Week 01
28/01/2021
My Chosen Brief
Environmental Brief
I had to choose between an environmental brief and a character brief, and I opted for the environmental brief because it offers me greater creative flexibility. I must design and model my own indoor environment inspired by Röki, a game by Polygon Treehouse.
The design of this environment must be coherent and replicate the unique personality traits of the character model in which is being designed by my peers involved in this group project. In order to create assets for this environment there is a series of features I must learn and complete:
Reference gathering
Biographies of assets
File setups
Asset designs based on budget, technical and commercial limitations
Low poly geometry block outs and construction
UV layouts
Creating normal maps/ambient occlusion passes
Texture passes
Shader setups
Collision geometry
Real time integration
Presentation techniques
Röki's Design Influences
Polygon Treehouse, founded by Alex Kanaris-Sotirius and Tom Jones, played a crucial role in developing the game Röki. This 3D adventure game offers players a rich experience of exploration, puzzles, and encounters with various monsters. The game's overarching theme is deeply rooted in Scandinavian folklore, with a backdrop of a snowy wilderness. The central narrative follows the protagonist, Tove, on a mission to rescue her brother, who has been captured by Röki, the main antagonist and a prominent monster in the game.
Röki boasts a visually stunning, storybook-like art style that captivates players and sets the stage for a modern-day fairy tale. The creators intentionally crafted this aesthetic not only for its visual appeal but also to balance the weighty and serious themes that run throughout the game. By choosing this vibrant and accessible art style, the developers ensured that the game did not become overly dark or somber, aligning with their narrative and thematic choices. This approach allowed them to explore deeper, more profound storylines without overwhelming players. Tove's character design complements this atmosphere, as she exudes positivity and resilience.
Despite their limited team size, budget, and resources, the developers found a clever solution to create an original art style. They opted to forego traditional texturing and lighting processes, which can be extremely time-consuming in large-scale projects. The decision to embrace the flat shading style in Röki reflects the studio's innovative approach to address these limitations. The game stands as a testament to what can be achieved when creative ambition, industry expertise, and resource constraints intersect, resulting in a captivating and visually unique gaming experience.
Alex Kanaris-Sotiriou
"When we were first looking to Scandinavian folklore, they were the things that really captured our imagination and got us really excited, because they were so odd and weird and beguiling to us." -
Roles and Idea Generation
Due to the presence of two distinct project briefs, our group has divided into two teams: one dedicated to character design and the other, comprising Aaron, Ben, and myself, focused on fulfilling the environmental brief. In our environmental team, Ben has taken on the role of prop creation, primarily for enhancing the environmental scene. However, this role also intersects with a portion of the character brief, as Ben will craft assets that contribute to the character's unique personality.
Our team's central concept revolves around infusing an elvish essence into our chosen art style. Oran is tasked with creating a character—an intelligent elf skilled in hunting.
To mirror the character's traits, we're designing a spacious treehouse where a substantial portion of the tree penetrates through the center of the dwelling. Within this environment, we will strategically place props such as books, desks, and other elements that accentuate the character's distinct qualities. The room will include a dedicated kitchen area, a dining table, and a designated spot for the character's hunting equipment, including a bow, arrow, sword, boots, and a hat.
Emphasizing the character's connection to nature, most objects in the room will be crafted from wood, giving it an artisanal touch. The scene will have an intentionally disheveled appearance, with books and gear scattered throughout, creating an atmosphere of controlled chaos. We aim for a dimly lit ambiance that highlights the wooden elements and greenery within the room. This approach will evoke a sense of dark naturalism while also nodding to the character's intelligence, embracing a dark academia aesthetic. Inspirations can be seen below:
Characterisation
Our group engaged in a collaborative brainstorming session to refine our individual ideas, ultimately settling on the concept of an elven character that harmonizes with Röki's Scandinavian Folklore theme. In Scandinavian mythology, Dwarves and Elves hold a prominent place. Folklore narrates that the elves once inhabited the castle of Froy. Therefore, we chose to name our character "Froy" and envision him as the prince of this castle who embarked on a journey to explore the world of dwarves in Midgard. This decision not only imbues Froy with a sense of intelligence but also provides a compelling backstory that explains his choice to reside in a treehouse within the Midgard Grove Forest. This rich narrative backdrop offers us the opportunity to infuse Froy with a multifaceted personality. When the audience encounters Froy for the first time, our objective is to convey his character, personality, and evoke an immediate sense of his backstory, enabling them to connect with him on a deeper level.
Week 02
04/02/2021
My First Prop
My first initial choice for prop creation was a bed, primarily because I had no prior experience with Maya. To kickstart this task, I followed a generic YouTube tutorial to establish the basic structure of the bed.
As the project progresses, I plan to infuse this bed with character by incorporating various other objects that will make it more personalized and reflective of the character's unique traits.
