Real Worlds - Research Dossier

 

Research Dossier

SWOT Analysis - Based on Deliverables

What pathway did I choose - 3D Pathway

Strengths - Talking about my strengths considering this project , I decided on choosing the 3D pathway compared to selecting the 2D pathway due to my opinion on my skill level when it comes to each aswell of each pathways for the character and environment especially when it comes down to creating environments as I cant understand perspective effective enough in a 2D aspect however considering the environment in 3D planes and objects to me its more simple to break down and understand which is how I came to the conclusion of selecting the 3D pathway for both sections of the project.

Weakness - Whilst the Majority of the 3D Elements , I'm able to understand to a degree on how each of the different set tools are able to function however the section on working towards a working rigged sculpt is going to be something that's going to take a longer time out of the project to have a working final rig compared to something that would be breaking every 2 seconds.

Opportunities - Thanks to looking through this project brief and working with the clients Mantic Games who are already an existing company inside of the game industry , it allows me to take into consideration the steps and skills needed to work on to even take a step forward in the industry and gain more experience as this project continues on and chances at future job chances once this project is over.

Threats -  The biggest threat that I would consider when it comes to talking about myself for this project is considering the time management and the limited time I have for each section of the project having the character and environment split into two and not one whole piece instead its two causing the workload having to be created and finalised forcing me to keep up to date considering this project and not attempt to fall behind when transitioning over from working on the character section to working on the environment part of this project so I will consider working with a set schedule during this project.

IP - Deadzone

Deadzone is a tabletop game which is produced by the company Mantic Games who are set in Nottingham which is local to us. The Games setting is in the areas of space with a time of multiple planets being destroyed and non existent being whipped from the maps causing different wars between different factions which are played from the players when considering the real tabletop game where they are controlling a faction from the wide range available in deadzone and playing across a board to defeat their enemies and being able to collect different rewards. Deadzone has plenty of different backstories and lore surrounding the different factions based on their species considering how different factions are able to possess different abilities that are unique to each other.

Design Language

After looking through the individual factions before selecting the two I want to be working on for this project , I considered how each of the factions what unique design choices too each others considering the shape language used for each faction varies.

An example of comparing two factions with different shape language would be looking into a faction I did not work with which was the Forge Fathers as breaking down their characters , the characters are primarily built with squares which can give a sign of strong willed and protection especially looking how the Forge Fathers are covered head to toe in armor and using these hammers to fight back against other factions.

Another example of different design choices comes along from the different colour palettes that factions use for their characters. An example of this is looking how the nameless faction's colour palette is consistent with using different tones of purples and reds for the main bodies of the creatures allowing this sense of ominousness from the creature as seeing this creature within a dimly lit environment and having this brighter creature suddenly appear would cause fear for other players playing against the nameless.

When it comes to talking about design language of the creatures and what I want to take apart from these characters such as the different colour palettes they use for the Plague faction and how their palettes are based on what environment they are infected inside or how they have constant layers of muscles they no longer have skin attached or with the Space Bugs palettes and its features of having varying sets of legs and how the eyes function.

Anon, 2023b. What is deadzone? [online]. Mantic Games. Available at: https://www.manticgames.com/what-is-deadzone/ [Accessed 13 May 2025].

Factions- I Chose

The Plague - Space Mutants

Example of Space Mutant :

Art Direction : 

Initial Thoughts

- eExaggerated Proportion 

- Horror Imagery 

- Dried Scales 

- Shards of Blue Crystals infected into the upper body of the Mutant

- Upper Leg portion mutated and exaggerated to non human proportions

Nameless - Space Bugs

Nameless 

 

Art Direction :

Initial Thoughts

 

- Tentacles 

- Claws 

- Open Eyes  

- Rough to the Touch from Sight 

- Veins 

- Hidden Teeth

Game Inspiration

I started by looking into different games that would relate similar to how I want my final characters for this project to turn out by looking through other games characters design language or how the colour palette and environment affect that characters surroundings

Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2

Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 is a third person shooter game created by Pop Cap Games in which the main game mode of turf wars , you and a team of 12 other online players play on either side the plants or the zombies and be able to attack and defend the points of your team to win the rounds as if the point is taken it would be pushed further back whilst making the round harder for the attacks applies pressure to win the entire game.

I looked into Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 as a way to look into the Survival Defence aspect of the games main game mode turf wars and using that towards the interactions for my own factions.

Anon, Reddit.com. Available at :https://www.reddit.com/r/PlantsVSZombies/comments/1iv3lwy/so_i_decided_to_play_turf_takeover_in_plants_vs/#lightbox [Accessed 13 May 2025]

Dave, R. 2016. Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 Review. [online]. IGN. Available at: https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/02/24/plants-vs-zombies-garden-warfare-2-review [Accessed 13 May 2025]

Subnautica

Subnautica is a game based on a planet filled mainly of a deep ocean , having to survive and must live among the different creatures inside the strange environments and species inside of the ocean.

I looked in Subnautica especially for both of my factions creature designs due to most creatures inside of Subnautica having unique shape design whilst mainly the more threating sea creatures are made up of these squares and triangles to showcase being more threating , the smaller creatures are more rounded consisting of circles being more defenceless.

Genre

For this Project , we had to decide on a genre that was to give our characters a environment to fight in with a purpose as if we were deciding on what game style they would fit in so I had to look into separate genres to analyse what would work best for my characters factions.

For my games final genre , I looked into the tower defence genre when relating how I wanted my characters to interact with each other. I understood how this genre would work and suit within Deadzone and how the interactions with factions would happen.

For my games aspect by looking through a multiplayer aspect , depending on what side of the factions you are placed on you would have to advance towards a set point within a limited time around 4 minutes per point and have to capture or defend the point killing the opposite faction by using different strategy's and tactics provided by the two different characters created from the factions.

Games I wanted to look into that relate to this style of genre is Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 with their Turf Takeover game mode allowing the zombies to be able to attack the point whilst actively at the same time plants are fighting back to keep the point there whilst the time is clocking down.

Licensing

Whilst working on this Project we are working under the license of Deadzone provided to us by Mantic Games

An IP license is the cause from an agreement set between you and the owner of that IP which for our case would be relating back towards Mantic Games as it grants us permission to create a piece of art using the different characters and environments and make something ourselves with this license.

Talking about an IP license in the aspect of the games industry , this relates to how 2 different games can create a collaboration between each other using assets from the parties game catalogue. This has been seen with multiples cases of games being in assets and characters from real life shows such as Dead by Daylight bringing in Stranger Things under a legal agreement. A main game that utilises these style of collaborations is the game Fortnite with its endless amount of collaborations with the most recent having being an entire game season relating to the Star Wars franchise.

Anon , Licensing intellectual proporty [online]. Gov.uk. Available at :https://www.gov.uk/guidance/licensing-intellectual-property [ Accessed May 13 2025]

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