Now here's a weird #gamedev question:
A lot of words have been written and recorded on #worldbuilding for fantasy worlds regarding history, culture, ecology, and many other elements. But most of it seems to assume the context of novel writing and pen and paper game design.
But when it comes to videogames (and comics and animation) the visual look of fashion, architecture, and technology matters even more.
Has anyone seen resources on this visual design aspect of worlbuiding?
I find it interesting that all the coverage of videogame visuals is all about distinctive graphic styles.
What I am thinking about is not "can you immediately recognize the artist?", but "can you recognize the world?" even when it is portrayed in a different artists personal style.
Star Wars is a very good example of this. You can recognize Star Wars vehicles and weapons in any art style. It's "looking like something out of Star Wars".
I want to achieve something like that.
#DarkSun is another great example. None of these illustrations are by Brom, but if you're a Dark Sun fan, you instantly recognize them as as showing Dark Sun.
Having a distinctive color palette is the most obvious element here. The way the unusual sun is included prominently is another.
But it's also how armor consists of small plates connected by straps, and the exaggerated curved spikes on all weapon blades.
One thing that I see with the distinctive aesthetic of Dark Sun that could be a good template for creating other worlds is how manufactured objects reflect the natural environment.
The dominant colors are sand, ocher, brown and red, like the desert.
The spikiness in objects mimics knapped obsidian and flint, even in objects that are not made from these materials.
Use of turtle shells as substitutes for iron, which have a distinct surface pattern.
Good start for any design style.
I've been a huge fan of the Mediterranean Forest look since I've first been to southern Italy and saw Return of the Jedi when I was 11. (And a school trip to the strangely similar heath south of Hamburg when I was 6.) And it's always been on my mind worldbuilding for #Kaendor.
There is so much to work with. The color palette of pines, sandy ground, and dry grass. The light patterns. The textures of pine bark and woody shrubs.
Cool designs can be based on that.
Yora