How Blizzard does it...

So, I found this video some time back and recently came back to it.

It's a panel they did at a past Blizzcon on how the environments in World of Warcraft are created. Amazingly, it's all done by hand. That entire huge world, sculpted and painted by hand.. no parametric or procedural design. I always liked the style/look of WoW (an unpopular opinion, it seems), but learning how it was all created made me appreciate it all the more.

Anyway, I thought it might be cool for folks here to check out, to maybe get some inspiration, or some insight or what-not into how a world can be put together. Maybe it can help inform or inspire other people's projects.

Here ya go!

Comments

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,624

    Awesome! Watching it now. But your posting this reminded me (I've never played WoW or any other MMO) of the awesome Behind the Scenes of The Witcher 3's World Building documentary by NoClip

    All of the NoClip series on The Witcher 3 are cool, at least if you like these sorts of things - or just maybe like Geralt of Rivia

    CDProjekt RED (Makers or The Witcher games and GOG.com) started by making computer games available (period) in Poland, and started making revisions on them to the Polish native language. They eventually wanted to undergo the massive undertaking of creating their very own CRPG. They contacted BioWare and were able to get the rites to use their Aurora Engine, which powers the original Neverwinter Nights game. They didn't just use it though - they pretty much rewrote the whole engine and took it to a new level to help them bring the popular Polish Novel series of The Witcher to life in Poland's first IP of Computer Games. 

    And in doing so, they took the gaming world by storm!

    Here's a link to the whole documentary series if you're interested ;)

    The Witcher Series Playlist - by NoClip

  • WsCGWsCG Posts: 391

    Yes!

    The world of The Witcher 3 is gorgeous. Talk about a world you wouldn't mind getting lost in! And I have, many times xD

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,624
    Mitovo said:

    Yes!

    The world of The Witcher 3 is gorgeous. Talk about a world you wouldn't mind getting lost in! And I have, many times xD

    Cool! I bought it because I love all of the art books and music that comes with their games, but I still haven't finished playing The Witcher 1 yet! LOL, which is a beautiful game in its own right. One day I have to just decide to game for a while!

    I bought the Enhanced Editions of both 1 & 2, and the full GOTY for 3. I absolutely love the art books they make. Yeah, mine are pdf. If I even run into a hard copy and I have the cash on hand, I'm buying them!

    The concept art is awesome!

    The music rocks me too. I just love it. The first one came with some metal too... but I'm talking about the soundtrack music. GOG also sells a video of The Witcher 3 Live in concert, with the soundtracks of it and the two expansions. Very cool - I still watch it often! It's only $9 at GOG but it's also now on YouTube

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,624

    I really wish they made on single player, non-subscription game for WoW. 

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,624

    I say that because I'm not a gamer, but I do occasionally like to lose myself in a good CRPG from time to time.

    Hairbrained Schemes made a cool trilogy (so far?) of Shadowrun games that I enjoy very much - enough to play them over again one day, I'm sure.

    It's the pseudo 3d 2d gameplay, kinda like Baldur's Gate, if you've played those, but the stories are great and gameplay is addicting - oh and I love the soundtrack!

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,624

    I say that because I'm not a gamer, but I do occasionally like to lose myself in a good CRPG from time to time.

    Hairbrained Schemes made a cool trilogy (so far?) of Shadowrun games that I enjoy very much - enough to play them over again one day, I'm sure.

    It's the pseudo 3d 2d gameplay, kinda like Baldur's Gate, if you've played those, but the stories are great and gameplay is addicting - oh and I love the soundtrack!

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