Saninsakin!

(This devlog contains spoilers for some events and scenes in S&M!)

This'll be quite a bit longer than our usual devlogs, but we wanted to be thorough when explaining our process!

When it comes to a story, we're of the opinion that the environment can be just as much of a character as the cast itself. As such, we took quite a bit of time in designing the various locations featured throughout Splendor & Misery. One of the most frequently featured portions of the city in Episode 1 is the district that houses the Office of Colonial Governance, or the 'Oven.' This district is where you'll find Harlowe & Semper's apartment, the port, the Sakutakinaks Institute of Social Sciences, the Oven itself, and (at its furthest edges) Özbey & Fermi's flat. It was important for us to have clearly defined sightlines within the city, especially as Özbey made his way back to the flat from the port. While a bit of a strange source to draw from, we pulled rather overtly from an actual city when envisioning the layout of Sakutakinaks.

The city of Karlsruhe, located in Baden-Württemberg (DE), was the most direct inspiration, as the views of the Schloss allow for (relatively) easy navigation of the city, especially when one is able to get clear sightlines, like those in Marktplaz or around Europaplatz.

(Note: I took all of the photos seen below.)

Take this one street as an example, as it provides a direct line of sight to the Schloss (which from here is about 800m away).

(In a world where I had a more powerful camera, you'd be able to get the same vibe as it does in person–it's really cool!)

These sightlines are helped by the glow of the Schloss at night, as it is illuminated in this amber hue that allows for it to stand like a beacon at the end of these sightlines.  For anyone interested in this sort of trivial thing, Karlsruhe (apparently) served as some of the inspiration for the layout of Washington D.C., with the Capitol having sightlines reminiscent of the Schloss.

We ultimately went for this same approach with the Oven when it was depicted in backgrounds, as we wanted it to loom there, even if it was not directly related to what our cast members were doing. It enables the building to almost haunt the backgrounds, never really in focus, but always there, watching.

It's interesting how this is something achieved in different manners both day and night, as the Schloss during the day still manages to avoid blending into the city thanks to its isolation via the aforementioned sightlines. Even down a random street, it still looms! 

Of course, anyone who has been to Karlsruhe knows that at night, depending on where you are in the city, everything is bathed in a golden glow–we really wanted to integrate that into our vision of Sakutakinaks as a whole, as it really shifts the mood of the night. Though the colors are soon to fade after what happened in Episode 1…

With all of that, we get to the design of the Oven in Episode 1!

During Özbey's section, the Oven hangs over the city–this was a choice that included the increasing of its size, as its scale is overemphasized during this portion to ensure that it is easily seen, and feels extra imposing.

The focus on the Oven persists throughout Umsi's section at the tail-end of Episode 1, including during the animation introducing it. It was vital for it to be in focus, even if players wouldn't yet know why (or even consciously recognize that it's there). As much as this section was about establishing Umsi's character, and dynamic with Paxion and Lamontz, it is ultimately the Oven (and the NYE bombing) that underpins all events for them moving forward.

(Itch limitations mean we can only upload the whole (but incredibly crunchy) version, sorry!)

Within the section, you see the Oven in focus only at the end, with it first appearing as they exit the university and head towards the rooftop.

It takes center stage during that transition, though is actually at scale for the distance. No scaling was necessary; it really is imposing when you're by it!

Of course, as they continue, it slips out of sight once again

Then, once brought back to the focus of the cast, it's the first (and last) time we'll get a clear view of it before it is reduced to ruin.

(Final versions used in Episode 1, above & below.)

This sequence actually had a number of alternate versions made before we were satisfied with how it turned out.

(Versions used in the prototype of Episode 1.)

The differences are pretty small, but given that this was one of the most critical scenes of Episode 1, we really wanted to make sure we were happy with it before we sent it out.

The explosion sequence also had backgrounds made for it, though they never actually appeared in-game, at least not outside of the cutscene that they're in. They also don't appear in color, so these go (technically) entirely unused!

(Final version above (used only in ending cutscene), prototype version below.)

Additionally, there was a background made for the fire as it engulfs the building, though this was eventually replaced with the black-and-white animated version used in the final version of Episode 1, meaning the asset went entirely unused.

The loss of the Oven also means that the office of the Senatrix has been lost! We thought we'd have fun with it, knowing that it was destined to be destroyed by the end of Episode 1

The Senatrix's office was heavily influenced by turn-of-the-century interior design*, with particular attention paid to the designs of interiors aboard ocean liners, especially those of the White Star Line and the blend of styles aboard the Titanic.

*Though with heavy influence from other design movements that later followed.

Keen-eyed individuals may have noticed the painting in the back, which is heavily inspired by Rothko's Untitled (Black on Grey), 1970. 

Needless to say, the box certainly wasn't the only omen in the room with the Senatrix.

There is plenty of cut content and concept work that we made for the Oven, so we thought we'd include some of that as we mourn its destruction.

(Above and below are scrapped pieces for a cut character intended for Umsi's section of Episode 1.)

In these concepts (above & below), you can see some of the more direct influences, as the Oven is meant to be an amalgamation of a lot of neo-classical buildings, though, at one point in time, we were somewhat undecided when it came to the shape of the dome, with some of the concepts featuring something closer to an onion dome, or a lighthouse. 

We ultimately settled on a reasonably standard dome as they're everywhere–all of us know one building or another that looks like it.

Farewell to the Oven! It served us well. (Even if you couldn't use it to bake bread.)

We hope that through all of this, you can get a sense of our design process for the Oven, and the city of Sakutakinaks as a whole. It's come a long way since the days of Mourning Coast, back when it drew far more heavily from Alaska and Pacific Northwest aesthetics overall, but we're rather proud of how it has taken shape! (Plus, now it has public transit, so everyone wins!)

We have a lot of similar content for the interior designs seen thus far, but this devlog is long enough as is!

We're picking up the pace on our work for Episode 2 Part 1, though our lives are as busy as ever. 

Even so, we should still hit our deadline, or if all goes well, release a few days early!

 We'll be sure to keep you in the loop.

'Til next time!

-Lajos

Got a question? Want to chat? We can be reached at ProjectUlysses13@gmail.com.