Mortality Test - We Are Not Immortal ... allegedly ...
by Steve Acaster · 08/08/2010 (12:11 pm) · 16 comments
Apparently ... you who are reading this ... may actually be mortal ...
I know, it's obviously incredibly unfair - why are you and me getting singled out like this? The world might actually continue without us ... clearly a grevious bias against us personally ... well, me anyway ... I mean ... what if there isn't a respawn option? And even if there is ... you're gonna lose all of your loot! And restart at level one! You might as well just rage-quit the concept of reincarnation all together, settle for a cloud and learn to play a harp ...
But enough about IRL, in gaming you respawn ... or at the very least restart the game, it doesn't just delete from your hard-drive when you avatar bites the dust and then refuse to redownload another copy. If it did, people would be at your door with pitchforks ...
But rather than just "pop back" into the game, I decided to make a little death sequence everytime the player buys the farm ... and keep it short, because the player might get to see it quite a bit if they're having a bad day at the keyboard ...
Initially this worked ... okayish ... not used to messing around with camera functions or the sort, and then in the new build it broke. But rather than my usual tactic of try every combination of events and scripts which I could possibly think of - then trawl the forums for info that usual relates to redundant engine versions, I just looked up the new docs and found all the camera functions and then linked my system to corpse mode. And it was better than before. Docs for teh win!
And what's more restful than a chapel of rest? As long as it's only a few seconds, or else it'll get annoying.
Once again, Huzzar for PureLight. Just 2 tonemaps and 3 meshes. Outside of the chapel is a straight dts mesh, with the interior and interior props, collected together as a Prefab (first prefab I've used, and boy do these thigns look useful!). And it's a fully enterable building too, so I can use it in-game as a prop as well.
Originally I'd used a realistic lighting technique for the tonemaps ... but thought it looked a bit dull, so I arty'd the whole thing up with shadow blockers and multiple spotlight through each window, casting varying degrees of light intensity around the interior.
Admittedly this screenie is a bit dark on the ambient ...
So here's another ...
Window on the left took me over nine thousand hours in MS Paint ... and the one on the right took my about 9 seconds after I remembered how to draw ... out of practise ...
Repawn/quit dialogue is still just a stock GUI, so I'll need to replace that with something completely custom, but all in all, I thought it was quite a nice touch.
I know, it's obviously incredibly unfair - why are you and me getting singled out like this? The world might actually continue without us ... clearly a grevious bias against us personally ... well, me anyway ... I mean ... what if there isn't a respawn option? And even if there is ... you're gonna lose all of your loot! And restart at level one! You might as well just rage-quit the concept of reincarnation all together, settle for a cloud and learn to play a harp ...
But enough about IRL, in gaming you respawn ... or at the very least restart the game, it doesn't just delete from your hard-drive when you avatar bites the dust and then refuse to redownload another copy. If it did, people would be at your door with pitchforks ...
But rather than just "pop back" into the game, I decided to make a little death sequence everytime the player buys the farm ... and keep it short, because the player might get to see it quite a bit if they're having a bad day at the keyboard ...
Initially this worked ... okayish ... not used to messing around with camera functions or the sort, and then in the new build it broke. But rather than my usual tactic of try every combination of events and scripts which I could possibly think of - then trawl the forums for info that usual relates to redundant engine versions, I just looked up the new docs and found all the camera functions and then linked my system to corpse mode. And it was better than before. Docs for teh win!
And what's more restful than a chapel of rest? As long as it's only a few seconds, or else it'll get annoying.
Once again, Huzzar for PureLight. Just 2 tonemaps and 3 meshes. Outside of the chapel is a straight dts mesh, with the interior and interior props, collected together as a Prefab (first prefab I've used, and boy do these thigns look useful!). And it's a fully enterable building too, so I can use it in-game as a prop as well.
Originally I'd used a realistic lighting technique for the tonemaps ... but thought it looked a bit dull, so I arty'd the whole thing up with shadow blockers and multiple spotlight through each window, casting varying degrees of light intensity around the interior.
Admittedly this screenie is a bit dark on the ambient ...
So here's another ...
Window on the left took me over nine thousand hours in MS Paint ... and the one on the right took my about 9 seconds after I remembered how to draw ... out of practise ...
Repawn/quit dialogue is still just a stock GUI, so I'll need to replace that with something completely custom, but all in all, I thought it was quite a nice touch.
About the author
One Bloke ... In His Bedroom ... Making Indie Games ...
