The Story of Vault 122

Meet Michael N.! He’s working with instructor Mirena as part of Game-U’s New York Accelerate program. Recently accepted into New York’s School of Visual Arts (congratulations!), Michael brings personal passion to his classes by creating fan fiction for one of his favorite games, Fallout 4. See how he does it!

Michael uses Maya, the complete software suite for 3D modeling and animation, and Unreal, the professional gaming engine often used for virtual reality, with the Fallout Creation Kit to design his own Fallout world. Deep, complex games like Michael’s need a story, so Michael naturally began his project with a storyboard, developing the game’s setting, plot, and main character. Michael’s narrative centers around Vault 122 and the girl Victoria, heir to a Vault scientist. See the storyboard Michael drew for details on Acts 1-4 of his game!

To bring his game to life, Michael modeled, rigged, and finally animated his main character in Maya, basing the model on a Fallout character in the Creation Kit. As part of an assignment for Michael’s architectural class, Michael went on to create Victoria’s home – the crazy “Multilayered Complex” mansion – in Autocad, and then import it into Maya to add windows and an interior. Later, Michael imported both Victoria and the Multilayered Mansion into Unreal, the gaming engine, and further developed his game environment using Unreal assets and Fallout colors. The video shows Michael’s Fallout world through Victoria’s eyes as she runs through the Multilayered Complex!

Well done, Michael! You’re not only developing your imagination, but also the skills needed to share those ideas with others through games, models, and stories. Thanks for the preview of your game, and best of luck at the School of Visual Arts! We know great things are in store for you.