something big

[bearded]

lost in c# code for days. making progress.

[Epimethee]

Really great work, Bearded. I'm impressed by what you've done so far.

From the very limited digging I've done so far, one of the challenges AFAIK would be the AI and especially pathfinding. On a game with a dynamic environment where movement capabilities vary wildly from character to character (and even from character state to character), finding the optimal path becomes  much harder. Most games, having to cope with a far simpler pathfinding problem, don't manage it all that well.

There doesn't seem to be much built-in behaviour available out of the box in Unity, though there are a few 3rd-party solutions, such as RAIN (http://rivaltheory.com/product, $100) and Path and Behave from a Unity dev (http://angryant.com, open source).

what if each algorythmic number had a linear subdivision? like, batman is level 2.10 strength, the upper level of normal str, and green arrow would be 2.5? bane would be maybe 3.2, twice as strong as batman, but not as strong as killer croc, 3.3, does that make sense?

You probably already know this, but just in case, using integers for the code itself is usually better, as it improves performances and avoids round errors.

lost in c# code for days. making progress.

Errr... have fun? For my edification, what are the advantage of using C# instead of the easier Python-derived Boo? The third solution, Javascript, seemed to have a few major limitations, but I haven't really discovered anything major against Boo. Is it compatibility with other existing code?

BTW, I wonder if you've checked the abandoned open-source Unity RPG project, Sunderworld? While it was very early alpha work, it may still have some elements woh forking: http://sourceforge.net/projects/sunderworld/

[bearded]

i haven't gotten to pathfinding yet, but i've thought about it. i've seen some pathfinding scripts, and will probably try to code my own. i am building everything from scratch. the demo i released was with the 3d platform tutorial, proof of concept.
as for c#, it seems to work hand in hand with boo scripts, you can seemingly call functions back and forth between them. more experimenting to do, but i want to use this experience to learn c. i've proto programmed in python, and i want to learn it. it's a bit more complex than boo, but i feel like i have more control. i am actually having fun!
the stat system i have in mind actually uses whole numbers. the first 'level' of the number is the rating. rating 1, rating 2. and within each rating is a subdivision of ten different 'levels'.
thanks for the rpg link! i'll look at it as soon as possible!

i really need help with labels for the different 'levels' and ratings. think of dnd. i'm a level 3 caster that can cast level 1 spells, that's just confusing. what can we call the different degrees of power levels? and how to differentiate between the overall power rating of the characters? like, xmen's legion is a 'class alpha' mutant.

[bearded]

it ain't purty, it's mostly formula's for stats and derived stats, with some very very basic font and images. some of you hardcore rpger's might recognize some of the stat designations. i'm fixing it so when the mouse hovers over the initials, the full name will pop up. the numbers shown don't mean anything yet, they are just stand ins. i'm thinking a character can have an over-all rating, based on averaging the stats and powers.


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just found out something exciting, level loading can be done with integers, so that means dynamic campaign arcs are easily done.

[Xenolith]

Re: levels

Some RPGs use levels names like "pulp," "street level," "super," to describe power levels but I don't see any reason you couldn't use alpha, beta, etc. 
I sort of like the designations of City of Heroes for type; scrapper, blaster, controller, etc.  They seem to be good catch-all generic names.

maybe you could combine the two?  Wolverine is a super scrapper.  Doctor Strange is a super controller.

[Epimethee]

just found out something exciting, level loading can be done with integers, so that means dynamic campaign arcs are easily done.

Nice!

[bearded]

in my experimenting with animation and physics i replaced a static car with bullet. he drives like a fast car, but animates like a speedster. i've been thinking about releasing my experiments, not as complete games, but as prototypes. would ppl be interested?
my newest idea is to take the same attribute engine and apply it to different game types, all within the same game. so you could have racing levels, or flight sim levels, or arena levels.

[Epimethee]

Interesting. Releasing your experiments as is sounds good, as it might get you feedback and possibly contributors. Too bad I have so little time these days.

[ShawDAMAN]

Sounds like a remarkable project and it's great that progress is being made. Keep it up

[bearded]

here is cyber burn's generic hero skin behind some old school thugs. the normal map detail came out well here. you can see the pores in the thugs skull. gene's costume almost looks like scale mail. and the refl from the belt and gloves.


