Game Art - Exercise: Game Concept Pitch Desk

24/04/2024 - 14/06/2024 | Week 1 - Week 8

Glen Owen | 0354952

Game Art | Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media

Exercise - Game Concept Pitch Desk

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INSTRUCTION

Fig 1.1 Module Information

Exercise - Game Concept Pitch Desk

In this exercise, we need to choose a game that we intend to alter the art direction/aesthetic. Based on our choice, we will then create a world with initial concept arts and collections of reference and extracting information that is shown in our mood board. We also need to include South East Asian culture, folklore, or any unique component to our design later on. I chose my current frequently played game, Clash of Clans, since it's a simple game in my opinion and that the style of the game is all stylized in a cartoonish way. (I decided to start working early before semester starts because I learnt from my mistake).

 

Fig 2.1 Clash of Clan Information Extraction (<Week 1, 17/04/2024)

With that settled, it's time to figure out what kind of characters I should make for this module. I followed the requirements needed which is based on South East Asian culture. I came up with:

• 2 Mobs
• 1 Hero
• 1 Boss
• 1 Arena

1. Merlion (Mob #1)

The Merlion is a mob that is inspired from Singapore's iconic mascot, the Merlion. It has a form of a lion with a fish tail merging to its body, like a mermaid. It mainly uses it's claw and tail to attack but would rarely use its head or jaw.

Fig 3.1 Early Mood board (<Week 1, 17/04/2024)

I mainly took reference on the Merlion based on the antagonist that is featured in Kong: Skull Island, the Skullcrawler (Titanus Cranium Reptant). The Skullcrawler is a bipedal mob that has a skull-like head pattern. It has a long arm and tail to attack its enemy. 

Fig 3.2 Initial Merlion Concept Idea (<Week 1, 18/04/2024)

In this concept, I made #1 as the base/template for other variations. #2 was supposed to be a hybrid-sort while #3 is a more aquatic type. I did some other exploration in making the character sheets such as on how they would move. There's also an extension that I made to explore more for the design of the mob.

Fig 3.3 Design Exploration (Week 1, 26/04/2024)

Fig 3.4 Movement Sequence (Week 2, 05/05/2024)

2. Hoggie the Hog (Mob #2)

Hoggie is a hog pet that has gone rogue after being abused and mistreated by it's owner. This mob is inspired from Indonesian folklore mythology called "Babi Ngepet". Legend says that Babi Ngepet is a person who uses a black magic infused cloak to transform themselves into a boar and would draw people's treasure just by rubbing itself to the people's wall/furniture.

Fig 4.1 Early Mood board (<Week 1, 17/04/2024)

Fig 4.2 Initial Hoggie Concept Idea (<Week 1, 18/04/2024)

The design is rather simple to be honest because in this concept idea, I am just playing around with their forms and look at different kind of boar body shape as some of them are blockish, triangular, and round.

Fig 4.3 Design Exploration (Week 4, 19/05/2024)

Fig 4.4 Movement Sequence (Week 2, 05/05/2024)

3. Sentinel Guardian (Hero)

The Sentinel Guardian is a hero that has a mastery on her water manipulation. She is inspired from Indonesian folklore called "Nyai Roro Kidul". Nyai Roro Kidul is said to be a supernatural being and is the queen of the Southern sea in Sundanese and Javanese mythology. Nyai Roro Kidul is sometimes depicted in the form of a mermaid with her lower body in the form of a snake or fish, sometimes also depicted as a very beautiful woman. She is believed to take the soul of anyone she wants. Sometimes she is said to have the form of a snake. This belief may stem from the legend about the Princess of Pajajaran who suffered from leprosy. Her skin disease was probably thought to be the same as a snake shedding its skin. 

Fig 5.1 Early Mood board (<Week 1, 17/04/2024)

Fig 5.2 Initial Concept Idea (<Week 1, 20/04/2024) 

In this concept ideas, I tried to depict the Sentinel Guardian as a mage/specialist-type of hero. She wields a staff/trident to channel her water magic to manipulate water. The reason that #2's design is different than the other is because I am trying to test on whether it would be better if she had legs or fish tail.

