Dear Community!
The previous devblog included a simple representation of one of the production chains in the process. The introduction of this simple diagram of making baijiu inspired us to share more icons and our thought processes when creating them. Alongside the icons, we’d like to share concept art for the buildings they represent.
Clarity is one of the major factors in creating icons for any mechanic or element of the game. We want to implement simple connections between buildings, resources and simple visual representations of them. Some things are easier to show than others a simple look into Chinese culture and lifestyle was an immense inspiration. The baijiu jars are used to this day and are an easy insight into the lives of ancient Chinese. So we decided to take what we could have found in our research and in one way or another apply it to our icons.
The vast majority of the citizens were obviously farm workers, so in their daily lives, they saw equipment and animals used to produce food for the Empire. We took this experience and as we decided which animals to assist the farmers, the immediate thought was the water buffalo. These massive animals have the strength to work all day in the fields. This is why they are common in our game and are the representation of draft animals.
Another element of the agricultural landscape that could have been a common sight for farm workers were the windwihirls. We use them to pump water so your crops can grow faster in the summer months.
The elites’ lives were much more luxurious, so they could indulge in all forms of art. This very much included visiting the theatre and playing instruments. We included manufacturers making musical instruments. The workers create magnificent traditional drums and pipas, which became the icons to represent the entire production building.
Those instruments are also used in the theatre to enhance the performance of the actors. Traditional Chinese theatre has a very distinct look to it and costumes used by actors are easy to recognise even from far away. This is why we decided to assign the mask to represent the theatre.
Here is also an additional round of icons representing all sorts of resources, which will keep your citizens fed and safe. These icons will help you quickly navigate production chains, thanks to which our cities will grow large and stronger than ever before.
These are just a few examples of icons we created to help with a clear and cohesive look of the game. There are dozens of buildings and mechanics with distinct icons, which we want to keep in relative secrecy, so we can surprise you later on. We are looking forward to your feedback and ideas on how we could simplify the mental connections we try to create between icons and resources or buildings. Join our Discord and follow our social media to see more screenshots and learn more about our games!
See you!
The Devs
