Split Reality [Fantasy ARPG] Demo - 2D artists and 3D modellers wanted

[thundyr]

Hi all

I'm looking for artists to help develop an ARPG fantasy game concept into a demo. Initially this will be non-paid, but the ultimate goal is to build a team that gets paid for their work, and we make more than just a demo.

At this stage I have a working game engine and interface, a loose game plot/script (more fleshed out for the demo than the final game), and the 3D world concept, but little to no graphics to realize the project. While I'm a fair hand at Photoshop and 3DS Max, I'm more programmer than artist, and really need a lot of help making skill icons and "3D" menus, and creating rigged and animated models for the game. As such I don't have anything to show you, except to say that the game's specific intent is to break as many fantasy ARPG paradigms as possible, from interface to game play to story. For instance, there are no restrictions on skills a character may learn (other than some obvious pre-requisites), a totally different way of handling character death that creates its own design space, an undead companion that may change its skills to suit your needs, no forms of droppable health or mana recovery (eg potions, healing orbs), and randomly generated enemies crafted to abuse their skill trees. The game villain character is also somewhat unexpected. Nothing is seen as sacred, except the need for beautiful 2D and 3D graphics.

I would greatly appreciate any help in getting this project off the ground, even if it's just a few 48x48 transparent background skill icons generic to the fantasy genre (fireballs, swinging swords, skulls, lightning bolts), or some modelled and textured rocks, walls, buildings, or animated zombies. Once I have something that actually begins to look like a game I can take the next step and actually show people what the project is about, and to build and pay a team working towards a final product with proper graphical guidelines.

If possible give me files as close to the source as possible (eg .max or .psd files if you use max or photoshop), and please expect me to modify or re-use all or parts of your submitted work in order to get the most out of it. I will not fail to give credit where it is due.

You can email me on rssllunt@gmail.com if you're interested in helping out, understanding what file types I can use, or learning a bit more about what graphics are needed (right now anything goes - seriously). I will update this thread as things progress.

Thanks!
Russel

[Chosker]

At this stage I have a working game engine

don't we all here?

[ironbelly]

Haha, good point Chosker

Your post is doing nothing to tell potential recruits as to why they should join your team or follow your lead. Give the people something to bite and you'll have much much better success with your recruitment.

http://forums.epicgames.com/threads/...-in-this-forum - go there, follow the instructions and edit that OP and you'll increase interest in your project 100 fold

[Black_Stormy]

some modelled and textured rocks, walls, buildings, or animated zombies.

I can hardly believe you just put them all in one sentence. "Yeah just make a rock or a wall or a fully modelled textured rigged and animated zombie, no biggie"

Take Ironbelly's advice.

[Lexluthor1]

Hi all

I'm looking for artists to help develop an ARPG fantasy game concept into a demo. Initially this will be non-paid, but the ultimate goal is to build a team that gets paid for their work, and we make more than just a demo.

At this stage I have a working game engine and interface, a loose game plot/script (more fleshed out for the demo than the final game), and the 3D world concept, but little to no graphics to realize the project. While I'm a fair hand at Photoshop and 3DS Max, I'm more programmer than artist, and really need a lot of help making skill icons and "3D" menus, and creating rigged and animated models for the game. As such I don't have anything to show you, except to say that the game's specific intent is to break as many fantasy ARPG paradigms as possible, from interface to game play to story. For instance, there are no restrictions on skills a character may learn (other than some obvious pre-requisites), a totally different way of handling character death that creates its own design space, an undead companion that may change its skills to suit your needs, no forms of droppable health or mana recovery (eg potions, healing orbs), and randomly generated enemies crafted to abuse their skill trees. The game villain character is also somewhat unexpected. Nothing is seen as sacred, except the need for beautiful 2D and 3D graphics.

I would greatly appreciate any help in getting this project off the ground, even if it's just a few 48x48 transparent background skill icons generic to the fantasy genre (fireballs, swinging swords, skulls, lightning bolts), or some modelled and textured rocks, walls, buildings, or animated zombies. Once I have something that actually begins to look like a game I can take the next step and actually show people what the project is about, and to build and pay a team working towards a final product with proper graphical guidelines.

If possible give me files as close to the source as possible (eg .max or .psd files if you use max or photoshop), and please expect me to modify or re-use all or parts of your submitted work in order to get the most out of it. I will not fail to give credit where it is due.

