The Star Wars Battlefront Planets: Creating Endor

As the DICE team reached the Californian redwoods, a few contemplative moments were spent simply marveling at the forest’s majestic 300-footers – and all the Star Wars™ memories they evoked. Then work beckoned. A certain forest moon was to be created for Star Wars™ Battlefront™ and we began the first step to bringing this environment to life in game.As with all Star Wars Battlefront locations, the forest moon of Endor was to house all of the game’s modes and to stay true to the original film trilogy’s memorable events. Lead Environment Artist Andrew Hamilton planned the reference trips and is the owner for Endor in particular, building all the environmental content and levels of the sanctuary moon.

Andrew is here to give insight into how Endor was created by answering a few questions.

What will I see when I look around Endor for the first time?

Taking your first step in game on the forest floor of Endor, the surrounding atmosphere is instantly striking. The creaking of trees swaying in the wind, creatures scurrying away, and the sound of an Ewok battle horn echoing through the forest immediately transport you into the Star Wars universe. Naturally, it’s an impressive vertical environment. Looking up, you’ll not only see the giant trees looming overhead but also notice things like Ewok huts hiding amongst the thick canopy. It’s been great to see playtesters exploring Endor, walking on the tree platforms and seeing the forest from a different perspective. These elements open up for some interesting gameplay that is unique to Endor, targeting enemies above and below you.

What were the key components that had to be captured to create Endor?

For all the Star Wars Battlefront planets, we needed to define what was most important and alluring for each, to accurately portray the iconic characteristics depicted in the original trilogy. In the case of Endor, the most memorable and recognizable for most is of course the Battle of Endor from Star Warsâ„¢: Episode VI: Return of the Jediâ„¢. We set out to capture the essential elements of those unforgettable battle scenes: the enormous trees reaching to the sky, the thick forest floor covered with ferns, and the winding paths scattered throughout. Striving to be as authentic as possible, we travelled to the real-world locations where filming took place and begun the seemingly overwhelming task of capturing the forest.

For a clearer understanding of what we needed to rebuild the forest, we started by deconstructing the environment into the essential components that would make up the big picture of what we remember from the movies. Trees of various sizes, an assortment of ferns, and the red forest floor were naturally the key takeaways. Beyond that we had to understand how much variation was needed to create a realistic and full impression with a relatively limited set of assets. After a week in the Californian redwood forests, we came back with a large library consisting of hundreds of scanned assets that would aid the recreation of the forest moon of Endor we all know well.

What tech has been used to create Endor?

PBR (Physically Based Rendering) and photogrammetry are two of the key technical influences realizing our environments, and of course the Frostbite 3 engine is at the core of it all. This tech, together with our endeavor to recreate real environments from location and our passion for the source material has really helped us capture the rich atmosphere and the sense of actually being in these locations as a player.

Learn how PBR was used to make Star Wars Battlefront as true to the films as possible

What are the challenges of designing one planet that needs to fit many different game modes?

For Endor, it needed to feel dense enough to convincingly portray the iconic forest, but for gameplay purposes you also need to be able to direct and funnel players through different areas. It was a challenge to portray a chaotic forest while including clear pathways and points of interest. Map size also changes the layout: smaller maps have more clearly defined paths and a flow throughout the level, whereas larger maps open up for more natural, chaotic areas between key locations.

A visit to Endor wouldn’t be complete without speeder bike chases. Can you tell us about those?

You can jump on the speeder bikes to chase down Rebel troopers in one of our Star Wars Battlefront Missions, and they’re also available on larger multiplayer modes like Walker Assault. With the great sense of speed and handling, it’s a very fantasy-fulfilling experience for fans wanting to chase down Rebel troops or drive through the legs of an oncoming AT-ST.

When I first the joined the Star Wars Battlefront team, the speeder bike experience was actually the very thing I wanted to recreate the most. My ambition is to fulfill what I feel is the ultimate Endor experience, and I really hope players will enjoy the final result.

Apart from the speeder bikes, do you have a personal favorite way of experiencing Endor in game?

Playing on the large Endor Walker Assault map is a clear favorite of mine, simply because of its size and how well I feel the full forest moon of Endor is represented in game. I’m very proud of the atmosphere on Endor; how everything from the sunlight shining through the tree canopy, to the sound of a speeder bike wailing in the distance comes together to transport the player into a fully realized Star Wars environment. I look forward to meeting other fellow troopers sneaking through the forest upon unsuspecting Rebel scum.

Here is a overview of all the Battlefront planets

Source: EA/DICE