Halo Evolutions - Heretic Wraith

I've been designing and painting a concept for Halo Evolutions. The concept is a Heretic version of the Covenant Wraith tank. I based my design off of the heretic alterations to the Banshee in Halo 2 and 3, the only custom heretic vehicles in the series.

You can find out more about the project following the ModDB link below

http://www.moddb.com/mods/halo-evolutions

Thanks for reading,

-Andy

Heretic

So I've been painting a sketch I started yesterday today of a character idea for Halo Evolutions based on the halo 2 and 3 Heretics. I was imagining the first Heretic, what the first Sangheli to defy the prophets might have been like.

The armour is inspired by the Arbiters metal armour and the Halo 3 heretic armour, which can been seen below.

 The Arbiter

Heretic

You can find out more about the project following the ModDB link below

http://www.moddb.com/mods/halo-evolutions

Thanks for reading,

-Andy

The gender gap in the game development community isn't how you might think it is.

Let me begin by saying I know this subject is a zombie dead pirate ship with a crew of clichés. But there’s something I really wanted to discuss about this subject, which rises up more than it appears to ever exist and that’s the approach and attitude people have towards raising awareness and creating actual change.

Unfortunately because most media articles are designed to grab the attention of the viewer and relate to their readers emotions they play out this fictional drama, which in my opinion has a negative impact on women in the games industry. I'm going to start off by discusses the benefits of raising awareness to a subject, then talk about the benefits of the actual content and the impact of such content.

So there are obvious advantages which come to raising awareness to a subject, in that support for the issue can appear more legitimate and people are more willing to acknowledge and discuss how to deal with the issue, even if they would otherwise wish to look the other way. I think most of us in industry have acknowledged the gender gap as an issue for a long time; it’s not only something that’s been a recent concern. It has been a rising concern with the increased numbers of women playing video games in general.

So do I agree it’s good to raise awareness to acknowledgement of the subject? No. Now before you ready your rifles carry on reading, the reason lies entirely on the content and approach you are raising awareness towards, it’s not important to simply raise awareness to something people are already aware of. What is important however is raising awareness to help create a community, which helps avoid this issue for the future. This brings me on to what I have to discuss about content.

The content and approach to dealing with the issue is far more important than just awareness. It doesn't help to remind people of something they’re unaware of how to improve and unfortunately most the content I have read and seen does very little to discuss how you can actually address the issues raised in the long run. I sympathise that this isn't entirely the media's fault, as the solutions aren't going to come from people who are only in the gaming or gaming media community. The real solutions lie in the game developer community.

Now before people start pointing fingers and gnawing away at game developers and companies let me make it clear. The game development community is exactly that, a community it’s not some hierarchical structure or dictatorship and it involves a lot more than the average person not involved within it realises. This is why I feel compelled to write and discuss about it, it’s something I've been part of and have been involved in online for 14 years.

You see people fail to address how people become game developers and get involved in the community in the first place. So let me start by mentioning the average person I know in a none QA role in industry has spent at least 4-5 years practicing to become a game developer. Many more have been part of the community for over 5 years like myself, it is a difficult creative community and industry and developers usually become part of it long before being involved in the commercial side of it. I mention this because is the point where people start to become game developers and this is the stage in which the problem people have with the gender issue begins. It doesn't begin in the job sector, it begins in people choosing to live the lifestyle of creating video games.

Being from the UK the best none video games example I can give is football, ignoring the physical differences involved in sports. If you’re hiring football players regardless of gender, you’re far more likely to interview more men. This is because their are far more men to choose from, who have likely played football from an earlier age. This mainly because the environment, community and male role models involved in football has developed this way and inspires more young boys to play football than it does girls, the only way you can address this if it’s an issue is for women to help contribute and build a community for female football players who can also become female role models for the future.  

If you are looking to create a more gender balanced community this is the place it must start, you can only unfairly alleviate the symptoms to create equal numbers from there otherwise. When those boys and girls grow up into awesome developers the only thing that should get them through their job interviews is what they’re capable of, there experience and their character.

The average person can have a great impact on both society’s perception of and supporting a community, just as they can be at tearing it apart. So I ask you before you throw you negative actions towards people you don’t even know, be considerate. Don’t intentionally go hating upon a community which isn't seeking you harm and if you’re a women come and contribute to it. After all isn't that what the people concerned want? If you want the issue to change, that is what it will take.

Halo Evolutions - Forerunner structure 2 and scenery

This morning I've started the day by modelling a second forerunner building based on the building from the Halo 3 map Valhalla. I've also modelled a forerunner wall and some trees.

