I have been thinking about posting this blog as it will be picture heavy. This is my Unity 3D game scene development project called Utopius. It is unusually large. So large that I can fit a dozen massive 'villages' inside the walls. All of the villages are intended for all the different races you would find in an MMO. I have not designated which Sector goes with which village, but that was not intended as I built it. I enjoy moving assets around the terrain to create scenes, so this is a big undertaking.
I will have to add on to this blog in pieces as it would be too much at one time to try to do, so we'll start with Sector 1. The above pic is a sky high view of the perimeter walls with Sector 1 started. The following pics are the structural development of the village. Overall, there are 5 full levels to this village, complete with ramps, stairs, and all the flooring/decking that is required. The 3rd pic down shows the scale of the player versus the environment. The following pics are various shots around the platforms as construction evolves. In the second pic down, you will also see that there is an additional Sky Level above the sector. These Sky Levels will exist for nearly every other sector. At this point, the sky level is filled in with housing and city scapes, as shown in the 4th pic down. The Sky Levels here will also connect to the Sky Level in the 2nd Sector via bridge trusses. Sky Levels are designated as 'Elite Areas' where the top shelf gear would mostly be.
After the platforms were fitted together, all of the railing had to be placed. And after the railing, the appropriate lighting needed to be put in. All the ramps had to be properly scaled to fit their place in the structures. At this point, I decided to add a bit of work to the open areas in front of the village. So, from here, it was on to working the interior. In the interior, I added the vendor carts, housing, general areas, a warehouse, stores, and other fixtures.
The above pics are of the vendor and open areas on the 1st level. For the Eatery, I had to construct it as an Object, so all the necessary pieces were all put into place, and transformed into a single object for placement in other areas. Along with the vendors, the lighting had to be placed, as the scene lighting is nearly blocked out due to the size and depth of the village. Also, the overall scene lighting is, for the most part, stock lighting. The interiors got most of the lighting upgrades.
The above pics will wrap up Sector 1. While an entire blog would be needed to cover each separate village, I'm trying to keep it brief but informative. Many things have been added to this sector that are not shown, as these are 'progress pics' during the build.
Below begins the screenshots of Sector 2. Although not as tall as Sector 1, it has its' own design, as well as a Sky Level. There are not as many pics of the sector, as I had other things going on and didn't save as often as I should. But this is the build progress for Sector 2. The base is complete, as well as the main structures. Many of these shots were done while in gameplay mode, so the 3rd person character is seen, just as the scene would look during gameplay. The first pics is the Sky Level without anything added.
Below are a few pics of the Sky Level after completion. Pic 1 is the Sky Level going from Sector 1 to Sector 2. Pic 5 is another perspective of the same thing.
So, that's about it for today's post. I will add to this soon. Sector 3 is an Asian setting village/Shrine. I always enjoy making these types of scenes, as you can tell from my other blogs. Thank you for your times, and we'll pick this up in the next day or 2 😀
6/29/21:
Today I'll be posting the Asian Temple Village. I began thinking of this while I was working on Sector 2, which explains why there isn't much detail in sector 2. I tried to stay with a theme on the village in a color theme that matches the era and culture. I decided to separate the Shrine from the main platform to create a connection to the flow of the build. In this village there is no Sky Level, due to the belief that it maintains a clear path for the Gods to descend into the shrine. The Shrine is accessible by either of 2 bridges. It also has its' own impenetrable base.
At this point, the main structures are done, and we can move to the Shrine to complete the interior and adding details.
The 9 pics above are showing the Shrine in various stages of completing, as well and the interior of the Shrine. From here on, I began adding details such as vendor booths, trees, a few houses, and there is also a secluded ramp in the rear of the platform leading to a protected chamber. That ramp is the first pic below, as well as more various shots of the progress.
The last pic is a combination of Sectors 1-3. Keep in mind that it is so large that the actual player cannot be seen. It may be 1 pixel in size at this distance. I hope you gained some insight about this build so far. The next Sector is also quite an impressive build with fresh ideas, and uses some of the same elements from this village, to create an architectural flow of the scenery.
I did come back to this section at a later date and began adding more details.
Moving on to Sector 4. This structure turned out better than I planned. The design came to me so fast, I had trouble keeping up with it :) It is kind of like a Paladin fortress with unique entry designs, as well as the perimeter structure. I also decided to set in a drainage system on the 2nd level, just to add to the detail. The structure turned out to be 'L' shaped as I planned an extra structure adjoining it. I also added monolithic torch statues outside for the grandeur. Also, above the entrances, I added a logo.
On the upper level, I just added a structure and completed the interior, along with lighting.
At this point, I got started on the Sky Level for this sector. The housing was built by hand pretty much using only wall and roof sections.
After a break from the project, I got started back on Sector 6. I had an idea to create a covered labyrinth that incorporated into the Utopius complex. Below is the base structure with all of the concealed rooms and halls before it was covered up by the main platform.
Once the underground was roughed in, I could start adding the interior assets.
This is what my progress is on this project. I will add more very soon. I may have to create a different blog as this one is rather lengthy. While I am already on Sector 9, I have revisited some sectors. So I will post again soon :)
