REVIEW: Pokémon Uranium - The first 20 minutes

So I decided to review the new fan made Pokémon game: Uranium as a change from showing off my artwork in a cheap attempt for publicity... NAH who am I to kid around. I played this game at the early stages before it was even finished and my god, the finished product is incredible.

So you remember that feeling when you first got Pokémon for the game boy, that feeling of setting out on your own Pokémon adventure with your cute little Charmander (lets face it he da best) then you set off to kick youngster Joey's butt, then the eight gyms elite four and then Blue. One experience we will only get once. However you will not be disappointed, this game captures that very first moment with such nostalgia, the sniveling rival, the choice of the three starter Pokémon even a new professor to press the action button rapidly.

So the first thing I loved is the sense of story you get at the beginning for the first time in Pokémon game history we finally learn a bit more about the silent protagonist we are all use too, we are given a small cinematic which gives the player insight to the protagonists past which then leads up to the reason your character is where he is. I love this because it immediately gives the player a connection to the character and who he is. Makes an absolutely brilliant writing choice to do this.

snippet from the started cut scene

So you move on and the next thing I think is just awesome is the whole "choose your fighter"... Just kidding this isn't Mortal Kombat. The way you get your starter is awesome, you are given a test to determine what strategy is for you. Just like the Fallout 3 G.O.A.T exam you are given a series of questions. Although this is different from choosing your starter as like the original games it gives you an idea of what your Pokémon is going to be good/ weak at. Another awesome thing is that each answer is colour coded towards the corresponding type, so if you want an water type starter, pick blue.

The humour is also really good. - I know people who would say this but with dogs.

The visuals are lush. reminds me of Pokémon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum. Very Vibrant and green with a simple layout of the environment but interesting enough that it makes you want to explore it. The buildings are newly created assets which is also nice, gives the environment that sense of originality; (some Pokémon games use already used assets hence the mention although there is a use of old character assets like trainers n such). Night time is especially beautiful, here are some screenshots to give you a taste.

Starting town

second town glimpse

Night time - real time clock realness

And the most important thing the music, It feels like a Pokémon game, the music that makes you want to go out and explore, the battle theme that gets you pumped and even the sound of safety in the Pokémon Center. This game is something you would expect out of Nintendo themselves.

The battling, is one I'm a little different with, not sure if I like the way the health bar and experience meter are laid out. I found it difficult at first to know what is which until i took the first strike, just feels a little messy. Classic font, love it. the buttons used feel like a Game Boy Advanced Pokémon game attempt at the Diamond and pearl touch screen system, nice too look at and tells you each individual button as is highlighted with the cursor. It keeps most features all the games have but most importantly the music rocks! One criticism (yes again) some of the Pokémon cries are either edited from previous Pokémon or taken. Not a massive fault just looses that uniqueness if you recognize the Pokémon it is taken from. The fire starter Raptorch, has a cry which sounds exactly like Palkia from Gen 4 and a poison type crocodile Pokémon sounded like a Totadile cry. Some edgy animations here and there in the battle screen, but nothing is perfect eh?

Battle screen, cool style? eh?

Love it. if you haven't got it, get it you won't be disappointed. So good for a custom Pokémon game.

And that is all there is to that, just some opinions of a game that I like and credit to me for doing the correct é in Pokémon in every time I typed it, Peace

Concept: Pretty Pictures and Procrastination

So... If you have been reading, skimming or even just scrolling through this I am sure you are currently aware I have been gobbing off my recent idea. So for the gossipy article I am going to bore you to death for a bit while you procrastinate before bed... and if you last long enough show you some "pretty" pictures.

So if one was to ask the question: "What inspired your game" My first response would be, who is this one you speak? But secondly I would say a game which has combined elements off Mass Effect 2 and Fallout 4 the open world of fallout 4, similar game play 3rd person style and the inter planetary travel that Mass Effect offer. That's why I loved the idea of an alternate reality of Earth being in company of a potentially hostile planet. I could say some Metal Gear stuff but finding an effective way to show that level of story telling in a 7 minute game level was... Impractical.

My favourite shot which then became the poster space for my game. 

The funny thing about this I really wanted my level to be an escape the facility scenario. But as a design choice I chose against it because a previous project was also set in a facility with the same kind of situation.

Previous idea, kept the concept of it being Chimer-Tech warehouse, but the idea bored me.
An early 3DS Max render (bas

So! with that in mind I came up with some maps not only for the environment I planned but for the entire planet which they player would get to explore if this game was gunna' be produced by a whole team.. NOTE: These where only a reference and not the final products I intended to use in the game.