Below is the Halo 3 screenshots I used for reference to base the building on

You can find out more about the project following the ModDB link below

http://www.moddb.com/mods/halo-evolutions

Thanks for reading,

-Andy

Halo Evolutions - Forerunner Structure

Starting working on some forerunner structures for Halo Evolutions to go with the other snow/ice environment assets I've produced. 

This first forerunner structure is based on the Halo 3 campaign level shown below. 

You can find out more about the project following the ModDB link below

http://www.moddb.com/mods/halo-evolutions

Thanks for reading,

-Andy

Forerunner practice

Spent an hour and half practicing modelling some forerunner architecture

The architecture pieces are based on the piece of concept art below by Frank Capezzuto.

Halo Evolutions - Banshee

I've modelled the Banshee, which is the covenant factions main recon/combat aircraft for Halo Evolutions.

You can find out more about the project following the ModDB link below

http://www.moddb.com/mods/halo-evolutions

Thanks for reading,

-Andy

Halo Evolutions - Turrets

Today I've been modelling two turrets for the covenant factions of Halo Evolutions. The first turret is an Anti-Infantry ground turret and classic one from the original halo game.

The second turret is an anti-air gun based on the new turrets introduced in Halo 2 and 3.

I also created some more environment assets the other day for the snow/ice environment assets 

You can find out more about the project following the ModDB link below

http://www.moddb.com/mods/halo-evolutions

Thanks for reading,

-Andy

Halo Evolutions - Shadow and Scenery

I've created the Covenant Shadow vehicle, also know as the Covenant bus. The vehicles is used as an APC to transport vehicles or troops around during the invasion of the cities of earth in Halo 2. 

I've also modelled and textured some assets for a snow environment, as I'd like to create a multiplayer map inspired by the classic Halo 1 map sidewinder and the halo 3 remake avalanche.

You can find out more about the project following the ModDB link below

http://www.moddb.com/mods/halo-evolutions

Thanks for reading,

-Andy

Halo Evolutions - Ghost

Created another vehicle model for Halo Evolutions. This time I modelled a Ghost, which is light hover bike vehicle for the alien Covenant factions.

I also created the Anti Air variation of the Wraith tank I modelled yesterday

You can find out more about the project following the ModDB link below

http://www.moddb.com/mods/halo-evolutions

Thanks for reading,

-Andy

Halo Evolutions - Wraith

Today for CnC3 - Halo Evolutions I have been requested to work on some of the Covenant units as well as environment assets and have spent 2-3 hours creating the model for a Covenant Wraith tank. I will also be creating an anti air artillery variant of the tank and possibly be creating damage stages to it similar to the buildings shown yesterday.

You can find out more about the project following the ModDB link below

http://www.moddb.com/mods/halo-evolutions

Thanks for reading,

-Andy

Command and Conquer 3 Mod - Evolutions

So I've decided to start contributing environment assets and level design towards a command and conquer 3 mod called Halo - Evolutions, which can be found here http://www.moddb.com/mods/halo-evolutions

I'm a big fan of the halo series and spent 6 hours yesterday playing Halo CE with my house mate. I really enjoy modding halo games its one of the first shooters I created content for, it's a shame the newer version never came to pc. Anyway I've been creating buildings for units to take cover in based on various Halo concept art. The buildings require 4 transitions between being in perfect condition to being destroyed and uninhabitable.

Below are the destruction transitions of the first building I've created.

Here are some extra taller pieces I've created to use whilst creating the next building asset

Finally finished University

I've finally finished University and began developing some plat-former games. I've reorganised my blog ready to post more regular updates now I'm now longer maintaining and writing lots of university assignments. University has gone really well I'm got a strong chance of graduating with a 1st class honours depending on my group work grades. Something which also went really well I worked tirelessly to make sure the game was well documented for the hand in and it had enough environment art textures.

The game ended up winning an internal vote of being the best out of the 12 teams this year and will be put forward sometime during the summer to an indie game site by the University. The university will also be showcasing my environment art across their new website and my dissertation won 2nd in games modelling during the GradEx event, which I'm made up about.

I've been working on two plat-former projects, the first is an Unreal Engine 4 game called Trousers 2 and is a 3D sequel to a game previously made by my college Leon Field;  you can play the original trousers game following the gamejolt link below

http://gamejolt.com/games/platformer/trousers/17534/

I've been focused on creating environment art for Trousers 2 as opposed to script or level design, as we port across and reinvent the original game content.

The other project is a 2D plaformer adventure game I spent an evening creating pixel art for then begin creating the game framework in c# Unity2D yesterday. I'm using the project to further my understanding and practice with the language and to have fun making my first complete in web browser game, which I will be posting my company website in the near future.

Thanks for reading

-Andy