D_Rogue Game Art Project

W hile researching props for the captain's stateroom, I stumbled across a little device practically lost to time: the Panasonic TR-003. A fascinating, all-in-one, TV-radio-cassette player from the early 70s. Initially, when I first discovered it, all I had was an image from a scanned advertisement (see here ), with no idea what the device was called. My Google Lens searches only turned up random old portable radios. After more digging, I found the popular Panasonic TR-545C, which led me to a high-quality scan of a vintage newspaper advert featuring the entire portable Panasonic range. And there it was: the TV-cassette player I’d been looking for, the TR-003, complete with its model details. Searching for this forgotten device online yielded scarce results, only about eight grainy single-page ads. It wasn't just obscure; it was like a digital whisper from a bygone era. As a sucker for old studio-lit tech ads, I instantly knew its unusual, compact form and tiny 3-inch pop-up ...

F ollowing the excellent progress of the interior decks, I turned my attention to modelling the captain's stateroom. The stateroom, or captain's quarters, on the F/V Scully serves as the captain's personal cabin. Often slightly larger than standard crew cabins, it is typically the most luxurious and personalized cabin space on a vessel. It's not only where the captain rests but also works. One of the blessings (and curses!) of modelling an entire crab fishing vessel, is translating its functional, compact design into a 3D environment for a video game. Ensuring scale and proportions feel right within such a confined yet vital space, which the player will navigate, is key. It's more than just carefully placing objects; it's about conveying a unique atmosphere and lived-in functionality that the player will experience. My focus has been on capturing the basic essence of this room. The built-in bed, stylish table and lounge chair, as well as the various wall storag...

C ontinuing my recent focus on the cabin deck and its various sleeping quarters, I've been working on something essential we all use daily. A toilet! F/V Scully's  toilet, washroom or 'Head' (a nautical  term originating from the location of toilets on early sailing ships) has been a surprisingly challenging, narrow space to model. It's actually been a great exercise in u nderstanding spatial constraints and practical design. In a cramped environment like a boat, every inch of space counts, and even the spatial layout of the toilet reflects the practical realities of life at sea. I poured over loads of reference photos and plans of real fishing boat toilets to get a feel for how these spaces are configured.   Beyond basic fixtures, I've looked into the small details that add character and hint at the lives of the crew. What kind of storage solutions would there be? Where would they store their personal items? Would there be handrails in certain locations for sup...

H appy  6th Blogiversary! Six years ago today, this project began! Over two thousand days later  (Gulp) , I'm still proud of the consistency I've maintained. I often think back to University, which instilled in me the habit of posting regularly on Blogger. Looking back, it's incredible to see how much has changed, and yet how much the core of this project remains the same.  It's not always easy, but this blog has become a vital part of my creative process and personal growth. Developing D_ROGUE has been a long journey with many challenges and lessons learned along the way. Seeing the progress over the years fuels my motivation, especially that initial drive to document my work and build a portfolio. There's still a looooooong way to go, but I'm more determined than ever. Remembering my original intent...to document my journey, share my learnings, and build a portfolio, is key. Seeing my skills grow through previous posts has been both invaluable and ...

P reviously, in the blog post before last, I showcased a selection of equipment and items I modelled for the Wheelhouse interior. Now that most of these assets are completely modelled, the next step is optimization and UV unwrapping! "Ugh, UVs?" I hear you groan. "That sounds tedious!" you might be thinking. And you wouldn't be wrong! However, UV unwrapping is a necessary evil. One I've come to appreciate, and even enjoy from time to time. I like to think I've improved in speed and efficiency when assigning UV coordinates to vertices. In fact, I can proudly say I've been UV unwrapping for over ten years (check out this post   here   from my first weeks of Uni; featuring not-so-optimized UVs of tools…of all things)!! Over the years, I've developed a mental workflow that helps me tackle UV unwrapping. Here are five tips I've found particularly helpful: Pre-visualization:  Before you even  start  unwrapping, think about how ...

