CALLING ALL ENVIRONMENT ARTISTS!

[AdamBrome]

Hey guys,

I wrote up a small article for my blog on the importance of story telling as an environment artist. It's been something I have been 'preaching' now for a while and I finally put all my thoughts down in writing.

The last couple of weeks my inbox has gotten an influx of e-mails asking for critiques and every one I replied to got the usual critiques on their mesh and this one important suggestion: Expand, tell a story.

I tried to write it for aspiring & new artists, but would love to read input from all likes of game artists.

Check it out!

Environment Artist: The Story Teller

Thanks everyone!

[PhilipK]

Nice article there. This is something I try to think about a lot but sometimes still too little sadly.

I feel this is also something very important for leveldesigners to get right. How they place your stuff in the level is quite critical to whether it'll help creating a convincing environment.

[mjens]

Nice article.

Don't you think that few years ago there was no Props Artists, Level Designers and others. There was one, max 3 persons who made all the models, textures and it was good - the games was moody! Now almost every game is made like in factory. There are 5 guys which are making barrels, trees and cars, 3 guys making building and 6 guys putting all assets together and in most games everything looks like crap. The game without good Environment Artist is styleful but it not creates mood.

Quick lang question:

The word "persons" is good?

[Psy]

I agree. That's why I prefer mods that are made by smaller teams.

[Evert]

Sort of off topic, but in response to Seir's and Psycho's comment:

And also most mods are never released.

Management is probably the biggest problem when it comes to everything being put together badly.

The prop artists have developed their artistic skills, and more people are needed to make the games as they are way more complex now then they used to be, but if the larger teams are badly managed and when there is no clear concept you end up with a lot of mixed quality both gameplay and graphics wise.

If studios don't see the need for better management when the teams are growing, well that sucks.

The biggest issue in larger teams is the ego aspect.

A lot people find it frustrating that you no longer have YOUR level, but you have to work together with a lot of people making that part of the game.

[Rick_D]

Sort of off topic, but in response to Seir's and Psycho's comment:

And also most mods are never released.

Management is probably the biggest problem when it comes to everything being put together badly.

The prop artists have developed their artistic skills, and more people are needed to make the games as they are way more complex now then they used to be, but if the larger teams are badly managed and when there is no clear concept you end up with a lot of mixed quality both gameplay and graphics wise.

If studios don't see the need for better management when the teams are growing, well that sucks.

The biggest issue in larger teams is the ego aspect.

A lot people find it frustrating that you no longer have YOUR level, but you have to work together with a lot of people making that part of the game.

yeah, good insight tbh

i feel i can't go back to a mod because it's so tedious waiting for others to play catch up, or to be looking at everything thinking "this could be so much better"

[FrieChamp]

Sort of off topic, but in response to Seir's and Psycho's comment:

And also most mods are never released.

Management is probably the biggest problem when it comes to everything being put together badly.

The prop artists have developed their artistic skills, and more people are needed to make the games as they are way more complex now then they used to be, but if the larger teams are badly managed and when there is no clear concept you end up with a lot of mixed quality both gameplay and graphics wise.

If studios don't see the need for better management when the teams are growing, well that sucks.

The biggest issue in larger teams is the ego aspect.

A lot people find it frustrating that you no longer have YOUR level, but you have to work together with a lot of people making that part of the game.

yeah, good insight tbh

i feel i can't go back to a mod because it's so tedious waiting for others to play catch up, or to be looking at everything thinking "this could be so much better"

Is it any different when working on retail games?

(no offence, just speaking from personal experience)

[Zeta]

i just looked at a couple of videos on the crysis editor and i gotta say frie, you're one lucky son of a bitch, that thing is insanely cool

[Minos]

Good read adam.

[-HP-]

Very nice!

[Evert]

I didn't mean only mods, it goes for all growing busineses probably.

[Rick_D]

Sort of off topic, but in response to Seir's and Psycho's comment:

And also most mods are never released.

Management is probably the biggest problem when it comes to everything being put together badly.

The prop artists have developed their artistic skills, and more people are needed to make the games as they are way more complex now then they used to be, but if the larger teams are badly managed and when there is no clear concept you end up with a lot of mixed quality both gameplay and graphics wise.

If studios don't see the need for better management when the teams are growing, well that sucks.

The biggest issue in larger teams is the ego aspect.

A lot people find it frustrating that you no longer have YOUR level, but you have to work together with a lot of people making that part of the game.

yeah, good insight tbh

i feel i can't go back to a mod because it's so tedious waiting for others to play catch up, or to be looking at everything thinking "this could be so much better"

Is it any different when working on retail games?

(no offence, just speaking from personal experience)

lol, good point tho

I guess the only way to make a game you really feel proud of is to go to sleep and dream.

[mjens]

When all the team members are well menaged the game can be moody but when some guys are new in team or they have brain locked for critique the project will have differences.

About the ego:is that bad? When I have an idea and someone is making his shity ideas on my map it is normal to say "Leave my map alone" or just "Your ideas are not good" or sth like that. EVERYONE want to make a good map but if I have to work in a team on one map I could work only with friends with good contacts...

[Skjalg]

When all the team members are well menaged the game can be moody but when some guys are new in team or they have brain locked for critique the project will have differences.

About the ego:is that bad? When I have an idea and someone is making his shity ideas on my map it is normal to say "Leave my map alone" or just "Your ideas are not good" or sth like that. EVERYONE want to make a good map but if I have to work in a team on one map I could work only with friends with good contacts...

If I understood what you said here correctly, then I don't think you will get far with that attitude. Just because it's not your idea doesn't always make it shitty. And you will have to be able to compromise.

[Evert]

Agreed with skjalg.

If your ideas are good and you work in a good open environment those ideas will probably be added to the game anyways.

If you want to work on YOUR map you better make the levels first at home and then try to sell them to any given company that constantly add new content to their games through updates and patches. It works better in multiplayer probably, but in a storydriven game where you want a good learning curve, everything will have to be planned and checked at all times, and rotation of the levels is probably important if you want to optimize the use of everyones talent.

"Leave my map alone" is not good, "Your ideas are not good" is more then OK though, if you can come up with something better.

Regarding "...or they have brain locked for critique the project will have differences.", then they are not the right people to work in the gaming industry. When there are teams with 30+ people there will be a LOT of different opinions, that is where a good management is even more important, since the people responsible for the management must be able to see which ideas are good, which are do able, and which will just not fit the given game.