[R>Artist 2D] Share Looking for a 2D artist + anim for a Brothel manager isometric game on Unity

[oxygeno]

Hello everybody,

I'm working on a Brothel manager inspired by games like Simbro, Whoremaster.... in a isometric setting. I'm looking for an artist to team up with as the project is getting quite advanced (on Unity) and i offer a share of the profit (Patreon first, and later on steam... whataver platorm we choose).

To give you a clear idea imagine Prison Architect, but instead with a brothel.

The project is not "lock" witch means that i'm also looking for you to add your own ideas to the project.

Project:
I have been working for the past month on a game that i have in mind since a long time. Now i have completed the design and code wise the project is starting to be pretty advanced on Unity (build stuff, map gen, recruit....) and currently finishing the implementation of the IA and pathfinding. So i think its the right time to start looking for a 2D artist able to take of that dark magic for me ^^

Developer:
I'm the developer, and the only member on this project. I work in the dev industry for almost a decade now and i basacally can take care of everything code related, from website, mobile app...

I have also some experience in web marketing.

Finnaly i speak French and Spanish (sorry english is not my native language as you probably already figured out ^^), witch will come also handy later on to provide a game fully translated in those additionnal languages.

Looking for:
Looking for idealy 1 (or 2) 2D artist able to make character design + animation (isometric setting careful) but also prop, background....

Employment Type:
As mentionned i offer a % profit to be negociated depending on your implication.

Work commitment:
Well, this is a rev-share project, so i'm hoping at least 5h hours a week (saturday or sunday for example), i work way more than that personnaly on this project each week ^^

Preferred method of contact:
Feel free to contact me on Discord : Oxygeno#6385

Job Description:
Create characters concept + animation + props (beds, chairs...) + background in an isometric game setting.

Additional comments:
"Madness is doing the same thing and expecting different results" - Albert Einstein.

Cheers !

 

[Synx]

What art style where you thinking about? Like pixal art style (like prison architect is), or something more detailed? I don't got a ton of experience in modeling characters, I have experienced a bit here and there over the last months but my experience lies more in architectural modeling, but I might be interested in giving it a shot.

Btw 5 hours a week is rather low, as modeling (especially for animation purposes) takes a fair amount of work. For a simple not detailed character you quickly need a full week. That would be 2+ months if you only work 5 hours a week on it.

 

[oxygeno]

Hello !

About art style i'm looking for a cartoon style like you can see in "C__untwars" (but less chibi) and detailed (like you can see in games like "They are billions", older ones like "Stronghold" or even "Theme Hospital", or "Baldurs Gate 2 shadow of Amn").

Concerning the "5h/ week" is the minimal that i would ask to someone who join me, and as i said i work far more than that on this project personnaly ( +/- 4h each day and more on week ends so ^^).

I just gave Prison Architect as an example of the gameplay i have in the game (you can build room, stuff....), you can take a look to Theme Hospital, a game i love

Feel free to DM me on discord if you have more questions about the project, and next week i shoud post somewhere on this forum (maybe in this thread will see) my current progress (build stuff + rotation, map gen....) And i shoud have finished the pathfinding and IA.

Oxy.

 

[Synx]

I shouldn't have much problem with the background style you are looking for, but the character one is a different story.

******** looks like a completely handdraw style, which isn't really mine speciality. I doubt I can make something like that to stat with, but if I could it would take ages for just 1 drawing. Besides handdrawing and animations doesn't really work together. Barely any cartoon studio still handdraw their cartoons, and the ones that do take several years with a whole team to create a single movie.

A style I think would maybe work better would be a style called stylised characters, like used in games like borderlands, bioshock or Outer worlds (or just Google it, it's a pretty common style).

I could try making a character in that style over the weekend to let you see if your fine with that art style.

 

[oxygeno]

Hello !

As mentionned i'm looking for a cartoonish /animeish style, its pretty hard for me to explain it so i linked in this post some screenshoot from games i also mentionned to help a bit. The important part is that i'm not looking for pixel art and that the game is isometric (true isometric), as i want the player to be able to clearly see ingame interactions that are happening (the customer walk in your brothel, open the door, take a chair and sit down, take a drink.... or have sex with your girls....).

"A style I think would maybe work better would be a style called stylised characters, like used in games like borderlands, bioshock or Outer worlds (or just Google it, it's a pretty common style). "

Sure why not, if i can see an example of "stylised characters" in an isometric setting and the result looks good, sure ^^ Thats why i'm also looking for 2D artist, to add game ideas and also art wise and let them bring they own "art personnality" to the game.

