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[/p][h2]Introduction[/h2][p]Happy Thursday, and welcome to the Art Diary of
Iberian Twilight. Dev Diaries are supposed to be good, or short. This will be a short dev diary. Despite an image being worth a thousand words, considering the recent deluge of content from the designers, there is no way for an art director to compete anyway, and perhaps it’s for the best - surely you have had enough discourse by now. And so we move swiftly on to the content. [/p][p]As usual, we will examine the art components in an orderly fashion, and for ease of browsing we will divide these components into three dimensional art - being environmental art, e.g. things on the map and table; character art, e.g. historical and/or fictitious figures and their garments; followed by two dimensional art, which is to say the user interface reskin and its’ various components, the actual map itself, and the event images (some of which have already been showcased in previous diaries).[/p][p]
A note on environment art
Before we begin looking at the content, I would like to address something that has been previously mentioned by us on the forums, which is that for
Iberian Twilight, we decided to make a change from the usual content that we have included in immersion packs in the past: Instead of retexturing rural and urban buildings, we have decided to make several buildable projects, tied to journal entries and gameplay.[/p][p][/p][p]The main reason for this is, that when we set out to investigate the building style, we gathered a lot of references and tried out different approaches, but did not arrive at a satisfying result that would make the buildings really stand out compared to previous examples.[/p][p]So we sat down and thought about alternatives. If we couldn’t do a building style set justice, we wanted to go with something new, something that has a connection to gameplay which players can interact with.[/p][p]We have spent just as much time and effort, if not more, on this content, than we would have on a new set of farm houses and we hope you can see our passion shine through in those just as much as with a building style.
[/p][p]The content, then:[/p][p][/p][p]There are five discrete architectural projects to build, all with a corresponding series of journal entries and events. The projects cover a few different parts of the Iberian sphere of influence, and they are in no particular order of importance: the restoration of Pena Convent into Pena Palace, Portugal; the construction of the Gran Teatro de la Habana, Cuba; the construction of the Atocha Train station, Madrid; the (if unlucky, repeated) restoration of the Nth Manila Cathedral, Philippines; and finally, Spain’s Greatest Architectural Cliffhanger, the Cathedral to End All Cathedrals, the Final Boss of Iberian Architecture: the Sagrada Familia, Spain. Finally, you may finish what no man has yet to finish.[/p][p][/p][p]As these projects are all tied into journal entries, we are joined by content designer Lufthansi who will walk us through the associated gameplay content.[/p][p][/p][p]We begin with…[/p][p]
[/p][p]
The restoration of Pena Palace[/p][p][/p][p]
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The Pena Convent on a hill in the Sintra Mountains, as it stood before the restoration and extension in 1842 by Eschwege, on orders from Prince Ferdinand. NB: For space reasons, the convent has migrated WNW from its original geographic position - we are trying to rectify this before launch, but Lisbon appears to take up more space than expected - it is not a small city![/p][p][/p][p]Hello, Lufhansi here, narrative designer on Victoria 3. You thought you were rid of us that easily? Pah! In any case, construction of these new flashy monuments is tied to new monument-specific Journal Entries, similar to earlier examples such as Cristo Redentor and the Victoria Terminus. Generally the Journal Entries will unlock the ability to construct the unique monument in question, and then reward you for doing so, though as we will see further down, some monuments have 'special' properties vis-a-vis the others. [/p][p]
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The current requirements and starting event for the Glorious Eden Journal Entry. Note that some triggers and effects are still subject to change. [/p][p][/p][p]
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Non-prestige related building effects can be disabled by toggling the Monument Effects game rule. [/p][p][/p][p]
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The finished Pena Palace with its eclectic mix of Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline, Neo-Islamic and Neo-Renaissance. Surely that’s enough Neo. Also, a reminder that the Palace most likely will migrate south southwest for the release to a more appropriate location.[/p][p][/p][p]Moving swiftly east towards…[/p][p][/p][p]
The Gran Teatro de la Habana[/p][p][/p][p]
