I wanted to talk briefly about art and RPGs; with putting out SaV, we’re doing a lot more art planning than ever…

I wanted to talk briefly about art and RPGs; with putting out SaV, we’re doing a lot more art planning than ever before. I’ve had to put together art specs for the first time. And it’s been a cool excursion into thinking about visual media.

Here’s the art description for the homeworld of Aketi.

A verdant jungle-world full of incredibly hostile natural life. We see the Base Camp One, where heavily-armed guards patrolling the tall, metallic walls, watching the jungle for signs of fauna. Research crews pack for their next expedition in uneasy truce with the poachers doing the same across the quad. A smuggler discusses arrangements with a prospective client in a tent while a private barista makes them drinks.

Deciding what to include in the spec is its own form of art: You need to specify enough that it conveys an image to the artist, but doesn’t constrain their ability to be creative. And specifically, for landscapes, you have to create a sense of space that feels like it could really exist. Brett Barkley has done an amazing job visualizing these scenes.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1aStNk4bywdQezNkwJUO4_q0l8oF-Vxg8

This outside-looking-in view really gives the impression of being surrounded by the hostile natural forces of the planet. The craggy mountains in the background give the sense of untamed land. I love the way this comes across in the rough, and it’s exactly how stories in Aketi should feel. Pressured on all sides, with a hint of untamed wildness.

Here’s another example of the homeworld Indri.

The thick, rust-colored clouds create a dusk during the day on this industrial planet. The smokestacks and various-colored flames from gas burn offs make an impressive skyline from the warehouse-surrounded premier spaceport of Reeves. Rows of hovercars in traffic flying from district to district while advertisements blare on buildings around them. Pedestrians holding specially-treated umbrellas to prevent acid rain damage, walk hurriedly on metal sidewalks. Slow-moving containers being shuttled to warehouses or the spaceport.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1laGMQogXuQyeSDYJClBaUoON95qWy5SP

The way this view is so angular and tight gives it an intensely urban feel that I love for Indri. Everything is square and mechanical and gives you the idea of tight, packed spaces. Which is what we want adventures on that world to feel like!

Anyway, if you’re a fan of SaV or just RPG art, enjoy. For my part, it’s a true joy to see our visions presented in a way that is so immediately identifiable for what they are.