The interesting part is that i'm realy ahead code wise so as soon as the art is ready i can integrate it to the game so you can instantly see the result of your work . I have almost finished to integrate to the final build the pathfinding system and also added several upgrades to the map configuration (allowing to have differents maps and defining where the spawn locations are, the brothel size.... to open Patreon a single map is enought but for the future this will be ready)

Also there is different elements to be done in 2.5D (background, tileset, characters, props (chair, table, bed, trees...)) but also pure 2D stuff (like UI avatar for girls, customers....)

To open Patreon i'm planning to have the "minimal but playable version" so people can give a try to the game and get a good first impression. And during the time we will add more features / girls / customers / animations, thus will allow us to grow our community, get feedback from our players and so on.

Feel free to contact me on discord so we can chat, see maybe whats the 2D part that suits you....

Oxy

 

[Synx]

Also there is different elements to be done in 2.5D (background, tileset, characters, props (chair, table, bed, trees...)) but also pure 2D stuff (like UI avatar for girls, customers....)

I would just make 3D models, which you can use to create everything from 2D avatars, ingame models in isometric perspective, animations, etc. It allows much more flexibility in the long run, compared to hand drawing everything.

On that topic, i'm a bit confused on how you are actually making your game. Is the set-up your using somewhat similair to RPGmaker? Where you use 2D pictures to create a world (but instead of top/down view, its in isometric view). Or is it more like you lock your camera into isometric view in Unity, but create the game with 3D models, which would allow for like rotating objects, etc. Or something completely different?

And some more questions:

How do you picture the lewd scenes? Are they just isometric small scenes happening in game, or would there be a way to zoom in/select a scene and have it happening full screen? I dont think you really get much support for the first one, as people (especially on here) play these kind of games for the lewd scenes, and I think just isometric things happening in the same scale as the rest of the game isnt enough.

How do you see the development of the game going in the long run? Like you mentioned wanting to get an early release out as a 'minimal but playable version', but how would that fit into the whole plan wise for development? Would each update just add more of the same (like just more customers, more girls, etc.), or would there be some kind of continues story, or build progress related with each update? I just have an hard time picturing how the game would feel like in its 'bare minimal version' but still feel good to be honest. For example I don't think you could remove 75%+ of prison architect or theme hospital, and still have a good game on your hands.

Lastly I could do some work this weekend to give you a first impression of art style, but I got to know what would be the most helpful so you can continue as well. I assume getting stuff to build the world would be more important than characters at the moment? In what form would you need those? Like a complete room, or every piece of the room separately so players can make their own rooms?

 

[oxygeno]

I would just make 3D models, which you can use to create everything from 2D avatars, ingame models in isometric perspective, animations, etc. It allows much more flexibility in the long run, compared to hand drawing everything.

On that topic, i'm a bit confused on how you are actually making your game. Is the set-up your using somewhat similair to RPGmaker? Where you use 2D pictures to create a world (but instead of top/down view, its in isometric view). Or is it more like you lock your camera into isometric view in Unity, but create the game with 3D models, which would allow for like rotating objects, etc. Or something completely different?

The game is in pure isometric, witch means i dont do a "trick" with the camera setting it with "X:30 Y:45" rotation if i remember correctly and then use 3D. All the game is set in 2D with a 2.5D perspective witch give to the game a 3D feeling (like in all the game i linked before).

I dont want to use 3D models for various reasons, one is that sculpting + rigging + texturing + animating is a slow process and often requires 2-3 peoples to do it. Also because in the mid run, i want to implement in the game the ECS system of Unity, witch allow the use of the burst compiler and multi threading (and other stuff) thus allowing to display ingame 100k animated sprite at the same time with no performance issue (not saying that this will happen in the game, but having a couple of hundeads characters like customer and girls coud be a thing). And finally because i want to keep the team small, up to 3-4 members max.

And some more questions:

How do you picture the lewd scenes? Are they just isometric small scenes happening in game, or would there be a way to zoom in/select a scene and have it happening full screen? I dont think you really get much support for the first one, as people (especially on here) play these kind of games for the lewd scenes, and I think just isometric things happening in the same scale as the rest of the game isnt enough.

Adult content will be displayed mostly in isometric, ingame, witch you can zoom in and out ofc (and get fullscreen if you want). I dont want to give to much details but i have planned to have several camera at the same time in the scene to allow the player to follow multiple girls actions at the same time... As the game also have a story, some of the lewd content coud also be displayed in some 2D CG (for the plot). This is a possibility, but will depends on the artist that join the project.