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A palace of Cuban Arts [/p][p][/p][p]Perhaps the most straightforward of the building projects, and a project of national pride for the new nation. Built on the site of the Teatro Tacón, famed for its acoustics, the old building can be clearly discerned from above, encased within the new structure.[/p][p] [/p][p]An artists’ footnote: It is strange and somehow comforting to be reminded that there still remain cities on earth that have not yet been fully modelled in google maps. (Finding images of the roof structure was a tedious procedure.)[/p][p] [/p][p]Designer's footnote: similarly, trying to dig up building plans for this specific building also proved troublesome. [/p][p]
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Narrative content related to the construction of the so-called 'Galician Centre'.[/p][p][/p][p]Moving back to Spain for…[/p][p][/p][p]
The Atocha Train Station of Madrid[/p][p][/p][p]A classic Victorian era project - wrought iron, infrastructure and railways, what’s not to love?[/p][p] [/p][p]
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The finished Atocha Railway Station by Alberto de Palacio Elissagne, a disciple of that Eiffel fellow[/p][p] [/p][p]All aboard as we travel east to..[/p][p][/p][p]
The Cathedral of Manila[/p][p]
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Manila Cathedral at game start - technically this would be the fifth cathedral, but who’s counting?[/p][p][/p][p]A building project that keeps on giving. As I write this, the eighth iteration of the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception stands proudly within the Intramuros of Manila.[/p][p] [/p][p]However, fire, war, and above all earthquakes have torn this building down over and over. And yet, we persist, and we rebuild. And now this sacred labour falls on you.
Earthquakes have been added to the harvest conditions - yay! - and they will strike when you least expect it, bringing down the cathedral. [/p][p]
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Earthquake! You will have to imagine the camera shake, screenshots simply do not do it justice.[/p][p]
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Construction time again. Who knows how many times that church may need to be rebuilt? And how many times is too many? [/p][p][/p][p]
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The Cathedral, good as new! But for how long?[/p][p] [/p][p]Now, back to Spain for the main event:[/p][p][/p][p]
The Sagrada Familia[/p][p][/p][p]The construction of the Sagrada Familia is split into three stages, and - perhaps unlike the real thing - we had a blast making this, although it was not without a struggle: The
cursed blessed structure seems
intent on not wanting to be built, even as a 3D model! We had to dig through an inordinate amount of references, from early photos of the original building site to the first proposals and sketches of Gaudí himself. Furthermore, the structure itself tends to defy the eye from any angle, creating instant migraines in anyone who tries to decipher its’ shape. Texturing the structure is another Sisyphos task: the entire facade is covered in minute detail and colour, and the less I talk about texel density, the better. Because it would involve swearwords. In any case, we hope you’ll enjoy building this as much as we did.[/p][p][/p][p]
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Starting event and Journal Entry tied to the construction of the Sagrada Familia[/p][p][/p][p]Unlike the previously mentioned monuments of this Dev Diary, the Sagrada Familia
Basilica (and not
cathedral, as our Polish localization team helpfully pointed out) is constructed in
three stages. Each stage comes with its own little event and reward, detailing the evolution of the Basilica over time. Combined with the increased build time per stage, this means that finishing the Sagrada Familia within a reasonable time is no laughing matter. [/p][p][/p][p]
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Two of the events associated with the stage-based construction of the Sagrada Familia[/p][p]
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Sagrada Familia: Gaudí lays the foundations. Please ignore the signs of unrest, it seems near impossible to get the local population to calm down, even for one screenshot[/p][p] [/p][p]
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Sagrada Familia: Despite the death of the architect, the Basilica takes shape[/p][p]
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Sagrada Familia: the Cathedral and the legacy of Gaudí is completed.[/p][p]
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Bonus Project[/p][p][/p][p]Some of you may recall that after our last immersion pack,
National Awakening, and its focus on the Balkans, there were some concerns over the lack of Austrian content. Not even, and I quote “a monument like the Hofburg/Kaiserforum”. To which I replied “we hear you”, and so we have added the Kaiserforum to the Austrian Empire journal entries.[/p][p][/p][p]So for owners of
National Awakening, may we present the Kaiserforum. Comes in regular and Habsburg flavor.[/p][p]
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Like the Sagrada Familia, the Kaiserforum is constructed in stages, so it is entirely possible for only parts of the structure to be completed, as occurred historically[/p][p] [/p][p]
