Asset Acquisition Plan - Legends of Hastinapur

Vertical Slice Strategy for Solo Developer

Goal: Get a playable vertical slice ready with cohesive, atmospheric assets on minimal budget.
Target: 1-2 month timeline for vertical slice demo
Art Style: Low-poly, OSRS-inspired with Indian mythology aesthetic

🎯 Phase 1: Art Direction Foundation (Week 1)

Define Your Visual Identity

• Collect references from:
  • Old School RuneScape (for UI/gameplay style)
  • Raji: An Ancient Epic (for Indian aesthetic)
  • Valheim (for low-poly with atmosphere)
  • Temple Run series (for Indian architecture)
• Save 20-30 images to /loh-game/assets/references/
• Document color palette (earthy browns, temple golds, vibrant silks)

Characters:
- Triangle count: 1,000-2,000 tris per character
- Texture resolution: 512x512 to 1024x1024
- Rig: Humanoid with 15-20 bones

Props/Buildings:
- Triangle count: 500-5,000 tris depending on importance
- Texture resolution: 512x512 to 2048x2048
- Tileable textures where possible

UI:
- Resolution: 1920x1080 base
- Style: Hand-painted panels with stone/wood textures
- Icons: 64x64 or 128x128

## Vertical Slice Asset List

### Characters (Priority: HIGH)
- [x] Player character (male warrior base)
- [ ] Guard NPC (recolor player model)
- [ ] Goblin enemy (simple aggressive mob)
- [ ] Fishing spot (animated water particles)

### Environment (Priority: HIGH)
- [ ] Ground tiles (grass, stone, dirt)
- [ ] Trees (3 variations)
- [ ] Rocks (2 variations)
- [ ] Water (simple shader)

### Buildings (Priority: MEDIUM)
- [ ] Furnace (skill interaction)
- [ ] Anvil (skill interaction)
- [ ] Cooking range (skill interaction)
- [ ] Generic building/shop exterior

### UI Assets (Priority: HIGH)
- [ ] Skill icons (11 total)
- [ ] Item icons (20 core items)
- [ ] UI panels (inventory, stats, quest)
- [ ] Buttons, borders, dividers

### Audio (Priority: LOW)
- [ ] Ambient nature sounds
- [ ] UI click sounds
- [ ] Skill action sounds (4 types)

🛠️ Phase 2: Asset Sourcing Strategy (Week 2-3)

Option A: Free Asset Stores (Quick Start - Week 2)

1. Kenney.nl (Best for prototyping)
   • URL: kenney.nl
   • Cost: FREE (CC0 license)
   • What to get:
     • "RPG Kit" for characters/props
     • "UI Pack" for interface elements
     • "Nature Kit" for environment
   • Action: Download 3-4 relevant packs
   • Pros: Cohesive style, huge variety, instant use
   • Cons: Generic, many games use these
2. Quaternius (Great low-poly assets)
   • URL: quaternius.com
   • Cost: FREE (CC0)
   • What to get:
     • "Ultimate Animated Animals" for creatures
     • "Ultimate Low Poly Dungeon" for buildings
   • Action: Download character and prop collections
   • Pros: Animated, game-ready, low-poly aesthetic
   • Cons: Fantasy medieval (not Indian themed)
3. OpenGameArt.org
   • Cost: FREE (various licenses, check each)
   • What to get: Search for specific items you need
   • Action: Browse weekly, save promising finds
   • Pros: Community-driven, variety
   • Cons: Quality varies, licensing varies
4. Poly Pizza
   • URL: poly.pizza
   • Cost: FREE (CC0)
   • What to get: Low-poly environment assets
   • Pros: Modern, clean, searchable
   • Cons: Limited selection

Day 1-2: Download asset packs from Kenney + Quaternius
Day 3-4: Import to Bevy, test in-game
Day 5-6: Create placeholder materials/textures
Day 7: Document what works, identify gaps

Option B: AI Asset Generation (Custom Assets - Week 3)

1. Midjourney (Best quality, subscription)
   • Cost: $10/month (Basic plan)
   • Use for:
     • Skill icons: "skill icon, {skill name}, game UI, flat design, isometric"
     • Item icons: "game item icon, {item name}, inventory sprite, 64x64"
     • UI panels: "ornate panel, stone texture, Indian temple style, game UI"
   • Prompt template:
     "game asset, {item}, low poly style, Indian mythology aesthetic, flat colors, no background, isometric view --v 6 --style raw"