How do you see the development of the game going in the long run? Like you mentioned wanting to get an early release out as a 'minimal but playable version', but how would that fit into the whole plan wise for development? Would each update just add more of the same (like just more customers, more girls, etc.), or would there be some kind of continues story, or build progress related with each update? I just have an hard time picturing how the game would feel like in its 'bare minimal version' but still feel good to be honest. For example I don't think you could remove 75%+ of prison architect or theme hospital, and still have a good game on your hands.

The update progress will include new girls, new interactions (sexe, drink, training, tamming....), new customers (and needs), but also story progress adding new unique characters, upgrades (rooms, stuff....), skills trees (girls, MC...), special events (story and not story related).... and more... Also offer the possibility to the players to take part in game decision like votes on new stuff / girls inspiration from games, adult animes....

As i mentionned in my first post, i'm also open to any suggestions.

Lastly I could do some work this weekend to give you a first impression of art style, but I got to know what would be the most helpful so you can continue as well. I assume getting stuff to build the world would be more important than characters at the moment? In what form would you need those? Like a complete room, or every piece of the room separately so players can make their own rooms?

Well, idealy come to Discord so we can see togheter what suits you and what we can look for togheter. Also i hope that this "talk" is not agaisnt the rules or anything and if it was i apologize beforehand to the Mods/ Admins (plz let me know).

Oxy

 

[Synx]

I dont want to use 3D models for various reasons, one is that sculpting + rigging + texturing + animating is a slow process and often requires 2-3 peoples to do it.

Drawing everything in 2D from different (isometric) angles, and later animations, poses, etc. is a lot more work then creating 3D models in the long run. Yeah getting the first results is going to be faster, but after the initial time investment, 3D models can create content much faster, especially animations. Pretty much every cartoon company in the world uses 3D models nowadays, as its just faster than drawing everything by hand.

As for the second part, you dont have to load the 3D models into unity. You can just render 2D images, or an animation, and load those into your game.

Anyway if your really set on 2D art, I will pass. I'm not the greatist 2D artist, and honestly 2D drawing and animations doesn't go together well.

 

[oxygeno]

Drawing everything in 2D from different (isometric) angles, and later animations, poses, etc. is a lot more work then creating 3D models in the long run. Yeah getting the first results is going to be faster, but after the initial time investment, 3D models can create content much faster, especially animations. Pretty much every cartoon company in the world uses 3D models nowadays, as its just faster than drawing everything by hand.

As for the second part, you dont have to load the 3D models into unity. You can just render 2D images, or an animation, and load those into your game.

I know, and thats why i said i dont want to use 3D models ingame (or at least that was what i meant).... And also why i told you 200 times to come to Discord to talk about it, as this coud be one way to do it.

honestly 2D drawing and animations doesn't go together well.

Thats your point of view, there is a lot of "Normal" games that use this method and have sold millions of copy and are realy fun to play, but this is not the purpose of this topic.

If you have more comments / suggestions, for the last time, come to Discord so we can sort out things.

Oxy

 

[Synx]

I'm on my phone in the train at the moment, so I will just leave it with that for today and we can talk a bit on discord tomorrow.

Thats your point of view, there is a lot of "Normal" games that use this method and have sold millions of copy and are realy fun to play, but this is not the purpose of this topic.

Its not really feasable for a 1-2 man art team if you want a decent release schedule. Drawing an animation (of 24 frames a second) just takes so much longer then just creating a 3D model and animating it. lets just leave it on that/

 

[oxygeno]

I'm on my phone in the train at the moment, so I will just leave it with that for today and we can talk a bit on discord tomorrow.

With pleasure

Its not really feasable for a 1-2 man art team if you want a decent release schedule. Drawing an animation (of 24 frames a second) just takes so much longer then just creating a 3D model and animating it. lets just leave it on that/

I agree on that, but as this is a rev-share project i have do deal with the skills of the people that are interested to join (some people can make 2D art an anim with Spine, other photoshop, other blender....) I cant post a list of all the possible combination. Thats why i presented the global idea of the game, and ask to have a chat on discord, as everybody is different with differents skillsets.

Also, for Patreon i'm not planning to have a full game 100% completed, thats not the point at all. The point is as i said, to open with a decent amount of content to provide a good first impressions to the players and grow up our community (like almost every game / VN does, they open with maybe a single or 2 stories, and then add news branches / characters / chapters along the way with updates).

Oxy