3D Week 1

The fall semester has started and Tuesday we had our very first 3D lesson. We had an introduction to the course and went through the elements of art before, in groups, analysing how they were applied in a few game screenshots.

The first image we discussed in our group was from Batman. The very first thing you see when looking at the image is the bad guy standing over Batman who is lying on the ground. This has been achieved much thanks to the use of positive and negative space, since there is a great contrast in the blurriness of the background and the details of the characters. It is however also much because of the application of value in the image, it is very low key which causes the strong highlights to create a dramatic feeling and a clear focal point in the image.

The composition of the image is mainly diagonal, it makes you feel like there is action and that something is about to happen. The posing of the main character of the image is also diagonal but it also gives a contrasting vertical line that makes him look dominant, strong and dangerous, towering over Batman.

One thing that we thought of was that there is not much difference between the two characters and it is difficult to see which one is the good one unless you know that it is Batman, although the sharp shapes and hint of red in the costume of the standing character does give you a sense that he is not a nice guy.

The second image was from Bioshock Infinite where diagonal perspective lines and open space in the centre towards the statue is used to make the player to go forwards. The vertical composition of the buildings and the statue makes you feel small, this is aided by the fact that it looks like you are very close to the ground. The buildings in the foreground is also slightly tilted towards the centre, like they are towering above you, urging you to move forwards.

The High Key values and happy colour scheme, almost childish, provides a great contrast to the shapes and composition which makes the player feel like there is something wrong. It seems as if the world is trying to look happy and safe, when in reality it is not.

 This image from Dishonored is quite similar to the one from Bioshock, the horizontal line of the water as well as the bird calmly circulating is in contrast of the menacing vertical and diagonal lines of the city. 

Again space and diagonal lines are used to show the player where to go, the two buildings on the right are very dominant thanks to the contrast in detail against the background urging the player to move in between them.

 

We found the final image, from Penumbria, very difficult to analyse and we felt that it was hard to tell what is happening since there is a great contrast in the character just standing there and the monster behind him looking like it is moving really fast. 

Similar to Bioshock they have used perspective lines to show the viewer where the focal point is but here it is also aided by the dramatic Low Key values with an extreme light source placed in the centre of it. We felt that the shapes, light, colours scheme and textures showed us a dark, dirty and run down world, with the scene taking place somewhere underground.

For Wednesday’s seminar we were asked to create a level inspired by a game and a keyword and to use the elements of art to portray it, I chose Mass Effect and danger.

When I think of Mass Effect I think of a sci-fi indoor environment with lots of low objects and walls to hide behind. I started with creating a corridor, to make it appear dangerous I decided to place the exit to the side so it would look less open and the player will be unable to see what is on the other side before coming very close.

To make the player feel like something dangerous is about to happen, that enemies will emerge from the back door, I decided to place several low boxes behind which they will have to hide. I chose to place them in a zigzag pattern, creating diagonals that the player will need to follow to get through the level.

 

The reason for making them low was both of how I remember Mass Effect and because it will make the player feel more exposed, like it is more difficult to hide than it would be if I had created full size walls.

To enforce the diagonals I created in the movement pattern I placed triangles by the door, inspired by a door from Mass Effect, and some pipes going across the wall. I coloured them red to match my keyword and their direction help to show the player which way to travel. They are placed on the left side since that is the direction the player will look first since that is where the first protection is placed.

When we discussed our levels in groups, my classmates instantly recognised the game and the keyword. This was due to the shapes and the diagonal placement of the obstacles providing shelter for the player as well as the enclosed environment.