Real Worlds: Research Dossier

SWOT Analysis

Strengths: 

-I feel I am strong in designing aliens, as well as characters generally established in a Science-Fiction theming and genre.
-I believe I have a reasonably adequate understanding of anatomy when designing human characters.
-I can create a variety of distinct designs for set character themes rapidly.

Weaknesses:
-I am not particularly strong on drawing real-world animals, and this could prove to be an interesting challenge.
-I do not have a greatly developed understanding of lighting and elaborate scenes could prove difficult to adequately render.

Opportunity:
-I am unfamiliar with the Intellectual Property we will be working with, so I will have an opportunity to familiarise myself with it and create designs for something I have not before worked on.
-The project is client-based and I will be working with a real-world company, granting me experience in such a scenario.
-I will get to practice 2D art Skills.

Threats:
-Machine malfunctions or breakages could result in me being unable to produce digital work.
-The project is, in and of itself, not particularly long. I will have to work quickly and at a consistent pace.

IP

Deadzone is a tabletop war game developed by Mantic Games in which players command small armies in skirmish battles. Set in a far-future science fiction world, many threats are alien in nature, with battles being set on ruined human colonies (Mantic Games 2016) or other science fiction backdrops. The game's mechanics are focused on combat and unit diversity, with units split across opposing factions that have unique theming and mechanics. Players can use armies from both human factions and alien factions.

When playing Deadzone, there are a variety of mission types that can be explored, such as "Patrol" missions in which points are earned through combat, finding intel and securing locations (Mantic Games 2016) and "Breakthrough" missions in which models must traverse the entire board to gain points. In Deadzone, dice are sometimes used to add an element of randomness to the game; otherwise, they use relatively simple mechanics in its gameplay. This helps to solidify Deadzone's place in the tabletop games industry: with battles set up using small armies and simple point-based mission objectives, Deadzone lends itself well to being played in fast-paced skirmish-style combat rounds. Additionally, Deadzone is developed by Mantic Games, a smaller games company focused on science fiction and fantasy games systems, which differ from other games companies that focus on games based on real-world history, such as World War 2 and Ancient Rome (Mantic 2025). 

The art style of Deadzone, and the wider "Warpath" universe that the game is set within is generally gruff, with aspects of technology somewhat based on technology seen in the real world. This can be seen particularly in the human factions of the game, which bear weapons and armour that are somewhat inspired by real-world counterparts. Even so, there is a strong element of science fiction in many of the alien and human designs, with factions utilising advanced vehicles, mechs, power armour and science fiction weapons.

Examples of GCPS soldier armour. (Mantic 2016)

Though precise design language differs between the factions and units seen in the game, generally speaking, the art style is dark and gritty, not overtly bloody or violent, but grim nonetheless. There are a lot of dark skies and dark environments, and even though colours are not totally desaturated, they are darkened to a degree and often do not have sharp highlights, or are somewhat similar across designs. This ties in to how colour palettes are used in the game as a whole, with many units sharing colour palettes to visually show what faction they are a part of. Silver, bronze and brown colours are common across designs as a whole, and all aliens are generally humanoid in shape.

Further design considerations are dependent on the factions I choose, as all factions look visually different and have different colour palettes and design languages. On the whole, though, I will stick to the dark and somewhat oppressive atmosphere that Deadzone's art style leans in to.

Factions

I have chosen the "Forge Fathers" and the "Veer-Myn" factions. The Forge Fathers are largely blocky in nature, with joints that are comprised of segmented plates that slide atop one another. Veer-Myn have unarmoured joints, though are generally much sharper. Forge Fathers are generally armoured, not all wear power armour (a majority do), though those that do not are armoured regardless.

Forge Fathers:
The Forge Fathers (sometimes referred to as "Dwarfs") are the first of my two factions, an army of engineers and inventors with expertise in machining that far surpasses that of humanity and their contemporaries, able to create machines on a planetary scale and harness the power of stars (Mantic Entertainment 2016). They are described as largely being short and squat in build and with great power in terms of physical strength. Their home planet is left undescribed, with Forge Father mythology alluding to them being the oldest culture in the galaxy, having been forged in the core of the universe itself (Mantic n.d). They are an ancient people, few in number but long-lived. Their crucial cultural axioms are honour, devotion and loyalty to one another (Mantic n.d). To a degree, they could be considered stubborn, as they will "...not stand any opposition, no matter how well the army is equipped" (Mantic n.d). This stubbornness, however, stems from confidence in their abilities and undeniable technological prowess.

