Article / 25 March 2023

Game Environment Art theory. STAND-ALONE SCENE


Earlier speaking of papermaps, I listed different types of levels, now let’s focus on stand-alone game environments. What are stand-alone game environments? Their purpose? And what goes into creating them?


What is the Stand-alone game environment?

Stand-alone game environment is a digital scene which does not include any playable mechanics and does not require the player’s participation. Such environments are typically designed for purposes like portfolio showcasing, admiration, exploration and learning software.


What are the main points?

• It is not a playable level, so it has no gameplay elements, no player paths, no objective. Players will not be interacting with the environment 
• It may include scripted elements such as a walkthrough or camera fly-through 
• Can be created in any game engine and are only limited by your current skill and what the game engine can do 
• Usually involves creation of custom models, textures, materials 
• No need to optimize, primary focus is on visuals 
• End result will be a fly-through video or screenshots to showcase game art, models, textures, materials and your skill 
• Needs a story of the player navigating through the environment 
• One single focal point used for compositional aesthetic purpose will be enough


Papermap

And continuing talked about papermaps, I also have a few words here. Definitely you need a layout for any type of level, and stand alone scenes are not exception. So when creating a top-down layout for a stand-alone game environment, the main goal is to figure out how architecture of the world, focal points/landmarks and set pieces fits together.

Here are primary key elements to include for your Stand-Alone Game Environment Layouts: 
• Focal points/landmarks 
• Placement or spatial relationships of buildings, objects, and landscape 
• Playable areas (if it is a walkthrough environment) and non-playable areas; boundaries of the map 
• Audio in specific areas (if required) 
• Scripted events (if required) 
With the layout completed, don't forget to create a Visual Progression Guide. It should help you understand clearly what you are going to create.

Tip: At start it's a good idea to start by identifying either a focal point or landmark, or by establishing the boundaries of the world.

Hope you find this little article interesting and see you next time