Just a quick update with a link to one of the pieces of music I made for this project. Hopefully with more to come.
http://toddc.tumblr.com/post/100332797/a-piece-i-made-for-our-videogame-yaaaay
Sunday, 26 April 2009
Monday, 20 April 2009
Update #8 - Misc stuff and future work
Ok, i'm pretty sure this wraps up a lot of what i've been working on, aside from a few key things. First, after a lot of trial and error I managed to get animations into Torque which is a major step in the scheme of things. Admittedly actually getting the animations into engine required deleting part of the model so she's no longer got any hair, but as she's being remade anyway for animations sake everything should be fine. But aside from that, with the help of Yucel we managed to get animations to bind to keypresses within Torque, allowing us to have buttons that do whatever we want. So now, when you press "1" Dwynwen waves, as an example.
Aside from that, i've also been making some music for the project. The first thing I finished is currently looping within the game but hopefully i'll be able to create some more files for use when the player is in danger, and sneaking, and so on.
And finally, i've been remaking the amphitheatre that Lewis made, as his model was amazing but a bit too detailed and hard to texture for our project. This new one is finished now but unfortunatly isn't fully textured yet, but it's only a matter of time as there's only a small part left to do. It even has flags now, and I looked up the name of the legion stationed within Caerleon, and found out their banner. As they used the Capricorn as their symbol, I used the zodiac symbol on the flags to make it fit with the less-detailed and more-stylish design of the game.
Aside from that, i've also been making some music for the project. The first thing I finished is currently looping within the game but hopefully i'll be able to create some more files for use when the player is in danger, and sneaking, and so on.
And finally, i've been remaking the amphitheatre that Lewis made, as his model was amazing but a bit too detailed and hard to texture for our project. This new one is finished now but unfortunatly isn't fully textured yet, but it's only a matter of time as there's only a small part left to do. It even has flags now, and I looked up the name of the legion stationed within Caerleon, and found out their banner. As they used the Capricorn as their symbol, I used the zodiac symbol on the flags to make it fit with the less-detailed and more-stylish design of the game.
Update #7 - Additional models
The other models we decided to feature within the game are those of the roman guards and a basic horse model. We were going to have the gladiator as a character but instead decided to show him only in animated stills, as this way it would be less work and we could make it more dramatic. I made an incredibly basic guard model for use as a place holder and gave him a quick texture, making him look like this -
He's meant to be being remade but this model works within engine if anything messes up as far as re-making him goes. The horse was made by Leah and textured by Aliks, and then myself, Leah and Aliks edited the base texture and created a new one to fit more with the theme of the game.
The reason for having the horses within the game is that as an optional mission it's possible to release them and allow them to escape from the stables, causing confusion and making some guards who would otherwise be difficult to evade easier to navigate around. I'm not sure if this will make it into the finished game or not but the horses will be there regardless.
He's meant to be being remade but this model works within engine if anything messes up as far as re-making him goes. The horse was made by Leah and textured by Aliks, and then myself, Leah and Aliks edited the base texture and created a new one to fit more with the theme of the game.
The reason for having the horses within the game is that as an optional mission it's possible to release them and allow them to escape from the stables, causing confusion and making some guards who would otherwise be difficult to evade easier to navigate around. I'm not sure if this will make it into the finished game or not but the horses will be there regardless.
Update #6 - Textures
Having never done texturing before this project I was quite worried about starting, but once I got into it I really enjoyed it. After doing the stuff for the map and texturing Dwynwen I moved onto texturing the objects and doing some basic images of trees for use in the terrain. These were just flat, 2D images which in my opinion really add to the enviroment.
In the game world they actually sway slightly to give the impression of wind.
For a few examples of the objects (Made by Lewis, textured by me) here's some other screenshots.
The texture on the roof there is blurry due to torque hating me -_-
For a few examples of the objects (Made by Lewis, textured by me) here's some other screenshots.
The texture on the roof there is blurry due to torque hating me -_-
Update #5 - Some research at St. Fagans
Myself, Aliks and Leah took a day trip to do some research into ancient welsh villages. And as every welshman knows, the only place to go if you want to look at welsh history is St. Fagans.
We took a lot of photos to use as reference for models and textures, and i'll include a few here just so that it's documented.
There's a ton of images and all of them are awesome. And i'll leave you with this one - Even though we had the final design for Dwynwen down ages beforehand and had already decided she'd be in poses like this throughout the game, it seems that St. Fagans did it first :(
We took a lot of photos to use as reference for models and textures, and i'll include a few here just so that it's documented.
There's a ton of images and all of them are awesome. And i'll leave you with this one - Even though we had the final design for Dwynwen down ages beforehand and had already decided she'd be in poses like this throughout the game, it seems that St. Fagans did it first :(
Update #4 - Some modelling...
I suppose due to the lack in here about physical models within maya or torque, it's probably needed so here goes.
