This week around, our task was to take our most successful character concept from last week, make some final iterations, and make a final character render. Though, it's very likely that what you see right now may undergo a few more minor edits before they are truly complete. The process is really one based on constant iteration, no matter how minor! This is what we have been working on for the last week.
Ashley has been concepting a lot of our visual effects! She has a really great vision for the Ley Lines world and these smaller details that would truly bring the world to life.
Here's the work behind the first passes of some of the visual and lighting effects so far. The Ley Line beam and particles done in cascade. The third image is the base material for the caustic light tests.
As we get deeper into development and move closer towards our end style goal ...
Lauren helped a lot along this process by spending a good deal of time looking into different style elements for Ley Lines and possible art solutions. We now have plenty of options in mind for converging the color, linework, shading, and crosshatching elements of Jean Giraud's work into one cohesive end product.
We also thought it necessary to look into the various patterns of both Moebius artwork and the Sami, who serve as one of our cultural and design references. We are also using the work of Brittney Lee, who worked on Disney's Frozen, due to the way she simplified Sami and other Norwegian patterns into something that was very eye-catching, well integrated into character and environment design, but not distracting.
Along with all of that, our animation style guide is almost complete! We are definitely keeping the scale of the Ley Lines project constantly in mind. We currently have estimated the minimum number of animations every character in our game will need. There currently needs to be more talks among the art and design team before we can reach a finalized list of needed animations for every character. Nonetheless, we have a good feel for what each of these characters will need in terms of movement, flexibility, general actions, and what camera angle we should be keeping in mind when the animations are made.
Rigging isn't going to be a small feat for the Ley Lines game, however ... though it may appear that we have a pretty large scope going on, that's just a pretty nifty trick on our parts! As of right now, we have six unique characters that will be modeled, rigged, and animated. Those characters are:
Vala Isely, our protagonist
The Shellek Leader, our centipedal antagonist
The Temple Guard
The Flyer Shellek
The Swarmer Shellek
The Charger Shellek
That's six rigs, total. It's likely that this number may be five because Vala and the Temple Guard are likely to share a rig or, at least, the majority of it. We have the fortune that every member of the artist team has varying knowledge of the rigging process to help this part of the process along, if there are any hiccups.
This time, I have been researching rigs for every one of these characters - particularly the creatures.
THE FLYER SHELLEK
The design of the Flyer Shellek is a hybrid between a butterfly, a dragonfly, and some elements of a hornet.
As mentioned before, the lesser Shellek will have more mechanical movements. The insects that inspired each type of Shellek will serve as a base for their movements. However, as a whole, their motions will be jerky and erratic to capture the madness and corruption they are experiencing at the hands of Miria's "brain crystals".
Body rigs for a flying character do not present much of a challenge. Because the Flyer is based off of a dragonfly, however, some research was needed for the wings. The end solutions ended up being very similar to how tails, ears, and any other appendage is done - only simplified, because the wings of the Flyer will only require a slight bend when flapping. The Flyer's main function will be shooting energy beams at the player & dropping repulsion bombs, so they will not require any intricate movements.
THE SWARMER SHELLEK
There were quite a few successful designs for the Swarmer Shellek that were liked by both the design team and the faculty. For the Swarmer, we are going with a design that's a cross between a spider and a crab. Its main function will be to ... well, swarm the player.
The video above displays a spider that's pretty close to our chosen design. So, it's likely that you'll be seeing a lot of IK handles for the legs so that rigid and mechanical look can be pulled off. IK handles also save a lot of time and trouble. They're pretty darn nifty.
THE CHARGER SHELLEK
The chosen design for the Charger Shellek reminds me a of a scorpion with how its tail is formed. So, I went right to researching scorpion rigs to use as a reference when it comes time for me to finally rig this little guy. Its main function will be to charge down the player and fire a laser beam from its jaws. Unlike the other creatures, this Shellek might have to open his mouth. However, that's a fairly straight forward process as well that will be made easy with a well-crafted 3D model.
None of the lesser Shellek are in need of a refined rig as they do not require any intricate movements. Their rig will also be very similar to the Swarmer Shellek's, since they share similar leg structures. Because their movements are fairly basic, we can focus on perfecting this and giving them some more
None of the lesser Shellek require an intricate rig and they have fairly basic movements. Rigging them will be a straight-forward process.
