visual design
Goal
Create a framework that allows for hordes of assets to combine on-screen, creating a compelling and dynamic visual experience.
Challenges
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Fast-paced gameplay needs to run smoothly.
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Content should be quickly processed, no walls of text.
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Small team, big aspirations.
Solutions
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Use visual language to convey information on multiple fronts.
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Make models efficient, boost impact with bold particles and textures.
Design Ideology
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Think N64, highly angular models with textures that add definition.
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Many small pieces moving together conveys more complexity than one large piece moving alone.
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Birds eye view only, design with well-defined shapes in mind, small details will get lost.
Playable ships
Three classes of ship are available to the player. Each ship class is designed a specific silhouette and engine contrail for ease of identification at a glance. Since there is a player limit of 8, these ships were allowed a higher poly count than others.
I drew inspiration from nature to flavor each ship class, combining animal elements with industrial to influence the final designs.
The ace
As a combat-specialist class, I wanted the Ace to look meaty and dangerous.
Warplanes x Dragonflies = predatory and powerful.
The scavenger
The Scav specializes in mobility and cargo, I wanted it sleek but bulky.
Speedboat x Cargo Plane (with a twist of raptor) = a swift freighter.
The mechanic
The Mech is a base-building workhorse, I wanted utility and durability up front.
Submersibles x Claws = a dexterous and versatile tool.
Cosmetics
With 8 players at once, customization is the most important way players can differentiate their ships. After each mission they are rewarded with "skin crates" containing various rarities of color scheme. 34 patterns were conceived for each ship, which change both the paintjob and engine contrail.
Tier System
Tiers are differentiated by color, increasingly complex modelling, and unique health bar brackets for each level. I sought to convey a building sense of danger, the skin of each ship intensifies from a neutral purple at tier 1 to caution yellow at tier 4.
enemies
Stardrift Nomads employs a random wave generator to spawn enemies in progressively complex swarms. There are 10 classes with 4 tiers of threat each, tier 4 being a mini boss of sorts.
At-a-glace identification of class and tier was my primary design focus when creating these adversaries.
Healthbars
The brackets on either side of the health bar indicate the tier of each ship with a corresponding number of "horns." These build from a single horn at tier 1 before becoming a four-pronged flame at tier 4.
bosses
Periodically the wave generator will spawn a boss to... basically torch all the players' best laid plans. Bosses do not attack en-masse, they are huge, bristling with exotic weaponry, and a single one can end a run if left unchecked. These models have a much higher polycount to allow for more visual complexity. We layered both animations and particle effects to add dynamism to their attacks, making for dazzling displays of firepower.
Bosses are designed as multi-stage engagements which intensify over time. The Behemoth breaks apart as it accrues damage, eventually rocketing at the players' base as a last resort. The Thunderer fires larger and larger projectiles the longer it is left alive, forcing the players to leave safety and attack.
Other bosses are dangerous because they buff and organize the enemies around them. The Mothership spawns waves of small fighters and homing missiles while keeping its distance. Meanwhile the Dark Colony will rally enemies around it and assault the base as a swarm.
I had a blast working on this project, the unique design challenges it presented proved to strengthen the cohesion of its visual style.
I think we achieved our goal, to allow hordes of enemies wash over our players in one giant wave of lasers and explosions, beading their brows with sweat as they are forced to dodge and weave between projectiles. Despite the loads of assets we display at any one time, the game remains low-drag on processing power without sacrificing visual fidelity.
