Horizon Zero Dawn-Forbidden West Inspired Characters and Machines

Playground AI
28 Jan 202408:53

TLDRThe video script discusses the creation of characters and machines inspired by the acclaimed open-world action RPG game, Horizon Zero Dawn. It shares insights on developing character styles by focusing on the game's specific elements such as armor types and dynamic poses, and emphasizes the importance of the game's setting and aesthetic. The script also explores the process of designing machines based on animals and dinosaurs, highlighting the game's unique biomechanical style. By using particular prompts and settings, the video demonstrates how to generate images that capture the essence of Horizon Zero Dawn's visual identity.

Takeaways

  • 🌟 Horizon Zero Dawn is a premier open-world action RPG game, with a sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, recently released for consoles and an anticipated PC release in March 2024.
  • 🎨 The video discusses techniques for creating characters and machines inspired by the game, using Stable Fusion XEL and Playground V2 with specific image settings.
  • 🔍 The character creation process emphasizes the importance of placing the character name and game title at the forefront of the prompt for stylistic influence.
  • 🎭 Voice actor names can be included to get a slightly different look, as many characters in Horizon Zero Dawn resemble their voice actors.
  • 🛡️ Describing specific in-game armor, like 'book light leather armor,' helps influence the character's appearance, though variations can still be expected.
  • 🏃 Using general prompts like 'dynamic action pose' provides a range of poses for the character, adding variety to the generated images.
  • 🌲 Background elements are crucial, with 'post-apocalyptic wilderness backdrop' being a key phrase to capture the game's aesthetic.
  • 🎮 The style and quality settings, such as 832 x 1152 resolution, prop guidance between 5 to 7, and 30 for quality and details, are recommended starting points for image generation.
  • 🤖 For machine creation, the prompt should include the game title alongside descriptors of animals or dinosaurs to achieve a similar look to the game's biomechanical machines.
  • 🔧 Using the keyword 'biomechanical' helps combine the tech and nature aspects of the game's machines, while specifying colors and other attributes can add variety.
  • 📸 Landscape aspect ratio is preferred for machine images to maintain the game's style, as portrait mode may make them appear too robotic.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of the video transcript?

    -The main topic of the video transcript is about using the game Horizon Zero Dawn as inspiration to create characters and machines, and discussing the process of developing these elements with specific styles in mind.

  • Which game's release is being anticipated in March 2024 according to the transcript?

    -The PC release of Horizon Forbidden West is being anticipated in March 2024.

  • What are the key aspects the speaker considers when developing characters in the style of a specific game?

    -The key aspects the speaker considers when developing characters include the character's name, the game's name, the voice actor (if applicable), the type of armor or clothing the character wears, and the character's dynamic action pose.

  • What is the recommended image setting for the model used in the video?

    -The recommended image settings are 832 x 1152 for resolution, prop guidance between 5 to 7 (using 7 in this case), and quality and detail set at 30 (with the speaker having theirs set at 50).

  • What sampler does the speaker prefer for generating images?

    -The speaker prefers using DPM Plus+ 2m Caris, but also mentions that 2m SD Caris and Oiler Oiler Ancestral or DPM2 are good starting samplers for those on the free version.

  • How does the speaker achieve a post-apocalyptic wilderness backdrop in the images?

    -The speaker achieves a post-apocalyptic wilderness backdrop by combining the game's name, Horizon Zero Dawn, with the prompt for a dynamic action pose and specifying a post-apocalyptic wilderness setting.

  • What is the significance of the name of the game 'Horizon Zero Dawn' in the prompts?

    -The name of the game 'Horizon Zero Dawn' is significant in the prompts as it helps to carry weight and importance, ensuring that the generated images inherit the specific style of the game.

  • How does the speaker approach creating machines inspired by the game?

    -The speaker approaches creating machines by combining the game's name with the name of the machine, specifying that it resembles a certain animal or dinosaur, and using keywords like 'biomechanical' to capture the essence of the game's style where technology and nature are combined.

  • What filter does the speaker use to get images that mimic the game's style more closely?

    -The speaker uses raw stable diffusion XL to get images that mimic the game's style more closely, as using other filters like night vision or zami chroma can make the animals or dinosaurs look too literal.

  • What is the speaker's recommendation for the aspect ratio of images featuring the machines?

    -The speaker recommends using a landscape aspect ratio for images featuring the machines, as portrait mode tends to make them look more like robots than animal robots.

  • How does the speaker engage with the audience regarding the game?

    -The speaker engages with the audience by inviting them to share their thoughts on the game, especially if they are currently playing it or waiting for the PC release of the sequel, and encourages them to express interest in more similar content through comments and thumb's up buttons.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 Character Creation in Horizon Zero Dawn

This paragraph discusses the process of creating characters inspired by the game Horizon Zero Dawn. The speaker shares their approach to developing characters from various media, with a focus on capturing the specific style of the game. They detail their model settings, including stable Fusion XEL and image settings, and emphasize the importance of mentioning character names and attire at the beginning of the prompt for greater influence. The speaker also highlights the use of dynamic action poses and post-apocalyptic backdrops to enhance the style. The paragraph concludes with a discussion on the effectiveness of the prompts used and the resulting images, showcasing the tribal armor and the main character, Aloy.

