(Showcase of the current state of the game)
Week 11
Hi and welcome to the 11th development blog for Unleash!
This week we have been working on a new look for Unleash. Additionally, a range of bug fixes and general game improvements have been implemented. Also, we are currently hard at work at a launch trailer.
Colors
We carefully studied color palettes to find out how we could ensure that all elements of the game presented themselves nicely and orderly. The first task was to map out the different elements in the game into different color spaces. We decided to ensure that the terrain and level elements used relatively low saturation and medium value.
We then went through different color schemes for the level and decided on a red-green-brown scheme. We decided to place monsters in above-medium saturation and value to ensure they stood out. In that process, we realised that many of the colors for monsters were all over the place. Consequently, we have started a process of bringing monsters into a better color range. This, however, will take some time to complete.
Particle systems will reside in the high value, low saturation space. In fact, most particles will end up with medium saturation to blend in with the rest of the look in Unleash, but their value will be in the HDR space to make them emissive.
Towers Hold Their Own
Towers are a story of their own. We reduced the emission on player colors to get a more grungy look. But since towers are a dark metal grey with some rust and brass highlights, they reside in their own part of the color space.
A Better Sun
We also toyed around with the sunlight to improve the look of the scene. It turns out that - surprise - contrast and mood is really affected by the angle and direction of the sun. It’s one of those things where you wonder why we didn’t do that long time ago. Funnily, we actually did, but thought it was too drastic at the time. Anyway, we opted for a slightly setting sun that gave a nice light with longish shadows to create the right effect and make colors and textures come alive.
The Arena
We then moved on to the arena which needed more work to convey the feeling of presence in the tournament. We ended up with some significant changes to the corners and side walls, with some nice new separators. To add some icing to the cake, we added braziers with flames, inspired by e.g. the eternal flame at the olympics.
The Technical Side
On the technical side we worked on drastically reducing the load time of the game. There were many different improvements, including realising that Substances are basically a no-no for runtime materials. Beyond that this week saw many small tweaks and refinements.
Closing Remarks
This week was mainly about the look of Unleash. We think we are getting closer to the images we have in our heads regarding where we want the game to go visually. But of course, you always realise that once you have arrived, you can go even further. So the quest for stunning visuals continues.
We play Unleash every week, and you can join us for our play sessions. Next one is Tuesday the 12th of December at 17:00 / 5 PM (CET). Join us online for a multiplayer Unleash match!
If you want to see how we play, but cannot join the play session, you can watch gameplay videos without commentary through our Twitch profile. We live stream almost every session.
And remember… Monsters never come alone.