Josh created a model of Dwynwen, which myself and Leah then edited. We ended up with something that looked like this -
As you can see, it looks similar to the concepts that Leah did, one of which i'll include here for cross referencing.
After this I spent a lot of time working out how to get the model into engine. I got lucky and eventually ended up with it working fine, as shown here -
As you can see, she's untextured but is in game. At the time it was a huge thing as importing from Maya to Torque is pretty irritating at times.
After this success, I went on to texturing her. After redoing it a few times I eventually ended up with something we were all happy with, in this -
It's a pretty rough texture as i've noticed now I look back on it but it fits with the concepts and the style of the game. And after this, I managed to get her into game and textured too which was a real bonus. Unfortunatly I cannot find an image of this at the moment but there will be one featured shortly on the blog.
Josh created a model of Dwynwen, which myself and Leah then edited. We ended up with something that looked like this -
As you can see, it looks similar to the concepts that Leah did, one of which i'll include here for cross referencing.
After this I spent a lot of time working out how to get the model into engine. I got lucky and eventually ended up with it working fine, as shown here -
As you can see, she's untextured but is in game. At the time it was a huge thing as importing from Maya to Torque is pretty irritating at times.
After this success, I went on to texturing her. After redoing it a few times I eventually ended up with something we were all happy with, in this -
It's a pretty rough texture as i've noticed now I look back on it but it fits with the concepts and the style of the game. And after this, I managed to get her into game and textured too which was a real bonus. Unfortunatly I cannot find an image of this at the moment but there will be one featured shortly on the blog.
Update #3 - The terrain
Onto the terrain itself. As mentioned previously Yucel created the heightmap following the data provided by my map, and here's a few shots of it -
Looks nice hey? It's got a really basic snow texture applied to it which I created, along with a skybox I made too, based off a default torque skybox. And speaking of textures, here's some more I did.
This is just for use as a basic snow covered road or something similar to that.
This is used for the fortress floor and perhaps some areas within the town too.
And finally this is the river, which when in motion gives the impression of a freezing, icy death awaiting you if you slip in.
Looks nice hey? It's got a really basic snow texture applied to it which I created, along with a skybox I made too, based off a default torque skybox. And speaking of textures, here's some more I did.
This is just for use as a basic snow covered road or something similar to that.
This is used for the fortress floor and perhaps some areas within the town too.
And finally this is the river, which when in motion gives the impression of a freezing, icy death awaiting you if you slip in.
Update #2 - The map
So, at the beginning it was decided that i'd work on the map. After taking a look at the layout of modern day Caerleon with Google Maps, and at an image found by our producer of the possible layout of a roman fortress/town, I decided to combine the two and came up with this -
It's incredibly basic. The fortress part is a fort, the village part is a village, and the river at the bottom is a river. The large, oval object at the bottom is the Amphitheater. After this I created a few more maps to give a better idea of where the player can travel and possible routes, and also one showing the patrol routes of a few guards.
Anyway, after this I spoke and worked a lot with Yucel and he created the terrain for us within torque, featured in the next post.
It's incredibly basic. The fortress part is a fort, the village part is a village, and the river at the bottom is a river. The large, oval object at the bottom is the Amphitheater. After this I created a few more maps to give a better idea of where the player can travel and possible routes, and also one showing the patrol routes of a few guards.
It makes sense to me -_-
Anyway, after this I spoke and worked a lot with Yucel and he created the terrain for us within torque, featured in the next post.
Update #1 - The story.
Been a while. While i'd have loved to update as I went at the time I was actually working I was way too busy to be updating.
Since the last (First?) update, our game has gone from a basic concept to a full blown epic tale. The player must assume the role of Dwynwen, a young celtic lady, living in a world split in two. On one side is her tribe, the Silurians, and on the other is the roman army - The second legion Augusta. As a basic introduction to the level playable within our game is nigh impossible without at least a slight glance at the backstory here goes nothing -
--
It is 250 AD. The roman army has conquered the majority of Europe and has made it half way across Britain. Amongst the ranks, one veteran warrior has started to feel the strain and anguish of his acts throughout the past 7 years.
It is 250 AD. The roman legion - The second legion Augusta - has been stationed within the fortress of Caerleon (Literally Fortress of the Legion) for the past 180 years. While new recruits come and go the ideals remain the same - to conquer all that stands in their way.
It is 250 AD. Deep within the forests surrounding Isca, the tribesmen of the Silurians are out for blood. After years of viscious combat with the Romans, they are still standing strong and their will is not faltering. Within the clan, one young girl does not understand the fighting, instead being curious about the nature of her "enemy".
It is 250 AD. In a chance encounter, two cultures clash on neutral ground. The veteran soldier gets outsmarted by the naive welsh girl, as he is snared within a trap in the woodlands. Accepting his fate, he resigns himself to death, and has his ideals challenged when she attempts to start a conversation with him. Once he attempts to reply she is scared off, but this moment of insight into a people previously thought savage has a major effect upon the warrior.