Map reference I designed and tried to follow when sculpting in the engine.

DISCLAIMER: The planet was changed to Pauria - pain in greek (or comes from the word)
The map you see here is literally a reference for more story writing.

So I have my locations, and the setting. Next was creatures to inhabit the planet and characters to support some of the roles so... I had a few cool ideas and concepts. Again if anyone needs explaining what concepts

The enemy you see me shooting the crap of in the video HERE 

Cause humans with guns are logical, something tribal for a sci fi game to make it interesting.

Werewolves but German.. nahh these are 75% Human  25% Wolf
*insert controversial remark here*

hoomans with guns - Nova Empire Forces.

The next and final thing was making sure the people could picture some of the main characters, even though some of them didn't make it to the final feature, the visuals exist where the models don't to give the audience some kind of insight how shitty some of the "baddies" are.

Douchebag of the game. If the game was made further on he would be
the asshole who tries to stop you millions of times before actually
facing you off himself... yes, THAT guy

Main Protagonist, we all know about him

The emperor who is the reason the whole story rolls out the way it does
He is also not nice.
He runs an empire and forces his battalions into committing unnecessary genocide.

The weird thing i forgot to mention the whole campaign would of been
multiplayer or the player switches between characters.
He was going to be the second option.

So there you have it more thinking. and some artwork I did to support the creation of my project, if you find yourself reading this and not knowing what is going on, CLICK HERE to see the project that is finished.

Not sure if there is any more gossip on this project other than some of the actual stuff. But shall be updating soon. Stay Fierce and peace.

All artwork and story writing is mine. I Claim copyright act 2006 n such.

From Concept to Creation - Stratospheres

Hey ho! 

So as of recently I finished my final project for uni which was to make a game level. This level had to have a narrative, working game play functionality and be somewhat visually interesting to look at as well as have a win/ lose condition. So, like all projects we draw some stuff and write some stuff and eventually we have a concept ready to be 3D modelled, textured, rigged, skinned, animated and finally programmed in and made into a game. (long list yes we are busy people)

So my first idea came while I was sat on the train on the way home and I had this crappy notebook which we all received from our lecturer (It was useful but for my initial sketches I spent some cash monies on a leather book to show class) - It wasn't classy I just liked it.

This idea I wasn't too fond of, I wanted to go science fiction the moment we was given creative freedom but I didn't know what angle I wanted to go at. So I wrote some more stuff and came up with a story.

- Now imagine a world exactly like Earth but 200 years in the future, suddenly this planet appears from nowhere and as you look, you can see it closing in towards you, moving closer and closer till it stops. Life continues as normal but governments of nations grow concerned off it's presence, and scientists grow curious of how and why it is even there in the first place. The Earth you know becomes united as planetary empire because of the fear and anticipation that comes with the unknown life that may be upon this strange planet.

So communications start and the other planet respond, different species including humans live on this planet and so talks begin about intentions and a positive relationship grow between the governing bodies of the two planets. This then leads of to trading and even inta-stratosphere transit begin. The two planets live peacefully together for 75 years. 

So these 75 years past and a new leader is elected, resources are running dry on this planet named Pauria and the newly formed NOVA empire is in need to make some decisions on how to deal. Damascus the new emperor decides to eradicate life on the planet to drain the last of its resources for the survival of Earth. This leads to invasions from Earth eradicating life on the planets. 

Concept NOVA warmongers 

During the first initial strike of the NOVA Empire the protagonist Laguna a weapons trader for the company CHIMERA-TECH is on the way back from an excursion where the NOVA begin their first strike, being a target you escape the blockade and crash land on the strange planet. Surviving with just a rifle Laguna needs to find an alternate way of the planet before it is eradicated... but before that, he needs to find some kind of civilization so he can find a way back to Earth.-

Laguna - Initial character art

Next blog I will be posting concept art and some of my thinking behind the idea. if you read this well done and have a pat on the back cause you're cool. Peace.

If you haven't seen the game play for my game and would like too click HERE

METAL GEAR DINOSAUR!!! - Part 1 of 3

BACK WITH THE BLOG!
No literally I am 70, retired divorcee with nothing better to do than make stuff, so that's what am doing!

Now judging from my Facebook posts most people on my friends list probably know I am constructing a 3D model of mass destruction so I can eliminate the patriots hierarchy once and for all!!

