SoW - Environments.
by Gareth Fouche · 12/04/2007 (10:25 am) · 11 comments
I have to admit, Scars development has been pretty slow the last month or so. There are 2 reasons for this. First, the release of a lot of games that I've been waiting ages for. Mask of the Betrayer, The Witcher, Hellgate London, The Orange Box.
And the second, far less pleasant reason, is deadlines. My project has reached crunch time at work, so that means late nights and weekends spent at the office, hooray. Hopefully that won't last too much longer, I'm looking forward to some vacation time around Christmas.
But anyway, I have done some work, mostly on the environment side, laying out areas and levels. So, since I don't have much to talk about on the code side, let me distract you with pictures :P
First, the village of Bhenninstrad, located in the north of Mirtar :
Bhenninstrads distance from the Lethani Border kept it away from most of the conflict, sparing it from the devastation of more southern settlements...or did it...?
Next up, the Atharan Highlands. Forestry is the major source of income in these parts, yet the mills stand empty. The Foresters Union are protesting unfair wages and working conditions, refusing to work until their demands are met. Attempts to negotiate have so far failed and the gossip in the taverns is that things are beginning to get violent.
And finally, a picture of an underground research complex I'm working on, aka a "dungeon", in Constructor.
Till next time... :)
And the second, far less pleasant reason, is deadlines. My project has reached crunch time at work, so that means late nights and weekends spent at the office, hooray. Hopefully that won't last too much longer, I'm looking forward to some vacation time around Christmas.
But anyway, I have done some work, mostly on the environment side, laying out areas and levels. So, since I don't have much to talk about on the code side, let me distract you with pictures :P
First, the village of Bhenninstrad, located in the north of Mirtar :
Bhenninstrads distance from the Lethani Border kept it away from most of the conflict, sparing it from the devastation of more southern settlements...or did it...?
Next up, the Atharan Highlands. Forestry is the major source of income in these parts, yet the mills stand empty. The Foresters Union are protesting unfair wages and working conditions, refusing to work until their demands are met. Attempts to negotiate have so far failed and the gossip in the taverns is that things are beginning to get violent.
And finally, a picture of an underground research complex I'm working on, aka a "dungeon", in Constructor.
Till next time... :)
About the author
Recent Blogs
• SoW Weekly Update 10• SoW Weekly Update 9
• SoW Weekly Update 8
• SoW Weekly Update 7
• SoW Weekly Update 6
#2
12/04/2007 (10:56 am)
Impressive as always Gareth. 
#3
It's becoming boring to congratulate you, even if it is well deserved. ;)
Mind doing something awful, so we can laugh at you?
I have an idea: I send you one of my own work, you claim it is yours, it should do the trick.
Questions:
1) Are you using the animated version of the windmill?
2) You are using TGE Forest code, aren't you?
3) When is the demo released? I WANT to wander in those maps... sigh...
12/04/2007 (12:25 pm)
Very very good work (again).It's becoming boring to congratulate you, even if it is well deserved. ;)
Mind doing something awful, so we can laugh at you?
I have an idea: I send you one of my own work, you claim it is yours, it should do the trick.
Questions:
1) Are you using the animated version of the windmill?
2) You are using TGE Forest code, aren't you?
3) When is the demo released? I WANT to wander in those maps... sigh...
#4
12/04/2007 (12:39 pm)
the first of "Atharan Highlands / Forestry" screen is really impressive! good work, keep it up!
#5
@ Matt : Funnily enough it doesn't look as big in 1st person perspective.
@ Stephan :
1) Of course :)
2) Nope. Normal shape replicators + replicator blockers seem to work fine. I have the Forest Pack code, but I need to get round to integrating the tech and playing with it. I am currently in a STRICT "no playing with tech!" mode. Its all about generating content and art right now. What you see here, combined with the city of Korrinport I showed a while back, represent "Environments phase 1", consisting of a couple of outdoor areas, a city and a dungeon. I am now moving onto entities, NPCs/items. It's my iterative development cycle :
Code systems-> environments->intractable entities->test->feedback into design->modify design->repeat
So I'll look at the forest pack when I swing back round to code in phase 2 ;)
3) ASAP
12/04/2007 (1:15 pm)
Thanks guys :)@ Matt : Funnily enough it doesn't look as big in 1st person perspective.
@ Stephan :
1) Of course :)
2) Nope. Normal shape replicators + replicator blockers seem to work fine. I have the Forest Pack code, but I need to get round to integrating the tech and playing with it. I am currently in a STRICT "no playing with tech!" mode. Its all about generating content and art right now. What you see here, combined with the city of Korrinport I showed a while back, represent "Environments phase 1", consisting of a couple of outdoor areas, a city and a dungeon. I am now moving onto entities, NPCs/items. It's my iterative development cycle :
Code systems-> environments->intractable entities->test->feedback into design->modify design->repeat
So I'll look at the forest pack when I swing back round to code in phase 2 ;)
3) ASAP
#6
12/04/2007 (9:58 pm)
Awesome work Gareth!
#7
Seriously though, I'd be most saddened if your working for GG meant no more great content packs. :( I know things are busy there but I have a long list of art needs....come back to us Todd....come back....
12/05/2007 (4:28 am)
Ah, Todd, there you are. Where's that next art pack? ;)Seriously though, I'd be most saddened if your working for GG meant no more great content packs. :( I know things are busy there but I have a long list of art needs....come back to us Todd....come back....
#8
12/05/2007 (8:46 am)
Thats some very impressive environmental work you've done there. Congratulations!
#9
I have been working VERY long days with Tim and other at GG on some kick butt projects, but the down side is that I have about two hours a day that I am not at work , asleep, or some where in between. So needless to say the work on the content packs is going very slowly.
I will be picking production back up as soon as the GG project allows. I expect that will be the 1st of the year roughly.
Gareth if you were looking for any particular items from my update, send me and email. I may have time to get you access to them while the full update is pending completion.
12/05/2007 (9:33 pm)
Working like a crazy man, sorry Gareth, and anyone else who may be waiting on my content pack update or release.I have been working VERY long days with Tim and other at GG on some kick butt projects, but the down side is that I have about two hours a day that I am not at work , asleep, or some where in between. So needless to say the work on the content packs is going very slowly.
I will be picking production back up as soon as the GG project allows. I expect that will be the 1st of the year roughly.
Gareth if you were looking for any particular items from my update, send me and email. I may have time to get you access to them while the full update is pending completion.
#10
Glad to hear you haven't given up on the "content pack scene" though. :)
It's not so much that I'm waiting on any particular item as I am just eager to buy more high quality environment art. Integrating art assets from various sources can be tricky, it never quite fits together well. Your environments provide a great cohesive base to build on.
12/06/2007 (8:04 am)
Hehe, don't worry Todd, was mostly joking with you. Understand how it goes, been working long hours at work myself.Glad to hear you haven't given up on the "content pack scene" though. :)
It's not so much that I'm waiting on any particular item as I am just eager to buy more high quality environment art. Integrating art assets from various sources can be tricky, it never quite fits together well. Your environments provide a great cohesive base to build on.
Torque 3D Owner Matt Huston
Atomic Banzai Games