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The completed forum in the historically correct sandstone finish. But who's to say they wouldn’t have painted the entire thing in Schönbrunner Gelb? It’s your Kaiserforum, your choice![/p][p] [/p][p]
Table Assets[/p][p][/p][p]Four new table items have been added, along with a beautiful slice of marbled olive wood for your table top, and a DLC coin to add to your collection. [/p][p][/p][p]Each new item was inspired by a country central to Iberian Twilight, and because we have been on a bit of a food roll with recent releases, we’re proud to say that if you own
National Awakening as well, you should now be able to put
only food on the table.[/p][p]
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We have tinned Sardines representing Portugal…[/p][p] [/p][p]
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…and neatly sliced Carabao mango from Manila.[/p][p] [/p][p]
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Then we have an inedible Carlist Beret and rosary, representing Spain…[/p][p] [/p][p]
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…followed by a Cuban Cigar representing, well, Cuba. [/p][p] [/p][p]
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For the DLC coin, we have a (depending on who you ask) entirely illegal 1875 Carlist insurrectionary 5 Céntimos Coin.[/p][p] [/p][p]
Character Art[/p][p][/p][p]So, moving on to characters and embracing the most fancy hats, coats and other clothing items![/p][p]First off, I would like to showcase the updated Carlist battle diorama soldiers:[/p][p][/p][p]
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The Carlists have the high ground! They cannot lose now, surely.[/p][p][/p][p]New outfits have also been made, including some very fancy coats:[/p][p]
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[/p][p]With some bling added, it looks pretty solid:[/p][p]
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[/p][p]Next up is the obligatory Carlist Beret:[/p][p]
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[/p][p]Some fancy new Rayadillo uniforms for the chaps posted in the colonies, and more hats: a Shako, I believe:
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[/p][p]Some more traditional Portuguese headgear:
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[/p][p]And finally, a selection of famous or semi-famous people that have received custom DNA from us for your consideration:[/p][p]
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[/p][h2]2D Art[/h2][p]Leaving behind the world of three dimensional objects, we start our tour of flatland looking at…[/p][p]
[/p][p]
User Interface[/p][p][/p][p]For the UI reskin, we looked at Spanish and Portuguese architecture and clothing in general. They are often highly ornamental, detailed and flamboyant (especially some of the coats worn by the leaders.). We also experimented with the style that is extremely hard to say for a non Spanish speaker,
Churrigueresque or Ultra-Baroque (much easier).[/p][p][/p][p]
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Some early research on ultra-baroque, the azulejos tiles, and our early explorations on the style[/p][p][/p][p]On the one hand, we have highly detailed ornamental painted patterns with organic motifs (Leaves, flowers etc) as frames around the UI. Since these are so extravagant, we decided on gold for the frames to give it a luxurious look (which is also a core pillar of the Art style).[/p][p]
[/p][p]On the other hand, we incorporate elements from azulejos, the famous tiled art of the region, as background elements. We ended up using blue and white to emulate the classic look of Portuguese tiles, and some stylised floral and vegetal patterns for the details. [/p][p] [/p][p]
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The ornamental frames and the blue-white backgrounds are quite elegant together.[/p][p][/p][p]
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Different UI elements like the Notifications Counter and the Pause frame.[/p][p][/p][p]While the colour blue has been used for UI buttons in previous UI skins, the shade we use here is slightly richer and more saturated than the more muted blue of
Voice Of The People. We felt that this combination of blue and white is the most visually appealing when put together with the rest of the UI.[/p][p][/p][p]
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Rich blue buttons with gold framing[/p][p] [/p][p]
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Iberian Ceramics Main HUD with the Pause frame[/p][p][/p][h2]Papermap Skin[/h2][p]If you recall, the papermaps for
National Awakening and
Pivot Of Empire experimented with vibrant colored illustrations. For
Iberian Twilight, we decided to scale back down on the colors and illustrations over the oceanic parts of the map.[/p][p] [/p][p]Both Portugal and Spain were great naval empires prior to 1836, and to further emphasise these two countries’ seafaring past, we have drawn inspiration from nautical maps from the 17th to the 19th century.[/p][p] [/p][p]
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References and key themes from our Idea board[/p][p] [/p][p]
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Like the maps of old, naval themes like boats, ships and sea monsters are added as decorative elements[/p][p]
