The Art of Mass Effect/Transport

The following contains the text found within the third part of The Art of Mass Effect, published in 2007. The commentary was written entirely by Casey Hudson.

Transport

How would interstellar space travel actually work? This is one of the first questions that need to must [sic] be answered-at [sic] least in fictional terms-when [sic] creating a futuristic setting. The rules that govern space travel will determine where you can go, how long it takes, and ultimately, what kinds of stories can be told. In Mass Effect, a system of enormous antennae called mass relays allows ships to travel hundreds of light-years in a matter of moments. Though these gigantic relays were left behind by an ancient civilization, the ships that use them belong to a variety of fleets-including [sic] the Human Alliance. [sic] This created opportunities for artists to not only design an armada of starships, but to also give each fleet a unique visual style. The most important ship of them all, however, would be Commander Shepard's: the SSV Normandy. It would not only serve as an environment for players to explore and a backdrop for some of Mass Effect's most dramatic moments, but it would almost need to be a character unto itself, playing the starring role in the game's most spectacular space battles.

The Mako

One early painting illustrated the adventurous spirit of exploring Uncharted Worlds in Mass Effect (above). It kicked off the formal design process for the Mako, the player's all-terrain combat vehicle. Knowing that players would have to traverse extremely rough terrain, the Mako needed large wheels and lots of ground clearance, while still having a sporty and futuristic look.

Many different designs were considered, including floating vehicles (opposite). Some of these concepts were actually built and tested to evaluate their capability in traversing rugged terrain. The vehicle from the concept shown above can be seen in Mass Effect as a stationary vehicle and was once the front-runner for the Mako design.

The final concept for the Mako looked surprisingly sleek and futuristic for a vehicle with tremendous off-road ability. This resulted mainly from its wide wheelbase, and the pointed nose resembling the shark for which it is named.

Normandy Exterior

As the most advanced ship in the Human Alliance [sic], the Normandy needed to look fast and stealthy. Early designs were inspired by the canted intakes and swept wings of the F-14 Tomcat fighter jet.

As the design was finalized, it was elongated even further to create a shape that looked capable of light-speed travel. But to ensure that it could come to a complete stop at a spaceport, vectored engine nozzles were added that also made it look more interesting while maneuvering.

Normandy Cockpit

The interior of the Normandy was meant to capture the purposeful, military atmosphere of a modern submarine. Crew would be seen working at bright computer screens in an otherwise dark environment. The cockpit would showcase this treatment as well as feature a narrow window to the world outside.

Several different approaches came together to visualize the Normandy's interior, such as marker renderings (above), rough 3-D models (opposite, top), and schematics (right).

Normandy Mid-Deck

The complex environment of a starship interior made it essential to draw upon 3-D sketching software to visualize such locations as the galley and sleep pod areas.

Normandy Engine Room

Though this area was relatively straightforward in visual terms, the enormous power of the engine was brought to life with large moving parts, impressive electrical effects, and thundering engine sounds.

Normandy Cargo Bay

Using pools of saturated color, the lighting of the cargo bay reinforces the claustrophobic feeling of being inside the belly of a starship.

Human Ships

Each species' starships was given a unique look. Ships of the human fleet incorporated highly organic shapes so that they seem to swim through space. Originally drawn as early designs for the Normandy, they later became possibilities for human cargo ships.

Geth Ships

To give them an intimidating appearance, geth ships were inspired by the tail-down posture a hornet takes when preparing to sting. Tiny "feelers" on the undersides of the ships enhance their insect-like profiles.

Sovereign

Standing more than a mile tall, Sovereign is easily the largest ship in Mass Effect. To enhance its size, it was imagined that its presence and power would disrupt the weather (bottom, left). Features reminiscent of an insect's anatomy were added to further tie it to the geth and the other synthetic species in Mass Effect.

Human Ships (2)

These additional ship designs show some of the alternate ideas for the starship Normandy, as well as possibilities for cargo ships and fighters.

Though these drawings are shown at the same size, they represent ideas for a huge destroyer (top), a one-man fighter (middle), and a heavy cruiser (bottom).

At one point in the concepting process, human ships were heavily geometrical. These freighter designs incorporated harsh boxy lines and long circular arcs. Even the early fighter design (below) was primarily composed of straight lines.

Freighters

These bare-bones cargo ships can be found throughout the galaxy. With a simple spine holding together a series of reusable containers, the designs are obviously based more on economy than performance or aesthetics.

Turian Ships

Turian ships incorporated layers of plates to roughly symbolize the feathered appearance of the turians themselves.

Salarian Ships

In a reference to the salarians' salamander-like appearance, the smooth, rounded appearance of the salarians ships [sic] makes them look as much like ocean-going vessels as starships.

The Destiny's Ascension [sic]

Built by the asari, the Ascension was one of the biggest starships in Mass Effect. But the Citadel and mass relays were large enough to make even ships of this size seem tiny.

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