KERA
@demoncorejr.bsky.social
FR/EN | Lighting artist & technical art.
I love, hate, and make video games.
I love, hate, and make video games.
This is the proof that the gate was bloody and got changed to what we know now at some point, and this cinematic was part of it. Either the beginning or phase transition of the fight.
This cinematic was indeed real, just not part of the final vision for the DLC.
This cinematic was indeed real, just not part of the final vision for the DLC.
December 14, 2024 at 10:28 PM
This is the proof that the gate was bloody and got changed to what we know now at some point, and this cinematic was part of it. Either the beginning or phase transition of the fight.
This cinematic was indeed real, just not part of the final vision for the DLC.
This cinematic was indeed real, just not part of the final vision for the DLC.
But here's the huge discovery thanks to user "Rhys1201" on Discord that noticed it in the gameplay trailer after reading this thread.
The lost cinematic of miquella handing his hand to the scadutree was taken from top the stairs of the divine gate. But the corpses are dark red and match perfectly!
The lost cinematic of miquella handing his hand to the scadutree was taken from top the stairs of the divine gate. But the corpses are dark red and match perfectly!
December 14, 2024 at 10:28 PM
But here's the huge discovery thanks to user "Rhys1201" on Discord that noticed it in the gameplay trailer after reading this thread.
The lost cinematic of miquella handing his hand to the scadutree was taken from top the stairs of the divine gate. But the corpses are dark red and match perfectly!
The lost cinematic of miquella handing his hand to the scadutree was taken from top the stairs of the divine gate. But the corpses are dark red and match perfectly!
Update:
Firstly, some objects bleed when hit in the boss arena. This is inconsistent as there's no pattern on which objects bleed. This seems to be a parameter left out by the artist by mistake during the rework of the gate.
Thanks to Abraham Link for pointing it on Discord.
Firstly, some objects bleed when hit in the boss arena. This is inconsistent as there's no pattern on which objects bleed. This seems to be a parameter left out by the artist by mistake during the rework of the gate.
Thanks to Abraham Link for pointing it on Discord.
December 14, 2024 at 10:28 PM
Update:
Firstly, some objects bleed when hit in the boss arena. This is inconsistent as there's no pattern on which objects bleed. This seems to be a parameter left out by the artist by mistake during the rework of the gate.
Thanks to Abraham Link for pointing it on Discord.
Firstly, some objects bleed when hit in the boss arena. This is inconsistent as there's no pattern on which objects bleed. This seems to be a parameter left out by the artist by mistake during the rework of the gate.
Thanks to Abraham Link for pointing it on Discord.
My best guess is that it is a remnants of a past iteration.
A rotten version of the gate, between what we saw in the story trailer and the sand husk we got in the release.
A focus on this structure made of corpses together, fusing into rock, and rotting away, stuck behind a veil.
A rotten version of the gate, between what we saw in the story trailer and the sand husk we got in the release.
A focus on this structure made of corpses together, fusing into rock, and rotting away, stuck behind a veil.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
My best guess is that it is a remnants of a past iteration.
A rotten version of the gate, between what we saw in the story trailer and the sand husk we got in the release.
A focus on this structure made of corpses together, fusing into rock, and rotting away, stuck behind a veil.
A rotten version of the gate, between what we saw in the story trailer and the sand husk we got in the release.
A focus on this structure made of corpses together, fusing into rock, and rotting away, stuck behind a veil.
Considering themes of stagnation and rebirth of the world from software is used to, this fits what we can discover in the Ashes of Ariandel DLC. A place cut from the world, rotting away, waiting to be birthed anew.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
Considering themes of stagnation and rebirth of the world from software is used to, this fits what we can discover in the Ashes of Ariandel DLC. A place cut from the world, rotting away, waiting to be birthed anew.
A properly desaturated version of this texture is also visible on the bodies falling from Enir Ilim's architecture.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
A properly desaturated version of this texture is also visible on the bodies falling from Enir Ilim's architecture.
Using the "restored" color texture and normal map (unused on the bodies with this color texture), here's a few mockups of what they could have looked like.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
Using the "restored" color texture and normal map (unused on the bodies with this color texture), here's a few mockups of what they could have looked like.
I recognized some familiar patterns in the streaks going across the texture. It's the lava texture again.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
I recognized some familiar patterns in the streaks going across the texture. It's the lava texture again.
It appears like a quick tweak made to the color texture to fit its surroundings, and "restoring" it is easy.
This is at best a guess of how it could have looked like originally, but the colors look coherent.
This is at best a guess of how it could have looked like originally, but the colors look coherent.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
It appears like a quick tweak made to the color texture to fit its surroundings, and "restoring" it is easy.
This is at best a guess of how it could have looked like originally, but the colors look coherent.
This is at best a guess of how it could have looked like originally, but the colors look coherent.
While writing this thread, I made another discovery with the bodies on the gate. Looking at them carefully, we can spot pale yellow, green and red spots. Inspecting the texture confirms it, and shows decaying corpses under a pale veil.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
While writing this thread, I made another discovery with the bodies on the gate. Looking at them carefully, we can spot pale yellow, green and red spots. Inspecting the texture confirms it, and shows decaying corpses under a pale veil.
Using once again my very scientific method of checking adjacent files, I find those two textures: aet820_119_a & aet820_119_n
a red and yellow variant of the poison texture. Unused as far as I know as well.
a red and yellow variant of the poison texture. Unused as far as I know as well.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
Using once again my very scientific method of checking adjacent files, I find those two textures: aet820_119_a & aet820_119_n
a red and yellow variant of the poison texture. Unused as far as I know as well.
a red and yellow variant of the poison texture. Unused as far as I know as well.
