Teo states: “In a mostly realistic historical game like Total War: THREE KINGDOMS, we do try to stick to realism as much as we can.
![total war three kingdoms characters total war three kingdoms characters](https://upload.motgame.vn/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/vuhoang/total-war-three-kingdoms-s-2.jpg)
Teo also signposts the extra care that goes into learning about costumes from a time and place as far back and far away as the Three Kingdoms era: “When it comes to researching costumes of whole different cultures, we turn to any available historical books, online research papers, archaeological museum exhibitions and findings in order to get an idea of the aesthetics of said culture, their traditions, and their crafts, all of which inform the defining visual characteristics in the costumes.”Īnd what about the ever-present issue of realism when it comes to a game like THREE KINGDOMS? Having worked on THREE KINGDOMS characters for so long I’ve developed a sizable mental library of Chinese outfits and armour, so I’m mostly searching for inspiration for the signature design element and/or gimmick of the character design.
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Afterwards, we reference any other relevant depictions in Chinese media of that character so we’re aware how they’ve been represented in the past and how the audience might possibly perceive them.”īeth takes a similar approach, adding: “For me it’s lots of skipping through movies and TV shows looking for titbits of outfits I like the look of as well as trawling through online images. But what does the research process look like?Īccording to Teo: “When it comes to the costume of a character, it usually boils down to using whatever descriptions are available in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel and afterwards scouring the internet for any additional historical information that would be useful for getting a good idea about the character’s personality and role. Unsurprisingly, both Teo and Beth agree that research is a key component of the design process when it comes to creating costumes for a historically focused game. Finally, the drawing begins and I start messily sketching thumbnails.” Research material “By now,” Beth says, “I’m forming a vague idea in my head, so I start gathering material and design references onto a mood board. This is then followed by reading up on the history of that character, seeing whether they’re described in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel, and checking out other depictions of them in games and movies.
![total war three kingdoms characters total war three kingdoms characters](https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/31721797/8619b3a1f787ad727be045c2cf12c121436887d3.jpg)
So, we get that brief, we do a bit of our own research and reference gathering, and we get started! When information about a character is scarce – which is not rare for Three Kingdoms – sometimes we need to sprinkle in a bit of flavour from our own imagination in order to make it work or to simply get some new ideas.”īeth highlights the collaborative nature of the initial parts of the design process, saying that first of all she likes to chat to the designers about “the personality vibe we’re going for with that particular character” as well as their assigned element.
![total war three kingdoms characters total war three kingdoms characters](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/82/91/be/8291be134310ad554458833117102adb.jpg)
Teodora (or Teo for short) explains: “It’s essential to have as much information about their history and personality as possible in order to convey those elements of the character in the most efficient way possible through the visual language utilised in the clothing, the props they have on them, the weapons, etc. So where does the process of designing a THREE KINGDOMS character’s costume begin? The same as many things do at Creative Assembly: with a brief. We took some time to chat with Teodora Petkova and Beth Hobbs – associate and senior concept artists respectively working on the THREE KINGDOMS DLC team – about their approach to designing costumes and armour, the importance of realism versus aesthetics, and which of their distinctive designs they wish they would bring to life if they could. Clothes are pretty important – after all, everyone wears them.Ĭlothing is arguably even important to video game characters, with it having to convey a great deal about them at a single glance – and the characters of Total War: THREE KINGDOMS are no exception.