Real Worlds Research Dossier

 SWOT Analysis

Strengths-

For this project I would like to go down the 2D pathway for the character task, I feel I have strengths in the area of character design and making characters fit into their respective settings. I also enjoy making creature designs and I think that is something else I could consider a strength.

Aside from artwork, I also have a strength in self motivation and time management, I like to get things done on time and working with a gantt chart has helped me previously lay out when tasks need to be done and when I should do them by.

Weaknesses-

With this in mind though, I do have some weaknesses when it comes to drawing scenes and architectural elements, I find these hard to do and the thumbnailing process does not come as easy to me as it does when I am working with characters.

Opportunities-

This project will allow me to practice my environmental and architectural designs by using 3D model block outs to help me although this might take some extra time it is something I am excited to learn and get better at. On top of this I will be able to make some characters for a pre-existing IP which is something I enjoy doing. Working with a client will also give me experience in working to a stricter brief, getting constructive criticism and also working to a deadline.

Threats -

One of the biggest threats to me in this project is most likely going to be the environmental drawing, as I don't feel as confident in this area as I do with character design, I am going to have to allow myself extra time to make sure my end product is not rushed. I will also have to make sure that I follow advice given to me by the client so that my work is fitting with their IP.

IP

What is deadzone?

Deadzone (Mantic games 2016) is a tabletop skirmish wargame set on alien planets with an overall Dark and gritty Sci-fi feel. As it is a war game, there are heavy themes of conflict, opposing teams and with heavy focus on high tech weaponry and armies. It is a game that is played with miniatures and dice agains another warring faction, played amongst 2 or more players the overall goal is to conquer the board by killing off your opponents armies. These factions are tied together into the extensive lore of Deadzone detailing the motivations behind the conflicts, the different perspectives and goals of each team, how certain factions play mechanically in the game, and goes into details about the variety of races present in the games universe from robots, humans to aliens.

What is it's place in tabletop gaming?

Deadzone sits amongst many other titles within the Tabletop wargame category though stands apart with it’s overall look and the more simplistic game mechanics. Made by a smaller independent company, Deadzone being a Skirmish wargame means that gameplay is fast paced, with decisions made with rolls of dice, and unique strategies being able to be dropped in to switch up gameplay very quickly (Thornton 2016), allowing you to defend your own troops as well as act as an opposing force (Mantic n.d.). The overall faster pace and simpler ruleset allows the game to be enjoyed by a wider audience, according to Wikipedia (n.d.) Deadzone is recommended to be played by individuals aged 11+, this definitely sets it apart from more complex systems such as Warhammer 40,000 (Games workshop 1987). These two games show similarities in their overall dark science fiction setting and their mechanic of warring factions, though Warhammer 40k notoriously has a much more complex attacking system which is recommended for an older teen/adult audience (Games Workshop n.d.). Whereas Deadzone has quite quick defense mechanics, Warhammer 40k requires the player to think out their strategy in advance, meaning gameplay can be much tougher to master (Games Workshop n.d.). Games workshop is the largest producer of tabletop war games on the market, however Mantic games, the creators of Deadzone have other similar games in their smaller scale and indie market. Also set in a sci fi universe [yet based very heavily in real world history] is Warlord game’s addition to the Tabletop wargame system Bolt action, Konflikt ‘47 (Warlord games 2016). Deadzone and Konflikt ‘47 share similar quick to pick up game systems and mechanics with quick decision making through dice rolls, and simpler map designs suitable for younger audiences as well as older audiences (Warlord n.d.). These smaller scale printed maps, as opposed to some of Warhammer’s very in depth 3D dioramas, make it much cheaper yet just as effective to play opening the game up to more players who may have a smaller budget. Deadzone sets itself out from others within the market by combining the in depth lore of games such as 40k, along with the easy to pick up and affordability of smaller games such as bolt action, though all 3 games remain constant in their presence of customizable miniatures, dice roll mechanics and faction based combat.

