polycount reduction

Modeling individual bricks was a bad idea.  I've managed to make some good textures from it though.  If only I weren't about four weeks behind on finishing my environment model because I had to take the time to reduce the poly count so the scene is manageable.  I've learned quite a bit on this project, hopefully I can show it.

thinking

One of the final projects I have to do is a series of 4K renders, of whatever I want.  This is only 1K, but I'm still working out some issues with it.  So far I'm using a Beauty, Shadow, AO, and LightFog pass and putting it together in Photoshop.  I can't get the sub-surface scattering and light fog in the same render, so I need at least those two.

I'm thinking of making a board game.

“Mick's Magical Mazes” is a board game where the board is made up of hexagonal tiles with a 'door' on each side to guarantee that there is always a path between two tiles. The players work independently or in groups to clear each section of the maze, fighting it's denizens and collecting loot. When no more can be accomplished on the current 'map', simply exit the maze and lay out a new one! “Mick's Magical Mazes” are inhabited by zombies and minotaurs as well as guitar-stealing hipsters, near-sighted big-game hunters, and that annoying teenage girl who thinks you're her best friend. Throughout “Mick's Magical Mazes” you can find loot such as the Spoon of Super Strength, the Codpiece of Charming Wit, and the Glasses of Hidden Doors. Use these items to go further into the maze – and live to tell the tale.

The target consumer age group for “Mick's Magical Mazes” would have to be Mature, or 18+. Drugs, alcohol, nudity, violence, and coarse language will all make their appearances. To further define the target audience, university-aged people who could fall into the categories of 'nerd' or 'geek'.

“Mick's Magical Mazes” would be produced here in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and sold online using Paypal with the possibility of a few local retail locations such as Strange Adventures carrying the game. Marketing would be a bit slow at first as it would rely more on word-of-mouth, the sharing of links that so often happens when someone finds something they find amusing (whether for good or bad reasons) online. But there would also be a series of short animations (possibly including live actors green-screened in) based on the game idea. Up to seventy-five seven minute episodes.

The funding to start Studio Pultimily, the creator of the game and the studio which would produce the promotional series, would be sought first through government grants (a quick search revealed the company is potentially eligible for up to $900 000 worth of such grants) and if they don't cover the necessary start-up costs and the cost of leasing a space to work in, other investors would need to be brought in.

Studio Pultimily could also produce another version of the game, to be played on devices such as the iPhone. This venture would involve fewer risks and has the potential of being more lucrative. It needn't take up physical space in the studio and can be distributed digitally, instead of needing to ship. and once the game is finished, there is very little cost to reproducing it, unlike with the board game which needs hundreds of pieces to be printed and sorted. Also, additional content can be added quickly and easily.

A next-generation console version of the game could be produced as well, or even a Massively-Multiplayer-Online version. These versions would require immensely more detailed graphics, sounds, and storyline, increasing the production time and cost to be too risky a venture to start at this time.

If a reader is familiar with board games, they may have picked up a similarity to Steve Jackson's Munchkin games. Or maybe there hasn't been enough detail laid out yet. In either case, the concept for this game first sparked in my head after playing Munchkin Cthulhu and Settlers of Catan (possibly in the same night). That was five or six years ago now, and it's evolved somewhat, though it's evolution seems to be somewhat circular.

I've forgotten most of the ideas I've had for the creature or encounter cards, but here is a list of the rather generic ideas I jotted down the other day:

Orcs Goblins Fairies Elves Brownies Pixies Gnomes Sprites Dwarves Kobalds Gnolls Ogres Giants Minotaurs Satyrs Nymphs Dryads Centaurs Firbolg Trolls Zombies

Ghosts Wraiths Banshees Ghouls Skeletons Vampires Werewolves

Imps Demons Angels Leprechauns Dragons Wyverns Drakes

Lich Witch Wizard Mage Magician Warlock Cultist

Priest Cleric Monk Thieves Thugs Rogues Knights

Bandits Pirates Ninjas Cowboys Druids Minions Gryphons

Unicorns Will-o-wisps Gremlins Hippogryphs Mermaids Warriors Barbarians

Sorcerers Bard Minstrel Sphinx Manticore Chimera Golems

Elementals Naga Pegasus Seer Prophet Fortune-Teller Poltergeist

Archer Ranger Hunter Swordsman Brawler Pike-man Musketeers

Assassins Robots Aliens Bounty Hunter Scout Smuggler

Farmer Peasant Noble Sailor Soldier Shaman Witch-doctor

Slave Succubus Mummy Halfling Human Scholar Princess

Prince King Queen Jester Trapper Trader Merchant

Fence Cyborg Marine Bear Wolf Rat Spider

Cat Fox Rabit Dog Deer Moose Snake

Crow Vulture Hawk Pigeon Elephant Crocodile Turtle

Ape Rhino Hippo Raven Spy Messenger Explorer

Gladiator Poet Prisoner Cow Bull Chicken Pig

Horse Goat Sheep

As for the 'setting' of the tiles, I had the idea of starting with a generic stone wall and cobblestones, and then a list of ideas for 'expansions'.

Hedge Maze Gardens Dark Forest Swamp Badlands

Desert Islands Glaciers Crypts Ghost Town Haunted Castle

Dungeons Sewers Bathroom Caves Volcano

Office Building Cruise Ship Ancient Ruins Library Zoo

Mall Spaceship/station Laboratory Warehouse

A device similar to an Abacus would be used for keeping track of a player's attributes, meaning there would be no need for pencil and paper. Some loot cards can be 'equipped' to adjust the 'available' beads, while others 'used' to change the 'current' number of beads.

A physical attack = 1d6 * current Strength

A magical attack = 1d6 * current Magic

Charm opponent = 1d6 * current Wit

A retreat = 1d6 * current Speed

Sneak Past = 1d6 * current Volume

An attack succeeds if greater than the corresponding 'defend' attribute on the target creature.

If attack succeeds (1d6)

stun < 3 > kill

If attack fails (1d6)

Stunned (miss turn) > 3 < loose 1 available Health

A player can perform up to six actions per turn, the number determined by a die roll for each successive action. A failed roll ends the turn.

1^st action: roll > 1

2^nd action: roll > 2

3^rd action: roll > 3

4^th action: roll > 4

5^th action: roll > 5

6^th action: roll = 6

And this is an example of what a board might look like. The tiles would need some work, but you this is the general idea.