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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #20 on: January 09, 2019, 04:37:30 PM » |
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Really gorgeous stuff you've got goin on here.
I wonder, are you rendering to a low res texture and then scaling it, or are you using post processing on a larger resolution? The former method would result in a performance boost. Idk, maybe it would be by a negligible amount. Thanks! I'm currently using a post process, though I will consider looking into resolution scaling further into development. Here's another update... Back in the dugout to test the weapon sway and view bob. I'm basically attaching a spring arm to the camera and setting the tool mesh (the wire cutters) as a child. That way as the player turns and moves, the tool will lag ever-so-slightly. In combination with shake on the camera, I feel like it results in a lovely dynamic view. |
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« Last Edit: January 29, 2019, 05:59:00 AM by SeanNoonan »
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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #21 on: February 04, 2019, 07:13:15 PM » |
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More footage from the dugout. Testing out a new pickup - the "torch", or "flashlight". This will be used for the upcoming mine section.
It's a really simple effect. A dynamic spotlight attached to the torch model, which in turn is attached to the spring arm that I am using for the wire cutters, henceforth known as the player's hand (there will be a model for this later). I also have a beam model with a scrolling fog material to fake beam volumetrics.
It still needs a little work; yet to orient to crosshair and I could potentially add the ability to toggle on and off (though the player could also just holster...).
I'm still working on the mine, hope to show that soon. I've decided to build the base in editor using a spline tool, then export that as an FBX to Blender (for scale, angles, etc.) and rebuild as a series of small art pieces. Wish me luck!
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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #22 on: February 07, 2019, 07:03:47 PM » |
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Small update! I'm still deciding on how water will look in the game - it currently clashes a little as it's using a pretty modern technique, but masked by the post process, I feel it works.
I'm also trying out light functions to imitate water caustics. I feel it looks pretty good!
More soon (hopefully once I've started working on the mine)...
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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #24 on: March 10, 2019, 06:58:02 PM » |
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Been working on the post process - made things much more efficient!
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ChrisLSound
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« Reply #25 on: March 11, 2019, 10:07:06 AM » |
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Nice! I love Dear Esther and TFOL, so I'm intrigued.
The lo-fi visual treatment is super interesting too. I dig it!
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I make video/tabletop games and music!
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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #26 on: March 15, 2019, 09:02:51 AM » |
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Latest update is more on the tech side than anything. I've started using splinemeshes as a part of my workflow. In an attempt to keep any navigation and the bulk of geo work purely within UE4, I'm using spline meshes to blockout linear sections like tunnels. I'm then exporting these splines as an FBX, then importing the FBX into Blender to cut up into smaller chunks. This was I can work on the art of these chunks in isolation and continue working on the level flow back in the editor. It's still not a perfect workflow, as changes are still costly, but at least the majority of the level design is still in a space where I can drop in/drop out of gameplay. That's the most important aspect of modern level design workflows. I've got a couple more things to share, but I'm on a train right now, so maybe I'll save my bandwidth and save that for another day  |
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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #27 on: March 24, 2019, 05:26:34 PM » |
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Progress has been a little slow recently as I've been busy refactoring a bunch of messy script. The result of which can be seen in the form of on screen text and per object highlights. This isn't a perfect implementation of any of these features, but it
is enough to progress.
I'm in two minds about what to focus on next. Most likely I'll be looking into how I will be implementing digging...
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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #28 on: April 11, 2019, 05:08:58 PM » |
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No exciting update today, but I thought it was time I checked in. I know that it's been a while now and it's still incredibly early, but this is still just a hobby. My day job on Gears of War still takes priority. That being said, I thought I would share a public timeline of where I'm at with the game. Spoiler free public roadmap: https://trello.com/b/41kEEGuO/nd1-public-board-road-to-alphaHope to have something visual to share soon  |
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alvarop
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« Reply #29 on: April 12, 2019, 11:42:01 AM » |
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Looks really cool Sean, following this!!
