MERCY.LTD
Mercy.ltd is a game project using the game animation sample project by Epic Games. It is an outlet for my interest in character art, rigging and game design, where I can see the characters come to life in an interactive space.
My current aim is to set 3 playable and customisable characters.
The project is largely inspired by 90's science fiction and cyberpunk aesthetics, pulling from films, anime and games. Influences include Ghost in the shell, Terminator, Bladerunner, Halo and Cowboy Bebop.
I originally created Mercy.ltd as a short animated music video, which you can watch below.
Watch the animation here!
Character Customisation
I want the player to be able to express themselves within the limits of the game world, i.e. not sacrifice style for maximum options, while choosing wears within each character that the player identifies with.
After creating the base character model all I needed to do was create some variations of basic clothes and copy the skin weights from the base mesh to avoid a ton of weight painting for each object. Some clean up is still required though.
In engine the clothes on the character are controlled by one of the sub menus. When a button is selected, it calls the character blueprint and sets the selection with an Enum then changes the visibility of all the attached meshes in the body section.
Next steps are to set up a variation of this system for the different characters and make more 3D assets.
Character Concept and Key Artwork
I first began by creating 2D concept artwork of the characters. These artworks helped when modelling the characters and creating the animation rigs. The larger works helped guide the visual direction of the project.
Maya Animation Rigs
B9 Rig
342 joints
The B9 character rig features:
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IK and FK controls for head, arms and legs.
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Interchangeable arm models featuring alternate weaponry such as a minigun.
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Modelled interior sections include head chassis, breast plates and back pistons.
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Customisable appearance options include alternate shoulder pads, various eye options, mouth pieces and a cap.
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Shoulder and waist drums automatically follow arm and leg movements while influenced by rotation constraints.
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Set driven keys for hand movements.
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Pistons act naturally and follow character movements.
Satsuma Rig
173 joints
The Satsuma character rig features:
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IK and FK controls for torso, head arms and legs.
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Dynamic wire, leading from head to back. Uses maya's dynamic curves feature.
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2D animated face, static in maya. Animated in Krita to incorporate 2D elements into final animation and have more appeal.
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Removeable chest and head shells, revealing modelled interior.
Courtney Rig (old)
314 joints
The Courtney character rig features:
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IK and FK controls for arms and legs.
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Dynamic hair, for use with and without the character's cap. Utilises hair cards and dynamic curves.
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Additional props attached to rig, including a knife, beer cans, hand drill, cigarettes, guitar, guitar picks and alternate long-sleeve shirts. to create variety between repeat shots of character.
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Set driven keys for face and hand movements.