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Colors are used sparingly, and primarily around emblems and heraldry.[/p][p] [/p][p]Some of the old maps we researched also have illustrations on the bottom of the map featuring characters in environments. In previous paper maps, we often look at key moments in the country’s history or general life of the people in the region. For
Iberian Twilight, we wanted to tap into Spain’s and Portugal’s glorious past as explorers and colonisers, leading up to the 19th century, and we wanted them in a chronological order, to tell a story. So we have designed two different timeline illustrations:[/p][p][/p][p]
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A visual timeline of Spanish history(top) and a visual timeline of Portuguese history (bottom).[/p][p][/p][p]The eagle-eyed may have noticed that some of the texts in the images above are either in Portuguese or Spanish. That is not a mistake: for Iberian Twilight we are making two maps (well, more like 1.5 maps in all honesty). While we originally thought to combine both countries’ timeline illustrations into one map, it became impossible to decide on which language to use for the map texts. So: why not make two maps for greater immersion? Practically, what this means is that both the Spanish and Portuguese maps will share the same visual aesthetics, and the difference is in that the timeline illustrations at the bottom, and the map texts will either be completely in Spanish or in Portuguese. [/p][p]
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Players can either use Dynamic selection, or manually choose the Glory Of Spain or the Glory Of Portugal map.[/p][p] [/p][p]
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The full papermap (top in Spanish, bottom in Portuguese) [/p][p][/p][h2]Event Illustrations[/h2][p]There are several themes in
Iberian Twilight and its content that we had to convey in our event illustrations. It should come as no surprise that an empire in decline is a key theme that encompasses other themes like the conflict between the Conservatives and the Modernizers, or the divide between different social classes. Other themes include colonisation, human and resource exploitation.[/p][p]
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The (s)pain of losing the crown[/p][p]
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The lives of the miners are not quite as comfortable as the life of that person under the umbrella.[/p][p]
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Violence erupts in a Concert Hall![/p][p]
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The sugar industry is doing pretty well, for some.[/p][p]
[/p][p]If you have read previous Developer Diaries on art, you will know that with each new batch, we try to identify gaps in our event illustration library, and find creative ways to fill them. One such gap was higher education or a University scene. For owners of Iberian Twilight, you will now have another image that can represent universities or higher education related events.[/p][p] [/p][p]
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School is done (in National Awakening) and now University is done! What’s next?[/p][p]
[/p][h2]Icons[/h2][p]The new building projects across the world have their own building icons, of course:[/p][p]
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All the monuments are recognisable, but one of them is especially familia.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Prestige Goods have become a staple in Victoria 3. With every new dlc, the designers and artists add new Prestige Goods.[/p][p]
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Iberia sure is famous for their alcohol![/p][p]
[/p][p]Sometimes, we add new Interest Group ideologies as well. And the icon for the new Harvest condition, earthquake.[/p][p]
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[/p][p] [/p][p]There are also several new icons for other features such as Laws , a new Power Bloc Central identity Pillar, and a new Principle, but these have already been shown in previous dev diaries, and this dev diary is turning out longer than anticipated. There’s a surprise…[/p][p] [/p][p]
Achievements will be shown in a later dev diary as usual! And that’s it from the 2D artists for
Iberian Twilight. [/p][p][/p][p]With that, we must leave you. I hope you have enjoyed this short glimpse into the art of
Iberian Twilight and the lives of those of us who strive to paint the world of Victoria into a better(?) or at least a more complex, nuanced image of suffering, struggle, progress, and profit. As always, we love to hear your feedback, both the good and the bad.[/p][p][/p][p]Next Thursday we have the Changelog and achievements before release, then as normal Patchnotes when we release on the 11th![/p][p]
Starting from 14:00 CET until 16:00 CET this Friday (28th) and next Friday (5th, we will be starting our pre-release stream of
Iberian Twilight, hosted by Martin and Hansi! Then for release, Martin and Lino will give you a whirlwind tour of all the content in our release stream starting at 15:30 CET on the 11th![/p]