[NWN2] Steampunk / Victorian Horror

[Zedicius]

Greetings people of the intertubes! For the past few years we have been working on a semi-overhaul of the Neverwinter Nights 2 game, changing setting and game mechanics for a new online experience. Not familiar with the game or the general setting? No problem, since the positions we seek to fill are mainly artistic and the setting is entirely new anyway. The title of this thread sums everything up quite nicely, so if you are still with us, read on for details.

The Project:
Neverwinter Nights 2 is a role playing game set in the Dungeons and Dragons universe. Those familiar with pen and paper games know the specific set of rules such games follow. Our main goal has been to step away from these templates and the standard fantasy image to create something different then the traditional hack and slash usually found in the RPG genre. We are creating a horror / mystery setting in Victorian times, borrowing heavily from the steampunk culture while the horror element is largely based on H.P. Lovecraft's Mythos lore. Obviously, this is a pretty big project, compared to other mods and we are looking to expand a bit.

Requirements:
The Game. Although the modeling positions do not actually require the game, as we know how to work with them and know how to implement them, we do ask you own or plan on acquiring the game when you apply. It's always nice to see your work in action and it adds a little motivation.

The Positions:

Area Sculptor / Level Designer:
Neverwinter Nights 2 comes with quite an advanced toolset. Creating new areas is relatively easy, though actually making them look good plus optimizing them for online play is trickier though we will help out with that. Areas are split in two parts:

Exteriors: Exterior areas are terrain maps that can be edited with sculpting tools. Raising and lowering terrain, add noise, paint textures and colour and so forth. Those who don't like manual work can also use a set of plugins that allow you to generate terrain via height and texture maps. When the area has been sculpted and painted, you can add objects simply by selecting them from a list and putting them on to the map and add the needed atmosphere with lighting, day and night settings and so forth.

Interiors: Interior areas are tile-based. Meaning, you pick a set of pre-rendered tiles and fit them together to create your own lay-out. Tiles can be customized in a number of ways with colour, lightning and different texture skins. After your lay-out is finished, add objects, same as above.

We don't ask for any initial experience for this position. We'll be glad to teach you the basics if you're interested, however we do ask for some dedication in this case. The NWN2 modding community is actually quite large and there are plenty of tutorials around as well.

3D modeler / Artist - Steampunk Atmosphere:
Quite simply, a modeler who tries to focus to bring forth the Victorian and steampunk elements in the setting. This rangers from character apparel such as hats, clothing, odd weapons too scenery such as steam-driven machines and engines, houses and possibly even steam or clockwork powered robots. NWN2's polycount is generally low to mid-level. It's main tricks are with lightning and normal mapping, so some knowledge of texture maps is a plus, but not required. We can point you in the right direction for the basics.

3D modeler / Artist - Horror Atmosphere:
This is probably the trickiest position to fill. Not only are we looking for atmospherically elements here, but possibly creature models as well. Those who know the Mythos Monstrosities know how utterly bizarre and how organic they are. Animations should not be too much of an issue as the game comes with a lot of them from stock creatures, which should be useable on new models. Same as above, models in NWN2 get most of their good looks from rendering effects and normal maps.

Conclusion:
For most of us this is a free-time project. Don't expect payment, but hey, if you're planning on playing the game online along with the rest of us, I'm sure something can be arranged. However, I would ask people to look at it from a different perspective. We're not looking for professionals here. Except for owning the game, there are no necessary requirements and Neverwinter Nights 2 uses a few advanced techniques and technologies so look at it as an opportunity to learn a thing or two.

For any additional information, have a peek at our portal:
Ex Scientia Vera

Cheers!
zedicius@twisted-crypts.com

[Adrivaridi]

I would like to work on this project, pro-bono of course, I'll send you an email with lots of examples of my work, but just in case it goes to spam accidentally, you can also check out my profile.

Just click on the name or go to my website and have a look at my work.

Welcome to Jesse Lopez Art