M oving into 2025, the F/V  Scully's   interior is starting to take shape! Over the past weeks, I've shifted focus towards modelling the cabin deck, aiming to create a believable and lived-in space the player will be able to explore. My aim is to create an authentic environment onboard the F/V Scully . This means going beyond simple walls and floors, and meticulously modelling the tools and equipment that define a hard-working life at sea. While machinery and navigation equipment depict the workplace, it's the personal effects of the crew that are crucial to capturing the lived-in authenticity of the space; grounding the reality through human connection. These details aren't just visual clutter; they are storytelling elements that hint at the lives and personalities of the crew.  As the game unfolds, players will examine these objects to unravel the mystery through clues and fill in the gaps of the larger picture. Therefore, the cabin rooms are key to helping players...

O ver the course of 2024, the F/V  Scully's  interior has steadily gained depth and detail through not only the fishing boats structure, but also its individual assets. Below you can see a selection of various pieces of equipment I've been focusing on that would have been crucial to the vessel's operation in the 70's. For example, the handheld walkie-talkie. I paid particular attention to finding a model that not only looks like it means business but also reflects the period it was originally made in. Similarly, another model, the tape drive, is so distinct with its mechanical buttons, knobs and details, its sole presence serves as an essential visual cue to the era the game is set in. As mentioned in my last post, I feel this attention to small details is essential to create a rich and believable environment, ensuring each element, no matter how seemingly minor, contributes to the overall immersive experience. As the asset collection grows, I've increasingly fo...

O ne of the most enjoyable interior spaces of the  F/V  Scully  to model so far has been the galley. This is the heart of the fishing vessel, serving as both the kitchen and the crew's lounge area. My primary inspiration was the galley of the  F/V  Saga, as seen  on the  TV show Deadliest Catch.   While I do replicate pre-existing elements, drawing heavily from real-world references, a significant part of the interior design process involves reverse-engineering features to accurately reflect the late 70s setting. For instance, the kitchen appliances underwent a deep dive, from the specific oven models to the design of the taps (faucets for any Americans reading).  I've ensured that (almost) everything looks like it belongs from the 70s, rather than from a modern boat. This approach  to even the smallest of details is central to  creating an authentic experience. Additionally, the challenge with this space was not simply to model a k...

B ack at the start of 2024, I dove into modelling the interior of the  F/V  Scully . To be honest, I was slightly intimidated at first. Excited, but apprehensive. I knew I was embarking on a long arduous journey. The time I would spend on the interior would likely be more than tripled compared to the exterior (not including UV unwrapping and texturing). While creating the interior seemed fun, I also recognised it would be a daunting task. However, I soon realized that I have been tackling similar challenges throughout the project  for years ! Over the next ten months in my free time, I constructed the interior of the  F/V  Scully. I began by blocking out the general spaces, using the exterior model as a guide, and my deck designs (see here  and  here ) as reference. Next, I connected all the decks together with stairs, doorways and hatches. Then finally, added all the detailing room by room. The first of these rooms I worked on was the wheelhouse....

A hoy! It's been a while (and then some) since my last blog post. In the fifteen-month gap, a lot has happened in my personal life and behind the scenes with the development of  D_ROGUE. In that time, amongst many things, I've been overhauling several models I worked on in 2019 that I wasn't quite satisfied with or appeared rushed. Below is one such example of the  F/V  Scully's w heelhouse windows I reworked. I placed the before and after screenshots side by side to highlight the striking difference that improved geometry can make. I believe one of the reasons I rushed the original model was that I was preparing an orthographic plan of the  F/V  Scully  towards my portfolio review at the video game expo EGX. In creating the  orthographic renders, a clean  geometry wasn't priority. Having spent several years working on various assets and improving my skills thereafter, returning to the boat's exterior made me realise just how messy the mesh was. C...