|
Planet Suburbia was our first real game developing project during our education at Uppsala University. The group was randomly put together, we had three student programmers and three student graphical artists. Three of these also took on roles of lead design, lead sound and producer. In my own opinion, it made for a really good learning experience and it’s healthy to learn how to cooporate with all kinds of people!
The original concept for Planet Suburbia was not our own, however we did adjust and change a lot of the original ideas and design to fit our own vision. It is a simple 2D spaceshooter. In the game, you play as a defender of Earth. Armed with a mighty cannon your job is to repel the waves of alien invasions. Earth is divided into four sections, but you’ll only be able to see one on the screen at the same time, meaning you need to rotate the earth in order to see the various attacking ships. My role on this project was that of Lead Artist and narrative, we did however, all contribute to the design of the game. Planet Suburbia is built in C++ and the engine was built from scratch, all the art was created in Photoshop.
The somewhat unfinished game can be downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1nkAzOERwI9MElWOUktVE9CUGc
The art of Planet Suburbia
Ronald Bronson Gump Jr. (Aka, President Evil)
I enjoy character design and narratives. President Evil is the actual antagonist of the game. We wanted him to appear to the player as the stereotypical corrupt leader. He has a whole backstory which I wont bore you with here. Keep in mind, the character was actually designed in early 2016… Below are a few mockups of potential looks.
 Our group opted for the middle sketch where President Evil is holding a glass. Behold the result below! He’s your bogstandard white old man with power. I wanted the sarcasm to be as clear as it could be, I wanted him to be a little provocative and absurd. His tie is sloppily tied, his hair used to be combed neatly but is now all messed up and his shirt is loose. This, I’m hoping, is giving an impression of carelessness and a trouble-free lifestyle. The hand is barely holding on to the glass of expensive space-champagne, meaning he isn’t too bothered if he spills it all out, he can always get another! He shares color scheme and a few design details on his jacket with Victoria, the other main character of the game.
Commander Victoria Brevitt
Commander Victoria Brevitt leads introduces the player to the game and guides her all throughout. She too has an extensive biography which I’ll save for another day. It was important that the player experienced her as someone of great authority, but still as one of the good guys. We needed the player to want to do what she suggested, without thinking about any ill motives. I’ve used Star Trek, Command & conquer Red Alert 2 and various American military uniforms as inspiration for my design.
I realised somewhat quickly that the color combination above gave people the wrong idea, I personally loved them but players perceived her as somewhat more of an unpleasant communist military leader. I should’ve guessed… I gave her a rework and added colors that we in the west consider to be more majestic and honorable. The shoulders are a bit edgy, intended to send a signal to the player that perhaps she is not all what she seems to be.
The Alien Mites
The aliens, called Mites by the humans on Earth, were originally meant to be good. They were simply survivors, fleeing their own dying planet, looking for satefy and a life on Earth. This idea was scrapped however due to a shortage of time in completing the project. Inspiration was fetched from insects, as these are creatures that are so vastly different from us mammals, I figured we’d find it more difficult to identify with them. My faveourite is the one on the top left!
My team however, prefferred a more human look. I was slightly saddened by the fact I had fallen into a common trap, I had actually drawn a male body onto my non-specific gendered alien, without even thinking about it! This was an eye opener for me and helped me become more aware of my built in bias and programmed norms. Naturally, I did my best to make ammends, the Picture in the bottom is the finished result of my “attacking” alien.
 
Planet Earth
The planet is as previously mentioned divided into four different areas. These areas are themed by seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. Technically, there is no diffference however, other than them unlocking over time as the game progresses. It was important the player feels attached to the planet, it should look innocent, peaceful and idyllic. I collected references from the Swedish countryside – my birthplace.
 
About Ida Andersson-Junkka
2015 Graphics
|
