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Hi... As you all know, we are replacing the Rookie Ships in EVE with... 'New and Improved' Rookie Ships.
They are almost done, but before they can be marked as 'Done',
they have to go through a lot of different stages... all the way from the Concepting Stage.
We are going to take you through that process - the process required to get new Art Assets into EVE Online.
We decided to re-design and re-do the Rookie Ships - to improve the 'first impression' of EVE,
y'know, for new players...
We've also been getting a lot of requests for 'fixing them' - and I personally haven't been happy with the look of them, for years...
So it's a good time - or a good point, to start with them now...
I work closely with the concept artists throughout the process, and it starts with me and him coming up with a few ideas...
Maybe I suggest what I would like to be fixed in the design, or in the re-design, and often the Concept Artist does a few sketches,
and I pick out what I like, and he takes it further...
My role, is to make sure that there is consistency in the Style of EVE, and what the Concept Artists are designing
- make sure it fits into the style of the Races or Factions within EVE and the Overall-Theme...
- and make sure there isn't anything too happy... and bright... and pink.
First thing when we start a new project, I will just discuss with the Art Director
- what we're 'looking for' in that design.
So, after that I will just sit down, and usually, throw out a few sketches.
Then I'll meet with the Art Director again, and we will pick some designs to take further...
once we've polished that some more, we'll get a 3D Artist maybe, to 'block something out' - or I will do that myself.
Once the 'Block-out' is ready, I will paint over that and, kind-of, finalise the design.
My role, as a 3D Modeller is, basically - taking the Concepts and turning them into a Model, - and adding all the details, and all the beauties that we see in the Concepts...
...Make them useable in the game.
So... to do that, I basically do two kinds of models;
that is, the Low-Poly Model - that is, basically, the model that goes into the game.
And on top of that, I create a High-Poly version of the Ship - and use that to 'bake' all the details onto the Low-Poly version.
And then, basically we get, like, a 'Normal-Map' that shows all the details in the model,
and 'Ambient-Occlusion-Map', and that - together with the model - I give to a Texture Artist
That then creates extra sets of textures to... like, 'Specular-Maps' and 'Detail-Maps'
- and all that, combined together with the model is then what you see in the game.
When we do the textures we need to be true to the Concept Art.
It takes about two weeks to 'Concept' a Ship...
...It depends on if it's supposed to be very 'worn' or 'shiny' looking...
It usually takes more time to 'mess it up', and make it more 'worn', or have 'more history', or something...
So, as embedded 'Art Q.A.' we really follow the Art Assets all the way through their production.
So, that's from the start of its life as a Concept, through the 3D modelling packages...
its transition into our proprietary engine, and then out into the build that the users get to play.
So... Our main tasks are; checking the Maps, the Geometry... making sure that all that stuff works correctly...
the Sound Effects... Visual Effects...
checking the Turrets and Hard-points fit on correctly... All that stuff falls under our jurisdiction.
So, we check those right through, and... it doesn't really get out the door until Q.A. says, "It's good."
And that's on both PC, and Mac.
We look forward to showing you more of what is coming in 2012 in up-coming videos...
And before you get in your new Rookie Ship...
Don't forget to 'Suit-up'.