Bibliography -

Websites -

Anon, No date. Bolt Action: Combined Arms Board Game [Online]. Amazon. Available at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bolt-Action-Combined-Miniature-objectives/dp/B09SGMR7YR [Acessed at 19th February 2025]

Anon, No Date. Deadzone (Skirmish Game) [Online]. Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadzone_(Skirmish_Game) [Acessed at 19th February 2025]

Games Workshop, No Date. Warhammer 40,000 (Online). Warhammer. Available at: https://warhammer40000.com/ [Acessed at 19th February 2025]

Mantic, No Date. What is Deadzone? (Online). Mantic Games. Available at: https://www.manticgames.com/what-is-deadzone/ [Acessed at 19th February 2025]

PDF -

Games Workshop, No Date. Core Rules [online]. Warhammer. Available at: https://assets.warhammer-community.com/warhammer40000_core&key_corerules_eng_24.09-5xfayxjekm.pdf [Acessed at 19th February 2025]

Thornton, T. 2016. Deadzone Rulebook [Online]. Mantic Games. Available at: https://www.manticgames.com/wp-content/uploads/woocommerce_uploads/2016/03/Deadzone-Rulebook-15-06.pdf [Acessed at 19th February 2025]

Warlord Games, No Date. Bolt Action Playsheet A4 [Online]. Warlord games. Available at: https://www.boltaction.com/downloads/Bolt_Action_Playsheet_A4.pdf [Acessed at 19th February 2025]

Games-

Games Workshop, 1987. Warhammer 40k [Tabletop Game], Warhammer. Available at: https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/warhammer-40000-lp [Acessed at 19th February 2025]

Mantic Games, 2016. Deadzone [Tabletop Game], Mantic Games. Available at: https://www.manticgames.com/what-is-deadzone/ [Acessed at 19th February 2025]

Warlord Games, 2012. Bolt action [Tabletop Game]. Warlord games. Available at: https://3rdedition.boltaction.com/ [Acessed at 19th February 2025]

Warlord Games, 2016. Konflikt ‘47 [Tabletop Game]. Warlord games. Available at: https://store.warlordgames.com/collections/konflikt-47 [Acessed at 19th February 2025]

Art Direction / Design Language

The Rebs

How are they designed? Lightweight sleek armour, light colour pallet, high tech, sharp triangular shape language, agile looking, mostly ranged weapons such as long guns, and power armour with mounted guns.

What is the effect of the design? They're a small team of rebels that all share the same values, they might look different in their appearances but in shape language and colour pallet they all look like they belong. The lighter weight armour makes them look fast and agile better for ranged combat.

The Marauders.

How are they designed? Blocky, chunky, Heavily armoured with biological aspects [teeth eyes], Big teeth, Strong square shape theory, Arm mounted weapons, More armour than power armour, enhances their pre-existing strength, Mostly Melee and close range

What is the effect of the design? Heavy emphasis on strength, lumbering, Brutish, Their armour also looks a bit like its made of scrap, Chaotic

Factions

screenshot of information a redditor gave me

The following information was gathered from the Mantic Games website as well as the warpath universe fandom wiki, though this info can also be found in the downloadable Deadzone Rulebook (Mantic 2016). For ease of accessing additional information on races I was recommended to use the Wiki by members of the r/Deadzone subreddit. For my research I looked into the two factions, The Rebs, and The Marauders. 

The Rebs-

The Rebs, also known as the Rebels are a group of individuals united in their hatred of the Corporation GCPS. The rebs themselves are consisted of a handful of different races from all over the galaxy, those including Humans, The Yndjj, Teratons, Grogans and The sphr.(Mantic n.d.) Together the rebs seek to invoke justice on the injustice the GCPS has served to their people, for one reason or another the GCPS has given them cause to create their own factions to fight for their people, and whilst these races may not see eye to eye on everything, they fight for a similar cause. All across the deadzone, the Rebellion finds itself in small “cells” of fighters, these cells have their own culture and way of life, and slightly different goals and morals than one another. One may be fighting for the injustice of it’s people, the right to their homeland, or simply becoming impatient with the GCPS’s new control.The Rebs mainly fight undercover, finding themselves within enemy lines and taking down higher ranks, this tactic of infiltration makes them difficult to stop, or even identify. (Fandom n.d.). Within the rebs, three races have a distinct reason for joining this cause:

The Sphyr

The Spyr, a race of blue skinned amphibious humanoids inhabiting a tropical planet by the name of Sphyria. Once lush and vibrant, the planet is now incredibly overpopulated, urbanized beyond the point of recognition and held firm under the GCPS’s grasp. In many senses, Sphyria is inhospitable, it’s inhabitants only having futures that lie in menial jobs or fighting, for the men, and for the women, a future that is much more bleak. The GCPS saw profit in the women of sphyria being attractive to other humanoids in the galaxy, selling many of them into prostitution and traffiking. With this in mind, the vast majority of the Sphr regard the GCPS as tyrannical and seek to give out justice to those who have wronged them. Just as strong as a human, and capable of using weaponry, many of the Sphr turned to the Rebs to enact their revenge. (Fandom n.d.).