You can email me on rssllunt@gmail.com if you're interested in helping out, understanding what file types I can use, or learning a bit more about what graphics are needed (right now anything goes - seriously). I will update this thread as things progress.

Thanks!
Russel

.................................................. .........

[thundyr]

Fair enough comments, thanks guys. I'm not expecting people to spend hundred of hours on this project at this stage. What I'm mainly looking for is things that can save me a bit of time in making something better than a fantasy game where all the models are robots or MaleA. The work doesn't need to be of exaggerated quality - I'll happily take completed items otherwise discarded, eg those rocks and models that somehow didn't work for you. Like I said, I'm not an artist, and I'm looking for people who can help me grow this project beyond the standard things that come with the UDK. I'm sure we've all been there before... I'm not a fully fledged studio with a style guide and a degree in design, and fully expect to be ignored by those who expect to work for such, but that obviously isn't everyone on this forum either.

I believe the project will sell itself once it can show itself to be more than basic models in basic surrounds with images ripped from other games. My problem is getting from here to there, and I need some help in that respect. If I've posted in the wrong forum, you have my apologies.

[ADF86]

You're in the right forum, thundyr. You say that you've got a working game engine and interface, does this mean you've done most of the basic mechanics for your game? This might be worth elaborating on to let potential artists know how far along you are, how much you've got to go, etc. Good luck on your game and make sure to post as much as you're willing to share and keep at it, keep your thread alive or post in the WIP section to show others how far you've gone and your progress, you'll get some good critiques and more insight for those artists you're looking for, of which you could always link back to this thread, or vise-versa. Also, there's some threads/posts around that contain free art assets to start out with, and this can be beneficial for starting out and prepping before you bring somebody in to your project. In particular, the Layout StarterKit. See ya around.

[Black_Stormy]

The advantage of UDK is that you have the stock equipment to work with. Make your game or prototype using the stock assets first, then release more details about how it plays and maybe even release an alpha prototype for testing and to gauge interest. Once you have something of substance then you will find recruiting much easier. You're lucky that you're a coder, do you know how hard it is for an artist to recruit a coder? It's a pain in the butt man! No coder is going to let an artist tell them how to make a game! Coders make games, artists make games look pretty.

Anyway, use the stock assets for now and you'll find people will be far more willing to throw assets at you once you have a compelling base to work from. Just have a look at the stanley parable on moddb.

[thundyr]

ADF86, Black_Stormy - thanks for the great tips! I'll search for those free art assets - I'm sure they'll make a big difference to what I have now. The only real downside to the stock UDK assets is that they are mainly science-fiction in nature (outside trees and so on), which is understandable given the source but makes it a bit more awkward for me. If only I had a "standard human" who had animations that included swinging a sword and shooting a bow, for instance.

As for the game mechanics, I've done the most important aspects that handle the isometric camera, the way characters and mobs attack and kill one another (via melee or ranged weapons or spells), gaining experience and levelling up, getting and completing quests, though I've not fleshed out all the spells and abilities that will be in the final game as it hasn't been necessary yet. I have however created a simple class-driven framework that makes it easy to spawn new spells. Presently I'm finalizing the UI design (which works but I'm improving it). The quests in the demo have been fully fleshed out in a document, as well as the final goal and map-design ways to make the game re-playable. Other than enemy AI, the game design itself is highly developed, but in terms of a playable or presentable project it is very far from completion, almost entirely due to a lack of art assets.

Taking the advice I've seen here, what I will do is create a small map with encounters and such in order to show off the interface and character design, and use that to try garner interest in the project. The greater picture will probably have to wait until I have people on board who can create art assets for me. Thanks so much for the assistance.

[Black_Stormy]

Good call mate, best of luck!

[thundyr]

Hi all

The "mini-demo" is progressing, if slowly. I have created a website for the game (link below), so you can view some information about the game and see some screenshots. Not all the detail is there, but that's mainly to protect the IP, so some screens are little more than place-holders for now. There is a blog that explains some of what the game is about. Everything in the screenshots other than the HUD are stock assets (tweaked or not), and those are the bits I'd want changed going forward, obviously. The character is currently "left-handed" because the melee attack animation I use is just a speeded-up victory taunt, which uses the left hand - lol.

In the interim I have linked up with some freelance artists from China, though we're yet to work a deal as to how we will operate. Hopefully things work out well with that, but I'll still be looking for other people to join the project as it progresses.

Thanks for your time!

Split Reality Website

[Lucas3015]

Hello, I'm Lucas.

[houghtob123]

Hello Lucas.