Nahh I am only kidding I am only modelling Kojima's Metal Gear Rex from the well known and successful franchise Metal Gear Solid - Admit it you said that in snake's voice. Anyhoo moving onward, MGS was probably one of the first video games I played on the unforgettable PlayStation 1. I do believe I was only eight years old when I first picked the game up. I even remember this one time on my first play through I was crying to my eldest brother cause I didn't know how to save Meryl from the sniper boss when he said I had to go back and get the PSG1 and fight her with that.. I was only eight!

Anyhoo I wont droll on to much about the game but as an a way to get myself back on course with the game design stuff I decided to make my own version of Yoji Shinkawa's Metal Gear Rex using a combo of 3DS max, substance painter and Photoshop. So questing out to get some references to see what was install for me.. one word I will use is geometric and really really.. big. (duh)

Metal Gear Rex -MGS1

So knowing that is the madness I will bestow in the 3D world Lets get down to business.

So looking at the design I took away 3 things I needed make sure of:

1. Everything has to mechanically work

So machinery in general is all cogs, pistons, wires, springs, turbines, circuit boards you name it, this means everything what ever mechanical job it has it needs to fit and work with the machine. So for example there are 4 legs in total there are two at the back which tuck into the front while the monstrosity is being piloted and un-tuck when motionless. The same with the legs, just like dinosaurs.. Rawr!!!

http://orangecountydinosaur.com/ORANGE_COUNTY_DINOSAUR_FOSSIL_PHOTOS.html

Anyhoo I am no biologist so moving on (insert laughing emojii here)

2. Which details need modelling and which are bumps

Now if this was to be in a game my main focus would be, what will the player see, what details needs to be modeled and what can i get away with using *normal mapping* so mostly its a large machine so most of it will need modelling as it all sticks out like a fart in a lift (Yay more unwrapping here!) but the main objective is to see how good it can look without the need for unnecessary geometry.

3. Proportions

This thing is HUGE and that can be a problem when you have nothing to compare the scale of the components too. So I had to keep making sure the machine looked proportionally correct throughout by comparing parts of the mech to other parts and using visual observation to make a correct judgement. The funny thing is comparing the cockpit to the size of a human and the rest becomes a more irritating guessing game.

Anyhoo Below are some screenshots of the progress so far! Peace! Or Paz if you're funny about that... ENJOY!

Most Recent/ Finished Model front

A bit of booty 

First Texturing Task - Virtual Bedroom Even Has a Charmander!!!

So my lovely people it has certainly been a while since I have last posted but I can promise nothing interesting has happened in my life to shock anyone... I just spend it doing uni work and listening to music... and eating Doritos. No seriously it's been a busy time.

So as you probably seen on my Facebook (for those that know me personally) you have most likely seen me post some rendered graphics of my current bedroom that I am living in at the moment. Well modelling it was not a problem but texturing for the first time was probably the biggest pain in the ass any game designer will come across.

How texturing works for dummies:

Firstly you model your object, you then select an object modifier called UMV Unwrap - once you do this you have to open up the UV window and select an option to called flatten mapping. This then flattens the entire object for each and every polly that is present in the object. Then us poor game designers have to sit there and play around and stick all the edges back together while screaming from the core of our hearts. We then render a UV template after complaining a dozen times as we definitely didn't sign up for this amount of torment. I joke we all love unwrapping UV's (sarcasm). 

After we done that balls- ache of a task we then do the more fun part, we get the rendered UV template and then we basically stick images or paint the texture according to the green lines which is the flattened version of the object via photoshop.

We then go to the material editor in 3DS Max and slap the material on the object and prey we didn't screw it up. Although satisfying once done.

An example of a UV diffuse - Charmander is looking flat as usual...

Now imagine having to do that for about 20- 30 objects in your room and the more complicated the shape of the object, the more of an ass ache the designer is going to have texturing it.


Now to get the atmosphere of a room lighting and shadowing is very essential to the room otherwise it will just look plain, my room needed to have an obviously bright coloured light with soft edge shadows (my shadows went wrong but meh) to get the effect of the room being lit at night time.

But here is my room! It is missing some objects that are present in the real life version but i had to make do with what time frame I had between learning how to texture and actually making the room itself. I tried to give it that lived in feel so i made the duvet a big janky cause we all know there is no such thing as I totally straight and flat duvet. Well in my room anyways...

See a cute digital Charmander just for you fabulous geeks

Oops there he is again... something real about this one..