CENTIPEDAL MAIN BOSS
... Otherwise known as the Shellek Leader. This guy is based off of - wouldn't you guess it? - a centipede. One of the first rig reference videos I found was one of a very detailed centipede. The end result of this animators efforts looked extremely realistic and was rendered as such.
Fortunately for us, the design chosen only has fourteen legs instead of a hundred. There has been some talk about the legs not needing any movement whatsoever, with this main boss moving more similarly to a snake. Nonetheless, I am prepared no matter the route the designers choose to go!
Rigging a centipede creature appears to be straight-forward but ... a very redundant process. Insanely so, because of all of the legs and body sections a centipede has. Rigging & weight painting this guy will need patience more than anything else. Because of their similar leg structures, the main boss will likely have plenty of IK handles as well.
HUMANS
The entire artist track was introduced to human rigging late last semester, though a chunk of us had prior experience in this field! There were a few projects in the last semester where I became better acquainted with rigging humans and creatures to better my skills in this field. So, the rigging for human bodies doesn't raise too much of a concern. However, we have been in talks about creating facial rigs for scenes where Vala's face will be shown. Ideally, these scenes would be in the beginning and the end of the game to give some sort of "full circle" effect.
There are plenty of references and tutorials on YouTube for the human rigging process. One of these tutorials I have been currently referring is a series by TheGnimmel, who goes over rigging specifically for games.
As mentioned before, we were discussing the possibility of creating a facial rig for Vala. Because of our chosen art style, we wouldn't require a rig that's so sophisticated that you'll see her temple muscles move. We desire a rig that can accomplish simple (but effective) facial expressions and perhaps a small amount of dialogue. Fortunately, there's plenty of tutorials in this department as well, along with the opportunity to go over this in depth in the Technical Art class. Because this has become a part of the discussions rather early, we can properly plan things ahead among the design team and the artist team so we can maintain a reasonable scope.
What was on the table for this week for the Ley Lines artist team? We revisited six of our stronger - but rough - design concepts, began to refine them, and began some more color exploration. For this stage, we had to pay more mind to the angular shape language present in Lara Croft Go and push it even further so we could get more eye-catching designs for this go around. One of our earlier tasks was to study Lara Croft Go and Moebius' shape language.
In those studies, we broke down monsters and environments into basic, geometric shapes. We kept this detail in mind while striving for a more angular and simplified look to our characters, while maintaining characteristics of the typical Moebius' anatomical proportions (that just means: lots of leg).
Similar principles were applied to each of our monster designs, as shown below:
We were able to explore those principles with the environment design as well, while keeping in mind a color palette that would enable our human & monster characters to pop against it with their saturated color palettes.
We've also added color to the bows!
Here are some concepts of decal symbols for the warp portal ability.
Color is something we have paid particular attention to! We want the environment to help both the humans' and Shellek's colors to stand out. We have begun to closely look at our color palettes and see if they currently mix together well. The more we can iterate on this - along with every other step in this process - the more we can improve and the more successful we can be as an art team.
Last week, we showed some concepts of potential visual effects! Our Technical Artist, Ashley, has been hard at work making some first-passes at particle and light effects the player may see during their exploration of the temple.
Another vital visual detail we're striving for is recreating the crosshatched values present in the art of Moebius. Our Art Manager, Andy, has already crafted some first passes at this.
Along with this, he's developing tools for us to try out different color compositions in-engine.
And this tool would help out both artists and producers alike! Tasks that we would repeatedly have to do in Maya, export, and re-import a few dozen times is made easy through this spline-based procedural level tool.
It's important for everything to look good in-engine when we finally get down to making 3D models for Ley Lines. So, we also aimed to get a proxy character modeled and placed in the UE4 engine very early on, just to see if it looked good, functioned well, and was at a decent scale. This model is currently six feet tall and measures pretty well against every other filler character UE4 had to offer us!
As shown in our previous post ... we have already been exploring some animations! These in particular are exploring the potential cultural aspects of Vala's character to influence her movements and personality even more.
Aaaand finally ... we have begun the animation design document as well and that will be finalized very soon. That can be seen right here: [ Animation Design ]
Research into animation for Ley Lines has continued! Last time, animation styles and references were chosen for humans, the main boss, and the lesser Shellek. Because we have a lesser volume of characters and creatures within our game, that will lend more time into granting each character the attention and detail they will deserve. So, this week. This time around, my attention has wandered into examining cultural references to use as inspiration for the world of Miria.
