Bringing Liverpool to Life
GRAND VOYAGE is all about the details. From our lovingly recreated versions of historic ships, to the scenic ports they frequented, our team has gone the extra mile every step of the way to craft an experience that feels more like a virtual time machine than a video game, and the historic port of Liverpool is no exception.
We had a chat with 3D Modeler Vicente to learn about what went into recreating one of Liverpool’s most famous landmarks in a digital space, and some of the challenges he tackled along the way.
Why don't you start off by telling us a little about yourself and your background with modeling?
I'm a huge vehicle nerd. Ever since I was a kid, I've been obsessed with cars, trains, airplanes and ships. So all I used to do in my free time (apart from playing video games), was drawing.
Every single day at school during class and during recess, I would draw vehicles and landscapes and I think I could do it pretty well (I still draw from time to time) but I always felt like I needed more "control".
So when I was studying animation, I discovered that 3D modeling was the ultimate tool to be in full control of your creations. And it was great! Because if you didn't like how it looked, you could edit things and tinker with shapes and parameters until you got it right. No need to re-start or to erase your progress.
And since there are a lot of ways to do the same thing, you really get tons of alternatives to approach each challenge if one is not working.
How did you find yourself working on Grand Voyage? What was it about the project that spoke to you?
Well I started watching Mike's videos during lunch breaks and became instantly fixated with ocean liners. And when he announced that he was making a game, oh my god, I really felt like I had to be part of it. Like it was the right thing to do since I always wanted to work in a video game. Sadly at that time, I already had a nice job and couldn't afford to leave it... yet. So I had to ignore the call.
I didn't really know it at the time, but when they kindly decided to terminate my contract and let me go, it was one of the greatest days of my life since now I was able to answer the call with all my heart!
So it sounds like it was meant to be then! Your first real assignment as part of the GV team was to remake the Royal Liver building if I'm not mistaken, which is an integral part of the Liverpool waterfront. Was this an intimidating first project, or did it feel like a natural way to show off your skills?
Yes, the Royal Liver Building was my first task. And honestly, it wasn't hard at all. I was already used to recreating existing buildings at my former job so I could breeze through it.
The main difference now was that I could really unleash all my potential since I wasn't limited by a VR headset's hardware or a ridiculous deadline.
What was the biggest challenge you faced when working on this project? Did you find any facet of it particularly frustrating?
The biggest challenge so far is working with little to no reference images. Don't get me wrong, you can still make magic with "just the one" picture, but it's still challenging.
It's like a puzzle you start putting together when you see, for example, pictures of the room next-door, and begin understanding the shape of things.
Recreating these historic places with very little reference material has been a challenge for this entire team for sure, but the results so far have been above and beyond. You definitely nailed the brief! Since modeling the Royal Liver Building, what other challenges have you faced while working on GV?
Now that I finally got to work on a ship, It's been particularly challenging to fit everything into place.
You have to be very careful with the curvature of the decks in order to model spaces and if you add the lack of pictures into the mix, you have to really understand what's behind every wall if you want spaces to be coherent and well recreated.
One example would be a space I’m working with on Lakonia. We only have this one picture of the room. You can't see what's behind this piano, but according to the plans we have, there's what looks to be a wall, so I made a wall.
The thing is, later on, we came across a photo of what we assumed was that wall, only it turned out, it wasn't a wall, it was a balcony. Those are the things you discover on the go that can clear out a lot of questions but also add more work to the room!
All in a day’s work when dealing with so little reference material. One last question! What is something you'd like to say to all the players of Grand Voyage before they get their hands on the game?
I want you guys to know that we're proudly and slowly cooking this masterpiece so you can enjoy playing it as much as we are enjoying making it!
Huge thanks to Vicente for taking the time out to talk a little bit about his work and creative process. Thanks to his efforts and keen eye for detail, Liverpool is shaping up to be an truly impressive part of the game that we know you’ll have a blast exploring. As one of the world’s most historic ports, it was so important to do these famous landmarks justice, and we really think he killed it! Look forward to seeing his work up close when GRAND VOYAGE releases - until then, keep your eyes peeled for more updates coming soon!