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i am hoping to take the base skin that cyber made and be able to add different layers of skins, like belt or chest symbols, as well as easily add weapons and gear.

[bearded]

here is gene, standing on the back fin of the ff car. he is able to do that, cause the engine creates colliders based on shape! that means, if you can reach it, you can stand on it. or hit it. which solves any questions about flying combat.


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[BentonGrey]

Sorry for my lack of response, Bearded, but I certainly think it's a good idea to test out whatever you feel may be ready for testing.  If you want an extra set of eyes on what you've done with Bullet, or even if you just want the encouragement that comes from knowing that someone is playing what you've created, go for it.  I'll be happy to test anything you'd like.

As for these new images you've put out, they look great.  The thugs are especially impressive.

[Epimethee]

here is gene, standing on the back fin of the ff car. he is able to do that, cause the engine creates colliders based on shape!

Yes!

that means, if you can reach it, you can stand on it. or hit it. which solves any questions about flying combat.

Re-yes!

BTW, would this work on character meshes? i.e., could the Wasp stand on Giant-Man's shoulder?

[bearded]

here he is standing in a randomly generated tree. the engine proceduraly generates limbs and foliage. and at first he clipped right through it. but i discovered when you import a mesh, you simply check the 'create colliders' box, and when you procedurally create something, you add the 'rigidbody' component. i haven't figured out how to do it to animated bodies yet, but i'm close. when i get more in depth with the combat colliders, i'm sure it will work.
as for testing, i wish i had something more tangible, in stead of the math and code.



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[Epimethee]

Very interesting. This will help a lot to give the game a comic-book feel. As far as FF went for its time, environmental interaction was still way too limited in this regard.

[bearded]

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dynamic cape! this is gene falling. the cape has no inherent animations, you set the verts to inherit dynamically from the attach area, the further the verts are out, the more you can have them sway. each vert has a collider, which isn't perfect, but generally keeps it from clipping. the only time it doesn't work great is if you do an instant 180, which should be programmed out anyway.
and i can use animations from male basic as well as thug, but male heavy did not work.

[UnkoMan]

Wow!

[BentonGrey]

Wow indeed!  It took me a bit, but I'm starting to see the potential in what you've been describing here Bearded.  This sounds great!

[Epimethee]

the cape has no inherent animations, you set the verts to inherit dynamically from the attach area, the further the verts are out, the more you can have them sway. each vert has a collider, which isn't perfect, but generally keeps it from clipping.

Quite interesting yet again. Can this be changed on the fly? For example, for a freeze blast on a caped crusader or for turning an elastic heros into a parachute?

[bearded]

Quite interesting yet again. Can this be changed on the fly? For example, for a freeze blast on a caped crusader or for turning an elastic heros into a parachute?

that's a good idea. i didn't think of that. what you would do is use the editor to set up the plastic man body into cloth material, but then deactivate it, using c# to activate it on call. freeze blast on a hero would be as simple as calling an animation and leaving it there, but the cape would have to deactivated.
another thing i've been thinking about is using the tree generator to make hair. trees are moving, affected by something called 'wind zone', similiar to an omni light, but it only affects the trees set up for it.

[Epimethee]

So... Procedural hair blowing in the wind? Cool!

[ShawDAMAN]

awesome

[jeremy355]

Awesome looking stuff Bearded.

[bearded]

thanks guys. friendly support helps.
not much of a big update today, i have day and night, and lights that go on when it gets dark. also, gene had just turned, so his cape flowed a tad.
2 different kinds of lights here, which one looks better?



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[Cyber Burn]

Personally, I like the first one. Has more of a street light feel.

[BentonGrey]

Ehh...I can't see the difference very clearly.

[bearded]

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[Cyber Burn]

Working headlights? Cool.

[detourne_me]

I can't believe all this amazing work youre putting into this bearded. does that collision detection work with the characters too? so a punch will actually land on the character?

[bearded]

i'm still at the learning stage. but i am determined to finish it. i don't know much about how i can do combat yet, my first playtest i sent had a bounding box type system, but i am beginning to learn about rigid bodies, so i have high hopes for a location based combat system.