Zaei could you and Psy get together and help Psy make an OpenGL version of what you've already done? I'd like to put them on TOW's Screens page.
(the page will be uploaded soon!)
http://times.of.war.tripod.com/
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Zaei could you and Psy get together and help Psy make an OpenGL version of what you've already done? I'd like to put them on TOW's Screens page.
(the page will be uploaded soon!)
http://times.of.war.tripod.com/
Is it possible to implement these as soon as possible?
Elevation Map Loading
((0,0,0) = Sea-127, (128,128,128) = SeaLevel, (255,255,255) = Sea+127)
Anything under sea level is underwater, as simple as that. However under sea level, it must be either sand or rock (textures & such).
Sky
Texture mapped sphere (approximated with pre-lit vertices). Ability to add another texture on top which is like the moon or whatever. Ability to create a dim glow at the horizon (RGB), or at whatever point (for the moon) (WHITE).
Coronas (NOT LENS FLARES)
Dynamic lighting
Also Zaei what do you think the name for the D3D/OGL engine should be? I think it should be the War engine ;).
PLEEAASSSEEE dont make me use elevation images =). They are a pain. I am about to implement a cloud layer, and a moon or sun is easy enough, while stars are just another particle system =).
I know nothing of OGL. Psy knows more than I do =).
As for a name, Divinity is my choice =).
Z.
Another design note for the game. I have been working toward the goal that all units will be data-driven, meaning that all stats, graphics, etc, for each unit will be in a file on disk. There will be a second file with a list of all the data files in the game. The end result of this is that we, or others who want to, can create additional units, and release them with no modifications to the game itself. More to come on this idea when we get there, but i just wanted to let it stew in your minds for a while.
Z.
Another idea that has been floating in my mind for some time now is user created MOD packs, allowing access to everything about the game to be made anew, apart from the actual engine =). They would further the playability of TOW, and would make our RTS the first one (or one of the first?) with FULL mod support (think HL)
Open Gl version hey :D lol ok, if u get me the src i can,
[email protected]
mail it or upload it plz
Oh and forget the sky thing, nobody will ever see it... ;)
People WILL see stars and such, and its easy to add in, i just havent gotten around to it yet. Ive been sitting around with 30, 35 pages of C++ source trying to work out skeletel animation. I think I have most of it worked out, and Ill be trying it out later today. And just in case you were wondering, yes, all 35 pages are about nothing but skinned meshes.
Im also trying to get fogging to work, but so far, ive just gotten black fog, which looks really good when you fade it to a night sky, but really disgusting otherwise.
When I get fogging done, I am going to modify the way objects are linked together for rendering and updating, into a tree structure, for ease of use.
Sas, I want you to finish up those broken links on the web site =).
Z.
I'm working a complete design overhaul. Once you see a golden toolbar you'll know that the update is complete, no broken links. ;)
I've compiled a screenshot page & a concept art page, as well as the units page and all of the info available on the old page. There'll also be a private DL section that I tried to implement before (and failed)
I will probably be able to finish with skinned mesh loading etc, by the end of the week, if not sooner.
The real reason for this post is to decide exactly where this game should be going. Are we making an RTS like Warcraft 2? Are we making an RPG like Baldur's Gate? Are we mixing elements of the two? Will there be an all encompassing, epic story line?
I have been thinking of some very interesting ideas to mix RTS and RPG elements into the game. Have a Party of characters that travel from battle to battle, town to town. There isn't a single "main character".
Image Final Fantasy Tactics. Mix 50% RTS, 40% storyline, and 10% rpg. Give each character stats, but hide them from the player at ALL times. If your characters realize that they are losing a battle, the run, and you get your fallback scenario (perhaps they fall back to the safety of a castle, and have to defend against a bunch of ogres or whatever.
The reason i bring this up is because i am realizing that if you want to implement all of the units, and several "races", you are going to end up with a game that would probably fill 3 or 4 CDs. If any of you have the DX8 SDK, and have run the SkinnedMesh sample, the model that is loaded is a whopping 1.51M in size, not including the texture. That's one file, and one animation.
Now, to bring us all back to reality here. This is Sas, and Jorj's game. I do not want to take over that from them. What I do want is to create a game that makes people want more. So, I want any and all decisions to go through our team leaders =). Sas, Jorj, if you dont like any of these ideas, let us know (and anyone else as well). I just want a very, VERY firm idea of what the final game should look like. Otherwise, we are a bunch of headless chickens =). I want feedback from every person who is working on this project, and Im sure Sas does too. Post suggestions, criticism, opinions, flames, etc, etc. Lets get our game design down, and then start making it a reality!
Sorry for the novel this post turned into =).
Z.
Thanks for clearing that up!
Whew, I thought I was going to have to make that post, you saved me the time. (and carpal tunnel syndrome ;))
It's just an RTS. Like warcraft II, only 3D, and a little bit more personalized. (mages have different spells, units must learn things themselves (no group upgrades), seperate armour) That's what I want. Now I had no clue that this would be large. The animations themselves wouldnt take THAT much space would they? Even if each unit is 5-10 MB then I think it's okay. I mean thats 24 x 5-10 = 120 - 240 MB. I know for a fact that this could be hugely compressed =). So then we have, I dunno, maybe 40-50 MB for the units. I, for one, think that's okay. Since we are compiling with C++, the exe will be small, maybe 1 - 2 megs. But there's something we haven't talked about - sounds.
Who will do voice acting? I can't really, and I don't think Jorj can either. Also could you mail me your engine, I want to see how it goes and looks.
We might have to distribute on CD, although how to
1. get the cd
2. make it look 'proffessional'
3. distribute it
, I don't know.
Just some things to think about, I really need to think this through. After all of the sounds and stuff the package will be about 90 MB, which is pretty good, considering it's a full game.
