Francesca Falcini
Senior Community Manager
Hayo Zookeepers!
The latest installment of Planet Zoo, the Planet Zoo: Europe Pack, is fast-approaching! This pack offers up over 250 new scenery pieces which have been influenced by various European countries and cultures, so we asked Art Director, Marc Cox, to share a little more about the inspiration behind these incredible new additions!
Building Bridges
Water is not only essential to life, but in many ways it has been fundamental in the development of human civilisations, and an aspect of nature that still has an impact on our social evolution. It’s a foundation for all life on earth, and for humans it establishes borders and territory in much of the same way as it does for animals.
For this European themed DLC, we wanted to build our scenery list around ideas of water as a connecting element within the landscape, and take inspiration from the architecture found in and around familiar locations.
For this pack, we chose to feature three main areas of Western Europe; the historic commercial hub of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, the romantic Venice in Italy, and the picturesque regions of France. These destinations provided some useful threads in relation to how water plays a key role in architectural and landscape features, with bridges and canals naturally playing their part in the inspiration for scenery.
As bridges can symbolise so much in terms of human relationships and how we build bonds with our neighbours, it’s something we really wanted to highlight and celebrate.
Crafting the Scenery
The Dutch ‘skinny’ bridge is an iconic and beautiful example of engineering we just had to include, along with the sweeping arches of Italian renaissance bridges which tuck themselves discreetly between the passionate history of Venice’s waterside buildings. Ancient viaducts and valley-spanning constructions feature in many areas of the continent, which we felt should be represented by a new set of bridge pieces to broaden the possibilities for re-creating robust carriageways, and to majestically link areas of the landscape.
Continuing the watery theme, there was a clear opportunity to use items that represent the traversing of lakes and rivers by boat. There is, of course, an excuse to include the graceful silhouette of the Venetian gondola to complete the postcard depiction of a romantic Italy. In addition to this, a river ferry has been included as a new spawn point for zoo visitors, allowing a fully integrated guest arrival that fits perfectly into any riverside location.
The pleasing matrix of surface ageing seen on plaster and stone is another key aspect of the theme we felt crucial in portraying an authentic feel. Although a building can go through stages of looking dilapidated and tired, it’s those signs of time passed which lend character and charm to the walls. The beautiful colours and textures rendered by the Mediterranean sun, for instance, are an irresistible influence for designing decorations that enhance the setting. A set of decal assets with cracks, broken edges and exposed material are a key part of the scenery set we’ve provided which enable the application of a narrative for the history of the architecture.
In unison with the architectural and functional scenery, we drew inspiration for foliage from the banks of the Canal du Midi in France. This location is famous for its leaf-lined banks of London Plane trees, which are also synonymous with towns and cities across Europe. Olive trees, cork oak and grapevines complete the set of iconic flora that add to the continental vibes, and are key species in the history of human settlement on the continent.
European history spans from the dark ages, through revolutionary eras, to the present day, with a wealth of imagery and folklore to spark the imagination. Recurring myths and legends featuring strange creatures abound and curious medieval depictions of animals playing musical instruments provide a fun, quirky tangent. We have used this idea for the creation of themed flags, stained glass and customisable sculptures featuring the star animals of the pack.
A taste of heraldry and heritage can be seen in the array of colourful shield designs with customisable colours which add authentic signatures to building facades. Window shutters and decorative railings have been selected as common elements of many European settlements. By adding colour variations these key ingredients can be applied to any building to enhance the idea of a location from the Bavarian foothills to the heat of the Spanish Mediterranean.
We were keen to reflect something of the shared and familiar environments people all over the world can recognise, and a traditional town market place provided the perfect scene for this idea. With a kit of canvas awnings and a new metal framework, it’s easy to re-create a thriving little guest area for a bustling crowd. These items fit perfectly with the new trimmed-down vendor shops for a more open staff to visitor encounter. The addition of a vintage food van makes it all the more enticing. Lighting, of course, is important for any town or city, and the colourful night-time streets of Northern Europe were a springboard for some ideas on tube lighting and food signs. Bright lights and decorations always bring a place to life so by providing a selection of led-style arrays and holiday inspired lighting it’s possible to add a another level of warmth and even bring a festive air to the proceedings.
Thanks for joining us for this Developer Journal! We hope you enjoyed this insight into the inspiration and processes behind the scenery for the Planet Zoo: Europe Pack, which launches tomorrow, 14 December, and which you can now wishlist on Steam.
The latest installment of Planet Zoo, the Planet Zoo: Europe Pack, is fast-approaching! This pack offers up over 250 new scenery pieces which have been influenced by various European countries and cultures, so we asked Art Director, Marc Cox, to share a little more about the inspiration behind these incredible new additions!
Building Bridges
Water is not only essential to life, but in many ways it has been fundamental in the development of human civilisations, and an aspect of nature that still has an impact on our social evolution. It’s a foundation for all life on earth, and for humans it establishes borders and territory in much of the same way as it does for animals.
For this European themed DLC, we wanted to build our scenery list around ideas of water as a connecting element within the landscape, and take inspiration from the architecture found in and around familiar locations.
As bridges can symbolise so much in terms of human relationships and how we build bonds with our neighbours, it’s something we really wanted to highlight and celebrate.
Crafting the Scenery
The Dutch ‘skinny’ bridge is an iconic and beautiful example of engineering we just had to include, along with the sweeping arches of Italian renaissance bridges which tuck themselves discreetly between the passionate history of Venice’s waterside buildings. Ancient viaducts and valley-spanning constructions feature in many areas of the continent, which we felt should be represented by a new set of bridge pieces to broaden the possibilities for re-creating robust carriageways, and to majestically link areas of the landscape.
The pleasing matrix of surface ageing seen on plaster and stone is another key aspect of the theme we felt crucial in portraying an authentic feel. Although a building can go through stages of looking dilapidated and tired, it’s those signs of time passed which lend character and charm to the walls. The beautiful colours and textures rendered by the Mediterranean sun, for instance, are an irresistible influence for designing decorations that enhance the setting. A set of decal assets with cracks, broken edges and exposed material are a key part of the scenery set we’ve provided which enable the application of a narrative for the history of the architecture.
In unison with the architectural and functional scenery, we drew inspiration for foliage from the banks of the Canal du Midi in France. This location is famous for its leaf-lined banks of London Plane trees, which are also synonymous with towns and cities across Europe. Olive trees, cork oak and grapevines complete the set of iconic flora that add to the continental vibes, and are key species in the history of human settlement on the continent.
European history spans from the dark ages, through revolutionary eras, to the present day, with a wealth of imagery and folklore to spark the imagination. Recurring myths and legends featuring strange creatures abound and curious medieval depictions of animals playing musical instruments provide a fun, quirky tangent. We have used this idea for the creation of themed flags, stained glass and customisable sculptures featuring the star animals of the pack.
A taste of heraldry and heritage can be seen in the array of colourful shield designs with customisable colours which add authentic signatures to building facades. Window shutters and decorative railings have been selected as common elements of many European settlements. By adding colour variations these key ingredients can be applied to any building to enhance the idea of a location from the Bavarian foothills to the heat of the Spanish Mediterranean.
Thanks for joining us for this Developer Journal! We hope you enjoyed this insight into the inspiration and processes behind the scenery for the Planet Zoo: Europe Pack, which launches tomorrow, 14 December, and which you can now wishlist on Steam.
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