I made sure to try and get the textures as accurate as possible along with making sure I get the bedroom with a sense of personality by adding the photos, leaving some objects hanging off other objects (the laptop) and giving things weird angles. 

 I shall be trying to post more frequently if my time constraints don't stop me from doing so anyhoo thanks for reading :3, peace.

Mind to Matter - Character Concept #1

SOOOOO. If you read my last post you probably can guess what this is about and yes I am sharing a design of a character I have been sketching up which is for our courses next module "From Concept to Prototype".

Disclaimer Any designs shared on this post DO belong to me so if you steal it in anyway i am going to make you feel worse than Kim Kardashian having battle against a make-up remover and loosing.  Gunna copyright this shit.

So The Cumbria Game Design students of 2014 - 2017 where all given a genre, and yes I was not the lucky sod that got fantasy or sci-fi (those are my babies <3) Lol seriously I didn't which I am glad about because I wanted to do something a little different, my genre being Gangs and Crime. So with that in mind like cops and robbers I firstly decided on what should my character be good or bad, obviously I chose good #toomainstream. Yes that was a hash tag. So establishing that I took a concept of a police force and thought of something like a vigilante police force called the Armed Intervention Initiative (A.I.I). So this is a police force that fight crime with whatever weapon they specialize with. But instead of judging based on situation anyone involved the scene of a crime will meet their fate with something that will cut or shoot their way into their flesh. Fight fire with fire.

- To fight monster we must become monsters even if it means abandoning our humanity - Armin Arlert - Attack on Titan.

So now we have a little back story on what I wanted my character to be involved in I drew 5 different initial ideas where the character was different in each picture with their own personality traits all inspired by other heroes from other video game/ movies but with a more Daniel J Stanley touch... and glitter. So simply I wanted the character to have a little bit of swerve, or style to his stance and outfit, hence the huge ass coats and collars. The stances of each character gives of a symbol of their characteristics, giving them a bit more individuality.

The left character was an idea of basic english undercover cop with the typical leather jacket.
The center character was inspired by the arrow. Cheers I know the artwork with him is 10 times better

So on the left we have the stereotypical american detective with the trench coat.
The centre was an military crossed with detective look hence the waist coat and cargos.
The lazy shit on the left was more of John Mc'lain inspired with that carefree persona. Must admit he's cool.

So I went for the hooded bad ass dude. What was next I decided to give this set of articulated pencil lines some personality and a bit of a back story.

Me stringing some ideas together to get some sort of personality drawn together

So I stole the middle name from a friend for this, this is Darcy I wanted a name that isn't a regular name as this ouch of the bunch of ideas I had had the most character, and c'mon Darcy the ninja dude. SO, I decided to give him the back story of his family being killed in his young teens, and he sought revenge which he claimed but wanted to do more for the society he lived in, making it a safer place. However he finally got his revenge by killing the murderers, now what's interesting about this although he claimed his vengeance, it wasn't enough so he helped form the Armed Intervention Initiative with a few other members to justify his love for claiming the lives of those who tamper with innocent lives or the graceful society he dreams of building. He is practically emotionless unless he is slicing the shit out of some street thug with his fine blade or shooting the living daylights out of gang-bangers, those will be the only times he will be smiling or even laughing, so yes this character is bit of a "goody too messed up"

His role within the A. I. I is to go undercover and workout crime before they happen, protection through prevention. He also does a lot of intervention through stealth and assassination style killing. Making him the spy, there is a reason to the hood!

Someone's been hitting Primark like a boss, serious these are some clothing designs I made.
The middle is just a trench coat/ hood instead of basic hoodie.
The GEEZA on the right is a more hero based look, cape, armour no hood, yes this guy has a face.

Just concept art to give the idea what he is like in combat

His inventory, he uses 4 tomahawks, a U.S.P handgun/ silencer and a katana sword
His boots have springs attach which connect to his ankles which allow him for high jumps/landings
Also he has seen the lovely day of combat with all them scars on his body

So now my lovely people we have his base image, his back story, his personality, his outfit, his inventory and even a show reel of his skills for future employment in the policing career, so there is one final thing to do, the final product a synopsis.

Darcy the enforcer who carries the lust for blood of those inherit the name of villainy, sweeps the shadows and strikes before crime has a chance to retaliate. If you want a fight, he'll bring a war. The only thing keeping him sane is the dream for street peace and the flowing existence of thuggery. - narrator of the game or me..

So to finish off, here are the final finished drawings of my sketchy creation.

