MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT

 

For this project, I will be using the concept and time of The Viking Era (A.D. 793 to 1066). The environment will consist of a small settlement of Vikings who have settled down in a Newfoundland. This land is next to the sea and an ice cap mountain range. This concept of Newfoundland is shown in the model environment through the houses and barns areas being newly made, hence a clean finish to these objects. The Vikings were known as traders which meant that they set out to discover new trade routes, but also settled down on newfound land which would be beneficial in the resources it can provide, such as glacier water from the mountain range that can be seen. Throughout the environment, you can a fire pit in some homes which is used for cooking and providing warmth, and one can even link this to the concept of the Vikings using this to make their weapons out of Iron often referred to as 'bog iron', which is made from heating iron-rich soil (Curley,2022). Watch towers are present in this environment to emphasise the location of the settlement next to open seas, which during that era meant that attacks and looting were common. In the opening graphics, a fleet of ships made out of wood can be seen in the port as well as one arriving back to the village and a few ships in the distance travelling out to sea. The design of these ships is done so in a manner to portray the long boats as being versatile to be light enough to drag onto land, but also be strong enough to withstand rough seas.

 

There is also wildlife displayed visually and some with audio through this environment. During the Nordic period, " the Vikings farmed crops, grew gardens and raised animals" (Anon,2022) their feudal economy. This is shown in my project as you can see livestock such as cows and chickens in their pens, and hunting livestock such as deer can also be seen in the visuals. Whilst exploring the environment you can see a lot of fruits and vegetables that were staples in these small settlements. There are also crows visible in the sky to depict a true village setting. Whilst exploring the virtual environment there is one big structure, the Viking dining hall that portrays the concept of a village hierarchy during that era in which the chieftain is the head of the village. This is seen by having a head table (made for 2 - 4 people) facing a long table that is for feasts which shows the close-knit community mentality those settlements had.

 

There are trees all around the settlement with pathways, of what is depicted as natural grounds rather than stone pavements, cleared to create routes around the village. There are two large barns visible, which represent where the village holds harvest and resources such as wood and tools for craftsmen. This can be seen from a bird's eye view perspective. The shore shows there is also a covered hut, this is where boats are dragged onto land and covered when not in use. The density of the trees give the impression of this being a new settlement which is shown by the use of tree placement at an angle around the fenced village. The shadow effect created from these sun hitting the trees and forming elongated shadows creates the environment of keeping the settlement hidden, which again

emphasises the time period and era in which Viking lands would often be looted and overrun. The number of boats on the sea also adds to this perception.

 

In this game there are male and female characters who are used to show the dynamic of the different roles men and women played during the Viking Era. Women's roles in society during this period were domesticated, they took care of their family, prepared food, milked cows and tended to livestock (Anon,2022).This is shown by the number of female characters that can be found in the market and around aspects such as the livestock farms and marketplace. The character in the game is wearing items that were often made by the women during this era, although women historically stayed at home, for the purpose of this game there was an element of female warriors added to engage players within the game. This is historically supported as in some female graves, weapons were found that gave the notion that a small majority of women were also fighting alongside the men (Anon, 2022).

 

The game also consists of male characters, they can be seen on the outskirts of the village, to portray their role during that time which was to protect the women and children in that time period due to the high rates of battles and looting that took place in new settlement lands. The character in the game can be seen wearing a scale, chainmail armour and helmet as well as holding an axe. Axes “had long handles, were light, well balanced and deadly” (Anon, 2022), the long handles portray that when men were in battle the long reach was an ideal attribute in a fight. The iron helmet was essentially an iron bowl to protect the head.The armour is shown over plain clothing, notioning that men were often ready to go to battle whenever needed and were also prepared at any moment. The axe was a common weapon at the time and often the most affordable too.

 

Swords can be seen inside some homes within the game, whereas Axe’s are the most common. Swords during that era were the most expensive weapon and therefore can be found throughout the game as pieces on the wall as it was a prestigious weapon for that time period and a “rich men” weapon. Vikings loved to decorate items such as their weapons, tools, bowls and treasure chests. Carved symbols can be seen in their items and in this game specifically it can be seen on the treasure chests. The treasure chests have a mammem style to them that is a viking art style. Within the homes the items that are found are things such as tables and chairs and storage components which make it realistic. This era was also emphasised by the use of tapestries on the wall as well as fire torches that created a natural source of light.

 

The home structures are very detailed but look fairly new, this was used to portray the village being based in a new settlement, which meant that everything visible to players in the game is fairly new and has a clean finish to it. This is also shown on the dock and the fenced-off village area. The houses may be of similar sizes but really do portray their individuality through the way they look. Some will be plain and reinforced whilst others are

decorative and have wood panelling of darker shades to convey the concept of a hierarchy within villages.

 

Having said that, to portray this main theme of this being a new settlement there are sound elements added to the game using NPCs such as the sound of birds, winds passing through the trees, the sound of calm waves and the footsteps of the main character. The sounds used really bring into focus the calmness these settlements would have. This combined with the calm background environment of the mountain range, the sea, sun and fog bring a calmness into the game that always makes players feel relaxed and therefore focus on the darker tones within the game. These are the houses, the docks, the characters.