Moby FranckeRandy Lundeen

How Valve Connects Art Direction to Gameplay

Introduction

Team Fortress 2Distinctive SilhouettesStylized shading

Left 4 DeadCreating a Dark, Gritty Horror experienceApplying lessons learned from TF2Utilizing “Filmic” effects

Team Fortress Mod

Initial Team Fortress 2

Initial Team Fortress 2

Medic

!

Team Fortress 2

Why The Unique Visual Style?

GameplayReadabilityBranding

Team – Friend or Foe?Color

Class – Run or Attack?Distinctive silhouettesBody proportionsWeaponsShoes, hats and clothing folds

Selected weapon – What’s he packin’?Highest contrast at chest level, where weapon is heldGradient from dark feet to light chest

Color Swatch

Read Hierarchy

Early 20th Century Commercial Illustration

Dean Cornwell

J. C. Leyendecker

Norman Rockwell

Early 20th Century Commercial Illustration

Chose to adopt specific conventions of the commercial illustrator J. C. Leyendecker:

Shading obeys a warm-to-cool hue shift. Shadows go to cool, not blackSaturation increases at the terminator with respect to a given light source. The terminator is often reddened.On characters, interior details such as clothing folds are chosen to echo silhouette shapesSilhouettes are often emphasized with rim highlights rather than dark outlines

J.C. LeyendeckerThanksgiving 1628-1928

J.C. LeyendeckerTally-Ho, 1930

Clothing Folds

J.C. LeyendeckerArrow collar advertisement,

1929

J.C. LeyendeckerSwimmin’ Hole, 1935

Rim Highlights

Red Terminator

Before Rim HighlightingEarly Production Still from Meet the HeavyEarly Production Still from Meet the Heavy

2D Rim Highlighting Paintover

Early Production Still from Meet the HeavyEarly Production Still from Meet the Heavy

Character Creation1.Character silhouette

2. Interior shapes

3.Model sheet

4.3D Model

5.Character Skin

6.Final Character in game

Character SilhouetteBuilding block of character designIdentifiable at first read

Interior ShapesSolving interior character design with shadow shapesKeep it iconicWork out design in three quarter pose

Model SheetUse concept painting as guideSolve design problems using silhouette onlySolve interior design with shadow shapes

3D ModelMatch silhouette to model sheetSolve 3 quarter design with screenshots / paintoversModel with character in mind

Base Ambient Occlusion map

Character Skin

Final Character3D model with texture and basic shading

Engineer Concept

Engineer model

Pyro Concept

Pyro model

Environment DesignCreating a compelling, immersive worldTeam distinction through material hue/value/saturation.Impressionistic painterly look

Contrasting Team PropertiesRed

Warm colorsNatural materialsAngular geometry

BlueCool colorsIndustrial materialsOrthogonal forms

World texturing

Texture map In-game Screenshot

World texturing

Texture map In-game Screenshot

World texturing

Texture map In-game Screenshot

World texturing

Texture map In-game Screenshot

Model texturing

Texture map In-game Screenshot

IntroductionCo-op, first-person horror gameDynamic shared narrative

Experience a scary action movie with your friends

AI DirectorProcedurally generated character performance, pacing, effects and music

Available this Fall

Art Direction and GameplayCreating a dark, scary cinematic

environmentAppling lessons learned from TF2Utilizing “Filmic” EffectsIncorporating shaders that enhance a dark setting

Filmic effectsColor CorrectionGrainVignetteLocal Contrast EnhancementDynamically communicate game state

No Post-processingNo Post-processing

Color CorrectionColor Correction

GrainGrain

No GrainNo Grain GrainGrain

Before VignetteBefore Vignette

VignetteVignette

Local ContrastLocal Contrast

Filmic Effects OFFFilmic Effects OFF

Filmic Effects ONFilmic Effects ON

Normal StateNormal State

Third StrikeThird Strike

Hunter PounceHunter Pounce

Normal StressNormal Stress

High StressHigh Stress

Lighting for DarknessHorror/suspense themeLighting that supports fiction/navigationImportance of SilhouettePlayer as light source

Too many areas of contrastToo many areas of contrast

Simplified lightingSimplified lighting

In-game headlightsIn-game headlights

In-game headlightsIn-game headlights

Smoking the SetSeparate foreground from background

FogLight colored fog in dark areas to contrast with silhouettes of infected in mid-ground

ParticlesAdds atmosphere and helps accentuate silhouettes of infected against lighter particles

Black FogBlack Fog Light FogLight Fog

Without particlesWithout particles With particlesWith particles

Reload, Shove & Muzzle FlashPlayer is the light source

Increases drama and immersionFlashlight is attached to the weapons

ReloadingShovingMuzzle flash

Encourages players to coordinate actions

Self Shadowed Normal MappingNormal mapping

locally alters surface orientation, causing detailed lighting effects

Narrow dark area from normal facing away from the light

Light Intensity

Self Shadowed Normal MappingNormal mapping

locally alters surface orientation, causing detailed lighting effectsSSNM incorporates local self-shadowing information for greater surface richnessReacts to lighting from radiosity as well as dynamic lights in the scene, such as the player’s flashlightRefactoring our shader code, this turns out to be free

Narrow dark area from normal facing away from the light

Self-Shadowed Region

Light Intensity

Self-Shadowed Normal Mapping in EngineSelf-Shadowed Normal Mapping in Engine

Wetness / PuddlesFilm techniqueAdds details to dark settingsEnhances moodiness

In-game screenshotIn-game screenshot

Summary

Team Fortress 2Distinctive SilhouettesStylized shading

Left 4 DeadCreating a Dark, Gritty Horror experienceApplying lessons learned from TF2Utilizing “Filmic” effects

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