Making of Call of the Lost Goddess – Part 2: Entering the 3D World

Looking back at my journey, one of the main reasons I eventually switched to 3D creation was the need to build a city of demons in the Abyss. At first, I tried to design the city using many of the assets from Planescape: Torment, but I quickly hit a wall.

While the assets were great for many things, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t able to capture the true essence of what a demonic city in the Abyss should look like.

How would the buildings, where demons reside, appear? What about the nature around them, the environment itself? These were questions I kept coming back to, and I soon realized that with the limitations of 2D assets, I couldn’t fully bring my vision to life. The boundaries were clear, and I had to evolve.

That’s when I took my first real steps into the world of 3D modeling. I began creating my first 3D models from scratch to construct the haunting, twisted architecture of the Abyss. At first, however, I was disappointed. It was much easier to work with pre-existing assets from original areas than to create everything from the ground up.

There was a lot of trial and error involved, and it didn’t take long for me to realize just how much more complicated it was.

I spent endless hours experimenting with the right lighting and camera settings to get the perfect isometric view. Every adjustment felt like a struggle, and the results often didn’t match the vision I had in mind. But, despite the frustration, I knew that this was the path forward. It was the only way to truly capture the dark and unsettling atmosphere I envisioned for Samora, the city of demons.

It wasn’t just about creating models and placing them in the world; I had to fine-tune every detail to make them fit perfectly into the existing game environment. Eventually, I did find a balance, and seeing those first 3D models in the game, with the correct lighting and textures, was a moment of satisfaction, even if it didn’t happen overnight.

However, as I worked with the relatively inexpensive tools I had been using, I quickly realized that I was reaching the limits of what they could offer. The software I had was simply not enough to achieve the level of detail I was aiming for. So, about four years after I first started working with 3D graphics, I made the decision to invest in more professional tools.

This was a turning point in my modding journey. I finally had the power to create more sophisticated and polished 3D models. The transition wasn’t easy – there was a steep learning curve – but it opened up new possibilities and made the entire process feel far more fluid. The city began to take shape more realistically, and the level of detail I could achieve was significantly improved.

In the next part, I’ll share the struggles I faced as I tried to elevate my mod to the next level. Stay tuned for more as I continue to reveal the journey behind the making of Call of the Lost Goddess.