"Snow-Covered Path" — Behind the Scenes of Dragonspine

This article contains AI-generated translation.

 Published

遥望许久，「龙脊雪山」终于揭开了面纱。不同于广袤的平原、傲然耸立的石林，雪山独特的地貌与气候环境，为场景设计带来了全新的挑战。旅行者，一起重温这段幕后的「覆雪之路」吧~
After all this time, Dragonspine has finally revealed its true colors. Dragonspine's unique geography and climate, standing in stark contrast to the wide fields and proud rock formations of previous areas, posed an all-new challenge in terms of environment design. Travelers, let's retread this snow-covered path behind the scenes together~

## Base Camp — Preparing for a Unique Challenge

不一定 《原神》 龙脊雪山 生态场景原画：前两个区域，一个春天一个更偏秋天一点。但雪山的话就比较特殊了，首先它是冬天，还有一个极寒的机制在里面。还有就是阳光上的光照，因为前两个世界的话，光照都是特别阳光明媚，饱和度比较高的。到雪山整体的饱和度会降下来，光源会变冷，包括能见度上都没有之前看得这么远。洞窟内的包装和洞窟外的自然环境，其实也是有一个蛮大的对比。
Bu Yiding, Environment Concept Artist: In the first two regions, one is like spring and the other is a bit more like autumn. But when it comes to the snow mountain, it's quite special. First of all, it's winter, and there's an extremely cold mechanism inside. And then there's the lighting on the sunlight. In the first two worlds, the lighting is particularly sunny and saturated. In the snow mountain, the overall saturation decreases, and the light source becomes colder. Even the visibility is not as far as before. There's actually a significant contrast between the packaging inside the cave and the natural environment outside the cave.

麦子 《原神》 龙脊雪山 关卡美术：当时做雪山的时候参考了很多现实当中的照片。我们在研究雪，就是雪下面是什么？雪下面是泥土，有没有草，有没有小石头，有没有一些枯树枝。这些不同的细节应该分在哪一层。更多我们去参考大自然的逻辑，我们自己会通过《原神》的风格去统一，去呈现给玩家。
Maizi, Level Artist: When we were working on the snow mountain, we referenced a lot of photos from the real world. We studied what is beneath the snow, such as the soil, the presence of grass, small stones, and dried tree branches. We had to decide which layer these different details should be placed in. We relied on the logic of nature for further inspiration and strived to present a unified style within *Genshin Impact* to the players.

基于现实的参考的话，就是一说到欧洲说到雪山，一般就会想到阿尔卑斯山。作为一个独立的比较高的山峰的话，我当时参考的是马特宏峰吧，好像是阿尔卑斯山的一座比较有特色的尖的三角形的山峰。
Bu Yiding, Environment Concept Artist: Speaking of real-world references, when it comes to snow-capped mountains in Europe, people usually think of the Alps. As for an independent and relatively tall peak, I took inspiration from the Matterhorn, which is a distinctive triangular mountain in the Alps.

## Into the Snowstorm — Building on a Theme

小傲 《原神》 大世界关卡策划：雪山扑面而来的低温的感觉，除了美术层面的表现以外，还有很多来自策划上的一些设计。比如说进入雪山之后，我们给玩家带来了低温条这么一个机制，可能有相关的一些内容会让低温条出现增长或者削弱。雪山整体的占地面积比较小，对于如何呈现给大家更多的内容，我们从以下三个方面来进行考虑。
Xiao Ao, Level Designer: The chilling sensation of the snow mountain hitting you is not only portrayed artistically but also comes from various design elements in the game's planning. For instance, upon entering the snow mountain, we introduced a mechanism called the "Sheer Cold meter" to players, where certain activities can increase or decrease its effect. Despite the relatively small overall area of the snow mountain, we considered three aspects to provide players with more content.

一是内部空间，在整个雪山区域我们尽可能做了很多的内部空间来给玩家带来更多的探索内容，比如说星荧洞（窟），比如说一些遗迹的内部等等。
First is the interior spaces. We incorporated numerous interior spaces throughout the snow mountain area to offer players more exploration opportunities, such as Starglow Cavern and the interiors of ancient ruins.

