FFXI online Houdini Tricks
by Johnny Hill · in Torque Game Engine · 07/22/2004 (9:09 pm) · 4 replies
Moving interiors...Would be a boon of a break thru. But if its tough for the real programmers I know not to even try to follow that path.
But I have notice a nice but not completely believable solution that FFXI online using to give you a bit of immersion factor.
Moving platforms FF style...The Airship
Your standing at the port and you look up and this beautiful airship is coming across the sky and lands in the water creating waves and spray. This huge vessels floats right up to the dock and stops at the loading ramp.
Everybody walks into this ship the inside is beautiful. When its time for take off......screen fades to black.....a cutscene is played showing the ship leaving......downloading data...Screen fades back....Your still on the ship but now its high in the air. The land is slowly passing below your walking around the ship talking with everyone who came aboard.
Well thats a big ole cheat way of doing it but you know I liked it :) The old room switcheroo The big pretty vehical model and the stationary flying in the sky interior/exterior model that you warped too.
This is very creative this is how I want to use my torque.
John H
But I have notice a nice but not completely believable solution that FFXI online using to give you a bit of immersion factor.
Moving platforms FF style...The Airship
Your standing at the port and you look up and this beautiful airship is coming across the sky and lands in the water creating waves and spray. This huge vessels floats right up to the dock and stops at the loading ramp.
Everybody walks into this ship the inside is beautiful. When its time for take off......screen fades to black.....a cutscene is played showing the ship leaving......downloading data...Screen fades back....Your still on the ship but now its high in the air. The land is slowly passing below your walking around the ship talking with everyone who came aboard.
Well thats a big ole cheat way of doing it but you know I liked it :) The old room switcheroo The big pretty vehical model and the stationary flying in the sky interior/exterior model that you warped too.
This is very creative this is how I want to use my torque.
John H
About the author
#2
07/29/2004 (7:14 am)
You cant fault square for thier art direction. I'd kill to have some of thier artists working for me for a couple of years :) but who wouldnt.
#3
On FFXI.. man.. I could go on forever talking about all the things I find brilliant in that game - both graphically and gameplay wise.. but.. this is hardly the place for it.. And so.. I restrain myself :-).
07/29/2004 (7:33 am)
Square (Square-Enix now) sits snugly at the top of my personal list for art direction and overall depth and detail in their game design.On FFXI.. man.. I could go on forever talking about all the things I find brilliant in that game - both graphically and gameplay wise.. but.. this is hardly the place for it.. And so.. I restrain myself :-).
#4
I play on Caisith myself.
Well since everybody is walking around I would go with the Airship is Staticobject like a regular DIF interior in torque. Standard old collision detection still apply. And like in the old vaudville days the scene scrolls around this static object.
The bottom layer is easy enough a low-res render of the terrain with prominient areas/landmarks showing. this thing just moves below the ship. If you notice you can't leap over the edges heh because no characters can jump. Hmm I wonder why. Notice the very high walls in cities. :)
But imagine the synching involved. You notice if your standing at those places at certain times you see the Airship traveling. ( The stand-in one) But you do see it.
John H.
08/03/2004 (8:37 pm)
Yes, It's those details like that the that stand out if you look for them. I like that game even with Zoning heh. (AC recovering program)I play on Caisith myself.
Well since everybody is walking around I would go with the Airship is Staticobject like a regular DIF interior in torque. Standard old collision detection still apply. And like in the old vaudville days the scene scrolls around this static object.
The bottom layer is easy enough a low-res render of the terrain with prominient areas/landmarks showing. this thing just moves below the ship. If you notice you can't leap over the edges heh because no characters can jump. Hmm I wonder why. Notice the very high walls in cities. :)
But imagine the synching involved. You notice if your standing at those places at certain times you see the Airship traveling. ( The stand-in one) But you do see it.
John H.
Torque Owner Mitovo
I'm guessing you're a FFXI player :-) Me, too - on Pandemonium..
In any case, I never thought about the airship/ferry in that context.. very interesting ideas that brings to light... So do you think it's a static object with the background being "scrolled" behind it.. or a static background with the ship moving along a pre-set path?
Since FFXI is part of the topic..
Aside from the clever use of "interiors" for airships (and the Mhaura/Selbina ferry!)I have yet to see a game that simulates atmosphere as convincingly as FFXI. I think *alot* can be learned by examining how thoroughly they implement every change in weather, atmospheric conditions (fog, clear, etc) and time-of-day...
For example, if you stand right outside one of the cities, San d'Oria, (E. or W. Ronfaure) which is almost always slightly foggy/misty, you notice how the sun has that highly diffuse look to it because of the light being filtered through the atmosphere, making it look larger and "softened". However, the sky clears up and suddenly the sun is smaller-looking and quite sharp and vivid..
Another example, the color of the fog/atmosphere *always* matches the background (skydome) near the horizon so everything always fades out convincingly.
Another example.. ever notice how if you are looking toward the sun and it's at all obscured by even a single leaf on a tree, the "flare" effect disappears, until it's unobstructed again?