over 3 years ago - /u/CreatureTech-PHX - Direct link

Hey everyone,

Let's talk about ART!

We'll be here between 2PM PT to 3PM PT to answer as many questions as we can about the art process behind Dauntless.

Everything's on the table from animation, concepts, visual effects, illustration, modeling, you name it!

Important!

Please keep it to one to two concise questions per comment. This makes it much easier for our developers to answer them one by one.

Update:

That's a wrap! We're going back to work. Thank you all for your thoughtful questions. Until next time!

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over 3 years ago - /u/CreatureTech-PHX - Direct link

Originally posted by Ro_cro

When will you adust hit boxes on shadow cast drask. Also can wo know the date of repeaters rework.

Sir, this is an art AMA.

over 3 years ago - /u/jordanpowpow - Direct link

Originally posted by DemolizerTNT

  1. Will we get another in-game animation like the one from saving Ramsgate / Good people of Ramsgate? I really enjoyed that!

  2. How long it usually take you to fully create new Behemoth? - starting from concept art

Maybe! Non are being worked on at the moment, but they are super fun for the team to make and really help bring the world to life.

Behemoths vary a lot. A variant like blaze gnasher is less time than a variant like Deepfrost embermane or a variant like Thunderdeep Drask which is less than a full Behemoth like Boreus which is less than a keystone Behemoth like The Chronovore!

It also depends on how many people are taking that Behemoth on and a whole bunch of other things. But for an actual answer: Concepts for the next Behemoth are already underway - and I expect it to be in your hands by mid-October.

over 3 years ago - /u/jordanpowpow - Direct link

Originally posted by NooneLikesLavelle

Are you guys working on any new behemoths instead of reskins? (not attacking just curious! u guys did a really good job on the cronovore).

YES

over 3 years ago - /u/JulioNicoletti - Direct link

Originally posted by anonistakenistaken

to the behemoth and gear concepters (jasper and kyrin): i love you people :D i want to be a concept artist when i grow up too. i really wonder how it is to work with a group. i am always alone on my room. i dont actually have something to ask i just want you guys to know i exist so i will type a random question: how do you choose your color palette? random or specific?

Hello! Working with a group is awesome. One of my favourite parts of my job is to sync up with different departments and chat about movesets and abilities. The bouncing around of ideas is really fun. I'm sorry to hear about your situation; I'm sure covid doesn't help much. As for tips, there are a lot of things I learned that helped me on my art journey. I'm just going to list a bunch here as they come to mind!
1 - work from general to specific. This is something I still have a hard time doing but I always try and improve. Big to small (if you are drawing a dragon, dont start with the scales around the eyes, start with the whole large form of the dragon and do the scales last, for example)

2 - find your dream studio. Look at the portfolios of the artists who work there. Use that as a target for your own art. I still do that, and will probably always do that. It's a good way to keep track of your personal progress.

3 - do studies. Learn anatomy, perspective, shading, composition, etc etc.

If you would like any further guidance or would like my feedback on your work, you can reach out to me at [email protected]

over 3 years ago - /u/CreatureTech-PHX - Direct link

Originally posted by Rappull

I’ve been playing since the Hidden Blades HP and all I ever do is make sure my Slayer looks fabulous when he’s going on about his slaying adventures.

But the thing is, many armors my Slayer is rocking just needs/deserves/screams for a fourth dye region (Hellion’s white elbow patch, for example). Some even have a fixed color (same example), indicating it may be possible to make these the said fourth region.

Yes, I know it’s a big thing to implement, yes I know there’s more to do content-wise than something as cosmetic as this.

But when we talk about art, we also try to broaden the horizon, try to make the next design better than the previous. 3 colors are a big strain and restriction, which most of the time don’t really come off really well if players are trying to mix and match things to their own taste. In turn, players need to take in consideration some parts that have a fixed color to match well with the changeable colors.

What I’m saying and asking: I - personally - believe a fourth dye region is a very welcoming feat and wonder when or even IF it will happen and why it would or wouldn’t.

Adding channels is a pretty big feat. We'd have to go back to every single piece of armour in the game. At this time, we feel that prioritizing other things will add more value to the game.

That being said, nothing is ever truly off the table.

over 3 years ago - /u/dhpapa78 - Direct link

Originally posted by Chipiman1

Are there any 3D modeling files for the weapon transmogs? I would love to create life size replicas of certain weapons with 3D printing.

I'm sorry, we do have Maya&Zbrush files for all the assets in the game including the weapons, but I don't think we are legally allowed to give them away. :)

over 3 years ago - /u/CreatureTech-PHX - Direct link

Originally posted by GENM_ACT

Character creation in Dauntless is relatively simple. Body type is dependent on your armor, and the only hairstyles added are a few that have been released in the Platinum Store and Hunt Pass. Are there any plans to have several body types to choose from, or to add some hairstyles, etc. in an update?