The Yndjj

The Yndjj, a forest dwelling species living on a jungle planet by the name of  Azure IX. On a whole the Yndjj are a peaceful race, living in harmony with their environment, neighbours on the planet, and wildlife around them. Although fierce hunters the Yndjj are respectful to nature and quite spiritual individuals, their respect for nature clearly shining through in their choice of transport, imposing looking feline creatures the Yndjj call Tigrax. With this idyllic planet, the GCPS saw great potential in both the land’s resources and the fighting capabilities of the Yndjj. They overtook the land, some of the older Yndjj allowing them to do so, though most were unhappy with this new authority. Knowing that the Yndjj are a strong fighter race the GCPS either had them work with the corporation, or painted them as rebel fighters to the general public. Unhappy with their home being invaded, many Yndjj joined the rebellion to stop this from happening to others.(Fandom n.d.).

The Teratons

The teratons are a bulky reptoid species, though mostly served as merchants within the Galactic Co-Prosperity Sphere. Now working side by side with the GCPS, many of the younger, less trusting teratons became impatient with the practices of the GCPS. Feeling wronged by their actions, they joined the Rebellion.(Fandom n.d.).

The Marauders -

The Marauders, on the other hand, are somewhat in alliance to the GCPS. Unlike the usual stereotype of orcs being nothing but mindless brutes, the Marauders are highly intelligent individuals with a great knowledge of technology and team work (Mantic n.d.). The marauders will fight anyone, without any sort of cause. They live for violence and as such operate as rogue mercenaries, they will fight for anyone with no strong alliances or bonds with any specific cause. They gather in small groups and are generally feared by most for being unpredictable and hard to stop. Within the marauders, Orcs, Goblins and Hulks make up teams of strength, intelligence and engineering knowledge. At the end of the day, if a reward is on the line for them, they’ll do anything in their power to get it. (Fandom n.d.)

Bibliography -

Websites -

Mantic, No Date. Humans (Online). Fandom. Available at: https://warpath-universe.fandom.com/wiki/Human [Accessed 11th  February 2025].

Mantic, No Date. Marauders (Online).Fandom. Available at: https://warpath-universe.fandom.com/wiki/Marauders[Accessed 11th  February 2025].

Mantic, No Date. Marauders (Online).Mantic. Available at: https://www.manticgames.com/deadzone/marauder/ [Accessed 11th  February 2025].

Mantic, No Date. Rebs (Online).Fandom. Available at: https://warpath-universe.fandom.com/wiki/Rebs [Accessed 11th  February 2025].

Mantic, No Date. Rebs (Online).Mantic. Available at: https://companion.manticgames.com/deadzone/rebs/ [Accessed 11th  February 2025].

Mantic, No Date. Sphyr (Online).Fandom. Available at: https://warpath-universe.fandom.com/wiki/Sphyr [Accessed 11th  February 2025].

Mantic, No Date. Teratons (Online). Fandom. Available at: https://warpath-universe.fandom.com/wiki/Teratons [Accessed 11th  February 2025].

Mantic, No Date. Yndjj (Online).Fandom. Available at: https://warpath-universe.fandom.com/wiki/Yndij [Accessed 11th  February 2025].

PDF -

Mantic Entertainment, 2016. Deadzone Rulebook [online]. Mantic. Available at: https://www.manticgames.com/wp-content/uploads/woocommerce_uploads/2016/03/Deadzone-Rulebook-15-06.pdf  [Accessed 11th  February 2025].

Mood Boards

Marauder Character Mood board -

For my Marauder Character, i would like to make a hybrid between some sort of mech and some sort of smaller accompanying force. Looking into what already exists within the faction it seems that the Marauders do generally tend to fight more close range and have very lumbering silhouettes. I thought maybe having this big mech [bipedal or quadrupedal] with a smaller goblin type creature operating a gun mount on top would both provide an interesting asymmetrical silhouette, a point of focus for maybe an action shot, and also showcase the marauders technological advancements. At this point I'm not sure if i want something more humanoid or something more beastly, so i think i will explore this further in my thumbnail sketches. A big design choice i really wanted to keep the same was the tiny goblin with a very oversized gun, not only is this quite a comedic sight, but i think it also ties in with the Marauders brutish nature.

