A big part of game design is the environment. For Nimian Hunter 2, Ive been testing both a sunset and blue sky look. Both have their advantages.

Sunsets are glorious, rich in color and contrast, and very dramatic. Glows and highlights add a real sense of mystery to the landscape. The downside is that detail can be lost in the dark shadows, and the sense of distance isn’t as great with the sunset colored fog.

Grell Mountains in Sunset with flying Dracozid

Its almost as if our minds are hardwired to see blue haze as meaning greater distance. In the blue sky tests with light blue fog, the sense of distance across the land is much greater. There’s also less detail lost in shadows when you have a bright blue sky, but blue skies can also lack drama and seem everyday.

Grell Basin in Sunlight

By testing out both versions I’m getting a sense of what works technically in the level design and what doesn’t. What I’m aiming for now is a combination sky with lighter shadows and some elements of sunset and blue sky – probably the beginning of a sunset. The painterly look and feel is an important element in Nimian games. But in the end, the environment will have to serve the theme and mood of the game. So while testing is great, I’ll have to wait to finish the story and art direction to really understand what works best on a technical and thematic level.

It’s that time of year again:) These are the first screenshots of the upcoming Nimian Hunter 2, the prequel to Nimian Hunter that continues the adventures of Rando.  It’s a Unity 3D action adventure game.

Alongside Nimian Garden, they tell the story of Rando’s past and his involvement with the war and his part ion the destruction of the land. The adventure takes place in a region known as Costalina, near the republic of Physus and involves a rather nasty behemoth known as The Mentipede.

Currently I’m working on the game Art Direction. I’m establishing the silhouettes, proportions and color palettes. Establishing the back story and surrounding environment helps with this. Thers is also a surprise coming up in the future screenshots that reveal a touch of Nimia Flyer influencing the game – I think Protofans will like it. More on that soon.