Vala was raised by members of the Prisima tribe. During this design process, we have been drawing a chunk of our inspiration from indigenous people. In particular, we're honing in on the Sami people; this is partly due to the similarity of silhouettes between them and the fictitious people of the Moebius world and partly due to their vibrant clothing and patterns. The Sami also lives a semi-nomadic reindeer hearing lifestyle, though only a few modern Sami still practice this.
A big reason for honing in on details like this is to get more of a sense of Vala's identity and the life she led before the point where Ley Lines begins. A person's cultural identity has a big influence on them as a person, so it's definitely something to explore more.
I'm currently researching more about them to put more thought into Vala's potential past and the Prisima Tribe's way of doing things & their day-to-day life. As of now, the focus is their movements, way of dress, mythology, and any cultural practices. Though, my designs and animations get inspired even by listening to some of their music. The manner in which the Sami revere reindeer seems to parallel the way the Prisima would revere Miria and tell tales of her, as though she was a goddess-like being. These traits, among others - like the affinity with nature, close bonds, and strong desire to preserve their heritage - are traits present in many indigenous tribes we have been referencing.
Another indigenous people being referenced is the Ainu, particularly their dances. For an animation, I roughed out the movements to their "Dance of Black Hair" - which is performed with women with long black hair. Ainu are traditionally animists, which means that they believe everything in nature has a spirit within them. Many of their dances mimic the movements of animals, which is something I think the Prisima may mirror to express their gratefulness towards everything Miria has birthed or given them.
This is the animation the roughed out animation exploring this facet of Vala's identity.
What's coming up next? The nitty gritty of animation design!
All of the creatures on the planet Miria were born directly from her thoughts and imaginings - the children of her mind. In the beginning, she dreamed of the Shellek and so they were made that Miria may take care of herself. Then, she dreamed of mankind, and so they were made that Miria may know herself.
Blindingly intelligent, humanity sought knowledge of the world, to master it, and to turn its elements to their will. The very earth of Miria is filled with beautiful crystals, which contain her memories, her knowledge - ancient wisdom of impossible magnitude - and the very life source of the planet itself. In their endless quest for mastery and improvement, humans realized they could leash even Miria's eldest children to their will. Utilizing their technology, humans enslaved the Shellek and used the entire race to move the earth and mind Miria's precious bounty on an unimaginable scale. These crystals were slowly chipped away and gradually the planet began to wither away.
Constant contact with these crystals was too much for the Shellek to handle - their bodies and minds became warped and corrupted. Mankind's technology could no longer controlled these maddened, rapidly evolved creatures. The Shellek's leader called for the destruction of their proud human masters, and for the complete consumption of the crystalline energy that had "enlightened" them. Humanity, having been far too reliant on their insectoid slaves, stood nearly helpless as the Shellek destroyed most of their kind.
The day of the Great Destruction happened nearly twenty years ago.
The Shellek, consumed by madness and their uncontrollable thirst for these crystals, have forgotten their own reason for being. As for Miria ... she wove one final thought in desperation to save herself.
Miria's final thought, the planet's desperate last hope for her own salvation, created Vala. She was born from a massive crystal, deep within a long-forgotten valley. As fortune would have it, this valley was a holy site for the nomadic Prisima pilgrims. On the very day of her birth, a handful of these nomads visited the sight and discovered the newborn within the crystal. Knowing this child to be a blessing from the planet Miria herself, the tribe's chieftan adopted Vala as his own. She was raised without knowing of her true origins, as her father worried for the effect that knowledge would have on her, and grew up as an ordinary child would. Despite her drastically different features that separated her from her tribesman, she never questioned her place among the Prisima. Her origins were a secret kept by the chieftan and his closest confidants for many years.
[ PERSONALITY ]
Though Miria fell further and further into desolation, the pilgrims continued paying homage to any holy sites still free of Shellek infestation. Now nineteen-years-old, no member of Vala's tribe doubts her bravery or ability. She learned the trade of hunter as she entered adulthood, providing food to her tribe while they wandered the world's ever-expanding wastes. The role of hunter in this broken world requires a rare kind of indefatigable stoicism, and Vala has always felt particularly at piece when stalking dunes alone.