Additionally, I intend to refine the bed's design by adjusting specific vertices on the bedposts, creating a crafted appearance that highlights wear and tear, adding depth to the prop's visual narrative.
Week 03
11/02/2021
Concept Art
During this week, I worked on drawing concept art for all the potential props and assets I am going to input into our environment. I drew them all on paper with pencil and gave labels according to each design. These drawings are only rough sketches and ideas of what I want some of my models to look like, keeping in mind I am no true artist. The bed idea on the first page was discarded eventually and I decided to stick with the main ideas and just add some wear and tear to the bed to suit the environment and enhance the overall aesthetic.
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Week 04
18/02/2021
Project Planning
Our team efficiently managed our project using Codex this week! We used the platform to compile and organize our ideas, collectively determining their priority order from most to least important, from our previously determined personal asset lists.
We then individually selected cards related to our tasks and set deadlines to maintain a synchronized workflow and consistent progress throughout the project. As each team member completed their assigned tasks, we marked them as done and archived them, ensuring a streamlined workflow and clear project status.
Codex served as a central hub for idea discussions, feedback requests, and progress updates, meaning each of us had pure transparency and alignment throughout this week and hopefully for the rest of the weeks to come. This open communication played a crucial role in meeting our project goals effectively.
Breaking down the project into manageable cards with deadlines promoted individual and collective accountability. Everyone had a clear understanding of their responsibilities and timelines ensuring productivity and none of us would fall behind.
Codex's archival feature was valuable for retaining a record of completed tasks and decisions, aiding future reference, analysis, and reflection, and improving our project management processes.
Week 05
25/02/2021
Digital Art and Presentation
During this week, our primary focus was preparing and delivering a PowerPoint presentation to Polygon Treehouse's CEO, Alex. This collaborative group presentation included all our ideas, plans, and designs to provide an overview for Alex. His feedback proved invaluable, guiding us toward our next steps in refining our models and environment.
In addition to the presentation, I took the initiative to do more sketches this time digitally, to enhance clarity and facilitate better communication within our group. These digital representations were not only useful for our individual blogs but also served as essential visual aids for our presentation, ensuring that our ideas were effectively conveyed, although I am not a natural artist.
The feedback and insights provided by Alex during our presentation played a pivotal role in shaping our project's direction. It not only validated our existing work but also inspired us to fine-tune and enhance our designs moving forward. This collaborative effort and ongoing dialogue with Alex demonstrate our commitment to delivering a project that aligns with the vision and expectations of Polygon Treehouse.
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Week 06
04/03/2021
Modelling
During this week, I kept designing additional models for our project. Specifically, I focused on creating a table and a chair. To streamline the design process and optimize our group's time management, I began with the table model in Maya. Once the table was completed, I leveraged the existing model as a foundation for the chair. By duplicating and rescaling the table, I fashioned it into the base of the chair. This approach proved to be highly efficient, as it allowed us to avoid repeating a series of steps from scratch.
In addition to the furniture, Ben undertook the creation of cutlery, which will be integrated into our scene. These cutlery items will find their place on the table and various other locations within the "kitchen" area of our environment, enhancing its overall realism and detail. I altered these model for him as he fell sick during this week and I lowered the low count to keep the same specifications as the rest of our models.
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Week 07
11/03/2021
Mistakes in Models
During this week, I undertook the task of creating a pair of glasses for our project. However, I encountered unexpected challenges during this process. Designing the glasses proved to be more complex than I initially anticipated, particularly in areas like the bridge of the glasses and managing the merging lines on the lens. These issues presented hurdles in the modeling process, leaving me puzzled about where I had gone wrong.
I dedicated multiple attempts to redesigning the model. Each iteration brought valuable insights and incremental improvements. After some trial and error, I eventually achieved a highly satisfactory final outcome. This refined model not only addressed the previous issues but also resulted in a low-poly design, aligning with our project's goals.
This experience illustrates the importance of persistence and adaptability in the creative process. It also underscores the iterative nature of design, where setbacks and challenges led us to more valuable learning opportunities.
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The Project So Far
Here's a summary of our project's current status regarding the environment. We've diligently placed all completed items within the room, marking our initial version. However, it's crucial to note that our work is far from complete. To enhance the overall experience and align it more closely with our vision, we're embarking on some significant revisions based on valuable feedback from the CEO of Polygon Treehouse.
The forthcoming changes will encompass the floor design around the tree, a reimagined tree structure, and even alterations to the environment's shape. These modifications are aimed at ensuring that the environment unmistakably conveys the essence of a treehouse. We aspire for the audience to immediately recognize and connect with the treehouse ambiance, as this is what we have been critiqued on before.
Furthermore, we're introducing a trapdoor with a rope within the environment. This addition will further reinforce the treehouse concept and contribute to the overall authenticity of the scene.
Week 08
18/03/2021
The Completed Project
