3D Modeling Ultima VI Assets

Thursday, December 24, 2020 at 04:15 PM

An array of medieval 3D models based on Ultima tile graphics. Weapons, walls, signs, armor, furniture.

I am also modeling the Ultima VI tiles in 3D and want to ensure each object is named as it appears when checked in Ultima VI. For example, caves are "earthen wall" and red dirt is "earth", and shore, embankment, etc.

Is there a web page that shows the tiles along with their proper in-game names? I want to make sure I get this right, and my other option is to manually find and check them all in-game, which is doable but not preferable but could also be another fun excuse to play the game even more. Once all these are properly named I can start building the overworld map. Notice I have not started the characters yet, but it should be easy if I do them about like this tutorial shows:

Though keep in mind the target look for NPCS in my project is closer to Thief 1 guards, which have pixelated textures instead of the simple ones in that vid.

A low-poly knight guard from Thief 1 from 1998. tabard, leather greaves and vambraces, a metal helmet, holding a sword.

Image Credit: Dan7 on the Thief Fandom Wiki

Here's a closeup of some items:

An array of medieval 3D models based on Ultima tile graphics. Sword, mace, goblet, etc.

Notice how some are just raised texture cutouts, but about 92% are modeled with simple color textures. The goal is eventually to have fully custom textures at about 64x64 pixels per square meter, which feels pretty good to me. I've already done all the walls and mountains this way since they were the worst when being projected.

And here are the walls. The goal is to go through from most ugly to prettiest and polish them.

A closeup view of the 3d wall models. Wattle and daub, half timber, stone, etc.

I may eventually do a scrolling video showing the original tiles side by side with the 3d versions to get feedback and to get people to send me better reference images for correction. Here's a potential stone wall reference image someone on the facebook UDIC group suggested. It's grey with some mottled variation, which could very well be the stone walls in the game. But here's a video I did a bit later showing each of the assets in order:

One of my goals with this is to "universalize" these assets with my own textures so it uses nothing FROM Ultima VI and relies more on reference imagery than just the tiles, so the whole package can be freely distributed on, like Open Game Art. Getting rid of ultima logos, etc. and anything I can't find real reference images of outside of Ultima.

I want to start by rebuilding the world of U6 and its systems, then make my own game in the same "vibe" with all unique characters, story, assets, map layout, etc., just making sure to avoid any copyright infringement or anything. The FEEL is what I would be going for. The biggest challenge would be ensuring everything is copyright safe to distribute. I'm not sure if "you used our game art as a reference image to make your own models and textures" is actionable, so i just want to exercise caution. Any especially unique design, I would want a real reference image to ensure it wasn't created by the Ultima VI team.

Ultima VI heroes examining a stone wall in a tavern at night.

The biggest changes for my game would be, it would be real-time combat more like a zelda game where party members serve more as upgrades - you can switch between them visually, but they share an inventory and each one upgrades your stats in some way.

And a better shop menu than the miserable one in U6.

And coversation system that has a vibe like morrowind's where there is a list of discovered key words, OR you can type them in. and an actual home building/purchasing system. I have a whole big list of improvements to U6 i'd make. The models and textures would be easy to distribute, but I'd be coding using Playmaker, so i could not share scripts.

Another one of my goals is to make this kind of world explorable in VR. I am always keeping that in my mind when designing systems and models. I went nuts ensuring all my modern household props for my main game NotSS are scaled to real world dimensions, because that matters in VR.

An array of 3D models of domestic interior props like desks, tables, sinks, etc.

An array of props from my main game #NotSSgame.

If anyone has suggestions for items, tiles, walls, or character models in other Ultima games like u7 but not in U6 that would enhance/fill out this collection, send links to reference imagery and the tiles and I will consider including them since adding new models and texes is not too hard for me (I modeled over 100 of these in one day, for example).

Here's the original fb UDIC post.

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