There is definitely a desire to have more body types in our game, but at this point, that would mean going back and adjusting every armour set. It would be a huge lift from our team.

BUT we learned a lot from Dauntless and whatever projects we work on next will grow from those lessons.

over 3 years ago - /u/dhpapa78 - Direct link

Originally posted by Ro_cro

Will we ever get dyes for wepons . Idk if this is art question but i am quries.

Ya, I do sometimes wish we had that but we currently don't have any plans to support dye systems for weapons.

over 3 years ago - /u/JulioNicoletti - Direct link

Originally posted by youdontknowwhoiam39

What was the weirdest concept art of a behe ever done?(For example, a elephant zombie snake thing)

Some of the most bizarre but awesome ones Ive seen were in Urska's early concept phase, done by Jasper Sandner: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/48eQ0L

I would love to do some more wild and crazy ones in the future!

over 3 years ago - /u/CreatureTech-PHX - Direct link

Originally posted by GENM_ACT

I really like Dauntless' illustrations. The media on the official website doesn't have all the illustrations. Is it possible for you to include all of the official releases? I would especially like to use the ones with the logo as wallpaper for my smartphone or computer.

That's a good reminder! I'll bug the marketing team to see if we can add more to our gallery :D

over 3 years ago - /u/JulioNicoletti - Direct link

Originally posted by StormerGaming

what is the program that’s used for it all? kek

and what is the usual process of designing behemoths?

Hey Stormer, we mostly just use Photoshop for concept art. For 3d art, there are several programs involved like Maya and Zbrush.

I've worked on two behemoths so far; Thunderdeep and and our next firey behemoth. The process usually goes like this:
1: ref gathering and research. lots of chats with gameplay engineers and animators
2: very rough sketches
3: a lineup of 3 to 5 designs, show the team, spark more discussions

I would say past that point it becomes really organic. For instance, we might be in a behemoth meeting and someone could say "it would be cool if thunderdeep drask was really spiky" and then I might spend some time noodling around with that idea.

over 3 years ago - /u/CreatureTech-PHX - Direct link

Originally posted by Cavyspider

  1. When are we gonna get another cutscene like the one of old ramsgate and usca?

  2. With the drask getting its dire version, will some parts like the backfin reworked or will it stay the same?

  1. We would love to do another one in the future when we have the bandwidth. We're experimenting with some other story telling options right now. We're currently working on a 3 part lore blog with illustrations that leads up to Thunderdeep.
over 3 years ago - /u/dhpapa78 - Direct link

Originally posted by IntrospectiveTrash

I had mentioned this in the last AMA and they said they submitted this but there's still a bug with the Searing Dawn helmet transmog that causes the entire thing to have a completely flat lighting map that isn't influenced by shadows, making for a really buggy and unfinished look against all the other properly lit items. Any update on that?

I wasn't aware of the bug. I'll take a look at it right after this. Thank you for letting us know :)

over 3 years ago - /u/JulioNicoletti - Direct link

Originally posted by Cavyspider

  1. When are we gonna get another cutscene like the one of old ramsgate and usca?

  2. With the drask getting its dire version, will some parts like the backfin reworked or will it stay the same?

Hey Cavyspider, I can answer #2. The back has been reworked as well as the head and tail. We made him one spiky boi!

over 3 years ago - /u/CreatureTech-PHX - Direct link

Originally posted by ItsDeeFlakey

Will you be revisiting the environment for shock escalation at any point?

Not at the moment, but we know it is the most simple compared to the other Escas we launched.

Each one got better and better as we went along!

over 3 years ago - /u/CreatureTech-PHX - Direct link

Originally posted by Maxenin

Will there be more lore based transmogs? I miss things that make me look like a farslayer or another faction something more grounded. The new mogs are cool like the VFX are neat but its a bit too alien for my taste

100%

Our narrative designer is always inputing on armour designs and they reflect a lot of the current lore that's happening behind the scenes. Stay tuned!

over 3 years ago - /u/CreatureTech-PHX - Direct link

Originally posted by The_Level_Lord

Got any beans?

So many

over 3 years ago - /u/CreatureTech-PHX - Direct link

Originally posted by masterspider5

if you had to add a seventh element of behemoth, what theme would you pick for it and why?

Gravy aether

over 3 years ago - /u/CreatureTech-PHX - Direct link

Originally posted by SabVal

2 Questions:

Will there be more cosmetics like the crown and the lantern trail? Im thinking of maybe some sort of particle effect on behemoth hit or some sort of particle effect and animation when you kill a behemoth.

second, will there be an option to dye weapons at some point?

There may be more down the line!

We want to flesh out what we have some more before adding more options.

over 3 years ago - /u/CreatureTech-PHX - Direct link

Originally posted by AfcaMark1990

Icons of behemoths got updated, what about the old art work of the behemoths ? Like in the journal and mastery screen.

