observations from demo: areas that could be improved.

[J.G. Elmslie]

@J.G. Elmslie Ceramic / terracotta floor tiles are actually one of the things we've been wanting to add to these first environments.

@Madoc

I'd just like to note that with 0.52's release, even just the addition of the slight variation of a ceramic floor tile set has, personally, made a notable difference to the visual monotony.

Odd as it may seem, that new tile-set on the floor has also served to bring out the difference between the dressed stone and the stucco textured wall tile-set. Previously the detail got lost because the floor was the area that you saw the most, and that was always the same. So the eye filtered out the walls, to the point where the stucco areas were almost lost entirely in the first level. Now, with the addition of ceramic tiles, the environment has been brought that to life a bit more, and made the different walls more noticeable.

And all just because the floors change.

So I'd just like to make that note, that the addition of that tile-set has been a good step forward in terms of environment art variation.

I'm going to look forward to seeing more growth in environment tile-sets over time - and hopefully, the range of flooring textures in particular. Given the camera looks towards the floor a lot more than it does walls, I'm starting to think that a lot more floor texture sets connected to the same wall textures will be a very efficient way to produce a lot of noticeable variation in the environment, which would really enhance the overall look of the levels.

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Having played through a few times now however, I'll make one little addition to my thoughts on environment design: I cant help feel that you've slightly done the levels in the wrong order, in that parts of the 3rd level, with the areas of glassblowing, potter's wheels and wine presses, are outstanding. They are recognisable, unique areas, while unfortunately the first areas of the first level dont stand out nearly as much - they are very generic in many ways. While I can appreciate their placement from a lore/background PoV, I cant help feel that the first areas (particularly the very un-interactive rooms stocked with lumber straight after you leave the starting room) could greatly benefit from more work in terms of creating a visual narrative of what they're there for, to engage new players rapidly on first trying the game.

Edit: I'm now thinking, the first corridor, as you turn right out of the starting room. I cant help but wonder if those two areas (filled with logs) could be converted from their current environments to some sort of workshops, as they're on the edge of the map, and I think there should be a bit of blank space between them. I wonder something like a workshop making the large cages that are found on the rest of the level could be inserted into that area?

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minor little detail. Anvils on stumps in the 3rd level.
you really shouldnt be able to walk into an anvil, and it to be moved and fall off the stump with a little "bonk" sound. aside from the fact that an avil that size weighs at least 50 kilos, maybe 75 and would barely move if you ran into it fullspeed, you wouldn't believe how loud an anvil being knocked off a stump onto a hard floor surface is!

 

[Jetcutter]

Well spoken.

 

[Madoc]

@Madoc
Having played through a few times now however, I'll make one little addition to my thoughts on environment design: I cant help feel that you've slightly done the levels in the wrong order, in that parts of the 3rd level, with the areas of glassblowing, potter's wheels and wine presses, are outstanding. They are recognisable, unique areas, while unfortunately the first areas of the first level dont stand out nearly as much - they are very generic in many ways. While I can appreciate their placement from a lore/background PoV, I cant help feel that the first areas (particularly the very un-interactive rooms stocked with lumber straight after you leave the starting room) could greatly benefit from more work in terms of creating a visual narrative of what they're there for, to engage new players rapidly on first trying the game.

Yeah, I've been thinking this myself, the first areas are not particularly recognisable as having a specific purpose. They make sense from a functional point of view though we didn't complete certain elements of the first map that supported this. Even so it's probably the most uninteresting part of the whole environment. Perhaps we can find ways to make it more interesting without changing things much.

 

[J.G. Elmslie]

@Madoc Very much agree on that - its not really recognisable, or remarkable. It just... bland.
I'm very much of the opinion that exanima, as a trailer for SG, should be all about a strong first impression, to show potential players the quality of the gameplay. Those first areas are too black, and in the case of the very first two doors you encounter, are both pitch dark, and almost devoid of space to explore. That's the sort of really dark environment which I think, rather than setting the scene could actually put people off.

I'm inclined to say it needs to be a lot brighter, and much more open. you leave the opening area, turn right, and you perhaps enter a more open series of connecting rooms, with more light - perhaps light off to one side, so you get dramatic shadows from columns slicing across the hallway where the player first walks. Details of a wider range of floor surfaces (I'm starting to think "this is underground." needs emphasised. we need water in there. A water leak dripping down a column, spreading out over a floor in a puddle, and then down a grated drain - with the echoing dripping audio? that sort of environment that would really look different.) , details of the environment having a purpose there, Something really visual like that, that people will go "wow!" at.

One other thing that I'll note: the end-of level doors, and particularly the Start-of-level doors. They currently dont give any feeling of direction. Am I stepping through those big doors into another part of the same, flat, area? Am I descending down a floor into the depths of the earth? Currently, there's no clues or hints as to the context of whether I'm climbing up from the depths to escape... or am I descending lower? Little details like that would greatly benefit the overall experience of Exanima, I think.

 

[ZaratanCho]

Well, those end level doors are only temporary. Stairs, pits and such things are also in the works.

 

[J.G. Elmslie]

Well, those end level doors are only temporary. Stairs, pits and such things are also in the works.

Yep, just saying that they need to think about the way that whatever replaces them conveys visual information about how the change of level has also changed where the player is - good environment design should convey information about where they are, as much as it conveys information of where the player can go.