第二点是连通，在雪山，我们把很多的内部空间都做得相对连通，让玩家进入一个区域之后，马上会进入下一个区域，中间是一个不间断的这么一个体验。
The second aspect is connectivity. We ensured that many of these interior spaces are interconnected, allowing players to seamlessly transition from one area to another, providing a continuous experience.

第三点就是主题性区域，它整体的密度是比其他地方更高，比如星荧洞（窟）或者是古树那片区域，或者是龙骨的区域。对，这种各种各样的主题性区域给玩家带来一些移步换景的体验，让他感觉会有更多的内容。
The third aspect is themed areas. The snow mountain has a higher density of themed areas compared to other regions, such as Starglow Cavern, the Frostbearing Tree area, and the dragon skeleton area. These diverse themed areas offer players a variety of scenic experiences, making them feel there is a wealth of content to discover.

海地 《原神》 场景美术负责人：随着他的探索，不同区域的主题不断深入的时候，环境氛围的包装也是不一样的。就比如说洞窟内，其实你进去是比较安静的，甚至你在洞窟里面的一些声音是有回响的。当你在洞窟的高处向下看，随着洞窟之间错综复杂的结构你来看的时候，对空间有一种未知的探索感。
Haidi, Environment Art Director: As the player explores deeper into different themed areas, the environmental atmosphere also undergoes distinct packaging. For example, when you enter a cave, it is relatively quiet, and even the sounds within the cave echo. When you look down from a high point within the cave, observing the intricate and complex structures between the caves, there is a sense of unknown exploration in the space.

小风 《原神》 龙脊雪山 灯光美术：我们山顶那块地方也花了很多心思在上面，寒天之钉。因为它包括整个跟任务相关的流程，它是雪山一切奇幻现象的根源，所以我们特别想给它一个不一样的感觉。其实从美术感受上来讲，当你进入世界，你从远处也会看到山间的云，就是你会从视觉上来看，你会对那个区域，尤其是云后面有什么，是有非常强烈的自己的联想。其实就是你最终体验的一个终点，其实这是有一种神秘感。
Xiao Feng, Lighting Artist: We put a lot of thought into the area on the mountain top, the Skyfrost Nail. Because it encompasses the entire process related to the quests, it is the source of all the fantastical phenomena in the snow mountain. So we wanted to give it a unique feeling. From an artistic standpoint, when you enter the world, you can see clouds between the mountains from a distance. Visually, it evokes strong associations and curiosity about what lies behind those clouds, especially in that specific area. It serves as a visual endpoint that you ultimately experience, creating a sense of mystery.

不一定 《原神》 龙脊雪山 生态场景原画：黑龙骸骨，它的腐化效果对周围地块的影响也是一个要特殊包装的区域。当时我们开始设计这一块的时候，比如说策划提出一个想法，就是希望这边有一条战死的龙。我们根据这些脑洞，配合原画一起出一些前期的设定。
Bu Yiding, Environment Concept Artist: The dragon's skeletal remains and its corruptive effects on the surrounding land are also areas that require special packaging. When we started designing this area, the design team came up with an idea of having a fallen dragon. Based on these creative ideas, we collaborated with concept artists to develop preliminary designs.

小傲 《原神》 大世界关卡策划：为了让雪山的故事体验更丰富，我们会围绕雪山最大的一个主题，就是寒天之钉和古代王国，来全方位多角度来展示这么一个事情。第一个是古代王国视角，比如说玩家在游玩的时候会遇到八个石碑或者三个宝匣。从这些碎片化的信息中，玩家会慢慢总结出一些雪山过去发生什么事情。第二点我们从现代的NPC的角度来阐释雪山发生了什么事情，比如说玩家游玩中遇到乔尔父亲的这么一个任务，还有一些其他的任务。最后一点我们会从玩家的视角来阐述这个事情，比如说最主要的「山中之物」这个任务，或者说「腐殖之牙」这个任务，都是玩家自己经历的一些什么，遇到了什么。当这三个部分全部交织在一起的时候，会给玩家还原雪山真正的全貌。
Xiao Ao, Level Designer: In order to enrich the storytelling experience of the snow mountain, we focus on the major theme of the Frostbearing Tree and the ancient kingdom, presenting it from multiple angles and perspectives. The first aspect is from the perspective of the ancient kingdom, where players will encounter eight stone tablets or three treasure chests during their exploration. From these fragmented pieces of information, players will gradually piece together what happened in the snow mountain's past. The second aspect is to explain what happened in the snow mountain from the perspective of modern NPCs, such as the quest involving Joel's father and other quests. The final aspect is to portray the story from the player's perspective, particularly through the main quests "In the Mountains" and "The Festering Fang," allowing players to experience and encounter various elements. When these three parts intertwine, it provides players with a comprehensive understanding of the true nature of the snow mountain.

