There's a lot more to building a town in a game than just plotting out the buildings and filling in key NPCs. You can leave it at that (and it's unfortunate when that's the case), but to stop it from feeling like a ghost town, certain steps can be taken to build up the ambiance of a locale. The latest devlog available at the Pirates of the Burning Sea website is penned by the game's technical artist Xenobia, and focuses on the process of breathing life into the many port towns in the Caribbean.
Some of the curious little events you might notice in PotBS's towns could probably be attributed to Xenobia. A woman kicking and screaming while being taken away over the shoulder of a pirate, drunks in various stages of consciousness -- things like this are of no consequence and will keep going in the background regardless of whatever else is happening, yet they greatly enhance the feeling that you're in an actual town. Visit the devlog to see what goes on behind the scenes -- including how it all looks in the Maya software -- when bringing a game-town to life.
Reader Comments (1)
Posted: Feb 21st 2008 10:20AM GRT said
I hate to keep beating up POTBS but I can't help myself...
Considering that many of the towns in the world of POTBS are clones of each other, I'm not sure Xenobia has much to brag about. Yes, the touches are nice...in one town. When you see the exact same buildings and NPCs in the exact same places doing the exact same things in town after town...well, it doesn't feel all that special.
I knew making unique towns is one of the 'things to come' but man, they should've been in there for launch. You only have 1 chance to make a good first impression.
Considering that many of the towns in the world of POTBS are clones of each other, I'm not sure Xenobia has much to brag about. Yes, the touches are nice...in one town. When you see the exact same buildings and NPCs in the exact same places doing the exact same things in town after town...well, it doesn't feel all that special.
I knew making unique towns is one of the 'things to come' but man, they should've been in there for launch. You only have 1 chance to make a good first impression.