Dwarfs are, on average, shorter than humans and are described as being roughly 1.5m in height (Mantic n.d). With stony, stern features and a generally abrasive attitude. Their machining is based on function before style, with functionality of greater importance to a machine's construction than outward appearances. This leads to many of their machines having something of a deceptive appearance, being much more complex than their bulky and rudimentary forms may let on. Forge Father Society is split into a variety of disparate clans (Mantic n.d). Every clan is comprised of many families and ruled by a 'Lord', with their commanders and servitors known as 'Huscarls'. In the Deadzone miniature selection for the Forge Fathers, many of the Leader units are Huscarls, commanding small armies of Forge Fathers in battle; respected warriors who are the veterans of many battles.

Example of a Huscarl 'Leader' unit (Mantic 2016).

Clans of Forge Fathers generally travel around in massive, mountain-like ships known as 'Wards', megacity-like vessels that could comfortably support hundreds of thousands within them. They are storage facilities, cities, forges, vaults, palaces and warships. 

Forge Fathers & The Galaxy:
The Forge Father's sphere of influence is known as The "Star Realm", and expands very slowly; due to their long lifespans, the Dwafs are content with settling a few planets and stripping them of resources completely before moving on. Their expansion process is slow, first constructing a "Forge Star" around a natural or artificial sun (Mantic n.d), a Dyson Sphere of sorts that harvests the star's energy and allowing for the construction and support of colossal refining and colony vessels. 

Forge Fathers have a strenuous relationship with the GCPS (Galactic Co-Prosperity Sphere), a corporation-ran galactic empire that controls much of Deadzone's world (Mantic n.d). This is because the Forge Fathers believe themselves to be the inheritors of the galaxy: though some clans do business with the GCPS corporations (Mantic n.d), others believe in ownership over planets and systems under the rule od GCPS, which often results in bitter conflict between the two groups (Mantic n.d). A war between the two groups was eventually settled in peace, with a fledgeling trade relationship being created between the Star Realm and GCPS. This has resulted in the Forge Fathers creating advanced suits of armour for GCPS, known as the "Enforcers" (Mantic n.d).

The "Enforcer" Armour is an example of Forge Father technology that has reached beyond Star Realm space (Mantic 2025).

All Dwarfs are expected to serve in their Clan's military (Mantic n.d), fighting in platoons armed with flamethrowers and bulky rifles. Due to the length of Dwarven lifespans, many militias will have fought together for many decades, with the oldest and most veteran fighters sometimes being awarded a set of "Iron Ancestor" armour, bulky and robotic power armour that is tantamount to a tank in terms of raw physical might. 

Iron Ancestor power armour (Mantic 2016).

Forge Fathers - Art Direction & Design Language

The design of the Forge Father units is one largely bulky and square in shape, with almost all armoured in some form or another. Said armour contains the majority of the square and cuboid shapes seen in designs, with joints operating as many plates that slide atop one another. Very little seen in the humanoid units is left unarmoured, though the bulk of said protection ranges from immense and silhouette-covering to comparatively minor; localised to gloves, boots and chest pieces. 

Generally dark colours are used across the miniatures, with primary colour palettes being sandy and olive tones for the main militia and stark crimson for units that fall outside this, such as the working-class "Brokkr" units and the unique Helfather.

Examples of colour and shape variance between the Militia and Brokkr units (Mantic 2025)

In my work, I could lean into either of these design routes, though find myself more drawn to the innately bulky nature of the warriors and militia-type units. 