05:02

🤖 Crafting Machines with a Twist in Horizon Zero Dawn

The second paragraph delves into the exciting task of prompting machines inspired by Horizon Zero Dawn's unique blend of animals and machines. The speaker explains the challenges of capturing the exact style of the game's machines and shares their solution of using animal and dinosaur references to achieve a similar look. The use of biomechanical elements and neon blue accents is highlighted to capture the mechanical aspect of the machines. The speaker also discusses the impact of different filters on the final image and shares examples of machines resembling panthers, lions, T-Rex, and other creatures. The paragraph ends with a reflection on the style and feel of the generated images, which, while not exact replicas, are heavily inspired by the game's distinctive aesthetic.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn is an open-world action role-playing game that serves as the primary inspiration for the character and machine creation discussed in the video. It is a popular game known for its unique setting and gameplay mechanics. The video references the game's sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, and the anticipation surrounding its PC release.

💡Character Creation

Character creation is the process of designing and developing characters for various forms of media, such as video games, movies, or cartoons. In the context of the video, the speaker shares their approach to developing characters in the style of Horizon Zero Dawn, focusing on aspects like attire, pose, and background elements to capture the game's specific aesthetic.

💡Machines

In the video, machines refer to the robotic creatures inspired by animals and dinosaurs that are a key feature of the Horizon Zero Dawn game. These machines are a blend of technology and nature, and the video discusses the challenges and techniques involved in creating art that captures their unique biomechanical design.

💡Biomechanical

Biomechanical is a term that describes the fusion of biological and mechanical elements, often used to describe the design of the machines in Horizon Zero Dawn. In the video, the speaker uses this term to convey the style of the machines, which are part technology and part organic, resembling animals or dinosaurs.

💡3D CGI Video Game

3D CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) refers to the process of creating three-dimensional images or animations using computer software. In the context of the video, it is used to describe the desired visual style for the generated characters and machines, aiming for a realistic and immersive look that is characteristic of high-quality video games.

💡Stable Fusion XEL

Stable Fusion XEL is a reference to a specific model or software used in the process of generating images. In the video, it is mentioned as the tool the speaker is using to create the character and machine designs, suggesting it has capabilities that align with the desired artistic outcomes.

💡Post-Apocalyptic Wilderness

Post-apocalyptic wilderness refers to a type of setting that is characterized by a world recovering from a catastrophic event, often depicted as a wild and untamed environment. In the video, this term is used to describe the backdrop against which the characters and machines of Horizon Zero Dawn are set, emphasizing the game's distinctive atmosphere.

💡Voice Actors

Voice actors are individuals who provide the speaking voices for characters in various forms of media, including video games. In the video, the speaker mentions the voice actor for the character Aloy, highlighting the connection between the character's appearance in the game and the person who voices them.

💡Prompt

In the context of the video, a prompt is a set of instructions or keywords used to guide the creation of images using image-generating software. The speaker discusses the importance of crafting effective prompts to achieve the desired visual outcomes that align with the style of Horizon Zero Dawn.

💡Filter

A filter in the context of image generation software is a tool or setting that alters the appearance of the generated images, often to achieve a specific visual style or effect. The video discusses using different filters to experiment with the look of the generated characters and machines.

💡Aspect Ratio

Aspect ratio refers to the proportional relationship between the width and height of an image or screen. In the video, the speaker notes the importance of choosing the right aspect ratio for generating images, particularly for the machines, to maintain the desired visual style and avoid making them appear too robotic.

Highlights

Horizon Zero Dawn is regarded as one of the top open world action RPG games, with its sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, already released for consoles and the PC release anticipated for March 2024.

The video discusses character and machine creation inspired by the game, focusing on sharing styles and development approaches for characters from various media including video games, movies, and cartoons.

The model used for the demonstration is Stable Fusion XEL, which also works with Playground V2, with image settings at 832 x 1152 and a prop guidance value between five to seven.

For quality and detail, a value of 30 is usually sufficient, but in the demonstration, it was set at 50, and refinement was unselected due to the use of a specific filter.

The sampler used in the process includes DPM Plus+ 2m Caris, and for those on the free version, Oiler Oiler Ancestral or DPM2 are recommended starting samplers.

Placing the character name and game title at the front of the prompt is emphasized for importance and to help carry the specific style of the image.

The voice actor's name can be included in the prompt, especially when they resemble the character they voice, as is the case with Horizon Zero Dawn.

Describing the character's attire, such as 'book light leather armor', helps influence the type of armor in the generated image, even if it doesn't exactly match in-game armor.

Using a 'dynamic action pose' in the prompt provides a variety of poses that are not static, adding a level of dynamism to the generated images.

Background elements like a 'post-apocalyptic Wilderness backdrop' combined with the game title help to adopt the particular style of Horizon Zero Dawn.

The prompt concludes with '3D CGI video game ultra realistic' to honor the look and style of the game, and negative prompts use the default ones for image generation.

For other characters, the prompt structure remains similar, with adjustments made to specific characteristics such as hair color and skin tone.

Changing the armor color and type in the prompt allows for the creation of unique styles while still honoring the game's aesthetic.

The machines in the game are inspired by animals and dinosaurs, and the prompting process involves combining the game title with the machine name and the animal or dinosaur it resembles.

Using the keyword 'biomechanical' helps achieve the style of the machines in Horizon Zero Dawn, as it represents a combination of technology and nature.

The use of raw Stable Diffusion XL is found to mimic the game's style more closely compared to using filters like night vision or zami chroma.

Landscape aspect ratio is preferred for machine images as it better captures the animal-robot hybrid nature of the game's machines.

Experimentation with different animals and dinosaurs in the prompt results in machines that, while not exact replicas, are inspired by the game's unique style.