COH Art Book Final
COH Art Book Final
COH Art Book Final
TM
Foreword
FOREWORD
Our approach with Company of Heroes has always been to create
an authentic World War II experience. One of the primary
ways we deliver on that authenticity is by focusing on where
environment meets gameplay, and try to answer the question:
what is unique about the various regions of Europe and how do
those regions influence the battles fought there? In addition to
environments, we also raise the bar with our in-game units by
using new techniques and software to further push the quality of
our materials and delve deeper into the realm of believability.
As we began researching the Ardennes region in preparation for
Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault, we identified defining
features that would help our maps stand out. The overall color
palette for the area, from buildings to the fields and forests were
vibrant and almost untouched by the war. This was our angle.
The idea of providing players a beautiful, pristine landscape to
play in but also be able to destroy seemed very appealing. Forests
were the other important feature to this battle. They effected the
outcome of the battle by slowing the German advance and making
it difficult to flush out Allied forces. We further simulated the
realities of this battle through the use of choke points for vehicles
and infantry only sections.
Ultimately, this book showcases some of the art and game design
concepts the team incorporated to help bring this renowned
franchise to life. We feel we were able to deliver a quality product
that hit all the notes we wanted it to. We hope you enjoy!
Ian Cumming,
Art Director, Company of Heroes 2
Content Summary
CONTENT SUMMARY
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Company of Heroes 2
Company of Heroes 2
Maps
Even before they are thought of in terms of gameplay and level design, maps must be considered in terms of
overall mood, atmosphere and identity.
A great map is a subtle combination of how well it plays and how unique & memorable it looks. This is even
more crucial for a single-player campaign, during which players are to follow a set and linear path tied to a
storyline. In such case, not only do the environments have to provide a good enough sense of variety, they also
have to heighten the tension and the drama of the plot.
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Company of Heroes
Company of Heroes
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Company of Heroes
Company of Heroes
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Company of Heroes
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Company of Heroes 2
Map Design
MAP DESIGN
Where Art Meets Gameplay
The Company of Heroes series calls for maps that balance the historical / visual fidelity with the
demands of interesting gameplay situations. As can be seen on the map exploration concept on
the following page, artists and map designers are constantly weighing their design decisions
against a couple of key questions: Is it plausible enough? Is it visually interesting? Does it serve
any interesting gameplay purpose?
Those are the three main objectives that the various components of the map have to meet to be
part of the final design.
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Map Goals
Topography:
A dense playable forest with vehicle prohibiting border
Can it still hold up visually once bombed?
Infantry entrance treatment; lighting and terrain
to lead player in
How dense can we get a town without
break pathing/gameplay?
Achieve the feel of being in a valley with terrain what are limits?
Pristine Landscape:
Achieve a believable orchard that doesnt break gameplay
Rural roadway and tree arrangements
Belgian specific farm compound layout
Beligian specific building treatments for town
Beligian rural building treatment looking for high contrast to terrain
Defining features:
Iconic structures; what can we reuse?
Iconic structures; what are we missing?
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A lot of research goes into making sure that the battlefields created for the game are believable. And in the case
of Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault, which takes place in the rather densely forested Ardennes region,
trees were evidently given quite a bit of attention. Nevertheless, when it comes to game design, fun & balance
trump realism. And so the foliage of some trees had to be made a bit thinner in order for players to still get
enough of a glimpse of what is happening around those areas.
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Light Colour
XP Persistent
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Infantry
- Simple silhouette
- Plain pattern
- Not a lot of detail
- Monotone
- minimize backpack
Elite
- Complex silhouette
- Broken pattern
- Contrast and detail
- Duotone
- Heavier below waist
Paratrooper:
Elite Unit
Variations
slight adjustments for
variety but stays within
Archetype guidelines
Utility
Rear Echelon
- Simple silhouette
- Long coat
- Not a lot of detail
- Duotone, coat/pants
- minimal accessories
Stealth
Warm hues
Worn, battle fatigued
Heavier winterized treatment
Uniforms the same across seasons
Not a lot of winter clothing
Addition of scarves, gloves for winter
- Simple silhouette
- Monotone
- Lots of detail,
low contrast
- Blends with terrain
- Blend in accessories
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Brigadefuhrer
(Officer, Major)
Panzerfusilier
(Armoured Infantry)
Volksgrenadier
(Infantry)
Waffen SS
Infantry (Elite)
Fallschirmjaeger
(Paratroopers)
Pioneers
(Engineers)
- High-contrast duotone
- Overcoat
- Minimal web-gear
- Bottom heavy
- Overcoat +
Camo smock
- No web-gear
- Some web-gear
- No backpack
- No backpack
- No backpack
silhouette
- Camo uniform
- Some web-gear
- No backpack
Winter Variations
silhouette
- Camo short-legged
overalls over uniform
- Lots of web-gear
- Small backpack
- High-contrast
duotone
(dark over light)
- Bulky silhouette
- Lots of web-gear
- Large backpack
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Unit Soldier
Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault
US Forces Elite Archetype (Left)
Concept
Model
Complex silhouette
Broken pattern
Contrast and detail
Duotone
Heavier below waist
Patterns and
Silhouette need
to read clearly at
each stage
In Game
German
Summer
Summer
Winter
Winter
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Company of Heroes 2 Winter VS Summer Skin Sets for the Wehrmacht Ostheer
Officer
Pioneer
Tank Hunter
Company of Heroes 2
Ostruppen
LMG Squad
Mortar Squad
HMG Squad
Panzer Grenadier
Sniper
Grenadier
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Company of Heroes 2 Winter VS Summer Skin Sets for the Soviet Union
Officer
Sniper
Company of Heroes 2
Recon Squad
Constripts Squad
Weapons Specialist
Mortar Squad
Shock Troops
Soviet Medic
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Box Format
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End
SEGA.Developed by Relic Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. SEGA is registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office.SEGA, the SEGA logo, Relic, the Relic logo and Company of Heroes are either
registered trade marks or trade marks of SEGA Holdings Co., Ltd. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. All other trade marks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners.
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