Thinking in terms of how I could create a character fitting in with the design conventions of the Forge Fathers, it is likely that I will create a character with a very bulky design, heavily armoured though - pertaining to their heroic nature - may leave their face exposed, otherwise making the design of their armour noticeable whilst remaining true to the Forge Father's function-over-looks design ethos. Also, it is worth noting that there are no female units in the Forge Father selection. Women are also not mentioned in the Forge Father lore, and so a female character could present itself as an interesting design challenge when exploring possibilities for a unique Forge Father character.

Veer-Myn:

The Veer-Myn, a culture of rat-like humanoids, are raving vermin in the GCPS civilisation: parasites that infest sewers and starships, building up power before laying claim to what they infest (Mantic n.d). They have no known origin, though they are assumed to be evolved, mutated versions of Earth rats (Mantic 2016). They are enemies with almost any other culture, including the Forge Fathers, whose ships contain extensive systems aimed at stopping a Veer-Myn infestation (Mantic n.d). Nonetheless, conflicts between the two cultures are described as being common.

The Veer-Myn are ambush fighters, leading charges on the ships and settlements they squat within utilising scrappy technology copied from that to which they have been exposed (Mantic 2016). They can copy and modify machines, with many of their weapons and pieces of technology being highly radioactive or otherwise chemically dangerous to humans and other cultures. Their weapons utilise this hazardous quality to their advantage, often spraying hazardous chemical concoctions or using dangerous beams of radiation in their firearms. Other machines include massive drilling vehicles that create vast networks of subterranean tunnels to expand nest territory (Mantic n.d), and engineered illnesses that are used in biological weapons attacks. 

Examples of a Veer-Myn Brood Mother and Veer-Myn Progenitors (Mantic 2025)

In terms of biology and societal structure, the Veer-Myn are generally on par with a human in terms of height, with the ability to rapidly scamper on all fours and utilise their tails for balance (Mantic n.d). Veer-Myn live in large nests controlled by a "Brood Mother", a vicious leading matriarch who gives birth to vast swathes of Veer-Myn fodder. Whilst the majority of Veer-Myn serve in such militant and brief lives, there are others - known as the "Maligni" - who act as the machinists of a nest, creating the dangerous weapons and vehicles used by the colony. Some will then become "Progenitors", high-ranking male Veer-Myn (Mantic 2016). This lore comes together to create a caste system of sorts, with the Veer-Myn colonies operating underneath the oversight of the leading Brood Mother. 

Veer-Myn - Art Direction & Design Language

The design of the Veer-Myn is substantially different from that of that of the Forge Fathers, with their overarching shape design being much more rounded and slim. These round shapes are used throughout the designs to enforce an idea of vileness or disgust in the Veer-Myn units. This is particularly noteworthy in the Brood Mothers, which bear an incredibly distended stomach exaggerated to the point of being grotesque. Their weaponry and armour is considerably scrappy in nature and can be seen blended with robes and cowls, covering them in a manner that obscures their silhouette whilst remaining functional. This can be seen in the "Veer-Myn Creeper" design.

Example of a Veer-Myn Creeper (Mantic 2025)

In terms of colours, browns, greens and yellows are the most common, with bright yellow tones being seen across the designs as a primary colour in armour. This is a very stark design decision that makes the palette of the Veer-Myn instantly recognisable, and which I will be keeping very close to in my own designs. The Veer-Myn are also often hunched in their posture with clumpy, wiry fur that looks almost greasy in nature. Noxious bright green tones are used elsewhere to denote chemical dangers, such as in chemical ammunition barrels on their backs and in the weapons they wield. Armour is often segmented, with high-ranking Veer-Myn (of which my Veer-Myn character will likely be) often much more armoured than their low-ranking contemporaries. Even still, it is common for joints, hands and feet to remain unarmoured, particularly if the Veer-Myn is expected to hold a complicated weapon. Many Veer-Myn also bear gas masks, often those wielding chemical weapons, which sets them apart from those wielding other arms. 

In my visual research, I looked into conventions across the designs of Veer-Myn units, as well as potential materials that could be used in their armour and clothing and general rat anatomy to get an idea of how I may put together a Veer-Myn character. It is likely that, as my character is meant to stand out and oppose the character of the other faction, I will create a Veer-Myn adversary for the Forge Fathers who is a Brood Mother for a nest.

