environment shows the ideas I had from the first thumbnails and the it came the way I wanted it to. The environment gives you the sense that the character is looking over and planing his journey carefully in the sense you get from the smugglers in Dune. 

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Environment Process, Step by Step

Step by step process of how I use the layers within Photoshop to create environments. The process in certain instances may change depending on the type of environment and look.

- Step 1,

Paint a sky background this will determine were the light will be coming from and helps set the environment mood.

- Step 2,

Create the silhouette of environment and then add value for were the light will by hitting in the scene.

- Step 3,

There is different methods of creating texture for the rocks and sand, but the best method I think works for me is using texture brushes, it gives it a more natural and organic feel rather then using photos.

- Step 4,

Start adding color and using different masks to get the effect your after, the whole process I used around 10-12 layer to get the effect I wanted.

- Step 5,

The final step was to add a detailed path to indicate the journey the character was traveling in and that was done using mask layers and adding a detailed sand texture image. The character was added to give the environment more visual interest.    

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DD3992_Honours Project Male Smuggler Thumbnails

These are the thumbnails for the one of the male characters. The thumbnails are used to design the the main pose and build of the character and the process helps with the later stage of fleshing out the main concept. The build of the character will be average built male but because of the fact he a smuggler hes trained in being fast and agile.

The next stage is to trace out the chosen thumbnail/silhouette and start adding details to character and create multiple variants leading to the final design. The next stage will be mostly using line art and values to create a fast but detailed design to then take to the final stage of a finished illustration.  

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DD3992_Honours Project Male and Female Smuggler MoodBoard

This is the MoodBoard for the male and female characters that I will be creating later on down the line. The whole point of this MoodBoard is to get a feel for the style and vibe of the overall design. It gives me a direction to aim for when designing the look for each one of the characters.

The area that the MoodBoard looks into the most is desert style related because I’m basing all the design and concepts of the planet Arrakis which is a harsh desert environment. The MoodBoard explores the areas of wraps and the use of a lot of materials that and tied in with the character visuals. looking into existing designs it allowed me to find a good balance between practical and what looks visually exciting.

Name: Dune Smugglers Organisation Type: Covert Operation Center of Operations: Arrakis Equipment and abilities: Smuggling tools Function: Spice smuggling Intentions: Profit for their organisation

 (Wikifoundrycom, 2015)

Because I’m using Dune as the main source for the designs for the smugglers. I will be using some of the details and implementing what I personally feel what they look like to me from reading and research. 

Bibliography 

Wikifoundrycom. (2015). Wikifoundrycom. Retrieved 1 December, 2015, from http://dunepedia.wikifoundry.com/page/Dune Smugglers

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DD3992_Honours Project Plan

Project Overview/Definition:

The honours project is a module which culminates everything I have learned so far, to complete it. I will be producing a series of high quality concept art pieces which visualise the novel Dune, the epic novel by Frank Herbert. Dune is set in the distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society in which noble houses, in control of individual planets. The main story is about Paul Atreides; whose noble family accepts the stewardship of the Desert Planet Arrakis.

The reason for creating concept art for my honours project is that’s the area I’m interested in the most when it comes to games design. I’m interested in creating artwork based of rough ideas and developing them further by exploring different styles and techniques to achieve a finished piece of artwork that can be used in a game or to develop it.

Choosing Dune to theme the concept art around seems like the best way for me to develop myself because the novel explores vast areas of interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion and will allow me to research into many areas to develop as an artist. The diversity of the characters and the combination of harsh environments will create challenges to face when it comes to developing an industry standard workflow through Thumbnails, Speed paints and final rendered illustrations.

Intended Aims:

The intended aims for my honours project final piece will be a fully developed set of art pieces which I will design based on a wide selection of concept art which I have put together over the course of the module. The whole project will be achieved following these aims:

Develop a professional standard Workflow, when creating concept art through the process of development and feedback to build up techniques. The workflow will be developed to fit with a professional industry standard.

