“We sit down with members of the Environment Art team in the UK to discuss their work on ArcCorp, it’s moons and the environments of Alpha 3.5.”
In this episode of Reverse the Verse Live, the focus is on the environments of Alpha 3.5 in Star Citizen. The show features a panel of artists who worked on the creation of the environments, including Nick Etheridge, Joel Jakubowicz, and Luan Vetoreti. They discuss their roles in creating the environments of Alpha 3.5, specifically focusing on the development of the art and design for ArcCorp, the main location in the game. The panel highlights the collaborative effort of various teams, including environment, UI, props, and audio, in creating the immersive and visually appealing environments.
The discussion also addresses some questions regarding the future plans for ArcCorp and its potential expansions. The panel talks about the possibility of adding abandoned buildings and different areas of the city, such as slums or unique structures, to increase the diversity within ArcCorp. They also mention the use of underground areas and the potential for additional land vehicles to explore the streets and even participate in city races. The team acknowledges the repetitive nature of the current environments and expresses their intention to introduce more variation, such as different materials, colors, and textures, in future updates.
The show also touches upon the technical aspect of creating the environments and the challenges faced by the team. They discuss the techniques used to optimize the frame rate and the importance of LOD (Level of Detail) in maintaining performance. They mention the use of larger brushes and more aggressive LODs to reduce draw calls and improve visual read from different distances. The panel also mentions the potential for future improvements in the distribution of rocks on the surfaces of planets to make the driving experience more enjoyable.
Lastly, the panel talks about some of the future plans for the environments, including the addition of space stations in orbit above Hurston and ArcCorp. They mention the possibility of visual customization for player-owned buildings, such as adding holograms or changing the exteriors. They also discuss the potential for seasonal changes and the introduction of different biomes in ArcCorp. The panel concludes by expressing their enjoyment in working on the creation of environments for Star Citizen and the satisfaction in overcoming the challenges in making the game visually appealing and immersive.