Time for a quick clean out:
Bit of back history;
I first started working on this project while I was assisting "Project Cortana" back late 09' supplying certain models that weren't all too common else where.
But when I first started noticing that I was the only member really pulling their weight I decided to make a little "pet" project, look into getting assets in to a modern game and push my limits as far as I could possibly push them.
During one night while playing Halo 3:ODST I was thinking about what would make a good project to get into making a map for a "nex-gen" game, out of the list of engines I looked through I found Crysis with it's cry-engine to be the best of choice and looked into it's editing kit.
I like many others who are into modern quality games had seen many and I mean many videos on youtube showing of various thing's you could do in CE2 ranging from physics to particle effects all the way down to making terrain look gorgeous.
I spent approximately two weeks going through my old scenes folder looking through various unfinished works that I wanted done and felt would be good stepping stones for such a task.
The first Items I imported after scouring the tutorial websites were my Monitor model and my Valhalla-esque base.
The next step was to research into everything required and start a bit of R&D, I purchased a large artpad and started to design different map outlays, nothing too complex simple player paths and as the project went on, I started to draw more complex map designs, buildings, bridges and rivers.
Project goals:
.
- Begin to research into the development of producing Game art, and materials.
- Learn new techniques to improve overall quality of digital Art.
- Learn a current generation Editing kit.
- Learn how to import assets created via 3D studio max to said editing kit.
- Learn how to create somewhat believable shaders for metallic objects.
- Learn how particle systems work in Sandbox 2 and study how to create a dynamic system in which can be used for population of active scenery.
- Learn how to set up viable firefight encounters which either consist of NPC's or PC's which encourage a interesting and possibly enjoyable set up.
- Learn how certain ecosystems are set up in order to realise specific concepts envisioned during concept stages.
- And finally, Create a viable, working, environment based upon a planet existing in the Halo lore which has a Halo fortress world orbiting it/Based on said Halo [Still on the fence with this one]
Having had some experience studying art in my own time and looking through hundreds of concept arts from the previous Halo games I started working on concepts for Forerunner architecture.
This is the kind of design that interests me most, For as much as I enjoy covenant works, it just doesn't have the same atmosphere as a 10k year old installation that was involved in a hundred year war with a infectious parasite that as it killed it grew, the idea of having a race of beings so powerful yet fallen by something like this isn't new to me.
As some know I've long been a fan of a TV series called Doctor Who, a race in that show called "Timelords" are somewhat similar to Forerunners.
The first thing I did when I began finalising what concept's I wanted to see in my project was I began to learn how to terraform the terrain in the CE2 Sandbox 2 editor, this is shown in the spoilered text, the main purpose of this environment was to gain a grip on what concepts will work in CE2 and what will not, The terrain has thus far gone through approximately five variants, each time something drastic has changed to become the map it is now.
Currently the only items in the project are to stand are the overhead longsword patterns, Simply because I find seeing a fleet of UNSC fighters and cruisers flying by gives the map a somewhat alive feel, The teleporters [excluding bitmaps], The modular corridors; These were designed with ease of use in mind, They're not completely solid and are used as prefabs to extend or remove sections of hallways, this is how modern games do it for the most part and for me this works very well.
There is one thing to note, The forerunner designs for the corridors are based on truth to fiction forerunner works, the narrow corridors are a mix between This, This[excuse the username] and the corridor found in the final Halo 3 level where you are exiting the control room through the cliffs.
I do not want to make a carbon copy of designs already defined I wish to take the presets already existing and expand upon them.
Now for a few pictures and a video showcasing the current revision.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I0xH0o8SO4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaBrdKRTKho
