Dark Manor Environment - Fun With BSP! Layout update #1

Man it feels good to get back into UDK.

I started out here by layout the basic wall shapes for the front graveyard, courtyard, and manor with BSP. I also added terrain to help figure out a bit about the hill that the manor sits on. Lighting is just a directional light to help seen the terrain form and poke out those window shapes.

The graveyard is meant to have a couple of sheds, outer walls, a gate that will lead into the courtyard, and LOTS of gravestones of course. I laid out some of those here and will probably place some lampposts here to provide the creepy lighting and to reinforce the path through and to the courtyard.

The courtyard is in between and currently doesn't have too much happening yet. I blocked in the statue (which currently is just a couple of cylinders) and worked on the surrounding terrain to get a shape that I liked.

The Manor itself has much to figure out, but I began with the basic outer shape and made sure the size felt decent. Then I began to add in some details for entrances, stairs, and windows on the front face of the building. The Main Hall stairs inside was important to figure out a good height for the 2nd floor, then I went onto adding some shapes that will create the outer hallways on the 1st and 2nd floors.

More to come!

Dark Manor environment - It begins

I've managed to stir up enough energy and motivation to spend the few hours of free time each night planning this new project. It's a new take on an old love that I never did justice so I'm VERY excited to get goin.

I'm planning on this being pretty creepy, so I've done a lot of digging for cool images of cemeteries, old mansions, all while replaying Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, which had one of my all time favorite creepy gamine experiences, the Ocean Manor quest. I highly suggest playing this if you haven't.

Anyway, I've begun on the rough layout for the environment. The cemetery/garden area is the main front area and this is where the player will start. The manor will be looming and hazy in the distance, raised up on a hill from the grounds, maybe with a nice full moon draped over its gables.

The last image is the beginnings of that layout. Looking at it again, I may need to alter the size of the front grounds in relation to the manor itself. Also the manor will need to be cut into 2 images so the 2nd floor is seen on its own. Right now I've drawn both floor on top of each other. Just thinking through some interior ideas as I brainstorm there.

More to come!

Metroidvania

This was completed for an art challenge with the folks at work. The challenge was a fan art crossover and I chose two of my favorite video game series, Metroid and Castlevania. I was even more compelled to complete this one after playing and loathing Metroid: Other M, but that's certainly another story.