Features
TOP: My task – “Make all Soul Trials Assets.” First, I needed to design a Soul (Solo) Trials POI icon. The previously designed Trials and Season Trials icons were based on a rune shown above the entrances to those trials. While concepting I reviewed our existing lexicon of runes, and with a little love, made a perfect fit: It appears to be sand in the overall hourglass shape… could be interpreted as a Roman numeral one, (driving home that “solo” part) but also (as a word) the “I” calls to mind our individuality – perhaps even the soul?
BOTTOM: The Soul Trials icon was approved quickly – but the rest of the assets proved a unique challenge: the current version was trying to make one image fit too many disparate situations. Legibility was suffering and yet also the image could not be identified. (Continued…)
After showing a department head what could be done with some reverse-engineering, a handful of new in-game captures, and just one new bespoke datatable; the project scope widened and I was given the go-ahead to produce assets for an additional two areas of the Pick-Up Group Finder: Seasonal Trials, and Mutated Expeditions. From thirty-nine assets to hundreds.
Above is an interactive comparison of similar assets both before and after the project was given to me — (click the words “before” and “after” or drag the line by the handle…) I was able to re-design aspects of the screen as a whole as well, shoring the content up to AGS design standards, and making room for more image to show through!
The more elaborate screen in the lower right is the screen was unclear to me. Minimize as a button was new – and I wasn’t super sure about locking in. The icons explaining potential ineligibility differed from the text – so… I reported it as a bug. And then designed a fix. A rollover / tooltip contains the vast majority of the information the player might need… so… I simplified it.
Season 5
It’s the way of the JIRA – sometimes you’re creating beautiful icons based off of glorious ancient exotic architecture – sometimes you’re making charms for fishing – and sometimes you’re making a one-off icon for the HUD. That last one is a buddy bonus, more or less. (Ironically lonely down there.)
Events
New World has “seasons” but those are like seasons of a show. The seasons you might be thinking of are events! Here there are store items for spring, (Springtide Bloom) winter (Winter Convergence) and fall (Nightveil Hallow.)