Update 1: Buildings and Maps

Welcome to update number one of my newest game (name TBD)! I've decided to use itch to talk about my thought process and keep me accountable as I continue to develop this game. Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I go through this process (this will be my first large-scale project, haha). 

Though the game is well underway at this point, I decided for this post, I would specifically focus on the art assets I've created so far. For this and many of the game processes, I've been drawing inspiration from the Pokemon games as my game will function similarly to them. I've always found that drawing inspiration from other successful artists has helped me in my process and helped me learn techniques I might otherwise not have discovered (especially for projects like this that are more about skill learning than money making).

The buildings were the thing I first worked on. I looked at military encampments to get inspiration for them. Then, I drew them in a 2D-pixel format like the one below.

After I finished, I used those images as shaders for walls around a 3D house in Blender, extruding edges where needed to add depth to the structure.

There will be more building types as I progress, I just wanted a baseline of what I was going for before I continued.

It's been a bit since I've used Blender, so this was a good way to get myself back into it. And this technique turned out so well, I decided to use it for the maps as well.

For each section, I traced the edges with the knife tool to separate the faces from one another. Then, I used the inset and extrude tools to give each piece a little depth. It isn't too noticeable from the top, but I think it will look good from the side. Having this baseline should help a TON when I decide to make mountains, lakes, etc since I'll know where to increase the height. 

The more astute observers may notice that the islands have a familiar shape. This is another idea I took from Pokemon: they use real places and carve around them to create their islands. My map is based on Arizona. This method let me create a cool-looking map without spending too much time on it. (Granted, the biomes are completely different, but whatever). As someone who makes a lot of maps, I think I'll use this strategy in the future as it proved INSANELY useful and time efficient. 

My next goal is to focus on the mountains and rivers. I want to add some water simulations in Unity and have made some headway, but I would love advice if anyone has it. I'll be posting more of my process in the future so feel free to follow along (: This is my attempt to start engaging with the itch community, so I would love any input.