Develop a broader perspective of conceptualizing art, from and single idea and developing it through multiple Medias. As well and presenting the finding and development in a professional and an accessible format.

Establish an extensive library of multiple styles and techniques, which can be applied into multiple areas when designing and creating concept art. The process of gather multiple styles and techniques will be achievable through the process and practice and development.

Character Design, Environment Design and Prop Design, by Developing a broader perspective of the Research, Design and development that goes into creating Characters, Environments and props to be used a games design format.

Intended Actions:

Concept Artist Workflow: The way I am going to achieve a professional concept artist workflow is by Researching into professional Artists working in the industry. As well looking into their workflows and comparing, also developing mine to improve areas to help with quality and increasing my painting speed from sketches to final finished illustrations. A lot of artist’s workflow goes from Sketches, Thumbnails, and Speed Paints to Final Illustrations. I want to look deeper in-between the stages from each of the processes to help develop more precise design chooses and help narrow down the whole process.

Acquire a better understanding of conceptualizing through the media of Art: Research will be used to broaden my perspective in areas of designs and developing my artwork and style will aid in showing the process through the media of art. Looking into the choices that artist use when designing characters or props for game will aid in process and help develop the stages I go through to get to a more presentable format for feedback.

Art Styles and Techniques: Developing my style and techniques will be based around putting all my time into Research and painting to develop in multiple areas of art. Researching into artists like Marc Brunet and Adam Adamowicz for their styles in sketching and painting techniques will help develop in my weaker areas in painting concept art.

Character Design, Environment Design and Prop Design: To achieve this will be based around a lot of research into styles and how an environment flows. The props within the environment have a massive impact on how the person’s perspective is on what that area is used for. A lot of research will be looking into designs from architectural structures and harsh environments. Character design, will be a case of developing them through the environment and getting feedback to further develop them design and style wise. Prop design also ties in with the environment and the area changes the way props looks and the function there used for.

Project Outcome - Final Concept Art Pieces:

3 Highly Rendered Environment Scenes: Each rendered scene will differ from each other by the harshness of environment and structures in it. The environments will be created using thumbnails and speed paints to further develop them and gather feedback along the way. The environments will be based on the planet Arrakis which is a harsh desert planet in dune and opens vast areas of design elements to explore.  

2 Male and 2 Female Character Illustrations (Highly Detailed): The highly detailed characters will be developed and finalized through the design process for the environment there created for. Each character will be designed from the ground up and tied in with the environment. The characters are going to be themed around the smugglers in the novel June. The design will be based around surviving the harsh desert environment and the struggle they have faced along the way will reflect the character’s finals designs.

4 Detailed Weapon Design Sheets for Male/Female: The weapons will be designed for the type of character and their style of combat and build. The weapons will as well be shown in the environments on the characters to show how the weapons would have been used in day to day life in the eyes of the characters.  

2 Detailed Vehicle Design Sheets for Male/Female: The vehicles will be designed for the environments there in and the harsh conditions. Each vehicle will have a different feature to them including one being lightweight and Agile and the other being Big and durable to add more variety to the design process.

The final concept designs will be themed and researched around the planet Arrakis which is a harsh desert planet in dune. It’s the only planet where the spice is found so a lot of the design choices and development will be based around the environment and harsh conditions the smugglers will face. Through the process of sketches, thumbnails and speed paints I will develop the characters through the research around the environment and the hostile challenges they will face. One of the main enemies is the Fremen "native" inhabitants of Arrakis they have the best hand to hand combat in the universe so some designs challenges will have to be considered through the development of the weapons and Armour the smugglers wear.  

Project Deliverables:

A4 - Hardback Book (60-70 Page Art Book): The whole Art Book is going to be around 60-70 pages long that will consist of Research, Sketches, Thumbnails, Speed Paints and Final Illustrations to show off the development stages I have gone through to get to the finals designs. The whole idea of the book is show my whole work flow in the media of concept art and design process. All the work will be presented to a professional standard will annotation describing all the artwork.

Blog: The blog post will contain all the research work and development from all the early art work to the finished pieces showing the process throughout the project.