Vala has a relatively quiet demeanor, often finding speech unnecessary, and she treasures the times during which all her clansmen kneel together in silent reflection. There she can be beside those she treasures as family without feeling pressured to utter a word. Vala also grew in a time when the world had been all but shattered by the Shellek, their kind continuing to infest Miria far and wide. Her bed time stories painted them as wicked monsters, and her adult life has seen some of these tales come true.
Dear friends have been found rent apart by those menacing creatures. Though she masks it all in silent anger, Vala is deeply afraid of the Shellek. That she may be the next to never return from an excursion, or that more of her tribe will be taken from her is her greatest fear. Partially due to this phobia, partially inheriting her adoptive father's overprotective nature, Vala cares deeply for the safety of her fellow tribesmen, especially the children. Fear or no, she would not hesitate to face down a writhing swarm of the insects if it meant protecting someone important to her.
[ ABILITIES ]
To most, the Ley Lines offer but a brief, overwhelming glimpse into the mind of Miria. The memories and knowledge of an entire world, ancient and vast, flood into any who touch a Ley Line, and few can bear the sensation for long. Fewer still can take from the experience any lasting meaning, and none can translate that meaning into anything more.
Vala, however, was created by Miria with the singular ability to make some sense of the wisdom and power inherent within each Ley Line. Beyond just mere comprehension, Vala can turn the power imparted by the Ley Lines into environment-changing abilities, granting her limited control over the very fabric of the world.
Space, time, and gravity bend to her will, at least in some capacity, depending on the Ley Line to which she has attuned. The effort tends to be exhausting for her relatively meager human body, however, when done for too long.
This week marked the first (official) week of Leylines' development! It was filled with the wonders of character design, Moebius dissection, shader plotting, and the beginnings of graphic design.
Along the process of drafting thumbnails for every character and monster that may appear in Leylines, we discovered that it's insanely important to truly dissect Jean Giraud's artistic style, make some notes, and keep that close to us as a reference - rather than just go by our wonderfully artistic eyes. It truly helped us get a better eye for environments, organic creatures, and overall shape language.
Each of our studies, covering characters, creatures, environments, line, color, mood, and composition.
With that out of the way ... we've been hard at work at crafting thumbnails for our game. Here they are! Our 2D/3D artists have been learning to use Zbrush as a concepting tool and it's added another dimension to our concept art.
One of our existing challenges is figuring out the Shellek's shape language, as we will want a natural feel to them. Our designs of the Shellek are integrated with the very crystals of Miria, which caused their descent into madness and bodily mutations. Our first priority was designing concepts for the main antagonist: the leader of the Shellek.
Next, we began to design concepts for lesser Shellek. Some of these designs will become enemies Vala encounters when she explores ancient temples.
Onto more minor characters ... a new one was created! Temple Guards. Very few currently exist, as Crystal Temples have been dominated by Shelleks. They were once guardians of what was once revered as holy sites. These designs were meant to embody Temple Guards as a whole, not one singular individual. So, these may be closer to "costume designs" for the Temple Guards. We threw in some designs for their bows too.
Before we crafted concrete supporting characters, we messed around with some possibilities of what we can include. We drafted some female characters, male characters, and even some creatures that may assist Vala on her journey. Here's a look at that.
Onward to environments! Leylines is meant to be a platformer game. So a goal for environments is to create a world with depth, detail, intrigue, and usability - all while maintaining that surreal feeling present in Moebius artwork.
Leylines is going to have quite a few visual effects going on. For instance, Vala's arrows are going to have a more magical quality to them and likely be closer to (Leyline) energy projections. Here are some concepts of visual effects for arrows, crystals, and the Leylines themselves.
And a first pass In Engine!
In the midst of all of this ... our Art Manager Andrew has been working on a few technical art aspects for Leylines!
Moebius has a very distinctive style to it. Because of that, we will be needing some shaders developed to aid us in really pulling off the look Jean Giraud conceptualized. This is the beginning to achieving the linework and posterized look his artwork has.
We discussed that Vala will learn more about herself, her role, and the past with the Shellek through accessing "memory crystals". This is a current pass at this idea!
Finally, we have been working on some graphic design elements to Leylines' as well! This is currently our first iteration at potential logos, taking Jean Giraud's own handwriting as an influence.