## Sculpting a Snowscape — Fine-Tuning Frost

好难 《原神》 龙脊雪山 技术美术：《原神》里面的雪其实很清透，甚至有一些闪闪的浪漫的感觉。我们的雪不可能做得很写实，所以说当时就找了很多很多的参考。我就无意之中向上看，看到云彩。我想到云彩是不是可以变成我们的雪。云呢，是有一个颜色的渐变，那我们的雪是不是也可以套用这种思路做一个渐变的效果。我试验了一下，刚刚好。这个雪的效果就非常的水彩，给美术看了就感觉，这就是我们要的雪。
Hao Nan, Technical Artist: The snow in *Genshin Impact* is actually very transparent, even giving a shimmering and romantic feeling. Our snow cannot be realistically portrayed, so we searched for numerous references. I happened to look up and saw clouds. I wondered if clouds could be transformed into our snow. Clouds have a gradient of colors, so I thought, why not apply this concept to our snow and create a gradient effect? I tried it out, and it worked perfectly. The result was a snow effect with a watercolor-like quality, and when the art team saw it, they felt that it was exactly what we wanted for our snow.

阿乐 《原神》 龙脊雪山 模型美术：1.2版本上的雪和冰效果是为雪山添加了不少亮点。前前后后调了差不多有15版，其实在雪山上也是一个试验性的东西。
A Le, Modeling Artist: The snow and ice effects in [Version] 1.2 added many highlights to the snow mountain. We made around 15 iterations and adjustments throughout the process. In fact, it was an experimental endeavor on the snow mountain.

麦子 《原神》 龙脊雪山 关卡美术：其实我们在美术上也是希望玩家能感受到它的美术质量在慢慢的提升。比如说路边的树，包括树上的积雪，我们都有去看它怎么落得更自然，跟地表的一些结构去呼应。
Maizi, Level Artist: In fact, in terms of art, we wanted players to feel the gradual improvement in artistic quality. For example, the trees along the road, including the accumulated snow on them, were carefully observed to make them appear more natural and harmonize with the structures on the ground.

你在雪山积雪的时候，你去攻击它，它是会落雪的。美术其实做东西会有一种美术洁癖，尤其我们面对的是一个同时开发全平台的这样一个项目。保证玩家到任何地方，画面无论是从构图还是细节铺设还是美术逻辑，它都是具备美术素质的，而不是说是杂乱的。
Haidi, Environment Art Director: When you attack the accumulated snow [on a tree] on the snow mountain, it will scatter and fall. In art, there is a certain level of obsession with perfection, especially when working on a project that is simultaneously developed for multiple platforms. We aim to ensure that no matter where players go, the visuals, whether in composition, detailed design, or artistic logic, maintain a high artistic quality rather than appearing chaotic.

## View From the Summit — Journey Into the Unknown

海地 《原神》 场景美术负责人：如果你横向去看我们的世界，它会越来越完整。这个世界是有一些平淡、安静美好的部分，也有一些充满了奇幻感、冒险感的地方。玩家就是在随着不断去紧张放松紧张放松这样的过程中去发现更多的未知世界。
Haidi, Environment Art Director: If you look at our world horizontally, it becomes more and more complete. This world has its share of serene and peaceful aspects, as well as places filled with a sense of fantasy and adventure. Players embark on a journey of discovering more unknown realms as they go through a cycle of tension and relaxation.