This post is part of our Tips For Creators series where we are asking questions about gameplay, monetization, community and other topics related to making great games on Core.
LittleCreator has given us some tips to help creators like you make amazing looking games.
From the start of a new project to the first demo, what are the steps you follow to make the assets and the environment?
The first thing I do when I start the creation of a game is list all the features I will need. Gameplay features, UI features, etc...
Then, I start creating the dynamic assets, these assets will be those the players will likely be able to interact with. It can be doors, pushable boxes, ladders, etc...
Once I make them, I then make the static assets which will be all the stuff used for the level design and so on, like buildings, trains, rocks, etc...
From here, I can start building the world itself, using all the assets I created before. While working on the finer details I also work on the environment with the terrain tools, and then I polish everything that needs to be polished.
But of course, the steps going from a new project to the MVP really depends on the game itself.
How do you pick the theme of a game? Is it based on current top games in Core? Other content you consume? Or is it based on a specific type of assets you want to create?
Most of the time, the themes of my game are directly linked to the games I love. For example, « ENCOUNTERS », the theme is war/combat and my references were CoD, CS, BF, etc...
Creating a theme based on one of the Top Games on Core is a great idea, your game would surf on the wave of its hype!
But the theme is definitely something personal you, as a creator, must choose based on your own tastes. You won't find a lot of fun or pleasure in creating a game based on a Top Game of Core, whereas if you pick something you really love, it will be easier and more fun. If you love Fantasy, then create a fantasy game, if you love sports, go for a sports game.
Why would you create a horror game if you hate that genre of game?
From which sources are you gathering your reference images?
It depends on the assets I'm trying to create. If I'm trying to create a realistic scene/object, I will use Google images, simply looking for the thing I'm trying to do.
If I want to work on something more cartoonish/stylized, then I will use ArtStation, Pinterest, Sketchfab, Cgtrader, etc...
And sometimes, when I'm deep in creation, I just let my own imagination take control. So I close my eyes, the object appears in my mind, and I reproduce it in the engine.
What is the main mistake to avoid when kitbashing an asset?
KITBASHING FROM REFERENCED IMAGES
The main mistake, for me, is trying to reproduce the object you're kitbashing as perfection. You will never be able to make it the same, whatever your skills are. Why? Because you're not using the same tool, you are not the original creator, etc...
KITBASHING FROM IMAGINATION
The main mistake when you're kitbashing something is working without organization. For example, when I kitbash a House, I won't start by the roof. Like in reality I will start working on the foundations of it.
Then, I'll add the floors, the walls, doors, windows, pillars, etc...
Every object has a starting point and a base you should start with. You should start a sword with its grip. But of course, that is not a strict rule. For a bed, you can start with the mattress instead of the feet because the mattress gives a logical shape of the bed and its size.
What are the most common mistakes that beginners can avoid when making an environment?
Work step by step. Don't start too big.
Use a low strength on Sculpt tool, less than 0.1 to keep control of it and to be more precise.
Don't create props that have no links to your actual world. For example, don't create a candy house in a Hell world.
Everything the player can't see should not exist. If a place is not reachable by a player and they can't see what's in there, then there should be nothing.
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Thank you LittleCreator for answering our questions. Creators that read this post have no reason not to make beautiful environments and assets for their games!
Find the games of that creator here: @LittleCreator's Created Games - Core Games