Fig 5.3 Design Exploration (Week 1, 29/04/2024)

Fig 5.4 Movement Sequence (Week 2, 07/05/2024)

4. Verdant Guardian/Molten Scourge (Hero)

Verdant Guardian/Molten Scourge is a boss mob that is inspired from 2 cultures. I want to try something different with this character because I thought it would be interesting if I combine two cultures and see if it might result with a interesting design or the other way around. The reason I am displaying 2 different names for this mob is because I haven't decided on a specific theme for this specific mob.

The Verdant Guardian/Molten Scourge is a boss mob that is inspired from the world serpent of traditional pre-islamic Javanese mythology called "Antaboga" and the world serpent of Norse mythology called "Jörmungandr" or simply known as "Midgard Serpent" or "World Serpent".

As the name suggested, the boss would have a power that is related to nature/fire-like magic to attack and defend itself.

Fig 6.1 Early Mood board (<Week 1, 17/04/2024) 

Fig 6.2 Initial Concept Idea (<Week 1, 18/04/2024) 

It is quite difficult to visualize the idea into the concept but what I am trying to say in this concept ideas is that the boss would have a crown that could blind enemies. It has a wing to fly and create storm with it. The tail is weaponized and I took inspiration from the rattlesnake's tail.

Fig 6.3 Design Exploration (Week 1, 29/04/2024)

Fig 6.4 Movement Sequence (Week 2, 06/05/2024)

Not only I made a concept, but I also did a 3D Model for this mob. I found it intriguing for it to be in 3D so I tried using Zbrush to sculpt it and using Substance Painter to texture it.

Fig 6.5 - 6.8 Head scale variation (Week 9, 23/06/2024)

Fig 6.9 Initial Blockout (Week 8, 12/06/2024)

3.  Arena

 The first concept, Hydrofire Scenery, the name's suggested, the scenery would be a combination between water and fire elements. Nestled in a valley where the realms of water and fire converge, a village unlike any other. This unique settlement sits at the juncture of the serene oceanic south and the blazing volcanic north, a place where extremes of temperature create a breathtaking and perilous landscape.

Fig 7.1 Mood board (Week 6, 03/06/2024)

 

Fig 7.2 Photobashed Arena (Week 6, 03/06/2024)

The addition of the arena is rather a sudden addition because I just realized that it was needed for the exercises. I had no time to create an actual concept sketch thumbnail so what I did is photobashing existing sceneries from Clash of Clan and blend them with some gradient tool and generative AI tools. The use of generative AI tools in this work is to understand more on what they are capable of. Honestly in my opinion, AI do did help me, but they are often a pain in the back because sometimes you wouldn't get something you want instantly and the amount of time they generate could be dependent on your connection. Still, this is just an experimentation and not an actual submission.

Fig 7.3 - 7.4 Mockup (Week 6, 03/06/2024)

 After some time, I realized how this isn't working well. So I decided to change the idea and tried to merge my Environment Design module into this module. Using the interior in Environment Design module as the arena.

Fig 7.4 Arena Exploration

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FINAL SUBMISSION

Fig 8.1 Exercise Submission (Extraction) (Week 8, 12/06/2024)

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REFLECTION

The exercise part of this module is just what we did in our project, but in a exploration way. I learnt that making variation will not always result in a good way but rather more confusing because client/viewer will tend to get confused if say they have 2 designs that they liked. In that case, I will try not to make more variation when designing and will do a maximum of 4 in the future. 

Something that I also learn is that I must always think of the functionality of a design. If it's working or not, it will be very depending on the result. I have learnt a lot under Mr. Kanaan guidance and felt more open visually in the design industry thanks to him. Though I must admit it tend to drain me.

In my previous semester I only done like one character for one module while this one, I made 4 characters and an arena as well. It's not much but for me it's at least a big improvement.