Monday's session raised some more edits we could make to our trello and workflow, adding more granularity to the tasks we set and thinking more about the impetus behind our game. The version we have at the moment doesn't have much by way of compelling mechanics as our team was more focused on the atmosphere and aesthetic of the game up to this point. We've now planned a new maze section of the game with a follower mechanic where the player has to collect pieces from around the room to complete a puzzle. We're also going to be starting some more playtesting to get some feedback on how to make the game more fun for players.
Assets-wise, I've been working on some objects for the space exhibit, trying to keep that same low-poly, low-resolution style. I had an interesting time UV unwrapping the asteroid model - even though I wasn't worried about hard-edged seams, there were some problems with stretched textures and inconsistent texture density that I hadn't anticipated. I experimented using the relax UVs tool but eventually settled on having seams along the top and bottom edges of the model as well as around each crater, which gave the best overall result. Below is my first attempt, splitting the model only along the bottom and unfolding, followed by the second which splits as mentioned above.
For the UFO I took inspiration from old arcade games and retro designs, inkeeping with the section's 'Space Invaders'-style minigame.
I also created a frame for one of the doors I made previously, and updated some of the textures for other models like the plant pot.
Below are some screenshots of the game as of the latest version.
Other projects
EGX
I tried to make some connections at EGX Rezzed this year; I talked to a few people at their stands and in the careers area but for the most part I think I was a little too shy. It was a good experience, however, and I find that every event I go to it gets easier to talk to people and I get less nervous.
Personal projects
I've been doing some personal work over the last few weeks to keep up my painting skills, as well as some work on a side project. I've been trying to focus on completing polished paintings and improving on my colour choices and lighting. In the last unit I experimented a lot with using gradient maps to establish a base palette, with the piece below I tried the opposite approach, choosing some base colours first, using my own judgement while painting for the most part and then using a gradient map for some slight adjustments at the end. Both approaches worked well, and I think I can probably use them in combination with each other. I'd like to get to a point where I can choose harmonious palettes without having to rely on adjustments afterwards, but for now I really like this approach.
I've also been doing research for a comics project I've been working on. Recently I've been focusing on the environments, looking at area's I want to draw inspiration from and putting together mood boards. I'm aware that environments are a weak point of mine, so I want to make sure I have a solid understanding and style before starting anything.
In particular, I've been looking at countries around the Mediterranean for inspiration, places like Greece, South Italy, Spain and Macedonia. I want to draw in particular on Cycladic architecture; it's very similar to what I was picturing when I was planning the setting, and it's not too complex to practise environment drawing with. Below is a test sketch to get a feel for the kind of style I want to go for, colour palette and which features I want to draw from which style of architecture. I may paint over this later and use it as a concept for future reference.
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