💾 Archived View for drew-bio.flounder.online › gemlog › 2024-12-03.gmi captured on 2024-12-17 at 09:38:43. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
No need for introductions, that's what a home page is for!
I did some more 3D modelling today over my lunch break at work.
A project I'll probably reference frequently as/when I make posts on here is one I've been chipping away at for... 4 years now? Not sure. Anyway. It's called "Balleborough" ('ba-luh-BRUH': prop'er inglish pronunseeashun). The vibe is supposed to be a sort of... corporatocracy set in a colossal capital city, Balleborough City. Think 17-18th century Venice perched on the top of a 2km-high mesa. The world is in the midst of a Renaissance spurred on by airship travel, and Balleborough - the smallest of the continent of Avaloft's 9 counties - has become the richest due to the booming skywhaling industry and pioneering of their "kinectric grid". This consists of a series of rotating shafts criss-crossed beneath the city, driven by huge turbines that run on burning marsh gas (the same gas which lifts the airships) and provide rotational power to the residents.
There's a lot... lot more to this project. At one point, years back, I got really into Blaseball so the 9 counties HAD to have their own sportsball teams, mascots, logos, etc. ... But that was when it was going to be a VERY DETAILED D&D campaign for my friends. It then spun wildly out of control and became a much bigger entity. I frequently tell my partner I'm going to "do some work on Balleborough" which could mean anything from composing music in LMMS to drafting up exciting new brick wall textures in Substance Designer.
It's now, very definitely, a video game. Or, one "in potentia". I've been throwing myself at the firm, firm wall of 3D modelling and 3D game design for nearly a decade now, and it's all only really settled into my head properly over the past year, maybe two. There's a knack to knowing where to hide the seams, where geometry can simply slide into/behind another piece, using different bits of a texture to make a pretty looking piece of set dressing. But there's so much more that goes into it too:
Your textures have to complement each other & be in a similar art style. However, they can't be so similar that the combined effect looks "muddy" or not... daring! It's a video game! Things should look pretty.
On top of that, your geometry can't be too wildly different either, or your game will look... I believe the industry term is "kitbashed"? Like it's made out of pieces.
But... it... is made out of pieces!
Well yes, but the pieces have to work together! HOWEVER! they must also have pops of flair and distinctiveness to keep things interesting!
Ugh, it's all quite a headache. Because I'm not professionally-trained, either, I often find myself without a way to express problems I'm having. In gamedev & worldbuilding projects, the tentacles extend so, so, so far out that you have to learn a little bit of everything (if you've read my bio, you will know I am **very** fond of this!). Here's an abridged list of the things I have done in the past couple years to build a game, for reference:
I'll try to make another gemlog soon with some of those items featured.
See ya!