2. Leonardo.ai (Great for game assets)
   • Cost: FREE tier (150 tokens/day) or $12/month
   • Models: "Leonardo Kino XL" for realistic, "3D Animation Style" for stylized
   • Use for: Same as Midjourney, plus texture generation
3. DALL-E 3 (via ChatGPT Plus)
   • Cost: $20/month
   • Best for: Quick iterations, multiple variations
   • Use for: Concept art, texture bases, UI elements

1. Meshy.ai (Text/Image to 3D)
   • Cost: FREE tier (200 credits) or $16/month
   • Workflow:
     1. Generate concept in Midjourney
     2. Upload to Meshy → get 3D model
     3. Clean up in Blender
   • Best for: Props, simple characters
   • Turnaround: 2-5 minutes per model
2. Rodin AI (Alternative 3D generation)
   • Cost: FREE tier available
   • Similar workflow to Meshy
   • Sometimes better for characters

Day 1: Subscribe to one AI tool (start with Leonardo.ai Free)
Day 2-3: Generate 20 item icons + 11 skill icons
Day 4-5: Generate 3D props using Meshy (furnace, anvil, etc)
Day 6: Test in-game, iterate on prompts
Day 7: Document successful prompts for reuse

Option C: Commissioned Assets (Professional Polish - Ongoing)

• After vertical slice validation
• For hero assets (main character, key NPCs)
• When you have specific Indian mythology needs

1. Fiverr (Best for one-offs)
   • Search: "low poly 3d character" or "game UI design"
   • Cost: $50-200 per character, $30-100 per prop
   • Tip: Look for sellers with OSRS/RuneScape in portfolio
2. ArtStation (Professional artists)
   • Post job listing or contact directly
   • Cost: $500-2000 for character set
   • Best for: Main character, key NPCs
3. Sketchfab (Some artists do commissions)
   • Browse existing work, contact via "Hire Me"
   • Cost: Varies widely
   • Tip: Find artists with similar style already
4. r/gameDevClassifieds (Reddit)
   • Cost: Negotiable, often reasonable
   • Tip: Post clear specifications, reference images

Character Commission Template:
- [ ] Provide mood board
- [ ] Provide technical specs (tri count, texture res)
- [ ] Provide 3-4 reference images
- [ ] Request source files (.blend, .psd)
- [ ] Agree on milestone payments (50% upfront, 50% on delivery)
- [ ] Set clear revision limit (usually 2-3 rounds)

🎨 Phase 3: Asset Creation Pipeline (Week 4-5)

For Characters (If creating yourself)

• Blender (Free) - 3D modeling
• Mixamo (Free) - Character rigging & animation
• Substance Painter ($20/month or free alternatives)

1. Find base mesh (Mixamo, free rigs on Sketchfab)
2. Modify in Blender (add armor, weapons, Indian elements)
3. Auto-rig with Mixamo or Rigify
4. Export animations (idle, walk, attack, gather)
5. Texture in Substance Painter or Blender
6. Export as GLTF/GLB

• First character: 10-15 hours (learning curve)
• Subsequent characters: 4-6 hours each

For Environment

1. Create 16 ground tiles (grass, stone, dirt, sand)
2. Use Blender Array modifier for instant variety
3. Bake ambient occlusion for depth
4. Export as individual GLB files

# Use Blender's procedural textures:
- Musgrave for stone/rock
- Voronoi for cracked ground
- Noise for dirt/grass variation

For UI

1. Design all UI in Figma (free tier)
2. Use "Game UI Kit" templates as starting point
3. Export as PNG with proper naming
4. Create 9-slice sprites for panels

Colors:
- Primary: #8B4513 (saddle brown - earthy)
- Secondary: #DAA520 (goldenrod - temple accent)
- Background: #2F2F2F (dark stone)
- Text: #F5DEB3 (wheat - readable)
- Accent: #DC143C (crimson - alerts)

Fonts:
- Headers: "Cinzel" (fantasy serif)
- Body: "Noto Sans" (clean sans-serif)
- Numbers: Monospace for stats

📦 Phase 4: Asset Integration (Week 6-7)

File Organization

loh-game/assets/
├── models/
│   ├── characters/
│   │   ├── player_warrior.glb
│   │   ├── npc_guard.glb
│   │   └── mob_goblin.glb
│   ├── props/
│   │   ├── furnace.glb
│   │   ├── anvil.glb
│   │   └── cooking_range.glb
│   └── environment/
│       ├── tree_oak.glb
│       ├── rock_small.glb
│       └── tiles/
├── textures/
│   ├── characters/
│   ├── environment/
│   └── ui/
├── ui/
│   ├── panels/
│   ├── icons/
│   │   ├── skills/
│   │   └── items/
│   └── buttons/
├── audio/
│   ├── sfx/
│   └── music/
└── references/
    └── mood_board/

