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Hey everyone! Time for another #makingofarcus thread! This time we'll be looking at the ballroom level 
Before we get started lets take a look at a full playthrough!
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Before we get started lets take a look at a full playthrough!
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I tend to make content on a 'needs' basis, so lets go over what I needed to accomplish:
Establish a flaw in Elle's (at this point in dev) perfect character portrayal
Break up the gameplay to prevent monotony
Explain why leadership isn't dealing with the skels.
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Establish a flaw in Elle's (at this point in dev) perfect character portrayalBreak up the gameplay to prevent monotonyExplain why leadership isn't dealing with the skels.2/
Notice how these needs mean that I couldn't use the core gameplay systems. I decided to make a simple 'story based' level that involved navigating a 3D space to get to a goal. Because of this, I made the level optional.
Lets take a look at an early build (from 2017!)
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Lets take a look at an early build (from 2017!)
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Players navigate the level by tapping on the pillars while avoiding patrons to manage Elle's anxiety. To help convey this I used the 'tower paint'
This isn't explicit, but I always felt that the paint wasn't actually there, and Elle was imagining it as they kept her grounded
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This isn't explicit, but I always felt that the paint wasn't actually there, and Elle was imagining it as they kept her grounded
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Speaking of Elle's anxieties in crowds, I had to convey this in the opening cutscene. I used many methods, one of them being each consecutive shot getting closer to Elle, leading to a full frame of her face.
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Crowd scenes are always difficult, but doubly so on limiting hardware like mobile. I developed 3 types of patrons for the sake of performance: Fully rigged and animated (close), 3D static meshes (mid distance), and 2D cut outs (far). All 3 of these types are picture below.
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The 2D cut outs were the most fun to create! They consist of a rendered turn around of the patron that is 'cut out' via polygons and assembled like a cardboard marquee.
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Moving on to the level, the tree symbol you might have seen around the level is the sigil of Magicat City. It represents life and wealth born from destruction, as Magicat is the first city built in the dead lands, which was the result of the catastrophe that made magic taboo
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Elle's outfit was something I spent a lot of time getting right. Elle has a very masculine energy to her so I wanted to reflect that in her outfit, while also preserving her femininity. Enjoy this extremely old piece of concept art from 2016 as well!
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At the end of the level, a brief cutscene plays explaining why leadership doesn't deal with the skel threat.
This explanation of 'they are doing nothing cuz it benefits them' is something I want to expand on later, but who knows if I'll have an opportunity to!
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This explanation of 'they are doing nothing cuz it benefits them' is something I want to expand on later, but who knows if I'll have an opportunity to!
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A few extra details and tidbits to close out:
If this level is played before the desert level is cleared, Steph can be spotted keeping an eye on things.
The chandelier assets are a combination of cards and cylinders with an alpha transparency.
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If this level is played before the desert level is cleared, Steph can be spotted keeping an eye on things.The chandelier assets are a combination of cards and cylinders with an alpha transparency.11/
The nobility patrons don't have any eyes as Elle sees them more as obstacles than people in her current anxious state.There is an empty alcove that was going to house a symphony that was playing the diegetic music you hear in the level, but it was cut for time12/
Before the noble patrons were created, villager models were used as a stand in. I kept a few in the final level to honor that (I'm weird I know)Nobles wear their money (orange notes) as a symbol of their wealth. This is mocked by the peasantry as it looks silly.13/
As a bonus, here is some more super old concept art from 2016!That's it for the ballroom breakdown! Thank you for reading!
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