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reepblue

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Blog Comments posted by reepblue

    Josh

    Posted

    Like Shadmar, Shadows for me are funny. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. I tried launching the application once with a batch for fullscreen and lightquality set to 2 (before I noticed it's the application doing all the work) and my shadows did work, looked really crisp, but it ran at 20 frames for a while, then it shot to 100+ until I went to another area of the terrain. (GTX 750Ti)

     

    I understand that this is still a work in progress, but I though I should let you know. I also hope grass and bushes don't float over dips in the terrain when this is ready to go. (Nitpick :))

    Josh

    Posted

    Very nice tutorial. Only criticism I have is that the 3rd party software you need costs more than the engine itself. I think for the future, it's best to recommend free/open source and multi platform applications if you plan to do any more. I get it that Vue is a professional skybox program, and there is prob not a good way to do it in Paint.Net or Gimp.

     

    I recommend tutorials on how to get a model from Blender into Leadwerks with the correct rotation and scale. It also be nice to document how animation files should be written, and how to load it. It does not seem to be talked about in the models and animations tutorial. You did a good explanation

    , but it's buried within the Leadwerks Youtube channel.
    Josh

    Posted

    @Olby. Although looking at blender files might not make you a better modeler, It sure helped me on how to properly rig a model to work. But allowing the end user to take a model and let them be able to modify it can be a learning tool. Everyone learns differently.

    Josh

    Posted

    I don't believe that by providing better stock assets you will increase the quality of user output. Where is the connection? How would a beginner developer (artist, coder etc. in one person) improve their assets? Only by looking at your sample content? This does not necessarily raise their art skills. Perhaps they will have a standard "LE benchmark" but that would only make us go from orange grids and crawler to "LE industrial textures and a military gunmen" models used over and over again. Yes, it would improve the screenshots but the content will be the same in each shot.

     

    If Josh actually release the raw content, it will give people a "Ohhh, so that's how I do it" moment. I've learned a lot looking at decompiled models before, and they are always nice to have. But if the new models are just "Ok guys, new models" without any sources, then yes, nothing can really be learned from it.

     

    I really hope the vertex tools and slicing are on the To-Do list, but there is a lot of issues with that. For example, creating invalid shapes, probably why Josh just added carving. Since I'm so used to not carving because it was seen as a sin with GoldSrc/Source, I don't use it as much. Hopefully someday it will be implemented.

     

    Yeah, this is the difference of making assets for Leadwerks and making assets with Leadwerks. The Source Engine had this issue until the community came up with the solution of Propper to turn csg's/bsp's to mdl's. Leadwerks isn't quite at that level where the community can make such tools ,though I am definitely trying, but it may change. But Olby is right, for the majority (read everyone on the steam forums but not here), if its not in the work shop it's not going to be made.

     

    Importing a model or texture to Source is A LOT more confusing than it is for LE3. Again with the source engine, people are generally making mods, and have the entire resource library of 3 Half-Life games, and if you know how, you can port models from Left 4 Dead, and other games. This is where I think if Leadwerks had it's own set of content, it will give new users a starting point, or at least a better one then they have now.

     

    Overall, I think if Josh does release the sources of new content (both models and textures) and with that, having more in-depth tutorials about creating the such content for Leadwerks, I think this issue will be better addressed.

    reepblue

    Posted

    Have you tried using the broadcast feature to see how your users play the game, or just had someone play it in person? I think broadcasts will work if you use the game launcher app ID. You might be surprised when you see how people really react.

     

    I don't have a fast enough connection for that because of my location. Right now, I'm only working close with people who know about game development and are very good on feedback.

     

    For causal testing, I have to do the dinosaur way and ask local people to play the game on my machine while I stand back and take notes. Luckly, I have a 1080p TV, and I integrated the Xbox360 controller so people can use that until I grab a Steam Controller. Something I'm not too worried about until the game looks more like a game. I want to atleast replace brush models with actual models before I ask causal players to test it.

    Josh

    Posted

    Starting as a modder, and starting as a indie developer are two different things. When you find a game that you love and want to make more content for it, the developer would have a sample pack of raw maps and models for you to go off of, or the community would make decompiling tools so you can look at these raw maps and models. People tend to learn better if they have examples to go by, rather then starting from complete scratch when they start their indie game.

     

    The AI and Events map is a "almost good" sample map. Yes, it demonstrates how bsp geometry, flowgraph and AI can be used in maps, but I recall the textures not being their default scale on brushes, the wall height was around 320cm tall than the 256cm that is stated in the recommended mapping standards. It would also help if the map was released in various forms showing how maps are traditionally made showing that all maps start as blocks of dev textures first, THEN it gets the art treatment when gameplay is established. Many people tend to think that the map is made with the assets from the start.

     

    So in conclusion, I recommend you release all the raw sources of models and such you tend to redo. Doing this will allow people to study it, mod it, and learn from it. For instance, I really want a viewmodel sample model to help figure out how to make my own. I learned most of my knowledge from pre-made models and maps, and I feel it's a great way of demonstration.

    • Upvote 2
    Josh

    Posted

    No such code exists...officially...

     

    Was this not suppose to be in there yet? It would explain the spam of warnings. tongue.png

     

    I'm really glad to see that such thing is coming soon, but I'm a little bit sad because I've just finished my stuff, and this sounds like it will be a better option. I was able to fix the conflict by putting my classes under a namespace, so my stuff still works for the time being.

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