genre-soulslike

Genre: Soulslike

Monumental ruins. Melancholy grandeur. Fog gates. Landmark shortcuts. Enemy silhouettes lethal-clear.

Recipe

Monumental melancholy: structures 3-5x human scale, desaturated palette with one warm bonfire light, heavy fog, low-key 5:1 contrast.

Light with light_rig.py preset moonlight (cold low-key); a rig replaces its own previous lights, so build the bonfire last (step 6).
Add fog gate / bonfire smoke with smoke_domain.py (emitter target, flow_type SMOKE, resolution 48).
Dress ruins with debris via scatter_props.py (count 12, clusters 4, max_dist 8).
Wide dramatic camera with camera_rig.py: lens_mm 24, elevation_deg 5.
Grade with comp_grade.py preset noir, vignette 0.5.
Bonfire / checkpoint with blockout.py: a ring of 9 rock pieces (0.35 m), a sword box (0.08 x 0.02 x 1.1 m) and a warm light piece with flicker True (Noise F-modifier on energy); run it after light_rig so the rig does not remove it. Move at / center next to your target.

import runpy
skills = "<skills_dir>"  # parent folder of this skill (the plugin's skills/ directory)
target = "SM_Asset"      # object to style / dress
r = {}
r["moon"] = runpy.run_path(f"{skills}/lighting/scripts/light_rig.py", init_globals={"ARGS": {"preset": "moonlight", "target": target}})["result"]
r["smoke"] = runpy.run_path(f"{skills}/vfx-fx/scripts/smoke_domain.py", init_globals={"ARGS": {"emitter": target, "flow_type": "SMOKE", "resolution": 48}})["result"]
r["props"] = runpy.run_path(f"{skills}/set-dressing/scripts/scatter_props.py", init_globals={"ARGS": {"target": target, "count": 12, "clusters": 4, "max_dist": 8}})["result"]
r["cam"] = runpy.run_path(f"{skills}/camera-cinematography/scripts/camera_rig.py", init_globals={"ARGS": {"name": "CAM_Ruins", "target": target, "lens_mm": 24, "elevation_deg": 5}})["result"]
r["grade"] = runpy.run_path(f"{skills}/compositing/scripts/comp_grade.py", init_globals={"ARGS": {"preset": "noir", "vignette": 0.5}})["result"]
r["bonfire_stones"] = runpy.run_path(f"{skills}/environment-artist/scripts/blockout.py", init_globals={"ARGS": {"group": "BonfireStones", "pieces": [{"kind": "rock", "size": [0.35, 0.3, 0.22], "color": [0.3, 0.3, 0.32]}], "layout": {"pattern": "ring", "count": 9, "radius": 0.6, "center": [3.0, 0.0]}}})["result"]
r["bonfire"] = runpy.run_path(f"{skills}/environment-artist/scripts/blockout.py", init_globals={"ARGS": {"group": "Bonfire", "pieces": [{"kind": "box", "size": [0.08, 0.02, 1.1], "at": [3.0, 0.0], "rot_z": 15, "name": "SM_Sword", "color": [0.6, 0.6, 0.65]}, {"kind": "cone", "size": [0.4, 0.4, 0.6], "at": [3.0, 0.0], "color": [1.0, 0.4, 0.1]}, {"kind": "light", "type": "POINT", "at": [3.0, 0.0, 0.6], "color": [1.0, 0.5, 0.2], "energy": 120, "flicker": True}]}})["result"]
result = r

Item	Value
Hero height	1.8 m
Boss arena	30-40 m diameter
Fog gate	3 x 4 m
Ruin archway	8-15 m high
Bonfire clearing	6 m radius
Enemy silhouette	2-4 m, distinct shape

About this skill

Recipe