#2
08/08/2010 (1:19 pm)
like it Steve. put a couple of players in those seats out of respect :) 
#3
08/08/2010 (2:57 pm)
Very nice. That reminded me of Asheron's Call. When you die in that game the camera slowly orbits your body, though no nice chapel scene :) 
#4
08/08/2010 (3:25 pm)
Nice touch, I like it! 
#5
08/08/2010 (3:47 pm)
Ease the transition from material to ethereal and I think you have a win. Really like the idea of having some players in there too. Be really cool if they were randomized on each death...
#6
08/08/2010 (4:34 pm)
Well, I was against the idea of a populated chapel ... but "Be really cool if they were randomized on each death..." gives me an idea of having more stuff (people) in it for each level of singleplayer campaign ... now that would cool ... though possibly might get a bit crowded ... lowpoly for the win!
#7
08/08/2010 (6:03 pm)
maybe some bunny slippers on the floor with an transparent ghost like bunny character in them :) probably going a bit extreme now. 
#8
08/10/2010 (8:05 am)
Looking superb, bunny slippers would be a nice touch to the chapel, and as Patrick said if you could ease the transition into the chapel with a fade or brilliant flash of white it'd look cool
#9
The previous stock method of DamageFlash and Whiteout are no longer functioning.
EDIT
Actually I've ended up using GuiFadeinBitmapCtrl, and yes, it does look a lot nicer. :)
08/10/2010 (10:17 am)
Anyone actually know how to do a fade or fullscreen flash?The previous stock method of DamageFlash and Whiteout are no longer functioning.
EDIT
Actually I've ended up using GuiFadeinBitmapCtrl, and yes, it does look a lot nicer. :)
#10
08/10/2010 (4:10 pm)
You could probably put in a timer to let players know you aren't just waisting time that this is apart of the respawn clock. 
#11
Good stuff!
--RB
08/10/2010 (4:31 pm)
Nice work, Steve. Forgive the ignorance here, but is this an actual game you're working on?Good stuff!
--RB
#12
Allegedly!
After 2 years and 5 months and 2 days*FFS!*, I'm on the verge of almost being in a position to actually start making my game.
So, yes, for a game - demoes available when they're eventual done!
08/10/2010 (7:45 pm)
@RonAllegedly!
After 2 years and 5 months and 2 days*FFS!*, I'm on the verge of almost being in a position to actually start making my game.
So, yes, for a game - demoes available when they're eventual done!
#13
I'm always fascinated by the one-man show. I've got zero artistic ability whatsoever...been coding for 17 years though...so I can manage the technology piece...but the creative...just not in my blood.
Always have to tip my hat to the folks that can do it all.
--RB
08/11/2010 (11:55 am)
Good luck to you...it looks like you've got some good stuff in there. Are you doing all the artwork yourself?I'm always fascinated by the one-man show. I've got zero artistic ability whatsoever...been coding for 17 years though...so I can manage the technology piece...but the creative...just not in my blood.
Always have to tip my hat to the folks that can do it all.
--RB
#14
I still think that artwork is generally 10% inspiration and 90% persperation. I'd never used a 3D modeling app until I started Torque (minus Radiant), didn't know what a UV map was, and hell, my animations are still all done by eye (I'll have to have another read of inverseKinetics again - but didn't get how to do it practically the last 2 times, so just ignored it)
The one-man show is very much a running game, moving that ball forward one yard at a time. (lol, used to play Madden on the PS1(?) - LA Rams where these days?!)
08/11/2010 (1:28 pm)
Yep, doing all of the art and scripting myself ... and even a little bit of hacky programming --- though I regularly scavenge through the Resources Section for anything useful. Don't really have time to learn full blown cpp. I've got enough on my plate!I still think that artwork is generally 10% inspiration and 90% persperation. I'd never used a 3D modeling app until I started Torque (minus Radiant), didn't know what a UV map was, and hell, my animations are still all done by eye (I'll have to have another read of inverseKinetics again - but didn't get how to do it practically the last 2 times, so just ignored it)
The one-man show is very much a running game, moving that ball forward one yard at a time. (lol, used to play Madden on the PS1(?) - LA Rams where these days?!)
#15
08/12/2010 (6:45 pm)
Steve that just looks like too much fun - love it :) 
#16
08/16/2010 (10:52 am)
Nice chapel Steve. Also the YorkshireRifles initials in the circular window are a nice touch. 
Torque Owner Mike Rowley
Mike Rowley