Hey everyone!
We're still working on the first major update for shapez 2, Update 0.1.0. While development is going ahead just fine, we're not quite ready to show what exactly we're working on. Though if you haven't already, be sure to check out the devlog about the new game mode planned for this update:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2162800/view/4520017657931497493
Today, Max will take you through the process of the Space Belt redesign of Update 0.0.9. Space Belts became quite a visual highlight in shapez 2, so let's have a look at how the new design came to be!
News
QA Hiring status
Last year we started looking for someone working in Quality Assurance / Game Testing to help us out with processing all your feedback and getting that feedback into the game. Some of you reading this may also have applied!
This process is still ongoing and faced a bit of a delay. We're aiming to have the new QA start sometime in February, so please bear with us and have a bit of patience when reporting a bug or giving us feedback in the Steam forums.
Devlog 028
As a concept artist, you always need to decide between creating something cool and creating something cool that also actually works. For shapez 2, it's almost always the latter.
Space Belts were one of the most common topics in the feedback we got. They did not clearly communicate their functionality and didn't show what was being carried on the belt. One of the biggest problems was that it was unclear Space Belts had different layers and shapes also needed to be retrieved on the layer they were supplied at. This created a lot of bug reports by people who couldn't unload their belts, while attempting to do so on the wrong layer.
Old Space Belts
New Space Belts
For an artist, it's usually easier to focus on creating something that looks visually appealing. When it comes to designing something that is both functional and aesthetically striking however, it becomes significantly more challenging. It needs to work, make sense, look good and fit the shapez 2 identity. Considering the feedback we got, visual clarity was top priority with the redesign.
Getting started
A project like this is started with a lot of discussion and brainstorming. The game design team plays a crucial role here, making sure the functionality is clearly defined from the outset. This ensures I know exactly what I shouldn’t overload with visual noise and what elements need to immediately catch your eye.
One of the first tests clearly created too much visual noise
Once the functional elements are locked in, it's all about research. You need to explore a variety of genres, gather inspiration from diverse designs and let fresh ideas flow into your mind while trying to stay true to the unique style of the game. Only when all that groundwork is done you can finally pick up the digital brush and start painting; it's time for the fun part!
Creating a concept
After narrowing down the numerous sketches to just a few and refining them, it was time for a sync with the development department. Together, we carefully reviewed the designs and brainstormed the key challenges the new system needed to address. For example, how the shapes would change lanes without intersecting or creating excessive visual clutter when crossing paths, and how to ensure smooth transitions while maintaining clarity.
Early Concept Art
Through collaboration, we were able to find a solution that not only met all of our functional requirements but was also something the development team could easily implement with code. The result was a design that balanced both aesthetic appeal and technical feasibility.
The art team created a mock up to give the community a glimpse of how the space belts might look in-game once completed. The goal was to gather player feedback before committing to further work on the design.
The response was overwhelmingly positive, and after considering some of the suggestions from the community, we moved forward with refining the concepts and finalizing the design.
Detailed concept for a straight segment of the Space belts
One might think that was the end of the concept art part; and you'd be wrong. Space Belts are more than just straight lines: they can twist, turn, merge, split and even extend under platforms. You likely already know where this is going, but each of these variations require its own unique asset, attached with specific designs and challenges.
From Sketches to Updates
With a new art workflow – essentially how we handle the process of turning a sketch into the final 3D mesh – we gradually developed every variant over time. This process is far from linear and involves constant collaboration and discussions between 2D/Art Director and 3D Modelling. Some parts often needed adjustments, and occasionally we overlooked certain edge cases (trust me, we definitely did). One example: The tunnel had no mesh solution when placed without being connected to anything. It looked broken and a new concept needed to be done.
Space Belts are an incredibly complex system. In fact, we went through countless iterations on even the smallest components, only to end up discarding many of them later.
As you can see, being a concept artist in a small company of just nine people isn’t all about painting pretty pictures. It’s also about using your brainpower to solve problems, and maybe preserving a bit of your sanity along the way. Just a bit, though.
In the end, the result turned out quite promising. Personally, I believe it enhanced both aspects: visual and functionality. It clearly shows what it's doing and how it would realistically work if we weren't building sci-fi space factories. You can now understand the Space Belt at a glance! This alone makes me happy, but seeing the positive response from the community takes it to another level – it’s incredibly rewarding as an artist.
I hope this brief glimpse gave you some interesting insights into how we approach the art process in our company.
~ Max & the shapez 2 Team
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