My task for my final major project is to create the interior of a 1920s long distance passenger express train, which will be comprised of several types of coaches, including compartment cars, dining cars and sleeping cars. The interior of the coach will be accompanied by a low poly, dynamic exterior scene, which will be viewable from within the carriages. Both the interior and exterior environments will be photorealistic, and should complement each other perfectly.
The genre of game I am pursuing is that of a mystery adventure game, similar to old point and click adventure games, and its more current gen successors. Inspiration will also be taken from film and television adaptations of the murder mystery style.
The route of the train is to be set in France, travelling from Calais to the French Riviera, similar to The Blue Train (Le Train Bleu), the Calais-Mediterranée Express, which was a luxury night express train popular amongst the wealthy and famous of this time. Because of this, the exterior environment will resemble French rural countryside, for which I will reference the works of Monet and other appropriate masters.
The interior of the train itself will be loosely based on carriages from the golden age of rail travel, including sleepers and dining cars of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, and European Pullman dining and lounge coaches. I will source my own reference images of Pullman cars, and conclude the designs by marrying my research and reference with my own concepts and styling, to produce a final outcome that I'm happy with, and which may at some times favour artistic licence over complete accuracy.
The finished piece will introduce just a sample of the long journey. The train won't stop at stations, and characters won't be present. The focus is on the environment itself, which could in theory accommodate intriguing characters as its passengers and therefore play host to an interesting story.
General Asset list
Interior:
The train environment will be separated into different types of carriage. Some assets and modular pieces will be shared throughout the carriages, like structural meshes, fixtures, fittings and wall panelling. Some will be specific to just that one type of carriage, like seats and tables in the dining car. More unique assets will be used less often or just once, such as personal items, newspapers etc.
-Modular wall panels, flooring and roofing
-Modular sections for corridors
-Modular sections for private seating/dining compartments
-Sliding doors (different variations dependant on location)
-Windows, Curtains
-Light fittings and other fixtures, Picture frames, clocks, maybe mirrors
-Overhead and above seat brass luggage racks (different styles and sizes)
-Passenger seats, different sizes/styles depending on berth/carriage
-Dining seats, Dining table, decorations, lamps, cutlery, a vase of flowers etc
-Private sleeping compartments, to include bed and linen, wardrobe and drawers, basin and faucets, toilet? The sleeping cars still require more research
-Assets to decorate the carriages to make it look inhabited. Newspapers, cigarette in an ashtray, a ladies handbag and perfume, a gentleman's shaving kit etc
Exterior:
Low poly assets that fly past the carriages using Unreal Matinee, to give the impression of the train in motion. Objects will travel at different speeds to give an illusion of depth, and will loop at different intervals so that the repetition is irregular and does not repeat so often.
-Fields and farmland
-Trees, bushes, hedgerows, grass verges and embankments
-manmade structures, fences, telephone poles/wires
-Villages and farmhouses
-Distant objects and landscape, possibly flat planes
-Skydome
Technical Specification:
Rough estimates, subject to change once full asset list is created at white-boxing stage
Tri Limit of 60,000 est.
Texture Budget of 90mb est.
Intended Platform:
PC
Programs to use:
3D Studio Max 2012
Adobe Photoshop
Xnormal
nDo/nDo2
Unreal Development Kit
