longlivetheprincess
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Progress Report
🕑 Added 2023-12-08 09:27:45 +0000 UTCGreetings, everyone!
I'm still not entirely well after my fight with covid, but I'm getting there. In fact, I've regained enough of my strength that I've been able to put in some serious work on the renders for one of the most complicated (if not the most complicated) chapters in the first version, and they look great! You can see one of the images from this scene at the top of this post, which should go a long way to demonstrating just how much the image and environment detail have improved since Long Live the Princess. Not only does everything look way more realistic with much more detail, but the image resolution is also improved. LLtP was 720p, while Supermodel is 1080p. It really does make a difference, even though my approach to the new renders is to give them a slightly soft, cinematic look. And speaking of cinematic, it's a lot of fun playing with the camera in these shots. LLtP forced me to stick with a first-person perspective for the vast majority of the game, but Supermodel has no such restriction. This gives me a lot of flexibility for visual storytelling and gives me a better idea of what the environments actually look like.
This chapter is technically the second Michael Sharpe chapter in the game, but it's the first one where we get to actually meet Michael. The above shot is how we first see him, in the middle of an unpleasant phone call. What is he talking about, and with whom? You'll have to wait to find out. Suffice it to say, this scene gets really, really intense.
The above image also demonstrates another concept that we should hopefully see more of in the full game: the fact that the characters aren't stuck in one costume for the entire game. Due to the open nature of LLtP, I was forced to keep the characters in the same costume for almost the entire game. In Supermodel, I have much more control over when and how people will appear, so I can easily swap costumes to fit the scenes better.
My plan right now is to finish making the necessary renders for this scene and then immediately bring them into the code, along with music, ambient sounds, and sound effects. I want this scene to be my first real test where everything comes together. Seeing all of this come together at last is exciting, and I can't wait to get the complete picture shortly.
Until next time!
Comments
The renders are made in Daz Studio, but the game engine is Ren'py. Making a card game in Ren'py wasn't easy, let me tell you. Give Snapshot a download if you're curious how it works.
Ricardo
Nice! Curious about what engine you're using. Is it still Renpy?
Apart from the typical spotlights lighting up Michael (which follow the same 3-light structure that I used in LLtP), the environment is all "naturally" lit in this shot. There are plentiful amounts of light sources scattered across the room, mostly on the ceiling, and due to this being a rainy and overcast day, these light sources overpower the sunlight coming in from outside (which is partially blocked because of the close proximity from the neighboring building). Additionally, all images in Supermodel are given a brightness/contrast pass to make colors pop more and emphasize the comic-book influences in the story. Unless your issue is with the three spotlights, I'm not sure what it is you think you're seeing. Even the spotlights are naturally placed, with the most significant light source coming from above and to the right (where there are actual light sources in the room anyway), the secondary coming from the left (to fight off the deepest shadows on Michael's skin, which would have made him look corpse-like), and a rim light placed above and behind him to bring out his hair and edges in a way that is meant to emphasize the light from the windows. I've read an actual book on the lighting of movies and photo shoots, so believe it or not, my use of lights is not random. But do keep in mind that Supermodel is meant to look larger-than-life, not completely realistic. It's meant to "pop" by design. One more thing worth mentioning: The camera's exposure is longer than usual due to the dark outside lighting, which makes the indoors lighting stand out more. This also contributes to the brightly lit environment.
Saphirweapon
While i can appreciate the general improvement with the renders (!), i am not sure how to feel about the lighting in that render. I am not sure if it is intended, but overall it feels a bit artifical and doesnt realy match the light sources and the overall brightness outside at all. But that is just a small bad feeling on top of the said big improvement in the first place : )