There's no plans at this time!

over 3 years ago - /u/JulioNicoletti - Direct link

Originally posted by anonistakenistaken

thanks for the answer, i love it! you brought joy to me :D i am sorry for talking specifically to 2 people, that was disrespectful to the rest.

i will definitely send you my work for the feedback! i am in love with your work on artstation :)

my dream studio is currently Pheonix Labs. i like the artists there and i want to contribute to the game but a goal that big, could fail that big. so i need to have side dreams i think.

Hey no worries, not disrespectful! Just caught me offguard haha. Definitely having long term goals and short term goals are important. I always wanted to be a concept artist, but it's a competitive field, so I worked my way up by working as a 3D artist first and improving my portfolio in my spare time. So maybe you can try something that you feel is more achievable first and set concept art as a 5 year plan kind of thing!

over 3 years ago - /u/CreatureTech-PHX - Direct link

Originally posted by IntrospectiveTrash

Why was Chronovore made so visually simplistic? Pretty much just a body and a tail and no other parts really stand out, no unique effects to indicate different states/attacks or anything. Just feels like kind of a waste when radiant I feel has the most interesting visual potential for auroras and bioluminescence and stuff.

I'm surprised!

We feel that Chronovore is one of the more unique creatures we've designed. The combination of jellyfish and mataray is very strange and unlike any other in our opinion.

I guess it's just a matter of opinion.

Let us know what you'd like to see next!

over 3 years ago - /u/JulioNicoletti - Direct link

Originally posted by PokeStarChris42

1) How long does it usually take to design a legendary/keystone behemoth before implementing it into the game?

2) What behemoth was your favorite to design, make, and then put in the game?

Hey Pokestar, for thunderdeep drask it took me about 4-5 days for the concept phase. Maybe twice as long for our next behemoth because it requires more design work (like figuring out certain anatomy and how that affects rigging and animation and vfx, for example)

over 3 years ago - /u/JulioNicoletti - Direct link

Originally posted by The_Level_Lord

Got any beans?

Hey Level Lord!

I currently have 3 or 4 cans of beans at home, but I will probably pick up some more after work if they are on sale.

Thanks for your question,
-Julio

over 3 years ago - /u/JulioNicoletti - Direct link

Originally posted by llMadmanll

Is there any pattern you try to keep between behemoth designs?

This is something I really like thinking about on the ones I've worked on so far. For instance, if there is a behemoth that has 5 scales on its head and I'm doing a variant of that behemoth, I would push and pull those scales into new forms to make it feel like that behemoth is of a different species but within the same genus. This helps keep the art style unified and makes everything just a little bit more connected. Is that kind of what you meant by your question?

over 3 years ago - /u/JulioNicoletti - Direct link

Originally posted by llMadmanll

I kinda meant it as between two different behemoths. For instance (not intending to be spoiled here) since the new blaze behemoth is being made, is there any plan to keep one similarity in design between it and the other blaze behemoths beyond "uses fire"?

Ohhh, I see what you mean. Hm. Well, we would like to keep the VFX the same, and any firey bits would need to have the same colour as other blaze behemoths. Apart from that though, differences between behemoths within the same element might be pretty extreme. The only time we would try and keep things the same would be if the narrative encouraged it. For example, if the next blaze behemoth is a 5 headed torgodoro (it's not), then it would use the same armour plating design language.

over 3 years ago - /u/JulioNicoletti - Direct link

Originally posted by CrocoNuts

  1. Any chance you could tease another part of the new Blaze Behemoth? I am super curious what animal(s) you guys picked this time! Maybe a small hint on what you have cooking up for us?

  2. If you could create a behemoth without a variant (Kharabak or Shrowd f.e.) that uses a new model (Sporestuck Charrog, Deepfrost Embermane f.e.) which one would you pick to make and why?

Can't tease any blaze stuff...And I'm not too sure I want to give any hints incase it spoils the surprise. I will say we are all really excited about it. A lot of fun discussions happening!

over 3 years ago - /u/JulioNicoletti - Direct link

Originally posted by GengarJ

What is your favorite thing about working on this game in particular and what things do you do to fuel your own creativity?

Behemoths, weapons, armor, props, are all my favorite things to work on!

For my personal creativity fuel...I love nature and animals and finding out cool ways nature solves design problems. Media and pop culture inspire me a lot as well (Star Wars, Marvel, Warhammer, Zelda, etc etc the list goes on)

over 3 years ago - /u/JulioNicoletti - Direct link

Originally posted by GengarJ

Thanks for the response! Pop culture fuels me a lot as well. Sometimes I have to listen to a certain song on repeat, or watch an episode of something over and over to extract what it is about it that is making some idea flow.

I can definitely relate to the song on repeat... Whenever I go for a run I blast something loud and fast and have all sorts of animations and cool scenes play out in my head. (Lately all I've been picturing are badass scenes with our new blaze behemoth)