Ancient frame 3D model with texture map, Normal and Specular map

Lucian has asked me to start making some 3d assets to our game. I've used this Mayan structure as a reference for my model. I use Maya to create the base model and Zbrush to create the texture and Normal map. I experimented on applying specular map on the model as well to make the model more realistic.

Concept Art

Although we were aiming for mystery and ancient feel,  I thought that maybe we need to include some vibrancy to our game. That's why I've also studies some concept designs from final fantasy because it was able to offer ancient ruins that are very colourful. I though this direction is the way to go to for our game because Alien and ancient world are often denotes dark and horror feel to it and our game is more on Action and adventure. We want to encourage our players to explore rather than to get frighten.

 Here is the first world concept art that I made, it has certain ancient element to it and some Science fiction as well. I intentionally made the concept design vibrant to show beauty in this ancient ruin we're making. I added some scarlet plants to indicate that it's from an alien world and also to add more colour.

 

Another Concept art that I made that shows how grand this ancient world is. I added a statue and some waterfalls to make it seem that nature has taken over the ancient city. I also place a big planet on the background to denote Science Fiction. 

Ancient art symbol design

Based on what I've gathered so far, I was able to create drawings and symbols that would be useful for our wall design. A lot of ancient walls and runes have different illustrations to signify people's behaviour or Gods they worship.

Prometheus reference

I look at some shots and 3d models from the movie Prometheus so that I would be able to understand how the movie was able to combine ancient and Science fiction.

Reference

Since our game project would be based on an Alien ancient civilization, We decided to use the Mayan civilization as our reference for our game. I needed to create a science fiction world that has elements of old and mysterious ancient feel to it. 

Klaudias thoughts

Face shapes on ruins are one of the most interesting thing to dicover while getting to know a new civilization. There are loads of ways and purposes of placing faces sculptures on architectual pieces. 

Let’s have a closer look to that.

Religious aspects-as we all know that. Moast of the civilizations had some kind of spiritual development that the culture was based on. In fact,not all of them were called religions or had any gods in it.

Characteristic art-as a art form,but not particulary having any meaning,which was pretty much rare.

Embellishments-kind of art but it’s not that obvious,also can be considered as a industry in some kind of way.

Political-all sorts of politcian goals. Also giving respect to kings or whoever leads.

Those where the most important ones I guess. And those might be the purposes of our bas-reliefs.

I’ve made a few faces that can be added to any kind of flat surfaces.

I would say that the best history behind those is religion aspects,we don’t know the planet,right. So the local inhabitants might have some crazy religion says that there are loads of Gods upon us looking at us by eyes of those faces sculptures. 

We might also animate the eyes so they’ll move. Like the eyeballs.

Ok some examples:

The Pyramid - Sabina Piasecka

Here are some of my designs of pyramids that I have created for our game. They are ruined by the nature, desolated pyramids that fit our theme of the abandoned mayan-inspired world we decided to create.

Some of my inspiration came from the Mayan and Aztec ancient ruins as well as other pyramids and buildings located around the world.

 First I have looked at some of the buildings around on the internet and was checking in which kind of environment they were built and how they were decaying during the years. Since our game has a more or less swampy/jungle environment to it, I had a better idea about the kinds of textures I could be using.

I also have checked for some artworks of other people who have been inspired by these ruins and took it into consideration while creating my own design for our game.

I have imagined it fitting in our game as our ruins that we are modelling are quite old and the nature always wins over man-made things, so I decided to go ahead with a quick sketch in order to know how it would look like more or less.

I decided to make the pyramid kind of destroyed by the nature, and also wanted to make it more or less fitting with Lucian's designs of his pyramids, however I have added some plants and such around the pyramid and would like to have a tree that will be devouring on the pyramid.

I had a look at some ruins and abandoned places as well, not only the Mayan and Aztec places in order to get a better idea how it all looks like when many hundreds of years pass.

I was mainly looking for the ruins that were overtaken by the nature very heavily, so nothing very modern, mainly such temples and walls that are over thousand years old.

After I done my sketch for a Pyramid yesterday I decided to model it on Maya to see how it would look like in game. I wanted it to fit our game therefore I had a look at Lucian's designs as well while doing these so I could collaborate with him on making the building.

It is not yet finished and it will change its shape a little bit and will be made looking better, but this is the starting position for the further changes and texturing.
The texture put over it will be stone covered with moss.


12.11.14

The Textured Pyramid -

The effect has been achieved using the mossy stone texture and then put over the pyramid. The trees and nature that will be devouring the Pyramid will be added later.

So I decided to go ahead and create another pyramid that looks slightly different as our another asset for the game.

This one has a little bit more funky look to it as I was inspired by the old square-cube looking designs that the Mayans did on their pyramids and buildings, therefore I have implemented it into my pyramid in order to make the design a little bit more interesting and pleasing for our player's eye.