Objectives

Create a virtual environment that takes a user on a tour of Fort Duquesne, shortly after being built in 1754. An immersive environment and authenticity are key goals of the project, which will be designed to both educate and entertain users.

Authenticity

Historic and educational products require both educational value and authenticity for the user. To achieve this, historic documents and books relating to French and Indian War forts were used in the research process, such as “Plan du Fort Duquesne” the only French-authored drawing of the fort. The following books were also indispensable: Outposts of the War for Empire by Charles M. Stotz, and Guns at the Forks by Walter O’Meara.

Immersive Environment

The fort, which was burned by the French during their retreat in 1758, was recreated in 3d. The general layout was taken from the only French drawing of the fort known to be available and redrawn on the computer using Adobe Illustrator®. This floor plan was then imported into Maxon’s Cinema 4D where shapes were extruded and lathed into 3-dimensional forms – directly from the floor plan profiles. In Phases 2 and 3 this model will be used as the basis for a complete interactive environment, complete with characters and missions.

Information from aforementioned books, and content found on the internet, provided the bulk of the information necessary to build a base model. These resources were unable to provide information regarding the details and specifics of construction. Additional resources, including accounts written in trapper journals, British Engineer ‘s drawings and accounts, and other historic records, will provide the information needed to add further detail. Photographic texturing will heighten both the entertainment and educational value.

Another resource not yet tapped is the recreated Fort Ligonier, a British fort located in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. A visit to this physical reconstruction will help answer some questions regarding materials.

The current model of Fort Duquesne succeeds in giving the viewer an accurate overview, and 3-dimensional perspective, of this small French fortification whose location was pivotal in American History.

Filed under: Frontier Fort, Game Design