It is 250 AD. The veteran has spoken out against his people. He has publically challenged his commander and their orders from Rome. He is tired of destroying the cultures of hundreds of civilizations, and is sentanced to life in the arena for his betrayal of Rome.
It is 250 AD. Using the innate talents gained from a life in the woodlands, the young welsh girl decides to investigate the fortress. Walls and buildings are no obstacle to the agile creature, and whilst exploring the compound she discovers the veteran held within a gladiators cell. This time, she does not flee when he attempts to speak with her.
It is 250 AD.
--
It's like i'm made of PR.
The mission itself is introduced by a series of narrative stills which give a vague outline of the events beforehand. As the mission is to be the centre of the game, major events happen both before and after it. At the end of the previous level, Dwynwen has discovered the commander of the legion has conspired to send the gladiator to his death within the winter solstice celebrations - The night the celtic village have designated as the night they will make a major attack the fort. Dwynwen wants to go and warn the gladiator, and if possible free him, but her father (The chief of the clan) denies her request. Speaking to the wise lady of the village, she acquires a potion which fuels her with energy and adrenaline, making her shrug off the cold, chilling winter air. Unfortunatly the effects of the potion only last for 20 minutes, and after that she must be within the warmth or she will freeze to death - This is a mechanic within the game, as the player only has 20 minutes to play the level.
The main focus of the level is simple. The player must reach the amphitheatre, by any means neccessary, within 20 minutes. However, obviously within the village there are guards, and citizens celebrating the festival, so stealth is required. While Dwynwen is agile, she is rather frail and cannot match the guards or citizens with melee combat, so the player cannot be caught or it will lead to imprisonment or death.
I'll go into more within the next post.
Since the last (First?) update, our game has gone from a basic concept to a full blown epic tale. The player must assume the role of Dwynwen, a young celtic lady, living in a world split in two. On one side is her tribe, the Silurians, and on the other is the roman army - The second legion Augusta. As a basic introduction to the level playable within our game is nigh impossible without at least a slight glance at the backstory here goes nothing -
--
It is 250 AD. The roman army has conquered the majority of Europe and has made it half way across Britain. Amongst the ranks, one veteran warrior has started to feel the strain and anguish of his acts throughout the past 7 years.
It is 250 AD. The roman legion - The second legion Augusta - has been stationed within the fortress of Caerleon (Literally Fortress of the Legion) for the past 180 years. While new recruits come and go the ideals remain the same - to conquer all that stands in their way.
It is 250 AD. Deep within the forests surrounding Isca, the tribesmen of the Silurians are out for blood. After years of viscious combat with the Romans, they are still standing strong and their will is not faltering. Within the clan, one young girl does not understand the fighting, instead being curious about the nature of her "enemy".
It is 250 AD. In a chance encounter, two cultures clash on neutral ground. The veteran soldier gets outsmarted by the naive welsh girl, as he is snared within a trap in the woodlands. Accepting his fate, he resigns himself to death, and has his ideals challenged when she attempts to start a conversation with him. Once he attempts to reply she is scared off, but this moment of insight into a people previously thought savage has a major effect upon the warrior.
It is 250 AD. The veteran has spoken out against his people. He has publically challenged his commander and their orders from Rome. He is tired of destroying the cultures of hundreds of civilizations, and is sentanced to life in the arena for his betrayal of Rome.
It is 250 AD. Using the innate talents gained from a life in the woodlands, the young welsh girl decides to investigate the fortress. Walls and buildings are no obstacle to the agile creature, and whilst exploring the compound she discovers the veteran held within a gladiators cell. This time, she does not flee when he attempts to speak with her.
It is 250 AD.
--
It's like i'm made of PR.
The mission itself is introduced by a series of narrative stills which give a vague outline of the events beforehand. As the mission is to be the centre of the game, major events happen both before and after it. At the end of the previous level, Dwynwen has discovered the commander of the legion has conspired to send the gladiator to his death within the winter solstice celebrations - The night the celtic village have designated as the night they will make a major attack the fort. Dwynwen wants to go and warn the gladiator, and if possible free him, but her father (The chief of the clan) denies her request. Speaking to the wise lady of the village, she acquires a potion which fuels her with energy and adrenaline, making her shrug off the cold, chilling winter air. Unfortunatly the effects of the potion only last for 20 minutes, and after that she must be within the warmth or she will freeze to death - This is a mechanic within the game, as the player only has 20 minutes to play the level.
The main focus of the level is simple. The player must reach the amphitheatre, by any means neccessary, within 20 minutes. However, obviously within the village there are guards, and citizens celebrating the festival, so stealth is required. While Dwynwen is agile, she is rather frail and cannot match the guards or citizens with melee combat, so the player cannot be caught or it will lead to imprisonment or death.
I'll go into more within the next post.
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