Mobius Digital
  • Games
    • Outer Wilds - Echoes of the Eye
    • Outer Wilds
    • Beacon 38
    • Terra Chroma
  • News
  • Team
  • Jobs
  • Press
  • Support
  • Contact
  • More
    • Outer Wilds: A Thrilling Graphical Text Adventure
    • Privacy Policy
    • Fan Content Policy

From Design to Art With Love

12/10/2015

 
Our designer Loan Verneau discusses the design-art relationship on Outer Wilds!

With a game like Outer Wilds, it has been critical for us, the designers, to work closely with the art team when it comes to the creation of the levels. First, because a large part of the game is told through environmental storytelling. Secondly, with a game about player-driven exploration, visually guiding the player towards points of interest is vital.


One of our biggest challenges is to ensure players never end up lost in an environment for a few minutes before finding what they are looking for. As there are no markers on the screen or minimap as to where things are, the content needs to be immediately identifiable when arriving in a new area. The last thing we want is to make the players feel like they need to check every corner in case we hid something there.

The start of that collaboration comes with us using the concept art our art team created as a visual reference for our graybox. When I start designing a place, I like to reproduce a crude version of the concept art look. It keeps me within the visual constraints of the game and often inspires new level design ideas.
Picture
Picture
Following that first pass, comes a long phase of level design, placing of content, playtesting, and continual iteration until we are comfortable with the level flow and the way information is communicated. After that we lock the design, meaning we are turning the greybox over to the art team.

To facilitate that transition, we need to communicate all the design constraints as well as important details playtest has shown were necessary. Luckily, Avimaan helped us create a way to annotate our Maya scene.
Picture
Screenshot 1: Simple crater model without props
Picture
Screenshot 2: Adding a simple guideline mesh to highlight a walkable path
Picture
Screenshot 3: Adding a vision marker that indicates a player needs to see X from position Y
Picture
Screenshot 4: After a while, things can get a bit messy...
Once each marker is documented correctly, I am ready to meet with the 3D modeller in charge of that level. First we play through the area in Unity and discuss the general feel of each area. Then we switch to Maya and I explain each marker and its significance before leaving that baby level in their expert hands.
Picture
Loan points to some of the markup in the Maya scene
Picture
Loan shows off his greyboxed Timber Hearth to Alex & Wesley
Murplesman
12/11/2015 12:29:14 pm

Nice guys! Keep up the good work :D


Comments are closed.

    Archives

    November 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    September 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    September 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

    From the

    strip

    Updates on our games, our process, and the joys of being Mobius Digital.

    Categories

    All
    Art
    Outer Wilds
    Step By Step

    RSS Feed

Follow us on
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Privacy Policy     Fan Content Policy
  • Games
    • Outer Wilds - Echoes of the Eye
    • Outer Wilds
    • Beacon 38
    • Terra Chroma
  • News
  • Team
  • Jobs
  • Press
  • Support
  • Contact
  • More
    • Outer Wilds: A Thrilling Graphical Text Adventure
    • Privacy Policy
    • Fan Content Policy