[previewyoutube=nD5IikEFXmU;full][/previewyoutube] Hello, rookies! My name is [b]Mikail[/b] from the [b]BIG SHOTS®[/b] team, and I have the honor of welcoming you to the first edition of our BIG SHOTS® Dev Blog, dated [b]December 14[/b], 2023! Today is a significant milestone in our journey as we unveil the evolution of BIG SHOTS®, our VR mech roguelite. We hope to give you insight into our development as we work hard to give you guys the best VR experience! For our first edition, we will review the beginnings and artistic evolution of BIG SHOTS®. We will go over the inspiration behind Big Shots and show off our art style, showcasing our famous “cube.” Without further ado, let's get into it! [u][h2]The Challenge of Choosing a VR Art-Style[/h2][/u] Sci-fi-VR Games (especially mech VR games) tend to lean towards realism, thinking that's the ultimate goal. While we also enjoy realistic games, that hyper-realistic vibe might differ from everyone's cup of tea, so we tried to do something different. We believe that a stylized art style can breathe life into a game in a way that realism can’t, making it accessible to everyone. That's why we're big fans of the stylized approach. It brings a different vibe—more vibrant, fun, and accessible. Stylized environments let colors pop, injecting a sense of life and energy into the virtual world we're crafting. It's not just about mimicking reality; it's about creating a uniquely captivating and enjoyable space for every player. [hr][/hr] [h1]Inspiration: The Big Three[/h1] [u][h2]Borderlands[/h2][/u] While many have drawn parallels between our style and that of "Borderlands," it's interesting that this resemblance wasn't intentional. The love for "Borderlands" runs deep in our office, but our journey to achieve a similar look took a different route. The visual style of borderlands is achieved through a combination of Shaders, textures, and love. However, in the world of Big Shots, we’ve taken a more hand-painted approach, as our multiplatform approach doesn’t allow for much shader wizardry. Our artists meticulously handcrafted every detail, including the black outlines seamlessly integrated into the textures. It's a labor of love, a manual process that gives our game its unique visual identity. While the styles might share similarities, the techniques behind our results are a testament to the craftsmanship and dedication of our artistic team. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44740245/6cc94304af4a0793265b77f6b60e3b0e4ff817f2.gif[/img] [u][h2]Love Death Robots[/h2][/u] Alright, buckle up for the BIG SHOTS® origin story! So, as we dove into the wild world of game development, our main mantra was making sure players had that satisfying “it just makes sense” feeling with their inputs. We experimented with letting the player pilot a vehicle with weapons; later, the mechanisms and movements made it clear that the best fit for the theme would be a badass “mech.” [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44740245/114769483dc0bb0d558facfd01cc02d45f70bc3e.png[/img] We worked a while on perfecting the mech’s movement and how to make it feel snappy, and amidst development comes this episode from "Love Death Robots." Picture this – an average Joe inside a massive mech, going toe-to-toe with alien bugs. We thought it was fucking badass. So, we collectively scratched our heads and thought, "Why not bring this whole vibe into the VR realm?" And that was the spark that lit the BIG SHOTS® fire. [u][h2]Deep Rock Galactic[/h2][/u] It's funny how many folks say BIG SHOTS® gives them Deep Rock Galactic vibes. We're not complaining because we regularly play DRG. It's a staple in our office gaming sessions. But here's the kicker—BIG SHOTS® didn't take a direct cue from Deep Rock Galactic. Looking back, we get why people see the connection. We aimed to capture that whole working-stiff vibe in BIG SHOTS®—the feeling of being a blue-collar worker just trying to make a living, using the corporation's gear to level up along the way. It's that same down-to-earth, working-class hero vibe you get in DRG. So, while the inspiration wasn't intentional, this shared essence ties our game to the caverns of Deep Rock. Here's to the grind, whether in space or the futuristic offices of BIG SHOTS®! [hr][/hr] [h1]The Cube[/h1] In the VR realm, we're up against a challenge—keeping things like polycounts and texture sizes in check. We want our virtual world to stand out, but the tech limitations push us to be smart about it. We also want to ensure that we push every platform to its graphical limits, PCVR, PSVR2, Quest, and Pico, without sacrificing performance. That's where atlases, trim sheets, tiling textures, some nifty shaders, meticulously tested lightmaps, and post-processing come into play. It's like using a set of tricks that let us expand BIG SHOTS® without bogging down the experience. Think of it as our way of balancing our virtual world's visual complexity with the hardware's realities. We learned most of this throughout development, but it all started with the default blender cube. The creation of the BIG SHOTS universe contains a series of steps that need to be undertaken to deliver a game-ready asset. We established a tight color scheme to maintain consistency and a unified look, restricting ourselves to 3 or 4 colors for each asset. The key techniques involved: [list] [*] Starting with base colors. [*] Applying cross-hatching for texture. [*] Manually outlining in black for contrast. [*] Highlighting edges to define shapes. [*] The finishing touches? Delicate hand-painted details. [/list]When shaping our assets, we took a deliberate approach. We ensured that our forms contrasted with the backgrounds, creating a sense of roundness. Why? Because rounded shapes with vibrant colors exude tranquility, enhancing the VR experience and encouraging prolonged gameplay. Our lead artist, Matthias, declared the need for an asset that would set the tone for the future of our VR universe. Thus, "The BIG SHOTS Cube" was born, becoming our go-to reference for every asset to come. It's amazing how starting with a simple cube has shaped the vibrant and cohesive visual language of BIG SHOTS®. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44740245/877157870d9942ac96844773cbd30ab8761152d0.jpg[/img] [hr][/hr] [h1]The Process[/h1] [u][h2]Concept Phase[/h2][/u] During the conception phase, we look for interesting shapes, ideas, and concepts an object can bring. We consider the conception phase as a problem-solving solution through conceptual art. For example, we have different guns that we want to interchange during gameplay; what device can support multiple guns or how do we tackle transformations of guns? With problems like these in mind, the concept artists sketch ideas and solutions based on the given limitations. Afterwards, this gets discussed by the team, and a design is cleared for production. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44740245/08478842ada50796ec0fdbfb3cba485d06635312.png[/img] [u][h2]Modeling & Sculpting[/h2][/u] After the conception phase, we continue to the modeling and sculpting phase. We want to release on all major VR platforms, so we are bound to some limitations. To adapt, we opt for a low poly workflow using our favorite modeling tool, Blender! This means we keep the polycount as low as possible while creating crisp, kick-ass-looking artwork. When working in this low poly workflow, there are a couple of things to remember: shapes, contouring, and readability. Whenever we work on organic models, we use Z-brush as our go-to sculpting tool. This tool gives us the flexibility to form organic shapes quickly. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44740245/af40dec1b294757665a15bbe5eaf1d54292b55ef.gif[/img] [u][h2]Texturing[/h2][/u] To get this specific look, we have the BIG SHOTS “companion cube” that takes us through this process. It visualizes the impact of certain steps crucial to the style while working with Substance Painter and Photoshop. [u][h2]Basic Colors[/h2][/u] Less is more. And with that philosophy, we created the color palette for big shots. We try to achieve visual simplicity while maintaining the readability of our objects. That’s why we chose a color palette consisting of 3 main colors. This gives a clear indicator for the player of what objects have interactable capabilities and which don’t. So, in the first step, we apply the base colors to the mesh. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44740245/23b82d17b4dd9ae9047f7c596d531e0c9e6c7dfd.png[/img] [u][h2]Color Variation[/h2][/u] We use a color variation smart material we've set up to add that extra layer of depth and eliminate that squeaky-clean look. This smudges away at the clean colors, creating darker spots and giving it that dirty look. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44740245/204750949df97924b3934b4cbab8a21cff3c8ea0.png[/img] [u][h2]Ambient occlusion, black outlines, and crosshatching[/h2][/u] Ambient occlusion, black outlines, and cross-hatching. The most distinct effect we use is the pitch-black lines on the hard edges of our objects. This gives the player a strong sense of contour, enhances readability, and helps with depth perception. To add to the cartoon and playful look, we add a cross-hatching style ambient occlusion and accentuate depth in models by adding more where necessary. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44740245/03b8ce981b9e43ce50bd8e29d4577b0613c0bbbc.png[/img] [u][h2]Paint Damage[/h2][/u] When piloting your mech, you sure take some damage along the way, not to mention the pre-used gear where previous owners have neglected the paintwork. Chipping away paint is one of our techniques to give that worn-out, used look. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44740245/a808717e2f69ba2e686ab77a88bd2eac9de0abff.png[/img] [u][h2]Highlights[/h2][/u] Finally, highlighting edges and spots that would catch more light than others is crucial to a stylized look. It also enhances the contour of an object and adds an extra layer of depth. After adding lighting effects and highlights on the object, we almost have a finished object ready to implement in the engine. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44740245/0e2f678efdbb13c115e0807be5413c7283b419ed.png[/img] [u][h2]Decals and unique effects[/h2][/u] Some objects need extra love and require custom decals and effects. One of our most used decals is the diagonal lines. This brings a heavy machinery vibe to the object, best known in real-life applications such as diggers and construction sites. In this step, we also try to go the extra mile and achieve some extra comic feeling by adding funny quotes or scribbled details on an object in a comical way, like ‘Canister goes here, and comes out there.’ Nothing better than stating the obvious to your player in a funny way while still helping them out. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44740245/0911cde3f476a7d8ba569517f4512ebaeee01d8b.png[/img] [hr][/hr] This concludes our first-ever Big Shots Dev Blog. We will continue working hard to make BIG SHOTS@ the best experience for you! We hope you enjoyed this dev blog and let us know if there are any other topics that you would want us to talk about in the comment section down below! We hope we see you next time! -Mikail, signing out https://store.steampowered.com/app/2666530/BIG_SHOTS/ [u][b]Follow us on our socials:[/b][/u] [list] [*] [b][url=https://www.tiktok.com/@bigshotsvr]TikTok[/url][/b] [*] [b][url=https://twitter.com/BigShotsVR]Twitter[/url][/b] [*] [b][url=https://www.instagram.com/bigshotsvr/]Instagram[/url][/b] [*] [b][url=https://www.facebook.com/BigShotsVR/]Facebook[/url][/b] [*] [b][url=https://discord.com/invite/4jddD6Xzne]Discord[/url][/b] [*] [b][url=https://www.reddit.com/r/BigShotsVR/]Reddit[/url][/b] [/list][i][b]Gear up, team up, and exterminate![/b][/i] [b]The Big Shots Team[/b]