In Praeterito Futurum (In the past, The future)

This project is both for my graduation as a game artist but also as a showcase of my skillset as an 3D environment artist. In Praerito Futurum is latin for In the past, the future. This is the project in one sentence. My goal is to merge the Roman Empire with the future. I will try to make it so that I retain the overall designs of the Romans. The project will be set in around 200 - 500 BC. So we stay in the past but we are in the future.

I had big plans at the start of this project. I created a blockout of the area I wanted to create. I started to test it straight away with people to see if it felt right.

But as I got more detailed I realized after getting feedback that this was not "it". The shape of the courtyard felt dull and all the other building I had in mind were just simply too much. So I decided to start from scratch with a new layout.

The second iteration immediately felt so much better. Because I had a lot more space and interesting shapes going on in this scene. From here on out I also started to add more narrative into my scene. 

And I think I achieved the best balance from the start between old and new into this pillar design, which I will breakdown below. The pillar was designed with the triangle of vitruvius in mind. So the whole Idea was that the romans in my environment make use of solar energy. Using it to power their city and their weapons.

So to get into specifics:
Venustas: (Aesthetic beauty/Artistry): I made sure to let people see the power running through the pillar showcasing their technological advancements.

Firmitas (Structural Integrity/durabillity): Ofcourse the materials the roman used were already very durable. But to make it even stronger I reinforced it with a durable metal that they use in all of their creations.

Utilitas (Functional Adequacy/Usefulness): So here is where the solar energy comes in. Besides the pillar carrying the weight of the structures they also now contain the means to store power that comes from the solar panels. Inside of the pillar there is a battery that can store it and then can be reused.

From ambient light to extra lighting, VFX and postprocessing to the final result. However I am not completely done with this project as I might continue working on it even after this contest.

And here we are at the end result of a long progress. I personally am very happy with what I have learned about the HDRP in Unity and learning new shaders and more during this project. Thank you for taking the time to view this project and do not shy away from giving feedback as there is always more to learn!