Rebs Character Mood board -

For the rebs, my main themes are some sort of cloaked or masked character that has been through a significant personal struggle, their design reflects on their past and now they have become either a lone fighter, an individual who has infiltrated a place of power, or a revenge hungry individual setting out to avenge those who have fallen to the GCPS. Looking at the rebs, I noticed there was a lore note about female Sphyr being sold into sex slavery by the GCPS, as there aren't any female sphyr designs in the lineup already, i thought a woman who has escaped from her captors and is now trying to avenge her fallen friends would be an interesting take to this character. I think i could express a lot of her past through her character design and also maybe have some of this play into how she would play as a character in a videogame. I really like the sleek, agile silhouette shown in a lot of these mood boards and i think it will be a good juxtaposition to the clunky and boxy look the marauders have. Perhaps some facial scarring would also help illustrate her past in a more visible way.

Observational sketches

Looking into the various races that appear within the factions i have chosen, I decided to do some observational sketches of these species to get a better understanding of how to draw these creatures. I focused mainly on the amphibious race of the Sphyr, as this race is something i want to draw for my  Rebs character. I also looked into the more primate appearance of of the Yndjj and the reptilian appearance of the Teratons. By identifying the general face shapes and textures I was then able to speculate on what a female version of the Sphyr might look like, I imagined them to have a smoother head crest, more feminine features and maybe a shorter frame, but overall look quite similar to their male counterparts.

The Sphr

Yndjj and Teraton

Genre 

For my game genre I have chosen to combine two different types of game genres, those being Looter shooters [with game inspirations such as Destiny and Warframe] and Beat 'em Up games [such as Golden Axe and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World]. My reason for choosing these genres and why i think they would be appropriate for the IP of Deadzone is that due to Deadzones faction system you could get different perspectives on the battle and overall storyline depending on which faction you choose in the beginning of the game. I imagined there would be a preset character roster depending on which faction you choose, much like in destiny when you first start the game you can choose which race and class you wish to play as, in this case you would choose which faction you would play as as well as choosing from either a tank, ranged, support or melee character. I think this would be interesting as depending on which faction you choose, your enemies you encounter through the game and the general storyline you play through will be different. On top of this my other reason for choosing these two genres is that  Deadzone is a small scale skirmish game and both game modes facilitate this smaller scale combat mixed in with environmental elements to make for more interesting gameplay, both game modes also allow you to play with a small team of friends making the faction mechanic more believable. Finally, as most factions in Deadzone arent too detailed about individual members of the team this fits quite well with the premade roster of characters that are seen in some older Beat 'em up games such as Golden Axe. With this in mind however there are some changes that might need to be considered when translating Deadzone into these two genres, as Deadzone is a tabletop wargame, it relies on a top down map for gameplay and in my mind i imagined the gameplay of the videogame to either be in first or third person in a 3D map, or perhaps a somewhat sidescroller view as seen in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, This would mean that some of the mechanics that rely on this top down grid based system would have to be reworked to either a more restrictive or more dynamic view. I think it would probably be easier to transform the rules into a 3D spaces such as Destiny or Warframe as opposed to restricting the pre-existing rules further. As far as the dice rolling mechanic goes, that wouldn't necessarily need to be omitted, although this has not really been used in these sorts of games before, games like Baldurs gate 3 shows that dice roll mechanics can be transferred into videogames quite well, and this could add a more unique touch to the overall game. With all of this in mind, these game mode will effect my approach to designs in this project, For example i will need to select one of my factions to be the hypothetical player character with the other being the enemy character, meaning that my design for the player character should fit into one of the classes i mentioned previously, those being a tank, ranged, support or melee character. This will effect the overall design and silhouette of my character, and in turn the enemy should be a direct juxtaposition to this overall design. As the main character will meet the enemy character at some point in the storyline, their backstories should be linked to make this meeting meaningful to the overall plot. Going back to the player character design, each character will have  key backstory elements but stay vague enough that the player can use their imagination to fill in the details this ensures the player has some idea of where they fit into the story but still gives them enough space to engage and connect with the character. I will also need to consider what the player character and enemy's unique attacks would be, which is something else that is often seen in Beat 'em up games and can also be something that can be taken from the base IP of Deadzone. Finally although I am not actually making the game, it will be important to look into the lore of my two chosen factions so that I can justify a storyline that facilitates these two characters meeting and becoming enemies.