Whoops that'll be more like 40 models or 50 models cause of the dragons and such and the trees, OOPS the buildings, yes I am starting to see where you are coming from Zaei, we'll have to think about it...
Could you two create these particle/lightning effects?
http://www.viewimages.com/AltaVistaP...00&partnerid=2 (lightning)
http://128.95.16.3/SolidEarth/Magnet.../lightning.gif (lightning)
http://www.ozcraft.com/cgibin/picvie...ire_trails.jpg (fire trails)
http://www.ozcraft.com/cgibin/picvie..._lightning.jpg (point-point lightning)
http://www.ozcraft.com/cgibin/picvie...f3_indians.jpg (dust effects)
Just let your mind wander over it, Sas =). I just want to get everyone on the same wavelength before we actually start creating the game itself.
Dust trails are fire trails with a different texture =). I will work on lightning effects when i finish with the skinned mesh stuff (the loading code is almost done =).
As for sounds, Wavs will do for little sound effects (you know, chinks on metal, etc), and any void acting or background music is mp3 or midi (mp3 recommended).
Psy: I will never ask you to duplicate the Skinned Mesh code I am working on now. It's so long that I have been at it since about noon today (its 7 pm now), and I havent clicked on the compile button once. There are at least 4 functions that are longer than 3 pages, and this is only the load code =(.
Anyway, back to the grind =).
Z.
death were is your sting. i think i need to ketch up on some of this. so all of u that read this pm me or something oh thaks sas for saying im not dead i think it was page 6. oh and whats that d00?.jpg about man that stuff looks wack.
how would i go about getting the vb direct8x for my computer theres something screwy in my copy.
That was Zaei's engine...
:rolleyes:
i need the library file for vb if anything tell me were i can dl it or nothing in directx 8.0 will work on my computer or can i create it
Zaei I was wondering if you could mail me an executable of your engine, I want to have more shots for the site.
But really, what I want you to do first are the spell effects. It would be really neat to see the magic. Okay, the first I want to have is something like field of lightning, where you would specify a centre point and then the lightning would come down into that spot, until the mage's mana "is up". An update is that you can't do spells when the mage has no mana and you cannot see the mage's mana. The mage should glow (pulse glowing, becomes brighter when there is more mana. Either that or having a dim/bright aura surrounding the mage, but with the advance of vertex shaders there should be no problem doing the first one)
Psy if you could make your OGL version it would be very helpful, that and I want to have some screens of it on the site.
Sorry, but, i'm getting asked to do **** but i have no code to do **** with ? Is it on the site ?
It isn't commented yet. Dont worry about it for now, Psy =).
Sas, ill be emailing you the exe in a few minutes.
Z.
BIG NEWS!
Skinned Meshes....They Load.... They Draw.... they just dont move yet =(.
Z.
I didnt get the EXE in my mail, maybe it's just GMX.
Hey Sas Im glad you like my monk I want to do one of those things to my name, I dont know how, dont worry I know Im computer ileterate but hey! I can comunicate oline. I could hand draw magic, dragons and other things that are not units, I will try my best to e-mail everyone my drawn pics if sas has not.
Okay well I actually used your 'monk' for the 'mage of the eye', as I thought the picture better suited that. If you have any problems with that let me know (just because monk is a real-world unit and in the real world people aren't made of magic ;)). I'm also making a bit o' my own concept art as is Jorj, we'll pick the best ones when there are lots of pics.
Zaei - I was wondering if you could make a 3D plane out of a bitmap, but not having the white parts (an irregular plane). Then I could extrude the parts of the model and it would be kinda easy to create 3D models. Just my $0.02.
Dont know what you mean Sas. Could you make it more clear =)?
Meshes still dont move, they will by the end of tomorrow.
Z.
If you have UT, in the map editor there is a 2D object editor. You can make a 2D object out of triangles, I want the program to do this automatically. Like, say, that you have a picture of a black square on a white background. When put into this prog., I want it to select the black square and split it into triangles, and spit out a .X file or something like that. Then I could go into an editor and extrude certain points so that it becomes 3D, just a thoiught though...
Ok. Basically take an n-gon and turn it into triangles? Ill see what i can dig up on the web.
Did you get the engine? If you did, when you run it, and close it again, open up the "Debug.txt" file, and tell me what the second to last line says (it should be some decimal number, right above "Destroying...").
Z.
I'd like to thank everyone for their great efforts to date! Keep up the good work.
Norman_Nomein, it might be a comfort to know you're not the only non-programmer here.
Sastraxi, I'm anxious to see the new website. I like your 'members download' section idea.
Jorj, you can see the website, I'll show it to you next time we meet up. And the rest of you will have to wait until my creative brain is working.
Oh yeah and the engine runs supersmooth on my new GeForce 2 =P.
;)
Now I have all your e-mails and I will e-mail you the pictures that I do so you can be updated. Sas I dont mind you naming it the mage of the eye, all I did was a drawing. Just inform me so I dont draw the wrong thing. Dont worry I wont have any energy filled units anymore.:)
I just made an archer drawing that Im scanning tomorrow and sending it to everyone on the same day I scan it.
Ooooh I can't wait hurry hurry!!! ;)
Jorj, e-mail me at [email protected] so I can send you the pictures, I dont think I've sent them to you.
Sas, give me that number. And feel free to send the engine to anyone who wants it in our team =).
Z.
That'll be me.
What number would that be Zaei?
Psyvision I'll send it over to ya in a second.
Jorj's email is [email protected]
Sorry 'bout that it's [email protected]
Ent got anything yet lol.
Btw I have seen some very ver nice artwork by u guys !!
This one:
"Open up the "Debug.txt" file, and tell me what the second to last line says (it should be some decimal number, right above "Destroying..."). "
Z.