Location/Level Moodboards
After carrying out my real world influence research and level/world research, I made my first moodboard which portrays the general ideas I had at the starting point of this of this task. The moodboard below shows some of the ideas of the different themes I had originally, which I had wanted to use for the different level.
After creating the general outline moodboard above, I went on to develop a moodboard for each individual level, to further show the different themes that the islands could make use of, and to also give a better idea to the rest of the group (such as the artists and level designers who will be required to concept/create these locations).
For my level moodboards, I wanted the main reason for them to show off how each island is unique, by showing off the main theme(s) of the different islands. To this this I searched for images online, and collected a range of images from art work, to actual game levels, and then even real world places and buildings.
Each of my level moodboards are shown below, with a brief description of what the levels theme is:
1st level making use of an island village theme (this village making use of the main trade of fishing). The game will start with the village under attack, so most likely set aflame, but when the level ends/when the player can leave the level, it will be daytime with the fires put out.
2nd level making use of the themes desert and jungle. Within the jungle there are ruins, which hold the map/level objective. Island uninhabited. During the game most likely making use of the time being day.
3rd level making use of a frozen theme (snow/ice). Buildings location on the island make use of the conditions by being made from ice (like igloos, or architecture that uses ice in conjunction with other materials). Small town of these snow/ice buildings.
The ruins on this island show this theme by making use of the frozen theme with use of snow, as well as a different building style (stone instead of the ice buildings?).
4th island making use of a mountainous theme, as well as a main waterfall on the main mountain. Uninhabited island again. Ruins located behind the waterfall, in the form of a small cave. Island making use of a beach section with the ship wrecked ship, but also the mountainous section with ruins behind the water fall.
This level starts with the protagonists ship getting destroyed/shipwrecked (when leaving the level, a new boat is stolen/old boat is left).
5th level making use of a volcanic/lava theme. Inhabitants in stone buildings. Ruins inside the volcano. Island itself contains a number of lava rivers. Islands main industry being iron works/mining -> using the islands heat to smelt minerals (likely to change, but the volcanic theme is confirmed).
This level being a mix of themes. Begins with it being a ship graveyard in the ocean. Then one the players ship is eaten the level changes to the sharks interior which makes use of more of a mechanical theme, but also remains of ships (sections of shipwrecks) where the shark consumes other pirate ships (the section of the shark the player being inside being it’s stomach). Once the protagonist fixes ship and escapes shark, level returns to being the ocean, where the final fight takes place.