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  • 2 years ago
Join members of the development team for a deep dive into the art and art design of War Hospital, including how they went about creating art that would be recognizable from other war games and more.

In War Hospital, manage a British WW1 field hospital in a 3D isometric RTS where you lead the medical corps instead of soldiers. Fight for life, soul, and humanity in a world that rejected them in a unique society survival game.

War Hospital will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Transcript
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:12 The graphic style in War Hospital is pseudo-realism based on historical realities.
00:18 We chose this course because we wanted to humanize our game.
00:24 The issue with war games is that people are reduced to pawns,
00:28 and from the visual side, especially featuring the 19th century,
00:32 when camouflage started to be widely used,
00:34 they're very problematic for graphic designers,
00:37 because they are in a greyish-brown color scheme.
00:41 All the units look alike, and that is what we wanted to avoid.
00:45 That is why we decided to slightly exaggerate the proportions of the characters,
00:49 so their features, relevant to our gameplay, could be emphasized.
00:53 The game Dishonored, for example, was an important inspiration,
00:57 where the proportions are immensely exaggerated, making them more expressive.
01:03 The artwork for the wars of the 19th century, when camouflage was widely implemented,
01:08 uses shades of olive and brown, resulting in a dirty mess,
01:12 with buildings that disappear into the landscape.
01:15 It was meant to be that way, to be invisible, which is precisely what we want to avoid.
01:20 The first step we took was a little unconventional during a war.
01:24 We placed our hospital within a town.
01:27 We were able to make all the green and olive-colored army structures
01:32 really stand out thanks to the town buildings.
01:35 We decided that the main playable buildings shouldn't just be tents.
01:39 Instead, we combined the canopies of the tents with wooden shacks and parts of destroyed buildings.
01:45 Firstly, we gained contrast, and secondly, it all seems as if it has been rushed, makeshift,
01:53 which emphasizes the drama of the war.
01:56 Thanks to this, each building looks a little bit different.
02:00 Another treatment we used to make this game more interesting
02:03 was a more relaxed approach to the architecture of the terrain.
02:07 The game would also have been incomplete
02:11 had we not used a massive amount of historical photographs from the First World War,
02:16 especially with our game characters, because we want to emphasize the human aspect in this game.
02:23 All 3D assets created for War Hospital start with our art director, Michał Sztuka,
02:29 who provides us with design concepts along with visual references,
02:34 which we either obtain on our own or get from the Imperial War Museum.
02:38 Then, based on these references and concepts, a high-poly model is created.
02:44 This is a model that has a high number of polygons.
02:47 The task of such a model is to reflect the geometry of every detail that is to be found on the model,
02:53 every screw, every crease, etc.
02:56 Based on this model, a low-poly model is created, which will eventually be included in the game
03:02 and will interact with the game world, the lighting, and the player.
03:06 The materials we create are PBR materials that allow for the appropriate interaction with the lighting,
03:12 whether it's a day or a night, or whether the scene takes place indoors or outdoors.
03:18 In terms of the main inspirations when creating the 3D models for War Hospital,
03:22 the buildings are modeled on Anna 1800, technically,
03:26 and when it comes to the general atmosphere of the models, we aimed for dishonored,
03:30 which combines realism with more flair and exaggeration.
03:33 In this case, exaggeration is needed to make all the models and elements visible,
03:38 as the camera is very far away and looks on from above.
03:42 Work on each level of War Hospital begins with concept art, which is prepared by Michał Sztuka.
03:48 That concept is a blueprint, which shows us the idea for the color palette of the environment,
03:54 a sample layout and lighting.
03:56 Then, I bring such a concept to life by using blockouts and white boxes,
04:02 not necessarily matching our requirements, but allowing us to depict the look of a given scene.
04:09 This way of working on blockouts and simple models allows for quick iterations,
04:14 so we can check very quickly if this level suits the needs of the game.
04:19 Next, the art department creates the final models,
04:24 objects which have already been textured and look the way we want them to.
04:29 Then, these models are inserted into the level,
04:34 and at this stage we freeze the layout of the scene.
04:37 Of course, minor changes can be made, but we try not to edit anymore.
04:41 [Music]
04:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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