Project Genre & Character Considerations

For this project we have been tasked with making characters that could fit in a game based on the Deadzone IP. In this, we must pick a game genre for which our project would fit within. I have chosen a space-themed RTS Strategy game for my genre, in which the player would command a Forge Father Huscarl observing events and battles set within the Ward Ship their clan lives within. Players would fight against an army of Veer-Myn lead by a Brood Mother leader, with the Huscarl player character having to push off the invaders and secure resources to keep the Ward Ship stable. The primary gameplay loop would be split into two halves: on one side, players would have to engage with the RTS elements of the combat system to stave off Veer-Myn invasions and secure regions of the Ship. When these battles are completed, decisions relating to resource allocation would have to be made. This could perhaps include the allocation of fuel, weaponry and food. Ultimately, the Huscarl player character would have to justify these decisions to the Lord of the clan, perhaps having to gain resources from the other Forge Father clans in the surrounding region, which are not on good terms with the player's clan.

One major inspiration for this decision is the game "Crying Suns" (Alt Shift 2019), a strategy game with RTS elements in which the player, in the perspective of an admiral in a starship, commands a small army of fighters, frigates and drones in small-scale skirmish battles. 

Example of a battle in Crying Suns (Alt Shift 2019)

Battles in Crying Suns are set over space. In my project, battles would likely be set in regions of the ship that are more confined, such as engine rooms and reactor chambers, uncomfortably claustrophobic and with ample cover. This would prove to add difficulty to encounters and would be an element of the game that players would have to navigate.

Crying suns also contains many characters, which - though they do not directly interact with the fighting themselves - command actions the ship takes from the ship's bridge. These aspects of the game, taking place between tense fights, allow for character development and descision-making that influences the ship's resources. I belive that my Forge Father character would be displayed in a manner similar to this, making decisions and reporting to the Clan's Lord in between battles. 

Example of post-battle debriefing in Crying Suns (Alt Shift 2019)

I believe that such a game would work well in the Deadzone IP for a number of reasons. Chief among these is the nature of the game and its gameplay itself: this project would have strong RTS elements, combat utilising a handful of Forge Father troops against a raiding Veer-Myn army. This leans in to the skirmish battle elements of the Deadzone IP and - though perhaps different in precise mechanics and story - exemplifies elements of the Deadzone IP that are already in practice. Additionally, I feel that the set-up of the game works well when looking at the pre-established lore and setting of Deadzone. The Forge Fathers and Veer-Myn are natural enemies, with their Ward Ships heavily protected against Veer-Myn intrusion. The idea of a Ward Ship becoming infested with such invaders, then, could represent a major source of conflict for the Forge Fathers, and the setup of my project would focus heavily on this. This setup would also lean into the juxtaposition between the two primary characters I am designing, the Forge Father Huscarl and the Veer-Myn Brood Mother.

In gameplay, the Huscarl would initially have access to a lot of resources: weapons and armour to protect their warriors, food to keep the Ward Ship fed and fuel to keep them warm. They would, however, be lacking in unification: other Huscarls and the Clan Lord may question their abilities, and other Forge Father Clans nearby would be reluctant to offer support, weary of gaining a Veer-Myn infestation themselves. The Brood Mother would be a direct spin on this: she gets her young to steal resources from the Forge Fathers, not having the weapons or armour or food necessary to survive without doing so. However, what the Veer-Myn do not have in resources, they would have in unity: the entire nest would work together as one whole to plan invasions of land, a direct opposition to the fragmented and bickering Forge Fathers.
In terms of design, both the Forge Father Huscarl and Veer-Myn Brood mother are not front-line fighters. In this project, both are administrative in nature: the Huscarl a war veteran who commands her troops from the Ship's bridge and the Brood Mother, from the depths of the nest. As such, neither may seem particularly battle-ready: I imagine that, as a matter of pride, both would wear armour somewhat ornamental in nature, the Huscarl in a more ceremonial covering and the Brood Mother in scraps of metal and fabric scavenged from elsewhere in the ship. I will try to lean in to this juxtaposition when creating my characters. Additionally, I feel that another element of the game could be leaned into in these designs: the Brood Mother and Huscarl may both be women. In my research, I found that there are, currently, no female Forge Father characters and I feel that, when looking to similarities between the two characters in terms of theming, a female character could work well in this setting. The Brood Mother is a female Veer-Myn, after all, and she is doing all she can to protect and nurture her nest. The Huscarl is doing much the same for the Forge Father clan, being a shield between them and the Veer-Myn invaders. This connection, then - of both of the characters being women protecting their civilisation - could be used to drive that juxtaposition of character forward, and this is an avenue of design I wish to explore in my character creation process.