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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #30 on: April 15, 2019, 02:45:13 PM » |
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After talking through the story with some friends, I feel that my focus on design has lost the emotional core, so I need to go back to writing for a bit. Until then, here's a subtle homage to Quake II...
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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #31 on: May 06, 2019, 04:55:57 AM » |
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I have continued work with Cascade, and feel like I'm pretty comfortable building basic effects moving forward. Next on my list was to tackle animation, something I've been terrified of, and rightly so it seems.
The Blender to UE4 pipeline is dark and full of terrors. From scaling problems to physics, I've had so many issues that even achieving a basic folding hinge is worth committing to video.
One thing I have learnt is that you should always rename your Armature to something other than "Armature" or you'll have export/import problems. Weird.
The next video will feature either digging, UI or more complex animations. Not sure yet.
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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #32 on: May 16, 2019, 12:37:18 AM » |
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No video today, just thought I'd talk through some problems I've been having.
Firstly, I've been going too far down the art route without having fully blocked out the game. This is a rookie mistake caused by the fact that I am not confident on delivering art, so feel I have to get some of the way there visually before moving onto the next area "type".
Secondly, the way I am approaching UI is non-standard or outdated in UE4, so it has taken a lot longer than planned to achieve my goals.
Thirdly, I haven't spent enough time prototyping a number of the mechanics/interactive elements, such as digging, moving geometry, and most importantly, level streaming or loading.
And finally, characters. Yes, this game has characters, however they are currently just T-posed static objects that I cannot move.
So what am I going to do about these things?
Well, the first and third points can be fixed by just pausing all art progress. My plan right now is to have the full skeleton of the game playable start to finish by the end of July. This will be in a rough state, but will provide a guide for pacing and allow me to experiment in areas I am not comfortable - level streaming for example.
The second point I simply need to just set aside some time to experiment and potentially accept the fact that UE4 doesn't quite handle the sharp pixel fonts that I desire. This issue will remain so until I set aside time. However, it's somewhat low priority compared to the last point...
Characters! This is an area completely new to me and I find rather overwhelming. I'm thinking I might seek help in this area, so I'm quite likely going to set aside some money to either outsource the work or bring someone onto my team.
In short, I want a trigger walkthrough completed by the end of July and I'm considering expanding my current team of 1 to at least 2.
I appreciate this isn't an exciting update. I just felt like getting it off my chest.
Thanks!
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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #33 on: May 31, 2019, 03:36:36 PM » |
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So in the last post I talked about the T posed characters, here's an example.
My goal was to get a character into the game and make sure I'm getting model scale and texel denisty correct.
I'm really happy with how it looks in the environment. The extra time I've taken to marry the texturing style was worth it. Also I'm using imprecise vertex calculation like I did on the player's tools. I think it looks great.
I'm not going to lie, I'm struggling a lot with rigging and skinning, etc. but I'm going to stick at it, just expect updates to be a little slow whilst I learn.
I'd previously promised digging, UI or animation in the next update, so I guess you'll be seeing animation next!
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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #34 on: August 29, 2019, 02:44:45 PM » |
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Just posting to say I'm still alive. Put up a page for the project on my portfolio as proof that I'm still working on it: http://noonan.design/portfolio/nd1/I've got a couple of other commitments right now, but I will be back posting new content for this in October. |
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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #35 on: October 27, 2019, 04:32:34 AM » |
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I've been working on some documentation as of late. Mostly to help block feature creep. I thought it best to setup some pillars for the project, so that whenever I felt like adding something to the project, I would ask myself if this addition lines up with the pillars of the project. Project Pillars- Linear story / non-linear spaces
- Light puzzle / heavy exploration
- A rich, authentic, detailed world
- A controlled experience
More soon |
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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #37 on: April 19, 2020, 03:59:25 AM » |
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Back working on this!
Added some motion blur:
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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #38 on: April 22, 2020, 06:25:16 PM » |
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Started working on NPC's...  Also got a bunch of progression blockers in: |
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SeanNoonan
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« Reply #39 on: April 27, 2020, 06:24:52 PM » |
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Gave the NPC a gun...
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