Chapter 2: Markings for Team / Role Readability

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Markings for Team & Role Readability: Faction Identity, Branding & Livery

Why Team/Role Markings Matter

Players make split‑second decisions based on what they can read in motion and at distance. Team and role markings convert vehicles from anonymous shapes into actionable information: who’s friendly, who’s command, who’s support, who’s danger. For concept artists, these markings are a grammar for iconography, number systems, and color zoning. For production artists, they are constraints for UVs, decals, materials, and LOD. When authored as a system, markings scale from hero shots to crowded scenes without losing clarity.

The Marking Stack: A Predictable Hierarchy

Effective readability comes from a consistent stack that appears on every vehicle in the same order. Author your stack as paragraphs, not only diagrams, so the rules survive handoffs. 1) Allegiance (Faction/Team): the broadest identity—color field, emblem, light signature. 2) Role (Class/Function): combat, recon, logistics, medic, interceptor, heavy, support. Uses shape‑coded glyphs, pattern zones, or color bands. 3) Unit/Group: team number, squadron/wing/convoy identifier, race team name. 4) Vehicle ID: individual callsign or serial; tabular numerals or human‑readable codes. 5) Compliance & Hazards: fuel type, lift points, egress, danger arcs, maintenance tags. 6) Personalization: nose art, charms, talismans—constrained to allowed zones. Lock relative scale and priority: higher tiers must remain readable when lower tiers collapse with distance or damage.

Icon & Insignia Design for Roles

Role glyphs must be legible at 32–64 px under motion blur. Favor strong silhouettes, stroke families (1x/2x/4x), and rotationally stable shapes. Encode semantics by geometry so color is not the sole carrier: triangle = assault, circle = support, diamond = recon, cross = medical, chevron = speed/interceptor, square = logistics. Provide light‑on‑dark and dark‑on‑light variants and a single‑color fallback. Include mirrored pairs where orientation matters (left/right mounts) to avoid backward reads on flipped UVs.

Numbering Systems That Survive Motion

Choose a numeral family suited to the fiction (DIN/Grotesk for modern, stencil for military/post‑apoc, engraved/uncial for fantasy). Use tabular lining with generous tracking. For racing, place number plates on high‑contrast backers visible from three‑quarter front and side; for military, standardize hull and turret/rear placements; for sci‑fi and cyberpunk, pair numbers with UID/QR blocks for diegetic scanning. Always provide a monochrome backup plate to guarantee contrast. Author SDF (signed distance field) versions for impostors and low‑LOD.

Color Bands, Value Anchors, and Material Zoning

Color communicates team; value communicates form; material communicates function. Reserve 60–80% of the vehicle for the neutral field (paint or base material), 10–20% for team accents, and 2–8% for signal colors tied to interactables and hazards. Role bands should never erase silhouette or occlude sensors. Place color bands along panel breaks, not across them, unless the design explicitly wants a disruptive read (e.g., dazzle camo). Pair every chroma choice with a ΔL* contrast target (aim 35–45 ΔL* minimum for numbers and small icons). Use material blockers (gloss body, matte tactical, ceramic, rubber, glass, emissive) to prevent uncontrolled reflection that could swallow marks at night or in fog.

Placement Maps: Where Marks Live

Draft orthographic placement maps for each platform (ground, air, sea/space, runner, bike). Define: — Primary Identity Zones: large, non‑curved areas for emblems, unit names, number plates. — Role Bands: linear lanes that wrap predictably (sills, keels, pods, tail fins). — Hazard/Service Zones: arrows and icons near tow eyes, jacking points, fuel ports. — No‑Fly Zones: viewports, sensor glass, heat tiles, moving joints. — Mirroring Rules: specify left/right behavior and asymmetry allowances. Provide “safe areas” measured as percentages of panel size to avoid cropping at trim seams.

Readability Under Motion & Bad Lighting

Test markings in three hostile cases: (1) backlit silhouette, (2) saturated fog or rain with bloom, (3) quarter‑second glance at 64‑px scale. If role or team vanishes, increase the backer contrast, simplify the glyph, or add reflective/retroreflective trims. Use per‑role emissive punctuation only where it won’t flatten the contour; light bars should sit in recessed channels or on matte carriers to keep edges crisp.

Accessibility: Redundancy Beyond Color

Assume color‑vision variance. Back every team color with a unique shape rhythm (chevrons vs bars vs dots) and a consistent icon set. Avoid red/green pairings without a value delta. Ensure HUD glyphs match diegetic decals so learning transfers: the refuel icon on the HUD must match the fill‑port graphic on the vehicle.

Genre‑Specific Notes

Racing

Team identity rides on livery geometry and number plates. Role variants (sprinter, endurance, support) can use bonnet/roof banding, mirror caps, and pit‑board colors. Place sponsor decals in pre‑agreed panels; keep safety and role marks on high‑contrast backgrounds so they survive pattern noise. Weathering teaches performance: rubber marbling on arches, pit tape ghosts on seams, brake dust on wheels. Night races rely on reflective plates and standardized light signatures; cap emissive intensity to avoid washing panel curvature.

