Islands - Tree's

Zac discovered a program called Tree[d]. As he says on his blog, it generates tree's. you change around a few settings and you can get a completely different looking tree EXTREMELY quickly. I had fun playing around with it a bit.

Games Workshop - Personal Project

When I initially thought of what I would do as my personal project, I assumed it would be environment modeling. It's what I have enjoyed doing the most over the course. But, in the back of my mind I remembered having loads of fun with Visual effects in a Tafe course I did just before uni. The problem is, I haven't really done any since then and unfortunately the Games Degree doesn't include any course on the subject. When I talked to Matt about it, he seemed to think it was a good idea. Nobody else had thought of doing it, so if I do succeed with it (which is my plan...) then I'll be the only person to come out of this course with that kind of specialization.

Which would be really cool.

So I'm going to have a crack at doing visual effects this semester. Not the coding part of it, which I'm told can often be shoved with it. Instead I'm going to offer my help with every projects visual effects needs, look up all the tutorials I can to help me get through. And hopefully in the end I'll have gained enough skills and enjoyment to keep going through to next semester.

Aside from the main game projects, I really like the idea of creating some nice looking weather effects for a scene. Whether it's one I find off the internet, or maybe even one of the environment modelers personal projects.

More ideas to come.

Islands - More pictures!

Now with trees, and much much more.

And the addition of the new Island that Cameron modeled.

Islands - Prototype Progress

Since Zac posted the Unity project with the flying script implemented. I have been messing around with the cloud layer textures, and also trying to create some nice looking volumetric clouds to fly through.

Here are some quick captures of the scene

This is one I took while testing, and I'm surprised at how well it came out.

Now I will be populating the Islands with some trees.

Islands - Concept 2

Image with the island

Edited with more trees...

Islands - Concept

The beginnings of some concept art for the prototype. This image here is what we hope it will be like when flying through the clouds.

I'll be drawing an Island in next.

Islands - ideas

After looking at Matt's questions about our game, specifically "What do you do on an island?". We had thought about having a central town, maybe the place the game starts. Where you get given an objective. For example, A town person asks you to take a picture of a lovely looking waterfall on one of the islands. You fly off to the island, take the picture and bring it back.

But then Zac came up with the idea of getting given a letter and a photograph from a character that you need to deliver. All you know is that this place is on a specific island. You then fly to the island (maybe using a compass) and use the photograph to find the place the letter needs to be delivered.

As we are trying to keep a relaxing theme, they are fairly similar. If the game moves past the prototype stage maybe both ideas could be implemented.