Licensing

Intellectual Property refers to media creations such as books, films, tv and games: creative inventions that might not be physically "real" and instead represent a specific brand. Intellectual Property (often referred to as "IP") can be protected under copyright laws, rendering it illegal to unrightfully copy them. IP licenses, then, can provide an opportunity for companies to work with IPs not of their own creation. This would let a company take the characters, setting and background of an IP and adapt it into a specific form of media, often a different one than which the IP found its origin as. Licenses may be restricted to different forms of media, such as Digital Games, Tabletop RPGs, film and TV. Different companies may have different IP licenses as such: one company may only work on Tabletop Games, whilst another may only work in digital games. Nevertheless, both are produced using the IP. 

IPs bring with them their audiences, which could increase interest in the product being developed. As such, certain IPs may appeal more to certain types of product. This is a consideration I have taken when developing my project for the Deadzone IP, and have tried to fit the project into the theming and world of Deadzone, effecting the gameplay and style of the game that my project is based around. Accordingly, IPs also come with their own material associated with them. This means that, when developing products, extensive idea generation may not be required. This could link to workflow; some groups may prefer to work with such pre-existing material. Other groups may find this difficult and so, to a degree, this could also be considered a downside of IP work.

Another potential downside to IP work is that license availability can expire. This might mean that licensed material may no longer be able to be created or sold, effectively creating products that have a more significantly shortened lifespan. 

The type of product being developed partly determines how poorly a licence expiration could impact it: in live service games, for instance, that are continuously updated, licensed material could be pulled from the game and no longer be available for play.  

Bibliography

Alt Shift, 2019. Crying Suns [online]. Steam. Available at: https://store.steampowered.com/app/873940/Crying_Suns/ [Accessed 5 March 2025]

Mantic Games, 2016. Deadzone: Third Edition Errata and FAQ [online]. Mantic Games. Available at: https://www.manticgames.com/deadzone/errata/deadzone-faq-errata/ [Accessed 12 February 2025]

Mantic Games, 2016. Warpath Universe Sourcebook Digital [online]. Mantic Games. Available at: https://www.manticgames.com/warpath/books-warpath/warpath-sourcebook-digital/ [Accessed 12 February 2025]

Mantic Games, 2025. Enforcer Strider [online]. Mantic Games. Available at: https://www.manticgames.com/deadzone-firefight/strider/ [Accessed 12 February 2025]

Mantic Games, 2025. Forge Father Brokkrs Booster [online]. Mantic Games. Available at: https://www.manticgames.com/deadzone/forge-fathers/deadzone-forge-father-brokkrs-booster/ [Accessed 12 February 2025]

Mantic Games, 2025. Forge Father Hold Warriors Starter [online]. Mantic Games. Available at: https://www.manticgames.com/deadzone/forge-fathers/hold-warriors-starter/ [Accessed 12 February 2025]

Mantic Games, 2025. Veer-Myn Brood Mother [online]. Mantic Games. Available at: https://www.manticgames.com/deadzone/veer-myn/veer-myn-brood-mother/ [Accessed 12 February 2025]

Mantic Games, 2025. Veer-Myn Master Creeper [online]. Mantic Games. Available at: https://www.manticgames.com/deadzone/veer-myn/veer-myn-master-creeper-hacker-halftail/ [Accessed 12 February 2025]

Mantic Games, 2025. Veer-Myn Progenitors [online]. Mantic Games. Available at: https://www.manticgames.com/deadzone/veer-myn/veer-myn-progenitors/ [Accessed 12 February 2025]