 

IP Licensing 

IP, or intellectual property, covers any work made by an individual. To allow others to use an IP in a specified manner, an IP licence agreement is created between an IP owner and Licensee to allow them to use the title in a manner that does not infringe upon any sort of copyright or patent agreements. It is a legal agreement, and lays out all the specifics on how an IP may or may not be used, and how monetary income will be shared between the IP owner and Licensee. 

A company may apply for an IP license so that they can advertise to a captive audience surround an IP. They may make projects that the main IP do not supply, thus filling in a gap in the market. For example, Games workshop acquired the IP license for Lord of The Rings to produce a tabletop war game based on the book and film series. It is important to note, even if you acquire and IP license to work with a specific title, you may not be able to work with all aspects of that IP. For example, referring back to the acquisition of the Lord of The Rings IP Licence, Games workshop was only permitted to use art and information publicly available from the movies, its publicity art, and anything mentioned in the Novels. (Wikipedia n.d.) An IP License is not a permanent agreement between two parties, it can expire and can be appended by an IP creator, or can be applied to be appended by an IP Licensee. Games workshop reapplied for an IP license to cover J.R.R Tolkein's other book the Hobbit in 2011, which was granted to them, allowing them to produce miniatures based on this IP (Wikipedia n.d.). In doing so, Games workshop broadened their consumer base to fans of Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit, and allowed them to bring in larger amounts of revenue. This License agreement also means that other companies cannot use this title for the same product as them, in this case, Tabletop war games and Miniatures.

According to the Licensing Intellectual Property guide on the GOV.UK website (GOV.UK 2024), the process to apply for an Intellectual Property License begins with the IP owner and Licensee signing an NDA with all members discussing the IP license. This protects any information shared about the project from being leaked or shared with others outside of the agreement. The licensee will discuss with the IP owner the exact details of what they want to achieve with the IP in question, what are they wanting to make, who will be able to use it, will they make any monetary gain from said project. The IP owner can ultimately decide how their IP is used, and may require the Licensee to change their aims if they do not align with the IP owner's vison. They will then choose from a type of license that will be granted to the Licensee, those can either be:  exclusive (only the IP owner can do anything with the IP), sole- (the IP owner and a licensee can use the IP), and non-exclusive (the IP owner can licence out to several licensees). Once that is decided, duration of the License will need to be calculated, this is dependant on the subject material of the License, though most media usually last up to 25 years, and can be renewed at the end of this duration for as long as needed (provided the content is not patented, meaning after expiry, the License cannot be renewed. Copyright is also something to be considered, deciding whether or not others may make copies and distribute the proposed License. This leads onto setting up warranties, this is especially important if the Licensee intends to make profit off of the license. The Licensee might calculate roughly how much the IP project is going to bring in, and then decide if they are going to settle the payment fee to use the IP upfront or in periodic increments. Once this is decided, Warranty agreements are set in place to enact upon if an individual breaches the License agreement. After this is all decided, The Licensee must stick to their agreements to avoid any legal repurcussions.

There are several Pros and cons to working with an Existing IP. On one hand, working with an existing IP allows you to advertise your project to a captive audience of fans and seal usage of an IP before a competitor company. This gives you a greater chance of a higher product revenue. On top of this, working to an IP means a company does not have to generate ideas from scratch, they can build upon existing lore, mechanics and visuals, saving time when creating products. (GOV.UK 2014). On the more negative side of working to an IP, it may take a while  acquire a licence for an IP, if an IP is acquired illegitimately, a company could be faced with legal action and may be sued for a considerable amount. An IP is also quite restrictive in design opportunities and how the IP owner may want their IP to be used, which could ultimately make it quite difficult to make additions that are in keeping with the original property. Finally, licenses can expire, meaning the Licensee must stay on top of their agreements to ensure they can continue using the IP license.

Bibliography -

Anon, No date. Games Workshop (Online). Wikipedia. Available at : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Games_Workshop#:~:text=In%20conjunction%20with%20the%20promotion,Tolkien's%20fantasy%20books. [Acessed at : 4th April 2025]

Intellectual Property Office, 2024. Licensing IP (Online) .GOV.UK .Available at : https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7d5d4a40f0b60aaa293fbd/licensingbooklet.pdf [Acessed at : 4th April 2025] 

GOV.UK, 2014. Licensing intellectual property (Online). GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/licensing-intellectual-property#:~:text=been%20dealt%20with-,Notifying%20the%20IPO%20of%20Grant%2C%20Assignment%20or%20Assignation%20of%20a,the%20patent%20number  [Acessed at : 4th April 2025]