Military

Doctrine dictates placement: national/emblem roundels, unit tac‑marks, serials, and theatre camo with low‑chroma palettes. Role is clear via shape glyphs (triangle assault, diamond recon, cross medic) paired with color bands (subdued). Put danger arcs at muzzle and traverse areas; use readable stencils for lift points and tie‑downs. UID/QR panels aid gameplay scanning. Dust stratification and repaint ghosts should not obscure serials; provide re‑stencil overlays for field repairs.

Sci‑Fi (Hard)

Standards and safety lead. Role bands map to service intervals or thermal regimes (coolant blue, reactor yellow/black caution, EVA orange). Docking and refuel icons follow agreed collar shapes and color‑coded gaskets. Radiator tiles and thruster cassettes carry numbered indexes for maintenance and targeting. Emissive caution bars have strict widths and pulse cadence; mark handrails and footholds with tactile strips and high ΔL* contrast to guide EVA gameplay.

Sci‑Fi (Soft)

Role is ceremonial: guardians, healers, scouts receive sigils with glow logic. Keep emissive filigree bounded and occluded so silhouettes stay legible in dark scenes. Numbering becomes constellation maps or runic ordinals; provide a monochrome fallback plate for UI parity. Material variations (nacre, woven light) must still preserve value contrast for icons and ports.

Cyberpunk

Two dialects: corporate vs street. Corporates use regulated number plates, RFID UIDs, and consistent light bars; roles are encoded by bar‑code patterns and legal tint variations. Street fleets layer stickers, stencil tags, and LED accent kits; role can be read by underglow rhythm (courier pulse vs patrol sweep) and pannier icon sets. Rain and neon require matte backers behind numbers; reflective tapes add legibility at intersections.

Post‑Apocalyptic

Team/tribe marks are improvised: spray stencils, burnt brands, chalk tallies, reclaimed road‑sign plates. Role is signaled by tool silhouettes (wrench = mechanic, drop = water hauler, bolt = scout) and banding made from tarp strips or cord wraps. Numbering is literal salvage (house numbers, cargo stencils). Keep donor paint peeking at edges for credibility; ensure markings sit on flatter panels to survive rough UVs and rapid LOD swaps.

Fantasy

Heraldry governs: tinctures, ordinaries, supporters. Role is shown by charges (lion = vanguard, chalice = healer, key = scout) and pennant colors that match guild law. Embossed insignia and enamel badges require high relief and bold value separation under torchlight. Apply rune numerals or tally notches near harness points; gilding wear and soot should reveal base metal but never erase house colors.

Production: UVs, Atlases, and LOD Discipline

Place critical marks on dedicated decal meshes or secondary UV sets to avoid stretching. Build decal atlases per faction with emblem variants, numerals, role glyphs, hazard icons, and maintenance tags; include left/right and light/dark pairs. Add 8–16 px bleed and MIP‑safe padding; deliver SDF or vector‑to‑SDF for ultra‑low LOD signage. At distance, swap to impostor textures with baked marks; at mid LODs, collapse micro‑stickers into macro blocks to prevent shimmer. Keep trim sheets shared between vehicles and props to ensure color consistency.

Material Blockers as Marking Carriers

Define Decal Carrier blockers with roughness tuned to prevent specular washout; set emissive caps and occlusion masks for light bars and sigil glows. Standardize bevel widths so highlights support contour and do not break glyph edges. Use retroreflective material options for numbers where night gameplay demands it; supply a glare‑safe alternative for photo/cutscene cameras.

Testing Protocols

— Grayscale pass: Convert scene to two values + emissive. Role and team must still read. — 64‑px pass: Shrink to thumbnail while panning. Numbers and role glyph must remain legible. — Backlight/fog pass: Ensure backers preserve contrast; trim emissives that flatten silhouette. — Motion pass: Add speed and shake; test read time at <0.5 s exposure. Bake these into your art QA and require sign‑off before shipping new liveries.

Documentation & Handoff

Ship a Marking Bible with: palette swatches (sRGB + linear), icon grid and stroke rules, numeral styles, placement maps per chassis, decal atlas with naming, role band widths and offsets, emissive timing notes, accessibility guidance, and a Do/Don’t page (e.g., decals over compound curves, low‑contrast numbers, uncontrolled bloom). Include a short “narrative” paragraph that explains why each faction marks itself this way—culture sells compliance.

Closing: Marks That Teach

When marks are designed as a system—icon, number, band, and material working in concert—players learn by seeing. Concept establishes a few simple promises; production protects them across LODs, lighting, and wear. Do that, and every vehicle will announce its team and role before it even speaks with motion.