How to create an interesting game setting? Level Two: Graphics

Discussions on whether the “grafon” is important have been going on since the first game appeared. In this article we will consider not the quality of graphics, but rather its influence on the player's attitude.




In an article published on August 19, we discussed the effect of texts and the setting on shaping the sense of flow during gameplay. But most players love with their eyes, so now we will talk about the role of graphics in the fate of the game project.
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Color and lighting

In the cinema, color gamut and filters are of great importance: sometimes it is only by these characteristics that one can, if not recognize the film, then at least determine its genre.



In games, the color scheme determines the sensations of a person and directly affects his immersion in the game world. It must be selected depending on the setting, plot and genre of the game. In this case, it would not be superfluous to get acquainted with the materials on the psychology of color, and even better - to conduct several tests on living people.

For example, a rich orange color in combination with red causes a feeling of fear and discomfort. It is in these colors most often performed horror, in which you need to cope with monsters.


Outlast


Amnesia: the Dark Descent


Silent Hill: Homecoming

Shades of yellow and brown are associated with the disease: remember the game "Mor (Utopia)".



Most people feel anxious about twilight bluish lighting. This color scheme is typical for thrillers.


Alan wake


Fatal Frame 5

Over the years, the existence of color cinema and colorful games in our mind formed certain stereotypes, and developers can use them to set the player to the atmosphere of the setting.

When choosing a color scheme for Plarium strategies, we analyzed the perception of various player settings. For example, the setting of the project “Rules of War” is a post-apocalypse, similar in atmosphere to Fallout, but with elements of sci-fi. Therefore, brown, orange and steel shades dominate the game: rust, burned wastelands and future technologies.



Interface styling

The current trend of creating interfaces is to move from complex to simple. This can be traced in the evolution of many games:


Dragon Age: Origins


Dragon Age II


Guardians of middle-earth


Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

In social and mobile games, the user most often interacts with the interface, and it is he who forms the first idea of ​​the game. Convenient and beautiful interface - one of the main factors affecting retention. The devil is known to be in the details. Therefore, it is important to pay enough attention to the interface design so that the player plunges into the selected setting as much as possible, and the constantly falling out windows do not knock him out of the flow state. It is necessary to create a balanced picture in which each element serves a specific purpose.

The pop-up decorations will help tell a story or highlight some details. The sharp corners of the dies, the decorative elements in the form of blades look aggressive and can convey the sensations of a visit to the enemy's den. At the same time, curls and patterns indicate refinement and peace-lovingness - such elements would be appropriate in a game about elves or other fairy-tale creatures.

For example, to transfer the Greek setting in the game “Sparta: War of Empires”, we used such design elements as columns, flags, helmets, Greek letters and patterns.



The color scheme must meet the expectations of the player: green - yes, red - no. Win or lose, accept or reject.



Background and locations

In the Western industry, the term "setting" most often means the scene of the game. If the details of the interface over time become familiar and almost invisible to users, then the world around us and locations constantly influence the player's attitude.


Mass Effect III

The atmosphere of the Normandy ship, which is familiar to Mass Effect players: sci-fi design and a lot of details - from collection figures and awards to family photos. The room gives the impression of a habitable place, and the ability to change the details of the environment helps the player to associate himself with the main character.

In the nineties, developers could not afford to detail the locations and add items to interact with. But now there are many games in which the locations are unique, they have their own personality. And affect not only the feelings of the player, but also better reveal the personality of the main character.


The Wolf Among Us

Proper design of the background helps to move the player into the atmosphere of the setting. Convince the credibility of what is happening on the screen.


Bioshock

In social and mobile games, the background is often little worked out, since the player’s main focus is on the active area. In the game "Sparta: War of Empires," we managed to move away from the traditional strategy for the concept of "square" by expanding the area of ​​interaction and visual rounding of the streets. The player's policy is surrounded by mountains and the sea, and the division of the city into levels allows you to create a volume effect.



In the “Conflict: the Art of War” strategy, we created an animated background that enlivens the overall picture and creates the impression of constant activity of the environment.



It is important that the type of locations, backgrounds and buildings create a sense of authenticity of what is happening. In The Walking Dead of TellTale Games, the background tells its own story: as you move through the game, signs of destruction and decay become more apparent. The more the main characters despair, the darker the background becomes. An environment that does not fit the setting and does not fit into the overall picture of the universe, is usually used to highlight or strengthen plot twists.


The walking dead

The discrepancy between the details of the background and the setting or violation of the laws of physics is often perceived as a banter, and is relevant only if the ridicule is intentional.


Goat simulator

At the same time, there is no need for excessive confidence. The average person is used to seeing white Greek sculptures made of marble. If you follow the canon and paint the statues in different colors, users are unlikely to appreciate such authenticity.

Characters and technology


Game of thrones

The walking dead

The appearance of the character is the easiest way to control the emotions of the player. Being in a state of flow, a person projects an idealized image of himself on the main character. And he will act on the basis of his own concepts of good and evil. A great example of manipulation at the expense of appearance is banner advertising, offering us to save the seductive heroine.

In this case, every detail of the appearance of the character must be plausible, or at least justified.


Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

Text descriptions will help to better understand the purpose of some of the details of weapons and protection. But think more broadly even when creating an art or model: check whether the unit allows it to shoot and move its armor normally, whether its image corresponds to the general concept.


XCOM: Enemy Within

It is equally important to know the portrait of the target audience and act based on the interests of potential players. For example, World of Tanks is popular among older men who are interested in history and value credibility. The realistic setting forces Wargaming's experts to conduct detailed research and seek the help of history consultants.

The “Conflict: Art of War” strategy from Plarium has been translated into 7 languages, and the military equipment in it corresponds to the real combat weapons of different countries. Thus, although the “Conflict” action takes place in the near future, each player can find combat units that are in service with their home country.



In the first stages, the player masters the mechanics and tests the combat system - he is not in the depth of detail. But later, having explored the surface world of the game, he begins to look for a context. Additional clues and riddles hidden in graphic elements help to enhance the feeling of flow. The more curious details in the character's appearance, the more interesting it is for players to find and interpret them.


Alice: Madness Returns

We perceive most of the information about the game world visually, so graphics are one of the main means of transmitting the atmosphere, setting, and setting. Modern indie games are an illustration of how to captivate a user with the help of an interesting picture, plot, music, while not having a large budget.
In the next article, we will discuss how music, voices, and sounds affect engagement in gameplay.