concepting pt.2
using ai art to develop a world

First off, I don't think AI Art is a scary thing to use. I think in situations like mine, where it's just 3 people on a project, it's a good idea to utilize tools such as an AI Concept Artist. I don't think pulling and using assets generated by AI is a great idea, but I do think pulling INSPIRATION from an AI is brilliant. In the case of Excaliber, I used Midjourney to problem-solve. 

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I started off with one problem: I knew I wanted my player/team to progress and unlock things as they traveled... But I didn't know how. With a random, accidental prompt from Midjourney (I believe I had typed "Fantasy Map") I found my answer. I could create a vast open world with 4 major plots of land I could make into Dungeons. At the end of the 4 dungeons, the player/team would defeat the main villian.

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In addition, I also realized how I want my world to progress as the player progresses. When you start the game, the world is green and blue. Nature is flourishing. But as you make your way through the dungeons, the world becomes more purple and corrupt. (Morgana, the villian, is depicted as a purple-magic-wielding sorceress.)

Character modeling

UX Flow draft

I want my UI Aesthetic to match a deco style that feels like it belongs in the United Kingdom hundreds of years ago. Lines are rugged and natural, but also curved and delicate in a way that matches the era.

Every character is an elemental, so I crafted symbols that would represent each element in-game. These icons would be inspired by Water, Electric, and Wind. 
You would see these next to the health bar or on menus.