Bevy Integration Checklist

// Asset loading example
fn load_assets(
    asset_server: Res<AssetServer>,
    mut meshes: ResMut<Assets<Mesh>>,
    mut materials: ResMut<Assets<StandardMaterial>>,
) {
    // Load character
    let character_model = asset_server.load("models/characters/player_warrior.glb#Scene0");
    
    // Load UI icons
    let attack_icon = asset_server.load("ui/icons/skills/Attack_icon.png");
}

• All models import without errors
• Textures display correctly (no pink/missing textures)
• Animations play smoothly (if applicable)
• UI scales properly at different resolutions
• File sizes reasonable (models <5MB, textures <2MB)

💰 Budget Breakdown

Minimal Budget ($0-50)

• ✅ Free asset packs (Kenney, Quaternius)
• ✅ Blender (free)
• ✅ Figma free tier
• ✅ AI generation free tiers
• Total: $0-10/month (if using Leonardo.ai free)

Indie Budget ($50-200/month)

• ✅ Above +
• ✅ Midjourney Basic ($10/month)
• ✅ Leonardo.ai Pro ($12/month)
• ✅ Meshy.ai Pro ($16/month)
• ✅ 1-2 Fiverr commissions ($50-100 one-time)
• Total: $40-200/month + commissions

Polished Budget ($500-1000)

• ✅ Above +
• ✅ Substance Painter ($20/month)
• ✅ Full character commission ($500-800)
• ✅ Custom UI design ($200-300)
• Total: $700-1100 one-time + subscriptions

🚀 Recommended Workflow for Vertical Slice

Week-by-Week Execution

• Day 1: Create mood board, define art direction
• Day 2-3: Download free asset packs
• Day 4-5: Import and test in Bevy
• Day 6-7: Document gaps, create asset manifest

• Day 1-2: Generate UI icons with AI (free tier)
• Day 3-4: Create simple environment tiles
• Day 5: Placeholder character using Mixamo
• Day 6-7: Basic materials/textures

• Subscribe to 1 AI tool if needed
• Generate/create 5 core props (furnace, anvil, etc)
• Generate item icons (20 items)
• Create skill interaction visuals

• Replace placeholders with better versions
• Add particle effects (free from Kenney)
• Improve textures and lighting
• Commission 1 hero asset if budget allows

• Full asset integration
• Lighting pass
• Post-processing effects
• Vertical slice playtest

🎯 Vertical Slice Minimum Viable Assets

1. Player character (rigged, animated)
2. 1 NPC for dialogue
3. 1 enemy for combat
4. 3 skill interaction objects (furnace, anvil, fishing spot)
5. Ground tiles (3 types)
6. Trees/rocks (basic environment)
7. Full UI set (inventory, skills, quest log)
8. 20 item icons
9. 11 skill icons

1. Ambient audio
2. Particle effects
3. Better animations
4. More NPC variations
5. Mini-map icons
6. Sound effects

1. Multiple character races
2. Seasonal variations
3. Advanced weather
4. Music tracks
5. Cutscenes

📚 Learning Resources

1. Grant Abbitt (YouTube) - Blender low-poly
2. Brackeys - Game art fundamentals
3. Sebastian Lague - Procedural generation
4. Bevy Cheatbook - Asset loading in Bevy

1. Udemy - "Complete 3D Game Art Course" ($15 on sale)
2. Zenva - "Low Poly Game Asset Creation" ($29)

✅ Next Steps (Start Today)

1. ✅ Create /loh-game/assets/manifest.md with your asset list
2. ✅ Download Kenney's "RPG Kit" and "UI Pack"
3. ✅ Set up Figma account and create UI mockup
4. ✅ Try Leonardo.ai free tier for 5 item icons
5. ✅ Import one test asset into Bevy and verify pipeline

• Spend 1 hour/day on assets
• Focus on getting something in-game quickly
• Don't aim for perfection - aim for cohesion
• Test early, iterate often

1. Do you have any 3D modeling experience? (Affects timeline)
2. What's your realistic asset budget? ($0, $50, $200+)
3. How much time can you dedicate per week? (5h, 10h, 20h+)
4. Do you prefer stylized or realistic? (OSRS is stylized)
5. Solo all the way or open to contractors?