VFX Brainstorming and Concepts
Visual language brainstorming & concepts of the VFX methodology of a game that allowed the player to build their own weapon effects by assembling their own unique weapons out of modular pieces with different aspects and effects. With so many possible combinations, readability and visual language rules are imperative if we want to give opposing players the chance to identify what an enemy player might be able to do and to counter it in the arena.
These are examples of the visual language guidelines that I came up with to solve that challenge.
Concept of example elements that might be combined. From top to bottom: Healing, Ice/Cold, and the result of combining the two.
Each weapon modification is identified by certain major visual elements: color, frequency, movement, and shape language. ( audio provides another supporting identification layer, but is not covered here).
Additionally, those major visual elements are made up of minor elements. These minor elements are designed to support communicating the feeling of the effect that have been defined via the unique keywords that each weapon modification has.
The unique minor elements from each weapon modification can then be mixed and matched to create an entirely new effect that hints at its lineage, giving the player an idea of what it might do beforehand, or a way to identify it after facing it first-hand.
An alternative example featuring three unique weapon modifications instead of a combination of the first two. From top to bottom: Healing, Ice/Cold, and Fire.
Despite many games now featuring the ability to customize VFX colors based on different forms of color blindness, I still like to avoid relying solely on color to communicate in VFX.
It is good practice to ensure that VFX can be identified by intensity.
It is also good practice to ensure that VFX can be identified by unique silhouette.