This month the team has been hard at work recreating Liverpool…
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Sunset at Liverpool shows sprawling dock facilities and the Empress of Ireland berthed at left awaiting departure. Players will be able to explore sections of the docks before boarding their liner to depart on a voyage.
The past few weeks the team has been working hard on a few different new things which we’re excited to show off in next month’s update video, but while it is always exciting to work on the new stuff there is always the opportunity to go back and revise older work. This month it was the port of Liverpool’s turn; our first historically-accurate environment, Liverpool had lagged behind our Southampton and Quebec maps but needed some tender loving care just the same!
The Liverpool map for GRAND VOYAGE was built from the ground up, based on real plans from the late 19th and early 20th centuries for accuracy.
The first step in building out a historic environment like this is to align the model against real-world maps from the era. These ports were absolutely critical to the infrastructure of the nation for the time and as the technology of the ships themselves changes and evolved so too did the infrastructure of the ports. They changed enormously, so in GRAND VOYAGE being able to visit the ports, like Liveprool, will be the closest thing to a time machine. This depiction of Liverpool shows it in the 1910s but, with future updates, we will depict it through the ages - the 20s, 30s, 40s and so on. Matt, our lead developer, has worked extremely hard to ensure accuracy within the map - the port’s layout is depicted as close as we could get to within reason and iconic Liverpool landmarks are depicted. The terrain is based on real-world heightmap geo data giving exact elevations and topography for the Liverpool metro area.
Various steamers and sailing ships are moored in the docks creating a very immersive atmosphere of activity! Liverpool was a major commercial and shipping hub during the 1910s and the base of operations for the famous Cunard Line.
Having the port and layout is the first step, but then it needs to be filled out! Many buildings need to be built, from scratch, in 3D modelling software. Matteo, one of our very talented 3D modellers, has been building unique structures like the Riverside Train Station to totally immerse the player in the environment and make it that little bit more authentic. Most of this work is being done without plans but Matteo is adept at working from photographs to capture the spirit of the buildings he is depicting. We are not going for 100% accuracy in GRAND VOYAGE - the idea is to recreate the atmosphere and the immersive world as closely as we can in spirit. This allows for some creative license from our team and some leeway, avoiding holdups where plans or technical data is missing on some buildings or ships.
The Empress of Ireland’s bow points due south giving players an exceptional view of the city. The Royal Liver building here is a placeholder and will be up-detailed before launch - you’ll notice the iconic bird statues atop the towers are, at present, just simple cubes until they are sculpted by our team.
Liverpool in 1910 was a serious shipping hub with massive port facilities for passenger steamships and cargo vessels alike. Famously the Cunard line operated its liners from here - as this map shows Liverpool in about 1911 the Cunard building is depicted as a work in progress, nestled in between the Royal Liver and Port of Liverpool buildings. In game, players will be able to explore a limited part of the port as they head to board RMS Empress of Ireland and you’ll marvel at all the marine traffic steaming past, including the famous Mersey Ferries as they dock just ahead of the Empress.
The sprawling Liverpool docks absolutely dwarf the 14,000 GRT Empress of Ireland. Players will be able to explore sections of the docks to learn about their history.
By Michael Brady
