One of the main parts of Zenless Zone Zero is Sixth Street, a central world or ‘hub’ that serves as the start menu in the game. According to Liu XinyanmiHoYo game designer,
It is important to note that the level changed a lot for multiple reasons, making it completely different. This one was designed about three years ago, when Xinyan was less experienced and faced many challenges with frequent revisions.
In the game world, Sixth Street is a quiet street where the main characters live and work, while in the game, it is the start menu. Therefore, it should provide access to most of the game’s features. A menu should be easy to use, so the map should be easy to navigate, allowing players to reach features without having to search much. Additionally, moving between these features should be engaging, meaning the time spent traveling between points should be controlled.
There are also features that go beyond the basic elements of gameplay, such as the inherent characteristics of the location itself. For example, characters encountered in the story can visit it, so there must be natural spawn points that are easy to find. Also, maybe later on, the main character will hold a concert – a meeting place is necessary.
Sixth Street of the real world
The first step in creating is gathering references, which involves two types of references: prototypes and art references. Prototypes are places with similar functions to the place you want to create. They can be real-world locations or sets for other works of art. For Sixth Street, a prototype could be a street with detached single-family homes and shops, an older but cozy residential area near the city center, or a street with a well-known video store.
Art references are used for visualization. They include locations that fit or provide inspiration for the art style. These references can be at various scales: fixtures, shops, buildings, or entire districts. They are all valuable in creating a cohesive and visually appealing environment. After gathering references, the next step is image analysis, which involves examining both the overall site and its individual components.
The design process went smoothly and the greybox worked perfectly in-engine for several weeks. However, when the art phase began, an unexpected problem arose: HQ wanted the artists to determine the structure of the map. This meant discarding my work and using a map designed solely by the artists. This was frustrating and pointless, but Hoyoverse values art very highly, which has contributed to their success in previous projects.
Fuente: Medium
Via: Gamedeveloper
