Kinetic sculpture world possible in TGE? opinions
by Culcomp · in Torque Game Engine · 10/02/2006 (9:42 am) · 0 replies
I'm looking for advice about a project I am working on. Is the TGE the right place to do it?
My idea: create a multi-player fps-like game/world filled with sculptures. These sculptures will grow and change using generative, evolving algorithms; spawning new 'sculptures' and dieing when their life is over. In addition these things will be producing music ('singing' if you will), improvising with each other in ways relating to the algorithms that drive their graphical growth. On top of that players will be able to travel amongst them and 'play' them, pushing them and touching them and manipulating them like some bizarre orchestra of living musical instruments.
I have good ideas of an ideal implementation but I am only 1 person with a finite amount of time.
My initial mock-up in TGE was by doing it all script side with very limited success. I couldn't change the color, shape, or other properties of my 'item's programatically. With about 10 objects floating around 'singing' the frame rate was fine, but a few more than that and the engine slowed to a crawl (at about 1 fps!). So I know I can't do it in script.
How much hacking would I have to do? Can I change the size, color, gravityMod, lightRadius, etc. easily and quickly using the classes already in existance? In order for the 'sculptures' to improvise/sing they need to be able to 'talk' to eachother many times a second (::processTick seems like the place). Something like a collision detection routine, but they need to communicate even if they are very far apart in xyz terms.
Any opinions/comments/advice?
My idea: create a multi-player fps-like game/world filled with sculptures. These sculptures will grow and change using generative, evolving algorithms; spawning new 'sculptures' and dieing when their life is over. In addition these things will be producing music ('singing' if you will), improvising with each other in ways relating to the algorithms that drive their graphical growth. On top of that players will be able to travel amongst them and 'play' them, pushing them and touching them and manipulating them like some bizarre orchestra of living musical instruments.
I have good ideas of an ideal implementation but I am only 1 person with a finite amount of time.
My initial mock-up in TGE was by doing it all script side with very limited success. I couldn't change the color, shape, or other properties of my 'item's programatically. With about 10 objects floating around 'singing' the frame rate was fine, but a few more than that and the engine slowed to a crawl (at about 1 fps!). So I know I can't do it in script.
How much hacking would I have to do? Can I change the size, color, gravityMod, lightRadius, etc. easily and quickly using the classes already in existance? In order for the 'sculptures' to improvise/sing they need to be able to 'talk' to eachother many times a second (::processTick seems like the place). Something like a collision detection routine, but they need to communicate even if they are very far apart in xyz terms.
Any opinions/comments/advice?