The texture used is identical to the flies poison swamp from Belurat (aet820_118_a) and Rauh uses an identical texture but stored elsewhere (but looks different in game with some variations within the material probably).
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
The texture used is identical to the flies poison swamp from Belurat (aet820_118_a) and Rauh uses an identical texture but stored elsewhere (but looks different in game with some variations within the material probably).
The first one has a crease going from the gate to the entrance, while the second one is bumpier and the crease stops midway from the gate to the entrance, I believe this is the one used for the arena.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
The first one has a crease going from the gate to the entrance, while the second one is bumpier and the crease stops midway from the gate to the entrance, I believe this is the one used for the arena.
Another intriguing part is the floor meshes of the arena. There are two and have poison swamp textures assigned. Texture data is missing (or wrong) from my tools, as one of these two should be used for the arena and appear like sand.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
Another intriguing part is the floor meshes of the arena. There are two and have poison swamp textures assigned. Texture data is missing (or wrong) from my tools, as one of these two should be used for the arena and appear like sand.
Detail textures on the gate (repeating textures used to add fine detail) include blood-textured variants. These are identical to some textures in Volcano Manor, and could just be remnants from transferring content from the base game to the DLC.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
Detail textures on the gate (repeating textures used to add fine detail) include blood-textured variants. These are identical to some textures in Volcano Manor, and could just be remnants from transferring content from the base game to the DLC.
A tiny detail that I was convinced proved cut content was small traces of goop left on the last steps of the stair. It was so far and tiny compared to the rest, it felt like a forgotten part of a previous vision. But it's just closeup meshes for cinematics
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
A tiny detail that I was convinced proved cut content was small traces of goop left on the last steps of the stair. It was so far and tiny compared to the rest, it felt like a forgotten part of a previous vision. But it's just closeup meshes for cinematics
One thing I forgot to check with the gate was the stairs, and here lies a few surprises as well. The first one is the flesh blobs in the background, barely visible on the gate, and an unused bloody/lava texture can be found that fits them (182_a)
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
One thing I forgot to check with the gate was the stairs, and here lies a few surprises as well. The first one is the flesh blobs in the background, barely visible on the gate, and an unused bloody/lava texture can be found that fits them (182_a)
The second one is this ball of bodies present all across the arena.
I found 187_a unused, specific to this mesh with the bloody lava background as well. There's also 189_a which is a bloodier (or rotten?) variant without the lava.
I found 187_a unused, specific to this mesh with the bloody lava background as well. There's also 189_a which is a bloodier (or rotten?) variant without the lava.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
The second one is this ball of bodies present all across the arena.
I found 187_a unused, specific to this mesh with the bloody lava background as well. There's also 189_a which is a bloodier (or rotten?) variant without the lava.
I found 187_a unused, specific to this mesh with the bloody lava background as well. There's also 189_a which is a bloodier (or rotten?) variant without the lava.
First one I found is this fleshy blob texture. This texture is unique to this object—bloody, with traces of the bloody lava in the background.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
First one I found is this fleshy blob texture. This texture is unique to this object—bloody, with traces of the bloody lava in the background.
As a breather, here's a quick mockup of reassigned textures. This is not restoration of cut content. This can give, at best, a first idea of early artistic explorations, but the meshes and materials were most likely quite different.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
As a breather, here's a quick mockup of reassigned textures. This is not restoration of cut content. This can give, at best, a first idea of early artistic explorations, but the meshes and materials were most likely quite different.
I then checked adjacent texture folders, and here is 184_a and 184_n. A bloody version of 179. As far as I know, it seems unused, yet suspiciously in the middle of boss arena files.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
I then checked adjacent texture folders, and here is 184_a and 184_n. A bloody version of 179. As far as I know, it seems unused, yet suspiciously in the middle of boss arena files.
On the gates base, is a lava-like flow between the bodies. It’s difficult to spot in-game, but it uses 179_n.
Here is 179_a, which appears as some sort of dried rotten lava flow - though I'm not sure.
Here is 179_a, which appears as some sort of dried rotten lava flow - though I'm not sure.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
On the gates base, is a lava-like flow between the bodies. It’s difficult to spot in-game, but it uses 179_n.
Here is 179_a, which appears as some sort of dried rotten lava flow - though I'm not sure.
Here is 179_a, which appears as some sort of dried rotten lava flow - though I'm not sure.
First, the divine gate and its base also use 178_n. But the specific normal map on the divine gate is 177_n. There's also a texture to mask different materials on the gate, but what about 177_a?
177_a is here, unused as well, appearing as a lighter version of 178_a.
177_a is here, unused as well, appearing as a lighter version of 178_a.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
First, the divine gate and its base also use 178_n. But the specific normal map on the divine gate is 177_n. There's also a texture to mask different materials on the gate, but what about 177_a?
177_a is here, unused as well, appearing as a lighter version of 178_a.
177_a is here, unused as well, appearing as a lighter version of 178_a.
Usually, textures come in pair. A color map, and a normal map, defined by either _a or _n.
178_a was there in the folder, unused.
And here is what it looks like:
178_a was there in the folder, unused.
And here is what it looks like:
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
Usually, textures come in pair. A color map, and a normal map, defined by either _a or _n.
178_a was there in the folder, unused.
And here is what it looks like:
178_a was there in the folder, unused.
And here is what it looks like:
178_n was more unusual. Several variations of the same mesh are used for variety across the arena. However, this mesh was the only one with this texture assigned.
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
178_n was more unusual. Several variations of the same mesh are used for variety across the arena. However, this mesh was the only one with this texture assigned.