Game environment art with modular architecture
Wilhelmina Statham, João Jacob, Mikael Fridenfalk · Entertainment Computing · 2021
3D games routinely turn to modular architecture as an optimization technique for environment art and level design, although there is little documentation of how to implement it. As a result, many games struggle to apply it effectively, contributing to problems such as art fatigue and production delays. This investigation proposes a set of unified principles of modular architecture for 3D game environment art based on traditional architecture and game examples. It finds that the use of a uniform grid and standard measurements are key as well as extensive planning, and that assets organized as modular kits can be more cost-effective and facilitate flexible level design. It concludes with a series of steps per development phase of a game’s lifecycle aimed at game environment art, with emphasis on early planning and testing, and suggests that close collaboration between environment artists and level designers is key to develop effective modular assets.