Front View

Side View

Thank you for viewing this blog, I hope you enjoyed! Also I ain't a professional artist but any constructive criticism is welcome, peace.

A Designer's Nightmare - From Mind to Matter

Well hello again you lovely bunch of peoples and today's topic is a bit more of a talky blog about getting an image from someone's brain on to that scrappy bit of paper we call a draft. Now being under the label of "Designer" anyone with this label strapped to them can empathize about how much of a pain in the ass a customer can be when they are trying to describe an idea you come up with a concept to match and they turn around and say it's not right about 300 times when following their strict instructions, fussy gits.

On Friday our lovely class just started a module called "From Concept to Prototype" Now this module if you understand design language is about getting an idea and going through stupid amounts of redesign and then eventually once you finalised and chosen what concept you go with you start construction or use if you're a graphic designer/ illustrator, the concept you use. In game design we call this the prototype. But this applies to anything you build for the first time so make as you will.

So at the start of the lecture our lecturer wanted us to draw a character which he verbally gave us instructions on which he wanted it to look like, Most of the instructions where very... interesting. However I will list the directions he gave

• Girraffe head with 8 Horns and a small neck.
• A Barrel for a body, like an oil drum thing
• Robotic tenticles? - Octermingiraffinator? WTF?
• Followed by stilts for legs. - yep.
• And to finish it off big chunky walking boots. #Fabulous

So this is funny, and it caused a giggle but actually seeing some of the class' work actually amazed me to the point I would stick this abomination of a character in some sort of game. 

Secondly our lecturer gave us another concept but in pure words, we would just describe as a fat Bruce Willis thug guy who loved his mumma's shoe collection.. yes we had to give him sexy prada shoes. This thug obviously loves Jimmy Choo, yes. I did another funny.

Now moving onto the third concept. Our lecturer let one of our class sit in the hot seat and describe a random character concept, and obviously my desperation for attention meant I was going to volunteer myself, so I did and I found myself in front of 22 people hoping I was going to say something normal for a change, and my god, did I disappoint them.

So firstly, my messed up concept, I chose to give the lizard head a cute "tiger main" which I was so lovely corrected that it was lions that have mains. So I repeat a gecko lizard head with a tiger main, with cute little tiny cat eyes. So I patiently let people draw that before blurting out my next idea which was a carrot body (yes the orange vegetable you heard me correct) with mechanics on it's body in the shape of a smiley face. Crazy eh? Then I decided to attach two huge Terminator arms to the the walking death carrot. Don't mess with this bitch or it will mess with you. Moving on from his overly HENCH robotic arms, I decided to give him human like legs with the lovely asset of shorts. And to finish this fashion- challenged death carrot, I decided to give him a lovely pair of kinky high heel boots. Yes. I even got the pleasure of naming this vegetable beast. Yes I named it Hashtag Janet, Hashtag as a word not a symbol. 

Alex Stockwell AKA Savamther - A design from my mind, very bad ass. 

Now after seeing what everyone created it was exciting to see how all these different styles and looks of the same character concept I came up with on the spot. Now the interesting thing was how many classmates questioned the concept into detail and the amount of times I said to everyone; "you can choose" because I kept missing out the little details that in which I will call the 'Designer' needed in order to come up with the perfect design. This is where the title A Designers Nightmare comes into it. How can people come up with the correct concept if you miss the little details. And where designers can empathise with me you need all the details to project something from the mind and put it into a sketch or concept. The moral of the story, if you're going to get something designed, know what you want because Game Designers, Graphic Designers, Interior Designers and even Make-up Designers, we are not mind readers. If you're not happy be more specific.

Ayrton Scanlan's - Carrot Demon from hell... Or my mind...

And as much fun the lecture was, I learned that details are the bits that count. Because missing details will piss off anyone thats a designer. Unless you're not a fussy git (like me). Then using the imagination is also fun :D

A fine Carrotation By Libby Nixon, she read my mind,
and then judged me. https://www.facebook.com/LNixonArts

Zara Abbas - If Jaxx from Mortal Kombat was a Karrot and cross-dressing. This would be him.

Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed this blog update I just wanted to thank my class mates in the FDA of game design for giving me the chance to explore this way of thinking, and a special thanks to Libby Nixon, Ayrton Scanlan, Zara Abbas and Alex Stockwell for letting me use their designs as examples of my concept for this blog. Peace.

Check out Libby's Art page I can guarantee you will not be disappointed. https://www.facebook.com/LNixonArts